Vol. 1 Issue 10

vol. 1 Issue 10 | August 18, 2009

Starving Students Edition

NEWS AND CULTURE NEWSPAPER FOR THE STUDENTS OF KWANTLEN POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY

News & Politics

vol. 1 issue 10 | August 18 2009 | page two

ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION PROGRAM

AROUND KWANTLEN

$50,000 for environmental education HSBC Bank Canada for their generosity and for supporting such an important field of study.”

Gordon also noted, “HSBC beKwantlen’s Environmental Prolieves strongly in helping to create tection Technology (EPT) students greater access to education, which were awarded for their efforts in is why we fund bursaries and the environmental sector, thanks scholarships at post-secondary into a $50,000 donation from HSBC stitutions across CanaBank Canada. da.” “ W e The two-year are especially pleased diploma prothat this award will gram, according to support students that Kwantlen’s webshare our commitment site, “prepares the to the environment.” graduate for techni“The program procal work in the envides students with vironmental field.” practical knowledge The $50,000 will and experience in “enbe used to create an vironmental protecendowment fund, tion technology, imwhich will provide pact assessment, waste a $2,500 annual minimization and award for students management, air and of the program. It Courtesy Kwantlen News Release water pollution moniwill be awarded to Co-op student, Kimberley Forsythe, conducts on sight lead festirs. toring and control, students who demand contaminated site onstrate a level of community service as well as fi- tal and occupational health and investigations.” safety problems said, “I’m really nancial need.

For more information on According to Kwantlen’s enjoying the program.”

“I’ve always been passionate Kwantlen’s Environmental Protecpress release, Lindsay Gordon, President and CEO, HSBC Bank about the environment and this tion Technology (EPT) program, visit Canada stated that “HSBC Bank program was the perfect fit. On http://www.kwantlen.ca/science/enCanada is very pleased to support behalf of the students studying vironment.htm students at Kwantlen Polytech- EPT at Kwantlen, I want to thank KASSANDRA LINKLATER NEWS EDITOR

nic University by establishing the HSBC Bank Canada Environmental Award.”

Kimberly Forsythe, a first-year EPT student, currently on a co-op placement with EHS Partners, a Calgary-based firm focused on finding solutions to environmen-

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT THE KWANTLEN CAMPUSES

2009 Fall Boost Camps

AUG

25

WHEN: 9:00am - 4:00pm WHAT: Designed for new or continuing university students. Join with others for a day of planning and preparation to get ready for the semester. Register early as spaces are limited. Cost: $25 for materials.

AUG

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Workshop for Musicians in the Alexander Technique with Heike Walker WHERE: Langley Campus WHEN: 7:00pm - 9:00pm WHAT: In this course students will be introduced to the principles of the Alexander Technique and learn to apply them to daily activities, such as making music. Cost: $120.

CAMPUS UPGRADE

Campuses Receive Government Investments

WHERE: Langley Campus

SEPT

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Welcome Back Celebration WHERE: Richmond Campus Rotunda & Courtyard WHEN: 11:00am - 2:30pm WHAT: Come out and revel in the madness of back-to-school. Meet new students, community members, and enjoy free entertainment!

SEPT

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Welcome Back Celebration WHERE: Langley Campus Courtyard & Student Lounge WHEN: 11:00am - 2:30pm WHAT: Follow the Frosh and come see what Kwantlen and the community has to offer new and returning students - plus, there’s prizes and games!

Melissa Fraser/The Runner Surrey library expansion cost $31.6 million and has been under construction since 2006. The Richmond campus has received a $1.2 million government investment to upgrade its library to meet university standards.

MELISSA FRASER CULTURE EDITOR

A $1.2 million investment by the provincial and federal governments means the Richmond campus is getting a library upgrade.

A press release published by the Federal Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development Industry was released on Aug. 11, saying the government’s investment is meant to expand the Richmond library so it can meet the requirements of its university status. This means the library can house more research and reading materials and students will have an “improved learning environment.”

The Surrey campus’ library expansion, which was officially opened in April 2009, cost $31.6 million and took over three years

to complete. The exact Richmond library upgrades are still unknown as are the official costs and timeline.

The investment comes from the federal government’s $2 billion plan to repair and expand facilities at Canadian post-secondary institutions. In upgrading infrastructure the government hopes to create jobs under its current stimulus plan. In B.C. the federal government is on a costshare basis with the provincial government. Each government provided 50 per cent, or $650,000, of the cost for the library expansion.

Part of the federal government’s $2 billion plan also includes upgrades to student services at the Langley campus.

Together the federal and provin-

cial governments are investing $1.7 million in the campus.

The Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development press release says the investment will go towards upgrading the student services wing on campus and will support program initiatives in the areas of sustainability, environmental protection horticulture and urban agricultural sciences.

“This funding for Kwantlen’s Langley campus will not only provide new opportunities for our students but also support exciting environmental initiatives,” said Mary Polak, MLA for Langley.

“In this current economic environment, our government is once again demonstrating its commitment to creating jobs and investing in B.C.’s long-term success.”

SEPT

10

Cram Jam 2009 WHERE: Grassroots Lounge, Surrey Campus WHEN: 11:00am - 8:00pm WHAT: Urban Music Festival with Beer Garden at the Grassroots Lounge. Celebrate good times, win free stuff, compete for prizes, and generally GET DOWN! Afterparty TBA!

SEPT

11

Welcome Back Celebration WHERE: Cloverdale Campus WHEN: 10:30am - 1:30pm WHAT: Our newest campus hast alternative class schedules, but doesn’t mean we can’t salute the start of September! Did I hear milk drinking contest? Sssh!

News & Politics

vol. 1 issue 10 | August 18 2009 | page three

CHEAPER BEER

GOING GREEN

Grassroots cuts beer prices

Melissa Fraser/The Runner Grassroots barista Doug Sutton advertises the various beers for sale. After initially costing $6 per bottle, the cafe has dropped its prices to $4.75.

STEPHEN SMYSNUIK COORDINATING EDITOR

The Grassroots Cafe has dropped its beer prices – with a little help from The Runner.

In its Rip-off Kwantlen section, the paper blasted the lounge for outrageous beer prices. Apparently, someone took it to heart.

“I’m going to be honest with you – why would we want negative advertising?” said cafe & catering manager Arman Mesri in a phone interview. “I’m here for students, right? So, you guys pointed it out. Sure, and so we talked about it. It’s fair.”

It’s bittersweet that the only

cause this publication has since its February launch has been beer prices, but it’s better than nothing at all.

Mesri said he never heard any complaints about the prices from the students. He knew all along that the prices were high, but the cafe was under orders by the institution to charge a higher amount during a three-month probation period. It was a test to see how students responded and to ensure that there were no incidents or drunken brawls.

“The KSA brought it to my attention. They said, ‘You haven’t had any problems, the president hasn’t come down and com-

plained or anything.’ Sure, no problem,” Mesri said.

Beer prices have dropped from $6 a bottle to $4.75. While Kwantlen beer prices can never compete with those in, say, Guatamala, it’s a fair price to enjoy a beer in a comfortable atmosphere.

Mesri said the point is to create a welcoming environment, one without drunken louts disturbing the peace.

“I don’t want the beer to be so cheap that you cannot enjoy the environment. Now, it seems like its working pretty good,” he said.

Currently, there is no cutoff limit for beer purchases, but KSA general manager Desmond Rodenbour said the cafe “diligently enforces” the province’s Serving it Right standards to ensure personal and public safety inside and outside of the campus.

At the same time, there haven’t been enough students on campus to assess the impact that oncampus beer has had – and will continue to have – since the university gave the KSA the green light to sell alcohol at the end of the spring semester. Summer enrolment was drastically reduced during the summer months.

Even still, Rodenbour is certain the university won’t be seeing any problems in the future.

“It will certainly be a lot busier.

I think that we’ll have to be more diligent that the operation runs smoothly,” he said.

There are no set plans to take beer sales to any of the other three campuses because of space constraints, but with the KSA’s acquisition of new space on the Richmond campus, Rodenbour said the KSA is looking at the possibility of a Grassroots-style lounge there.

The KSA is currently in negotiations with student council to host poetry readings, jam sessions, etc., at the Grassroots to create more of that university culture that Kwantlen has been lacking.

“That will obviously have some impacts on the alcohol sales.

I think it will be smooth...and people will get a kick out of it,” Rodenbour said.

Flickr Donʼt expect to see windmills popping up at campuses anytime soon.

The funds from the B.C. government will go towards lighting, heating etc.

Kwantlen receives government funds to go green CHRISTOPHER POON MEDIA EDITOR

Kwantlen Polytechnic University was the recent recipient of $457,596 from the provincial government for enhancing energy efficiency at its Surrey and Langley campuses.

As part of the province’s energy reduction initiative, the Public Sector Energy Conservation Agreement, the money will go towards upgrading the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and lighting systems on the two campuses to far greater energy-reducing methods.

The overall project is estimated to cost $609,996 and coupled with the government funding, the school is more than on its way to finishing the project.

Once the upgrades have been completed, Kwantlen will reap the benefits on energy output cost savings, all the while reducing its emission outputs.

“The project is expected to save 1,884,161 equivalent kilowatt hours per year. Cost avoidance is estimated at $81,691 per year,” said Dan Brown, Kwantlen physical plant manager ,in a press release.

MORE SPACE FOR THE KSA

KSA gains more space to expand on Richmond campus A yoga and dance studio will be functional by fall.

STEPHEN SMYSNUIK COORDINATING EDITOR

The Richmond campus will get an extra kick of culture starting in September, as the KSA has acquired two new rooms to expand its operation in Richmond. A new yoga/dance studio will be included in the mix and, quite possibly, a new lounge (with beer?).

Classroom 1320 and the boardroom to the south of the KSA Lounge have been acquired by the student association from the university in an agreement between the KPUand the KSA dated July 31. The agreement will take effect on Sept. 1, in exchange for the Surrey campus fitness centre.

“It’s a political win for us to trade space on our largest operation campus – where we’ve never had any accusations of not serving the students – for Richmond, where we’ve had a relatively small office for a very large operation,” said Desmond Rodenbour, general manager of the Kwantlen Student Association. “We’ve always wanted to do more.”

The classroom will become what Rodenbour calls the Blossoming Lotus studio – a multi use, bookable dance and yoga studio with hardwood floors, new lighting and a complete wall of mirrors, similar to any professional dance studio. Rodenbour said there are plans to put in a Wii

console for health and fitness purposes.

The KSA will offer a few “heavily subsidized” dance and yoga classes in the fall, though Rodenbour is “not sure” how much these will cost.

He also said the KSA is considering knocking down the wall between the boardroom and the KSA lounge to create one larger student area. While no definite plans have been outlined, Rodenbour said the KSA is considering a lounge similar to Surrey’s Grassroots Cafe, and “would like to see” beer sold in Richmond.

“We’re not sure if we’ll put food service or a kiosk. That’s something student council will

have to decide,” he said.

The university approached the KSA about six months ago, to assume control of the fitness centre – which was owned and operated by the student association – to expand its on-campus recreation services. The KSAoffered to sell it but instead the university traded them a similar amount of space on the Richmond campus instead.

“It’s fantastic,” Rodenbour said. “And to be frank, the student association, not by any design of ours, we’ve grown at Surrey in ways that we haven’t had the opportunity to on the other campuses, particularly in Richmond.”

Richmond, a campus with almost as many students as Surrey,

has been lacking student recreational space which t has been to the detriment of campus culture.

A relative few dominate the pool table and couches in the now-tiny KSA lounge, while the rest of the students spend their time on the concrete slabs outside or in the library – hardly an appropriate place for break time discussion.

Rodenbour said this will not come at any increased cost for the students.

Want to write a news story?

Contact The Runner at news@runnerrag.ca and get working.

News & Politics

vol. 1 issue 10 | August 18 2009 | page four

CFS STUDENT BATTLES

Settlement reached in fight for control of CFS Quebec JACOB SEREBRIN THE CONCORDIAN (CONCORDIA)

MONTREAL (CUP) – An agreement has been reached in a dispute over control of the Quebec component of the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS-Q), after incoming board members sought an injunction to force three outgoing board members to step down.

The settlement was reached around 2:00 a.m. on Friday July 17. The two sides had been scheduled to appear in court that morning.

The CFS-Q represents undergraduate and graduate students at Concordia University, post-graduate students at McGill University, as well as students at Dawson College, a CEGEP. The dispute began in May when new representatives were appointed to the CFS-Q board of directors. However, according to Gregory Johannson, one of new board members and a student at Concordia University, three

members of the outgoing board refused to step down and hand over control of the CFS-Q to the new board.

Johannson said that three days before a scheduled meeting of the new board, members of the outgoing board held a special meeting to overturn the appointment of the new board members.

“We went there,” said Johannson, “then they recessed to another location without telling two of the board members – Graduate Students’ Association’s Erik Chevrier and Adrian Kaats of the Post-Graduate Student’s Society of McGill – where they were going.”

“They cancelled our special general meeting, (and) didn’t ratify any of the new board members,” he said. “Basically, it was an illegitimate meeting; you can’t just recess to another location and not tell two of the board members where you are.”

Adrian Kaats, the outgoing Post-Graduate Student’s Society

of McGill (PGSS) representative on the CFS-Q board, sided with the incoming board members; he said that the outgoing board’s term was scheduled to end on May 20.

Under the terms of the agreement, CFS-Q board members Noah Stewart-Ornstein, Colin Goldfinch and Charles Brenchley will step down July 31.

Stewart-Ornstein and Goldfinch are former executives of the Concordia Student Union, while Brenchley is a representative of the Dawson College Student Union. Stewart-Ornstein is also the deputy national chair of the CFS. The agreement will allow the outgoing board to have an audit conducted of the CFS-Q’s finances and to make several payments specified in the agreement. The will not be permitted to have any board meetings, except to approve the audit. They will not be able access the CFS-Q’s finances for any other purpose, without the ap-

FALLEN SOLDIERS SCHOLARSHIP

proval of the incoming board.

The incoming board members will not be allowed to meet officially, or speak for the CFS-Q until July 31.

“The positive aspects of the agreement,” said Kaats, “are that we hopefully won’t be pulled into a court room, there is a fairly smooth transition, notwithstanding the fact that its going to come more than two months after the end of the previous directors’ term and literally at the threat of having to wrest power from them through litigation.”

“There’s only one thing that particularly bothers me,” he said.

“The fact that these guys have insisted on sticking around to approve their own audits.”

According to Kaats, much of the CFS-Q’s financial information was not shared with board members, despite requests from himself and Chevrier.

Kaats said that the CFS-Q’s financial records are stored at the CFS main offices in Ottawa.

He produced a series of emails between himself and StewartOrnstein, as well as minutes from board meetings, containing repeated requests from Kaats and Chevrier for access to the books.

Kaats said that he was eventually allowed to see the CFS-Q’s bank statements for a brief period, but only in the presence of a CFS-Q employee.

The agreement will also require the PGSS and The Graduate Students’ Association of Concordia University to pay back fees to both the Canadian Federation of Students and CFS-Q. The GSA will pay $25,000 to the CFS and $35,000 to the CFS-Q; while the PGSS will pay $45,573.33 to the CFS and $22,769.62 to the CFS-Q. Calls and emails to StewartOrnstein, Goldfinch and the CFS national office were not returned by the time of publication.

CRISIS OVER

Project Hero scholarship to support children of fallen soldiers KENDRA WONG THE PERK (SFU)

BURNABY (CUP) – Over 120 Canadian soldiers have died in the war in Afghanistan since it began in 2002; these fallen soldiers often leave behind significant others and children.

Kevin Reed, a Toronto businessman, has worked with retired general Rick Hillier, to develop a new scholarship program geared towards sending the children of fallen soldiers to post-secondary institutions.

These Project Hero scholarships will be offered exclusively to children who lost their parents in the line of duty. The program, effective September 1, 2009, will be available at Memorial University in Newfoundland, the University of Ottawa, the University of Windsor, and the University of Calgary.

It will offer the children four years of post-secondary education to earn their undergraduate degree; on-campus residence fees for the first year are also included.

Project Hero was inspired

by Reed, who in December was made an honorary lieutenant colonel of an army reserve unit in Ontario where he became familiar with the struggles of the families the soldiers left behind.

“At university we feel this is a very tangible way to say [to the families of the fallen soldiers,] that we value their contribution and we want to do something to demonstrate that gratitude,” said Rock.

Reed personally went to each school to convince them to join the program.

“It’s my goal to get broadbased, national support from all Canadian universities,” he told The Canadian Press.

Ann Tierney, the vice-provost of students at the University of Calgary stated on Tuesday that the program “is an expression of support for [the] Canadian Forces’ soldiers and their families, and a way of honouring those who pay the ultimate price for serving their country.”

Students must be under the age of 26, and must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents.

“We hope this scholarship will help the sons and daughters of these military personnel realize their dreams and plans by making a university education possible after suffering such a loss,” continued Tierney.

Project Hero is the first free tuition program in Canada.

Melissa Fraser/The Runner

TWITTER FILM

140: Possibly the first film inspired by twitter AMANDA CONNON-UNDA RYERSON FREE PRESS

TORONTO (CUP) – What happens when a large number of people from around the world participate in a social experiment? How does knowing that we share similar experiences of using online technology shape our identities?

In making the new film 140, 140 independent amateur and professional filmmakers from around the world synchronized their actions around the social networking website twitter.com in order to explore themes of home and questions about how people are connected.

Directed by Frank Kelly in London, UK, the yet-to-be created film promises to examine how

twitter can be used as a positive tool rather than as a distraction.

Twitter is a micro-blogging website that asks its members one simple question when they log on—“What are you doing?”—in 140 characters or less.

When completed by 2010, 140 will likely be the first film inspired by twitter to surface.

Kelly said in a May phone interview that with his film, he plans to reveal from a distance, with a birds’ eye view, how we can look at social patterns – and specifically how humans construct their connections to home.

Kelly explained that he got the idea for his film through using twitter itself. He said he first signed up in January 2009 after hearing of it through actor Ste-

phen Frye, whom he wanted to follow.

“I wanted to know if it can help me and if I can use it as a tool,” said Kelly. What still strikes him most is that “it’s all about instant connection and immediacy with other people. It’s fast, too.”

He thought it would be interesting to use the social networking website to synchronize 140 filmmakers to film at the same time.

“All 140 filmmakers will shoot on the same day and time for approximately a hundred and forty seconds.”

In May, Kelly said his plan was to “send a message out for free on twitter and everyone will see it at the same time on their phones or the net. That will be the ‘Go’ sig-

nal to start shooting simultaneously around the world.”

That’s just what Kelly orchestrated. On June 21, via twitter, Kelly sent the ‘Action’ message to the recruited volunteering filmmakers and they all shot for approximately 140 seconds.

Now the filmmakers are finished shooting, and they’re sending their footage to Kelly from countries all around the world, including Brazil, China, Mexico, Germany, and Australia.

Once Kelly receives all 140 clips of submitted footage, he says he’ll edit them and incorporate music.

To date, the project has been written up about in the popular Paste Magazine (online), The Salt Lake Tribune (USA), The Irish

Film and Television Network and Wired.com.

On Kelly’s website, the names of the 140 filmmakers are listed.

On the list are several Toronto area residents: Paul Gitschner (134), Simone Fried (126), Stephen Clark (99) and Jill Carter (22). The only other Canadian to appear so far is Alberta’s Brian MacKay (101).

Kelly said he’d like to promote the film by the end of the year and have the feature length film ready for festivals, broadcast and online sometime after January.

To follow the filmmaking process and learn more about Frank Kelly’s 140, check out: http:// www.frankkelly.blogspot.com/ or follow him on twitter @frankwkelly.

News & Politics

vol. 1 issue 10 | August 18 2009 | page five

FOLLIES OF CREDIT CARDS

CHIT CHAT

Students Runner talks with... appalled over credit card policy Runner: Is that across the board?

VICTORIA ALMOND CONTRIBUTOR

When Halifax’s Dalhousie University stopped accepting credit card payment for tuition and residence fees this June, students were in an uproar.

According to Dalhousie’s website, the university’s Budget Advisory Committee decided to save $1.3 million a year in credit card transactional fees by eliminating their students’ option of paying by credit card for tuition and residence fees, a payment method that 40% of their students choose.

Dalhousie’s website advises students to pay online because the university is listed as a “vendor” of “payee” at all major Canadian banks, many smaller banks and credit unions.

Vice President Academic and Budget Advisory Committee chair Alan Shaw told the Dalhousie newspaper, Dalnews, “It’s a clear choice between $1 million to Dalhousie or $1 million to the credit card companies.

“If it stays here it will support education, if it goes there it will boost corporate profits.”

Dalhousie is the latest post-secondary institution to follow this trend, including UBC and SFU. So far, Kwantlen accepts credit card payments.

In a statement from associate vice president of Student Services and Registrar Jody Gordon, the fees are regulated by the university’s bylaws and there are no plans to change this in the immediate future.

KSA Director of Academic Affairs Ashley Fehr said if the institution attempted to ban credit card transactions, the student association “would lobby the school and try to get them to stop.”

Dalhousie students are doing just that, bombarding Dalhousie’s website with complaints.

John, a Dalhousie student, wrote, “Credit cards are essential for the payment of tuition. What if my loan money doesn’t come on time?”

Shannon Zimmerman, president of Dalhousie’s student

union, echoed his concerns.

“A lot of students don’t get enough loans and scholarship to cover the entire cost of their education, and therefore, they have to cover it with other ways and they rely on credit card payments to do that,“ said in an interview with CTV. The problem with any institution refusing to take credit card payments is that many students don’t have the funds to cover their full tuition at once.

Likewise, many banks and credit unions impose a limit on how much money can be withdrawn per day and tudents can lose credit card points for large transactions like tuition.

Students across Canada are voicing similar concerns.

Thousands of University of Alberta students joined Facebook groups urging their institution to reverse its decision to ban credit card payments. The CBC reported last May that one University of Calgary political science student Teale Phelps Bondaroff went as far as paying his $1037 tuition in a wheelbarrow filled with 90 kilograms of coins in protest.

“The fact that the university didn’t consult with the students is probably the worst part,” Bondaroff told the CBC, adding that the student union on which he serves as a representative also wasn’t consulted.

Some students even offered alternative ideas that could save the school money and keep students’ payment options open.

Dalhousie student Carl Stevens wrote on the Dalnews website,“I would think that the credit card companies...knowing the prospect of losing 1.3 million dollars in revenue would be very willing to negotiate a much better rate than what we currently are receiving,” Despite student objections, none of these universities have heeded students’ calls to reverse their decisions.

“People have accepted that this is the way we do business,” Phyllis Clark,, vice president of finance and administration at the U of A, told Dalnews.

DELETE

RUNNER OPT-OUTS AVAILABLE NOW Available Monday -Thursday 10:30 a.m to 4:30 p.m

at The Runner’s Surrey office #205-12877 76th Ave. Opt-outs will be process for Fall 2009 after late-registration.

Questions: 778-565-3801. *Remember to bring your proof of registration!

Reid: Yes, that’s across the board for BC. The breakdown would be roughly the same, but again you’d be able to see exactly what the breakdown is for Kwantlen specifically in the budget documents.

Fifty-two per cent of funding is through government transfers, 31 per cent is through tuition fees and the rest is made through investments the institution has and private donors, etc. That will be a little different from institution to institution.

Shamus Reid Reid, BC chair of the Canadian Federation of Students, about tuition The Runner speaks to Shamus Reid, BC Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students, about tuition in the province.

Runner: Where does Kwantlen student money go once it leaves our hands?

Shamus Reid: It’s different for each institution. What happens when you pay your tuition fees, it just goes into general revenue, so the institution can then allocate that funding wherever it wants to, essentially. Each year, the Board of Governors will pass a budget, and you should be able to access that budget online [...] but if you can’t get it online, the VP Finance office should tell you how to get access to it.

So, tuition fees, operating grants from the government, as well as some other private funding would all go into general revenue, and that’s what is used for all the operations and the annual budget will be adopted reflecting where that general revenue is going to go.

Runner: How much does the government pay for?

Reid: Overall, in terms of BC as a whole, tuition fees account for roughly 31 per cent of the general operating revenue of colleges and universities. That’s actually up from 22 per cent less than 10 years ago, so that’s a substantial increase. The government contributes 52 per cent, and that’s inclusive of provincial and federal, and in some very limited, municipal funding.

Runner: In terms of the 60-cent per-credit transfer fee each student pays to the CFS, what do you do with that money?

Reid: That goes into the development of campaigns and the provision of services for members. It also goes into the general operations – salaries for staff and full-time elected representatives to coordinate the services of the campaigns.

Runner: Of the 52 per cent that the government funds for education, hows does that compare to 10 years ago?

Reid: That is actually substantially less than 10 years ago. Government funding in 1996 – and that’s the most up-to-date information that we have – was about 75 per cent in B.C. Runner: And can you see it decreasing anymore? Or are any changes up in the air at this point?

Reid: That’s been the trend.

When the BC government says that tuition fees are going up by inflation, it’s not actually accounting for what the trend has been for the last couple of decades and in fact tuition fees aren’t just going up in proportion each year.

Per student funding has dropped while tuition fees continue to climb, so what we have now is that students and their families are contributing more of their education than has ever been the case in the post-war era.

Prior to this era, post-secondary education was mainly privatized, and was really the bastion of the elite and only the higher income earners in the country got

a higher education. Since the government has taken a much larger role in the post-war era, students are paying the most substantial amount than they have since.

Runner: Can you see any positives to less government and more private funding?

Reid: In almost every way, it [private funding] is worse for quality of education as well as affordability. It’s a no brainer that the higher tuition fees are, the more difficult it is for low- and middle-income families to pay for an education.

But then, in terms of quality, what this actually means is that there is much less reliable sources for funding because people actually have to go out and scrounge for private dollars. It’s miuch less reliable than dedicated public funding, and in fact when you have higher public funding, there’s a greater return on the investment because more people are able to get an education and raise their standard of living, raise their incomes, pay more in income tax, and ultimately, there’s more public funding available for education and other public services.

Education is actually one of those areas where funding it creates a self-sustaining funding system.

Runner: Then why do you think the BC Liberals wouldn’t take advantage of that, if that’s the case?

Reid: This governemnt in terms of the party, is ideologically predisposed to privatization and generally supports less government. It’s a fairly entrenched ideological position that doesn’t account for in areas like education, it makes far more sense to have a strong public presence.

There are other issues in terms of privateization of education, for example when institution are reliant on research dollars or corporate sponsorship. Often times, there are questions of academic freedom and whether that reserearcj is being done in the public good or for the corporate good.

Soetimes there can be pressure put on researchers to get good results for a corporation instead of good results for the public.

Opinion & Editorial

vol. 1 issue 10 | August 18 2009 | page six

OPINION

HST: the “Harmful to Students” Tax You’ve no doubt heard by now that the provincial government has made plans to introduce a ‘harmonized’ sales tax here in B.C. What this means for the everyday consumer (that’s you) is that goods and services that were previously exempt from PST (the seven per cent provincial sales tax) will no longer be, beginning July 1, 2010.

That means you’ll be paying a 12 per cent tax on everything, allowing the government to ‘wet their beaks’ in an even wider variety of transactions.

Everything from school supplies to food on-the-go will now see a seven per cent tax increase.

Let’s say that each semester you spend about $300 on school supplies, and each week you spend $25 on coffee and sand-

wiches on campus. With HST, students will be spending nearly $400 more over a four-year period on these items and, multiplied by Kwantlen’s student population of 17,000, that’s about an extra $6.8 million from Kwantlen students’ pockets to the government.

Meanwhile students with jobs in the soon-to-be affected industries had best prepare themselves for a likely hit to their wages, or, in worse case scenarios, their jobs.

The food industry is a large employer of students and while the wages themselves are usually minimal, tipping provides at least some sort financial relief.

With customers now paying an additional seven per cent on their bill due to HST, critics are arguing that consumers will simply not tip as much as before, or cut back on

eating-out entirely.

Gordo and the gang have swept aside public concerns saying that the tax will somehow be “revenue neutral,” but really, that just shifts the costs from businesses to the consumers.

And while the Liberals continue to bide their time by feeding rhetoric to anyone that questions them, it’s clear that the public is clearly opposed to the tax.

There have been numerous points made amidst the backlash, that this is far more of a ‘job-killer’ than increasing the minimum wage would ever be.

Also, the timing seems convenient in that it’s just after the Olympics, a time when taxpayers will be having to bear the burden of whatever costs and overages the games will take and that the

real reason behind the liberals introducing the tax is the $1.6 billion incentive by the federal government.

Although Campbell and Hansen have repeatedly stated that the tax will be introduced next year regardless of public outrage, citizens have not been taking the news lying down.

There have been organized protests all across the province, and unions and businesses have been very public in voicing their concerns.

The official Opposition, the BC NDP, have set up a petition on their website and those concerned are being urged to voice their displeasure by contacting the finance minister himself. For Hansen’s contact info, check http://www. colinhansenmla.bc.ca/

TUITION

YAY

Kwantlen Tuition Increase

DENNY HOLLICK CONTRIBUTOR

It’s easy to think that any raise in tuition would be detrimental to students.

After all, who likes paying more when you could pay less?

The main student lobbying body that opposes tuition increases has claimed that hikes in tuition will decrease enrolment, and increase student debt.

This is logic that a five year old could come to, but when examining the possible issues with tuition raises, they fail to address the benefits of it.

First, not everyone is as privileged as others.

It’s understandable, that a single mother living on her own would have difficulties just making it to classes, let alone paying for them. My hat goes off to you.

There are though, several effective

financial support options to help those who are in financial need and seek the assistance.

For the majority of students, this is not a reality. Rather, it’s much more likely that you will see parents write a cheque every four months.

If this is not the case, it’s just as likely that one seeks out student loans, rather than seeking out employment to pay off their schooling. If students were really so poor, you wouldn’t see the majority of the student population sporting designer jeans, and the latest iPhone.

Consider instead a slight tuition raise at your institution that would go directly back into your school.

Even a $10 increase per credit (multiplied by the 17,000 students attending Kwantlen) would mean that the institution could raise millions of dollars in just a single year.

This could equate to new facilities, computers, equipment, smaller class sizes, and further support for students.

The quality of education students receive should be just as important as accessibility to it.

After all, would it matter to you if the diplomas your institution gave were worthless?

LETTERS STUDENTS SHOULDN’T PAY FOR PRAYER ROOM The university’s mandate does not demand that it supply space for any religion or religious group.

It does, however, have the responsibility to facilitate it. The primary difference between the two is who is footing the bill. If students want or need specific spaces to fulfill their religious duties, they should fundraise for it and arrange for the space themselves.

A secular school shouldn’t have to forgoe revenue to take care of students’ religious needs, but should not forbid them to do so themselves. If

MELISSA FRASER CULTURE EDITOR

They say raising tuition could put Kwantlen in a league with UBC and SFU. We could be famous for our technological and scientific advancements. We could be recruiting the best and the brightest nationally and internationally.

As a journalism student, I don’t care if I’m in a league with SFU and UBC. I don’t care if the best and the brightest are coming up with a cure for dry hands. I don’t care if Maclean’s magazine is coming by to take pictures of the Langley Campus to put in its post-secondary issue.

The ones who should be concerned with creating the idyllic post-secondary institution that comes up with cures for dry hands, is featured in Maclean’s and rivals the likes of McGill and Queens, should be the provincial

NAY government.

It’s the government’s job to recruit the best and the brightest to our province.

It’s in their best interest to build a province for the educated, a province where no one is left behind. This means strengthening B.C.’s post-secondary institutions to attract the best and brightest, as well as offer its citizens affordable education.

The efforts going into raising student tuition should be spent on lobbying for increased funding.

I care about small class-sizes, relevant instruction and affordability.

I don’t sit at home wishing I was in the first-year, 200-student English lecture offered at SFU. I don’t pine for the classes UBC offers and I’m okay with my $118 per credit tuition compared to UBC’s $147 or SFU’s $154 as proposed in the university’s latest budget.

Even if Kwantlen did raise the tuition, the students attending the school now wouldn’t feel the effects of the increase.

It would be an extra $1000 a year or so, based on SFU prices out of their pockets to pay for advancements for following students.

The Runner is studentowned-and-operated by Kwantlen Polytechnic University students, published under Poytechnic Ink Publishing Society Vol. 1, Issue no. 10 August 18, 2009 ISSN# 1916-8241 #205-12877 76 Ave. Surrey, B.C. V3W 1E6 www.runnerrag.ca

EDITORIAL DIVISION: Co-ordinating Editor Stephen Smysnuik editor@runnerrag.ca News Editor Kassandra Linklater news@runnerrag.ca Culture Editor Melissa Fraser culture@runnerrag.ca Media Editor Christopher Poon media@runnerrag.ca Production Editor Cat Yelizarov production@runnerrag.ca

Bureau Chiefs: Arts & Design (vacant) Creative Writing (vacant) Current Events (vacant) Entertainment (vacant) Environmental (vacant) Health & Science (vacant) Langley Campus (vacant) Sports (vacant) Student Affairs (vacant)

Contributors: Mel Friesen, Denny Hollick, Anastasia Kirk, Kyle Slavin, Adam Vincent, BUSINESS DIVISION: Operations Manager DJ Lam ops@runnerrag.ca Advertising Director Mat Huff ads@runnerrag.ca Office Director Victoria Almond office@runnerrag.ca Distribution (Vacant)

U-PASS ON THE BRIDGE space is not available on campus, there is nothing to stop students from renting space at the mall or in one of the residential buildings near by.

There are many ways to facilitate the needs of students, but the burden for it should not be borne by all of the other students.

-Joshua Gibbons Accounting, Fourth Year, giftware and clothing.

Pissed off about something we wrote? Something your professor did? Write us a letter! We promise, we’ll print it. letters@runnerrag.ca

U-Pass for the Golden Ears needed for students’ travel needs ADAM VINCENT CONTRIBUTOR

I have recently moved to Maple Ridge, just in time for the fees on the Golden Ears Bridge to be implemented. I now pay $3.90 per crossing, as the alternative drive around would take significantly longer and I would have to spend around $8 more in gas (if not more, depending upon traffic).

Usually, the Golden Ears Bridge is the transportation equivalent of a ghost town.

There is a disconnect between

Translink and commuters, especially student commuters Individuals, I believe, are not taking the bridge, and paying more in gas to cross at another of the Lower Mainland’s major bridges to save another monthly bill.

I am not against paying a toll to help pay for the creation of the bridge, but I feel that the fees for student commuters are too high.

My question is: why is there no U Pass (or something similar) for the Golden Ears Bridge?

I realize that this toll bridge is

new, but there is no reason why student savings could not have been in existence the day that the toll began.

With the formation of the bridge over the Fraser River, many more students will make their way over to Kwantlen’s Langley campus.

The problem that Kwantlen may find is that the numbers may not be as vast as they hope, as students cannot afford extra costs.

Culture

vol. 1 issue 10 | August 18 2009 | page seven

ILLEGAL EDUCATION

ANASTASIA KIRK CONTRIBUTOR

ate* is 21-years-old. She’s a second-year Vancouver Community College student, and she’s part of a growing trend.

Kate recently posted an ad on Craigslist searching for another female to team up with her as a “partner in crime,” as she put it.

She wrote that she was looking for another girl to participate in sexual acts with her and potentially a multitude of other men in hopes of making some quick and easy cash to help pay for some of life’s necessities. Her thinking was that two women would be safer and perhaps more profitable than one.

Despite the full swing of the recession, life waits for no one, and neither do life’s costs. Many people are finding it harder to get by in today’s world where unemployment and inflation dominate in solidarity. Kate is no exception. A self-sufficient student who attends full time classes while juggling a part-time job, she is but another

K

Illegal Tuition Students are forced to turn to illegal means in order to fund their education

victim of the vicious economic downturn. Like many others her age, she has had to look beyond the conventional means of earning an income to find an alternative, so-be-it illegal, way to earn a decent living.

“The economic position of the world has made it hard for me and my boyfriend to make enough money to pay for the basic necessities of life, and pursue future career goals,” said Kate who added, “I am a very smart, intelligent person. I received honours and top of the class [recognition] in many of my subjects, but times are tough, and this will allow me to make a lot of money without sacrificing a lot of precious time.”

Kate said this is the first time she has ever done something like this. She said she’s never before solicited her body for any reason and admits that even given the circum-

stances, it is a very difficult decision to make. While she has yet to act on her ambitions, she said there is a 70 per cent chance she will go through with the deed.

Kate is not alone. Currently there are dozens of girls posting similar ads on Craigslist and other free ad sites. After describing their smile, body type and breast size, most girls express that they are willing to perform a rainbow of sexual acts in return for cash to help pay rent, tuition and general living costs. Kate herself confessed that it is out of pure need that she has ultimately turned to prostitution.

A story published by the London Times says that prostitution among female students is up 50 per cent in the past six years. One in ten students in the UK are to know someone who has performed sexual favours in return for tuition payments. The group that did the research said the results were in accordance with what they expected given the growing financial difficulties students are facing.

Selling your body is not the only alternative. Illegal money comes fast and in abundance no matter what the source, and more and more youth are willing to risk a criminal record to get it in their pockets.

Blair* has been selling weed in the Vancouver area for three years.

Even before the economy began its decline, the 22-year-old found it difficult to live on his own and pay for basic needs on his paychecks alone. Blair, who works full-time at a model restoration company, said the money he makes off selling marijuana is enough to pay for all his basic living costs with money to spare for extras. He said his average $1500 a month paycheck helps, but is not enough to support him on his own.

“Rent alone is $840 a month,” said Blair. “And then I’ve got groceries, Muay Thai [boxing classes], gas, insurance…My transmission blew up twice last year and that cost me $5,000, but I need a car for work.”

Blair says he enjoys dealing drugs on the side but admits that he’s not proud of it.

“If you can do it, it’s too easy

Photo Illustration/Anastasia Kirk/The Runner Currently there are dozens of girls posting similar ads on Craigslist and other free ad sites.

and it’s good cash,” said Blair who pointed out the similarities between selling weed and other illegal quick-cash schemes. “My house was broken into last month and I was robbed for everything. I was pissed, but then in the end I’m no better than the people who did that shit. It’s bad man. But you do what you’ve got to do. That’s just life sometimes.”

Blair’s a seasoned veteran at doing what he feels he’s got to do he can get by. Ever since he held a previous job at a gas station, Blair has been in on a scam that allows gas station attendants to exchange full points cards with empty ones, stealing the full cards and returning the empty card to the patron who actually earned the points.

The points are then redeemed for gift cards and sold at a discount to friends, who in turn redeem these gift cards for cheap gas. The employees profit from every stolen gift card that is sold.

Blair also admits to having scammed credit cards at one point.

“When times were tough a little while ago, I learned how to scam money from credit cards. At first it helped pay the bills, but when I started pulling in more money I was actually able to save it. Actually, I got to Europe by scamming credit cards,” said Blair.

When asked if he had ever contemplated asking his family for money when he falls on hard

times, he said he would never consider asking anybody for a dime.

“It’s just not in my nature. What’s the point of living on your own then? I don’t want to go home.

That’s a step back for me.”

Similar incidents include a 22-year-old man who admitted to stealing cash out of the register at Tim Hortons because his minimum wage paychecks and progressively fewer shifts were not enough to keep him afloat in the sinking economy.

“Anyone who would give me exact change, I’d just open the till without punching in an order and remember how much extra I put in. At the end of the night sometimes I’d come out with an extra 40 or 50 bucks,” said the man. “It’s what you’ve got to do sometimes.”

Another 18-year-old girl used Craigslist to advertise her “need of financial help, big time.” Her post boasts her “5 ft 3, 106 lbs, very petite and sexy body, great ass, small but perky breasts, soft skin, full lips, great smile and awesome personality” to men all over the Lower Mainland who are willing to help her out with $500 rent money in exchange for all that.

After a couple of emails back and forth in which she wrote “have I got a story for you,” the barely legal teen stopped returning mail and backed out of an interview.

Any of the above may be good, quick cash, but all interviewees openly expressed a sense of shame in participating in criminal activity to earn enough of an income to live a normal life. In the end the economy is what it is and the choices these youth are making are still choices. There are many alternative yet law-abiding places to turn to in times of financial need, but perhaps none quite as lucrative as the business of crime. For many though, the legality and morality of the issue has taken a spot on the back burner right now. After all, a man must eat before he has enough energy to worry about personal ethics. *Names have been changed to protect the identities of those interviewed.

Photo Illustration/Anastasia Kirk/The Runner Students turn to prostitution and drug pedaling as a last resort to afford tution in the current economic times.

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Travel

vol. 1 issue 10 | August 18 2009 | page ten

LAS VEGAS ON A BUDGET

A Very Vegas Vacation CHRISTOPHER POON MEDIA EDITOR

Christopher Poon/ The Runner

The Excalibur is a Camelot-themed hotel & casino. The Excalibur is also home to a Tournament of Kings dinner show, which features knights that joust and duel in an arena while you feast on a chicken dinner.

t’s the city where spectacles are to bring you something to drink. commonplace and nothing is The drinks are free, but be sure extraordinary. In the middle of to throw a couple of bucks their the Nevada desert there lies an oa- way each time, just to keep them sis of sin, a city built on the worst coming back regularly. It’s quite kinds of vices - Las Vegas. brilliant actually, the casino gets Only in Las Vegas is it an every- you drunk in hopes of making day occurrence to see a Pyramid, you lose more money, and you get Roman Palace and the New York wasted on their dime - everybody skyline all within a city street. wins. And if you end up walking Only in Las Veaway with the casigas are the streets no’s money, it feels lined with ads for even better.

There’s nearly no hookers and stripI brought a pers rather than hefty sum of cash reason to head candy wrappers with me and fully there unless and newspapers. expected to return And only in Las with next to nothyou’re at least Vegas is alcohol ing in my pock21-years-old, cheaper and more ets. Of course, I accessible than hadn’t counted on which is the legal regular drinking how well I would water. perform at the age of requireThere’s neartables, and after ment for anyone ly no reason to a combined total head there unof about 12 hours wishing to drink, less you’re at spent at the tables gamble, and basileast 21-years-old, over four days, I which is the legal was thrilled to see cally have fun in age of requirethat I had yet to beVegas. ment for anyone gin spending any wishing to drink, of my own money. gamble, and basiAll of my meals, cally have fun in Vegas. Despite events, and shopthis, I was actually surprised by ping had been paid for by my cahow many teenagers I saw being sino winnings. Single-deck blackled around by their parents, look- jack is where it’s at, my friends, ing longingly at the street liquor you can easily tell which cards vendors and the glitz and glam- have been played and what’s left our of the casino floors. If you’re in the deck, and the dealer is far under 21, don’t come to Vegas more likely to bust than in the expecting a good time, instead, standard six-deck blackjack. Loprepare to be teased by your sur- cation probably has nothing to do roundings. with it, but I found that most of Also, the booze flows freely in my winnings were earned at CaeVegas. As long as you’re playing sar’s Palace, Paris Las Vegas, and somewhere on a casino floor, wait- the MGM Grand. resses will approach you and offer If gambling isn’t your thing,

I

there’s still plenty to do on the strip. Las Vegas is famous for its many shows and attractions, and my friends and I certainly were not disappointed. One of the more unique shows on the strip is held at the Excalibur. In keeping with its medieval theme, the Tournament of Kings show is a dinner show in an arena, where knights joust and duel while you watch

and feast on a chicken dinner.

The quality of the show’s stunts and effects was fantastic, and in keeping with the medieval theme, spectators are forced to eat their chicken dinners with their bare hands. Tickets run about $65 prior to the show, but you can sometimes find discounted tickets the day of for half price.

Christopher Poon/ The Runner

The newly-opened Palazzo offers five-star luxury for less than other Vegas hotels.

Travel

vol. 1 issue 10 | August 18 2009 | page eleven

LAS VEGAS ON A BUDGET

Christopher Poon/ The Runner

Island and found it to be quite you’re in need of something a litgood in terms of the variety of tle but different. I’d suggest headfood offered. The dessert bar was ing just north of the strip to Freamazing and even had a cotton- mont Street, home of that famous candy stand. A word of advice neon cowboy sign that so many though, don’t eat the sushi. associate with Vegas. The street When I asked for a certain type of is covered by a neon ceiling and sushi that was not on the counter, houses a variety of smaller hotelthe woman at the sushi station casinos, the most famous of which is probably the reached down beGolden Nugget. low the table and There’s still plenpulled up a ready ty of gambling to made piece. Where be done on the did it come from?

There are a lot covered street I’m still not sure. of lower budget (for tables with We only manlower minimums aged to get to one shows available this is the place to other buffet during in Vegas, be), but it’s still a out stay, but it was completely difsupposed to be the and despite ferent experience ‘king of the Vegas their smaller from the granbuffets’, and we deur of the strip. couldn’t resist. The production value, As for acbuffet at the Belthey can still commodations, lagio is supposed we stayed four to be one of the be equally as nights in Vegas at best in Vegas, and the Palazzo Hoif lines were any entertaining. tel, which I highindication, it cerly recommend tainly was. After an for anyone lookhour-long wait, we ing for luxury on finally managed to get in only half-an-hour before it a dime.

The Palazzo is one of the newclosed. I immediately headed for the main draw to the buffet – the est hotels on the strip, and because endless supply of Snow and Alas- they’re still trying to build up a kan King Crab. I must have eaten reputation, their current prices are at least $100 worth of crab, which very reasonable.

We ended up staying in a 750 was well worth the $30 cost of the buffet. There was also prime-rib, sq. ft room on the 26th floor with veal, swordfish, a slightly better two queen-sized beds, sunken livsushi bar than Treasure Island, ing room, three HD TVs (includmade to order pasta...and I could ing one in the bathroom), for ungo on. In short, check out the Bel- der $100 a night. To top it all off, lagio buffet, but make sure you the hotel was well-situated on the make it there before it closes at strip, and it was only about a 20 10:00pm. If you happen to find minute walk to get to the centre of yourself starving for a buffet the action.

All in all,Vegas is a city where after hours, Caesars Palace has a 24-hour buffet, but we never there’s always fun to be had and money doesn’t necessarily have to made it over there.

But let’s say that the Strip just play a large role in how you enjoy ain’t your thing. The mega-casi- Sin City. nos just don’t do it for you and

A trip to Las Vegas isnʼt complete without a stop at Caesars Palace, one of the most famous hotel & casinos in the city. Be sure to take a stroll around the Forum Shops and check out the art & decor.

While the Tournament of Kings was a spectacle in and of itself, don’t get the impression that Vegas is all about the big production shows. There are a lot of lower budget shows available in Vegas, and despite their smaller production value, they

can still be equally as entertaining. One of these shows worth checking out is called “Freaks” which is held at O’Shea’s casino.

As the title suggests, this is a freak show, complete with impaling, glass-eating, sword swallowing and hanging by impromptu pierc-

ings. The show is certainly not for the squeamish, and the person in front of me actually spent the majority of the show with his head buried in his hands.

Also, be sure to check out at least one Vegas buffet. On our first night, we hit the one at Treasure

Christopher Poon/ The Runner

Many casinos offer daily street-level shows, such as the Mirageʼs awe-inspiring volcano show.

Christopher Poon/ The Runner

The Bellagio fountain show features water jet s dancing to music.

Culture

vol. 1 issue 10 | August 18 2009 | page twelve

BOOKSTORE

AVOID BOOKSTORE: SAVE MONEY Textbooks are expensive but we have ways to get around that MELISSA FRASER CULTURE EDITOR

extbooks are an expensive necessity. They’re an expensive necessity because they aren’t sold the way most necessities are. Deodorant for example, is a necessity. A whole bunch of companies manufacture it, then they sell it to drugstores. But the companies want people to buy their deodorant, so they have to make it inexpensive and of quality. Therefore consumers have a choice of inexpensive, quality goods. When the store has too many deodorant sticks, the deodorant goes on sale. It’s a basic capitalist system.

Textbooks, on the other hand are sold differently. They’re printed by one publisher. The publisher sells the books to the school bookstore who buys only the needed amount based on how many students are enrolled in which classes. The publishers charge the bookstore a ton because they know the bookstore needs to buy them, the bookstore charges the students a ton because they know the students need the books.

When the bookstore buys used textbooks from students they give them a nominal amount, they raise the price again to resell the book, then they make another profit from the book.

Students buy the books from the bookstore because of the convenience, because they like new books and because they aren’t sure of where else to go. Because students are buying the books at the inflated price, publishers keep setting high textbook prices and bookstores keep selling them at this price. The only way to stop the cycle is to boycott the Kwantlen bookstore.

H o w e v e r, there are ways to buy inexpensive,

T

quality books wihtout supporting the tyrannical textbook cycle.

Abe Books

»

abebooks.com On this website, bookstores from all over the world can advertise what books they have for sale. Most of the cheap books advertised are past editions or used books in good condition. It’s not uncommon to find an earlier edition of a text book for $1 or a used copy of a current edition for about 50 per cent less than the list price.

Books can take up to two weeks to send and delivery charges range from about $3 to $10 depending on where they’re being sent from.

B.C. Bookworm

»

bcbookworm.com On this website, students can buy textbooks from other students in B.C. as well as sell their own. A student can search for a book, find a seller and asking price then sends an email to the seller to set up a time and place to meet and exchange money for the book. The problem with the site is that books may be hard to find—meaning I found zero of the five I need for next semester—but there seems to be a good number of books listed. The site was created by a Kwantlen Business student but it is intended for all B.C. students. Also, check out locazU. com, it works the same way.

Chapters

»

chapters.indigo.ca Chapters won’t get you the best deal, but chances are you’ll find most of the textbooks you need at a cheaper price than the Kwantlen bookstore. Send your instructor an email before the semester starts and find out if you need the most recent edition or if you could use an earlier one.

If you can use an earlier edition you’ll be able to find the text at a much cheaper price. Chapters is a Canadian company, too so you can feel good and nationalistic about stimulating the Canadian economy.

Book Sharing

»

If you went to kindergarten, you learned how to share.

If you didn’t go to kindergarten, I’m sure you learned how to share somewhere else. Make a friend in class, buy one textbook between the two or three or four of you and share. If you see them often enough you could each get a couple nights with the book. It might mean you’ll need extra detailed notes for reference, but that might be worth saving $40.

Public Library

»

If you can find your book in a local library you’re set for the semester. Every library in the Lower Mainland has its catalogue online, making it easy to find out which cities and which branches have the books you need. Also, it doesn’t matter which city you live in, either, every library will give you a card. Once you borrow the book you can reborrow it online as the due date comes up. If someone else has requested it, don’t return it until you’re done with it.

Overdue fees usually cap at about $12 per book.

Kwantlen Library

»

This one works a lot like the public library one but you have to act fast. There will be a number of other students in your class who need the same book and they too want it for free from the library.

Book Bargain

»

iPhone App If you have an iPhone or an iPod touch, you can download an app that will search the Internet for you and find the best deal.

Your best bet is to get the book’s ISBN so you get the edition you need, otherwise all you need is an author or a title. Once the app finds the best price, you go the bookstore’s website and order. Remember shipping times can be up to two weeks, so now’s the time to start looking into books.

Culture

vol. 1 issue 10 | August 18 2009 | page thirteen

TRAVEL

Hit the Road for Next to Nothing You don’t need to spend a lot of money on cheesy souvenirs to have a good time travelling. Find out how to earn money and stay for free abroad.

ANASTASIA KIRK CONTRIBUTOR

T

he airfare, the hotel, dining out, endless drinks, tours, souvenirs that leave you wondering “what was I thinking” Travel costs can add up pretty quickly. In fact, it’s a common misconception that travelling costs money, and if you don’t have it you can’t go anywhere. Untrue. There is always a way where there is a will. Just keep this guide with you and no matter where you are you’ll be able to stay for free, eat for cheap and earn an income while partying in cool locales all over the world.

»Volunteering Abroad Volunteering in another country may not pay the bills, but it keeps them at bay. Volunteers typically have their accommodation paid for and sometimes get free airfare out of the deal too. At most, even if you have to pay your own airfare, volunteering for a good cause is a great excuse to hold a fundraiser where you can earn hundreds of dollars towards your travel expenses. An added bonus is that volunteers are often needed for work in remote African villages and off-the-beaten trail towns in developing nations all over the world where it might, otherwise, be expensive to travel to and impossible to find work. Organizations as small as church groups, and as large as the UN have volunteer opportunities for students and youth all over the world. Not only will you save money on travel costs, you’ll get to experience your host community up-close and personal while gaining valuable life skills and meeting others interested in your area of volunteering.

Plus, it’s a great addition to your resume!

Check out: www.projects-abroad. ca to connect with an assortment of different volunteer opportunities overseas.Try websites for major organizations all over the world to see what type of overseas volunteer and internship programs are available. Also, ask your local religious or community centre if they’re organizing any trips as well.

»Working Abroad Working abroad is another good bet. This one actually pays the bills or at least gives you a living stipend. Teaching English in foreign countries is one of the most popular work abroad experiences.

The English language is in high demand and if you speak it, you could soon find yourself jet setting for free to an exotic locale. Typically, working abroad includes free airfare, accommodation, monthly salary and partial insurance coverage. Some hotspots right now include China, South Korea and Japan. There are English teaching jobs in countries all over the world

and a plethora of companies willing to foot the bill. A simple google search should bring up enough opportunities to make your head spin. But English teaching isn’t the only way to get paid on the road. If you have a special skill and a valid passport there are endless opportunities for work in far off places.

As long as you don’t mind sticking around in one place for a while, working abroad takes care of travel costs on many levels.

Check out: www.projects-abroad. ca or try scouring Craigslist under the “jobs-education” heading to find local companies willing to sponsor your trip in return for some ESL lessons abroad.

»Staying for Free While hostels have long been a great alternative option to paying big bucks at fancy hotels, couch surfing is quickly replacing hostels as an even cheaper way to get a good night’s rest while globetrotting. Couchsurfing is an online network of registered users willing to lend you their couch or an extra bed for free when you’re passing through town. It’s free to register, and once you do, just type in the city you will be staying in and all registered users in that area will pop up on screen. You can browse people’s profiles and send messages inquiring about free room and board.

Couchsurfing is a growing movement and while major cities sometimes boast thousands of users, it’s even possible to find a couch to crash in many small towns and tiny islands. An added benefit is that you get to meet some locals and may get a free tour of the city from your host.

While Couchsurfing is free, it’s etiquette to show up with a bottle of wine, take your host out for drinks or just make a pot of spaghetti to share while you’re there.

Check out: www.couchsurfing. com and register for free!

»Hostel Work Hostels can be fun to stay at, but they can be even more fun to work at. Working at a hostel can offer benefits ranging from free room and board, free drinks and meals and meager wages. Hostels are big business all over the world so you have a shot at getting hired anywhere from London to Sydney. Many travellers find hostel work when funds get low.

Most times you can work for a week to several months while saving up money to hit the road again. While a work visa is legally required to find work in

most countries, hostels and hostel bars are often willing to overlook petty legalities and offer underthe-table pay to travellers who can manage check-ins and paperwork while pouring mean pints for thirsty tourists. If you can change a bed sheet you’re gold. Next time you’re browsing a hostel directory, inquire about possible jobs before you decide on a destination. Hostel work is one of the best gigs going for broke backpackers who don’t mind mixing their own drinks while mingling with other guests from all over the world.

Check out: www.hostelworld.com to locate a hostel in your planned destination area. Contact information is available so either call them up to inquire about job vacancies

or just show up, which is usually how it’s done.

»Industry Work If you work for an airline, cruise ship company or travel agency, chances are you’ll be earning free trips alongside your salary. Flight attendants, cruise ship employees and travel agents all get travel perks. If you work on a plane you may find yourself visiting numerous countries in a single week.

Cruise ships allow their employees to disembark at ports-of-call which gives them as much time as any other paying passenger to wander around a lovely seaside town before returning to work on a luxury cruise line. But this isn’t the only way to travel by

sea: Freightliners and yachts often require deckhands to keep them afloat. Finding work on these bad boys is often the same as buying a roundtrip ticket across the globe.

Finally, tall ships recruit people every year to help man the lookout post. Experience on ships is not always required and both paid and volunteer positions are available.

Travel agents too can earn a decent living while constantly planning their next free or discount getaway. Flight Centre encourages its staff members to take advantage of travel rewards that could have you sitting pretty at an allinclusive resort or riding camels through the Sahara desert before you get your first raise. Plus, their annual gala is held in a different location each year and Sstaff members are all invited to attend.

Here are some suggested companies and websites to get you on board and fully immersed in the travel industry. Emirates Airlines: www.emiratesgroupcareers.com; International Yacht Crew Agency: www. crewseekers.net; Tall Ships Adventures: www.tallships.org; Flight Centre: www. flightcentre.ca

Culture

vol. 1 issue 10 | August 18 2009 | page fourteen

LOW BUDGET MOVIES

AT THE MOVIES

4

DEGREES OF SEPARATION:

Five low-budget movies that made millions

Samm Levine to Ben Affleck

STEPHEN SMYSNUIK COORDINATING EDITOR

THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT (1999)

KYLE SLAVIN CONTRIBUTOR

This movie is famous for both making popular the “mockumentary,” and for making a bajillion dollars (read: $250million) from a really good idea. The title was on the tip of the cultural tongue for years afterwards, and we even saw a big-budget sequel that came nowhere close to matching the original, either in terms of critical or financial success.

Inglourious Basterds – In theatres August 21 I’m keeping my spirits up on this one. There’s so much potential for Inglourious Basterds to be fantastic—Tarantino directing Brad Pitt—that it might get bogged down and ultimately fall short of high quality. But that’s just based on early Cannes reviews; I still think it looks pretty awesome. I commend Tarantino for making some ballsy casting choices, using B.J. Novak, Samm Levine and Eli Roth as Jewish-American soldiers, and Mike Myers as a British general. I didn’t care too much for the Kill Bill series or Grindhouse, so I’m putting my faith in Tarantino’s words when he says, “It’s the closest thing I’ve ever done to Pulp Fiction.” Maybe that’s asking a little too much.

BUDGET: $20,000 - $25, 000 ($500, 000 - $700, 000 AFTER ARTISAN ENTERTAINMENT) GROSS: $248,639,099 Samm Levine

MAD MAX (1979)

The Australian post-apocyliptic adventure that set Mel Gibson on his road to fame (for good or ill) was very lowbudget and looked as such. Nevertheless, it was a massive hit – thanks, no doubt, to the bad-ass car chases and, let’s face it, Mel Gibson’s leather outfit – and held the record in the Guinness Book of Records as the the highest profit-to-cost ratio of a motion picture until Blair Witch broke it in 2000. It was followed by two sequels that were also massively popular.

Pulse

Kristen Bell

There’s a scene in Forgetting Sarah Marshall when the characters taunt Sarah Marshall, played by Kristen Bell, for starring in a movie where the premise was: “What would happen if your mobile phone killed you?” It sounds pathetic, but before Marshall, Bell starred in Pulse, a movie where where the premise was: What would happen if your internet killed you? And it sucked. Bell (of Veronica Mars fame) starred with Ian Somerhalder (of Lost fame) and Samm Levine (of Freaks and Geeks fame) in unquestionably one of the worst horror movies ever–it’s not even laughably bad.

But it somehow garnered two direct-to-DVD sequels.

BUDGET: $200,000 GROSS: $99,750,000

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

NAPOLEON DYNAMITE (2004)

For the last year, more often than not, if I’ve had a song stuck in my head, it’s been Inside of You by Infant Sorrow, one of the songs performed by Russell Brand for Forgetting Sarah Marshall. It’s not all that catchy, but it’s good, and memorable. So kudos to Jason Segel for writing not just a hilariously memorable movie, but the accompanying music too. Segel is great in the lead, but the characters he wrote for Brand, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis and Jack McBrayer are just as memorable. Forgetting Sarah Marshall is one of the funniest movies to come out in the last few years.

There’s something undeniably charming about this movie, but it’s hard to put a finger on what it is, exactly, that appeals to so many people. Maybe its because everyone knows someone like Napoleon. maybe it was the fresh take on awkward humour. Or maybe it was Napoleon’s affinity for “tots.” Either way, the indie film struck gold in Hollywood and every one of us are the better for it. Qes-a-dila, anyone?

Extract – In theatres September 4

Ben Affleck

Mike Judge has to be the most inconsistent person working in showbiz. King of the Hill lasted 13 great seasons on TV, Office Space is an enjoyable, but overrated cult favourite, and Idiocracy was one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen, so I’m not too sure what to expect from Extract. It looks pretty damn funny, and it has a more seasoned cast of actors – Jason Bateman, Mila Kunis, Ben Affleck – than most of his other work. At least the premise gives me optimism – but then again, Idiocracy had potential to be a really good piece of social commentary, but ended up being a piece of crap. I pray for thee Mike Judge; let’s hope Extract is worthy of praise.

CELEBRITY GOSSIP

Jason Segel

BUDGET: $400,000 GROSS: $46,000,000

THE NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968)

The zombie movie of all zombie movies was hailed as a ground-breaking horror film and a social commentary criticizing the Vietnam War. It’s also the major influence of the Hollywoodzombie archetype we’ve seen in countless films since then and that has been the one major draw for three generations of movie fans to have sought out tapes and DVDs, making it arguably the most successful horror film to date.

BUDGET: $114,000 WORLDWIDE GROSS: $30,000,000

Gossip Break Jennifer Hudson Had a Baby!

Former American Idol loser Jennifer Hudson secretly gave birth to a healthy baby boy on Aug. 10. David Daniel Otunga Jr. is Hudson and Punk’s (Hudson’s fiance) first child together. The couple plan to marry later this year.

Hollywood Kids Are So Dumb Michael Douglas’ son is back in the spotlight, this time he’s being charged with drug peddling. Apparently Cameron Douglas used FedEx to distribute crystal meth to buyers all across the U.S. If found guilty, Cameron faces a minimum of 10 years in jail and a maximum sentence of life in the dog house.

CLERKS (1994)

Kevin Smith’s slacker comedy reinvigurated the independent film world, and essentially created a whole new genre of movies know as indie. It also launched Smith’s career, which went slowly downhill following 1999’s Dogma. Regardless, it’s a very funny film filled with the gnarliest dick and fart jokes, possibly ever, and affected an entire generation to regard movies as much more than simply big-budget Hollywood fluff.

BUDGET: $27,000 GROSS: $3,151,130

Procrastinate

vol. 1 issue 10 | August 18 2009 | page fifteen

SKETCHY - MELANIE FRIESEN

HOROSCOPE

VIRGO Aug. 23 - Sept. 22

SAGITTARIUS Nov. 22 - Dec. 21

PISCES Feb. 19 - Mar. 20

It’s time to start buying more grapes. Gather your documents before It’s best to spend at least half of this you go to bed. The best time to month’s wages on grapes. review documents is at night.

Have you been dreaming of naked sailors? Don’t be embarrassed. They dream of you as well.

LIBRA Sept. 23 - Oct. 22

If you don’t have an umbrella, you’ll need one.You’ll need a tire swing and jumper cables too.

LEO

July 23 - Aug. 22

This month is about building a house. Not a metaphorical house but a real house. Go to Home Depot.

SCORPIO Oct. 23 - Nov. 21

There is a chance someone you know might say something to you at some point this month.

CAPRICORN Dec. 22 - Jan.19

The soundtrack from Disney’s Aladdin is the best advice anyone would give you right now.

AQUARIUS Sept. 23 - Oct. 22

Stop trying to eat the moon.

It’s not made out of cheese. Try a nice brie or gouda instead.

ARIES Mar. 21 - Apr.19

GEMINI May 21 - June 20

Uranus. Uranus. Uranus.

Everybody’s talking about Uranus these days and you don’t know why.

You love cosmic bowling. It’s time to let world know. Go ahead, shout it from the mountain tops.

TAURUS Apr. 20 - May 20

CANCER June 21 - July 22

Dominant male figures are all the rage these days. Look for one at the grocery store.

As much as you want to buy furry wolf shorts, they are not appropriate back to school wear.

Zig Zags vs Kwantlen Zig Zags

Sudoku Hard # 51 Special to Canadian University Press

By Jennifer Zhou, CUP Graphics Bureau Chief

© Puzzles by Pappocom SOLUTION, TIPS AND COMPUTER PROGRAMS www.sudoku.com

INTERESTING FACT

The KSA advertises “$2 Zig-Zags” as if it’s something to flaunt, when actually, most corner stores (7-11, Mac’s) sell the precious rolling papers for half that price. Also: what’s the KSA promoting by selling *ahem* “cigarette papers” at school?

The fear of number 13 is called triskaidekaphobia and it was derived from treiskaideka, the Greek word for thirteen and phobia. There were thirteen people at Christ’s Last Supper before his captivity. It is recorded that Christ was crucified on Friday. Routine mission to the moon goes drastically wrong on Apollo 13. In Formula 1, there is no car with the number 13.

Source: http://www.interestingfacts.org/?page=category&id=3

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vol. 1 issue 10 | August 18 2009 | page sixteen