The Runner Volume 9, Issue 2

Volume 09 // Issue 02

News KPU Signs MOU with Beijing University

September 27 2016

Culture Improv Workshops Free for KPU Students

THE LONG LINE FOR STUDENT

HOUSING ABCS campaigns to allow universities to accrue debt for on-campus residences

Opinion How to Save Money as a Student

R

THE RUNNER

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

02 Table of contents

04

staff

News | Memorandum of Understanding Signed Between KPU and Beijing University of Chinese Medicine

KPU President Alan Davis was photographed in China this month next to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Xu Anlong, president of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine.

Coordinating Editor

08 10 16 18

Tristan Johnston editor@runnermag.ca

Managing Editor

culture | KPU Grad Offers Kwantlen Improv Workshops

Connor Doyle managing@runnermag.ca

On Sept. 19 the first of many Kwantlen Improv sessions was hosted by local performer and former KPU student Daniel Chai.

Production Manager

Danielle George production@runnermag.ca

Features | Making Room for Student Housing in B.C.

Art Director

Scott McLelland art@runnermag.ca

“Student housing houses everyone,” reads a tagline from the Alliance of BC Students’ recently-launched campaign to get student residences constructed across the province.

Photo Editor

Kier-Christer Junos photos@runnermag.ca @kierjunos

Staff Writer

Opinions| How to Save Money as a Student

Alyssa Laube staff@runnermag.ca

According to the Canadian Federation of Students, 65 per cent of the province’s fulltime undergraduate student population is in debt.

Web Editor

Joseph Keller web@runnermag.ca

Operations Manager

COLUMN | How Psychedelics Sent Three Friends into Music

Scott Boux office@runnermag.ca 778.565.3801

“I think acid and shrooms just really promote free thinking,” says Bettcher. “That kind of mindset influenced where we are musically, being experimental now.”

#BestPhoto

#FeatureTweets Northern Star Justin @Tawahum @Runnermag September 13th issue has no horoscope. What the hell?!

Argel Monte de Ramos @Amdr13 Getting used to how the cars move the other way around here at UK. it’s sooo weird. #exchange @KwantlenU #KPUCampusLife

KwantlenU @KwantlenU Perfect throwback for the first official day of Fall! This was taken last November!

KPU Creative Writing @KwantlenCRWR Festival day @WORD_Vancouver is this Sunday! Amazing writers, fun activities & 10 venues, all for free.

Fall Semester 2016 Student Publication Fee Opt-Outs available in person Sept. 27 - Oct. 28.

Student ID & Proof of registration and payment required.

PIPS Office: Arbutus 3710, Surrey Campus.

Arbutus 3710/3720 12666 72 Ave. Surrey, B.C, V3W 2M8 778.565.3801 www.runnermag.ca Vol. 09, Issue no. 2 September 27, 2016 ISSN# 1916 8241

Contributors Aileen Tran Calvin Borghardt Isabella Scholda Keith Harris Kyrsten Downton Louis Marta-Widjaja

Melissa Pomerleau Nat Mussell Nicole Kwit Shandis Harrison Stephanie Davies Tommy Nguyen

Cover

Experimenting in many mediums, Nat Mussell takes pride in her abilities in digital media and sculpture. She graduated from Kwantlen Polytechnic University in the Bachelors of Fine Arts in 2015 and is currently swing dancing her way in the Bachelors of Education program at the University of British Columbia.

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

Editorial 03

From The Editors On diversity

The Runner Editorial Board Institutions need to be representative of the communities they serve. We see the importance of this concept reflected daily, when reports of predominantly white police forces failing to protect and serve largely black neighborhoods fill our newspapers and feeds.

The need for accurate representation is particularly crucial in media, where groups of people can see themselves and, more importantly, the narratives that are created about them.

When a minority group makes up 20 per cent of a population, but is only represented in five per cent of media stories that often perpetuate negative stereotypes, something is seriously wrong.

That goes for movies, television, advertisements, online content, literature—even univeristy newspapers.

Over the years, The Runner has been published by a diverse group of writers, artists, and editors of wildly differing backgrounds and ideologies.

Who they were as people helped determine the nature of their work, and the paper benefited from their unique insights into the stories they covered.

These days, however, a quick glance at the illustrations of our staff members on the opposite page will show you that The Runner is a little less diverse than we have been in the past.

It’s not enough to say that our intentions are good, or that we mean to cultivate a more diverse staff but have trouble finding willing applicants who

Journalism in Canada is still a very white profession, and this has prompted discourse within numerous journalism reviews worldwide on the detriment of low-diversity in newsrooms. (Philip Moreau Chevrolet/Flickr)

are not white and male. It’s on us to reach out to groups who are not represented in the paper and encourage their involvement. How can The Runner claim to represent KPU students— all KPU students—if our conscious and unconscious biases affect what appears in our paper. We have a duty to them not only to be inclusive, but also representative of the demographics of Kwantlen Polytechnic University.

Last fall, KPU’s Office of Institutional Analysis and Planning conducted a survey to study the diversity of KPU students. What they found is that 20 per cent of KPU students are of Indian descent,13 per cent are of Chinese descent, six per cent are of Filipino descent, and that women make up a slight majority of the student body at 53 per cent.

While our contributor pool is more

diverse than our staff, our coverage is still hampered by a lack of accurate representation. In every issue we publish we strive to be inclusive with our coverage, printing stories that seem representative of KPU’s diversity, but without significant diversity represented in our contributors and staff members, there’s only so much good that will do. Diwali is right around the corner, and while there would be nothing wrong with assigning the story to a non-Hindu student, we need to hear the voices of students that have a personal investment in the cultures we depict. The same goes for stories about Black Lives Matter, women’s reproductive rights, and a hundred other topics.

A few issues ago, a writer pitched us a story about a lack of visible support for the LGBTQ+ community at

KPU. We worked with the author— who, as a member of that community, understood what this lack of support meant to LGBTQ+ students on campus—to set up interviews and to edit the story after it had been filed.

When we published the piece online, it quickly became one of our most shared stories, with a number of students commenting that they too had felt underrepresented and insufficiently supported during their time at KPU. This is a story we couldn’t have printed without having a team that is representative of this university’s diverse student body. As editors who aren’t members of the LGBTQ+ community, we didn’t see the problem until it was brought to our attention. And once the piece was published, it spoke to students who were experiencing that problem. It told them they were not alone.

Media is a powerful tool for reinforcing norms, even when that’s not the intent of those who create it. When The Runner depicts KPU through our publication and website, we establish narratives about what goes on here.

We want to make sure that those narratives fairly represent the student body in all its diversity.

In addition to our regular, ongoing search for more contributors, we will be reaching out specifically to students of colour, female students, LGBTQ+ students, and anyone else with a unique voice to contribute to our paper.

What’s Happening this week

Sept. 28 Beginner Guitar Lessons

Ever listen to “Wonderwall” and thought, “damn, I wish I could do that.” Attend this free guitar lesson and soon you might become the next guitar hero.

11 - 1 and 1 - 3, Richmond KSA Lounge, Free.

Sept. 29 UBC Treewalk & Gardens

Fall is here, lovely plumage is all around us, so it’s time to get out and enjoy it. Join Active KSA on this tour of the UBC Botanical Gardens.

2 - 4, UBC Botanical Gardens, $10 for students.

Sept. 30 KPU Ping Pong Tournament

Did you see the players in Rio? They were all POW! PA-CHOW! Take THAT! Anyway, Ping Pong is super fun. Prove you’re better at it than others with this KSA tournament.

Details TBD, Free.

oct. 1

Surrey Corn Maze

KSA to Hold Campaign on Consent for KPU Students Kyrsten Downton | Contributor

News Briefs

Content warning: This article discusses sexual assault The Kwantlen Student Association says it’s time to have a conversation about consent with students.

While they are still in the very early stages of planning, the KSA is making plans for a consent campaign to coincide with Welcome Week in the spring of 2017. The campaign will focus on educating students on sexual assault.

Natasha Lopes, the KSA’s vice-president student life and women’s representative, says that the idea for the campaign came from talking to students about their experiences on campus and the prevalence of issues relating to rape culture.

“We need to do something about it. I knew that this needed to

come from the student association level because we had the direct contact with students,” says Lopes.

The KSA will be partnering with the Student Life Committee and Women Organizing Opportunities for Women for the consent campaign. Along with forums and videos, the KSA and WOOW will be bringing back open mic poetry event Slamming the Binary to compliment the consent campaign.

Lopes hopes that the campaign will help promote peer support among KPU students.

“It will be an educational campaign. It’s not just women that it hurts, it’s men, LGBTQ folks, indigenous folks. There are so many different people that are are a part of consent culture or are affected by rape culture. It has to come from a place of education,” Lopes says.

The consent campaign will also promote on-campus safety.

“Last year, we had two situa-

tions where two young women on the Richmond campus did not feel safe on campus. That isn’t what’s supposed to happen. You’re supposed to feel safe in an institution of learning. We want to make it safe. It’s part of our goals and objectives,” says Lopes.

In May of 2016, the B.C. legislature passed the Sexual Violence and Misconduct Act, which will require all universities in the province to implement sexual assault policies on campus within the next year. Lopes hopes that these new policies will help facilitate a conversation between students as well as cultivate a safer environment at KPU. “I hope that it starts to change,” says Lopes. “It’s very hard to change campus culture and it’s very hard to change student life on campus. But by having all of these different conversations and having so many different activities, I am hoping that it will start to remind students that you have to think twice.”

Get lost, but in a fun way, by walking through a corn maze with the Active KSA crew. Some say there’s a minotaur at the centre of the maze.

5- 7, Bose Farm, $3 for students.

Oct. 5

KSA Club Networking Social

If you’re a member of a student club, here’s your chance to mingle with passionate people in other fields. Writers meet artists, psychologists meet philosophers, gamers meet each other!

6 - 7:30, Location TBD, Free.

Oct. 6

Swing Dancing Lessons

Yet another cool activity from Active KSA this semester. This event will teach you the basics of swing dancing, which is all about finding the beat and having fun.

8 - 10, Rhythm City Productions, $6 for students.

04 News

Memorandum of Understanding Signed Between KPU and Beijing University of Chinese Medicine BUCM partners with KPU for continuation of acupuncture program Alyssa Laube | Staff Writer KPU President Alan Davis was photographed in China this month, grinning next to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Xu Anlong, president of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine.

By being there, Davis officiated a memorandum of understanding between KPU and BUCM—an agreement intended to encourage graduates from his institution’s Traditional Chinese Medicine program to transfer to the Beijing school to achieve their full degree. He called the signing of the memorandum “historical,” and indeed it was; the MOU is the first that BUCM has signed with a North American institution.

KPU’s acupuncture program is the only one of its kind to become a part of an established post-secondary institution in Canada. Because it’s only a two year program, those who crave more from their university career can travel to BUCM and enter into the fourth year of their five-year degree program in traditional Chinese medicine. That way, with only one additional year of schooling and the opportunity to live on another continent, graduates come out with both a diploma and a degree in their field of interest.

“Hopefully, this will generate opportunity for our own graduates, and hopefully there will be University of

Beijing graduates who will come to KPU,” says Davis.

KPU Provost and Vice President Academic Sal Ferreras says that the MOU has been in the works for several years, but KPU’s finalized Traditional Chinese Medicine program had to be approved before it could be made official. Now that it has launched, the memorandum is in full effect.

“It’s a great deal for us and a great deal for them. They also have an opportunity to have a presence that is important to them because of their basic mandate, which is to put forth an alternative medical practice,” says Ferreras. “I know that the relationship they’re looking for with KPU is a long-term relationship that will have many dimensions to it.”

While at BUCM, students will learn about Chinese medicine past the niche subject of acupuncture, delving into massage, herbology, dietary therapy, and more. Both theory and practice will be taught during that time, along with diagnoses and treatment.

With their complete credentials from BUCM, students returning to Canada are welcome to register as members of the College of Traditional Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of B.C.—a title which is needed to legally work as a practitioner.

John Yang, instructor of the Traditional Chinese Medicine program’s acupuncture course at KPU, has been

KPU President Alan Davis (right) poses with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (centre) and Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (BUCM) President Xu Anlong (left) in Shanghai, China on Sept. 1, 2016. (Prime Minister’s Office)

working in the profession for nearly 30 years. Other than the new possibilities for his students, he is excited about the MOU because of the prestigiousness of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine.

“Of course, the Chinese medicine for this Beijing TCM university is very well-known, famous,” says Yang. “As well, [BUCM] has a full TCM hospital and a large TCM library, so our students—if they choose to go there for their studies—I believe they will learn quite well and gain lots of clinical experience from the hospital study.”

Associate Dean of KPU’s Faculty of Health, Jean Nicolson-Church, be-

lieves that transferring to Beijing for school is “a fabulous opportunity” for students to advance in their careers, as well as a boost for KPU’s international image.

“I think that [the MOU] is really exciting for KPU. It really helps our reputation in an international perspective for the Faculty of Health as well,” says Nicolson-Church. “When [students] are going to make a future career in acupuncture or TCM, it will also help to [immerse] them into the culture that they will likely be working with, with clients from China or Chinese culture.”

In regards to student opportunity

in China, Yang adds that, “in a big city like Beijing, there are a lot of foreigners working there, and they need someone who is an English-speaking TCM practitioner and acupuncturist to help.”

There are still loose ends in reference to exactly how the curriculum at both KPU and BUCM will coexist and merge, discussions on which will begin “very soon,” according to Nicolson-Church. Some topics expected to be covered include “specific courses, ways to facilitate the partnership, and looking at offering again the options for students.”

Tsawwassen First Nation Farm School Teaches Students to Grow Collaboration between KPU and TFN offers hands-on learning Melissa Pomerleau | Contributor Plans for the Tsawwassen First Nation Farm School—a collaboration between the TFN and the Institute for Sustainable Food Systems at Kwantlen Polytechnic University—began back in 2015, and the school is currently in its first year of the program, with applications wide open to the public.

The part-time, 10 month-long program requires students to attend three days per week. Approximately 300 hours go into coursework in addition to the 350 to 400 hours of practicum experience on the farm, making for a unique blend of traditionally academic and hands-on tasks.

“Working on the farm is the best way to learn,” says Tsawwassen First Nation Farm School Administrative and Business Coordinator Caroline Chiu.

“The Tsawwassen First Nation were the first to approach us to see how we can collaborate, and that is how [the Farm School] all started,” says Chiu. “It brought a lot of positive recognition for KPU and we’ve got people from all over B.C., from the interior and the island, just to take this program.”

It offers 20 acres of land for students to work on, so that they can gain genuine farming skills. On that land is two acres of an orchard, two acres of mixed veggies, and a section dedicated to pigs and chickens.

All animals are pasture-raised, and while the chickens are used primarily for their eggs, there are pigs brought up for pork consumption. When the animals are ready, they are sent to Johnston’s, a family-owned butcher shop known for their high quality and high standards.

Although the program does not include a certificate or diploma upon completion, it does have amazing opportunities and resources in place for graduates to succeed in their farming endeavors. For instance, they are eligible to lease half an acre of land for up to three years.

“We call it the incubator plot, where [students] can learn, make mistakes, try out what works and what doesn’t work for them, and still have access to farm school staff, community mentors, and teachers,” says Chiu.

There are nine instructors specializing in different aspects of running and operating a farm. Courses taught in the program include Market Crop Production, Plant Science, Animal Husbandry, and Indigenous Food Systems, among others. Dr. Kent Mulli-

nix, the director of Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security at KPU, developed a number of those courses.

“Traditional agriculture education programs do not support or prepare people to engage in human-scale, ecologically sound, alternative market, community-focused agriculture and food systems that are needed for our sustainable future. Our Farm Schools are intended and designed to do just that,” says Mullinix.

Another goal of the Farm School is to give back to the community, especially the Tsawwassen First Na-

tions, for partnering and providing the farmland. By offering locally grown, organic foods, they are doing just that.

In many ways, the program operates like a business. Everything produced is eventually put to market, whether it’s for various farmer’s markets throughout the Lower Mainland or the weekly food box subscription they provide.

The box includes a variety of between nine and 12 vegetables for $25 a week, featuring a bi-weekly option of farm fresh eggs for an additional

A student harvests beets at KPU’s Tsawwassen First Nation Farming School in Delta, Aug. 25, 2016. (Tommy Nguyen)

$5. These boxes are not limited, and are conveniently dropped off at the KPU Surrey Campus upon request to allow for easier access to fresh local produce for students or faculty.

This unique program is not the only one of its kind at KPU. The university has also offered a Richmond Farm School, which operates out of the Richmond campus, but has been on a break for the 2016 year two allow for some curriculum restructuring. A major difference between this program and the Tsawwassen Farm School is the lack of indigenous roots within the Richmond program, and the fact that it uses land from The Sharing Farm Society in Richmond.

KPU has also partnered with the Delta School District to bring the Farm Roots Mini School to high school students in grades 10 to 12. This program allows students to attend their regular classes while alternating days with the Farm Roots program, providing them with hands-on experience while finishing their high school education.

Their farm consists of eight acres in the Boundary Bay area.

The Delta School District and KPU are still working out a dual credit option allowing students to collect credits for Agriculture 1150.

The KSA Brings on New CRO Ron Lauer replaces Corey Van’t Haaff as chief returning officer Alyssa Laube | Staff Writer At the end of August, the Kwantlen Student Association welcomed a new Chief Returning Officer, decided by a two-thirds resolution of Council that bade farewell to ex-CRO Corey Van’t Haaff in place of Ron Lauer.

The duties of the Chief Returning Officer pertain exclusively to running elections. As written in the Kwantlen Student Association’s bylaws, “The Chief Returning Officer shall have complete discretion and authority to conduct general elections, by-elections, and referenda in any manner [he] sees fit, provided that it is in accordance with these Bylaws and the Regulations.”

Due to the intermittently scandalous nature of the KSA’s past, it is mandatory that their CRO be hired externally, with a minimum of five years of experience with the electoral process and absolutely no prior involvement with the Association or its members.

It is also made clear in the bylaws that the CRO cannot allow any slates to run during elections.

The rules against slates can be attributed to the “Reduce All Fees” party scandal of 2005, as well as the relat-

ed group in 2011 dubbed “RAF 2.0.”

Those unfamiliar with the scandals are encouraged to look through The Runner’s online archives.

General Manager for the KSA Jeremy McElroy says that the Association has “gone to tender on a number of [its] major service agreements” within the past few years—including the campus shuttle and health and dental plan—in order to get the best deal possible. The same is true for the hiring of Ron Lauer, which has saved the Association “a significant amount of money each year,” according to McElroy.

“At the end of the day, our budget is based on student fees. We have to do our best to manage how we spend those, and so we ultimately made the decision to select a new CRO in order to bring the cost of our elections down.”

As for why they picked Lauer specifically, he had the extensive background that the Association was searching for.

“He had a great deal of experience working with large nonprofits, with aboriginal groups,” says McElroy.

“He will also be doing this work for the upcoming U.S. presidential election, but also had a number of interna-

tional election oversight groups, monitoring elections around the world.”

As CRO, Lauer was hired for an indefinite period of time, to be dismissed at the will of Council.

After working as the Chief Returning Officer at Capilano University, Lauer “thought it would be fun to work with another university.” His fifteen years of international experience, coupled with and becoming a father of two, has drawn him back to his roots where he is looking forward to bringing his expertise to local communities such as KPU. While working with students, he plans to pay particular attention to boosting voter turnout.

“I think it’s ... so important for citizens or members to have an active voice in the society that they live in,

and elections obviously urge an element of providing that voice,” says Lauer. “I think people should get involved in that process and I think that working within that sphere, I hope I can further enable people to participate.”

“Every new election is a learning opportunity and a challenge in some way, and I definitely look forward to working with the KPU community.”

Both Lauer and McElroy hope that the way elections are run will not change significantly with a new CRO, and Lauer says that he is planning to alter the process “as little as possible.” His first significant task with the Kwantlen Student Association will be working with their by-elections this fall.

By-Election to be Held for KSA councillors this Fall KSA aims to fill ten empty seats by the end of October Alyssa Laube | Staff Writer Since the elections in February, a number of Kwantlen Student Association council seats have been left cold.

Due to a of lack candidates seeking election for the positions, no one is currently representing students who attend the Cloverdale campus, who are enrolled in the field of academic and career advancement, design, health, or trades and technology, or those who identify as aboriginal, mature, or students of colour.

Together with one absent arts and business representative, that’s a total of ten vacant seats—an astounding number, considering there are only 25 positions available on council in total.

Also considering that many of those seats are designed to cater to the needs of minority groups at KPU, it is imperative that representatives are elected in order to have their voices heard within the KSA, and the university at large.

In order to address this lack of representation, the KSA will be holding a by-election this fall for potential council members. Nominations will be open from Sept. 27 to Oct. 11, with the election taking place two weeks later on Oct. 25 and 26.

All four campuses will have voting booths on their grounds, and all members of the KSA are encouraged to put their ballot forward over the two days. Students who have opted out as members of the KSA and non-students are not permitted to vote in the by-election.

The preliminary results will be released by the end of the month, likely within the last two or three days, with Oct. 29 being the earliest possible date.

Potential candidates are required to fill out a nomination form to provide proof that they are students at KPU. They also need 25 signatures from KSA members in order to be considered. After they pass that phase they will be asked for a brief written biography about themselves and their goals as a council member.

The KSA is relatively “hands-off” during the entire process, with the newly-elected chief returning officer, Ron Lauer, taking charge of most of the operation. Because there will be a new CRO during this year’s by-election, there is a chance that there may be slight changes to the process, but for the most part, it will be identical to previous years’ elections.

Jeremy McElroy, general manager

Incoming KSA Chief Returning Officer Ron Lauer poses for a photo in Sept.

2016. The CRO is in charge of elections at the KSA. (Alyssa Laube)

of the KSA, suggests that nominees “get their nomination forms in early,” rather than leaving their submission to the last minute.

“When the elections start, get out there and let students know that you’re running,” says McElroy.

“What makes a really great council member is someone who cares about their school. We really want people on student council who want to make campus a better place, who want to see

things improved, who want to do fun and interesting things for their fellow students.”

“The people who have the most energy and excitement about being at KPU, and all of the things we do, are usually the ones who have the most success and have the best time on council. Those are the people that we’re looking for.”

News 05 Housing Rally Calls to #HALTtheMADNESS Protest against Vancouver’s housing crisis held on Sept. 17 Alyssa Laube | Staff Writer The crowd outside of the Vancouver Art Gallery on Sept. 17 was passionate, outspoken, and determined to put a stop to Vancouver’s housing market crisis. It was organized by HALT— Housing Action for Local Taxpayers—a new group confident in their ability to make a difference in the city.

The rally’s goal was to demand that the provincial government lower the price of living in Vancouver. Of course, facilitating a discussion around how to improve affordability here is also expected, as is follow-through to the solutions they decide upon.

A panel of speakers were present that afternoon, with six educated panelists filling the seats. Lawyer Christine Duhaime, Assistant Professor Josh Gordon, Writer Caroline Adderson, MD Resident at Chilliwack General Hospital Dr. Darren Joneson, Chief Executive Officer of the BC Non-Profit Housing Association Associate Kishore Roy, and Professor Paul Kershaw arrived to spread their housing knowledge and opinions. #HALTtheMADNESS was the rally’s official call to action, with five elements falling under that claim: end corporate donations to political parties, immigrant investor programs, money laundering and tax fraud, AirBnB, and the destruction of affordable rentals. In essence, those points are supposedly driving the absurd price that comes with being a resident in Vancouver, whether it be directly or through a trickle-down effect. If each of them were to be terminated, supporters argue, the crisis that has been savaging Vancouver for years could finally vanish.

One of the protestors, Matthew Hay, focuses on how foreign investment is damaging the market.

“Well, I think that rent prices are ridiculously high. I think that the actual value of the home and the price at which it’s rented often differ wildly,” says Hay. “I think a significant part of it is wealthy families from overseas buying houses in Vancouver for way outside market value in order to eliminate buyer competition.”

The fight against foreign investment has received mass attention lately, with controversy about its racial undertones also being mentioned by media and citizens. The city’s newly-introduced foreign buyer tax has been the subject of both support and criticism this summer.

06 News

Does Government Funding Dictate Our Career Paths?

B.C. supports trades education to the detriment of other fields, says post-secondary teachers organisation Joseph Keller | Web Editor An organisation representing post -secondary educators in B.C. claims that the way education is being funded in the province is forcing students down career paths that they may not be suited for. Earlier this month, the Federation of Post-Secondary Educators of B.C. released a report that describes the situation in our post-secondary institutions as a crisis.

The group says that programs training students for jobs in the trades and technology sectors are receiving disproportionate funding to the neglect of programs for other fields of study.

“We’re trying to raise awareness of what’s been systemic underfunding, as far as we’re concerned, and the impact that’s had on access and affordability for post-secondary in B.C.,” says George Davison, president of the FPSE. “The burden of post-secondary education has shifted over the last two years to students and their families.”

The FPSE believes this is an issue that should concern teachers in B.C. as well as students.

“If students are less able to get into courses because institutional

decisions of cutting programs or adding more international students, then that effects our work as well as your learning conditions,” says Davison.

Much of the funding for post-secondary programs in B.C. is determined by the B.C. Skills for Jobs Blueprint, a document commissioned by the federal government to show which jobs will be in high demand in the coming years. Unsurprisingly, many of the jobs highlighted are in the technology and trades sector.

The FPSE argues that this approach creates a disparity between the funding for these areas and other fields of study, and as a result, the post-secondary system in B.C. is failing to meet the needs of many students.

“When you’re increasing the proportion of institutional funds that are directed to trades training, that takes away an institution’s ability to plan for local community needs,” says Davidson. “Things have been far more prescriptive from Victoria in recent years. That hampers the institution’s ability to meet community needs.”

Davison says that this is a particularly relevant issue in B.C. because the province already has the highest amount of student debt in the country.

“Student debt is higher [in B.C.]

Federation of Post-Secondary Educators of B.C. President George Davison speaks at a forum on controversial legislation in 2015. (dgSolidarity/YouTube)

than any other province. The interest rate on student loans is higher here than in any other province. Students here are proportionately more affected by the changes over time than other provinces,” he says.

KPU Provost and Vice President Dr. Salvador Ferreras strongly disagrees with the assertions in the FPST’s report.

“I think that the way [the issue] is represented in this report seems to not really look at a really comprehensive picture of where students’ needs are and what students have identified as important,” says Ferreras. “It’s really

hard to cast a single view of the system in a report that is this short and this limited.”

Ferreras argues that, despite the Skills for Jobs Blueprint, it is still up to individual institutions to decide what’s important in terms of program funding based on what they know about their students.

“The institutions still have the autonomy to decide what’s important to us, how we deliver it, and we make sometimes very difficult and long decisions about what is important in terms of what students need out in the world,” he says.

Dr. Ferreras remains confident that KPU and other institutions in the province are adequately meeting the needs of students and that strong student enrolment is proof of that.

“Students vote with their feet,” says Ferreras. “If we’re not providing what you need then you’ll just go elsewhere, and that certainly hasn’t been the case, because enrolment continues to be steady.”

A Generation in Debt

Post-secondary students and teachers agree that student debt has gotten out of hand Joseph Keller | Web Editor Our generation is the most debt-ridden generation in history, according to a report by the Canadian Federation of Students. The organisation cites a decline in government funding for post-secondary education as the root cause for the growing issue of wealth inequality between generations.

The Canadian Federation of Students is the largest student organisation in the country. The group advocates for better access to post-secondary education and argues that, over the years, the barriers to a quality education in Canada and abroad have become increasingly difficult for many young people to overcome.

“The trend that we’ve observed since specifically around the 90’s is that we’ve seen funding cuts to the post-secondary education sector around Canada,” says CFS Deputy Chairperson Anne Marie Roy. “This chronic lack of funding at our colleges and universities has led to a situation now where students and our families are having to take on the cost of post-secondary education.”

Average tuition fees in Canada have jumped by over 137 per cent,

according to the CFS. The problem is compounded by the fact that, while students are paying more for tuition, young people are also earning significantly less than they have in the past. According to Roy, around 50 per cent of job losses caused by the 2008 global recession were youth employment opportunities, and the number of students currently working in unpaid internships only adds to the problem of youth wealth inequality.

“We know that we’re facing an increasingly precarious labor market.

We know that there’s an estimated 300,000 students working in unpaid internships today,” says Roy. “It’s a situation where students are not being paid for their work and we think that’s incredibly problematic.”

According to the CFS, the average post-secondary student now graduates with over $28,000 worth of debt. This number is directly related to decreased funding for post-secondary institutions, as the cost is passed down to the student.

“We’ve been observing these trends for the last few decades and we know, with the increase of tuition fees students have had, to take on greater amounts of debt,” says Roy. The most drastic change being advocated for by the CFS is the com-

plete elimination of tuition fees in Canada. It’s not as far fetched of an idea as it sounds. Several countries in Europe including Germany, Austria, and Sweden have implemented free post-secondary education to great success.

“The elimination of tuition fees in Canada is the most effective way to make sure that anybody who wants to get a college or university education can do so,” says Roy. It’s the hope of the CFS that Trudeau’s Liberal government will be more open to lowering the barriers to post-secondary education, arguing that the previous regime did more harm than good by cutting funding to post-secondary institutions.

“After ten years of a government that’s been slashing funding to post secondary education, we now have a government that has at least shown a willingness to reinvest in this sector and acknowledge that the rising cost of tuition has made education increasingly out of reach for Canadians.”

The CFS’ sentiments are mirrored by those of The Federation of Post-Secondary Educators of British Columbia. In a recent interview, George Davison, president of the FPSE, said that “the cost of education is being transferred increasingly to students and their families, and it’s

(Nicole Kwit)

gotten to the point where it’s a barrier to many students.”

Davison points out that, as tu-

million in 2001 to an expected $1.9 billion next year.

“Students are paying more for

itions costs and student debt have

post-secondary than the government

revenue has increased from $450

dent debt,” says Davison.

increased over the years, institution

is and we see that playing out in stu-

News 07

Canadian Paralympic Athletes Keep Cool Thanks to KPU Alumni Men’s wheelchair rugby team sporting vests developed by Design School graduates Calvin Borghardt| Contributor Throughout September, Canadian athletes competed in Rio as part of the Summer Paralympic Games.

Amongst them was the men’s wheelchair rugby team who, thanks to two enterprising Kwantlen Polytechnic University alumni, were able to boast a slight advantage over their competition.

Product Design graduate Jaymes Williams and Fashion and Technology graduate Laura Hutchison have created special cooling vests designed for all eight athletes on Canada’s team.

Last June, Carolyn Robertson— the Dean of KPU’s Wilson School of Design—introduced Williams and Hutchison to each other. Both aspiring designers went on to join a group of post-baccalaureate students on a trip to a Nike technical apparel manufacturer in Hanoi, Vietnam, where they worked on the cooling vests.

The duo later connected with Canadian Sports Institute exercise physiologist Melissa Lacrox as part of the user and testing process of the

vests’ development. Lacrox taught Williams about some of the effects of spinal cord injuries, including how those who suffer from such injuries lack the ability to control their body temperature. “[When someone severs their] cervical spine, their body changes a lot… [That person loses] a lot of muscle functions depending on how high the break is at the top of [their] neck,” says Williams.

He goes on to explain that “for every vertebra [along their neck, they] start losing different muscle groups,” meaning that each person’s movement or lack of movement is unique to the vertebrae they retain.

“They can’t use snaps, buckles, zippers—and that’s what’s used a lot in current products—so with that in mind, we wanted to develop something that was inclusive to them, that they could use it without any distractions,” says Williams.

After considering a number of remedies to this problem, the team settled on the most practical solution: magnets.

While preparing the vests for practical use, Williams learned about

KPU design school alumnus Jaymes Williams fits Canadian national wheelchair rugby player Patrice Simard in a cooling vest on Aug. 15, 2016. Williams and fellow alumna Laura Hutchison designed the vest for use during the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio, Brazil. (Wilson School of Design Flickr)

the intricacies of each athlete’s disability when he met with the wheelchair rugby athletes. He was looking to understand their needs in terms of

both functionality and comfort, but also came away from the meeting with a newfound appreciation for the athletes themselves.

“They’re great,” says Williams.

“They’re professional athletes by trade, so that’s what they do day-today. They’re very dedicated, hardworking individuals.”

Once their product had been further developed, Williams and Hutchison were approached and commissioned by the Canadian Sports Institute to create eight similar vests.

“It was definitely scary when they asked for it, but at the same time, it was exhilarating,” says Williams.

In addition to the collaborative effort of himself and Hutchison, Williams credits the KPU faculty of design with giving him the knowledge and ability to develop the vests.

Both designers plan to use their success with the men’s wheelchair rugby team to push into the market and continue to innovate new products.

For now, though, they’re content to watch the Paralympic Games and see all their hard work contribute to team Canada’s success.

“To be able to put in the time and see people really benefit from something is really rewarding,” says Williams. “That’s what I do it for.”

B.C. Park Quality Suffers, Budget Stays the Same

Parks infrastructure and services in poor condition, according to CPAWS Alyssa Laube | Staff Writer The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) believes that the underfunding of parks in British Columbia is unacceptable. The province’s Minister of Environment, Mary Polak, says there is no underfunding to speak of.

“Have we seen some sort of underfunding? I don’t know if I would necessarily accept that. I think we would always want to spend more,” says Polak.

The executive director of CPAWS’ chapter in British Columbia, Bruce Passmore, says that he “would probably ask [Polak] if she’s been into many of the parks recently, if she feels that maintenance is not an issue.”

“There are so many bridges down, signs missing, broken ladders and steps, and all sorts of things,” says Passmore. “What also happens is there are a lot of trails that, because they’re being really heavily used, they become really muddy, and there’s not proper drainage being built, so people go around them and walk into sensitive ecosystems and make the trails wider.”

CPAWS has recently been encouraging park visitors to send them photos of unsatisfactory infrastructure in the parks and have been receiving supportive submissions.

Even outside of CPAWS, there have been several complaints made about dilapidated or even absent infrastructure, as well as common infractions

on the grounds.

A fact sheet from the Ministry of Environment states that their total budget for 2016 is over $68 million, with most of it going to operations, camping fees, and regular capital funding, with $2.2 million attributed to park enhancement. An estimated $21 million from returned camping fees goes back into parks operations, which is not captured in the B.C. Parks budget.

If given more funding, Polak says she would like to give more attention in particular to general maintenance at the parks, as well as increasing accessibility for the elderly and disabled.

Visits to parks in B.C. have been increasing over the years, but per-hectare funding has stayed relatively the same, even after inflation.

Passmore says that that budget should be significantly increased in order to address that.

“I would say the biggest issue is that we have this systemic degrading of the services in the parks, and then we’ve also got another layer that’s happening. We have approximately one ranger for every 12 parks in B.C.,” says Passmore. “There is no way that the rangers can adequately enforce the regulations.”

Comparatively, Polak says that comparing the amount of park land to the number of rangers on it is “not really the best way to examine it.”

“It’s quite expensive and it’s different. Very many of our parks in B.C. are wilderness parks, where you don’t have people,” she says, adding

An inner camping area at Tweedsmuir Provincial Park in Spring 2016. “Offenders” cut trees and built fires according to the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society in B.C. They say that the incident was brought to the local conservation officer, but that they’re unaware if any investigations were embarked on or any charges laid. (CPAWS-BC)

Bruce Passmore, executive director of Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society chapter in British Columbia, Sept. 16, 2016. (Alyssa Laube)

that the Ministry has been focusing their money into camping facilities in parks rather than staff.

Because Polak believes that “it’s not fair that it all be on the taxpayer’s pocket,” the Ministry plans to look at

how to generate revenue through park activities, donations, sponsorships, and partnerships rather than pushing for more funding.

Mary Polak, B.C.’s Minister of Environment. (The Province of B.C.)

08 Culture

KPU Grad Offers Kwantlen Improv Workshops

Improv sessions free for KPU students Joseph Keller | Web Editor KPU students looking to break up the monday evening monotony have something new to look forward to.

On Sept. 19 the first of many Kwantlen Improv sessions was hosted by local performer Daniel Chai. The sessions are every Monday in Cedar 2005 at 5 pm and are free for KPU students, $5 for alumni, and $10 for the general public.

“Improv allows me to experience and enjoy the extroverted side of myself,” says Chai.

Chai has been doing improv on and off since high school. For the past several years the Surrey native and graduate of KPU’s bachelor of journalism program has been doing performing around Metro-Vancouver with his locally well known troupe The Fictionals.

“I think in general many people—we go to work, we’re on public transit, we’re at the store—and a lot of times we’re kind of in our own bubbles surrounded by many people, but we don’t get a chance to break out of that bubble and interact with each other,” says Chai. “Doing improv you get to interact with your scene partner, with the audience, and actually

get to have fun.”

For the unfamiliar, improv is a form of theater where participants create plot, characters, dialogue and—most importantly—comedy, in the moment with no preparation.

The weekly workshops begin with basic warm-up games to get the mental and physical juices flowing and work into classic improv games, many of which have been featured on the classic improv show Whose Line is it Anyway? Each workshop will also explore a different improv theme.

Chai says the two most basic concepts going into improv are referred to as “yes and…” and “commitment.”

“Yes and…” is the idea of always accepting and building on your scenemate’s ideas. In other words, there are no bad ideas. “Commitment” refers to the idea of always being present and connected to the scene.

“I find that the more fun that myself and the players are having on stage, the more fun the audience is having, and to me that is the most important thing,” says Chai. “Take care of the audience and the audience will take care of you.”

According to Chai, many of the skills that participants will learn at

Improv instructor Daniel Chai (right) and a student participate in an improv exercise at Kwantlen Improv’s first session on Sept. 19, 2016. (Joseph Keller)

Kwantlen Improv will translate to everyday life. Things like interpersonal skills, quick thinking, and idea generation all play heavily into the craft and are useful both on and off the stage.

In addition to the two holy commandments, there are several ground rules to Kwantlen Improv as pointed out by Chai. First is to keep it fun by not judging yourself and trying to avoid getting self conscious. The sec-

MAKE AN INVESTMENT IN YOURSELF & YOUR FUTURE

ond rule is to be aware of other participants’ personal space and boundaries. Thirdly, keep the content light by avoiding controversial or heavy topics.

“Political discourse is of course super important, especially here at Kwantlen, but for the sake of this workshop we’re just here to have fun,” says Chai.

Turnout was admittedly small for the debut workshop, but Chai is

confident that word will spread fast.

Despite the small group, Chai provided an entertaining and high energy experience.

“Whether you’ve done years of theater or if you’ve never even picked up a microphone, it’s a fun safe space where there’s no judgement,” says Chai. “Say yes to this brand new opportunity and you just might surprise yourself. It just might open up some new doors for you.”

KPIRG Asks Students to Get Dis/Oriented Two weeks of events offer a different sort of student orientation Aileen Tran | Contributor

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The Kwantlen Public Interest Research Group’s annual Dis/Orientation series—titled DisO Days this year—was different from your typical university orientation. Where most orientations are meant to familiarize new students with the way things are done at a post-secondary institution, KPIRG’s events had been designed specifically to shake things up, to disorientate students from the traditional standards of student life.

The two weeks from Sept. 12 to 23 that made up Dis/Orientation consisted of workshops, discussions, and gatherings that are open to both students and the general public. While many of the events were aimed at re-focusing narratives on suppressed voices and supporting marginalized groups, the series welcomed anyone with an interest in opposing systematic oppression and fighting for environmental sustainability.

“It isn’t that people don’t want to do anything about the social and environmental injustice. A lot of the time it is just that people don’t have [the information],” says Corrina Tang, a DisO Days coordinator. “From these events, students can take away a piece of knowledge with them . . . and do something with that knowledge.

Even something small like telling their friends and family or do something bigger, like starting a group to bring more awareness.”

Nine events were held as part of DisO Days between the Surrey, Richmond, and Langley campuses. The series began with “We are at Kwantlen” which recognized that students are on Kwantlen First Nation’s indigenous territory during their time at KPU. The event’s Facebook page stated that, “through riveting storytelling, [the event] aimed to explore the process of decolonization and to raise consciousness on the sovereignty of the Unceded Coast Salish peoples.”

“It shows the Elder in Residence that we are allies,” says Alex Dingiria, a member of KPIRG. Since their founding, KPIRG has served KPU students as an on-campus resource centre which provides support for students and community members to engage in social justice and environmental issues. If students have a passion or a problem to discuss, KPIRG is a safe place for them to do so.

“A lot of students like me have these concerns and questions and they usually don’t have a platform to talk about it,” explains Tang. “They should know that KPIRG is a place where they can voice these concerns.”

Culture 09

Father of Canada’s Craft Brewing Movement Visits KPU Campus

Frank Appleton talks beer, brewing, and revolution Calvin Borghardt| Contributor The father of the craft brewing movement, Frank Appleton, visited Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Langley campus on Sept. 12 in support of his new book, Brewing Revolution Pioneering the Craft Beer Movement.

Everyone was welcome to meet the legendary brewmaster, but the talk was held in Langley, as that campus is home to KPU’s Brewery and Brewing Operations program.

Throughout the talk, Appleton read excerpts from his memoir and shared the story behind today’s craft brewing revolution.

Appleton earned his first job at a corn processing plant in Manchester before immigrating to Canada in 1963 at the invitation of his sister.

Soon after, he found his first job at an O’Keif brewing plant.

Since then, Appleton has been a consultant brewmaster to twenty brewing operations, including consulting in brewery design, startup,

and training. In 2009 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award for Leadership in Craft Brewing from the Campaign for Real Ale Society of British Columbia Chapter Victoria. He is also a member of the KPU Brewing and Brewery Operations Diploma Advisory Committee and helped shape the program’s curriculum.

Appleton’s book talk was followed by a Q&A session, which opened the floor for all in attendance to ask the brewmaster about his craft and his experiences.

“If cleanliness is next to godliness then any brewery should be a temple to good beer,” said Appleton, in his talk. “It should be totally clean ...You should be able to eat off the floors.

You can do yourself a great disservice by running a messy operation.”

He stressed the importance of keeping a clean brewery and how it can be difficult to manage the various bacteria that are required to brew good beer. He also had a thing or two to say about how beer should be

mass-marketed.

“Let the product speak for itself.

That’s the way to win people over. The big guys might be able to fool people with mass-market advertising, but you can’t fool their taste buds,” says Appleton. “Taste buds don’t have a brain, they just know what they like. And if you make a beer that’s satisfying for people and high qualCraft beer pioneer Frank Appleton signed copies of his new book, The Brewing Evolution, at ity, the best quality KPU Langley campus on Sept. 12, 2016. This autobiography recounts his career in the beer you can make, that is industry and his work as independent writer reporting on breweries. (Tommy Nguyen) your best form of advertising.”

“You don’t have to have a science and get out of it. [It is] way beyond It was also revealed during the what most malt breweries have at degree, but it helps,” he says. “If you Q&A session that Appleton was giv- their disposal,” he says. “I think it’s a have the right attitude that helps even en a tour of KPU Langley’s brewing wonderful resource and a wonderful more. Keep brewing and keep brewfacilities prior to the event. ing good beer. Everybody will love facility that you’ve got here.”

“I’m very impressed with the Appleton concluded his talk with you for it.” standards in that small brewery, espe- some advice for the aspiring brewcially the quality control they create masters in attendance.

Undead Hordes Take to the Streets in Annual Vancouver Zombiewalk Zombie culture isn’t dead yet

Melissa Pomerleau | Contributor It wasn’t an episode of The Walking Dead, but zombies took over the streets of downtown Vancouver on Sept. 10 for the city’s largest annual flash mob: the 2016 Zombiewalk.

The gruesome horde could be seen limping and strutting down Robson Street and onto Denman, eventually ending their march at English Bay. The meetup began outside of the Vancouver Art Gallery, where zombies arrived early to show off their costumes and put on a bit of a show for the cameras and passer-bys along the streets.

At the event, make-up artists set up on the art gallery stairs to help zombify anyone wishing to join the herd for a small fee. While many attendees were made up in green, red, and grey, others used liquid latex to give off a more horrific, decayed zombie vibe.

Among the band of zombies were businessmen, nuns, children, schoolgirls, a few bride and groom duos, and a handful of regular ol’ punk rock zombies. One notable punk zombie drew quite the crowd with her screaming and thrashing through the crowd. Another particularly terrifying zombie drew attention not only for his torn up torso and all-white eyeball surrounded by ripped flesh, but also by drinking, gurgling and spewing blood up into the air.

One happy zombie couple, with their three children in tow, expressed their fondness for the event.

“It’s what we like to do every year. It’s our tradition,” says Sarah Widmeyer, the wife of the family. “It

actually happens to fall on our anniversary. It’s our 5th anniversary, so what better way to spend it than at the Zombiewalk, the thing we love to do as a family?”

Of course, it wouldn’t be a true zombie takeover without a few dedicated zombie hunters around. And so, armed with Nerf guns and giant foam machetes, the apocalypse survivors were determined not to succumb to the undead.

As the march went on, traffic stopped and civilians gathered to take photos and watch the zombies stagger by. While some children were happily involved and engaged with the event, there were a number of unsuspecting ones in the crowd crying their eyes out from the sheer horror of it all.

It appears that zombies are here to stay, and that’s probably okay—as long as they keep the blood and gore to themselves.

A zombie volunteer coordinator searches for brains at the Zombiewalk in Vancouver on Sept. 10. (Melissa Pomerleau)

Bride and Groom zombies “living” happily ever after at the 2016 Zombie walk in Vancouver on Sept. 10. (Melissa Pomerleau)

The Widmeyer Family poses deadly at the 2016 Annual Zombie walk in Vancouver on Sept. 10, 2016 to celebrate the parents’ fifth wedding anniversary.

(Melissa Pomerleau)

Making Room for Stu

The fight for on-campus residencies pits stude

Alyssa

Staff W

“Student housing houses everyone,” reads a tagline from the Alliance of BC Students’ recently-launched campaign to get student residences constructed across the province.

The campaign asks a simple question—where’s the housing? A high number of students in Metro Vancouver help to clog an already backed up rental market, and they tend to bring little cash in their pockets. People enrolled in post-secondary school are old enough to be independent, but often lack the financial stability to sustain an adult lifestyle. They may likely be found inhabiting dismal basement suites, squeezing into homes with up to a dozen roommates, or subletting single room apartments for outrageous prices.

This means that other members of society struggling to find a place to call home—say, single parents, those on disability leave, or others unable to make a high bracket income—have an even harder go at things. Where students are living, other lower and middle class folks are not, and that’s a bottom-up issue with deeply problematic effects. Hence, student residences take a load off the shoulders of B.C.’s most burdened.

On a lighter note, having housing on campus grounds breathes life into the student community, boosting morale through events, camaraderie, and immersion. It also clears up the roads—buses, trains, and cars would not only be emptier, but less likely to be on the street at all. Commuter campuses are an enormous source of overcrowding on transportation, which leads to an unnecessarily high amount of emissions being pumped into the atmosphere, and allowing students to live a few minutes away from their classes would help lessen that blow.

To help raise the profile of the fight for student housing, the Alliance of B.C. Students has released a sixteen-page white paper for the campaign.

The document is chock-full with statistics, facts, and recommendations, the thread throughout which is clear: If the provincial government allowed post-secondary institutions to take on debt for the building of student housing, it would be there.

In the instance that the Alliance succeeds in their efforts and housing is built for students in British Columbia, an estimated $1.8 billion would

need to be spent. That’s accounting for 21,300 residence spaces price tagged at $85,000 per bed. If the government chipped in 10 per cent, they would be paying $180 million over 10 years.

The government has thus far been reluctant to consider the applications for construction due to fear of tarnishing their credit score. To this the Alliance retaliates by pointing out that the debt taken on for the building is, as they call it, “inherently self-supporting,” meaning that it will be paid off by the residency fees quickly enough to eventually make money off of the project.

If they do agree to accept applications from institutions for construction, over 20,000 new resident spaces would become available in the province, with a remarkable 13,500 exclusively found in Metro Vancouver, 4,200 in Greater Victoria, 2,500 in Kelowna, and 450 in the Fraser Valley.

With that in mind, student housing seems like a stellar idea, especially in Vancouver. This city’s housing market is a fresh hell of skyrocketing rental fees and mortgages, and there are too many institutions nearby to count. Some of the biggest names in the industry include BCIT, SFU, and UBC. Then there’s those in the echelon that Kwantlen Polytechnic University belongs to: The University of the Fraser Valley, Douglas College, Langara, Capilano, Emily Carr, and so on.

Although the problem is very real to students, especially now that classes have just started for the fall semester, those enrolled in KPU can take comfort in knowing that they have support in the push for housing from their school’s president, Alan Davis.

“It’s become more of an issue in recent years, mostly because there’s a shortage of affordable rental property in the region,” says Davis. “We had, in our particular radar, studied Richmond to build a residence there. But we are very constrained by the existing rules of whether we can build there or not.”

Davis adds that he is inclined to back “anything that supports students,” and that the construction of on-campus housing for students “does seem like something that’s entirely reasonable.”

Jessica Lar-Son—an English student who has previously been the Kwantlen Student Association’s Women’s Representative, Vice President External, and President, as well as the chairperson of PIPS, the chairperson of the

udent Housing in B.C.

ent unions against the provincial government

Laube

Writer

Alliance of BC Students, and student representative on the KPU board of governors—predicts that KPU will likely build the housing in Richmond, as Davis suggests. That could be potentially leave Canadian students in the dust, instead putting roofs over international students’ heads, Lar-Son believes.

“They’re going to want housing in Richmond where there are international students so that they can attract more international students here,” says Lar-Son. “It’s going to be for the purpose of attracting international students. It’s not necessarily going to fill the void that we have in student housing that domestic students need.”

In contrast, current KSA President Alex McGowan says that the student association would “push for [student housing] to be built in Cloverdale,” near the campus there, first and foremost.

“One of the big things that we’ve recognized is a lot of trade students are travelling from outside the Lower Mainland and don’t have a place to stay,” says McGowan. “Cloverdale being Cloverdale, there’s not a great rental market there. A lot of trade students are here for six to twelve week programs and you actually can’t rent.”

Without being able to put down a one-year lease, trade students are having to stay at motels throughout their program, shelling out for accommodation that they simply cannot afford. In order to figure out where the best location for housing would be in actuality, KPU administration will conduct a student survey this fall, according to the university’s director of external affairs and the KPU Alumni Association, Marlyn Graziano.

But the KSA isn’t the only association in the fight for student housing.

The Capilano Student Union has been pushing just as hard to get residences on their campuses, the locations for which are nearly impossible to reach without making a long commute.

Senate and Board of Governors representative for the Capilano Student Union Board of Directors, Michelle Gervais, is someone who would not use student housing herself, but may still benefit from the alleviation of students from the housing market. Currently, she has to live with a family member to financially put herself through school. As a non-student, Vice-President

External Sacha Fabry is in the same boat, and full time staff and Organizer for the CSU Patrick Meehan says he would have loved to stay on-campus as a resident, but hopes that it will be a possibility for future students at the university.

They, like the KSA and many other student associations under the ABCS, are sharing a petition to the provincial government calling for the allowance of student housing, amongst other efforts. The CSU will also bring a large number of hand-made cardboard homes outside of the legislature on Sept. 27 to host a demonstration. They are feeling encouraged about the future of the campaign.

“I’m really excited at the uptake we’ve seen on campus,” says Meehan.

“We had our booth at the first-year orientation last week and there was a lineup of students to sign our petition. I’ve never seen that in all my years involved in student government.”

Right now there are eight post-secondary institutions that do have resident housing for their students: BCIT, SFU, UBC, UVic, University of the Fraser Valley, Thompson Rivers University, Okanagan College, and UBC Okanagan.

UBC offers an example of the best case scenario with student housing, considering that 28 per cent of their full-time equivalent students are using it.

Unfortunately, they are also the only institution with the cash to keep it going. The University of British Columbia only has prosperous student housing on their grounds because they have $1.4 billion endowment fund to pull from. The Student Housing Financing Endowment, which represents a fraction of the $1.4 billion, goes exclusively towards building and maintaining student housing, and the revenues generated from that housing go back into their fund.

But even for the University of British Columbia and other institutions with housing, nearly 11,000 students from UBC, SFU, and UVic were on residence waitlists last year, proving the need, even at the more prestigious and wealthy institutions, for space and funding.

If the ABCS campaign eventually proves successful, universities like KPU could see the construction of their own on-campus student housing. For now, though, students will continue to commute to school and scrape together any living arrangements they can afford.

(Danielle George)

Canada’s First Generation of Truly Professional Soccer Players Major League Soccer youth academies offer the resources needed to turn kids into tomorrow’s athletes Web Editor

Joseph Keller People tend to talk about Canada’s lack of success in the world of soccer as if it’s some big mystery. Hundreds of thousands of kids grow up playing the sport in Canada, so why can’t we field a decent national team?

In truth, it’s not hard to explain.

While there has never been a shortage of youth soccer programs in this country, few have been designed to produce professional athletes, and almost none have had the resources to do so. Traditionally, soccer in Canada has been seen as more of an after school activity than a way of life.

Canada can’t compete at the highest levels because we haven’t been taking youth soccer seriously.

This all changed with Major League Soccer’s expansion into Canada and the introduction of the country’s first professional youth academies. Now, after the better part of a decade, Canada’s first generation of true professional soccer players is almost ready to take the world stage.

“The most important thing is that we’re now mirroring other developed soccer countries in terms of bringing in young players, identifying them, playing best against best, and giving them an opportunity to maximise potential,” says Craig Dalrymple, technical director for Vancouver Whitecaps FC’s youth residency program.

Like other MLS academies—and the more established programs abroad that they are modeled after—WFC residency focuses on bringing players up in a professional environment.

This takes massive commitment from these young players, and the club also has an obligation to facilitate a balance between soccer development and a normal school and social life.

Intake into the program begins at age 13, and the training schedule is designed to work around the school day. For ages 13 to 15, a normal week will involve five after school training sessions focusing on developing fitness and technical skill, as well as at least one competitive match against other youth soccer programs in the Lower Mainland. From ages 16 to 18, two before school strength training

sessions per week are added to the schedule, with matches against other North American academies over the weekend. Additionally, all age groups compete in tournaments around Canada and the U.S. throughout the year.

“It’s unmatched in North America, what we’re doing,” says Dalrymple. “There’s very few other clubs that are doing it to the extent that we’re doing it and there’s very few other clubs that have had the success that we’ve had.”

The qualities that the program’s coaching staff look for in young players include a strong tactical understanding of the game, fitness and physical qualities, strong mental qualities and most importantly, according to Dalrymple, social qualities.

Even at young ages, a high level of professionalism is expected. Players need to have a strong work ethic and an even stronger commitment to the game. The coaching staff works hard to mentor the young players to learn those qualities. Still, it’s not uncommon for those with strong physical and tactical potential to wash out of the program because they are unable to demonstrate the commitment to the game among all the other aspects of everyday life.

“We value the character higher than the other qualities. Players need to be in love with the game,” says Dalrymple.

So far, WFC’s program has produced eight homegrown players currently playing for the Whitecaps or other top tier squads, as well as others playing for Whitecaps FC 2, the club’s second team. As said by Dalrymple, it takes a minimum of ten years for a new development program to really see the fruits of its labors in the form of top level professional players.

“In time, those players will start gravitating into our men’s national team. So I think you’ll see, in about three to five years, our World Cup squad populated by players that came through our academies,” says Dalrymple. “So that’s exciting.”

Among the first graduates from

the residency program is Jackson Farmer, who moved to Vancouver from Edmonton after being accepted into the program when he was 16 years old. Today, the 21 year-old centre back plays for WFC2 with eyes set on making the first team.

“The Whitecaps were especially good with the professionalism that they expected,” says Farmer. “If you did anything wrong or anything that wasn’t up to their standards, they’d let you know right away.”

By far, the biggest challenge for Farmer and other residency players was balancing soccer and all the other parts of growing up—namely education and a social life. Often, players are away from school for weeks at a time for various tournaments. The program recognizes the importance of giving players a balanced life, so a focus is put on making sure they have downtime, and their education is given top priority.

Farmer says it was the individual attention from the coaching staff that helped him to improve at just about every aspect of the game during his time in the program. Regular oneon-one meetings are set up between players and various specialised technical directors and coaches, and customised training plans are created to address each player’s individual needs. They also have access to nutritionists and other various specialists.

“They wanted me to grow as a player. They obviously knew that, within the first month, you’re not going to be a professional player, but they put together a program where they had all the technical staff and the medical staff looking at you as an individual player to push on to the next step,” says Farmer.

WFC’s youth development focus is not exclusive to male players.

Whitecaps FC’s Girls Elite REX Program operates in a similar fashion to the men’s residency program and serves as a pathway to Canada’s women’s national team. Last month, the Club announced major expansions to the girl’s program that will see all players attending the same

school with a flexible curriculum that can better balance players’ training and educational needs.

“We just want to start producing more players from B.C. going away to the national team,” says program head coach Emma Humphries, who played for New Zealand in the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup. As with the men’s program, the Girls Elite REX Program aims to create a professional culture and a strong competitive mindset in its players.

“It takes a lot of hard work. It’s a lot of hours that they’ll be spending with us and it’s not an easy task to ask of them day in and day out,” says Humphries.

While the men’s side of the sport is making great strides forward, Canada is already an established rising star in the world of women’s soccer.

Canada’s women’s team took home bronze at the Rio Olympics this past summer which, according to Humphries, has big implications for the next generation of Canadian female athletes.

“I think it’s huge, that bronze medal. The more successful the senior team, the more high profile the game gets, the more kids connect with these athletes and hopefully have those dreams themselves.”

Humphries says that Canada is leading the world in terms of investment in women’s soccer, and this investment is translating to success on the field.

“If you look at any country in the world in terms of young talent, you’d probably pick Canada to be the one coming through in terms of youth development,” she says. “It’s pretty exciting times, and I think people are starting to recognize how good our young players are.”

Canada can hardly be said to have had an illustrious history in the soccer world, but for all our struggles in the past, the future looks bright.

“I’ve been in the country 23 years and [the difference] is night and day,” says Dalrymple. “It can only bode well for the future.”

(Scott Mclelland)

(Tristan Johnston)

Vancouver’s liquor laws need a more radical overhaul than the city is willing to offer

Opinions 15

Overbearing liquor laws aren’t keeping anyone safer Joseph Keller | Web Editor

The city of Vancouver is once again looking to residents for input on how municipal liquor laws should be changed. A survey went up on the city website earlier this month looking for opinions on things like allowing live music in bars until later in the evening or allowing art venues to serve drinks at art-related events.

One thing to keep in mind is that these are city bylaws on the table, not provincial. This means that things like the drinking and driving laws or legal drinking age are not up for change, and nobody is calling for such common sense measures to be loosened.

This survey acts as a follow up to one conducted in April, which was responded to by almost 9,000 people. The last survey resulted in overwhelming support for alcohol service in a greater variety of venues—including events such as outdoor Christmas markets—and lessened restrictions on bars with outdoor pa-

The bar at The Factory on Granville St., Vancouver in Sept. 2016. (Joseph Keller)

tios. The former survey also showed a strong disapproval for existing laws that keep beer and wine out of most supermarkets.

A theme among all of the preferences is that these policies are commonplace almost everywhere else in the western world. Take a trip over to continental Europe to experience a whole new world where open con-

tainer laws are nonexistent and beer, wine, and spirits are available in any supermarket. Amazingly, European society has yet to fall apart due to this relaxed approach.

From the looks of it, city officials seem to be looking to make Vancouver’s notoriously overbearing liquor bylaws at least a bit more relaxed. If this is an attempt to shed Vancouver’s

‘no fun city’ reputation, then the officials are probably going to have to take things farther than this survey suggests they’re willing to go. Still, this could be a step in the right direction for the city, assuming that the findings of the survey are heeded by city officials.

The question that needs to be

asked is how restrictive do our liquor bylaws really need to be to keep people safe? The city says it aims to “Reduce the negative influence liquor can have on public safety, health, well-being and community fit.” It makes sense to take steps to discourage and reduce public drunkenness and harshly penalise people who put others in danger by drinking and getting behind the wheel, but nobody is going to get hurt if someone brings a 6-pack to a beach or even walks down the street with a tallboy. As long as the city keeps this nanny-state approach while adjusting its bylaws we won’t see any meaningful change.

It’s unlikely that this step will go nearly as far as many survey respondents likely had in mind. For example, the city may allow beer to be sold at beaches within the confines of of city-operated beer gardens, but it will be a long time before we no longer have to hide the beer we bring along with us for a day on the beach.

Change comes slowly, frustrating as that may be.

Wikileaks Can No Longer Claim Neutrality

The ethics of document-leaking are just another growing pain of the digital age Louis Marta-Widjaja| Contributor

In the wake of Wikileaks exposing the emails of the Democratic National Convention—dirty laundry and all—Edward Snowden has criticized Julian Assange on Twitter, stating, “Democratizing information has never been more vital, and Wikileaks has helped. But their hostility to even modest curation is a mistake.”

Wikileaks responded to the tweet with a critique of their own, telling Assange, “Opportunism won’t earn you a pardon from Clinton & curation is not censorship of ruling party cash flow.”

Many media companies and government figures have, like Snowden, criticized Wikileaks for its reckless practices in leaking private information. Following the failed coup attempt in Turkey, Wikileaks released 300,000 emails from the Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Erdogan. In an article from The International Association of Privacy Professionals, Professor and social critic Zeynep Tufekci states that the Erdogan e-mail leaks exposed “massive databases of ordinary people, including a special database of almost all adult women in Turkey.”

Snowden’s procedures differ from Assange’s in that Snowden submits leaks to credible journalists for curation and harm minimization—in this case, the Guardian in the UK. In

A screenshot of the WikiLeaks Twitter page on Sept. 18, 2016. Is their sans-filter method of releasing information democratic or destructive? (Kier-Christer Junos)

efforts to preserve national security, data that would unnecessarily cause negative implications upon circulation would be ethically and morally assessed to determine necessity of disclosure. These practices are in line with the ethics of leaking, as outlined by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, which state that “the content you post will not violate or infringe the rights of others; that the information and content you post will not violate the rights of, or cause injury to, any person or entity.”

Journalism is differentiated from

information dumping by the efforts that are undertaken to ensure credibility, confidentiality and security. Harm minimization is an essential part of the information curation process, preventing breaches in ethical violations through reckless publishing practices which result in possible risks to life, human well-being, property, and reputation. Sensitive information must be assessed to prevent backlashes or exploitation of digital data.

Although leaking procedures practiced by Wikileaks are questionable, one may argue that its practices

are meant to combat the current political climate that is rife with doubt, paranoia, and extremism. Supporters echo the sentiment of the NSA, claiming, “If you’ve got nothing to hide, you’ve got nothing to fear.”

This discrepancy of trust and transparency between citizen and government fuels the engine that Wikileaks operates on. Growing discontent and loss of faith in government bodies are prime conditions for extremism, as the actions governments take are eventually reflected upon the actions of its citizens. A rea-

sonable government begets reasonable citizens, and a chaotic government begets chaotic citizens.

Regardless of their reasoning, it is deplorable that Wikileaks would endanger innocent people. Such practices only serve to diminish the people’s trust and support for the group, which has been increasingly criticized by news consumers since its creation in 2006. Many now consider Assange to be biased, and in extreme cases, the pawn of a malevolent foreign influence.

16 Opinions

How to Save Money as a Student Alleviate your student debt one home-cooked meal at a time Isabella Scholda According to the Canadian Federation of Students, 65 per cent of the province’s full-time undergraduate student population is in debt. Whether you’re amongst them or not, here are some handy tips on how to save money during your time at KPU. It may sound very grown-up and boring, but plan your budget in advance. You can find a lot of budget planning tools online that will help you to estimate your costs. Once you’ve set yourself a budget, your

next challenge is to follow through.

Try Apps like BillGuard or Fudget to keep track of your spending.

You can also try the old school envelope budgeting system. Divide your spendings into categories, create an envelope for every category, and fill each envelope with the money that you’ve apportioned to that particular category. Aim only to spend what you allowed yourself. Thus you get an overview of your budget, a sense for your outgoings, and maybe even some money for the future.

In addition to a budget plan, you should also try to spend less on food. Try to keep the number of

(Shandis Harrison)

times you’re buying your lunch at the campus to a minimum. If you buy a cream cheese bagel at Tim Hortons, for example, it costs you $2.00. If you buy a pack of six bagels and a pack of cream cheese at the supermarket, it costs you $6.00 which makes $1.00 per bagel. Try to prepare your lunch at home instead of spending money at Tim Hortons.

You can plan all of your meals on Sunday and make a trip to the supermarket on Monday. By trying not to buy any more groceries for the rest of the week, you’ll learn to stick to your meal plan and avoid impulse buying when you’re hungry or bored.

The next tip is to talk to the people around you. You’re not the only student at KPU who wants to save money. Perhaps there’s someone in your class who’s selling a textbook you might need for another class.

Maybe you have a friend who’s great at giving haircuts, so you can save yourself a hairdresser. Instead of ordering pizza or sushi, just cook something together with friends. Instead of working out at an expensive fitness center, grab your friends and go running or hiking with them. Instead of buying new clothes every month,

Why is it so expensive to fly in Canada?

Answer: it’s really, really big

Stephanie Davies | Contributor Flights in Canada are known to cost a small fortune as compared to other countries. One of the main reasons for this is that we only have two major domestic airlines: Air Canada and Westjet.

The level of competition between airlines and airfare doesn’t exist here like it does in the U.S. or Europe. Air Canada and Westjet are less inclined to lower their prices since they are basically just competing against each other. Some suggest that if we had more airline competition, we would see a change in airfare, and that is entirely plausible.

While it may be true, we face a different kind of travel dilemma here as well—our population is small and our landmass is huge. With more land to cover, more time and resources are used by airlines, and prices naturally go up.

But why is it that a flight to somewhere like Hawaii or Mexico can be cheaper than a flight to Toronto or Montreal? It all goes back to supply and demand. The demand is high but the supply is low in comparison.

Many Canadians have looked into discount airlines, but a great number of them have shut down their operations. According to a CTV News report, “Over the past fifteen years, there have been at least five discount airlines that have folded in Canada, unable to overcome challenges of a country with a relatively small popu-

lation and large geography.”

It also comes as no surprise that our airports have some of the highest landing fees in the world. We have a federal airport system, which means that airports pay ground lease or rent to the Canadian government. A study conducted by the Montreal Economic Institute states that “airports should be privatized to end the rent payments,” since these rent payments account for a lot of the airports’ overhead, which could also help lower the cost of flying in the country.

In 1994, the Canadian government introduced the National Airports Policy, which has sparked controversy due to climbing airport prices and inefficient airport infrastructures. Unlike our airport system, every commercial airport in the U.S., except one, is owned by a public en-

tity. This has allowed the airports to be landlords and the airports’ charges are assessed to the various businesses at the airports.

According to another CTV News report, “Air Canada executives told a Senate investigation in 2012 that, per passenger, fees at airports south of the border are 230 per cent lower than at the Canadian airports they compete with.”

So a lower number of paying customers travelling greater distances than just about anywhere else in the world has kept Canadian airfare prices skyrocketing. In addition, both a lack of necessary competition between airlines and the federalization of Canadian airports means that the prices won’t be coming down any time soon.

(Shandis Harrison)

(Shandis Harrison)

be sustainable and upcycle your old ones. You can find a countless number of upcycling ideas online.

Last but not least: Think before you shop! Remember that spending money on material things doesn’t permanently make you happy. In the book The Happiness Makeover, best selling author M.J. Ryan writes: “There is no magic happiness lying in wait in the newest car, computer, or Manolo Blahnik shoes.”

We are bombarded daily by ads that try to fool us into thinking we’ll

be happy if we buy some stuff we don’t really need. You may feel excited in the moment you’re buying it, but how will you feel when your credit card bill comes in? Instead of searching for short-term happiness in material goods, try to find lasting happiness by meeting friends or doing something that you’re really passionate about.

And as M.J. Ryan says, “Always remember that real happiness is found in places other than the mall.”

Canadians Demand Conservative Party Be Screened for Anti-Canadian Values Kellie Leitch first to be submitted Lauren Ipsum | Satirist Just days after Conservative leadership candidate Kellie Leitch suggested that potential immigrants be screened for “anti-Canadian values” via survey, all of Canada has risen up to demand Leitch be hoisted by her own petard.

Citizens from across the nation are calling for members of the Conservative Party to be vetted before being allowed to enter Canadian politics. While the specifics of the vetting process have yet to be detailed, the aim of the screenings will be to ensure that Conservatives share core beliefs with Canadians before they can inflict any racist policies onto the populace.

“We’re not trying to discriminate,” says a representative of the nation. “I mean, my grandparents were Conservatives. But with Trump and everything, letting Conservatives into politics is more dangerous than ever.

You don’t know what kind of harmful thinking or bizarre customs they might be bringing with them.”

“Do they like hockey?” asks another citizen. “Do they shop at Canadian Tire? Do they resist the urge to implement xenophobic legislature to discourage immigration from non-European countries? We just don’t know.”

Part of the desire for these screenings stems from academic studies which show that racism and other forms of intolerance are a rising trend amongst Conservative politicians.

One frightening survey conducted from 2006 to 2015 reveals that problematic Conservative ideology has increased dramatically in recent years, reaching a high point last fall before mysteriously tapering off.

While many Canadians feel that a small number of Conservatives being permitted to run for office is tolerable, most simply do not wish to see them elected in their ridings. This is known commonly as the “not in my backyard” stance.

“We just want to make sure they like the things we like before we let them in,” says a typical Canadian voter. “It’s just common sense.”

Thus far Leitch and other top-ranking Conservative Party members have declined to respond to the nation’s demands. Reports from the Prime Minister’s office, however, claim that Trudeau is calling for the establishment of special phone lines so Canadians may alert their elected officials if they see Conservatives bullying immigrants, fear-mongering amongst their constituency, or committing any other such barbaric cultural practices.

18 Columns

Going Global: Cyber Warfare Data is already the next battlefield

Tristan Johnston|Coordinating Editor World leaders aren’t taking internet security as seriously as they should.

You’d think they would after an allegedly American-Israeli cyber weapon—Stuxnet—proved that they could sabotage a power plant in Iran remotely, and after the Russians hacked the Democratic National Committee email servers.

While many like to joke that Al Gore “invented the internet,” the internet was actually an enterprise of university academics and American military organizations. In this case, DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), played a key role, and was extremely interested in the potential defense capabilities of the internet. Of course, up to the minute intelligence is critical in all situations.

This is why it’s sometimes perplexing to hear about the Americans and American companies getting hacked, because you’d figure out of everyone, they’d be the most aware of it. It hurts when companies get hacked for more reasons than just user data—there’s also the potential for ideas and research to get stolen.

While it might be popular to decry big corporations, it’s actually in the state’s best interest to protect the intellectual property of their citizens.

Although a war between China and the United States is almost certainly unlikely to ever happen in our lifetimes, it would still be advisable for them to keep tabs on each other.

The Chinese government admitted in 2015, after much denial, that they indeed have a cyberwarfare unit, PLA Unit 61398.

And this isn’t only an American problem, the Canadian government also gets hacked. In 2011, Defense Research and Development Canada were compromised by attacks originating from China.

The United States, however, is typically on the receiving end of far more egregious attacks from foreign governments. Not only in their governmental and defense sectors, but also private businesses. It would make sense for a foreign government to hack Blackberry or Apple in an attempt to gain security keys for the purposes of tapping phones. Lockheed Martin, known for designing the F-22 and F-35 fighter jets, have been hacked numerous times in an attempt to gain access to their research.

(Scott McLelland)

Furthermore, it’s in the interest of governments to use their hacking units to take down terrorist web pages and servers. The modern terrorist uses the internet to find potential new recruits, and sometimes not even covertly. Some militias in the Kashmir region of India have been using Facebook and other forms of social media to mobilize anti-government protesters and insurgents.

With all of this in mind, it would make a lot of sense as to why American security officials want to try banning various forms of encryption. Of course, this way of thinking makes

little sense, because as the old gunrights argument goes, actual hackers don’t care about what the law says.

Such laws would actually hurt tech companies like Apple and defense contractors like Northrop Grumman who need heavy encryption to protect their research. Private citizens need encryption to keep their credit card from getting stolen by a terrorist, or more likely, a petty criminal.

This is just the beginning of cyberwarfare. Like the tank on land in 1918, the bomber in the air in 1940, the Stuxnet-infected USB drive will be one of the tools in the next century

of warfare. However, unlike the craters left after bombings, an entire defense network could be hacked without the government even knowing it.

Artist Spotlight: Breakpoint

How psychedelics sent three high school friends into music Alyssa Laube | Staff Writer

For Jaeden Engelland, Jacob Winter-Gray, and Evan Bettcher, the name Breakpoint represents a fundamental shift in how we perceive the world around us. In Winter-Gray and Bettcher’s case, that shift came after a psychedelic trip that changed their lives and eventually led to the creation of their band, inspiring the duo to mould a socially critical project around their music.

“I think acid and shrooms just really promote free thinking,” says Bettcher. “That kind of mindset influenced where we are musically, being experimental now.”

“Pretty much all of our songs are written about that,” adds Winter-Grey. “There’s this quote by a lecturer called Terence McKenna, and he’s like, ‘Psychedelics are illegal not because the government is concerned you’re going to jump out of your third-story window. They’re illegal because they remove opinion structures and culturally laid-down beliefs.’ They open up the possibility that everything you know is wrong about society.”

“That’s something I found recently and I think it makes a lot of sense.

We’re actually going to put that quote into one of our songs on the album

(From left to right) Jaeden Engelland, Jacob Winter-Gray, and Evan Bettcher of the band Breakpoint stand in front of a street mural on Vancouver’s Commercial Drive on Sept. 19, 2016. (Alyssa Laube)

coming up,” says Winter-Gray.

Some of Breakpoint’s most critical musical influences are Metallica, Green Day, Revocation, and NOFX, all of which can be easily picked out of their unreleased tracks. On a first listen, the band sounds like a straightforward punk-metal hybrid, but closer attention reveals drone, alter-

native, and pop elements, especially with Winter-Gray’s catchy riffs rising above Bettcher’s and Engelland’s racing drum and bass.

“One of the first songs I ever learned on drums was “Basket Case”

by Green Day, which I played a lot with Evan. That was one of the first songs I was proud of learning, so

that’s definitely influenced my drumming,” says Engelland.

The three of them met in high school and jammed together for years, practicing Metallica and Green day covers until the day they decided to start writing their own material. Since then, the band has become stylistically complex, plucking inno-

vative aspects across genres into an all-around punk sound.

Their next record—a self-titled, 12-track LP that the band is hopeful will be their big break—is set to come out before the end of January, introducing a twist on what’s currently out under their name. After about a year of working on their songwriting, the band is determined to make the album, Breakpoint, more polished, exploratory, and structurally unique than their four-track Numb EP, “Cigarette Song” single, or two-track Fingers Crossed collection. “Psychoactive”, their self-deemed “first good instrumental song,” will also be making its debut on Breakpoint, which they predict will be a standout on the album.

As soon as the record is ready for audience ears, they’re hoping to throw a big release show in Vancouver, but no shows are planned until then. Since two of the three members are enrolled in school full-time, touring will be tricky over the next few years, but Breakpoint does hope to hit the road sometime in the future.

If their crowd takes anything from Breakpoint’s first LP, they hopes it’s learning to be forward-thinking.

“There’s a big stigma around psychedelics, and that’s a lot of what we’re based on, so maybe it’ll open their minds,” says Winter-Gray.

Procrastination 19

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Sudoku SUDOKU

Horoscopes

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To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 1 to 9 such that each row, column and 3x3 box contains every number uniquely. © 2016 Syndicated Puzzles

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

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

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

You should absolutely start your own country tomorrow. Women find confederacy sexy.

Later...

When your friend tells you she’s visiting Saskatchewan next week, tell her not to bother.

They’ve got, like, three Sasquatches there, tops.