The Runner: Volume 8: Issue 20

August-16-2016

VOL-08-ISS-20

News Budgeting the KSA’s Summer Renovations

Culture Some LGBTQ+ Students Don’t Feel Supported on Campus

Opinion Should KPU Have Fraternities and Sororities?

Having space since 2009

Around the World at KPU

find us online / runnermag.ca / @runnermag / facebook.com/runnerMAG / INSTAGRAM.com/RUNNERMAG

02 Table of contents

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staff

News | KSA Summer Renovations Going Over Estimate

Several of the Kwantlen Student Association’s on-campus renovation projects have turned out to be more expensive than initially estimated, including work on the Grassroots Cafe and two fitness rooms.

Coordinating Editor

07

Tristan Johnston editor@runnermag.ca

culture | Lack of Support for LGBTQ+ Community a Problem for Queer Students

Managing Editor

Connor Doyle managing@runnermag.ca

Kwantlen Polytechnic University “isn’t necessarily the safe space that people might think it is,” says Kari Michaels, a positive space campaign facilitator and volunteer for KPU Pride.

Production Manager

10 16

Danielle George production@runnermag.ca

Art Director

Scott McLelland art@runnermag.ca

Feature | Life in KPIRGatory

There’s a whole wide world outside of the Lower Mainland—a fact which can be easily forgotten by university students enrolled here full-time.

Photo Editor

Kier-Christer Junos photos@runnermag.ca @kierjunos

Staff Writer

Alyssa Laube staff@runnermag.ca

Opinions | Around the World with KPU’s Variety of Multicultural Courses

The backbone of fraternities is friendship, and that’s lovely. Student morale is an attribute that KPU is notoriously lacking, and in that regard, a frat house on-campus might do us some good.

Web Editor

Joseph Keller web@runnermag.ca

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Production Assisant

Kayla Frier production@runnermag.ca

Columns | How to Help the Bees

Operations Manager

Honeybees are responsible for the pollination of a great number of plants worldwide, and without bees around to pollinate the plants we eat, “a third of our food would be taken out of [grocery stores].”

Scott Boux office@runnermag.ca 778.565.3801

#FeatureTweets Sustainable KSA @SustainableKSA Today is a great day to get your shopping done @KwantlenStMkt KPU #RichmondBC near #LansdowneMall from 3-7pm!

KPU Career/Volunteer @KPUcv Do things at your own speed. University doesn’t need to be rushed, it needs to be experienced! #MotivationalMonday

#BestPhoto

TRIS TAN JHON STON @iamnottdog if i was a country i would be the smallest country in the world

Contributors

Arbutus 3710/3720 12666 72 Ave. Surrey, B.C, V3W 2M8 778.565.3801 www.runnermag.ca Vol. 08, Issue no.

August 16, 2016 ISSN# 1916 8241

20

Calvin Borghardt Keith Harris Kyrsten Downton Melissa Pomerleau Nat Mussell

Neil Bassan Shandis Harrison Tasman Brewster Tommy Nguyen Yuta Anonuevo

camrasouthfraiser mykpuThis High School group from Brazil is having a lot of fun during a tour at KPU #kpuinternational! #kwantlenu #kpu #mykpu #brasil #brazil #highschool

Cover

Experimenting in many mediums, Nat Mussell takes pride in her abilities in digital media and sculpture.

Nat graduated from Kwantlen Polytechnic University in the Bachelors of Fine Arts in 2015 and will resume her studies in education at the University of British Columbia in the fall of 2016.

The Runner is student-owned and operated by Kwantlen Polytechnic University students, published under the Polytechnic Ink Publishing Society. . The Runner recognises that our work, both in and out of the office, takes place on unceded Coast and Strait Salish territories, specifically the shared traditional territories of the Kwantlen, Katzie, Semiahmoo, Sto:lo and Tsawwassen First Nations. Our name is inspired by the hun’qumi’num meaning of Kwantlen, which is tireless hunters or tireless runners. Just as Kwantlen is adaptable and changing so is The Runner.

Editorial 03

From The Editors

Canada is less attractive to terrorism, for good reason (Yu

ta A non uev o)

Tristan Johnston | Coordinating Editor News from last week has reminded Canadians that we’re not completely immune to terror attacks sometimes seen in other countries. A man from Ontario, who was already known to Canadian counter-terrorism services, has died following an exchange with police. Aaron Driver appeared to be planning to detonate an explosive in a high population centre.

It should be said that members of his mosque had tried to “change his perspective” some time last year, and that they had been informing the police of his status. It’s for reasons like this that we have less terrorism in Canada.

Much of the lack of terrorism can be attributed to Canada’s immigration and integration policies. Our country’s recent refugee services planning prioritizes Syrian and Iraqi refugee families, women and children, as opposed to single men. The reason being that single men, in a new and possibly hostile environment, are much more susceptible to radicalization.

Of course, Europe has had a greater problem dealing with this issue. They have too many refugees coming in too quickly, and the local populations are fighting against it, to varying degrees of success. Conversely, Canada has the luxury of picking and choosing who enters the country by virtue of

having two oceans on either side of us.

I would speculate that there’s much more terrorism in Europe than in Canada because the locals there aren’t as welcoming. No, not every European is racist, but it doesn’t help when France and Switzerland pass a handful of laws that are hostile to Muslims. Both countries have banned the niqab, and Switzerland banned the construction of minarets. Much of Europe also does a worse job of integrating new immigrants into the population compared to Canada.

The United States also has much more terrorism by virtue of having politicians that propose banning Muslims from entering the country, feeding the “Muslims are oppressed”

Student Society Emergency Funds available for all KPU Students Melissa Pomerleau

News Briefs

To assist students during times of financial crisis, the Kwantlen Student Association has established the Student Society Emergency Fund. The fund is available to all students—domestic and international—who would otherwise have to postpone their education due to financial emergencies.

“For example, your cat is going to the vet and it’s super unexpected,” says KSA vice president Student Life Natasha Lopes. “Or your car breaks down and that’s also unexpected and you’ve already paid for tuition and you have no money, you can apply to SSEF for up to $500.”

Students can apply for this money once a semester through the Student Awards and Financial Assistance office located in the Surrey Main building. “[SSEF] is available all year around. You just need to apply through SAFA and SAFA will decide whether or not that emergen-

cy meets their requirements,” says Lopes.

The SSEF is mandated from the provincial government, who send the KSA a letter asking them to begin fundraising for their contribution to the fund every year. The amount fundraised is then matched by the government.

While there are no confirmed fundraising events in place for this year yet, Lopes and the Student Life Committee are currently in the brainstorming phase, and plan on reaching out to a variety of clubs across campus to help raise the funds.

“There are quite a few ways to achieve fundraising goals, through food drives, or just different events,” says Lopes. She also notes that last year, the KSA’s fundraising efforts included henna painting and the selling of posters to KPU students, both of which she would like to bring back this year.

“We are looking to bring that back again. We are just waiting for confirmation,” says Lopes.

narrative spun by ISIL and other terrorist organizations. Furthermore, when racism is “okayed” by people with influence and attention, it emboldens others to emulate it, as seen in and around Donald Trump rallies.

Of course, a massive proliferation of firearms and a lack of sufficient counter-extremism measures has made mass shootings much more prevalent.

The United State also tends to operate their militaries to varying degrees across the Middle East. When a house in a small village in Pakistan gets destroyed by an American drone, you have in-effect radicalized everyone who’s still alive, and potentially all of their neighbours and

loved ones.

Conversely, a new immigrant to Canada, Zunera Ishaq, challenged a law in 2015 that would have barred her from wearing her niqab during her citizenship ceremony and won. When most political parties in Canada profess an unambiguously positive message about immigration and diversity, it makes it much more difficult for homegrown terrorism to take hold.

And while the Conservatives lost in October, partially due to this perceived racism, they find themselves quickly reorganizing the party, whilst the Republicans in the United States are doubling down on Trump.

None of this is to say that there’s no racism in Canada, or no Islamophobia—lots of work still needs to be done with regards to outreach.

In an interview with CBC, Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety was discussing the $35 million over five years dedicated to combatting against radicalization among young Canadians. “Its purpose will be to develop and coordinate expertise in identifying those who could be vulnerable to radicalization and to try to connect with them,” Goodale said.

Other countries should learn from what Canada is trying to do, and make community outreach and mental health services an equally high priority to military and police services. Just the same way you employ negotiation and diplomacy long before the use of force.

KSA move to transfer $500 out of old account to help students Alyssa Laube| Staff Writer Throughout the past eight years, approximately $500 of the Kwantlen Student Association’s investments were sitting around collecting dust under Quadrus Investment Services Ltd. For reasons that Vice-president Finance & Operations Rawan Ramini can’t identify, a small amount of money was kept with the company while the rest of their investments were moved to CIBC. The funds that stayed with Quadrus did not reap a significant benefit as very little profit was gained, and so the Executive Committee recommended to council that they be liquidated and transferred to a new account in order to be more useful.

“The $500 that is there now doesn’t bring in any money for the organization. Their market value over the past two months changed by under a dollar, so it’s financially unprofitable to keep the investments with Quadrus,” says Ramini.

Originally, the Committee’s motion suggested that the money go into CIBC Wood Gundy, Canadian wealth

management services provider, but Ramini states that it will now go towards bursaries for KPU students.

At the next council meeting, the Executive Committee will put forward a motion to transfer all of their investments from CIBC to Vancity, which partially explains why they went back on their decision to move the $500 into their Wood Gundy accounts.

What’s Happening this week Connor Doyle

Aug 17

KPIRG Outreach and Tabling

The Kwantlen Public Interest Research Group wants you to get involved. Stop by to learn more about KPIRG activities and upcoming events!

10:00 am - 4:00 pm, Surrey Campus Main Courtyard, Free.

Aug 19

Anime Evolution

The Lower Mainland’s premier anime convention for over a decade is back in the heart of downtown Vancouver.

Come down and get your senpai to notice you.

10 am - 6pm, Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre Hotel, TIckets from $5.00 to $65.00.

Aug 22

Speaker Series: The Inspiration of Bees

Speakers from various KPU faculties will look into the lives of honey bees, how humans have taken inspiration from their mastery in our culture and design.

6 - 9 p.m., Surrey Campus Fir 128, Free.

Aug 24

It’s About U Program

Newcomers to KPU who are looking to get a head start on university can attend this two-day transition program Make sure to register ahead of time.

8:30 am - 4:00 pm, Surrey Campus, Coast Capital Savings Library, Free.

Aug 27

Rally for Justice

The BC Student Alliance is hosting a rally of high school students who feel marginalized by British Columbia’s education system. Show your support for this important cause.

1 pm, Vancouver Art Gallery, 750 Hornby Street, Free.

Aug 30

New Student Orientation

Another event to welcome new KPU students to university life. Take this opportunity to meet your classmates, get advice from senior students, and learn about the resources available to

9:00 am - 6:00, Langley, Richmond & Surrey, Free.

04 News

KSA Summer Renovations Going Over Estimate Forthcoming Birch building renovation expected to come in as budgeted Alyssa Laube| Staff Writer

Exterior of the Kwantlen Polytechnic University Surrey campus Birch Building in July 2016. (Alyssa Laube)

Several of the Kwantlen Student Association’s on-campus renovation projects have turned out to be more expensive than initially estimated, including work on the Grassroots Cafe and two fitness rooms.

KSA vice-president Student Services Tanvir Singh and vice-president Finance & Operations Rawan Ramini claim that the over-estimate renovations have been common lately due to the high cost of construction work in the summertime.

During the most temperate months of the year, contractors in construction are busy and can afford to list their services at a higher price than usual.

Jam-packed schedules can also mean that the projects take much longer to complete than they would during the more idle seasons, as was the case with recent renovations to the Grassroots cafe.

The process of funding these projects begins with the KSA establishing an estimate for how much money they will need, releasing those funds after approving it in council, and cutting a cheque to Kwantlen Polytechnic University. Once the university has the cheque in-hand, they go forward with

tendering the contract. Then contractors will receive their deposit and begin work.

Ramini clarifies that the KSA is going over estimate, but not over budget. The difference is that an estimate is flexible and can be altered before a final budget is set.

“With the fitness rooms, the estimate was around $150,000, and we did not release that money [from the Intramurals Capital Fund],” says Ramini. “We did not set that budget.

We revisited the negotiation part and we figured out that we needed an extra $35,000, and now it’s $185,000. This $185,000 is our budget and it’s the money that we’re going to be using.

If we go over that, we’ll be going over budget.”

She adds that the same is true of the Grassroots Cafe renovations, which amended the amount of funding from $250,000 to $300,000.

The upcoming Birch building renovations also have a considerable amount of funding behind them.

Currently, a $405,000 price tag has been estimated for Birch, which will transform it into a building for student constituencies, clubs, and the KSA to

operate in. As before, the Sodexo cafeteria will continue to function there as well.

“We’re not expecting Birch to go over budget. We’re not expecting it to go over estimate either, but if it’s over estimate we’ll just have to allocate and ask council for more,” says Singh.

“If it’s over budget, then it’s a disaster.”

Singh and Ramini conclude that nothing that they are responsible for has gone over budget since the two of them assumed their current positions.

In regards to the extra $1,050 spent on the most recent Welcome Week, Ramini blames a changing

market.

“It was planned last year, and there were a lot of differences between the way things worked last year and how they’re working this year,” she says.

Unlike the renovation overestimates, Welcome Week required around $1,000 more than planned because of DJ costs and a mixup between KSA General Manager Jeremy McElroy and the finance committee.

The two vice-presidents hope to renovate Fir 128 as a well-furbished theatre room in the future as well.

However, for the time being, they have not sent in a proposal and do not have an estimate for the cost.

Water supply pipes remain exposed where a sink used to be in the Social Justice Space within Birch building at the KPU Surrey campus. Birch building has been slated for renovation throughout Summer 2016. (Kier-Christer Junos)

A Space for Students What the Birch building’s renovations are going to look like know that if they need someone to talk to them, somebody will most likely be there,” she says.

WOOW will be meeting during The Surrey campus’ Birch building will soon be undergoing major reno- the second week of August to solidify vations to accommodate the Kwan- further details of what the women’s tlen Student Association, its constit- centre will offer.

In the social justice area, there will uencies, and the university’s clubs.

Students from Kwantlen Polytechnic be a public kitchenette, which will be University can also expect to benefit shared by the other organizations in from the revamping of Birch, which the building. The area will also prowill create a more accessible common vide the opportunity for like-minded individuals to get together on-camspace for them to convene in.

Rooms for the KSA, Women Or- pus—an option which could boost ganizing Opportunities for Women, student morale and productivity.

“By giving constituencies space, and Pride Kwantlen will be set aside, as will a general social justice centre we’re able to give them the area and and bookable areas for other groups essentially the resources they need to plan and to grow,” says Lopes. “It’s to use.

“I think that having a women’s the same thing that we’re seeing with centre at KPU is just important for us clubs […]. We’re going to see them to have, and so when we got the new grow and we’re going to see them space in Birch, it was something that change and we’re going to see a lot of we identified as a priority,” says KSA new initiatives come from those.”

Approximately $405,000 has President Alex McGowan. The same can be said for Pride Kwantlen’s soon- been approved in funding for the projto-be headquarters and the social jus- ect, which will cover everything from door and wall construction to a new tice centre.

KSA Women’s representative and electrical and HVAC system. That vice-president student life Natasha also includes furniture and the aesLopes says that she hopes the wom- thetic design of Birch, among other en’s centre will be a safe space for categories.

“What we’re looking to do generKPU students.

“If somebody has been through ally with the Birch space is to divide a traumatic situation at school or at it up into a bunch of rooms. What that home, they will be able to come to the means is putting in walls and all of space and know that they are safe and the electrical that comes with it,” says

Alyssa Laube| Staff Writer

McGowan.

“There’s going to be a hallway down the middle and a whole social justice centre, and a big classroom-sized room for multi-purpose functions like club activities, a meeting room designed to be for clubs, and a recreation room.”

McGowan adds that the recreation

room—which will be equipped with televisions, outlets, and high-speed wifi—could be used by the Kwantlen Gaming Guild, a popular club at KPU. The KSA will be getting a large amount of space in the building, with the entirety of where the cafeteria used to be becoming theirs. McGowan believes that having a larger space will

improve what the Association can do for the students it represents.

The kitchen and cafeteria will remain where it is, but the seating will be moved to where the social justice space used to be.

Plans for the redesigned layout of Birch building.

News 05

B.C. Invests $3 Million in Trades at KPU Investment will fund 1,238 seats in trades programs Joseph Keller| Web Editor A recently announced investment of $3-million by the provincial government will open 1,238 new seats at Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s tech campus in Cloverdale. The funding is for education in trade fields such as welding, electrical, automotive, millwright, and carpentry, all of which are expected to be in demand in B.C. over the next couple of decades.

Announcing the investment at an event held at the tech campus was Surrey-Cloverdale MLA and KPU graduate Stephanie Cadieux.

“Certainly, we know that with a growing economy and with retirement on the rise we have expected about a million job openings by 2025,” says Cadieux. “Eight out of ten of those will require some sort of post-secondary education or trades training.”

This investment is made through the province’s Industry Training Au-

The Province of B.C. announced on July 22, 2016 that it would provide KPU with $3-million in trades seats funding. (KPU/Flickr)

thority, the crown corporation responsible for overseeing trades training and certifying skilled tradespeople in B.C. This $3 million is part of approx-

imately $72 million that the Industry Training Authority distributes per year to 14 public post-secondary institutions in B.C., as well as 24 industry

KSA announces improvements to campus shuttle, CAFE Free WiFi and purchasable craft beer for all

Joseph Keller| Web Editor The Kwantlen Student Association recently announced two new quality of (student) life enhancements for the upcoming semester. Come September, intercampus shuttles will feature free on-board WiFi, and patrons of the Grassroots Cafe will be treated to craft beer on tap, possibly brewed right here at KPU. Though details of the new WiFi setup are not yet available, Langley Campus representative for the KSA Connor Griffiths says that there’s “enough time [between Surrey and Langley campuses] that it makes sense to provide that kind of service.”

This upgrade is of particular interest to Griffiths, as the promise to get WiFi on KSA shuttles was a key tenet in his bid for election to KSA council.

“I talked to a lot of students when I was campaigning and jumping on and off the shuttle bus, asking what they

thought of that idea, and there was a lot of support for it,” says Griffiths.

The other student demand that the KSA will soon meet is the need for quality brew in the Grassroots cafe.

Starting in September, students will have a greater selection of craft beers when looking to do some drinking between classes.

“We were doing renovations in the Grassroots Cafe anyway,” says KSA president Alex McGowan, “so

in looking into that we decided to get beer taps. We decided that was a good opportunity.”

The supplier of the draught is yet to be selected, but one strong possibility and a favorite option with the KSA is to sell beer brewed by the students in the Kwantlen Polytechnic University brewing program. However, it’s currently uncertain if the brewing program—which only brews in small batches at this time—will be able to supply the cafe. Should selling KPU brew not prove to be viable, the Grassroots will stock product from one of many other local craft breweries.

“We’ve been in conversation with the KPU brewing program. We’re hopeful that they’ll be able to set aside kegs that we’ll be able to use for the taps.”

The new taps and offerings are part of a major overhaul of the Grassroots Cafe that is underway this summer and includes renovations to the sitting area and kitchens.

As of September 2016, the shuttles that ferry students between Kwantlen Polytechnic University campuses will have WiFi. (Joseph Keller)

training providers.

The Industry Training Authority has also created the B.C. Skills for Jobs Blueprint. The Blueprint provides a guide for prospective trades students to find training for jobs which are expected to be in high demand.

The $3-million investment given to KPU is meant to help the university provide the training in specifically prioritised trades, as outlined in the Blueprint.

“Trades can be a really good career option for people. Obviously, [prospective trades students] need to have the aptitude and the interest in a particular area,” says Cadieux. “But then I think they need to look at the labor market information on where those jobs are going to be.”

The expectations for in-demand jobs found in the Skills for Jobs Blueprint are sourced from the 2025 B.C. Labour Market Outlook. The Labour Market Outlook uses data collected from a range of provincial agencies and other institutions to offer predic-

tions about—among other things— where job openings can be expected through to 2025.

“We’ve been doing a lot of work within government and with our partners in industry to look at what are the in-demand jobs and reengineering the way we fund post-secondary education to make sure that we are training people for the jobs that will be there,” says Cadieux.

While a significant amount of projected job openings are expected to be created due to provincial growth, another two thirds of the job openings expected between now and 2025 will be positions opened due to retirement, according to the findings in the labour market outlook.

“We really have an opportunity here for young people who are starting their careers,” says Cadieux.

“There is going to be opportunity as people retire and we just need to make sure that people are trained up in the areas where those retirements are going to occur.”

Fir 128’s Potential Future Facelift VP Student Services and VP Finance & Operations propose renovations

(Tristan Johnston)

next year or two—would be a topto-bottom makeover of the theatre, from a new light and sound system As it is, room 128 in the Surrey to aesthetic touch-ups and possible campus’ Fir building is function- stage construction.

Students in English and Intering as a theatre, but not to its full disciplinary Expressive Arts courspotential—at least, not according es would benefit by using the room, to Vice-President Student Services says Ramini, and clubs on-campus Tanvir Singh and Vice-President may also rent it out for meetings or Finance & Operations Rawan events if they wish.

Rumours that Ramini. there may be a performing arts diAfter watching a play in Fir ploma available at KPU sometime 128, they felt that the seating, lighting, and appearance of the room in the future were also a factor was not sufficient for the actors or pushing the two vice-presidents to students. Uncomfortable chairs and go forward with the renovation proa bare bones theatre setup, they posal, as was encouragement from recall, meant that an unnecessary KPU faculty.

Ramini and Singh currently do amount of preparation and discomnot have an estimate for how much fort was caused before and during the renovations will cost, but they the performance. plan to begin official discussions That’s why they are proposing with Kwantlen Polytechnic Univerto the university that the room be sity as soon as possible. renovated. The renovation—which, if approved, will begin within the

Alyssa Laube| Staff Writer

06 News

Canada’s Inter-Provincial Trade Nightmare How provincial bureaucracy created a confusing and expensive mess for business Joseph Keller| Web Editor One might assume that doing domestic business in Canada would not only be a preference of Canadian companies looking to encourage economic growth, but also the cheaper and simpler option over conducting business abroad.

And yet, a July 8 meeting of provincial trade ministers from across the country revealed how, over the years, the provincial governments of Canada—left by the feds to write their own regulations for inter-provincial commerce—have created a tangled web of trade regulations that rivals that of any international bureaucracy.

One of the many local industries affected by complex provincial regulations, often created in the name of local protectionism, is Canada’s craft beer industry. “[Lawmakers] may say that they’re trying to protect their local craft but that’s bullshit. What they’re

actually doing is increasing their tax base,” says Darryll Frost, president and founder of Central City Brewers.

Central City Brewers is a Surrey-based craft brewer that distributes their product to every province except Quebec and imports ingredients from Alberta. The company also retails beer, wine, and spirits from around the country and abroad, and managing this inter-provincial business has left Frost frustrated with the prohibitive tax levies and regulations imposed by the provinces.

“The last time I checked, we all live in Canada,” says Frost. “We should have one tax across provinces and they should all be open borders.”

It’s not difficult to see where the frustration comes from. From province to province and industry to industry the rules for doing business vary wildly. For example, in Ontario, the Liquor Control Board of Ontario forces brewers to use it’s own provincial carrier, which Frost claims costs Central City Brewers twice as

much as it would if they could use their own. Meanwhile, Alberta is preparing to raise its levy on external craft beer from 25 cents per litre sold to $1.25—a decision Frost says will cost his company $800,000 per year.

“It’s really short sighted given that ten per cent of our market goes to Alberta but 100 per cent of our grain comes from Alberta,” says Frost These issues are by no means exclusive to Central City Brewers or the craft beer industry. Businesses all over Canada are restricted by provincial regulations, providing incentive for many to take their business elsewhere.

“It’s easier to sell your product abroad than it is to sell your products within Canada, and that’s a pretty negative indictment of our inter-provincial trade barriers,” says Dr. Ross Pink, professor of political science at KPU. Each province’s unique web of provincial regulations is the result of decades of provincial lawmakers

looking to show support for their local industry by enacting protectionist policy. Historically, this has been very popular among local voters as it promotes local jobs. The result is regulatory frameworks that are unfriendly to outer-provincial business and a very divided Canadian marketplace.

“This whole notion of trade liberalisation had not taken off until about the 1970s and 80s,” explains Pink.

“So it’s very difficult to dismantle that [protectionism] in a relatively short period of time, which is what we’re trying to do now in Canada.”

Free and open commerce across the country is mandated in the Canadian constitution, so theoretically, it would be within the federal government or court system’s power to override provincial trade laws and create a single countrywide system. However, the courts in Canada are highly reluctant to interfere with political issues.

As for the feds, making changes in favor of free trade would be a politically dangerous proposition. The

loss of protection means the loss of jobs. When Pierre Trudeau’s Liberals rolled out their National Energy Program in 1980—which removed local protections for the Alberta oil industry—the result was catastrophic for the Albertan economy and it created disdain for the party in Alberta that lasts to this day.

“You can imagine what would happen to the federal Liberal government now if they forced the provinces to open up their laws,” says Pink.

Still, change could be in the air.

The recent meeting of provincial trade ministers signifies that there is political will to reform the system.

The dismissal of a court case against a New Brunswick man who went to Quebec to buy cheaper alcohol could set new precedence in the matter as well.

We could be closer to a single trade system for a single country than it seems.

The Disappearance of the Cantonese Language UBC linguistics researcher details the worrying trend of Cantonese “cultural genocide” Neil Bassan | Contributor The language with the most native speakers in the world, Mandarin, is threatening to overtake the traditional Cantonese language group of Southern and Southeastern China, including Hong Kong and Macau.

Multilingualism proponent Zoe Lam, a University of British Columbia linguistics researcher and PhD candidate, sees solutions to this problem at home and school during a child’s formative years.

Lam, who in principle sees no issue with both languages coexisting, deems the lack of intergenerational transmission of Cantonese to be one factor in determining the scope of the threat.

“Why don’t we see both Cantonese and Mandarin schools at the same time? It is because of the attitude of some Cantonese speaking parents [who] think that if they do not speak English to their children at home, they will not be able to learn English and catch up at school.”

What she deems “the intentional killing of a generation of speakers,” however, is the flip side of this issue.

The cultural genocide of Cantonese, says Lam, is a deeply political matter that problematizes the authenticity of language—“the carrier of culture”— and encourages parents to abandon their local dialects to satisfy more contemporary concerns. This abandonment is what effectively puts an end to the intergenerational transmission of the Cantonese language.

Lam likens the fading away of Cantonese to the atrocities committed

by Canadian residential schools.

“At the government policy level, you just need one generation to kill a language. When there are no children picking it up as their mother tongue, then that is the end. As a linguist, I am sad to see banners in [Chinese] schools saying ‘civilized people speak Mandarin.’”

The connotation of such signage is clear for Lam. The speakers of local Cantonese dialects have become a marginalized group in China, she says. “If children see these banners everywhere, they will believe they are true.”

Regarding the extent that patterns of migration can contribute to an informed discussion of these topics, Lam says we should look closely at changes in Census Canada data.

“In recent years, the demographic changes imply that the need to learn Mandarin has increased. In 1991 and 1996, the top country of birth of recent immigrants was Hong Kong,” where Cantonese is the traditional language.

In contrast, 2001 and 2006 saw the People’s Republic of China, where the use of Mandarin is encouraged in schools and in the media, take over top spot. India and the Philippines rounded out the top three respectively in these later years, with Hong Kong falling out of the top ten.

“Mandarin replacing Cantonese in Chinese schools reflects the market trend as well as what parents think,” says Lam. “Different varieties

of Cantonese historically have been taught in Chinese schools in BC.” Recently, though, with greater immigration from Mainland China, Mandarin is understood to be the more profitable and pragmatic of the languages from a business perspective. Of the two languages, Mandarin is also the favoured one in m o s t immigrant households for some of these same reasons.

An increased demand for learning to speak Mandarin— due to a jump in Mandarin-speaking immigrants and the Chinese government’s preference for Mandarin—has put into motion a greater number of Mandarin schools relative to Cantonese ones in the Lower Mainland of B.C..

Being that it is the official language of the Chinese government and ruling elite, Mandarin, and the intentions of many of its advocates, seems to be politically-charged.

“Some of the organizations that promote Chinese language are actually sponsored by the Chinese government,” says Lam. “Because they have the money, they have the power.”

“When people talk about Cantonese versus Mandarin, they think that the two languages are mutually exclusive—this is not true. People can pick up several languages.”

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Culture 07

Lack of Visible Support for LGBTQ+ Community a Problem for Queer Students at KPU Some students still do not feel comfortable being out on campus Eric Berg tt

Kwantlen Polytechnic University “isn’t necessarily the safe space that people might think it is,” says Kari Michaels, a positive space campaign facilitator and volunteer for KPU Pride. In her time in these roles, she’s heard first hand accounts from KPU students of when “comments were made directly to them [which] basically created a hostile situation.”

Michaels explains that, partly due to experiences like these, some students do not feel comfortable with being open about their sexuality at KPU. When talking with these students, she says they point to “not having much of a visible presence” of an LGBTQ+ community at the school as a factor.

Current Queer Students Representative for the Kwantlen Student Association Ryot “R” Jey can also attest to the negative experiences had by members of his constituency.

“I’ve had students say that they’ve had an instructor that has been transphobic,” says Jey, who also laments the lack of visibility at KPU. “Stu-

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dents who are queer or transgender might not know that there is a Pride collective on campus [and] don’t really know where to go or who to talk to when they do have an issue.”

Although the lack of LGBTQ+ visibility at KPU has been difficult for some queer students, Pride Kwantlen has been able to achieve

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a number of notable successes, one of which is the creation of a social justice space on the Surrey campus, where Pride Kwantlen’s office is now located.

The Pride collective also advocated for what became The President’s Diversity and Equity Committee, established in the 2012-2013 school year. The committee examines

LGBTQ+ issues at KPU as part of its mandate of inclusion for any minority or marginalized group that might access the university. In fulfillment of this, the PDEC was involved with the recent designation of gender-inclusive washrooms at KPU. KPU President Alan Davis has also demonstrated support for the school’s LGTBQ+ constituency by

marching with Pride Kwantlen in the Vancouver Pride Parade for the last three years.

Increasing Pride Kwantlen’s presence at the school is important to Jey, who is also a member of the collective. “In the fall I am hoping we can kick off things and be more visible,” he says.

Jey also says he is working with the Kwantlen Faculty Association’s LGTBQ2S+ Committee on a couple of on-campus events to be held early in 2017.

In 2015, that group held an event called Queer Voices at KPU, which, Michaels says, “was the first of its kind for faculty, administrators, students to come together and . . . talk about what it’s like being queer here.”

Michaels believes it’s important to recognise “that the invisibility and the silencing [are] incredibly harmful to LGBTQ+ students, and we need to really work hard to get rid of that.”

“It would be really nice if the university actually took on LGBTQ+ institutional changes without having to be pushed for it,” Michaels says.

“That’s the kind of institution that would reflect being inclusive.”

Stepping up International Student Orientation KSA International Students Rep talks about what KPU could be doing better Alyssa Laube| Staff Writer Going to school in another country is an experience many students look forward to their entire lives, but the culture shock can be damaging in the wrong environment. In order for someone from another part of the world to feel happy and comfortable far from home, they have to be taught what to expect and where to find their new community.

That’s an effort the Kwantlen Student Association’s International Students Representative, Navkaran Kahlon, believes Kwantlen Polytechnic University should give more attention to during international student orientations.

“We’re not doing anything wrong at KPU, but there is information and other things that can be added to orientations which can be very helpful for international students,” he says.

As an international student himself, Kahlon can attest to the differences between Indian and Canadian life and schooling. The disparity between the two countries’ education systems—which he believes is a particularly important point to raise at orientations—is that academia in India is “more theoretical and way less technical.”

“Participation doesn’t matter a lot over there. Over here, we have marks assigned for each and every thing. We have around 10-15 per cent for participation in almost all of the classes, and then we have assignments, quizzes, midterms, and finals,” says Kahlon. “When we come from India, the expectation is that we do well in finals and we do good overall, because in India, the finals are like, 80 per cent.”

Giving new, international KPU students a heads up about the necessity of participation and shift in marking distribution would make their success at school more likely, Kahlon believes.

Participation can be especially tricky for non-native English speakers, he adds, as they may doubt their ability to communicate effectively in the classroom. This, too, is something that could be remedied by verbal preparation at orientations.

“In many cases, international students know the answers, but they’re hesitant to give their answers because they think their accent or pronunciation is not good. We just want to motivate them and make them aware of what they need to do here.”

There are also many unique features of Canadian society as a whole that should be brought up to anyone

who wasn’t raised in it. For instance, social insurance numbers don’t exist in India, so visitors from there don’t know how to apply for insurance or health and dental plans. Potentially, not having a SIN could even prevent them from joining the workforce.

For the sake of their social lives, Kahlon also suggests giving international students ideas about where to go to find like-minded friends. Alerting them of community centres, organizations, or well-known hangouts could make them feel less alone in a new city, which carries a great deal of value for students with a busy schedule.

“The basic idea with the KPU international students orientation is to make students aware and more comfortable,” he says. “Many students do not know, so we need to tell them, ‘These are the things that you need to take care of.’”

Although no official complaints have been made about international student orientation, the goal is to keep it that way. Kahlon and Vice-president Student Life Natasha Lopes met with the international students coordinator about their ideas for future orientations and hope to see them implemented by this spring.

Navkaran Singh Kahlon, pictured from Feb. 2016. (Braden Klassen)

08 Culture

KPU Students, Faculty, Come Together to Present Jag and the American

Plastic Theater Company’s debut performance adapts Hemingway classics Joseph Keller| Web Editor A year of hard work came to fruition this month for Plastic Theater Company as the brand new theater troupe, formed by KPU students and english department faculty, gave their debut performance at the Cultch on August 5 and 6.

Their play, Jag and the American, was directed by John Rowell and Fred Ribkoff, both english professors at KPU. The play was written by Ribkoff and KPU student Paul Tyndall.

Jag and the American is a loose adaptation of Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills like White Elephants” and “Cat in the Rain.” Although the two stories are not connected as Hemingway wrote them, they are linked together in this version through the character of Jag, who replaces Jig from the original “Hills like White Elephants” and the lead character in “Cat in the Rain.” The play also adds a new backstory for the character of the American, an area left unexplored in Hemingway’s original.

“The Hemingway stuff comes from our interest as literature people,” Ribkoff said before the show.

“We wanted to start with our own version of a classic piece of literature and Hemingway’s stories seemed well-suited, so we built a whole world around it.”

The play diverges from its source material in several key aspects. This iteration of the stories incorporates heavy South Asian themes, which are not found in the original Hemingway pieces. A version of Billie Holiday’s jazz classic “Strange Fruit” played on a sitar featured prominently. Acts were broken up by modern dance segments.

“It’s this jazz American classic played to a South Asian instrument, and it’s kinda jazz vocals but very

much Indian,” explains Ribkoff. “[Jag] being South Asian plays a big role in how she is and the person she’s become,” says Sawkshi Sharma, who brought Jag to life in the play.

The music was performed by vocalist Jahnavi Singh and sitarist Anju Bedi. Performing the dance segments were Jayde Reuser, Elmer Flores, and Anushruti. Choreography was arranged by Amber Kingsley.

Putting this production together

from scratch was no easy task, especially for a brand new theater company. Throughout the year, Plastic Theater Company has been working out of the lecture hall in the Surrey campus’s Fir building. The play changed and evolved throughout the process, with rewrites happening constantly, as both the production and company found their identities.

“The challenges just keep on coming,” says Ribkoff. “We all do it on a volunteer basis, and you’re

Director John Rowell (centre) goes over set changes with his cast at rehearsal before the Aug. 5, 2016 debut of their play called Jag and the American. (Joseph Keller)

talking about major commitment at the very least, rehearsing once a week for a year without any financial return.”

Sharma, the lead actress of the production, began performing in high school, and has also written two award winning plays herself. Jag and the American was her first lead role and also her first time performing in a drama, as opposed to a comedy.

“I’m still learning a lot about [Jag],” said Sharma in an interview leading up to the show. “It took me a while to get to know her. To understand her. I think I’m almost there.”

Co-starring with Sharma is Jordan Reuser as the unnamed American. Reuser has been acting on stage since high school and has worked with Ribkoff in the past. Nancy Mackie and Rawan Ramini make up the supporting cast.

The show went on without a hitch. The company’s very first audience filled the small but historic theater. A year of hard work and challenges paid off in an excellent debut performance.

Plastic Theater Company expects Jag and the American to be the first of many performances. The young company is already looking to the future as a follow up titled Bastard Son­—a reimagining of Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie—is already in the works.

KPU Students Ask, “Does the Bible Make Sense?”

Weekly group discussion hosted by Kwantlen Christian Fellowship and Multi-Faith Centre Joseph Keller| Web Editor

The mostly empty halls of Kwantlen Polytechnic University on a Saturday afternoon in the summer are a good place to ask some of the big questions.

This is precisely what a group of spiritually-minded students have been doing throughout the summer as they gathered in the Grassroots cafe on Saturday afternoons to ask themselves a pretty deep question. Does the Bible make sense?

“We discussed whether the Bible should be read literally or whether it should be read symbolically,” says Daniel Field, president of the Kwantlen Christian Fellowship, who cohosts the discussion group alongside KPU’s Multi-Faith Centre.

“We titled it ‘Does the bible make sense?’ because that was a genuine question we wanted to ask,” explains KPU multi-faith centre chaplain Ethan Vanderleek. “We were hoping that people from different backgrounds would come and basically

Ethan Vanderleek pictured in the Kwantlen Polytechnic University Surrey Campus multi-faith centre in 2016. (Joseph Keller) discuss this topic because maybe it’s the case that the bible doesn’t make sense. That’s worth talking about.”

The topic for this discussion was inspired by theologian Walter Brueggemann’s book The Bible Makes Sense.

“Interpreting the Bible, like interpreting any text, you’re never done interpreting it,” Vanderleek says.

“There’s always more to say, always more to do.”

With a philosophical discussion as intricately linked to people’s’ beliefs as this one, disagreement is to be expected. A key aspect to these talks was acceptance of differing viewpoints.

“The point is not to demand some kind of consensus or agreement,”

says Vanderleek. “I think that what is always a fruitful thing—and what we [in society] generally aren’t able to do particularly well today—is have a good disagreement. Really hash it out, what we disagree on, and do so with the respect that’s necessary.”

“Any experience, even one of conflict or a lack of agreement, can have some benefit,” says Field.

The Kwantlen Christian Fellowship is a student club that brings together students of various Christian denominations for weekly discussions, as well as dinners, hikes, and other activities. The Fellowship began informally about a year ago and gained club status last semester.

“We’re a group of Christians of all denominations just seeking community and connection, because when you go to a school like this everybody is so isolated in their own little world, their own studies,” says Field. “It’s hard for people to feel any sense of mutual understanding.”

The format of the discussion is very informal. Vanderleek will prepare a cheat sheet and give a summa-

ry of any discussed readings so as not to have any required reading for participants. After that, the conversation will be allowed to flow naturally.

Although the club is associated with the Christian fellowship, these conversations are open to students of all faiths and philosophical viewpoints. Unfortunately, the groups have had difficulty bringing in students of other faith. Muslim, Jewish, secular, or any other faith-affiliated students are not only welcome at these discussions but actively encouraged to add their viewpoints to the conversation.

More discussions similar to this one will be held by the Kwantlen Christian Fellowship and Multi-Faith Centre in the future. For more information, interested students can check out the KPU events page or pop in to the Multi-Faith Centre. The Centre is located in Fir 341 and Vanderleek is around during office hours for a philosophical discussion or even just a round of his favorite board game “Pass the Pig.”

Around the W

From Chinese Acupuncture to Bhangra Dancing, Staff W

Alyssa

There’s a whole wide world outside of the Lower Mainland—a fact which can be easily forgotten by university students enrolled here full-time.

Spending five days a week staring at white boards, computer screens, textbooks, and notepads could make anyone want to escape to somewhere distant and foreign.

Luckily, KPU’s international courses can help them get there.

Or, at least, they can help students get away in spirit. Classes under the Language and Cultures and Asian Studies faculty, among others, encourage students who enroll in them to learn about ways of life from all over the globe.

Take B.C.’s first ever public school of Traditional Chinese Medicine, which will open at KPU this fall. The school will offer an acupuncture diploma program taught by John Yang, who has years of experience in traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture, specifically.

“In the course, after learning the theory and technique from the lectures in classrooms, the student will be assigned into the acupuncture lab to practice with each other first. Then, as soon as they get the skills and master the technique, in semester three, they will be sent to actual acupuncture clinics to do the practical work,” says Yang.

He summarizes the curriculum composition as foundational Chinese and Western medicine theory paired with hands-on work.

“This program will offer KPU students a different angle to view human health and sickness, provide opportunities and alternative ways to looking at the solutions,” says Yang. “I believe it will increase KPU’s diverse disciplines and programs.”

Yang encourages students to enrol in the course as it will help them understand their own health and bodies while providing an opportunity for a lucrative career in acupuncture.

Tru Freeman, Dean of the Faculty of Health, has helped implement the program and believes that it will succeed in a province where people “are looking for an alternative to their Western wellness and health.”

“We are obviously trying to encourage international students coming, but besides that, we are looking at the globalization of our curriculum, really trying to increase a different kind of cultural awareness and diversity into our programming, and I think this offers a really unique blend for students.”

The newfound Traditional Chinese Medicine program isn’t the only course adding a splash of colour and cultural multiplicity into KPU’s framework. In Asian studies, there are more than enough courses to keep a curious mind at bay. The Religions of India, Folklore of China and Japan, Sikh Gurus and their Teachings, Gender in South Asia, and Introduction to Chinese and Japanese Cinema are just a few.

Kamala Elizabeth Nayar, who teaches “a bit of religion and a bit of culture” in the faculty, says that she is passionate about her work for two main reasons.

“My academic interests are looking at issues related to India, and what appealed to me in terms of Kwantlen is the demographic of the Lower Mainland,” she says.

Due to the diverse population on and around KPU campus Nayar has seen a combination of Canadian-born and internation students show intrigue in the classes she teaches. Some of the were even born into the cultures that she educates on and simp want to know more.

“I used to be a nurse before I did my PhD, and so I see t relevance of developing cultural competency skills, just so ther an understanding when you’re working in the community,” sa Nayar. “It doesn’t matter whether it’s law, or nursing, or teachin It helps enhance knowledge and understanding.”

As proof, Nayar recalls a student of hers who says she g hired as a pharmacist partially due to what she learned in h courses.

Although they rarely get attention for their cultural sign icance, the language courses at KPU are equally as crucial f soon-to-be worldly graduates. French language instructor Oliv Clarinval is excited to be teaching Francophone Culture Throu Cinema in the fall of 2017, the curriculum for which he design himself. While creating it, Clarnival took care to base the cour on student-led classroom discussion rather than textbook work “Basically, it will explore aspects of French culture and w will watch movies and see how culture is presented in movie he says. “What are some fundamental differences and similarit between Francophone culture and what we are used to in No America?”

Clarnival goes on to explain why he feels his job as a Fren instructor, particularly one in Canada, is essential at KPU. “We live in a very multicultural city, and while that’s wond ful, we often lack intercultural skills. We lack an understandi of how other cultures work, and I think it would be of great be efit to learn the inner workings of different cultures, regardless which culture it is.”

Kwantlen Polytechnic University students can also learn speak Punjabi, Japanese, Mandarin, and Spanish at school, if th so wish.

Another exciting, new program that has garnered noticeab attention is Introduction to Bhangra Dance: Modern and Tra tional. The class “will give students the opportunity to learn abo the popular Indian dance form, Bhangra, and all of its exquis movements” to the soundtrack of Punjabi music, according posters around the Surrey campus.

“Emphasis will be on North American-style modern Bhang trends, variations, charisma, facial expression, and lyrical dan Students will present projects that demonstrate the use of tra tional and modern Bhangra movements in their own sequenc and participate in a large group performance with t class,” reads the online course description.

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Surrey campus this fall, taught by Gurpreet Sian and Rayman Bhullar from South Asian Arts, who were unable to be reached for comment.

In a similar vein, Bhangra Movements and Identity focuses more on the influence, origins, and development of Bhangra, and will also be available in the fall.

For scholars searching for a more traditional way of learning, there will always be history classes. If you want to know every recorded detail of what happened in Europe between the year 1450 to 2000, you can do that! Getting to know the past of East Asia, South Asia, Canada, Africa, and Russia is equally as accessible, as is being enlightened about the history of Gandhi, the ancient world, and world civilizations.

Somewhere in between the classic university course and the atypical, applied learning is Consuming Passions: A Global History of Food, which examines how what we eat has changed the path of humankind. Students can expand their knowledge of Chinese sages, drugs in Asia, or even terrorism in today’s world. Scrolling through the list of history course descriptions, it does seem like nearly everything is within reach, no matter how particular or obscure.

Then again, sitting in a classroom will never truly replace globetrotting. For students who cringe at the idea of spending another year behind a desk, consider taking off on an exchange program! KPU can send you to Vienna, Swinburne, Rio de Janeiro, Lancashire, or Tokyo, to name a few. The only requirements are completing 30 university credits, having a GPA of 2.67, and being willing to return to school after the exchange for at least 9 credits worth of courses—all for a price, of course.

While slogging through a university degree, it’s healthy to know about the global community outside of the confines of Surrey, Langley, Cloverdale and Richmond. It can work wonders for the bored, anxious, and unstimulated, and can dispel the toxicity of cultural ignorance. Disposing of those attributes doesn’t have to mean crossing borders, but it may mean taking classes that allow you to become versed in societies far from your own.

Right now at KPU, that’s possible.

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12 Features

Investing in Earthships:

Passive solar housing option could keep homeowners Alyssa Laube| Staff Writer As Earth’s natural resources dwindle away, by-products of human society multiply. There’s more than 2.5 trillion pounds of garbage on this planet, but nothing helpful to do with it and nowhere for it to go. Regardless of how you slice it, that’s a problem for the inhabitants of this big blue marble, and right now there’s no solution in sight.

Architect Michael Reynolds took that dismal truth as a sign to create earthships, a form of passive solar housing conceived in 1980’s New Mexico. The homes can be described as passive because they require no mechanical or electrical assistance to run, and as solar because the walls, windows, and floors are designed to collect and circulate solar energy.

They are only one of many passive solar housing options, but there are a few traits about them that make earthships stand out from their competition.

For instance, they’re designed and sold solely by Reynold’s company, Earthship Biotecture, so they’re nearly impossible to find from anyone else. Other than that, one of the most special aspects of the earthship is that it’s primarily made from natural and recycled materials. Nothing is produced in order for an earthship to be built; instead, garbage and local nature are combined in innovative ways to construct a carbon footprint-free

home. That might mean pounding dirt into tires, which will eventually become walls, or moulding cans into concrete, which will become structural beams, but at least it’s for a worthy cause.

David Dodge, Producer and Host of Green Energy Futures, started to cover earthships on his show after the program’s editor decided to build one. He references the Kinney Earthship—the first earthship built in oil-rich Alberta—as a sign of their potential.

“In a world where the biggest problem confronting everybody is climate change, a net zero home is the perfect answer,” says Dodge. “If you can actually build in a way that is carbon neutral, you’re going to make a huge contribution, and people are naturally concerned with increasing energy prices and carbon taxes. This is a way to protect yourself and produce viable, sustainable, clean energy well into the future at a cost that you pre-determine.”

Yet earthships are not entirely carbon neutral. Non-natural and recycled materials found in an earthship include the gasoline used to fuel back up generators, propane for stoves, and batteries for power when the sun isn’t shining. Those materials are optional, although surviving without them may reduce the inhabitants’ quality of living to nearly-primitive standards when the climate is below average, so they are very commonly stored.

Still, for anyone who has ever

dreamt of living off the grid, an earthship is the golden ticket out of modern society. They are carefully designed to support a completely self-sufficient lifestyle; almost everything that is needed to live comfortably can come out of an earthship, from water and sewage to power, food, and heating.

Here’s a brief run-down of how they work: Water gathered from rain, snow, and condensation is collected on the earthship’s roof, before passing through a series of filters for drinking and washing. Grey water— used water from appliances like sinks and showers—is oxygenated and filtered before being employed to flush the household’s toilets. Then water from the toilets—referred to as blackwater—is stored in a solar-enhanced septic tank to undergo anaerobic digestion and be sent off to a leach field or planter.

An earthship’s power comes from the sun and wind using panels and turbines, but it can also be produced by deep-cycle batteries, as previously mentioned. The batteries are stored in what’s called a Power Organizing Module, complete with circuit breakers and converters, which can run kitchen, cleaning, and office appliances.

The temperature inside an earthship is regulated by the materials that constitute it; dirt-packed tires, concrete, and cans, for example. They are fantastic at absorbing heat during the day and dispersing it at night, without any electricity required. In addition,

earthships are often partially in the ground, making drastic temperature changes inside less likely. Passive solar heating and cooling techniques like skylights and panels are also responsible for keeping the environment temperate in an earthship.

Last, but not least, food production could be self-sufficient for those living in an earthship. Because a large amount of land is needed to build one, having a family farm is a solid option, but only if the family in question can afford it. Many of those who live in earthships also grow food-producing plants inside the greenhouse area of their home, which is almost always included. Dwarf bananas, artichokes, eggplant, and strawberries are a few of the most popular choices for growing fruits and veggies indoors.

In summary, that could mean paying no bills ever again. Bill-free life is an idea championed by earthship enthusiasts around the world, and although it’s true that their owners wouldn’t have to give another dollar to the government if they didn’t want to, there are still expenses to be acknowledged.

For food production in particular, money has to change hands. Seeds must be bought, tended to, harvested and replanted just like how animals must be purchased, cared for, and either butchered or replaced at the end of their lifetime. Then there are normal products that everyone has to own, like toiletries, cleaning products, clothing, and readymade

food and drink. The no-bill concept is partially accurate, but not quite as euphoric as it’s built up to be.

What is 100 per cent true is that an earthship keeps its owners and inhabitants away from noise, pollution, and people. Having enough land to construct an earthship promises privacy that’s impossible to get in a city or even a suburb, so they’re prime ways to settle down in retirement or enjoy a reclusive, natural lifestyle.

Alas, getting that land might not be as easy as it sounds. While Dodge testifies that building houses with three sides in the ground “helps with insulation [and] helps protect from the elements,” it may also cause “physical limitations [and] zoning issues.”

“If you’re trying to build it in a neighbourhood in a city, you can see where that could be a challenge.

There are a whole bunch of bylaws around how water is used and all sorts of things, so there are potential barriers for getting the permitting for things like water and energy,” he says. The land tax paid to maintain an earthship is another drawback to owning them that is rarely spoken of.

They might not be easy to maintain or get a license for, but they are supposedly quite simple to build.

When Reynolds was designing plans for his earthships, he wanted the average Joe or Jane to be able to construct them, so most people living in them helped create their home with their own hands. There are only so many

The exterior of an earthship pictured near Taos, New Mexico in 2011. (Mark Stephenson/ Flickr)

The Houses Made of Trash debt and guilt-free under the right conditions people out there who are interested in spending their days outside whacking earth into tires, but those who are might find themselves building an earthship.

It’s also important to note that, although beauty is in the eye of the beholder, earthships are a little funny looking. They are usually oddly shaped and neutrally coloured, but

there are ways to make them prettier.

For instance, putting coloured bottles into the walls can create a translucent, vibrant mosaic to decorate the space.

Wood, glass, and stone fixtures could also be chosen and affixed by the builders to their taste, and the walls can be painted to add a splash of pizazz. The physical structure of earthships is under no requirement to be

traditional either, so the architect can go wild with curvy ceilings and walls if they feel the need.

All praise aside, the most prominent concern with earthships is design flaw. Prospective reasons could be the toughness of self-sustainability or the fact that they’re put together partially by amateurs, but most likely, it’s due to how heavily they rely

on a mild climate. If there is heavy snowfall, harsh winds, too much or too little rain, or any other extreme weather, the earthship won’t function optimally. It might be too hot or too cold, there could be degradation of the home’s materials, and if the very elements that make it run are too far out of balance, the people inside it are essentially out of luck. Remember,

An earthship wall consisting of mortar and aluminium cans in New Mexico, 2008. (theregeneration/Flickr)

The exterior of an Earthship pictured in Taos, New Mexico in 2008. (Todd Dwyer/Flickr)

Features 13

these were designed in New Mexico, and only after they were tailored to the environment there did they begin to spread throughout the world.

Finally, it’s time to crunch numbers. An enormous inspiration to buy and build an earthship is the savings earned by avoiding utility bills, so the size of their initial cost is paramount.

As it turns out, the average earthship’s asking price is approximately as much as the average conventional home. The Global Model—a one bath, one bedroom house—costs around $300,000, or $225 per square foot. That number can be shrunk if the homeowners are interested in building the structure on their own, although it’s not for the weak of heart or busy of schedule.

Scott Davidson, owner of earthship construction and consultation business EcoNerds Inc., has been building them for years. Based on his experience, he believes that their overall price makes them superior to an average home.

“You have the up-front cost of a conventional home, and then you have the price of the utilities every month. If you have your own solar power for electricity, your heating system is taken care of with your thermal mass wall of earth and tires, you have underground cisterns paired with an indoor greenhouse to give you year-round food production, and your own sewer treatment, there is nothing that the municipalities will be able to ask from you other than your land taxes,” he says. The price of those taxes varies greatly depending on how much land there is and where it is located.

For people who are passionate about the notion behind earthships, willing and able to live in a rural area with the right balance of sun and rain, that price is easily worth paying, but otherwise, the savings margin will likely not be significant enough to make a strong point for potential buyers. Remember the propane, gasoline, batteries, seeds, animals, and man-made essentials that rack up monthly costs as well. Add upkeep of the home, and financially scraping by in an earthship becomes even more plausible. That’s also assuming that those who live there lead a luxury-less life, which very few are naturally inclined to do.

In essence, whether or not money is saved by living in an earthship depends on how wealthy, prepared, and dedicated those living in it are.

Technically speaking, earthships are occasionally-overrated homes made out of dirt and garbage, but that dirt and garbage could keep your wallet thicker and your environment healthier if they’re built the right way, by the right people, and in the right place. It just takes effort, room, and realistic planning.

14 Features

The Future of Virtual Reality Vancouver is a leader in applying new VR technology to the world around us Melissa Pomerleau “People talk a lot, when new technology comes out, that the two industries that drive innovation are gaming and pornography,” says Wren Handman of Hammer and Tusk, a product studio and virtual reality community located in downtown Vancouver.

Thankfully, virtual reality porn is not all it’s hyped up to be, and is in no way keeping up with the influence that the gaming industry has over this emerging media.

“I think the big thing is that we are at the very beginning of [virtual reality], and as the technology changes, what it looks like to us is going to change a lot too,” says Handman.

The realm of virtual reality includes both augmented reality and mixed reality. Augmented reality, as seen in the popular game Pokémon Go, places an image on top of the real world through a camera. Mixed reality goes a little further, where the virtual elements are advanced enough to interact with the environment around it.

Handman’s company works on all aspects of VR, from technical specs and development to content creation.

“People are talking about how 2016 is the year for VR, and in some ways that’s true because it’s finally hitting consumers, so consumers have access now to the Oculus and these powerful VR experiences.”

The Oculus and the HTC Vive are the two main VR products currently available for consumers. Each offers their own variety of games.

The Vive has the edge over the Oculus as it works with Steam, the largest online platform for PC gaming.

Another big difference between the two is that the Vive comes with controllers that track your hand motions, while the Oculus does not.

Instead, the Oculus comes with an Xbox controller, so it feels more like a “regular” gaming experience.

The future of these controllers is perhaps the most exciting aspect of

(Courtesy of Wren Handman and Hammer & Tusk) VR. Not only are developers working on better hand tracking technology, which will most likely be available over the next few months, but headto-toe body tracking will most definitely be something to look forward to in the future.

Samsung certainly isn’t holding back either. The Samsung Gear is a VR headset compatible with newer Samsung phones. It doesn’t provide the same level of immersion as the Oculus or Vive, but it is available to consumers at a significantly lower price point than it’s more advanced counterparts. Some companies have even announced their plans to create headsets available for all types of Android phone users.

Google also has a variety of portable VR goggles called Google Cardboard. Yes, cardboard models are available, as well as a slightly higher quality plastic version.

While the Gear uses the Oculus store for its game purchases, both the Gear and Google Cardboard have browser based VR capabilities.

One major hindrance for the VR community is the amount of individ-

uals who get nauseous during a VR experience. There are two different ways an individual’s brain can process depth—men tend to process depth one way, while women often process it the other way. At the initial time of VR development, mostly men were developing the technology, and so the devices were built to deal with depth perception in only one of the two ways.

“It is something people are very actively working to solve,” says Handman. “There have been a few developers who have come up with some pretty promising things.”

This year Microsoft began shipping pre-production versions of their own mixed reality experience called the HoloLens. Only a handful of developers have access to this technology at the moment, one of which is NASA. There’s no word yet on why Apple has been so quiet during the rise in VR investments.

“I think that Apple is very deliberate. If they haven’t there’s a good reason…. There have been some hires of people with VR experience so that’s

making people go, ‘Oh, there’s something happening here,’ but nobody knows what,” says Handman.

Handman also speculates that it is likely Apple is holding out for better AR or MR technologies to appear before releasing anything.

Despite how dominant the gaming industry has been in developing VR, it certainly does not hold a monopoly on the technology. Other industries using VR include healthcare and real estate.

“Why go to the doctors for simple things if we have body tracking?

They can do lots of basic checkups and that kind of thing in VR,” says Handman.

In addition to the healthcare field, using VR to train in a variety of industries has proved to be incredibly useful.

“There’s a lot of evidence that the experience you have in VR is more akin to building an actual memory than it is to a media experience that we are traditionally familiar with,” says Handman. “If you watch a video teaching you how to build a car and then you go and try to build a car, you’re probably not going to be able to because there’s such a physical element to it. A lot of people have trouble translating that learning.”

“With VR, because you are so physically involved and because the way your brain processes what you are seeing it actually feels more like a real memory,.”

One company that’s made effective use of VR technology is LNG Studios, based partially out of Vancouver, who use the HTC Vive and VR goggles for marketing, conceptualization, and selling in the real estate industry.

“I guess what’s unique about us is we’re sort of a creative company, so we always have to be looking at new technology and what’s coming up” says Matt Grant, Creative Director

and Principal of LNG Studios.

A project with Concord Pacific is currently making use of the Vive to showcase the final results of a new apartment building underway in Brentwood. Potential buyers have the opportunity to customize the colour scheme and furniture layout to help visualize their future home. For further immersion, a drone video was taken of the actual view you will see from the patio of the finished product.

LNG also launched a campaign with Concord that gave away 6,000 plastic VR goggles to view the VR experience website—www. conccord360.com— created for the selling of condos in Brentwood and Toronto.

After launching Conccord’s website in your phone’s browser and placing it inside the goggles, the viewer was able to view apartments and the surrounding neighbourhoods of the available units. This experience used a 360 drone video, similar to Google Street view, to explore the surrounding area and a “look to click” mechanism. For example, you could be standing outside of the apartment building and choose to go right down the street and see the nearby shops, or go straight ahead to view the park across the street.

“It’s not any crazy software, it’s just stuff you can do through your phone’s browser,” says Grant.

From indie game developers to medical professionals, VR is fast approaching and advancing the world around us in a variety of ways with full immersion, body tracking, and wildly dynamic audio. “[A year from now] we’ll be more used to it,” says Grant. “Someone sitting on the bus wearing VR, or on an airplane, they’ll just be doing whatever, playing Pokémon Go or something.”

Features 15

Surrey Hosts Women’s World Softball Championship Some of the world’s top softball teams came to KPU’s backyard to play ball Kyrsten Downton| Contributor The only diamonds these women love are made of gravel and have three bases, a home plate, and a pitching rubber.

From July 15 to 24, Surrey hosted the 2016 Women’s World Softball Championship at Softball City in White Rock. It was the largest single sporting event in Canadian history.

Teams from 31 different nations around the world came together to compete for the gold. This turnout is the highest number ever in the tournament’s history.

Sara Riske, 27, a second baseman for Team Canada, was excited about the impressive turnout.

“It’s pretty amazing. Every team we played has fans here, whether they live here or they have family coming in. It’s an experience. I’m loving it,” the Pan Am gold medalist says.

It took five years of planning for Surrey to get ready for it’s first world championship. In 2013, the Canadian Open Fastpitch International Championship committee, backed by Councilor Tom Gill and former mayor Dianne Watts, presented their winning bid to the International Softball Federation in Columbia.

However, more preparations were needed to get Softball City ready for the World’s Championship, most notably the condition of the park itself.

“We knew when we went into the bid that one of our Achilles heel was the condition of the park at the time. The field wasn’t good enough for national play,” says Greg Timm, the president and chairman of the Canadian Open Fastpitch Society.

CBC reported that the City of Surrey spent a total of $1.5 million on the park upgrades. This included renovations on the bathrooms, installing bleacher stands in the outfield of the main diamond, and upgrades on the field itself.

“We had to work with the city and set some conditions out on how the fields needed to be prepared. The city has been tremendously supportive. The guys here with the boots on the ground have just done a tremendous job in making this a truly international venue,” says Timm.

The committee also had to plan their annual Canadian Open Fastpitch tournament, which took place at the same time as the World’s Championship. Usually the tournament has a women’s division along with the youth divisions, but they had to separate it this year.

“For many of the players, it’s the biggest tournament they will play in,” says Timm. “They get to play at a high level of ball with great officiating, and we try to make an event where the players feel it’s very important.”

Along with the committee, there were over 700 volunteers helping both tournaments, and Timm believes that neither tournament would have been possible without them.

“It’s the tremendous civic pride from the grassroots of this community [that made] this event happen,” he says.

Timm estimates that about 7,500 people came to watch the games every day of the tournament. Many of these were Canadian fans ready to cheer for their home team. Team Canada ended up placing third after losing 11-1 to Team Japan, whereas Team USA ultimately won the Championship with a 7-3 victory over Japan.

23-year-old Allyson Carda, a pitcher for Team USA, shared her team’s excitement for the win.

“This is what we have been working for—for the past few months and years for some of the girls on the team—so to win a world championship is pretty fun,” says Carda.

While the victors certainly feel tremendous pride for taking home the gold, ultimately all players in the World Championship can feel a sense of accomplishment for their involvement in the tournament. Throughout the games, various stories of good sportsmanship and comradery began to outshine the actual playing of the sport.

More experienced teams such as Team Canada gave pointers to other players on different teams, despite being competitors. Team New Zealand pooled their money together to buy the players from Team Kenya new bats and cleats to help them from slipping.

Riske, a Richmond native, knows the importance that the players’ actions on and off the field have on young spectators during this tournament.

“The very first Canadian Open tournament I attended, I was pretty young. I remember trying to get everyone to sign my ball, and looking up to all the players,” she says. “It had a really big impact on me.”

Spectators also shared the good sportsmanship in many ways. Fans showed their support for Team France by wearing their flag and colors a day after the Nice attacks. Many fans also raised money for various teams to help them with their travel and other expenses to participate in the Championship.

“I feel so proud of our citizens.

People are just unbelievably overwhelmed by what our community is doing for them,” says Timm.

Jorja Rosell is an 11-year-old player who volunteered as a bat girl in the Canadian Open tournament.

Team Canada huddles up before their softball game against Team Uganda on July 17, 2016. Team Canada ended up winning 15-0. (Kyrsten Downton) She was most excited about seeing all the different teams play, especially the ones that rarely get to play at all.

“Everyone that didn’t get to play all year gets to play now. Like Veneuzuela, Siberia—they barely have enough [money] just to come,” Rosell says.

Rosell also hopes that she can play for Team Canada some day, showing the impact the tournament can have on youth.

“Softball is a huge sport,” says Riske. “To have 31 countries here is going to build it and get the word out to the community. There are girls here that have never seen the sport before who are telling me that they want to start playing just because of this tournament.”

Timm also hopes that the Women’s World Softball Championship was able to live up to their vision and to inspire youth like Rosell.

“What we want to take out of this is a legacy—the spirit of the community, the children that have been inspired by this sport—and hopefully prove the fact that sports contribute in life.”

Sara Riske autographs a ball for a young fan after Team Canada’s 9-2 win over Team Netherlands on July 23, 2016. (Kyrsten Downton)

Team USA women’s softball pitcher Jessica Moore hurls the ball towards Team Japan’s Haruna Sakamoto in the championship game on July 24, 2016. Team USA won 7-3. (Kyrsten Downton)

Team USA women’s softball players look on from their dugout and cheer as they bat against Team Japan in the championship game on July 24, 2016. Team USA won 7-3. (Kyrsten Downton)

16 Opinions

The Runner Debates:

Despite the bad rap, fraternities might just be what KPU needs Joseph Keller| Web Editor Recent rumblings from the Kwantlen Student Association and the Alliance of BC Students about the possibility of one day building student housing on campus have gotten me thinking about what our young university could look like a few years from now.

Should the project get off the ground, the institution would take a big step towards developing that sense of community and unique culture found on the campuses of more established institutions. Who knows? Maybe getting students together in an on-campus residence would help the school shake its “all business, no fun” commuter college vibe and develope something resembling the party culture that one tends to think of when imagining a real college experience.

To me, fraternities and sororities are an exciting idea. As things are today, the party culture at KPU is nonexistent. Don’t get me wrong, our university is good for what it provides—the small class sizes and comparatively cheap tuition are great, but nobody came here to have fun. As a longtime KPU student I have no complaint about the quality of education, but those seeking that unforgettable college experience that includes ample debauchery along with the regular helpings of learning and personal growth won’t find that on these campuses.

There are times when this school feels sterile. Having fraternities around would help to create a more social—and most importantly more fun—vibe on campus.

It’s an idea that doesn’t sit well with everyone these days. Lately the old university tradition has come under fire. For some the issue is simply about noise, while bad press from a few highly publicized incidents of disgraceful behavior, along with negative archetypes associated with frat guys and sorority girls, have created something of an image problem.

Is this image problem fair? For every publicized incident at one party, thousands of frats and sororities across North America add to campus life at their schools without issue.

Critics of the greek system tend to assume that problems within some frats are somehow inherent to the culture. Examples of bad behavior by members are often held up as the norm, when the attitudes that lead to such behavior can be addressed. Issues such as noise can be a addressed simply by common sense bylaws limiting revelry to weekends.

KPU making it’s own system from scratch means it would have the opportunity to create a culture based on respect and inclusiveness backed by a code of conduct.

KPU frats could be a valuable tool for encouraging a responsible party culture as this hypothetical KPU residential life develops.

Sure, the frat thing is not for everybody.

I’m not even certain it would be for me, having never been involved with one. However, the sense of community and vibrancy that such a tradition would encourage at KPU could make the joining of a fraternity or sorority not just a valuable student experience, but an unforgettable one.

Fraternities & Sororities

(Danielle George)

KPU doesn’t need a frat, and neither does anyone else Alyssa Laube| Staff Writer Content Warning: This article discusses sexual assault.

The backbone of fraternities is friendship, and that’s lovely. Student morale is indisputably important. It’s an attribute that KPU is notoriously lacking in, and in that regard, a frat house on-campus might do us some good.

What’s equally important, though, is being realistic about what it means to have them in the middle of neighbourhoods and academic settings. In the sleepy suburbs of Surrey, Richmond, Langley and Cloverdale, where our beloved KPU campuses reside, volume control would be a problem for civilians, as it has been for families living in the Greek Village near UBC. KPU professor Aaron Goodman talked to CTV News about his struggles with living in the Greek Village, saying that he has made “umpteenth calls” to the RCMP with nothing to show for it. It has become such a severe bother for Goodman that he claims to CBC that the frat noise is “making life unbearable” in his own home.

It doesn’t seem likely that the grandparents, small children, and high school students that populate most of those areas would be keen on staying up until the crack of dawn to the sound of screaming, intoxicated frat boys. Honestly, it doesn’t even sound infinitesimally appealing as a teenage girl.

Unfortunately, noise isn’t the only issue with fraternities. Actually, it’s one of the least serious.

At this point, it’s well-known that sexual assaults are committed in frat houses more so than anywhere else on campus—usually on women and by men. That statement opens up a deep, dark rabbit hole that frightens me as female university student, and the statistics don’t offer any comfort.

Assorted studies—mostly from the US—have yielded these conclusions: men in fraternities are three times more likely to rape than those who aren’t, and they become more likely to do so the longer they spend in the house. One in five female students will be sexually assaulted within their first four years spent at school—numbers stated in a separate study as between 19 and 27 per cent of all college women.

That means that when girls walk into a frat party and feel like they’re on a hunting ground, there’s an awfully big chance that they’re right. When we refuse to leave our drinks or go to the bathroom alone, we’re following generations of advice from those who had to learn the hard way that they weren’t safe on their own campuses, with their own peers.

Often, rapes and assaults are pawned off as alcohol-fuelled fun or tipsy confusion, but it really shouldn’t matter if the assaulter is sober or not. What does count for something is the attitude that supports it and continues to stoke the flames that burn innocent victims, and booze and drugs only represent a tiny fraction of that story.

Fraternities are a symbol of an antiquated system, one that separates the two sexes socially and physically, encourages mob mentality, and allows men with skewed opinions about boundaries and respect to band together in solidarity. After all, frats only started fully accepting non-white members in the sixties, so it’s not shocking that some are at least partially fuelled by privilege and bigotry today.

Fraternities have always been for the absolute elite, and they can do what they will with that power. In a house of their own, with their friends, protected by their university and rearing to use substances as a scapegoat, they have a hefty safety net to break their fall. It’s free reign to do something wrong. It’s Purge mentality. Consider that Brock Turner, a rapist who was exposed on international news, hardly even got a sentence. If he can get away with it with eyewitnesses, personal accounts, and millions of people calling for his punishment, then why wouldn’t some nameless guy at a party?

People join fraternities to make friends, have fun, and do embarrassing and sometimes unmentionable things in inebriated stupors.

While the same goes for sororities, women don’t have the historical and societal power that men do, and often, they don’t possess equal physical strength. That makes it difficult for them to take their irresponsibility to a violent place, and even more challenging to be supported by others who commit the same crimes.

When we force our eyes open and get over the possibility of being called a wet blanket, fear monger, or social justice warrior, frat house culture stops looking so cool. From where I’m standing, it actually looks pretty dismal.

Opinions 17

Runner Run-Down: B.C.’s New Property Transfer Tax 15% tax for foreign investors is great in theory, but flawed in practice

No Reason for Canada’s Monarchy Having a Queen is incompatible with Canadian values Calvin Borghardt| Contributor

(Shandis Harrison)

Alyssa Laube| Staff Writer After what feels like an eternity of listening to Vancouver locals complain about foreign investment in real estate, the province has decided to slap a 15 per cent property transfer tax onto the city’s homes for buyers from out of the country.

Data collected by the B.C. government between June 10 and July 14 revealed that foreign buyers represent nearly $1-billion of the money spent on residential real estate, with 86 per cent of that figure being invested in the Lower Mainland. Foreign home ownership in Vancouver and its surrounding areas has caused locals to struggle with finding an affordable place to live. Not only does it drive the market sky high, but it also results in too many buildings sitting vacant in a city with a housing crisis.

To elaborate, those who do not live here are coming to Vancouver, snatching up homes that could be-

long to those who do, and catching a flight back to their place of residence to wait for their property value to rise. Maybe they’ll use it as a vacation home. Meanwhile, almost 2,000 homeless individuals have been counted in our city already this year, and young people here are finding it increasingly difficult to put a roof over their own heads.

The government decided to address that problem by enforcing the tax—which comes into effect Aug. 2—and using the money collected from it to fund provincial housing and rental programs, under the Housing Priority Initiatives Fund. More details about the fund will be released within the upcoming months.

For the purchase of a $2-million house, the additional 15 per cent would represent approximately $300,000. Obviously, that charge would act as a deterrent for foreign investors, which is exactly what the province is going for.

Alas, every rose has its thorn.

There are obvious ways of getting around the tax, and in Vancouver’s real estate industry—as we’ve seen with shadow flipping this year—doing business under the table is the name of the game.

The primary concern by critics is that foreign buyers will simply go through locals to purchase their property for them. The idea is not complicated, nor would it be difficult to carry out. All a foreign investor would have to do is convince a friend or family member to sign the necessary contracts, or for a more direct method, set up a Canadian company themselves. An existing loophole that allows real-estate company shares to be sold to new owners without question may also provide a way out of paying for buyers from overseas.

If that doesn’t work, the buyers may simply go elsewhere, such as Vancouver Island. More likely is that they will funnel into the Fraser Valley, thanks to the fact that the tax will only be in action within the confines

of Metro Vancouver. That doesn’t make a lot of sense considering that most of the homes owned by foreign investors currently exist there, but as things are, that’s just the way the cookie crumbles. In the future, Finance Minister Mike de Jong predicts that it may be extended to other areas of the province.

The most unavoidable drawback of the tax is that foreign investors may simply not care about the 15 per cent add-on, as many of them are extremely wealthy regardless.

The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver seems particularly peeved about the last-minute approval of the tax, which was introduced without consultation between the government and industry. Board President Dan Morrison has stated that they are “calling on government to exempt real estate transactions that are in the process of closing from this new tax,” to avoid “short-term volatility in the market,” as written in a Langley Advance article.

Donald Trump Lives WherEver Reason Sleeps Canadians are not immune to the monster of Trump

Neil Bassan| Contributor Given the turmoil of American politics, as spearheaded by Republican candidate and professional buffoon Donald Trump, many sit astounded at the difference in quality between the Canadian and American democracies.

Canadians, however, are not immune to manipulative demagogues like Trump—those authoritarian figures who appeal to human emotions and prejudices rather than rationale.

As CBC’s Aaron Wherry argues, while Canadians might, “feel new appreciation for our democracy,” we have much to learn from the plight of our neighbours.

We ought to be thankful, says Wherry, for our relatively “calmer” media landscape, our political cli-

mate which is more responsive to public concerns, and the “flexibility and efficiency” of our multi-party parliamentary system.

And yet, if we were to trade places, atom for atom, with American citizens, a sizeable number of us would support Trump, whose rhetoric necessitates the sleep of reason. We would support him because some of us relish in worshipping such an unconventional leader, because many of us are defenseless to Trump’s emotional appeals, and because he draws his power from our most base instincts.

Trump’s strength lies in the fact that many people are attracted to his rejection of all things politically correct. In their support of his discourse—one that embodies a lack of impulse control—many have essentially submitted their capacities to think rationally.

Of course, there remain a number of social factors unique to the United States and the modern age that bolster Trump’s rise. The right to bear arms and the implications of such a principle; a dramatic turn to violence propped up by racial profiling, inequalities, and police brutality; and an era of surveillance wherein the threat of being observed is constant— these are perhaps the most notable issues in a series of unfortunate events that give rise to a figure such as The Donald As Canadians, while understanding the factors involved in sustaining Trump’s platform, we should be wary of the malicious intentions of such windbags who spew inflammatory garbage. What the man lacks in moral clarity, or in mere intellect prowess, he certainly makes up for in ignorance with respect to basic

history and theology, not to mention his fraudulence. Yet even though his bullying tactics position him as easily the least-qualified of the presidential candidates in recent memory, Canadians ought to not scoff at the American political circus, or at Trump’s insincere campaign.

We are merely lucky at this point to not be facing the frightening prospect of a Trump-like figure running for federal office. Through little fault of their own, Americans are faced with a Donald or Hillary decision—a grand-scale dilemma the likes of which we are fortunate to avoid.

What is undeniable is that whether or not Canadians ever see such an ignoramus as Trump in the running for Prime Minister, we will suffer the repercussions of American—and ultimately worldly­—political and social discontent.

This fall, the duke and duchess of Cambridge–Prince William and Kate Middleton—will be returning to Canada for their second visit.

The royal couple has not toured our country since 2011 and their return is a fitting occasion to re-examine the role that the House of Windsor plays in Canadian politics.

As a former colony of Britain, Canada has a history of claiming independence from its motherland. We chose to diplomatically negotiate our sovereignty instead of sparking a revolution like America did and fighting a war against the Crown.

Because of this, citizens of modern Canada are still living with the consequences of traveling along a slower and more peaceful route towards a becoming a sovereign nation.

Although the Queen—and by extension the House of Windsor— maintain a strictly symbolic influence over Canada’s political structure, the existence of a monarchy in Canada is still a violation of our values, such as equality, democracy, and cultural pluralism.

Canada cannot claim to uphold the virtue of equality if our country’s head of state is a foreign monarch who holds a position exclusive to those born into the House of Windsor.

Furthermore, the existence of a monarchy is incompatible with democratic principles and the ideal of all citizens being treated fairly and equally under the law. In a monarchy, the Queen or King is chosen based on their lineage, not elected based on their merits. Any monarch is exalted as a ruler who sits atop a highly hierarchical social structure simply based on their birth parents, which is certainly an anti-democratic notion.

Fairness and equality of opportunity are foreign in a hiercharchy, especially one that borrows the idea of a monarchy from the ancient social structure of feudalism, such as Britain’s.

It’s also difficult to maintain Canada’s desire for multiculturalism while the country’s head of state is limited to being a British citizen and an Anglican Christian.

The British monarchy is not only incompatible with Canadian values, it also embodies undemocratic governance, hereditary privilege, inequality, and classism—all of which are values that Canadians have rejected.

18 Columns

Artist Spotlight: The History of Gunpowder Writing in India, Hating Ostriches

Alyssa Laube| Staff Writer “It’s kind of like Tom Waits married Taylor J. Hawkins and somehow conceived a child that really liked punk music—and then he started playing with a lot of horns and strings,” says Alex James Morison, about The History of Gunpowder.

Morison sings and plays guitar in the band, on top of being the founder and composer. He is the constant in a lineup which has had around 25 members to-date.

Montreal is the band’s home base, but it’s not where their most recent album, Stained Glass, Rye and Wax, was written. It was a trip to India that inspired Morison to create what he describes as a very “dissonant, disgusting-sounding album that is about very beautiful things.”

“A lot of the content had to do with some of the events that happened while I was in India and other places in Asia. It definitely got its grit from India,” says Morison. “But musically, it didn’t affect me. You know,

I didn’t try to put a sitar in there.”

He explains that the poverty, illness, and power struggle in the country is what caused him to describe it as gritty and write people taking advantage of one another.

Morison’s departure to India came out of a desire to split from the Vancouver music scene—where he was working at the time—and “break momentum.” Before going, he planned to record there as well, alongside players from the country.

It was over two years ago that he spent eight months in Asia and four in India, but the album was written in only one month. Throughout that month, Morison holed himself up in a small room to take advantage of having 24 hours to write every day.

Eighteen tracks came out of that experience, and only seven made the album, but the uniqueness of the conditions they were written under made each one special.

“I was able to separate myself from what would normally inform my style and my content. I had a little bubble—a little incubator to grow in.

Most people aren’t fortunate enough to have that isolated space to write in.”

“Most of all, I was in a room for a month and I didn’t allow myself to leave that often, other than to get cheap rum and cheap cigarettes and food.”

That alone time allowed him to produce an album that he is proud of, more so than anything else The History of Gunpowder has released in the past.

“In my eyes, this is kind of our first record. It’s miles ahead of our other stuff just because I did it right.

I didn’t rush anything and all of the players I wanted to play on it played on it.”

Currently, the band consists of five steady members: Michael Johancsik on saxophone, Aleksi Campagne on violin, Stephane Krimms on bass, Quinn Dennehy on drums, and Henri Rabalais on keys.

In reference to the record’s album art—which depicts an open-mouthed, brightly-coloured ostrich—Morison doesn’t have much of an explanation.

“I think I was drunk on the porch at one of my friends’ houses and I said, ‘You know, ostriches are the most disgusting creatures,’ because they are. They’re like the camel of the bird world, and anyone who knows camels knows they’re bastards,” says Morison. “The problem is that I don’t

respect them.”

He says that he doesn’t “know where it came from, much like the band name.”

The History of Gunpowder is already working on a new album, the details of which are to be announced.

(Courtesy of The History of Gunpowder)

How to Help save the Bees “Oh god! Not the bees!”

Melissa Pomerleau Imagine a world where corn and potatoes are your only form of sustenance.

Honeybees are responsible for the pollination of a great number of plants worldwide, and without bees around to pollinate the plants we eat, “a third of our food would be taken out of [grocery stores],” says John Gibeau, the instructor of Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Commercial Beekeeping program.

The foods that bees are responsible for pollinating would still remain, just in a much smaller quantity, and most likely would no longer be commercially available. There would be a huge shift in our diets.

“Even beef would be drastically affected,” says Gibeau. “To get beef, the steak on your table, it requires feedlots and feedlots are alfalfa dependant, and alfalfa is a bee pollinated plant.”

One version of a famous quote, thought to be from Einstein, goes “If the bee disappears from the surface of the earth, man would have no more than four years to live.” Gibeau is unsure about the accuracy behind this statement, but did mention that “we’d probably have food riots if we lost the bees.”

The number one problem Canadian bee farmers are facing is the infestation of Varroa mites. Varroa are an

The Kwantlen Polytechnic University beekeeping class of 2016. (Photo submitted) eight-legged insect that bite and drink the blood of honeybees, effectively killing them. This infestation can be controlled through organic and inorganic methods, yet there is still a shortage of honey bees throughout Canada. The problem is exacerbated by pesticides, food deficiency, and hive destruction.

The first, and probably the easiest thing for anyone to do to promote a healthy and thriving bee population, is to neglect your lawn.

“Just let dandelions grow, that’s the first early nectar source that bees need,” says Gibeau. “Leave undeveloped property, allow berry brambles

and other things for indigenous bees to use as a habitat.”

Plant your own fruits and veggies, or other bee friendly plants. Berries, such as blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries, are among some of the simplest fruits to grow. And, they come packed with a ton of antioxidants to help keep your body healthy. They’re also an incredibly tasty treat.

If you’re short on garden or yard space, raspberries and blueberries are particularly easy plants to grow in containers, right on your balcony!

As KPU students in particular, there are a number of ways to join

in the fight to “keep the bees.” The Kwantlen Student Association’s sustainability initiative “provides community garden plots on campus to students who want to grow their own vegetables, fruit and flowers,” says Tia Schellenberg the KSA Sustainability Specialist and Garden Coordinator. “[It] even features a bee bath and sunflowers in one plot.” More advanced produce to increase the bee population, that are even available to buy locally, include cranberry, currants, pumpkin, zucchini, and kiwi.

“Students can apply [for their own garden plot] in early April, and are able to plant whatever they’d like

throughout the growing season,” says Schellenberg.

If growing plants isn’t something you’re capable of, support local bee farmers by purchasing from beekeepers whenever possible. Farmers markets are a great place to support beekeepers, and find ethically sourced and produced items, such as beeswax candles or honey. “[Beekeepers] are keeping the bees alive, which is pollinating and creating a food source for urban environments,” explains Gibeau And for the real go-getters of the world, consider starting your own backyard colony. That’ll produce 100-150lbs of honey per year. The Honeybee Centre in Surrey offers short-term courses in beekeeping for anyone wanting to delve into the art.

Farhad Dastur, a KPU psychology instructor, is currently lobbying for KPU to get a bee garden on campus, separate from Sustainable KSA and the Commercial Beekeeping Program.

Let’s avoid a world in which fruits become unattainable for the average consumer, food riots break out, and the fall of man ensues. Find your local Farmer’s Market—KPU has one every Tuesday at the Richmond Campus—leave your dandelions alone, and plant some berries or flowers to help indigenous bees survive and thrive.

Procrastination 19

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Sudoku SUDOKU No. 153

Tough

5 2

Previous solution - Medium

9

9 3 4 3 1 4 3 5 3 8 2 5 9 3 5 6 6 9 2 4 5 1 2

The solutions will- Medium be published here in the next issue.

Previous solution 1 4 7 5 8 9 2 8 solution 9 1 -6Easy 3 Previous 3 6 5 7 2 1 3 6 4 5 8 2 4 7 29 834 6 1 78 9 55 1 6 9 7 5 6 2 3 1 4 5 7 4 9 3 2 3 1 2 7 9 4 8 5 88 417 2 5 36 6 49 7 2 67 529 3 8 14 2 94 5 3 4 2 8 3 6 1 7 9 74 993 8 2 83 5 16 6 1 56 651 1 9 42 7 73 8 8

9

edium

5

8 4 2

6 4 99 37 8 8 6 15 71 5 42 23

2 5 1 4 6 3 8 7 9

3 7 8 2 1 9 6 5 4

Sagittarius Capricorn 1 423 -7Dec521 8 9 6 2 3 Dec. 22 - Jan 20 Nov.

Aquarius Jan 21 - Feb 19

2 in 8 1 in6a very3famous 4 TV 5 Back the 90’9 s you were show.

3 6 5 7 2 4 9 1

If you’re nervous, just picture the audience as dogs.

7 What miserable drones and traitors have you 8 nourished in your household, who let their lord be treated with such shameful contempt by a 9 3 6 8 5 1 7 4 2 low-born clerk?

5 7 4 9 3 2 8 6 1 8 1 2 6 4 7 5 3 9 Aries 7 2Pisces 3 4 9 5 1 8 6 Feb 20 Mar 20 Mar 21 - Apr 19 4 9 8 3 1 6 2 7 5 Maybe 6 one 5 day1you’ll2publish 7 a compilation 8 3 of9your 4 Join a forum where historians discuss the rise of Nazi

6 5

ugh

wittiest online retorts, but for now you’re happy to simply sit back and watch the Facebook likes roll in.

Germany and make a bunch of outlandish claims.

When someone tries to correct you, cite Godwin’s

© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles

To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 1 to 9 such that each row, column and 3x3 box contains Geminievery number uniquely.

Cancer May 21 - Jun 20

Jun 21 - Jul 23

For strategies, hints and You are many the only Gemini.

Some cuttips, the hair, but you like to leave them as they visit www.sudokuwiki.org died. Let the skin tighten on the scalp like their body is still feeding. Like the don’t even need a soul to be alive.

If you like Sudoku you’ll really like ‘Str8ts’ and our other puzzles, Apps and books.

Visit www.str8ts.com Libra Virgo Aug 24 - Sept 23

Sept 24 - Oct 23

f you ever get the chance to name something, don’t name it after a former Queen of England. That shit is Played. Out.

If ever caught in an embarrassing situation, just whisper “My cover’s blown, extract, EXTRACT!” into your sleeve until the person goes away.

Taurus Apr 20 - May 20 Walk into the party and say “More like Pokemon NO, amiright?” and then repeat “Am I right?” increasingly slower for the next hour and a half.

Leo Jul 24 - Aug 23 Get your damn prescriptivist hands offa my language!

Scorpio Oct 24 - Nov 22 Well! The city fathers will hear about THIS!

Conrad & Libby

© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles

4

ue.

© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles

To complete Sudoku, fill the board

8 6

9

Horoscopes

To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 1 to 9 such that entering each row, column and 3x3 by numbers 1 box to 9 such contains every number uniquely. that each row, column and 3x3 box contains every number uniquely.

For many strategies, hints and tips, visit www.sudokuwiki.org

For strategies, If youmany like Sudoku you’ll reallyhints like and tips, visit ‘Str8ts’www.sudokuwiki.org and our other puzzles, Apps and books. Visit www.str8ts.com

If you like Sudoku you’ll really like ‘Str8ts’ and our other puzzles, Apps and books. Visit www.str8ts.com

For Sale Baby shoes, hardly worn.

Personals Seeking

Low-class warrior.

Last seen asking the people of the earth to lend them their spirit.

Lost My precious.

(Based on a novel Push by Sapphire)

Missed Connection High noon.

Wanted: Drag Queen, answers to the name Nova China.