The Runner: Volume 8, Issue 7 by The Runner

VOL-08-ISS-07

Nov-24-2015

Volunteering as tribute since 2009

SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST

Changing nature of clubs funding demands adaptation KSA holds budget consultations for student input 04 How to stay healthy at KPU 10 Examining Trudeauâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gender-balanced cabinet 13

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Table of Contents

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News |KSA Budget Consultations Feature Disappointing Turnout 4

The Kwantlen Student Association’s efforts to hear student ideas and work them into their budget for next year didn’t exactly see students lining up into the foyer on Richmond campus, the host for the fourth day of sessions. The Runner is student-owned and operated by Kwantlen Polytechnic University students, published under the Polytechnic Ink Publishing Society. Arbutus 3710/3720 12666 72 Ave. Surrey, B.C, V3W 2M8 778.565.3801

www.runnermag.ca Vol. 08, Issue no. 06 Nov 10, 2015 ISSN# 1916 8241

Culture | Getting To Know Our Campus Across the Fraser 5

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

Run-downs | Canada’s Long Road to Legalization 7

CONTRIBUTORS Aileen Tran Aly Laube Braden Klassen Danica Johnston Joseph Keller Kat Nekuryashchikh Kenny Chui Kyle Prince Louis Marta-Widjaja Monica Mah Natalie Mussell Pifinida Renée McMillan Rosaura Ojeda Stephanie Davies Torin Slik

Features | The Darwinism of Kwantlen Clubs 8

OPINIONS | Is Equal Representation Visible in a Photo? 13

What does it mean to have equal representation in parliament? Party leaders are inclined to prioritize all the factors that make attractive photo-ops, such as equal race and gender representation.

#BestPhoto featuring Kwantlen’s finest

COVER ARTIST

from Michelle Chow (@michelleychow on Instagram) on Instagram) of conversations with strangers full night Fancy #kpu#riverrock #scholarship

Danielle and Geoff are a super-team of crime-fighting robots who have temporarily taken up residence on planet earth. They believe black-and-white photos are messages from the past, Photoshop is the greatest invention since the camera, and bottled water is for noobs.

STAFF

Coordinating Editor

Photo Editor

Managing Editor

Tristan Johnston editor@runnermag.ca

Connor Doyle managing@runnermag.ca

Executive Editor

Samantha Thompson deputy@runnermag.ca @sampthompson

Art Director

Charis Au art@runnermag.ca

Operation Manager

Staff Writer

Geoffrey Nilson photo@runnermag.ca

Web Editor

Yaunna Sommersby web@runnermag.ca

Kier-Christer Junos staff@runnermag.ca @kierjunos

Scott Boux office@runnermag.ca 778.565.3801

Staff Illustrator

Danielle George

Editorial

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03 Tristan Johnston

News Briefs KPIRG asks for stakes in KSA’s Birch building renovation plans

From the editor Paris

Tristan Johnston

COORDINATING EDITOR

Like many others that night, I was shocked to hear about what happened in Paris. I’ve been to Paris often in the last few years, and have a few friends who live there. I was actually hanging out with a friend of mine in Saint-Denis this last May, where police raids were being conducted on Tuesday last week. Thankfully, everyone I know posted that they were “safe” on Facebook after the attacks. I asked another friend if he was shaken, or if he felt strange, or uneasy with the idea that a large terrorist attack happened in otherwise peaceful city. He told me simply that, “Life has to go on.” I think he meant that in jest, but he’s right. While it might sound like a very Sesame Street thing to say, getting along will prevent future events from happening. The types of people that carry out these attacks are typically disenfranchised youth who feel a strong disconnect with their

environment. Geopolitical scholars agree that these types of attacks only exist to divide a community, and thanks to the internet and a 24hour news cycle, accomplishing that goal isn’t implausible. ISIS says this themselves in their magazine, as after the Charlie Hebdo attacks in January they claimed they wanted to eliminate the “grey zone” and make attitudes towards Islam more black and white. It’s easier for terrorist groups to be successful in a chaotic environment. Extreme movements in general have no chance of taking off unless the situation is dire. The Nazi party in 1930s Germany only took off because the economy was ruined, and the Germans felt a sense of persecution in being blamed for WWI. ISIS only found a foothold when they did because the situation in Iraq and Syria is chaotic. Extremist movements only work when it appears no other option is available. So in the case of Western Europe, you would have to create

the perception of chaos, since there isn’t any real chaos. ISIS wants there to be more racism towards Muslims in Europe and North America to make real their ideology: “The West hates Islam and the only way to fix that is through us.” I should also address the lack of coverage for other terror attacks around the world. Some people think that it’s because the news media is racist and they only care about white people. Here’s the real answer: Violence in Paris attracts clicks and eyeballs because Paris is one of the last places in the world you expect a militarilycoordinated attack to take place, reminiscent of the events that occurred in Mumbai in 2011. When a terrorist attack happens at the hands of Boko Haram in Africa, or a bombing takes place in Afghanistan, it doesn’t attract clicks because most people aren’t surprised when they hear about these things. Bombings actually don’t happen often in Beirut, but the average person who doesn’t pay attention to world events assumes that it’s nothing new over there.

what’s up this week (Nov 25 - dec 2)

This also goes for plane crashes: only a few happen every year, so when it happens, it’s all over the news. Car accidents, which are magnitudes more common, are lucky to make more radio airtime than, “There’s an accident on Highway 99.” Not only this, but how many Canadians do you know who have visited Paris? How many do you know who’ve visited other terror hotzones? I felt shock and concern when I read about the attacks because I have friends who live there, and I’ve visited the city several times. I can’t say the same about Baghdad. There are many interwoven components when it comes to understanding our reactions towards Paris and the other attacks that occurred. While no singular reason is necessarily truer than any other, one thing is certain: If we want to eliminate ISIS influence in the West, we need to eliminate racism towards Muslims. “The West hates Islam” doesn’t work on people who have friends of every religion.

with Yaunna Sommersby

weds, nov 25

thur, NOV 26

fri, Nov 27

Keeping Your Flock Healthy

Workshop Series: Keeping Your Flock Healthy

KPU Brewing Lab Beer Sales

The piano students are putting on a free recital for fellow Kwantlen students to enjoy.

Agriculture students, do you keep your own poultry? Attend this workshop to learn about raising a healthy flock.

Students from the KPU Brewing Program are holding a craft beer sale to share their liquid gold with the KPU community.

7:30 p.m., KPU Langley Auditorium. Free

6 p.m. – 8 p.m., KPU Langley. Free. Register online

1 p.m. – 5 p.m., KPU Langley Brewing Lab. $10 for growlers and fills.

fri, Nov 27- sat, Nov 28

Mon, Nov 30

Wed, dec 2

WOOW Self-Defence Classe

Abbotsford Education and Career Fair

Bachelor of Psychiatric Nursing Information Session

6p.m. – 8:30p.m., Surrey Conference Centre. Free

4 p.m. – 5 p.m., Langley Campus East Building Room1540. Free

Women Organizing Opportunities for Women is hosting women-only self-defence classes on the Surrey campus.

Fri.: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m. Sat.: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Surrey Campus: Fir 144, Fir 1364. Free

The Faculty of Science and Horticulture will have a booth at the Abbotsford Education and Career Fair. Stop by to learn more about the programs they offer.

Attend this information session to learn more and ask questions about the Psychiatric Nursing program.

Consultations would reallocate space on Surrey campus Kier- Christer Junos STAFF WRITER

The Kwantlen Public Interest Research Group has formally applied for their seat in the Kwantlen Student Association Birch building consultations with the university. The consultations are about planned renovations to Birch building, which concerns the reallocation of historically scarce space on campus for student groups like KPIRG. KPIRG is currently sharing the Pride office adjacent to the social justice space. That space, often occupied by student clubs, has been perceived as unwelcoming to students, according to KPIRG. They add that student groups who seek safe spaces on campus even perceive the space as oppressive. In addition, the lack of administrative space has forced KPIRG’s administrative and resource coordinator Richard Hosein to keep all of KPIRG’s legal and financial documents in his basement. He says that it’s “totally inappropriate” for a student association. Besides lockable administrative space to hold their assets, KPIRG is also looking to include a dedicated lounge and meeting space. Altogether, Hosein says they’re looking for 800 to 1,000 square feet. That’s about the size of a regulation racquetball court. Four KSA councillors are named in the endorsements section of KPIRG’s proposal, two of whom-Simon Massey and Tanvir Singh-sit on the KSA’s Birch space planning committee.

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Mass exit of student associations from lobbying group However, KSA remains a member of the Alliance of B.C. Students Tristan Johnson COORDINATING EDITOR

“We’ve had a couple of members leaving over the last couple of months,” says Alex McGowan, vice-president executive of the Kwantlen Student Association and chairperson of the Alliance of BC Students. “So there’s been some internal issues. A lot of the members have pointed out that they haven’t seen the value of remaining as members of the organization. It’s unfortunate they made the decision to leave without trying those internally first.” Jude Crasta, vice-president external of the University of British Columbia’s Alma Mater Society, told The Ubyssey on Oct. 22 that, “A lot of people came with hopes that the ABCS would provide a unified student voice. However, with so many people fractured from the ABCS [and] refusing to work with the ABCS, it’s not even asserting that mandate anymore.” In the last few months, the UBC AMS, as well as the student associations of the University of the Fraser Valley and British Columbia Institute of Technology, have chosen to leave the ABCS. The UBC Graduate Student Society is still a member. “The ABCS voted at the last annual general meeting to institute fees for the organization, so every student union pays fees based on their full-time equivalency count,”

says McGowan. “Essentially the size of the institution. The fees for the KSA would amount to $5,000 per year.” McGowan says that fee collection was a problem for many of the other student unions, and the ABCS decided to stop collecting fees entirely, and for payment to the organization to be on an “as needed” basis. Despite many unions leaving, McGowan believes that, “Lobbying on the provincial level is extremely important for students to do.” He says that the organization arranges meetings with MLAs and other government officials to discuss better post-secondary education policies. The KSA is also a member of another student lobbying organization, the Canadian Federation of Students. The KSA pays approximately $250,000 to the CFS, and McGowan was sure to mention something that differentiates the CFS and the ABCS: the fluidity of membership. Whereas the CFS requires a petition and referendum process, that results in students voting on continued membership in the organization, leaving the ABCS is determined by a vote of the association’s governing body (council, in the case of the KSA). “It gives student associations the right to leave if they don’t value the organization. It means that if you go through a bit of travel like we have recently, students associations leave,” says McGowan. The ABCS was first founded in May 2011,

by the UBC Alma Mater Society, the University of Fraser Valley Students’ Union, the University of Victoria Students’ Society, and the Capilano University Students’ Union.

The organization advocates on behalf of students, lobbying for lower-cost education, including a goal of eliminating interest on student loans.

courtesy of the ABCS

KSA Budget Consultations Feature Disappointing Turnout VP finance Taiwo expected more, but at least got a venue to educate on student services Kier-Christer Junos STAFF WRITER

The Kwantlen Student Association’s efforts to hear student ideas and work them into their budget for next year didn’t exactly see students lining up into the foyer on Richmond campus, the host for the fourth day of sessions. By that day, KSA vice-president of finance, Waheed Taiwo, estimated about 20 students that actually attended the budget sessions throughout the entire series, and of those, perhaps he heard a dozen unique conversations. He was a little disappointed at the turnout. “One thing I noticed is that people seem to be scared of the word ‘budgets,’” says Taiwo, chuckling. “And anything to do with numbers … people shy away from it.” Taiwo says there weren’t any wholly notable or new student suggestions for next year’s budget. Instead, he found that the few students that came by were more interested in the services the KSA actually had to offer. That created an opportunity for the consultation sessions to become more educational, as students got to learn about the KSA’s services or budget specifics. Education tended to be a theme given that many students came to the consultation sessions by virtue of curiosity. “Some of the students were concerned about how they are able to access our services,” says Taiwo. “Some were actually surprised that we do have some services that we’ve been providing, but up to that time, they didn’t have the knowledge of.”

The lack of suggestions could be, Taiwo says, simply because of a lack of knowledge about the KSA’s processes. Even many of the KSA’s council members who attended the sessions required a careful briefing on the

budget and its workings. Taiwo suggests it would take a very engaged student to make an explicit, realistic suggestion. Within the services the KSA offers, some students also asked about the inter-campus

courtesy of the KSA

shuttle and its various routes, or the phone screen repair service that apparently exists. Nida Valiani, a third-year policy studies student and the new anti-oppression officer for the Kwantlen Public Interest Research Group, managed to attend the Surrey campus session and says it was mostly good. Taiwo says that session included the most engaged students. The Surrey campus consultation yielded more students with insightful questions at the end of the day, possibly because Taiwo found he had more time with them to spend in detail. Valiani does add that the information surrounding the consultations could have been better. She remarked on the mostly vacant nature of the room for the session and suggested that the KSA’s advertising money, for one, could be put towards better initiatives to inform students about “what’s going on.” That could mean better advertising about KSA services. That could extend up to the very personal consultation session she found herself in that day. “It’s only through KPIRG that I found out about it,” says Valiani. “There was a whole budget thing, like a whole outline that they put online, but I wouldn’t have known where to find it online.” Still, plenty of the campus bulletin boards included posters about the consultation sessions and the KSA did at least post about the sessions through social media. Advertising strategies notwithstanding, Taiwo and Valiani both concluded that student engagement was the real challenge.

Culture

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Courtesy of KPU

Renée Mcmillen

fashion instructor wins teaching award Sharon Greeno honoured at Vancouver Fashion Week

Torin Slik CONTRIBUTOR

Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s fashion program is booming over at the Richmond campus, and it’s far more diverse than some people might realize. Sewing and dressmaking are essential components of what fashion students do, but there’s more to the fashion industry than sartorialism. Sharon Greeno, KPU’s coordinator for the fashion marketing program, was recently honoured at Vancouver Fashion Week with an Originator Award in the teaching category. This award was presented to her due to her contributions to advancing local industry. “My teaching philosophy basically uses small [to] medium sized, local brands or companies as examples of what we do in my classes,” says Greeno. “So building the connections rather than just looking at the big celebrity couture brands that get most of the attention.” Receiving the award was certainly an honour, she says. It symbolized not only Greeno’s own skill and dedication as a teacher, but also the inspiration she bestows on her students. “I was actually proud of it from the perspective of my students, because it gives my students an opportunity to know they’re contributing to the community, and there’s work out there for them, and that obviously people think I’m sending out industry-ready graduates that are confident to do a large number of things, whether that’s fashion related or not,” says Greeno. Greeno earned a bachelor of home economics with a major in clothing and textiles and a minor in business administration, all with a cooperative education distinction. Her first year at Mount Saint Vincent in Halifax was like any other standard school year for students, but the next two-and-a-half years she did a combination of study terms and work terms at The Bay. “Fifteen minutes after stepping on the sales floor, I found my thing,” Greeno says. “Customer service, sales, human resources, event planning, training . . . I loved the people piece of it. I had an affinity for taking a finished product and matching it to people and building their confidence.”

Greeno completed a two-year associate of arts degree in California before moving back to the Maritimes and starting her career working at The Bay. There she was the youngest human resource manager on the east coast. She moved to Ottawa working as the regional sales training manager. She then worked for an accessory company in Toronto where she did a lot of buying, travelling, and designing. After working for a company called Finishing Touches, Greeno was employed at a fashion company called Wear Else. It was while working with Wear Else that she spoke to a design class about being a buyer in the fashion industry. Slowly, she began to teach classes while working until she transitioned fully into teaching. Teaching has been a fantastic experience for Greeno. There are so many different aspects to the fashion industry that go way beyond just designing and sewing. “It’s politics. It’s social [and] economic. It’s creative. It’s a way of thinking. The design thinking model can be used in anything,” says Greeno. “You have a problem or you have an opportunity. How do you do the research? What do you come up with? How do you ideate that? How do you collaborate? How do you find the right fabrics and right fits and factories? How do you do that ethically and sustainably. How do you market it? How do you photograph it?” Greeno herself focuses on the applied aspects of the industry. She helps students to find out what kind of careers there are in the industry and how the industry actually works. “[I] demystify the idea that we draw and sew and read magazines and watch runway shows,” says Greeno. “It’s a tiny portion of the industry and an extremely tiny portion of the Vancouver industry.” While Greeno may have won an award for teaching, some of her most memorable moments at Kwantlen have been because of her students. It is because of her students that she’s been teaching for so long, and continues to do so. “I stay in touch with a lot of students and grads,” she says. “My role, the piece that I love most is teaching, and those exciting moments when someone finds their voice. Once that happens, the sky’s the limit.”

Getting To Know Our Campus Across the Fraser Open house demonstrate the unique cultural challenges and offerings of Richmond campus Renée McMillen CONTRIBUTOR

Every university offers a unique experience for the typical post-secondary student, and our school is no exception. But Kwantlen Polytechnic is unlike most other universities in Metro Vancouver in that we define ourselves as a multi-campus community. Though SFU has a secondary branch in Surrey Centre and multiple campuses in downtown Vancouver, and UBC splits off into UBC-O in Kelowna, KPU identifies fully across four separate campuses, each cultivating its own unique cultural atmosphere. Surrey, traditionally seen as our main campus, only hosts about 38 per cent of total KPU enrollments. The rest are split between online and off-site students, as well as our three other campuses—Langley, our agriculture and music campus, Cloverdale, dubbed “KPU Tech,” and Richmond. Richmond campus, which sees 28 per cent of Kwantlen students attend its classes, sits so far from the other campuses that it has become its own entity. The classes are significantly smaller and the students are in specific programs that are designated to the area, such as fashion, marketing, and design. While Richmond is home to a large share of the KPU student body, it faces distinct challenges in fermenting student life. Because it offers niche disciplines, the students in Richmond don’t often get the opportunity to mingle with students outside their program, or to attend classes at the other campuses outside of the electives they choose. The programs are often years long, so students find the other people in their classes become a family of friends to them. While this may give a student a niche of sorts, it may not offer what would be considered the typical college experience. Interior design student, Stefanie Thompson says, “It’s nothing like in the movies where everyone gets together. People come for their classes but then they leave. There’s really not much I would consider for culture.”

In part to address these difficulties, the Richmond campus hosted an open house on Nov. 5 to welcome prospective students and encourage them to explore what Richmond KPU has to offer. The open house had booths and tables set up to advertise about the programs, and there were designated areas to see what had been created by the students from Richmond’s multitude of programs. Even though Surrey campus has many of the fine arts studios, Richmond arts students proudly displayed their work for attendees of the open house. “It’s great to have a say and to make our mark on the halls and showcase that we are designers,” says Teanna Donya, Richmond design student. The open house featured displays, paintings, prints and pieces and on every floor, even the walls themselves had been marked by the students. Apart from the smaller classes at the Richmond campus, it’s also a much tighter campus than Surrey or Langley. “You always see the same people,” says Chanel Kwong, the Kwantlen Student Association’s Richmond representative. “It helps to get to know them better and build that connection with others.” When you speak with the students representing their programs, you begin to see how close they are with the other students in their class. “There’s a sense of belonging,” says Kwong. The belonging is evident, but in terms of student life some believe there’s still much to be desired for students looking to explore what else is going on outside their programs. “Everyone is focused on classes and friends that there’s not much to branch out to,” says Mark Santiago, a graphic design student. This may be a case of distance, as the majority of events occur across the river in Surrey, but perhaps that’s what helps allow Richmond to achieve its individual sense of self. While campus culture could certainly increase there, Richmond is still an impressive hub of talented students. Get to know a few of them before you graduate, and you’ll be glad that you did.

Culture

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“Loose Lips” Sinks Ships, Publishes Local Women’s Writing New publication emerges as a “female lens of Vancouver”

Aly Laube CONTRIBUTOR

“The double meaning is absolutely on purpose,” laughs Brittany Tiplady, cofounder of Loose Lips Magazine. “At first, people are usually shocked or offended, but they’re always interested. That’s important to us.” It’s also important that Loose Lips, a newly founded, “female-focused arts and culture publication,” doesn’t come off as unapproachable. Although it is “a female lens of

Vancouver,” Tiplady, along with co-founder and fellow KPU alumna Kristi Alexandra, don’t want to exclude anyone from picking up an issue. “We wanted to make sure that it was for women and by women without cutting off half of the population, so that men would be interested in reading it as well,” says Alexandra. That being said, Loose Lips’ entire staff is female. Having a team of women running the magazine provides the opportunity for their flourishing narrative section, which enables writers to share their personal experiences

Laura Collins

with a receptive audience. Specifically, readers can expect “really heartbreaking and well thought-out narratives by women in positions that you never thought they would own up to.” By encouraging their writers to open up, Loose Lips is “giving a voice to a lot of women who don’t really know where they fit into journalism,” but they’re also deliberately bringing taboo subjects to light. “We’re all about being bold,” says Tiplady. “Some of our content is kind of like, ‘Woah! I can’t believe that I just read that,’ but our writers are really talented and they have an excellent way of doing it. We’re always trying to be edgy and salacious while staying classy and respectful.” Other than their narrative section, Loose Lips’ content covers all things art and culture. That includes politics, music, spotlights on female entrepreneurs (a section called “Bossy”), recipes and more. “We try to keep it as well-rounded as possible,” says Tiplady. Alexandra agrees, “I think it’s really a publication for the everywoman.” And because they’re a relatively new publication, Loose Lips is open to suggestions from their writers. They endeavour to create “a community where women feel super comfortable,” and are willing to share their ideas. This approach inspires a more diverse selection of material to be included in each issue. “There’s definitely so much more to be covered in the future,” Tiplady admits, although they’re both comfortable with what

they’ve released so far, which was “tied to both cultural events and the general culture in Vancouver.” Currently, Loose Lips publishes exclusively online, but plans to go into print are already set. The women are planning to have a print edition on stands by spring 2016, when readers will be able to find them at hubs around Vancouver and its suburbs. The print publication will be a quarterly “collection of [their] best work and then some more major pieces,” whereas their website will remain a regularly updated channel for all Loose Lips articles. Tying feminism into local news is what sets Loose Lips apart. They’re also particularly passionate, honest, and daring with their work. “There are a lot of great publications in the city that we admire and get some great ideas from, but another like us? I don’t think that there is one,” says Tiplady. “That’s why we were so confident to start Loose Lips. We know that we have our own thing going on, and people want to be a part of something that’s making a difference.”

Local Rappers Catch Beef, the Province’s Attention From mean tweets to diss tracks, here’s what rap rivalries are all about Braden Klassen CONTRIBUTOR

Like most 21st century drama, it all started with an impulsive and ill-conceived Twitter provocation. On Oct. 29, BC rap veteran and ex-Swollen Members vocalist Shane “Madchild” Bunting issued a tweet calling out his longtime friend and collaborator, William “Snak the Ripper” Fyvie, which read, “Snak the rippers name should be Snak the loud mouth piece of shit talking punk bitch. .. There , I got that off my chest [sic].” The tweet was removed within minutes, but the damage had been done as someone managed to screen-cap it and sent it to Snak. Reportedly, Madchild personally called to apologize for the nasty tweet, but Snak would have none of it. The next day, on Oct. 30, Snak the Ripper publicly released a diss track complete with a music video on YouTube called “Assisted Suicide”, in which he questioned Madchild’s commitment to sobriety following his years of drug addiction, and assailed his reputation with threatening lines like “Go delete another tweet and start praying to God / ‘Cause if I see you in the street I’m dislocatin’ your jaw.” It took Madchild five days to reply with his own diss-track, “The Funeral”, wherein he addressed the Surrey-born Snak’s allegations of his continued drug abuse, saying “You’re a liar, angry at the world—you’re a phony. / And I ain’t touched coke in over three years so blow me.” He refuted Snak’s claims and challenged him to a public battle at King of the Dot, a battle-rap league backed

by none other than Drake himself. Snak ignored the challenge, but eagerly replied the next day on Nov. 5 with his second diss track, the not-so-subtly titled “Child Abuse”. Madchild responded for the second and final time on Nov. 9 with an audio-only track “Fatal Attraction”, where he dismissed Snak’s commitment to the beef as a publicity stunt, and warned him that if the drama continued it could result in violent clashes between both of the rappers’ affili-

Snak the Ripper - Facebook

ated crews, Madchild’s BAXWAR (Battleaxe Warriors) and Snak’s SDK (Stompdown Killaz). Undeterred, Snak the Ripper replied the next day with a new single “Triple Homicide”, rapping “Won three rounds, the fans are bringin’ the props, / Stop acting like you still got a shot at King of the Dot. / There ain’t gon’ be no fuckin’ battle when I see you face-to-face, / You acting like you running shit so I’mma break your legs.”

Madchild - Facebook

Apparently content with taking the high road, Madchild replied two days later with a link to his video for “Fatal Attraction” and a brief statement that read, “New video in response to Snak. Thanks I’m happy to moving on with life.” Calvin Tiu, better known to some by his stage name Kalvonix, is a Kwantlen-based rapper that knows a thing or two about what it means to defend your reputation in the rap game. “Because hip hop is caught between a poetical and political art form, and a multi-million dollar money machine, many rappers approach the craft with different mindsets,” says Kalvonix. “Those who still value rap as an art form take precautions on how they carry themselves, what they rap about, and who their audience is. With that in mind, reputation isn’t something to be taken lightly as a rapper. I would argue that as a rapper, your reputation is everything.” When it comes to determining a rap victor, Kalvonix contends that, “There is definitely no sure-fire way to determine the winner of a rap beef. Personally, I think people tend to side with whichever rapper they prefer. I’d say what matters most is that both rappers involved bring their best to the table and ultimately create diss tracks that keep people talking.” Kalvonix admits that he’d only heard of Snak the Ripper because of the beef, and believes that ultimately it will raise his profile and expose the artist to a larger fan-base. So far it seems most people have taken Snak’s side on this one, but as Kalvonix cautions, “only time will tell.”

Run-Downs

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07 Adam Procter

Kat Nekuryashchikh

Canada’s Long Road to Legalization Cannabis prohibition is coming to an end in Canada, but a few hurdles remain

Joseph Keller CONTRIBUTOR

It’s a new day in Canada, and it’s safe to bet that any cannabis advocate in the country won’t need to be told what the election of our 23rd Prime Minister means for the status of their favourite plant. Justin Trudeau’s first major policy announcement as leader of the federal Liberal party was very clear. “We will legalize, regulate, and restrict access to marijuana,” the party’s platform reads. What’s more, with 56 per cent of Canadians in favour of outright legalization, economic windfalls being seen in guinea pig states south of the border, and his reputation for keeping promises on the line, Trudeau has very little reason not to follow through and so many reasons to move forward with legislation. It’s an exciting time to be an advocate for the wacky tobacky. But cautious smokers may not want to take their pastime public just yet, as we still have a few hurdles to jump before the green stuff gets its blessing from the authorities. Here’s a look at some the the issues the Libs will face as they move to end prohibition.

International treaties Canada stands to become the first developed nation to legalize recreational cannabis on the federal level. Doing so could put Canada at odds with several international treaties including the Single Convention of Narcotic Drugs, the Convention on Psychotropic Drugs, and the U.N. Convention against illicit traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. Reefer Madness is still alive and well in parts of the international community, as seen at the 2014 U.N. drug summit where the USA faced harsh criticism for not intervening when its first states legalized. Canada will likely face similar backlash when we legalize. However, the only country with the leverage to possibly put the brakes on Canada’s legislation is the US, and such an action seems unlikely seeing as how US feds haven’t seen fit to put a stop to legislation within its own borders.

Provincial cooperation With a majority in the House, Trudeau can remove cannabis from the criminal code quite easily, but to implement the regulation framework required to make such a move politically viable, he’ll need cooperation from the provinces. While more cannabis-

friendly provinces such as BC and those in Atlantic Canada will likely move quickly, some heel-dragging in the more conservative prairies, where support for cannabis is at its lowest among voters, and in Quebec, where the provincial government has historically been less open to legalisation, is to be expected.

Corporate lobbying The driving force behind cannabis prohibition has historically been corporate lobbying to protect business interests. This remains the case. The alcohol, pharmaceutical, and private prison industries are among the biggest spenders when it comes to anticannabis lobbying. Influence from these interests will not disappear from Ottawa now that a new government is in charge.

The Senate In an effort to make the senate less partisan, Trudeau expelled all sitting Liberal senators from his party’s caucus back in early 2014, meaning these senators are free to vote as they please. This may well come back to bite him now that he’s in the big seat. Senator David Smith has already suggested in an interview that the senate could block Liberal legislation if certain concerns are not met. If the Prime Minister finds himself in a pissing match with the senate, drug policy reform could be among the legislation caught in the middle.

Regulatory setup This will be the longest part of the legalization process. Legalization has never been attempted on a national scale before, as each province will have numerous decisions to make. To list just a few—how many plants can a private citizen be able to grow for personal use? Who will be able to grow commercially? Where will marijuana stores be allowed to operate? How much will we tax marijuana sales? Since Trudeau promised harsher penalties to those who provide the stuff to kids, what will these penalties look like? How do we punish driving while high? All of these questions and many more will see hours of debate in each provincial legislature. If these provincial committees are wise, they will look south of the border to the states that have already had these conversations, and to the regulatory frameworks already in place for alcohol and tobacco to see what works.

What’s Going On at the University of Missouri? Racial tensions overflow, calls for action are made

Aly Laube

CONTRIBUTOR November has been a month of seemingly unending conflict at the University of Missouri. “Mizzou” has a long-standing history of discrimination, as proven by incidents such swastikas being drawn in dormitory bathrooms, or the time in 2010 when “two white male students scattered cotton balls on the Gaines Oldham Black Culture Center during Black History Month, invoking images of slaveholding plantations,” according to the Huffington Post. Just one year later racial slurs were spraypainted on campus property. The number of black faculty members hovered at three per cent over the past five years and cases of harassment continued to be reported by minorities at Mizzou. Regardless, aside from apprehending the perpetrators of hate crimes, little progress was made. When the university’s students association president, Payton Head, was verbally assaulted with a racial slur on-campus, he recounted the experience on Facebook. His post incited a social media uprising which inspired the creation of the “Racism Lives Here” rallies, led by student Danielle Walker. More slurs were hurled from the audience at the Legion of Black Collegians’ “Black Homecoming” rehearsal. In response, Head himself organized peaceful protests and the activists were officially named Concerned Student 1950, after the year the first black student was admitted to MU. Under that name, the protesters made their demands known. Their list of demands to the administration included the hiring of a chancellor “for inclusion, diversity, and equity,” prerequisite “diversity training” for the hiring staff, and asking that the faculty “develop ideas and action plans for creating a more inclusive environment in their respective areas.”

They also suggested a campus-wide survey on race issues and the “compos[ition of] a strategic 10-year plan by May 1, 2016 that will increase retention rates for marginalized students [and] sustain diversity curriculum.” Each of these were valued elements of CS1950’s plan, but more than anything, they wanted Missouri University System president Tim Wolfe to resign. From the beginning, Wolfe displayed disregard for the protestors, epitomized when he allegedly bumped one with his car during a protests led by Head. He also answered a question about his definition of systemic oppression with, “[It] is because you don’t believe that you have the equal opportunity or success in this world.” Both Wolfe’s individual actions and inaction in response to MU’s racism issues caused protesters to rally for his resignation. In order to meet their goals, Concerned Student 1950 held several peaceful protests including a walkout, a stand in solidarity with Jonathan Butler—a student who went on a hunger strike to raise awareness—and a boycott of Mizzou’s football games, an act that members of the university football team also took part in. The latter finally forced Wolfe to choose between sacrificing university profits and keeping his job title. On Nov. 9 he did step down, making way for Michael Middleton to replace him. As an African-American MU Faculty member, an ex-civil rights attorney, and “one of the first African-American graduates of the university’s law school,” the new MU system president plans to help its community recover. “The time has come for us to acknowledge and address our daunting challenges, and return to our relentless adherence to the University of Missouri’s mission to discover, disseminate, preserve and apply knowledge,” Middleton said in a statement after being selected as Mizzou’s interim president.

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T h e D a r w i n i s m of In light of a $90,000 reduction in clubs and events funding, Connor Doyle MANAGING EDITOR

For better or worse, a change is coming to the way student life is conducted at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. Prompted by major funding cuts to the Kwantlen Student Association’s clubs and events budget, those who promote on-campus culture will have to adapt to the new climate in order to grow. The reduction in funding, totalling just over $90,000 according to the draft 2016 KSA budget, comes as a result of declining enrollment over the course of the previous year. Because the KSA receives almost all of their funding from fees levied off of the students, a drop in enrollment means less money for the student association’s budget. As Waheed Taiwo, the KSA vice-president of finance and operations, explains, they are currently sitting at about 63 per cent of their estimated revenue for the year, and aren’t expecting to reach their total by the end of 2015. “Personally, I’d be very surprised if we got up to 90 per cent,” says Taiwo. He claims that the university has seen more students attend Kwantlen on a part-time basis, taking less courses and ultimately paying less in KSA fees. Accordingly, the KSA has reduced expenditures on most of their worksheets, including intramurals and lobbying. The clubs and events budget, however, was hit particularly hard, and will see nearly a third of its funding reduced in 2016, down to $205,200. The decision comes after the KSA has already used nearly all of its clubs and events reserve funding to boost this year’s revenue. “Around May or June I started to get worried we might not get the full amount

we estimated for the year,” says Taiwo of the use of the clubs and events reserves. “So on one hand we have a reduction in enrollment, and on the other hand we don’t have as much money in reserve to support it. And we can’t spend money that we don’t have. That’s why we had to cauterize expenses based on the expected expenditures.” Taiwo points to a rising level of engagement with student life as the reason why the clubs and events budget is in need of such a substantial reduction. The KSA currently recognizes 32 clubs, eight of which were organized this year, and two more are expecting to incorporate by the end of the fall semester. In previous years, when there were far fewer student groups drawing funding, the KSA was able to approve nearly every event proposal that came across their desks, and still have money in reserve for next year. “That was a different culture than we are having now,” explains Taiwo. “The only way we are able to ensure that all of the clubs have equal opportunity at the resources we have for them is to make sure that whatever we are approving right now, we are going to get as much value from as possible. That is why we are not going to be able to approve everything.” Taiwo goes on to say that, despite the need to “ration” their funding by spending less money on clubs and events, the mindset of the KSA is still to support Kwantlen students to their fullest extent.

The New Climate of Club Funding In order to prevent the cuts from marginalizing student life, the KSA has begun taking proactive efforts to ensure students are still able to hold events. Primarily this means finding ways to reduce the cost of the

events when the planning tools are submitted, but it also means looking into alternate sources of funding. Manpreet Bassi, the KSA’s vice-president of student life, is confident that students will be able to take on the responsibility of raising their own funds. “They can look into charging membership fees,” suggests Bassi. “That’s totally up to them. Some clubs are not willing to do that, some clubs are. For their events, they could charge admission fees—a dollar or two dollars, whatever would help offset the expenses.” Other areas that Bassi suggests students explore include sponsorships and financial assistances offered through the university itself, such as the Coca-Cola Fund and the Student Educational Enhancement Fund. She also cites faculty members as another possible resource. “So there’s a lot of different avenues and a lot of different things we’ve told the clubs. A lot of them are starting to act on it, and they’re understanding that we don’t have endless amounts of money,” says Bassi. “[They] get that in the long run this is going to make them more sustainable as well, because if they can do their own fundraising, they won’t have to rely on us for all their funds.” There are those, however, who are less optimistic about what the reduction in funding means for campus culture, even amongst the ranks of the KSA. Simon Massey, representative for the faculty of arts, is doubtful that the cuts will be anything but a burden on clubs, though still acknowledges the limitations of the society’s budget. “There was always going to be one day when [cutting clubs and events funding] was going to be a necessity,” says Massey, who ran, in part, on a platform of promoting

student life at Kwantlen. Massey believes it’s “prudent” to ask clubs to co-fund larger ventures, but finds issue with some of the stricter regulations being considered, calling the new approach to event financing “austerity mode.” “For the most part I feel like fundraising is going to come down to selling tickets or holding bake sales, or getting donations from the members, or even charging membership fees for the clubs, which are all things I wouldn’t want to see required,” says Massey. In addition to being a KSA council member, Massey hosts the monthly poetry slam in the Grassroots, Slamapalooza, which draws its funding from the same budget line item as Kwantlen clubs. This money allows him to award prizes for the top-scoring poets in the competition, and to pay for professional performance poets to feature at each of the slams. Slamapalooza has been running for three years now and has had a history of successful, relatively well-attended events. “My philosophy for holding events is that they’re here to benefit students, and I don’t feel we achieve that goal if we were to, say, charge cover for the events, or sell tickets,” says Massey. “I really want the events I hold to be community-building, and I don’t want to have a cost associated with keeping people out.” Massey says he has yet to submit his funding request for Slamapalooza’s 2016 season, and admits to feeling “as worried as anyone else seeking funding,” in light of the cuts. He believes that fundraising for the slam would impede his ability to hold monthly events, and if forced will consider dropping the prize money out of his funding request because he considers paying the

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Kwantlen Clubs student life at KPU will have to evolve professional performers any less than currently does “would be doing them injustice.” “[Slamapalooza is] going to have amazing year coming up,” he says. “If funded.”

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Survival of the Fittest Bassi says that, unfortunately, the KSA executive team has had to deny some funding requests already, though she claims to always follow up with students through email, to let them know what else is out there. “What we have ended up doing is going back to them and saying, ‘Look, we just don’t have the resources anymore, is there anything you can do? Can you reach out to anyone else, can the students put forward some of the money?’” says Bassi. One such club that has seen their funding request rejected is the Kwantlen Creative Writing Guild. President Winston Le says when he learned about the denial of funds he initially believed he had filled out the planning tool incorrectly. After Bassi informed him that the KSA was looking for clubs to start fundraising their own events, he claims to have been caught “totally unaware” by the development, largely due to his club’s history of successful funding requests. The event Le was applying for was a semester-end reading, and like Slamapalooza he was seeking funds to pay a professional writer to take part in the event. “We did one last [spring], basically the same kind of planning tool, and the KSA approved it right away,” says Le. In Bassi’s follow-up email, detailing alternate sources of funding

to help sponsor the reading, she suggested the Student Educational Enhancement Fund, though Le says that specific funding could not be applied to his event, and that the deadline for requests had already passed by the time he received Bassi’s email. The Writing Guild’s previous reading cost the student association $800 when it was approved in the spring, and by Le’s estimate it attracted around 50 attendees. The event’s success was in part attributed to the fact that it was held at the Newton Cultural Centre, which required the lion’s share of their funds to book. Now, due to the reduction in funding, Le is doubtful his club will have the means to book that space again this coming spring. Not every club, however, is struggling to adapt to the new, conservative environment of clubs and events spending. As Bassi says, some student groups are understanding of the financial realities, and are already working diligently within their means. The Kwantlen Gaming Guild has long been seen as a paradigm of student activity. It boasts by far the largest membership of any club on the KSA’s roster and is known for holding well attended, and financially responsible, on-campus events. President Tashi Barungtsang, a marketing student and the KSA’s Surrey campus representative, takes pride in the Guild’s ability to spend the least amount of student funds while still giving students “the most out of every single dollar.” “That’s the most important aspect of the club,” says Barungtsang. “The leaders feel they owe the members a better experience, versus if they were to join another club.” In addition to its finely structured hierarchy and weekly meeting schedule, Barungtsang believes the Guild’s success lies in its highly

dedicated executive team, which works hard to foster an atmosphere where students are free to “meet new people, make friends, and have a better social life than they’re having at KPU.” “if [they’re having one] at all,” he notes. At the end of October, just as the reduction in funding was beginning to take effect, the Kwantlen Gaming Guild hosted the “Return of the Gaming Dead,” their second annual Halloweenthemed event. At the event were photo booths, gaming consoles, projectors, costume contests, and, according to Barungtsang, approximately 275 KPU students— all for the remarkably low price of $500 in student funds. At less than $2 per attendee, this is perhaps the most inspiringly frugal achievement in the history of Kwantlen clubs. “We’re changing the mindset of our executive committee to focus more on a financially sustainable model for our events,” says Barungtsang. “Although, we’ve already taken drastic measures in reducing our event costs over the entire year, we’ve now needed to reduce our costs by even more.” According to the Guild’s Vice President, Tanvir Singh, the executives of the KGG have a rigorous method for making sure they are as responsible as possible with the funding they receive. Starting with a “wishlist” that includes everything they and their club members could want to have at an event, they proceed to remove the more lofty or expensive ideas, whittling their list down until it is as cost effective as possible. In this way they’ve been able to cut spending on events down by half, or more, while still drawing Kwantlen students in by the hundreds. “It’s irresponsible as a club to be using

Danielle George

student money to throw on any type of event as we please. We try to be, as much as we can, responsible with the fees and with the funding that the KSA gives us,” says Barungtsang. Singh believes his club will largely remain unaffected by the cuts, but still hopes to set a fiscal example for other student groups at Kwantlen. “I wouldn’t approve of other clubs just willy-nilly grabbing new things, like shiny new controllers and stuff, so we’re going to act the same way,” he says. “We want to lead the way for other clubs to use as little money as possible.” When they are not presiding over the Gaming Guild, both Barungtsang and Singh sit on the KSA’s standing committee for student life. Singh was even recently appointed chairperson of the committee, a position from which Singh hopes to “consult” students looking to hold future events on how to be financially responsible.

Taller Trees, Longer Necks “We are a community that’s all pulling out from the same bucket,” says Singh. “And if a couple of us take more out of the bucket, there’s not going to be enough left for the rest of us.” One method of keeping the bucket from being completely drained that has been discussed amongst both the student life committee and the KSA executive team has been the implementation of an “invisible bank account.” Under this model, clubs—who are not allowed to hold actual, external bank accounts—could fundraise for the events the wish to hold and “bank” that money with the student association. The KSA, in seeing that that club has taken the initiative to reduce costs to the student body, would then feel justified in allocating funding for their event. “This is hard to say as a club leader, but I feel like we, as a community, need to start to fundraise,” says Singh. “Even as individuals. As a community of club leaders, we should have a community where we expect to fundraise at least a little bit.” This increased reliance on fundraising and outside sources for club finances comes as a stark contrast to the previous liberal culture of event spending on the part of the KSA, but Bassi remains optimistic that the budget cuts will ultimately prove to be a boon for student life. “I’m hoping that with the reduction in funding, students are going to step up more and actually have more student life on campus,” she says, “Because when they’re out there they’re going to engage, and so students are going to be more engaged.” Some clubs, like the Gaming Guild, will likely continue to thrive despite, or in part because of, a culture of scarce funds. But others may struggle to hold events or retain their membership over the coming year. “I think they just need to adapt to the changes,” says Barungstang. “This is Darwinism. If you don’t adapt you’re going to get left behind. This is the situation that we’re in. We can’t change it, we can’t sit there and complain about. That’s not going to get us anywhere.”

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Is Religion Relevant in the 21st Century? Belief is on the decline around the world, what can the church offer us now?

Kyle Prince

CONTRIBUTOR “God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers?” — Friedrich Nietzsche In Canada, the number of people, specifically teens and young adults, who belong to a religion has been steadily dropping, while the number of people who are religiously unaffiliated—either secular, atheist, or the like—has been growing larger and larger. The Pew Research Center tallied numbers from 1971 until 2011 and found that the most popular religions in Canada in 1971 were Protestant and Catholic, collecting 41 per cent and 47 per cent of the population respectively. In that time, the religiously unaffiliated made up only four per cent of the population. Fast-forward to 2011 and these numbers drastically change. Protestants only make up 27 per cent of the population while the Catholics are keeping their numbers high with 39 per cent. The big change comes from the unaffiliated, which jumped up to 24 per cent of the Canadian population. Though, it should be noted, these statistics aren’t always the most reliable way to learn of people’s true beliefs. “It’s notoriously difficult to get reliable data on this,” says Colin Ruloff, professor of philosophy at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. Ruloff cautions that the statistics don’t reflect the intricacies of certain belief systems, such as instances of atheists who accept universal spirits, or religious people don’t necessarily believe in God. “Moreover, a lot of people seem to think that a rejection

of organized religion somehow entails an acceptance of atheism. This is pretty clearly not the case—one can reject organized religion but still retain, in some broad sense, belief in God as a universal or creative force.” Despite this, Ruloff is of the opinion that atheism, which is defined as the firm belief that God does not exist, is “on the rise globally.” According to the statistics used above, this rise in atheism is largely reflective of a younger, more sceptical generation. There was an eight-point jump in the religiously unaffiliated over just 10 years, from 21 to 29 per cent by the end of the last decade, largely due to the secularism of people born in 1970 or later. Ethan Vanderleek, a Christian Reformed Chaplain for the Kwantlen MultiFaith Centre, believes that we are now living in a “secular age.” “As we become more rational and scientific, we’ll obviously see the need for less religion,” says Vanderleek. “We are surrounded by multiple pressures—even if you hold a position very firmly, you know there are others who hold different positions, so it doesn’t matter. That’s what makes our age secular. You can’t assume others hold the same perspective or worldview as you.” In Ruloff’s experience, it’s the marketplace of new ideas—where inquiring minds can be exposed to any sort of belief system they desire—that leads young people towards atheism. Of the myriad of choices, he cites the social political “New Atheism” movement of the early 2000s as a contributing philosophy.

“During this time the New Atheists made numerous appearances on the news and talk shows, gave public lectures, made films, held conferences, and made headlines by attacking prominent religious figures, such as Mother Teresa,” says Ruloff. “I’m pretty sure that these initiatives —initiatives that were ultimately aimed at showing that religious belief is fundamentally irrational and contrary to reason, and that there exists a broad consensus among experts on this— helped contribute to the current rise of atheism among teens in Canada, the US, and in Europe.” The wide variety of choices in what to believe can make it more difficult for someone to devote themselves to one specific idea, as competing ideologies vie for the public’s attention. That is the primary thought behind modern secularism, that while we’re open to learning more about other cultures and other systems of belief, the consequence of this melting pot is a shift in our priorities. We no longer dive into one group, but instead we dip our toes into many pools to test the waters. Chaplain Vanderleek agrees, saying there is certainly an “increased suspicion” on the part of the general populace in regards to tradition or institutional religion. “The idea is still that we don’t want to accept the prejudices of the tradition that came before us,” he says. “The name of the game today is to be open-minded and hospitable, and I think that those are good things—but I would also say that it’s impossible to be absolutely open-minded. Everyone comes from a par-

ticular perspective, but what we’ve abandoned now is allowing our group perspectives to be shaped by a tradition.” When considering the decline in religious affiliation, Vanderleek says that the existence of “religious violence” has likely turned people away from the church. But he laments the idea that what we need to solve the problem of religious violence is less religion. “That’s the narrative we’ve been fed since the enlightenment. I think that that’s not exactly right, because you need to think, ‘Where do we find the resources for harmony and peace, if not in tradition?’” “A lot of the benefits we enjoy in our society didn’t emerge out of nowhere,” says Vanderleek. “They came from a particular tradition, and they emerged from a particular evolution of thought and history and practice. That depends very heavily—especially in the West—on the Christian tradition. But that’s not the only tradition. Muslim tradition, Middle Eastern tradition—they’ve all contributed to how we understand what it is to be human. So we can’t divorce ourselves from them so easily.” It remains to be seen definitively whether the influx of atheistic thought is a good thing or a bad thing for humanity. Ruloff believes that, if the rise of secularism is due to New Atheism, it might not be inherently beneficial, as the movement, “makes religious belief comically simplistic, and they give the mistaken impression that there is a broad consensus amongst experts on this.” “As any student in my philosophy of religion class will tell you, the issues regarding the rationality of theistic belief are complex, intellectually challenging, and highly controversial,” he says. “Arriving at any definitive conclusions on these matters is enormously difficult.” As Vanderleek puts it, “There isn’t less religion—we’re just religious beings who have chosen different objects of worship.”

Kenny Chui

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A Healthier KPYou

Thrive Week tells us how to stay physically and mentally healthy on campus Kyle Prince & Monica Mah CONTRIBUTORS

No matter the campus, all Kwantlen Polytechnic University students face similar problems. But whether you’re looking for good place to eat or a relaxing way to destress after exams, there are resources available for the beleaguered eagle, and Thrive Week provided a way to get to know them better. According to Jennifer MacArthur, KPU’s manager of student services, Thrive Week has been happening for the past six years at just nine universities across Canada. It began right here in B.C., though, when UBC kicked off the first Thrive week in 2009. And this year they challenged KPU to host our own. “Initially it was awareness of mental health, [which] is still the emphasis. But I think that the approach to mental health, or supporting good mental health, is a holistic approach,” says MacArthur. Since its inception, the focus of Thrive Week has grown to include general fitness and well-being. As MacArthur explains, the main goal of week is to “highlight the existing services and activities on campus to support health and wellness, and to host a couple feature events,” that also contribute to mental and physical well-being. To help support mental health on campus, there were mindfulness sessions, prayer rooms, and counselling services available for students. For people interested in fitness there was a run—or walk— session called “fit, fun, fast” at lunch hour. To balance the activities, there were boards offered on each campus for students and staff to write about what they’re grateful for and playing cards so that they could enjoy each other’s company. As part of the challenge, UBC dared Kwantlen to host a bigger yoga event than their own, which also provided the thrill of competition. “Personally, I was excited for the yoga class,” says MacArthur. “It was cool to know we’re both pursuing a healthminded and social aspect.” Even though Thrive Week is over, there’s no excuse to simply lapse into a sedentary lifestyle. There are still plenty of ways to remain active and relatively stress-free at Kwantlen, the first of which is something that gets delivered straight to your Kwantlen inbox.

Student Health 101 “Student Health 101 is focused on all around health and wellness in the broader sense, which means we look at everything from programming around campus to events and articles within the magazine,” says Nick Bransford, KPU’s student services events and communications coordinator. “It’s not just about health in the medical or physical sense.” In fulfillment of its mandate, Student Health 101 is loaded with tips for fitness, healthy recipes, how to cope with stress, and even study habits. Some specific pieces featured in Student Health 101 included “Things that students wished they had figured out sooner,” and “How to workout

at home.” Bransford says his favorite piece was the “First Generation” article, a piece about students who are new to Canada finding their way through post-secondary education. “I felt like it provided a really nice, relatable piece, and I’m someone who’s been in Canada my entire life,” he says.

Peer Support Group Then there’s the Peer Support Group, which coordinators Jennifer Lingbaoan and Alisha Chauhan say provides “one-on-one support for students,” and allows them to talk with a volunteer about anything that might be going on in their lives. And since all the volunteers are also students, they hope anyone who visits will find it easier to open up, knowing the volunteers have probably gone through many similar issues. Beyond the support sessions, the Peer Support Group also hosts mental health awareness events, such as the Sexpo just last month. Beginning soon they will provide peer-led workshops, also run entirely by student volunteers. One such workshop will be about test taking, as final exam time is fast approaching and many of the volunteers felt passionate about wanting to help their fellow students shed the stress of impending exams. The Peer Support Group was heavily involved with Thrive Week, hosting the “Munch a Bunch” table, which promoted healthy snacking. The table got snacks together for students so that they could drop by and pick up something healthy on the way to their next class.

Active KSA Of course, you can’t be healthy without staying active, which is why Active KSA, a recreational program offered through the student association, is there for students. “Our basic programs are outdoors— hiking, water sports, and other outdoor sports—to provide students with an outlet to be active outdoors,” says Active KSA leader Victor Cortez. The events held by the Active KSA are typically those outside of what most people would even consider doing or putting together by themselves, which is why they are all so group-oriented. Active KSA hosts about one event per week, all of which are free for Kwantlen students. The scavenger hunt, Cortez’ favorite event, was held downtown around the Vancouver Waterfront area, and had contestants finding landmarks, people, or sculptures “that are very Vancouver,” which allowed students to explore their hometown. Currently their plans are to go dragon boating, and fortunately Cortez is intent on finding a good coach so that having experience isn’t a requirement for the event. “A lot of the misconception about dragon boating is strength,” says Cortex, “[that] if you don’t have the technique, your back’s going to break the second you start paddling.” But that’s not the case. If you’re letting your inexperience keep you from dragon boating, then never fear. There will be plenty of other inexperienced people—literally and figuratively—in the same boat as you.

KPU Rec If you don’t feel like going too far from home, but still want to stay active, KPU Rec is the place for you. According to Emily Taylor, someone involved with the program, KPU Rec provides “health and fitness opportunities through free fitness classes,” and a host of other programs like intramural tournaments in a variety of different sports, most of which can last for weeks. KPU Rec is currently trying to expand beyond being a purely physical resource for students. They’re aiming to include mental, spiritual, emotional, and social support as well, since they’re “trying to build all of those parts of an individual, and build them all together at KPU,” according to Taylor. Right now, though, they’re focusing on walking and running groups like the Sun Run clinics. One very health-conscious event that happens to be Taylor’s favourite event is the Movember Dodgeball tournament. “It’s always lots of fun and always seems to draw a lot of people,” she says. As a bonus it’s also a charity event, with the proceeds going towards the Movember Foundation for men’s health.

Grassroots All this running around can work up a student’s appetite. That’s when the discerning Kwantlenite (Kwantlonian?) makes their way to the Grassroots café, KPU’s studentsupport eatery. Every day offers a different healthy breakfast, and Adam Rhode, the Grassroot’s manager, makes sure that every morning meal comes with a vegetarian option.

Salads, Paninis, organic turkey meat, organic vegetables—the Grassroots always tries to stay healthy, local, and ahead of the curve. Everything on the menu is made to order, meaning that the items can be changed on the fly, and therefore completely customizable. Don’t like sour cream? It’s gone. Don’t want mustard? Mustard is dead to you. Nothing there is ever deep fried, so people are able to pick out their favorites and know that they’re staying healthy. Sure, some of the items might lean more towards the “treats” side of things, but hey, splurging on fries every once in a while won’t kill you. So many resources, so little time. The semester might almost be over, but don’t let that stop you—there are plenty of groups and events to get involved with, getting healthy isn’t a short term goal. The people and groups mentioned here are just a good way to get started on your journey to fitness and well-being. Use them, talk to them, eat them responsibly, and find out what they’ve got coming up next. Or better yet, if you’ve got your own ideas, don’t be afraid to approach any of these groups and get them to help you help others.

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Is equal representation visible in a photo? Economical and generational classes altering prioritization of issues Louis Marta-Widjaja CONTRIBUTOR

What does it mean to have equal representation in parliament? Party leaders are inclined to prioritize all the factors that make attractive photo-ops, such as equal race and gender representation. The Liberal party aimed to appoint an equal gender cabinet, and has seen eight MPs of indigenous heritage elected. The NDP has seen two of its own elected, making a record-breaking 10 in the House of Commons. In this way, the Canadian government has made impressive advances in appoint-

ing an equally representative cabinet, but it remains to be seen if that will change the prioritization of issues when it comes to economic representation. Do we have a voice in parliament that looks out for the interests of the economically downtrodden who cannot afford large donations to political parties? Heck, do we have a voice in parliament that looks out for young people? According to a study at the Broadbent Institute—the Millennial Dialogue Report—70 per cent of voters aged 15 to 34 feel ignored by politicians, with 60 per cent feeling that politicians care more for older Canadians than for young people. Generation Squeeze, a project in UBC researching generational

PMO- Adam Scott

inequality in Canada, states that the Conservative government spent only 18 cents on young people for every dollar they spent on a retiree. Is this the kind of providence we show to those who are continually struggling to be able to afford homes or families? There should be a change in policy to reflect the increasingly difficult challenges young people face in comparison to the days past. The Globe and Mail said that people in their 20s today go through a lot more hurdles in comparison to 20 years ago, with diminished job security, growth of temporary work, rising costs for food, record debt levels, tuition, and housing. Young people today are also less likely to retire with a company pension in comparison to their parent’s generation. A large portion of youth who declined voting find politics unappealing because they distrust politicians and don’t believe the parties address their issues. The image is that Joe Millionaire sends thousands of dollars in party donations and gets to see the leaders in person, while a student up to their eyes in debt would be lucky to receive a personalized and thorough e-mail reply. Class representation in politics should be prioritized far more than racial or gender profiles in this way, because economic status is something that affects everyone, no matter what colour or gender you are. The issues of the poor and struggling seldom acquire a voice in parliament. Can a cabinet of wealthy or middle-classed land owners pri-

oritize the plight of someone who struggles through multiple jobs to try to secure their first mortgage? Regardless all of this, during the election, the four major political parties had promised $18- to $20-billion in additional annual spending for 18 per cent of Canadians who will be age 65 and older in 2019. This is more than the combined budget of the Conservatives, Liberal and NDP parties for investing in those 45 and younger, who represent 55 per cent of the population. Equal representation in parliament is a noble goal to aspire to and the advances that the Liberal party has committed to are a big step towards that goal, but we still have a long ways to go in terms of having unbiased representation. An economical class representation would be more significant as it brings comparison to the issues faced by the most vulnerable in our society: the poor and the struggling. This is especially important in this generation as conditions have changed drastically in comparison to previous generations—Generation Squeeze claims that two incomes today barely bring as much as one income would bring in the 1970s. Today’s families are forced to abandon time at home and money because of the aging population’s interests. An equal representation would see a solution where benefit is mutual between all people.

What would KPU have been if we didn’t rescind the Trans Mountain Memoradum of Understanding? A glimpse into an alternative future Stephanie Davies The Trans Mountain Expansion Project accumulated a lot of controversy since filing its facilities application to the National Energy Board on Dec. 16, 2013. The controversy is due to its expansion plan set between Strathcona County, Alberta, and Burnaby, B.C. The Metro Vancouver regional board has formally opposed the pipeline expansion due to the possible occurrence of an oil spill and its evident impacts on the environment. The Tseil-Waututh Nation has also rejected the expansion plan, arguing that the consequences of an oil spill would affect their culture. In June 2015, the TMEP proposed an memorandum of understanding to Kwantlen. An MOU means that there’s a formal agreement between parties. Had KPU not rescinded the Trans Mountain MOU, this would have meant $300,000 worth of funds spanning over 20 years, including student awards and partial operating funds for the Environmental Protection Technical lab. The stakes were high but the conditions were anthing but flawless. The debate circulated around campus with many students opposed to the idea, including the Kwantlen Student Association, who spoke out against it.

The University of Calgary has been criticized lately for “bending over backwards” to accommodate the PR of Enbridge (the energy delivery company that the Northern Gateway pipeline project would be developed by). Enbridge has expected that the University of Calgary would form a partnership with a university in Michigan, in what appears to be an attempt to recuperate it’s negative corporate image after an oil spill occurred in Michigan in July 2010. Another university that could potentially suffer in terms of PR is Thompson Rivers University. TRU and Trans Mountain have entered into their own MOU, where there will be a $500,000 contribution over 20 years toward funding annual awards for students in various programs at the university. These controversies beg the question: would KPU have suffered a similar fate with Trans Mountain? This type of controversy tends to burn deep into even respectable reputations—it wouldn’t have just altered our environmental situation, it would also have had a profound impact on our culture. The university would have had to realign their values in making this decision, striking an uneasy balance between the funds needed for students and the burden of regulations set by TMEP. Since it feels like the majority of organizations in Metro Vancouver are on the same side in dealing with the expansion plan, it

would have been permanently damaging to KPU’s reputation had the university publicly supported this project. It would have created a PR nightmare, had those associated with KPU publicly justified their support of the project. Ultimately, it would have hurt the student population, knowing that their university hadn’t consulted with them or cared to ask for their input. They likely would have felt like their voices, as students, remained powerless in all this controversial ambiguity. The worstcase scenario would have been that, due to the negative PR, the university would have found it challenging to recruit students and hire new faculty. This kind of environmental risk reso-

nates heavily with many of us on the West Coast: if it harms our environment, altering the ways in which we live our lives, nothing can prove that it’s a just cause. It’s undeniable that oil spills cause devastating amounts of damage to our oceans and wildlife--this has been proven time and time again. When the environmental risks run higher than the potential economic gains of the project, how does this speak to our value system? We’re deemed one of the “greenest” places to live in the world, yet this one project could have permanently dampened our efforts and our potential in upholding our environment for future generations. That’s all it takes—one more spill, as we look past the point of no return.

Natalie Mussell

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Science Explained Debunking the red wine myth Danica Johnston COLUMNIST

Red wine is well known for its ability to lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. However, alcohol is far from a health food. Some medical professionals are recommending individuals drink one to two glasses of red wine a night. The studies show a J-curve trend that suggests heart disease risk is lowered in individuals who drink a glass of wine every night, but that advantage is quickly cancelled out and reversed when the amount of alcohol increases. Considering the effects of alcohol—is it really something we should be consuming everyday? A study from the British Medical Journal called, “Light to Moderate intake of alcohol, drinking patterns, and risk of cancer: results from two prospective US cohort studies” indicates that even light drinkers, who consume one glass per day, could improve their heart health by cutting back. The well known health benefits of red wine are due to resveratrol, an antioxidant found in the skin of red grapes, and one glass of red wine has approximately 0.50mg. Two significant studies were conducted to examine the beneficial properties of resveratrol. The first is the Harvard study, “Resveratrol improves health and survival of mice on a high-calorie diet,” and used a relatively

high dosage, which would be equivalent to 3360mg per day day for a 150 pound individual. This study was controversial, since it couldn’t determine that a realistic amount of resveratrol could produce beneficial effects such as DNA repair. Concurrently, BioMarker Pharmaceuticals were finishing up a similar study using a relatively low dose of 261mg per day for a 150 pound individual. This study found that resveratrol’s anti-aging properties were effective in a lower dosage. Individuals interested in the health benefits of resveratrol, such as increased metabolism, DNA repair, and regulation of cell

death, should consider supplementing with resveratrol rather than drinking wine, which carries higher risk and provides an arguably insignificant dosage. There is a fine line between red wine being healthy and being harmful. Although individuals are reaching for red wine to fight premature aging and increased metabolism, realistically, red wine is not the best way to do this. Alcohol is dehydrating and depletes the body of vitamin A, which helps skin-cell regeneration. Alcohol is high in calories, and although resveratrol can help increase metabolism, you would need to consume a lot of alcohol, thus a lot of calories to get

enough resveratrol to be significant. “New research shows that even moderate amounts of alcohol have negative effects on the brain,” said psychiatrist Daniel Amen. “One study found that people who drink three times a week have smaller brains than do non-drinkers.” Dr. Mark Hyman says that more than two to three glasses of wine a week increases the risk of dementia, depression, and Type 2 diabetes that leads to high blood pressure and heart disease. Alcohol is a depressant and is harmful to psychological health, and what little benefit a glass of wine can offer a person is offset by the damage of alcohol.

Quinn Dombrowski

Artist Spotlight Empty alone, better together: an interview with Mason McMorris of Comfort

Aly Laube COLUMNIST

Mason McMorris lives for the little things. It’s part of what gives Comfort an ambient and immersive sound, along with their signature three-guitar setup. McMorris, Conner Elmes, and Alex Kappel each play electric guitar alongside bassist Tristyn Ginter and drummer Austin Smith-Greaves. By the time this lineup was finalized, McMorris had traded his car for a Fender Jazzmaster, and soon after the band released their first EP, February. The debut features Ola Kado, who occasionally records harmonies and strings for the group. She lives in Montreal and is not available for live performances, but she’s a crucial part of the recorded sound. Kado can be heard on both February and the upcoming EP, Sanctuary, which were recorded in McMorris’s home. “It’s nice to know that a band can get a decent sound out of their living room and not drop a couple thousand dollars or have it sound like a fuzzy demo,” he says. Choosing to record from home was an economic decision for Comfort, who consider themselves, “just five broke dudes playing music.” McMorris’s hope for their first LP is to record it in a studio environment, but for now, they’re focusing on the publication of Sanctuary. The record—which was released on Nov. 21—is a step towards a more defined sound for the group. “There’s a lot

more experimentation with sounds and time signatures on this one. We took a little bit of a math rock approach with it, whereas February was entirely post-rock.” “I worked a lot harder on my vocals, too,” says McMorris. “I screamed in my other bands, but Comfort was the first time I ever really experienced singing in one. Doing that over the last year has really improved my abilities, which I tried to show on Sanctuary.” As proved by “Vacancy”, a song released in preparation for the full EP, Comfort’s sound will remain recognizable. They will continue to use as many pedals and as much reverb as possible, and of course, they will maintain their three-guitar setup. Having three guitarists means that each one has to keep their playing fairly minimalistic. As McMorris explains, they “can’t really all be doing something crazy or it’ll sound like a big mess.” “Like, in some songs, I’ll just play one chord and let it ring out while the other guys do something else. We try to turn it all into one big picture.” This is where the obsession with “little things” comes in. Instead of centring a song around a catchy riff or a series of power chords, Comfort combines several, smaller fragments to produce a fuller product. McMorris first discovered the “big picture” approach when he got into shoegaze, post-rock, and emo. They’re the three genres that Comfort identifies with, and they can’t seem to pick just one. Their lack of an exclusive label could be attributed to the eclectic

nature of the bandmates’ musical tastes, or perhaps because there are parts of every genre in their work. They have the fuzz and delay of shoegaze, the “spacey ambiguity” of post-rock, and the melodic tendencies of emo, with plenty of overlap in between. “We’re kind of a sum of those three parts, but people could call us a reverb-washed indie rock band,” says McMorris. “Maybe a sad indie rock band. When we first made our Facebook page, our genre was just ‘sad.’ I think our description on our Twitter is ‘Five guys, reverb and cries.’”

Comfort is McMorris’s seventh band, “not including side projects,” but it’s also the first attempt at exhibiting his softer side. As it develops, it’s also becoming a channel for collaboration between the other members, but for now, McMorris writes it all. Conner, Alex, Tristyn, and Austin help give the music life both on and off stage by bringing the little things together, and as a group, the bandmates paint a bigger picture.

Comfort

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Going Global Sabre rattling in the South China Sea Danica Johnston COLUMNIST

The South China Sea remains an unlit powder keg. Over the last several months, the Chinese have been dredging the seabed, literally building islands on which to construct small military bases. On Nov. 18, Barack Obama called on China to stop this construction. For the last few years, the region has seen increasing tension, with Japan changing their laws to allow for further use of their military and China going so far as to purchase an aircraft carrier. The situation is compounded by several other nations such as South Korea, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia, claiming ownership over a handful of the disputed islands. At face value, it seems silly to get upset over a few islands that are barely the size of Vancouver’s airport. Some politicians from these countries have made impassioned pleas for these islands, claiming that they’re part of their heritage. The real reason these islands are desired is due to their strategic importance, as well as the resources they provide access to. If you own an island, you also own a large area around it, as per international law. Over $5-trillion per year in trade passes through the territory that China is claiming. Though Obama said last week that the Chinese should stop building islands, the

United States backs no one nation for island ownership in the region. The Americans simply want trade routes to remain safe and open, and the trade routes in the South China Sea are vital to international trade. The Chinese want more control over the area because they maintain a very realist perspective on military matters. They realize that if the Americans ever wanted to, they could easily blockade their trade routes, even though the chances of that ever happening are zero to none. Even though the Americans take no official stance over who owns which island, they have taken a stance against China. In strongly worded letters, Obama has said that the Chinese are taking things too far by rattling their sabres. The Americans have since announced $250-million in military assistance to other countries to help stand up to China. In addition, Secretary of Defense, Ash Carter, said in a statement last month that the U.S. Navy will “fly, sail and operate” wherever international law permits them to. The Chinese have started to see any movement of American vessels in the area as provocative, while every other nation with a claim doesn’t seem to. The Vietnamese and the Philippines in particular are quite happy to see the Americans backing them up. The Philippines will receive two ships from the U.S., a coast guard, a cutter and a research vessel, which they will use to patrol their 200

Rosaura Ojeda

nautical mile exclusive economic zone, as described by the U.N. There are a few islands that seem very much at the midpoint between two states, such as the Liancourt rocks, which are roughly halfway between Korea and Japan. China, though, is essentially claiming land that’s on the other side of the sea—the Spratly Islands are right next to the Phillipines and Malaysia, but China claims ownership of them. It’s here that China continues to dredge sand up to reefs, and it has been estimated that the Chinese have constructed 8.1 square kilometres of land since 2014. Let’s not forget the United States. While

they’re trying to uphold international law, this international law happens to benefit them. The U.S. has trade and defense treaties with almost every state in the region, and should the Trans-Pacific Partnership be signed into law, they’ll have extensive trade relationships as well, just not with China. We should remember that this isn’t a hot zone. No weapons have been discharged in this dispute. In fact, American and Chinese ships were at one point crossing each other in the night, with the Americans offering “pizza and wings” and asking them what they were doing over the weekend. The Chinese would respond by talking about their families, and places they had visited.

in the cabinet are coming from more diverse ethnic backgrounds, such Harjit Singh Sajjan, an immigrant from India who is now Canada’s newly appointed Minister of National Defence. They have men and women of colour and even two members with a physical disability. It is fair to say Trudeau’s cabinet is so far Canada’s most colourful one in history. Trudeau has added two cabinet members who represent an important image of Canada: Jody Wilson-Raybould and Hunter Tootoo, both of whom are representatives for indigenous people. First Nations Chief Perry Bellegarde told CBC News that Trudeau’s appointment of two indigenous MPs to cabinet is part of a “new era of reconciliation.” Bellegarde was impressed that

out of the only eight indigenous members of parliament, two were appointed to cabinet. “It sends a powerful statement about inclusion and it sends a powerful statement about the reconciliation that is going to be required in rebuilding a new relationship between Canada and Indigenous Peoples,” Bellegarde told CBC in an interview after the appointments were made public. As positive and progressive as Trudeau’s gender-balancing agenda seems, he has received criticism and backlash for this change in politics. Many are concerned that Trudeau is being gender-biased when picking his cabinet members, picking half women for the sake of gender and ethnicitybalancing instead of choosing those who are actually qualified for the position. However, it should be argued that Trudeau is capable of appointing 15 women for the sake of gender balancing while still making sure these women are qualified for the job. Unlike many politicians, Trudeau has never shied away from being associated with the “feminist” title. In fact, he often proudly reminds the nation that he is indeed a feminist and does openly discuss feminist issues when the discussion arises instead of trying to dodge it. He’s spoken up about being pro-choice, the issue of GamerGate, and his support for women’s political equality. So far, Justin Trudeau has proven to be a decent representation of intersectional feminism and hopefully he’ll keep bringing up his feminist ideals throughout his political career.

The “F” Word Justin Trudeau’s gender-balanced cabinet

Aileen Tran COLUMIST

“Because it’s 2015,” Trudeau shrugged after a reporter asked why one of his priorities as the new Prime Minister of Canada was to make his cabinet gender balanced. Trudeau’s nonchalant answer caught the nation’s attention and won many feminists hearts, like that of actress Emma Watson, who was so smitten by Trudeau’s answer that she tweeted: “Coolest thing I’ve seen in a while. Love U Canada.” During an “Up For Debate” interview with journalist Francine Pelletier, Trudeau described himself as a “proud feminist,”

and claimed that he has always encouraged more women to be politically involved. At first, I was curious to know whether or not Trudeau’s brand of feminism was merely “white feminism,” but so far it has proven not to be. Trudeau did a great job making sure his cabinet was not made up entirely of able-bodied white men—after all, it would not be a true image of Canada if it were. Trudeau is right, it is 2015 and we are way overdue for a cabinet that has a fair representation of women. Trudeau’s cabinet has been filled with fresh faces that Canada has been yearning for, with women such as Maryam Monsef, an immigrant from Afghanistan, and Bardish Chagger, whose family immigrated from India. Even the men

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