Vol. 2 Issue 17 by The Runner

The Runner THE SUSHI ISSUE

YAY & NAY SEXISM AND THE NATIONAL ANTHEM P 07

TACKLING PLASTIC BAGS P O4

BAND INTERVIEW: IF WE ARE MACHINES P 10

VOL. 2 ISSUE 17 | MARCH 16 2010 NEWS AND CULTURE FOR THE STUDENTS OF KWANTLEN POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY

page two | March 16 2010 | vol. 2 issue 17

NEWS & POLITICS

CANADIAN UNIVERSITY PRESS

The Runner | www.runnerrag.ca

AROUND KWANTLEN

Chatroulette: Full of wieners on a webcam New chat service matches up strangers via webcam [RENEE GIBLIN] [THE CONCORDIAN]

SASKATOON (CUP) — For about two months, talking to strangers has been all the rage. The reason for this is the meteoric rise of Chatroulette.com, the Internet’s latest chat site. It matches you up with random strangers around the world simply by visiting the website. Users can communicate via webcam and microphone or simply through text, although without a camera you’re likely to get “nexted.” Indeed, that is one of the defining features of Chatroulette: if you don’t like what you see, you simply click “Next” and get matched up with someone else. In an age of ever-increasing interconnectedness with sites like Facebook and Twitter, Chatroulette offers a splash of anonymity. It even resembles early Internet chat services in which strangers simply spoke to other strangers across the world, often looking for a sexual connection. A brief spin through Chatroulette will have its mix of

nudity — some of it mild, most of it downright scandalous. However, unlike traditional chat rooms, typing “asl” to ask for someone’s age, sex and location will get you suspended for 10 minutes. The service is relatively young and has only gained in popularity in the last several weeks. Started by Andrey Ternovskiy, a Russian teenager who wanted a new way to chat with his friends, the site soon gained a following and its user base exploded. Ternovskiy, 17, built and maintains the site by himself but he has already attracted the attentions of people in the tech industry with deep pockets. Ternovskiy told the New York Times that he never advertised his site, “but somehow, people started to talk to each other about the site. And the word started to spread. That’s how the simultaneous user count grew from 10 to 50, then from 50 to 100 and so on.” Chatroulette’s website shows there are “more than 20,000” users online at any given time, but the real figure could be much higher, possibly in the millions. If so, that means that Chatroulette offers users the chance to come face to face with over a

million strangers (or their genitals) all around the world. I tried my luck at Chatroulette and got a mixed bag. My first stranger was a young man in his 20s looking disinterestedly at the camera, a cigarette tucked behind his ear. After saying hello and not getting a response, I clicked next. A blank screen. I clicked next. Another blank screen. This time I waited and repeatedly asked if anyone was on the other side. Suddenly the blank screen changed and revealed a man’s erect penis. I clicked next. On my next try, a friendly wave hello merited me an immediate disconnection. As did the next five tries. At this point, I almost wished for the erection to come back on screen. At least it didn’t skip me so cruelly. One last try, and I got matched up with a 19-year-old blonde woman with hoop earrings taking long drags from her cigarette between one-word responses. She was from Turkey. I asked her why she used Chatroulette, but she just stared back at me in boredom before disconnecting. It seems no one really knows why they go on Chatroulette. They just do.

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT KWANTLEN

MAR

2010

Annual Anthropology Conference WHERE: Surrey - Cedar Building Conference Centre WHEN:9:00AM TO 4:30PM WHAT: Kwantlen hosts the 7th Annual Anthropology Conference on Culture, Community, and Well-Being. This year the conference will explore ‘Death Becomes Us: The Ethics and Politics of Human Remains.’

MAR

2010

Mentoring Boys for Success in Schools WHERE: Surrey - Cedar Building Conference Centre WHEN: 4:30pm

ID & EGO: OUT OF ORDER

WHAT: The English Department at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Surrey and Barry MacDonald are hosting a free Boy Smarts community event. This event will be of interest to parents, educators, and those who work with boys.

MAR LAUREN ALSTON // THE GATEWAY

PRAYER ROOMS

2010

Music at Midweek WHERE: Langley Campus Auditorium WHEN: 12:15pm WHAT: A free concert during your lunch break. Could it get any better? Listen to Kwantlen’s Percussion Ensemble, directed by Bob Caldwell

Concordia to stop paying for Muslim prayer space $15,600 annual bill for 800 Muslim students too high for university [JUSTINE GIOVANNETTI] [THE LINK]

MONTREAL (CUP) — After more than two decades of paying for Muslim prayer space near its downtown campus, Concordia University says that it can no longer foot the bill. Along with providing a smaller prayer space in one of its own buildings, Concordia has been paying $15,600 a year to rent a room at the nearby Masonic Hall for Friday congregational prayer. Nearly 800 students attend the prayer weekly. “The university has done its best to provide them with space for a number of years, going back to the ‘80s, but the sheer number of people has kept growing,” said Concordia spokesperson Chris Mota. “We’ve gotten to the point where, financially, we can’t do this any longer.” Concordia’s Muslim Student Association said if the funding is cut, they will consider filing a

public grievance. “If they do stop providing that space we might file with the (provincial) human rights commission or the Quebec court as they are legally bound by their contract,” said Abdullah Husen, the association’s president. Husen said that a decadeold contract with the university stipulated that space would be provided for all Muslim students to pray on Fridays. In September 2009, the Muslim Student Association was given a one-year notice that the university would stop paying for the space. “It is definitely within the financial capacity of the university to provide this,” Husen said he believes. “It makes no sense that the university would stop accommodating Muslims and push that responsibility on the MSA.” The university said the allotted prayer space was only a temporary measure.

“We would like to accommodate them on campus but we just don’t have the space,” said Mota. “The university decided for a short period of time that we would rent space downtown, with the understanding that this was a transitory solution until they organized themselves on a permanent basis.” Husen said that the MSA did not have the financial or human resources to maintain a larger prayer space for the university’s Muslim population, nor have they begun to look at other options. No other religious group on campus has asked for similar space. The prayer can hold only 100 practitioners at a time, leading to cramped conditions “During Ramadan we pray there every night,” said Aoub Muntasar, vice-president external of the Concordia Student Union. “When the room is full, it is beyond sweaty, it is nasty.”

MAR

24 2010

The Composer’s Concert WHERE: Langley Campus Auditorium WHEN: 7:30pm WHAT: Come out and listen to an evening of original compositions by the talented students of Kwantlen’s music department

MAR

29 2010

TownShift Public Forum WHERE: Surrey - Cedar Building Conference Centre WHEN: 7:00pm WHAT: Where do we go from here? Panel discussion and public dialogue on using and applying the TownShift competition ideas the revision of Surrey suburban to urban.

CAMPUS NEWS

www.runnerrag.ca | The Runner

vol. 2 issue 17 | March 16 2010 | page three

STUDENT POLITICS

QUEBEC

KSA tries to sweeten deal with Premier KSA travels to Victoria to deliver a chocolate reminder of the promised Kwantlen U-Pass

COURTESY OF THE KSA Derek Robertson, outgoing Director of External Affairs, shows off the sweet treat that was delivered to the Premier, the CEO of Translink and the Transportation Minister.

[KASSANDRA LINKLATER] [NEWS EDITOR]

On Mar. 4, Kwantlen students Derek Robertson and Ben New-

man travelled to Victoria to remind Premier Gordon Campbell of his 2009 campaign promise. They wanted to connect with the Premier in a way that they

knew they could reach him: his sweet tooth. Both Robertson and Newman, representatives of Kwantlen’s student association, delivered the oversized U-Pass made of chocolate right to the legislature to show that Kwantlen students will not let this issue die. Campbell campaigned on the success of the U-Pass at universities such as SFU and ensured students in the Metro Vancouver area that they would see the same access to public transportation by the fall of 2009. Robertson, the outgoing Director of External Affairs stated that, “we wanted to do something creative to highlight this ‘outside-the-box’ option to affordably implement its 2009 campaign promise to deliver a U-Pass program for all BC students.” The premier wasn’t the only target of the KSA during their trip to Victoria. B.C. Transportation Minister Shirley Bond also received an oversized chocolate U-Pass. Bond responded with a personal thank you note, in which she thanked the KSA for their “unique reminder,” and noted that her “staff continues to do the work necessary to ensure that a U-Pass program for all students is put in place.” Robertson also said that, “we are hoping this gift reminds the Premier and his transportation leaders that we need them to sweeten the deal for students that are struggling to get around in this tough economy.”

The chocolate campaign didn’t just end in Victoria. Reena Bali as well as Newson also presented the U-Pass to Translink CEO Ian Jarvis. Jarvis was not available for a meeting but the campaign did receive the attention of both CTV and the Georgia Straight. Newman, Kwantlen’s U-Pass Program Coordinator, told the Runner that the U-Pass will go to a referendum in the fall of 2010. Newman noted that this can’t be confirmed, but would, like to see a U-Pass in students hands by 2011. The KSA is lobbying for the student transportation expansion program (STEP) to come to Kwantlen, which would guarantee that the provincial government subsidize each student $10 per month. This rivals the “One Pass” proposal that several student unions, including Douglas College, Emily Carr University, and UBC are lobbying for. The “One Pass” would see that students would only pay a flat rate of $25 for a semester pass across Metro Vancouver. Despite promises of education, the recent provincial budget did not mention the U-Pass or commit any funds to student transportation programs.

Do you have a story that you want to get out there? We want to hear it! Email news@ runnerrag.ca for more info!

GET A JOB

Want to make an impact on Career Day? Check out the Runner’s top five do’s and don’t for impressing a future employer and landing that illusive first time gig. [MELISSA FRASER] [CULTURE EDITOR]

Career Day is coming up this Mar. 25 and the best way to get a job is to be prepared. The fair is free for all Kwantlen students/alumni and will be held in the Gymnasium on the Surrey campus. Students will have the chance to meet with over 40 employers at the fair. Plus everyone who comes is entered into a draw to win an HP mini laptop and every 100th student through the doors will win a door prize. If you’re planning to attend, here’s a short list of do’s and dont’s compiled with the help of Kwantlen’s career services coordinator, Shazeeda Mohamed.

S DO’

Dress professionally. Let’s not pretend prospective employers are any better than the rest of us. They’re going to judge you based on how you look, mostly because they won’t have much time to get to know you. Mohamed says that every year employers complain about the way students are dressed.

Bring your resume. Make sure you have an up-to-date resume tailored to the job you want. Highlight the attributes and experience that is relative to the employers that will be at the fair. If you need to make different versions of your resume for different employers, keep them organized.

Exchange business cards. You can have business cards made through Kwantlen’s career website. It’s $7.50 for 40 cards and the turn around time is about a week. Make sure to grab the employer’s business card after you give them yours; it shows interest and it will make following up easier.

Do your research. Know who’s going to be at the fair. Be familiar with a company’s mission statement and what type of jobs are available. It’s important to ask questions but you don’t want to come across as completely ignorant.

Loving Quebec, Hating Separtists This is Matt, the Runner’s political columnist. He is pissed that one/third of Quebec thinks that their athletes should complete for Quebec not Canada. [MATT LAW] [HEALTH BUREAU CHIEF ]

I honestly do not understand what one-third of Quebec’s problem is. I really struggle to see why they have to be such whiny little bitches. Before I go any further I want you to know I have nothing against Quebec or the French-speaking population. In fact I am quite proud that Canada is bilingual. But could somebody please explain to me what their issue is with being Canadian? My frustration stems from a recent story I read in the Montreal Gazette stating that onethird of Quebecers want their athletes to compete for Quebec rather than Canada. Now clearly this sentiment is not shared by the majority of Quebecers, which is great because I really have nothing against the province. But this snooty portion of the population really needs to pull their heads out of their asses. You know what I say, separate from Canada you elitist SOBs. I don’t mean all of Quebec just those of you who hate Canada. I’m sure all that money that is given to you could be quite happily used for Canadian athletes and programs that benefit Canadians. I promise you we won’t miss your self-centered whining and bitching. Can’t you for once leave your separatist bull shit behind and be proud of our athletes’ achievements? If you want to leave, leave but don’t diminish these peoples achievement by making it a separatist movement. It’s not a political statement, it is petty people grabbing at any argument they can. Get over yourselves, you’re not that great.

Be polite. Make eye contact, turn off your cell phone, give a firm handshake. Follow the general politeness rules so you aren’t remembered as “that jerk.”

’S ONT

• Interrupt other job seekers. • Ask about salary. • Wear hoodies, hats or jeans. • Chew gum. • Wear overbearing scents • Flirt with employers.

Want to see how The Runner is put together? Come by on Fridays between 12:00pm and 4:00pm and get in on the action. 205 - 12877 76 Ave. Surrey, B.C. www.runnerrag.ca

page four | March 16 2010 | vol. 2 issue 17

NEWS & POLITICS

The Runner | www.runnerrag.ca

CHECK THIS OUT!

Raising the issue of plastic: Rise Above Plastic (bags) campaign [ABBY WISEMAN] [ENVIRONMENTAL BUREAU CHIEF]

Maya Stano is on a mission to get Vancouverites to kick their plastic habits by pursuing a city-wide bag ban. Stano, 31, is heading up the Rise Above Plastics campaign, which is a campaign to reduce the use of single-use plastics. For Stano the campaign has struck a personal chord, and to her the ban is about more than reducing waste, it’s about patriotism. “I love our country so much and we have so much wilderness remaining, but at the same time, I see that wilderness being attacked on so many levels,” said Stano. She has a degree in environmental engineering and previously worked for an environmental consulting firm that contracted out to oil and mining companies. Stano had been involved mainly with the engineering side of things, but found after having the chance to work within communities, she wanted to be involved in the protection of the environment, not the exploitation of it. Stano realized she had a passion for legal issues after writing the law exam required to become a professional engineer. She decided to walk away from engineering and become a law student at UBC. Stano wanted to get involved with a cause that

needed someone with a legal background, and found the ocean conservation group, Surfrider Foundation. She quickly became the vicechair of the Vancouver chapter, and right away headed up Surfrider’s Rise Above Plastics (RAP) campaign. “In three years I’ve never seen someone connect with it that much and take something and just make it their own,” said Haley Haggerstone, chair of the Surfrider Foundation Vancouver chapter. “It’s what we needed.” Haggerstone was pleased to have someone who was so driven and shared the same views on board. She’s amazed at how Stano juggles law school, Surfrider, marriage and work, and still manages to snowboard. Stano has found a way to incorporate her activism and her school work by using her experience with RAP for school reports. Stano has been preparing a report advocating the banning of plastic bags in Vancouver, as well as producing a publication for local businesses encouraging them to cut down on their plastic bag use. “Maya has great thirst for knowledge understanding of various groups,” said Toby Reid of Sole Gear Bioplastics. “She’s a really good leader and good team builder and I’ve got a lot of respect for her as a person

and as an activist.” Reid owns a company that makes biodegradable plastics and has been working with Stano on the campaign. He’s impressed with Stano’s zeal for the cause and ability to get people involved, but he also knows that in the end the success of the campaign relies on politics. “I feel good with the way things are so far, but I’ll feel better when things are actually signed and agreements made and plans put in place,” said Reid. Vancouver councillor Andrea Reimer appreciates the work that Stano has been doing, but knows that banning plastic bags isn’t enough. “It’s very easy to ban plastic bags, it’s almost impossible to enforce that ban,” said Reimer. “It’s whether you want to take the hollow or empty action, or whether you want to work on the policies that would enable us to enforce it.” The problem is that Vancouver city council does not have the power to make bylaw violators pay their tickets. The city could ban plastic bags, but in order to get non cooperating violators to pay the fines they would have to go to court, which Reimer said could cost tax payers an upwards of $90,000 each case. Reimer was initially excited about the plastic bag ban, but has since shifted her focus to

SUSHI TIME

Sushi comes to the Grassroots Lounge [CHRISTOPHER POON] [MEDIA EDITOR]

The Kwantlen Student Association will begin to offer sushi in its Grassroots Cafe as part of a new initiative to provide students with a more varied flavour and some fresh alternatives. Two weeks ago, the Grassroots Cafe offered a oneday sushi special, in order to gauge student interest. Nathan Griffiths, marketing and communications coordinator said that they had seven different varieties of sushi available, including brown rice

varieties of california and veggie rolls, all of which were sold for $5 per roll. Each roll consists of nine pieces. “We’re testing sting out some new productt lines for the Grassroots.” ots.” said Griffiths, “[The The sushi] sold well enough ough for us to carry again, gain, but we’ll probably bly offer around four different types [ratherr than seven].” Griffiths noted that the sushi would ould most likely end up as a once-a-week lunch special. The sushi is not made in-house, but is brought in.

www.runnerrag.ca www.twitter.com/runnerrag www.twitter.com/groatinthesack www.facebook.com/runnerpaper

COURTESY OF TOBY REID Maya with the plastic bag monster at the Opening Screening of “Addicted to Plastic.”

creating a municipal ticketing system which would allow the city to enforce fine payments. Stano is prepared for this and knows that if the city fails she’ll have to go to the province.

IN BRIEF

For more infomation about the Rise above Plastic Campaign check out: riseaboveplastics.org

[NATSUMI OYE] [CURRENT EVENTS BUREAU CHIEF]

Sex to be put up for auction

New Jury needed for Reyat’s Trial

The domain name sex.com is to be auctioned off in New York because the owner defaulted on his payments, according to cbc.ca. The name was purchased for $14 million US in 2006, according to the report. That was a record amount, and with the bidding starting at $1 million, it isn’t expected to sell for nearly as much. Sex.com is currently owned by Escom, based in Boston, and will be auctioned off on March 18th, reported cbc.ca.

Inderjit Singh Reyat’s perjury trial has been stalled again, reported The Globe and Mail. A new jury has to be drawn after one juror reported that another made a comment that suggested a racial bias, according to the report. The entire jury is being thrown out because Justice Mark McEwan decided that they couldn’t confirm whether or not the remark was made, or if it “would affect the work of the jury.”

Women faces charges over trimming while driving

70-year-old charged with the murder of Police Ofﬁcer

Several charges have stemmed from a car accident caused by a Florida woman getting ready to see her boyfriend while she drove. The woman, who was convicted of other driving charges only the day before, hit the back of a pickup because she was “giving herself a bikini trim,” according to torontosun.com. Her ex-husband had taken control of the wheel while she was shaving, a task she wanted to complete before she met up with her boyfriend, the article said.

Fred Preston has been charged in the shooting that led to the death of Ontario Police Department’s Const. Vu Pham, reported ctv.ca. Preston is 70-years-old and is accused of attempting to murder another officer, on top of the charge of the first-degree murder of Pham, neither of which has been proven in court, according to the report. Police say Preston is in critical condition, according to ctv.ca.

SPORTS

www.runnerrag.ca | The Runner

vol. 2 issue 17 | March 16 2010 | page ﬁve

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Kwantlen Eagles fall in ﬁrst round of playoffs [MICHELA FIORIDO] [SPORTS BUREAU CHIEF]

The Kwantlen women’s basketball team soared to earn a playoff spot in the BCCAA provincials but ended up crashing in their first game - a 74-46 loss against the host team, the Vancouver Island University (VIU) Mariners. Taminder Dhaliwal, the Eagles’ captain and the team’s most consistent player scored 18 points, including an impressive 12 from the threepoint line, but it wasn’t enough to keep them in the game. The Eagles as a team only

shot 26.3 percent from the field while the Mariners shot a markedly better 46.4percent. The Eagles season ended with the loss which was undoubtedly disappointing, not only because they were eliminated from the playoffs, but also because the BCCAA all-star awards were given out with none of the women bringing home anything to show for their hard work this season. The Eagles are now a fairly experienced team in the BCCAA and are poised for their new coach (who has not been named yet) to lead them deeper into the playoffs next year.

DENNY HOLLICK/ THE RUNNER Despite the team’s hard work and effort, the Kwantlen Eagles were eliminated from the provincial playoffs.

WOMEN’S HEALTH

EXERCISE

women on WEIGHTS

Myth #5 Doing hundreds of sit-ups and push-ups is effective [MICHELA FIORIDO] [SPORTS BUREAU CHIEF]

It’s not. At all. I know countless girls (and guys) who complain that they do hundreds of reps of body weight exercises on a daily basis such as sit-ups and see no results at all. Well, no kidding! This may not be obvious, so let me pose this question: would you do 100 reps of bicep curls without any weight or resistance? Why not? Because it’s useless, because it’s too easy, because it won’t get you those coveted ripped arms you’ve always wanted. So why would you do 100 situps or push-ups? Clearly, you have no difficulties with them and you probably don’t “feel the burn” until your last few reps. When you get to a point where the number of reps is past 15-20, the exercise becomes less strength training and more endurance training. Sure it’s

awesome that you’re fit enough to do a hundred sit-ups – too bad your abs will never show. So what do you do? These exercises should be approached just like any other strength exercise you would do in the gym. When things get too easy, make them harder. Here are some ways how: Add resistance: For sit-ups, grab a weighted plate (start with 10-20lbs) and do your reps with it across your chest – good luck doing 100 of those!

Engage your core: For pushups, grab one of those giant yoga balls and get into push-up position with your feet up on top of the ball. Have fun.

Try different variations: For push-ups, there are many different kinds that can challenge muscles you never even knew you had. Among them are military push-ups (elbows in tight), wide grip push-ups, close grip push-ups, spiderman push-ups, etc. The same goes for different sit-up variations such as inverse sit-ups, bicycle sit-ups, climbing sit-ups, balance ball sit-ups , hanging sit-ups etc.

Weight Training Basic: Top 3 Tips [MATT LAW] [HEALTH BUREAU CHIEF]

No matter what your goals are or what your fitness level is, there are a few basic rules to follow when hitting the gym. 1] Learn how to lift properly: - Learn how to grip the weights in a safe manner. - Remember to breathe out on the contraction and in on the relaxation. - Maintain proper posture when lifting. 2] Start out slow. - Starting too quick can cause injury and unwanted soreness. - Lift light when you first start

Before starting any fitness routine, consult a qualified fitness professional.

Have a question about ﬁtness. e-mail: news@runnerrag.ca

FREE FOOD FREE DRINKS FREE MEETING Every Friday at 2:00 pm Runner Office: #205 - 12877 76 Ave. Surrey, B.C. Discuss the upcoming issue & other important decisions

your weight routine. You’ll often hear terms like periodization or step-loading, these refer to progressively increasing the intensity of a workout to allow your body to adapt. All high performance athletes treat these theories like gold. 3] Know what you are trying to achieve. - Are you trying to build sportspecific strength, get big, or just get fit? You train differently for each, here is a breakdown. - It will take a little trial-anderror to determine weight loads but aim to have a weight you can lift 1-2 more reps than in the list below. You don’t want it so heavy you can’t complete the set, and you don’t want it so light that you aren’t getting a workout.

For fitness and endurance: You’ll want to complete 2-4 sets of 12-20 reps 3-4 times a week. For getting bigger: 2-4 sets of 8-12 reps 3 times a week. Rest 1 minute between sets. For maximum strength: 2-4 sets of 4-8 reps 3 times a week. Rest 1-3 minutes between sets. Have fun and try to be in and out of the gym in around 40 minutes, short workouts keep you from getting bored and many studies have shown hormone levels decrees around a 40 minute mark making anything more a little less effective.

PUMP IT!

From princess to pumped: Eating Health(ier) Meet Hayley. Hayley is the Miss B.C. Ambassador. Hayley is also on mission to win a bet against a fellow classmate. The stakes: eternal glory and her pride. Follow Hayley as she ditches the crown to master the chin-up. [HAYLEY WOODIN] [CONTRIBUTOR]

I am going to come clean and start by saying that I have not quite met last week’s goal of losing some weight in order to give my poor little arms a break. In fact, I’ve come nowhere close. But that doesn’t mean my cardio efforts haven’t been paying off: I’m getting toned, and I feel great. Eating healthy has also become more of a priority since my bold declarative statement that I was going to lose over a-pound-a-day within a week. Let me say, fruits and

veggies are your friends. And once you quit eating junk and loading up on carbs for a couple of days, you miraculously stop craving them and begin craving nature’s goodies. After falling into a more scheduled workout routine, you also begin to crave the exercise. No word of a lie, there have been days when I can’t wait to get home in order to pick up my weights and begin pumping up my guns. That’s right, my guns. I have moved up and I am now doing my routine curl & press with 10 pound weights, and the results are showing. I still have my eyes on the prize and the end goal of

being able to perform a couple of pull-ups and show up my competitor. However, regardless of the event’s outcome, and even though this may sound like a sappy consolation in the event that I don’t win, I have made strides towards a healthier lifestyle, and that in itself is a win for someone who hadn’t exercised prior to the competition. I am still going to give him a run for his money, though. Have you bought your tickets yet? The gun show goes down in less than two weeks. Next step, working on the actual chin-ups.

page six | March 16 2010 | vol. 2 issue 17

FEATURE

The Runner | www.runnerrag.ca

RAW TREND

SUSHI IN THE CITY [CHRISTOPHER POON] [MEDIA EDITOR]

This

week, we’ve decided to dedicate an entire page to our favourite food, sushi. Not only does sushi come in a variety of types and flavours (anything from elaborate dragon rolls to plain ol’ cucumber rolls), but most rolls are surprisingly good for you. Here on the West Coast, sushi has seen a huge increase in popularity over the past decade, as evidenced by the 200-plus sushi restaurants in Vancouver alone. The city has gained an international reputation for its sushi scene, which translates into good times for all of you sushi lovers. For those of you who are still apprehensive about taking the plunge, don’t fear, not all sushi types contain some sort of

CHOTDA//FLICKR Fusion sushi mixes local flavours and traditional Japanese flavours.

MAE VELASCO// THE RUNNER With over 200 sushi restaurants in Vancouver, the city has made a big name for itself.

SUSHI REVIEW

A tasty review: The Eatery [KRISTI JUT] [ENTERTAINMENT BUREAU CHIEF]

both a sushi connoisseur and a pop-culture enthusiast, I give myself the authority to say that Vancouver’s “The Eatery” is a perfect marriage of the two. Buried in Kitsilano, this funky fusion restaurant is a gem for university students who are all-too-eager to spend their student-loans and gain their frosh 15 chomping down on dishes like the “Fat Elvis” (a plate of deep-fried avocado) and inhaling empty calories drinking Ninja Turtles or Saketinis. The walls are adorned with Andy Warhol style paintings of Jackie O’Nassis and Marilyn Monroe while papier maché

octopi and sculptures made entirely with ‘80s toy figurines hang from the ceiling. Its atmosphere is capped off with sweet tunes (again aimed at university students) and tables candlelit with Dad’s root beer bottles. Their impressive array of rolls includes the KFC roll (chicken cutlet and avocado for those averse to raw fish), the Captain Crunch roll (deep-fried California roll) and my personal favourite, the Bob Marley roll (mango and avocado topped with raw tuna and a cucumber wasabi paste). They make way for the somewhat adventurous with veggie croquettes and the raw-on-the-inside-deep-friedon-the-outside tuna drops, and also for the conventional Japanese foodies with donburi bowls and teriyaki dishes.

If, for some odd reason, all of that is not enticing enough, they do serve deep-fried MARS bars or bananas sautéed in rum for dessert. If you’re an over zealous college kid with a penchant for spending money, don’t deny yourself the experience of The Eatery. Go for the fabulous fusion food, stay for the popart. Or vice-versa. The Eatery is located at 3431 West Broadway and is open from 4:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. weekdays, and 12:30 p.m. until midnight on weekends.

The Eatery: 3431 W Broadway, Vancouver (604) 738-5299 theeatery.ca

raw seafood. Fusion rolls have proven hugely successful here in Vancouver. Things like California roll (cooked crab meat, avocado, mayo, cucumbers), and dynamite roll (basically a california roll with prawn tempura in it) are some of the most in-demand rolls at any sushi joint. They are also good for building up your confidence before taking the plunge and going for the raw stuff. Once you’re ready to try the raw stuff, tuna and salmon are the staples, while things like squid and urchin are a more acquired taste. The raw stuff is generally quite low in fat (as opposed to the california and dynamite rolls mentioned above), and high in protein, vitamins and carbohydrates. So go on, don’t be afraid. Get out there and try some sushi if you haven’t already done so.

EDITORIAL

www.runnerrag.ca | The Runner

THE RUNNER The Runner is student owned and operated by Kwantlen Polytechnic University students, published under Polytechnic Ink Publishing Society.

OPINION: NATIONAL ANTHEM

O Canada! Are we being sexist nationalists? Should Canadians change their national anthem to ensure equality?

Vol. 2, Issue no. 17 March 16, 2009 ISSN# 1916-8241 #205-12877 76 Ave. Surrey, B.C. V3W 1E6 www.runnerrag.ca

EDITORIAL DIVISION: Co-ordinating Editor // Denny Hollick editor@runnerrag.ca

vol. 2 issue 17 | March 16 2010 | page seven

[MELISSA FRASER] [CULTURE EDITOR]

Culture Editor // Melissa Fraser culture@runnerrag.ca

YAY

NAY

“We live in a gendered society; our anthem should reﬂect that we recognize both genders”

“In all our sons command...” Okay, I get it. Sons. It doesn’t represent women. So what?”

KRISTI JUT [ENTERTAINMENT BUREAU CHIEF}

News Editor // Kassandra Linklater news@runnerrag.ca Production Editor // Cat Yelizarov production@runnerrag.ca Media Editor // Christopher Poon media@runnerrag.ca

BUREAU CHIEFS: Arts & Design // Mae Velasco Creative Writing // Jared Vaillancourt Current Events // Natsumi Oye Entertainment // Kristi Jut Environmental // Abby Wiseman Health // Matt Law Politics // Jeff Groat Politics // Cole Grifﬁn Sports // Michela Fiorido Dominic Sramaty Student Affairs // Chris Yee Travel // (Vacant)

CONTRIBUTORS: Todd Easterbrook, Max Hirtz, Matthew VanDeventer, Hayley Woodin, Hailey Lawrence Cover Art // Cat Yelizarov

BUSINESS DIVISION:

Let’s get this out of the way first: the Conservatives mentioned changing the national anthem during the throne speech hoping that it would over shadow all the other shit they were pulling. The Conservatives know how to use the media, that’s fine. Since it was figured out that they were playing us and had no real intention of following up on the idea it seems like whole conversation around taking the sexism out of the national anthem has subsided. But, it makes no sense that conversation has subsided, especially since the arguments against changing the anthem have failed to hold any real clout in the conversation. For instance the “it’s old language and no one takes it literally anymore” argument. Our economy, education, health care, communication and pretty much everything else that makes up our society is evolving. If our country is evolving, why then isn’t our anthem? Old language is fine if you’re old, but we’re not old. We’re a young nation that prides itself on social acceptance. We practice multiculturalism as a policy and we were the fourth country in the world to legalize gay marriage. It should not be difficult for us to leave archaic sexist language out of our national anthem. Then there’s the “language is evolving and sons means both men and women” argument.

I don’t understand why we need to force women to fit into a masculine word when what we should do is adopt common language to include women. We live in a gendered society; our anthem should reflect that we recognize both genders. Countries are not built without women, wars are not fought and won by just men and individuals do not live in societies without one another. Sexism, like racism and homophobia, is alive and real. An easy real-life example of sexism can be seen in the workforce. In 2009, the Toronto Star reported “Women still make up about 70 per cent of part-time workers and 60 per cent of minimum wagee earners... And the average full-time, ime, fullyear female worker ker still earnss just 71.4 cents for every dollarr earned by a man working king similar hours.” Until our nation addresses sexism, inequality can flourish. If the lyrics were in “all thy whites commands” we would be pretty quick to change it (as we should). Overt racism is not tolerated in our country, but for some reason women and men alike are willing to live by sexist ideals.

Changing the national anthem in light of its “sexism” is absolutely ridiculous for a number of issues, but let’s just explore a few. First, the issue came at no better time than to nearly overshadow the federal budget we were promised months upon months ago... OH HEY, O CANADA IS SEXIST, GUYS! IT’S SEXIST! Yeaaaaaahh, let’s just sweep that one under the rug. Secondly, the world is constantly telling North America that we have “no culture.” Now, some people’s perspective on that is North America is so young in comparison to compariso Europe and other Eu uro rope an parts of th the world. part rtss o We’re developing W We ’ree dev holidays holi ho liday and adopting others adoptin while the wh rest of the world has iits it tss deeprrooted roo ro ooted traditions distinct styles and di dist stin i of art and sspiritual practices. pra pr actices. So, we’re going to reformat one of the very few that we have? cultural traditions tha stick with Come on, let’s just stic something for at least 200 years and see how it goes, hm? Maybe we’ll start being recognized as having a culture, after all.

And finally, the actual sexism of O Canada’s lyrics. “In all thy sons command…” Okay, I get it. Sons. It doesn’t represent women. So what? There are entire languages based on patriarchy and no one’s in a hurry to genderneutralize them. Why? It would be way too effing hard to adapt. It would be hard to adapt the new lyrics of O Canada as well. Doable, but it’s so engrained in our minds as Canadians at this point after singing it in elementary school, in performances in school auditoriums, drunkenly in the middle of the street during the Olympics… you get the point. The other half of that are the pseudo-feminists who are yelling “oh yeah! That IS sexist! Change it!” What’s next: are tampon commercials sexist for advertising directly to women? “How come flesh-lights are only for men?” Come on, ladies, until you really stop wearing mascara and shaving your pits, you’re not convincing anyone that sexism is something that actually bothers you. To O Canada changing just to appease those who try to appear as though they care, I say NAY! However, to criticizing what our government is about to do with the chunk of our pay-cheques they’re taking, I say YAY!

Operations Manager // DJ Lam ops@runnerrag.ca Ofﬁce Co-ordinator // Victoria Almond ofﬁce@runnerrag.ca Distribution // The Now Newspaper

OPINION: SOCIAL ISSUES

Piece on the Poor : How do you do it? [HAILEY LAWRENCE]

Something strange happened to me the other day. I was sitting in class engaging in a group discussion about… yep, you guessed it, the poor. Not the homeless you see on the side walk, but more specifically the “working poor”. A classmate brought up families who try to live on only $15 an hour, while having to pay rent, buy groceries, pay for daycare, keep the children clothed, put gas in the car etc. After a short debriefing, the general consensus of the class was “How do those people do it?” Then the prof mentioned that

the average annual income in BC is somewhere around $50,000 , at which point the room erupted. Fired up again, classmates began protesting the “meagerness” of a salary, and statements such as “no one can live on that little” and “they probably deserve it” were frequent. Now I am usually very vocal and quite effective at voicing my opinions, however I merely sat in my chair, my brain silently exploding. My family made $14,000 last year after taxes. And I would love to make 15 bucks an hour. It’s taken me a lot of time, strength, hope, determination and a hell of a lot of help from

others to get me to Kwantlen. A close friend always reminds me that education is going to save my life, and I believe him. Yet it was weird and angering listening to how my classmates all referred to (me essentially) as “other people, never going to make it, a factory worker, flipping burgers, no education, lowlifes of society, people with issues, hard family life, drugs, medication etc”. I once again felt weak and stupid. It was another reinforcement that those born into comfortable positions in society are always seen in a better light than those at the bottom, even if the reasons for being in said

low position are beyond their control. I find it ironic (and I’m sure I speak for more than just myself) that even in the institution of society that’s going to change my life eventually, that was one more reminder I’m just another faceless member of the working poor....

Do you have an opinion? We would like to hear it! And who knows... Maybe you’ll even get paid for it! Email editor@runnerrag.ca for more info!

page eight | March 16 2010 | vol. 2 issue 17

CREATIVE

The Runner | www.runnerrag.ca

SCI-FI

Shifting Ice: All Good Things J’r [JARED VAILLANCOURT] [CREATIVE WRITING BUREAU CHIEF]

Chapter Eight Moderation must be one of the natural laws of the universe, Vintis mused. The unforgettable night it had spent with Klezyp would have to be balanced by the most horrible day of its life. “Good morning, Kyraa…” Vintis hesitated as it entered the office. The Izraal was nowhere to be seen. It was not like Kyraa to be late, but her presence never had any effect on Vintis’ work. It sat down and started the day, forwarding reports and filling out requisition orders. There was a shipment of J’rmade weapons that had been stopped at the starport, a cargo ship seized containing illegal engine upgrades and uncertified stardrive components, and an investigation of sabotage aboard a Pyryx freighter scheduled to leave in three week’s time, but nothing new or exciting to add spice to Vintis’ day. “Vintis?” Klezyp’s holographic face showed the briefest hint of surprise. “I’m glad to see you. But isn’t the custom to call back the next night?” it asked. Vintis smiled and sipped the tasteless subzero liquid supplement it bought from the cafeteria. “I wanted to see who’d call first,” Vintis chuckled. “But aside from that, I’m just having a slow day. Kyraa didn’t show up today.” “That Izraal woman? I thought the bitch didn’t like you.” “True. But it’s weird not

having anyone working in the same office as I.” “Well, things are rather dry here as well,” Klezyp, giggled as it checked over its shoulder. “I’m in a village on the opposite side of the planet. The population is a mix of Izraal and Ch’ch’ki, but counting them isn’t as hard as I’d hoped.” Klezyp sighed. “Ch’ch’ki have a hive mind. Every bug I asked said the exact same number for the entire planet.” “Sounds dull,” Vintis considered its drink. “When will you be back?” it asked. Klezyp hesitated. “Actually,” it stuttered, “I’m renting a room out here for the night. I was wondering if you’d like to join me?” it tried to sound seductive, but Vintis picked up on Klezyp’s anxiety. It narrowed its eyes at the screen. “Oh – I’d pay your transit, of course…” “No,” Vintis said quickly. “I mean, it’s a lovely offer, but I’d like to know…” “Why?” Klezyp finished. It actually sounded surprised this time. “Vintis, didn’t you hear?” “About what?” it asked. Klezyp’s expression became worried. “Vintis, there are demonstrators in the capitol,” Klezyp informed it. “Izraal. They march under banners bearing Jaxal’s name and are demanding that Kapilo be used by the Hegemony as a staging ground against the Pyryx Imperial Court!” Vintis ejected the liquid held in its gullet. “What?” it asked. Klezyp looked over its shoulder again. “I’m worried about you,”

Klezyp pleaded. “Come to me and be safe.” Vintis considered the image of Klezyp’s face; its eyes were pleading, and its mandibles were emulating its worry. Vintis closed its mandibles tight around its mouth and crossed its arms. “Vintis, please…” “I’m not afraid of them,” Vintis growled. “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine. It’s Pyryx they’re after.” Klezyp sighed. “If you’re certain,” it finished before the call ended. The moons were high in the evening sky when Vintis finished work. The air had a strange smell to it, as if something either was or had been burning. Its goggles hanging around its neck, Vintis retraced the route it took to the transit terminal in silence. “Support the Pyryx?” Vintis was surprised out of its automatic route by the same protestor handing out pamphlet flexies. It was only now that it was able to recognize the petite, hovering J’r, a flexi gripped tight in her shaking tentacle. Vintis shook its head. “The Imperial Court made it clear,” Vintis replied. “This isn’t the Zwitii’s war.” “I’m afraid it is, Vintis,” the J’r replied. Vintis looked up at her and narrowed its eyes. “How do you know my name?” it asked. The protestor shivered for a moment before she dropped her flexi and fled, her gas pores hissing as she rocketed away. “Hey – come back!” Vintis called. “You didn’t answer my question!” It sighed and picked up the flexi.

Someone cleared her throat. Vintis turned and froze: standing behind it was a mob of angry-looking Izraal. “That’s her,” the one in the lead pointed at Vintis. “That’s the bitch who got Jaxal killed!” “Oh, great stars,” Vintis, muttered as the flexi fell from its hand. It turned and ran, using its long legs to quickly gain ground over the charging Izraal. The Izraal accelerated quickly, forcing Vintis to leap over, under and around them as it sought a route of escape. It turned down a street corner and was knocked onto its back before it could recognize what it had hit. “Kyraa?” it asked before her foot blacked it out.

To be continued next week... Check out other Shifting Ice chapters at runnerrag.ca

PHOTOGRAPHY

DENNY HOLLICK // THE RUNNER

MATTHEW J VAN DEVENTER // THE RUNNER

CHRISTOPHER POON // THE RUNNER

www.runnerrag.ca | The Runner

CREATIVE

vol. 2 issue 17 | March 16 2010 | page nine

POETRY

A Discourse of Empire [TODD EASTERBROOK] [CONTRIBUTOR]

Death warm friend, I have seen the banes of society and man and the slow death in unconsciousness meander in trench streets in the soft night never to return home: A discourse of empire with my velvet friend, where filed are the bones of decadence and social quality... Death as a smile or toll of semblance; DEATH of binaural infinity in contained affinity or shriveled infancy; DEATH through the jaded tentacles of outstretched wallets or nods or open slits: tongues, Warm stale death by way of television or computer screens or gluttoned cave of spleen in vertical frown descent; hold Late night vigil death in hollow vestibules, placid and fattened mules under street lamps and trendy road-kill, having nothing in common with the ground; Slow death by lulled marriage in a pregnant past or aborted future; lustful plastic straw placentas or a smothered Siamese twin in the womb of cotton thought; Hot sweaty death in a bed or public fuck; death in meiosis or the sordid cocked hammer or vermin-crawled cunt; DEATH in free radical breast milk or diluted dinge semen; DEATH in prayer to fiction or fable or idol or false reaching hope; DEATH in an unzipped highway car or store-bought rolling metal coffin in the dead of night or cyclical time; DEATH in stale society, in complaisance, without indignation or spark or revolutioned evolution; surplus of material; technology without care or lament; Flat-lined ego death in synesthesia by eating buttons of the earth, the placenta from our Mother; undressing the subconscious; shamans, skyline in spades; Liquid wet immaculate death in whiskey dreams or emotional plane sweet nectar-ripped blood wine screams; clubs, diamonds, hearts in wild disorder scenes, in motels or fought alleyways or shelved condom seams; Snuffed stuffed smut death in the

incessant whip or sardonically playful shackles; The sheets crimson-hot with the likeness of a virgin; To start a religion; Abuse (,) the future stepchild and union head of death’s groaned game: institution of rape on a vast deathbed or freshly laid crib or worn-out mattress in the sidewalk arroyo puddles next to the crack house and street hooker; The sudden wrath of a divine messenger as cold fury or curse in that hourglass above our domes; DEATH of romance and the soft fire, The transcendence of love or drugs or slow rhythmic murder; Penetration, Exhale; DEATH of art, reason (,) intellect; starvation in excess, gifts from the deified green rectangle, the fast faces of foreign men, of wisdom and purpose; trust that we will pay for it all; DEATH of the mind through option or hidden ration, What is a life in fashion? DEATH of pale skins or concave bellies or nice smiles right in tune, not you; the yuppies of the third or fifth world; The life of ‘nice’ is enough to kill poems; DEATH in the extremities of poetry but never its soul; vulnerable wayside death that lets me write or feel; DEATH of language through cellular ease; the message—the subtext, lost in vacant towers and ghostly waves; I still have the geometry of your smile when atoms collide; DEATH to my hindered thoughts on the purpose of life: In memory and structure and doors, quick swift deaf death or springs of malice that flow and siege; Ebb in an elaborately nice cage of carcass and conformity, Calamity’s infanticide; War; Answers spurt but never has cement given life. Never has cement given life. Never has cement given life. Barren, Opaque, Dormant – Concrete, Give me death give me hope give me earth but keep me free from birth or existential worth in the new mock iron gridlock of life as one big lineup; DEATH of openness or counterculture; Truth in the highs, By the bad bye she cries, Lament for inhibition in a wasteland of stale burnt society, In transfixed capital soul’d art or mask - think for a moment of this soul’d stench; these manufactured droppings or excretions of greed or pompous will or well-fed ego or yearned esteem; or ultimate excreted factory steam, Where are the Long Knives or Jacobin terminators? Did you have a conscious round part in this unraveled yarn? Enough to base a movie on? Or naked bleeding documentary? DEATH to green conception by gangrened science or flaccid tissue or stem cells or drunken swerved highway cars on the elevated mountain pass; hairy barren hills and drums in the night; DEATH to martyrdom or iconoclasm or wallflower utilitarianism or

DANIELLE FRIESEN // THE RUNNER

infomercial religion or the need for literature or the drag of being in the human generation; We are the lines of snorted numbness or the shared syringe or narcissism; DEATH to any shade of colour in the blood-fed streets; DEATH by tanning beds or fake plastic faces or perfectly hung chests; DEATH in dark satanic mills or shone-on Godly mire; DEATH of the character; DEATH after overture; I am the paean amongst the deaf, rotted deep within this lacuna and lacquered with pop art perversions and fleshy priority; spoon-fed, gift-wrapped flesh and skin wallets; not for freedom or oceanic liberation—for image; I want something to explode, death volcano, eruption on the masses, cum; I’m almost there; she wants it all sorts of ways; I am a troll amongst many turned to stone in sky-scraping caverns or comfortable grids that stretch for miles over nature; Does plastic decay? We should turn it on, Force them to wilt; I see just as the other man can if he looks; the woman will feel it; Our Mother is it! It’s only life; The man smells fresh flowers and looks for the black coffin; The soul cowboy bartered, Sold like a freshly opened whore in the bloody rectum of free-trade capitalism; The satisfied man with his dreams of rock and roll;

The smiling government criminal nods with victory podiums at the nostalgic beatniks who do not bother to pretend anymore, “Lets go to war; lets get our score; not for less but for more and more and more”; Dig the dead and dig the way we will never cease to be fed government led; DEATH of bohemia, DEATH of the music, DEATH of every Dharma body, DEATH in gassy footprints… to walk with angels; DEATH to the prickly pear or the prickly pear pop art; DEATH from society’s pliers or every wet idle hand or dry beak; DEATH by nuclear icicles in the cold demeanor, leave no trace, melt—murder; DEATH as God is; DEATH warm friend, This is the course of empire, and We are the coal of the smoldering end.

page ten | March 16 2010 | vol. 2 issue 17

CULTURE

JAMMIN’ WITH GINGER

The Runner | www.runnerrag.ca

GROAT IN THE SACK

Drop the V-Card This is Jeff Groat. He’s the Runner’s sex columnist. He has only one qualification for the job: his last name sounds like a dirty word. That’s good enough for us. [JEFF GROAT] [LIFESTYLE BUREAU CHIEF]

KRISTI JUT// THE RUNNER

IWAM: the deﬁnition of indie This is Kristi Jut. She loves music. She’s also a ginger. And she does have a soul. And she likes music with soul, too. [KRISTI JUT] [ENTERTAINMENT BUREAU CHIEF]

If We Are Machines’ drummer Jay (Jason) Lehr has never heard of manscaping but the legend goes that he has really smooth balls. “Is that a thing?!” gasps IWAM vocalist and band mate, Michael Kraushaar, at the concept of testicle-waxing. This is obviously the first time any of the boys have heard of this kind of thing, but not the first time they’ve talked about Lehr’s balls. “They’re just very clean,” he says. Bassist Brad Wilde and guitarist Aaron Davidson confirm that Lehr has given them “the goat” on a couple occasions. Either the boys in the band are somewhat more mature than members of most rock bands or they’re too media-savvy to dish out any scandalous stories because they were reluctant to share any more dirt than the event of seeing Lehr’s package. But the guys of If We Are Machines are a little more serious about music than they are about keeping their bodies hairless, so we talked about their new album Crafty Things to Make Pretty Things to Burn Later, their experience playing together, their influences and the direction they’re going to take from here. “It’s funny, because out of all of our influences, and Aaron being kind of like the middle-child, [he] has the oldest influences,” says Wilde. “I’m really big into ‘80s. I was raised on reggae and jazz.” Davidson confirms his influences as Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd, and attributes it to his dad. “One of my earliest things was my Dad locking me in a dark room and cranking Pink Floyd and I kind

of had this acid trip,” he says. He’s sure to cover his tracks, adding it was “like an acid trip without drugs.” The rest of the band mates burst into laughter and one even proclaims “it’s too late to call child services now!” While the age range of the band is 23-31 the issue doesn’t just play into their influences; their experience with previous younger bands has made them realize they need reliable band mates. “My problem with bands in the past was just keeping reliable, mature members,” says Kraushaar, the youngest of the group. Though the band has been together for quite a while, Kraushaar joined in 2007, and he says the songwriting process has just come naturally. “When [Mike] came, we scrapped everything we had done previous to [him] being here,” says Davidson. With Kraushaar in the band, they’ve managed to formulate and complete songs in single jam sessions. “[Songwriting] can come really quickly sometimes. Effortlessly. It flows right out of you,” adds Lehr “The song that ended up being the catchiest on the record, you know, City Lights, we wrote that song really fast,” says Kraushaar nonchalantly. “Same with Scenery. I think we wrote Scenery in like two jams. It was based around a few chords and then it just came.” Wilde is quick to say that the band doesn’t just churn out songs, though. They feel out the energy and produce something that’s really good. The music between the band mates is so connected that they don’t even write songs without each other and Kraushaar says they won’t even jam if one member can’t make it. That’s how much each member contributes to IWAM’s sound. Which is why putting together their album was so involving. Crafty Things to Make Pretty Things to Burn Later—a

play off of a group instruction of what to bring to the Burning Man Festival, which Wilde says is a concept to “be free of material things”—was completely self-produced save some engineering done by close friends Eugene Parkemenko, Emil Gawaziuk and Dave Gaudet. They did everything from tracking and recording their own songs to creating the album-art by hand. “Everything we do we do ourselves. We made our own CD’s, we did all of the artwork, we make our own shirts. We work really, really hard to put ourselves out and we spend a lot of time to make sure we do it right,” says Kraushaar. “We are pretty much the definition of an indie band.” Just because their debut album turned out exceptionally well—they held a successful CD release party at Granville Island’s Backstage Lounge and played the Made in Vancouver festival during the olympics— doesn’t mean they’re not bringing lessons with them to the next album. “This time around we’re going to take a step back and take it on as musicians rather than engineers,” says Wilde. So what’s next for the tight-knit foursome? They just bought a band van and want to hit the road, amidst making a music video and basically creating as much as possible. As for any dirt-digging, the boys are remaining relatively tight-lipped. Well, okay, when Davidson gets drunk he likes to do a “nipple dance” (use your imagination) and according to his band mates, he only has six chest hairs. But if IWAM fans want anything really juicy, they’ll just have to wait until the boys get back from their future tour.

DOWNLOAD THESE: City Lights - IWAM The Scenery - IWAM

We are bombarded daily with images laced with sexuality, innuendo, and libido. That sounds a lot like me. It’s true though, that our modern society is saturated with sex. It’s on cereal boxes, it’s in our fruit bowls, it’s in our brand of coffee beans. So in a society that takes sex so lightly and so often - what value do we hold for those of us still grasping our “V” cards, whether righteously shown off, or clutched embarrassingly close to our chests? In the U.S. in 1993, there was the now-famous “True Love Waits” campaign, organized by the political-religious right of the American south, in hopes to make abstinence “cool." They wanted to make it into something that Jesus would be down with after he did a kick-flip and tagged a bench with a verse. Like anything driven home with the fear of God, it proved to be successful, but successful for fearful and repressive

adults, not for sex education and romance. In Canada in 2010, things are quite the opposite. We are hardpressed to be shocked by much anymore (see Two Girls, One Cup) let alone actually taking pride in abstinence. But shouldn’t this work in reverse? Shouldn’t virginity be something to be treasured in our new world of cheap and easy sex? Well, not necessarily, because there is something to be said for class. Just because you are, in fact, having sex, it does not mean you are a dirty, worthless sinner who is in need of some behavioural adjustment or Christian therapy. It is a reality (sad maybe, but definitely true) that virgins are funny little creatures who belong in some Leave it to Beaver-esque nightmare from the 50s, when things like “family values” and “abstinence” are virtues to be praised, while giving in to your completely natural, healthy rhythms and drives is something that only the devil could be responsible for.

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THE PRESIDENT'S HEAD

David Atkinson-tipede

MELISSA FRASER // THE RUNNER