The Runner Volume 9, Issue 5

Volume 09 // Issue 05

News On-Campus Women's Shelter Planned for January

November 08 2016

Feature KPU’s Love Affair with Ryan Reynolds

Opinion Are the CCTV Cameras Going to Help?

R

THE RUNNER

KPU Installs CCTV Cameras

on Surrey Campus

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

02 Table of contents

04 06 08 12 15

staff

News | On-Campus Women’s Centre expected in January

The centre will be housed in the renovated Birch building on the Surrey campus, and will aim to provide a safe space and other services to female-identifying students on campus.

Coordinating Editor Tristan Johnston editor@runnermag.ca

culture | KPU helps Surrey Become A City of Refuge

Managing Editor

“It could save their life,” says Aislinn Hunter, a faculty member in the creative writing program at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. “That’s the most important thing to me about the project—it could save an individual’s life or it could save them from jail time.”

Connor Doyle managing@runnermag.ca

Production Manager

Danielle George production@runnermag.ca

Features |The Reynolds Legacy

Art Director

At some point, Ryan Reynolds probably touched or breathed on something you’ve interacted with in your life, and that should be more than good enough.

Scott McLelland art@runnermag.ca

Photo Editor

Kier-Christer Junos photos@runnermag.ca @kierjunos

Opinions| The Runner Debates: CCTV Cameras on Campus

Staff Writer

Alyssa Laube staff@runnermag.ca

Security cameras have the potential to make the campus safer for students, faculty, and visitors. But will they be effective? Or are they purely for show?

Web Editor

Joseph Keller web@runnermag.ca

COLUMNS| Going Global: Hillary Clinton’s Foreign Policy

Operations Manager Scott Boux office@runnermag.ca 778.565.3801

What will Hillary Clinton’s foreign policy look like once she becomes President? How will America’s relationship to Canada, Europe, East Asia, and the Middle East be affected? Most likely it will be more of the same.

#FeatureTweets Mark_Hamilton @gmarkham My plan for the last week of the US election: don’t believe anything on Twitter until 4 hours have passed and it’s been proven/disproven.

#BestPhoto

Jodi Proznick @JodiProznick Seriously thinking of starting all my university classes with 20 minutes on how intelligence isn’t fixed.

Nathan Griffiths @ nathangriffiths “I don’t want no mac n’ cheese! Hey Trudeau, drop the fees!” #alloutnov2 #uvss #uvic

Arbutus 3710/3720 12666 72 Ave. Surrey, B.C, V3W 2M8 778.565.3801 www.runnermag.ca Vol. 09, Issue no. 5 November 08, 2016 ISSN# 1916 8241

Contributors Aileen Tran Braden Klassen Calvin Borghardt Celesta De Roo

Keith Harris Nat Mussell Nicole Kwit Tommy Nguyen

KwantlenU @KwantlenU

We’ve come a long way! Throwing back to when monitors were clunky and screens were tiny.

Cover

This is an ERROR %#@@11fUbu-)%. Danielle George does not actually exist. Please turn your gaze away from this section...

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 Those in or running for public office need to speak to the media

What’s Happening this week

Nov 8

Election Night

Hoo-boy. Wow. It’s finally here. Find out if we still have an America tomorrow by spending election night in the Grassroots. One way or another, it will be an historic night, 5 - 9:30, Grassroots, free.

Nov 10

Bowling Night

Active KSA will be rolling in the gutters at the Commodores Lanes bowling alley on Commercial Drive. Bowl that perfect 300 game and fame and fortune will await you.

6:30 - 8, Commodore Lanes, $5 for students.

You know what looks really bad? An article where a politician is attributed with “refused to answer interview requests.” (nznationalparty/Flickr)

Tristan Johnston |Coordinating Editor Though I’ve only been doing this for two years, I have already developed a habit of being extremely bothered when I don’t get responses to interview requests. The more damaging that refusing to respond is to the interviewee, the more confused I get.

It’s one thing during the Canadian federal election, when my coworkers and I were able to secure interviews from all riding candidates except the Conservatives. This frustrated me to no end, as I wanted to get even coverage of everyone. I was even more bothered by what their reasoning for not talking could have been. By talking to The Runner, they might have been able to possibly sway enough students to get a few more seats on election night.

This has also been seen recently in the American election. The Trump campaign has revoked press access from The Washington Post for asking too many hard questions. Not only this, but the rhetoric espoused by him has led The New York Times to rework their policies on using the word “lie” in an article.

We’ve also seen an adjustment by other media outlets on how aggressively they have started pressing politicians, and for the better. When Trump says that he’s going to build a wall along the Mexican border, journalists need to ask: “How much will it cost? How will it be done? How can Mexico pay for it?” Sometimes this means actually interviewing those in Mexican government and finding out if it’s possible, laughable as it may seem. Sometimes this means talking to leading architects and finding out how much the operation would cost.

This applies to journalists everywhere, even those covering student politics. When someone makes a bold claim, we need to contest and evaluate it.

It should first be said, though, that generally speaking, we tend to get our interview requests met when we need them. Executive tends to be very good about this—even when we run negative stories—and some councilors are generally eager to speak with us.

However, it’s extremely puzzling when those running for office refuse to speak to us. Sometimes they get away with it, namely when a candidate is running in an uncontested position and has a sufficient number of friends to get them elected. It’s easy when voter turnout barely passes 400. It barely made 100 in the recent By-Election.

Current KSA councilors have told

me that those running for the positions simply want to get into student politics and make a difference. That’s all well and good. I’m sure Hillary Clinton hates campaigning for months on end, not actually able to do her job of governing. But in the case of the KSA, we as students need to speak to councillors so that we can figure out who they are, so that voters can make an informed choice on who to vote for. We need to know what they plan to do in office beyond the vagueness of their 100-word statement. We need to know what their plans are so that we can hold them accountable later.

It’s even more confusing when you run for a position that’s contested, but still choose not to speak to us.

Again, if two people are running, it’s generally easier to vote for the person you know something about.

Nov

14 -16

Magic Movie Marathon

The latest in the KSA’s ongoing movie marathon series will feature every Harry Potter film in the franchise.

Bring your butterbeer and get excited for the Fantastic Beasts premiere!

Daily, Grassroots, free.

Nov 15

Field School Info Session

Learn about the upcoming field school trip to Paris and Documenta, and your chance to come along.

There will also be an info session in Richmond on Nov 17 from 12-1 in room 2725.

4 - 5, Surrey Main 2801, free.

Nov 17 Slamapalooza

KSA 2016 By-Election Results Released

News Briefs

Alyssa Laube | Staff Writer Five new constituency and faculty representatives have been elected as a result of the KSA’s annual by-election held Oct. 25 and 26.

The role of aboriginal students representative will be occupied by Samantha Davis, who ran unopposed, with 70 votes in her favour and 10 against. Also running unopposed was Zahid Dossa, who will be the students of colour representative with 83 votes in his favour and nine against, and Jay Reedy, the new faculty of business representative with

36 votes for him and 9 against.

The tightest contest in the election was the race for mature students representative. Kayla England, who had previously filled the position of mature students representative a number of years ago, will be doing so again this year thanks to a single vote in her favour over her competitor. A total of 49 mature students cast their ballots for England while Thereysa Tabert received 48.

Natasha Farris was also given a run for her money in winning the title of arts faculty representative. She achieved the position with 36 votes, while her fellow candidates for the

position Neelham Dhanda and Daniel Hurt received 26 and 21 votes respectively.

Unfortunately for the sake of fair representation at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, five positions remain empty. There are no candidates representing the Cloverdale campus’ student body nor those in KPU’s faculty of academic and career advancement, health, design, and trades and technology.

KPU’s Poetry slam team is back from the national competition in Winnipeg and already has its sights set on next year. Start racking up those points early to qualify for a spot on the 2017 roster.

6:30 - 8:30, Grassroots cafe, free.

Nov 18 Curling Lessons

Don’t miss the chance to take an intro curling lesson with the Active KSA team. Embrace your Canadiana by yelling “HURRY HARD!” at every conceivable opportunity.

7 - 9, Richmond Curling Club, $8 for students.

04 News

CCTV Cameras Installed at KPU Surrey Campus Cameras part of ongoing safety and security efforts by KPU administration Joseph Keller | Web Editor KPU administration began the process of installing CCTV cameras in high traffic outdoor areas throughout the Surrey campus last month. According to an email sent out to students, the cameras will be placed on rooftops and canopies and will capture areas where there is “no reasonable expectation of privacy.”

Areas monitored by CCTV cameras will be marked by signage. KPU Vice President Finance and Administration Jon Harding says that the cameras are part of an ongoing initiative to increase safety and security on campus. Funding for the cameras was partially provided by the B.C. provincial government.

“CCTV cameras are one aspect that are designed to help deter incidents on the campus,” says Harding.

According to Harding, there was no particular triggering event on campus that spurred the investment in CCTV equipment.

The cameras have been installed as of the end of October. However, according to Harding, they will not be activated until administration is satisfied that the setup meets various requirements. These requirements in-

One of several CCTV cameras installed on KPU Surrey campus in Oct. 2016 watches the main courtyard. According to security, the cameras’ corresponding monitors have yet to be installed for viewing purposes. (Tommy Nguyen)

clude compliance with the Freedom of Information Act, Protection of Privacy Act, and KPU’s policies and procedures.

Harding says the cameras will be there to capture potential incidents on campus and will not be used for active surveillance.

As of yet there is no timeframe for the installation of similar CCTV setups on other campuses. Harding

says CCTV on the Langley, Cloverdale, and Richmond campuses are part of the institution’s five year financial plan and will be prioritized when funding becomes available.

This initiative is part of an ongoing effort to improve security on campus. Another aspect of the initiative will include the hiring of a Chief Safety Officer who will be responsible for reevaluating the university’s

security plan and taking further action accordingly.

“Safety and security is part and parcel to the overall education experience for students,” says Harding.

“And it’s our judiciary duty to protect students, faculty, and staff.”

This announcement comes in the midst of an ongoing conversation about sexual assault on campuses across the province and beyond. Re-

cent high profile incidents on college and university campuses in the Lower Mainland have highlighted a need to keep students safe.

KSA Women’s representative, Natasha Lopes, says she is is pleased to see the university going forward with the installation as an effort to reduce the risk of sexual assault happening on campus.

“As the women’s representative I am supportive of any efforts made to move towards a safer campus, and to install exterior cameras to increase safety and security for KPU students.

It will help deter those who wish to harm from acting,” Lopes told The Runner in an email statement.“There are many students that have been the victim of theft, and this will help with that—especially having cameras in high-risk and low-visibility areas. “ Although the implementation of the CCTV cameras is a step to address the concerns regarding assault and theft on campus, they are not of themselves seen as a solution. ”CCTV cameras will be able to capture what happens on campus, but my concerns fall around if a camera were to catch an instance of sexual assault or harassment and how that footage will be used,“ says Lopes.

KSA, WOOW Move Ahead with On-Campus Women’s Centre The centre is expected to be opened in January and will be available for all female-identifying students Joseph Keller | Web Editor Feminist group Women Organizing Opportunities for Women and the Kwantlen Student Association have been busy laying down the groundwork for KPU’s new women’s centre over the past several months. The centre will be housed in the renovated Birch building on the Surrey campus and is expected to open in January. It will aim to provide a safe space and other services to female-identifying students on campus.

“We’re currently figuring out what kind of resources we want to have in the women’s centre, what kind of community resources we want to advocate on behalf of,” says Natasha Lopes, vice-president student life and women’s representative for the KSA. According to Lopes, biweekly meetings between WOOW organizers and other interested parties have been key to ensuring the smooth establishment of the women’s centre. Items on the agenda for these meetings have included event planning, the look and feel of the centre, branding, and how to get the word out. Organizers are planning workshops on topics such as the meaning of feminism, double standard awareness, consent training, and learning how to create safe spaces. Lopes says these workshops are ideal for anyone who wants to be

more aware of women’s issues.

“I found that, in the first couple of meetings, we didn’t have too many people. Now it’s slowly getting better with more people becoming aware of the works that we’re currently doing,” says Lopes.

An educational campaign on consent will be one of the centre’s first big initiatives. For it, Lopes and other WOOW members have been working on drafting a “white paper” that would explain what consent is, what it means, and what it looks like.

Which roles and positions will be needed to staff the women’s centre has been another focus at WOOW meetings. All staff at the centre will be volunteers personally trained by Lopes. These positions will be unpaid, but Lopes says that volunteers will learn valuable skills and that their volunteer hours will be registered.

“I hope that anybody looking to be a part of the community that we want to create on campus and to grow a safe community comes to us,” says Lopes. “I’d love to have them.”

As part of the process of setting up the women’s centre, WOOW organizers have been consulting with representatives from SFU’s women’s centre, using the establishment as a benchmark. The SFU centre offers many of the same services that the KPU one will have, including a library of social justice reading material, a lounge area, and resources such

as free feminine products.

To learn from the staff at SFU, Lopes and other WOOW members met with SFU Women’s Centre Coordinator Leah Horlick.

“It’s important for us to provide services for folks who experience different barriers,” says Horlick. “It’s really clear that women, and in particular women of colour, have always faced different barriers and different needs at university.”

According to Horlick, the biggest challenges that KPU’s women’s centre can expect to face—based off her experience at SFU’s centre—include dealing with the sheer volume of students taking advantage of these services causing a drain on resources, correcting misconceptions that students might have about what a women’s centre does, and staying accessible to students with various different needs. Horlick’s advice for WOOW is for their volunteers to see to their own needs as they strive to help their fellow students.

“I try to reinforce this for anyone involved in activism of any kind and any kind of outreach work. You can’t support other people if you haven’t supported yourself first,” says Horlick. “You need to give back to yourself as much as you give back to the community.”

Two visitors pose for a photo in the SFU Women’s Centre. The WOOW and KSA organizers are modeling KPU’S forthcoming Women’s Centre in part off of the one at SFU. (Submitted Photo: Leah Horlick)

News 05

Canadian Federation of Students Moves for Reform After Pressure from Student Unions

Proposed policy amendments would lower the barrier for leaving the Federation Joseph Keller | Web Editor Following pressure from a coalition of several member associations, the Canadian Federation of Students may soon see major reforms. Most notably, it could lower the barriers for member organisations to leave the Federation.

The motion—which was approved at the CFS national executive meeting on Oct. 6—would lower the petition signature threshold required to trigger a referendum for member organisations to leave the CFS from 20 per cent to 15 per cent of an institution’s students. The motion will be voted on by member association representatives at the CFS general meeting in November.

The move towards reforming the process by which associations can leave the CFS comes less than one month after a letter criticizing the Federation was signed by 10 student associations, among them the Kwantlen Student Association. The criticisms focused on the aforementioned barrier to withdraw from the CFS and the difficulty in accessing

CFS bylaws, policies, and financial information, as well as a perceived lack of receptiveness to criticism and dissent on the part of the Federation’s executives.

Kwantlen Student Association President Alex McGowan says he is pleased to see the CFS responding to the feedback of its members, but considers the proposed drop from a 20 to 15 per cent petition barrier to be inadequate to satisfy the KSA’s concerns. “[The motion] shows some willingness on the CFS’ side to recognize some of the concerns that we and many other students have been voicing for many years,” says McGowan.

“However, it’s definitely not good

enough.”

McGowan says his concerns with the process of member organisations leaving the CFS go beyond the petition threshold. He says the referendum process, as laid out by the CFS, is unreasonably restrictive.

CFS National Chairperson Bilan Arte argues that the referendum process as it exists now is a necessary part of the Federation’s structure.

“There’s been a lot of discussion and debate around the democratic processes of the Federation, and I think that the current iteration of what that process looks like—including thresholds around petitions—are the result of discussions that have taken

place over the last 30 years.”

Arte points out the the motion is not final and still needs to be debated and voted on by members at the upcoming general meeting. The motion is still open to amendment, meaning that specific provisions—such as the 15 per cent figure proposed for the new petition barrier—could still be changed to better address concerns including those raised by the KSA. “I think it’s incredibly important to emphasise that [the motion] still needs to be discussed and debated at a general meeting,” says Arte. “It’s not necessarily a decision. It’s just a proposal that is reflective of some of the discussions that we’ve heard.”

In 2008, the KSA voted to terminate its membership in the CFS only to find itself embroiled in a lawsuit which it ultimately lost. The Supreme Court of British Columbia ruled that the KSA could not leave the Federation without a referendum by KPU students.

McGowan did not say that the KSA would initiate any move to leave the CFS with the lowered barrier to trigger a referendum. He says that the KSA does not take a stance on membership in the CFS beyond “advocating to make sure that the relationship is as fair as it should be.”

“The KSA has had a lot of longstanding issues [with the CFS,]” says McGowan. “I think that, fundamentally, the biggest thing we’d like to see is a change in culture at the CFS that is more open to dialogue and more respecting of different opinions.”

Should the motion pass at next month’s general meeting, there may be a conversation to be had among KPU students on the future of the university’s relationship with the CFS.

KPU’s Sexual Violence and Misconduct Policy Shaped at Consultations

What the meetings lack in numbers, they make up in productivity Alyssa Laube | Staff Writer Content Warning: This article discusses sexual assault.

A Sexual Violence and Misconduct Policy meeting was held on Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Surrey campus on the first day of November, with three out of the seven attendees students. Representatives of the university also convened in Main 214 for the consultation, including Consultations Facilitator Candy Ho, Director of Business Performance and Advisory Services Joe Sass, Counseling Faculty Renu Seru, and a professional note taker.

The meeting was one in a series of consultations with KPU students and faculty that aims to develop a well-rounded and effective sexual violence and misconduct policy. The university does not currently have such a policy in operation—though it does have a zero-tolerance policy on sexual assault—and the consultations are one means of including as many opinions as possible in the conversation around what it should look like.

At the meeting a list of questions were distributed around the room for everyone to read over and dis-

KPU Consultations Facilitator Candy Ho sits behind her notes and sexual assault education resources after the consultation on Nov. 1, 2016.

(Alyssa Laube)

cuss as a focus group. The first asked what the important elements of “a campus-wide prevention and education strategy on sexual violence and misconduct” would be. The second

asked what KPU can do to create a safe environment for the reporting of sexual violence and misconduct, and the third asked which points “should be addressed in a stand-alone cam-

pus-wide sexual violence and misconduct policy.”

Some of the recommendations made by students included providing proper training to KPU security guards for responding to reports of sexual violence, as well as hiring more female security guards on campus. Making relevant resources available via the web, a women’s centre, posters, and instructor presentations were also suggested, whether they would offer access to health professionals, peer support, bystander training programs, term definitions, anti-stigma exercises, tracking of sexual violence at KPU, or personal health tips. The format of those resources could be packaged on a flow chart, web page, or business card-style list, to name a few examples.

This year, there has been a movement towards polishing and enforcing sexual violence and misconduct policies in North America. Several advocacy groups have been pressuring schools to come out with proper policies, and it has received mass coverage in the media.

Yet there was so little student registration at the first session to be scheduled, located on the Richmond campus, that it was cancelled. With only three students at the Surrey cam-

pus consultation, one has to wonder why.

KPU itself has had two cases of on-campus harassment reported this year, and many larger institutions have seen similar sexual violence on campus. The policy will surely protect the students, so why aren’t they eager to contribute to the process?

It may be another case of KPU apathy, a lack of communication between the students and higher-ups, or bad timing, since it is midterm season. The high amount of online engagement points to either the first or last option. However, as Ho points out, the President’s Advisory Committee has gotten around 30 online submissions for comments, questions, and concerns.

In any case, quantity does not always promise quality, and the comments and conclusions made on Nov. 1 were inarguably “invaluable,” as said by Ho. She urges all KPU students to “please continue the conversation” and take part in the consultations.

Until the policy is official, anyone looking for help regarding sexual violence on campus can contact the university’s counseling department or security staff.

06 Culture

Surrey Partners with KPU, SFU to Become Canada’s First City of Refuge

The City of Surrey will provide a safe haven for creative folk at risk around the world Calvin Borghardt| Contributor Surrey has become the first city in Canada to join the International Cities of Refuge Network (ICORN), an independent organization of more than 50 cities and regions from around the world, each serving as a safe haven for writers and artists whose lives are at risk.

“I’m very happy that Surrey was accepted to host Canada’s first international city of refuge,” says Surrey Councilor Judy Villeneuve. “We have a partnership with KPU, SFU, [Surrey Public Library], and PEN Canada, who are interested in participating in the project and will be supporting the writer throughout the two years that they’re here,” A writer or artist at risk because of their creative endeavors can apply to ICORN for respite or, in extreme cases, someone else can apply on their behalf. The application is forwarded from ICORN to PEN International in London, who verify the applications. ICORN then composes a list of candidates and begins the vetting process.

With the confirmation process complete, ICORN selects a city of refuge for the candidate, which offers the writer or artist a safe haven to continue their work. Their residency will generally lasts up to two years, although ​another city of refuge may accept them afterwards. They may return home if it is safe or apply to remain in Canada, but it’s usually a means of temporary rescue, not permanent relocation.

KPU Creative Writing Professor Aislinn Hunter. Hunter was instrumental in Surrey’s new designation as a city of refuge. (Submitted Photo: Alex Waber)

“It could save their life,” says Aislinn Hunter, a faculty member in the creative writing program at Kwantlen Polytechnic University.

“That’s the most important thing to me about the project—it could save an individual’s life or it could save them from jail time.”

KPU is one of the City of Surrey’s partners in providing refuge to writers and artists at risk. As a Canadian author herself, Hunter understands not everyone in her profession has the luxury of creative freedom like she does.

“It gives them a location from where they can write freely, which I think is something we take for granted in Canada, but which is not always the case in other countries,” she says.

Currently, there is a case list of over a hundred writers and artists who are fleeing their country of origin and have obtained refugee status

from the UN Refugee Agency. PEN International has already recognized them.

All they need now is an opportunity to escape. Unfortunately, ICORN has more applicants than available cities of refuge.

Grace Westcott, the executive director of PEN Canada, believes the refugee creative community is already aware of Surrey’s new designation as Canada’s first city of refuge, which can begin to help lighten the burden.

“We’ve signed an agreement with ICORN and now the challenge begins of fundraising and building up and choosing a writer and making sure everything is put in place for the writer,” says Westcott.

The project has been in progress for some time. Hunter hatched the idea of creating a city of refuge with Anne Giardini, a member of PEN

Canada and chancellor of SFU. They decided to suggest Surrey because of Hunter’s KPU connections and Giardini’s SFU connections. Hunter then brought the idea before KPU Dean of Arts Dianne Purvey and President of KPU Alan Davis. They both thought it was a great idea.

“Amazingly [it] now involves KPU, SFU, the city of Surrey, and Surrey Library, so we have people from all over Surrey coming together, and as we move forward we’re hoping to bring in other institutions,” says Hunter. “We want it to become more inclusive, so it’s not about one group or institution getting the status of having done this. It’s about working together to make a difference in someone’s life and set an example for the rest of Canada, for what cities and municipalities could do if they wanted to.“ Both KPU and SFU are respon-

sible for raising the funds for living expenses and accommodation, and will also provide teaching opportunities, possible residency, and income for the incoming writer or artist. This process of securing funds is currently ongoing.

“The city’s the host, but these universities are the lead on this project,” says Villeneuve. “[They] feel quite confident that we’ll be able to raise the money that we need for this particular project.”

“I think we all feel quite confident that the funds will be found,” says Giardini.

PEN Canada is helping the city of Surrey with the logistical details, such as getting a temporary work visa for the persecuted writer or artist. Members of the partnership that were available for comment were optimistic.

“I think it [puts] Surrey on the map in a new way,” says Giardini.

“Surrey has been doing a lot for refugees and immigrants and probably hasn’t been as recognized as it might be, and this will be a little pinpoint of light that I think will show both what Surrey is capable of and what Surrey is already doing.”

“It’s very concrete, but it also has very strong [symbolism],” says Helge Lunde, executive director of ICORN, about Surrey’s new status as a city of refuge. “It’s the values of human rights, freedom of expression, solidarity, hospitality, creativity; all of these values come together. We are very happy that Surrey has now become part of this movement.”

KPU Poetry Slam Team Competes at National Festival Canadian Festival of Spoken Word held in Winnepeg from Oct. 23 - 30 Calvin Borghardt| Contributor The biggest poetry slam tournament in Canada hosted the talent of twenty-two slam teams from across the country in downtown Winnipeg from Oct 23-30. Among them was Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s own Slamapalooza team, who performed impressively in the first two rounds of the tournament.

“It’s nice to have an avenue where you can actually perform your work and know that people are there because they love the poetry,” says Julia Pileggi, a member of KPU’s poetry slam team.

The festival has grown from six teams to 20 over the nine years of its existence. It has become a national showcase for spoken word talent, and events such as panels and workshops are held at the same time as the competition.

“No matter who you are, the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word always inspires you to write,” says

Slamapalooza Organizer and Team Coach Simon Massey. “You get exposed to so much amazing poetry there, both in and out of the competition.”

Throughout the past year, poets competed at the monthly Slamapalooza poetry slams in the Grassroots Cafe to try and earn a spot on KPU’s team, and ultimately to represent the slam at CFSW. The poetry slams are hosted by Massey who, in addition to being team coach, is also the vice-president of the Kwantlen Creative Writing Guild.

Each poet is given a score after performing their work by judges from the audience. After two rounds, the poet who scores first receives $100, while the next two runner ups receive $50 and $25. Funding for the slam is typically provided by the Kwantlen Student Association.

“We have had a great relationship with the KSA. They’ve been very good about providing us funding,” says Massey. “So that’s been wonderful, and a very good boon to student

life here at Kwantlen.”

The funding enabled Slamapalooza to compete at CFSW, where they placed second in the first round of competition and third in the second

round. Next year’s national competition, which will take place in Peterborough Ontario, will hopefully see the team’s continued success.

“I heard a lot of people talking

about our team, saying positive things, which was sort of the goal we had going in,” says Massey. “We said, ‘Let’s get them to talk about us.’”

Culture 07

Pieces of Mind Conference Returns to kpu KSA Peer Support Program spreads awareness of mental health issues Braden Klassen| Contributor The Surrey conference room at Kwantlen Polytechnic University was home to the Pieces of Mind Conference on Oct 21. Coordinated by members of KPU’s Peer Support Program, the event was centered around sharing and promoting information pertaining to mental health.

The conference was attended by a number of mental health professionals who addressed issues such as suicide prevention and overcoming stigma. There were also student speakers who expressed their own experiences with facing mental health issues.

“It was really important to us to get conversations going around mental health—especially here on campus—and to explore different perspectives,” says Jennifer Lingbaoan, a coordinator for the Peer Support Program. “We try to open this up to students, staff, and faculty, encouraging people from different backgrounds, different degrees, and

different places in life to come and be a part these important discussions.”

Lingbaoan, who began as a peer support counselor in high school, says she’s had personal experience in facing mental health issues which stemmed from a traumatic car accident she was involved in.

“It was the first time in my life that I felt super low. I used to be able to handle a whole bunch of things at one time and my grades were pretty good—then everything just started to go downhill.”

“The irony was that I was always in the position of providing support to others, being a peer counsellor. I was the person that you could call at three or four in the morning and talk to on the phone for hours, just to go over what’s been difficult for you. And so now I was in a position where I needed the support and the help.”

According to the National College Health Assessment, up to one fifth of post-secondary students in Canada and the U.S. have dealt with depression, anxiety or other mental

health issues, and that number has been steadily increasing over the past five years. Alisha Chauhan is the Peer Support Program coordinator and the principal organizer behind Pieces of Mind, and she says that she’s been observing this trend firsthand.

“The mental health conference last year was addressing questions like ‘What is mental health? What does it look like? What do people think about it in the post-secondary world?’” says Chauhan. “Last year was quite successful, so we decided to do it this year about themes of depression and anxiety. We have heard from many counsellors that the common themes they are seeing in students’ mental health are depression and anxiety, so that’s why we tailored it this way.”

Many of the speeches made at the conference touched on the importance of communication when it comes to looking at mental health.

Chauhan says that it’s crucial to “let people know that they’re not the only ones feeling like this. It’s a big

deal. You don’t want to be the only one feeling like you’re sad, you’re depressed, you’re angry.”

One of the student speakers at the conference was Calvin “Kalvonix” Tiu, a rapper who has been with the Peer Support Program for two years.

His performance touched on the hardships of dealing with mental health issues, including his own anxiety.

Talking about these kinds of problems is a way to combat the stigmas surrounding mental health, he says.

“I encourage students who are suffering from some sort of mental illness to speak about it, be out there, and embrace it,” says Tiu. “As you can see from this conference today, you are not alone, and there are people willing to listen and learn.”

“For us to be hosting something like this, where students can connect with other students or other organizations out there, it helps build your resources and connections, so when you are feeling a certain way, you can talk about it,” he adds.

Second Annual SEXPO Stresses the Importance of Sexual Awareness and Knowledge

Guest speakers included students, graduates, and YouTuber Laci Green Aileen Tran | Contributor Content Warning: This article discusses sexual assault.

For the second year in a row, SEXPO—Sexual Education eXplores Positivity and Openness—offered students at Kwantlen Polytechnic University a chance to talk about sex.

As with last year, the conference was held by the Kwantlen Student Association’s Peer Support Program and dealt with a variety of topics related to sexual identity, health, and consent. A number of KPU students and graduates spoke as part of the day-long conference before the event’s keynote speaker, acclaimed YouTuber and sexual educator, Laci Green, took the stage.

Psychology graduate Tim Byron returned from last year’s SEXPO as a guest speaker, discussing how sexual assault can affect male victims, both hetero and homosexual, cis and transgender. He explained how men often struggle to deal with their assault.

“I’ve read statistics that say 10 per cent of all rapes that happen, happen to men,” said Byron. “However, it is believed that that number is below what it actually is, because the percentage of men who don’t report their rape are higher than women.”

The reason, Byron argues, is that men are often burdened by the stigma that males are supposedly always desirous of sex. Additionally, it’s less likely for men to report an assault if the assailant is also male, as they may feel embarrassed and fear ridicule for

Popular YouTuber Laci Green greets and poses for photos with fans after giving her talk on Rape Culture at KPU’s second annual SEXPO, Oct. 25, 2016. (Tommy Nguyen)

being homosexual.

“Police tend to be unsympathetic, uninterested and/or homophobic towards them if they report the incident,” Byron explained. “If the victim is gay, then they are even less likely to be believed and are subjected to further homophobia.”

KPU student Mariam Kahz presented a slideshow that discussed not only her own experience with assault, but also how countries such as India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan deal with sexual assault—specifically with the concept of honour killings. An honour killing is the murder of a woman whose family considers her “immoral” for supposedly committing sexual acts. These acts can vary from posting revealing photos on social media to being the victim of a sexual assault.

Kahz explained that sexual assaults in these countries are rarely reported, and that it is believed that you cannot be raped by your husband.

When married women do report rape, they are often jailed for adultery, and when unwed women report rape, they are jailed for having sex outside of marriage. “[In these kinds of countries] rape is labeled 100 per cent as the victim’s fault,” Kahz said. “In jail, they are further sexually exploited by the police.”

Lastly, Laci Green’s presentation raised awareness of sexual assault injustice, sexual assault on campuses, and discussed what consent is and isn’t.

“My goal when I’m here is to equip people with resources, tools, ideas, and thoughts to take outside of this room and into the world, and create a web of people who are talking about this issue and making changes to society,” said Green.

In her discussion, Green referenced examples such as Brock Turner, Steubenville, and other cas-

es where rapists escaped significant punishment.

“When you look at every hundred [rape] cases, only three perpetrators will actually serve any time,” Green explained.

Green encouraged the audience to speak up and do something about sexual assaults that happen on school campuses. She mentioned that students can push for legislation that would see colleges and universities be compelled to objectively investigate rape reports, act on any findings, and protect the victims throughout the process.

“I talk about rape culture on campuses because I think it is important to raise awareness, and to create a deliberate space for people to come talk about something that is really uncomfortable and controversial, and awkward and painful for some people.”

KDocs Screens Kombit: The Cooperative

Film follows Timberland’s tree-planting initiative in Haiti Braden Klassen| Contributor

Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s resident documentary film organization, KDocs, screened Kombit: The Cooperative , a film which follows a tree-planting initiative in Haiti that was backed by the outdoor boot company Timberland, on Oct 27. The goal of the initiative was to plant five million trees in Haiti over the course of five years, utilizing the help of local farmers in order to ecologically and economically reinvigorate an area that had been affected by widespread deforestation.

The film was followed up by a Q&A panel that consisted of several local sustainability experts, as well as Margaret Morey-Reuner, the director of strategic partnerships and business development at Timberland. She introduced the film and delivered a keynote address from Boston via Skype, explaining some of the insights that she gained while taking part in this project.

“One of the things we’ve learned is that access should drive empowerment, not dependency,” says Morey-Reuner. “When we set out to envision a large scale tree planting project, we agreed that the project would have to be for the local beneficiaries and it would have to be executed by the local beneficiaries, meaning the farmers on the ground.”

She explained that, instead of bringing Timberland employees from around the world to Haiti to plant trees, they were more interested in working with agricultural experts already in the country.

“We know how to build boots, but we’re not experts in agriculture,” says Morey-Reuner. “In an effort to drive empowerment, we weren’t just about to go in there and act like we knew what we were talking about, because the reality was that we didn’t.

So if the people on the ground were going to reap the rewards, then they would need to be the ones to put the equity in because it would mean more to them.”

Janice Morris, KDocs founder and festival director, was primarily responsible for hosting the screening and was supportive of Timberland’s efforts.

“I think this is a great film that shows how big business can be sustainable,” she says. “These free events are really perfect for films that wouldn’t really find an audience otherwise, and being that we have such a huge sustainable agriculture program at Kwantlen, it was a natural fit.”

The Reynolds Legacy Examining KPU’s love affair with everyone’s favourite former student Alyssa Laube Staff Writer

&

What would the great institution of Kwantlen Polytechnic University be without Ryan Reynolds? In Vancouver he’s essentially a regional treasure. Every person in the city knew about Deadpool being filmed on the streets. We got excited about seeing it in theatres, recognizing the viaducts and the No. 5 Orange during the actor’s snarky fight scenes. Gossip rapidly spread about seeing him at the local Cactus Club or Chevron. Paparazzi snapped pictures of him eating at his favorite restaurants. Chaos ensued.

But most importantly, we at KPU had reasonable cause to reminisce about the days when he once roamed our star-studded halls, way back in the mid-nineties.

Granted, it was only for a few months—but the brief time that Reynolds spent at KPU has certainly gone down in history for eternity. What exactly he did here has been lost to time, as have the courses he took, whether or not he enjoyed himself, and why he dropped out during his first year.

But all that really matters is that—once upon a time—he was here. At some point, Ryan Reynolds probably touched or breathed on something you’ve interacted with in your life, and that should be more than good enough.

The Man, The Myth, The Legend Now, let’s jump back in time for a moment to 1976.

Baby Reynolds is born to two blue-collar parents: James Chester Reynolds, who worked in food wholesale, and Tammy Reynolds, who deals to this day in retail sales. James and Tammy were not new to childbearing when our beloved Ryan came along—they had three other, burlier sons, two of which went on to protect the nation as police officers.

The sensitive one of the bunch, young Ryan already had an acting career in 1991, starting with the role of Billy Simpson in a Canadian teen soap opera. His first big roles came later, with The Odyssey in 1993, Sabrina the Teenage Witch in 1996, Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place in 1998, and National Lampoon’s Van Wilder in 2002.

Then came the rom-com period that established Reynolds as the Hollywood hunk that we all know and love.

In Just Friends, Definitely Maybe, and The Proposal, he worked alongside talented and beautiful ladies that fell head over heels for him on-camera. Around the same time, Reynolds showed us his brooding dark side with Blade: Trinity, The Amityville Horror, and Smoking Aces, all of which predated his brief superhero freak-out that would add X-Men and Deadpool’s Wade Wilson and Green Lantern’s Hal Jordan to his portfolio.

He also narrated a documentary called Whale along the way and worked as a voice actor for kids’ animated films The Croods and Turbo.

The Party To celebrate his 40th birthday, the Kwantlen Student Association threw a party in the Grassroots Café Oct. 24. To be more specific, they threw “A Super-Dee Duper Burthday Party for Ryan Reynolds”—as written on the event’s Facebook page—one day after his actual date of birth. Screenshots of his Tweets were on the posters. “Ryan Reynolds Memorial” plaques were put on the gender neutral bathrooms’ doors. People were excited.

There was a Reynolds movie marathon, banners, balloons, and a life-sized cutout of the man himself. Later on there was also Deadpool bingo and a cake-cutting ceremony. Murdoch De Mooy, KSA Richmond Campus Representative and KGG President, won an Iron Man plushie. Let the good times roll.

Joseph Keller Web Editor The Legacy

So what should everyone’s favorite KPU sort-of-alumni mean to us? The Runner sat down with KSA vice president of student life Natasha Lopes who not only planned the festivities for Mr. Reynold’s birthday but was also the visionary behind the landmark Ryan Reynolds Memorial bathrooms in Cedar building. Surely, if anyone understands why the man holds such a special place in the hearts of everyone at this institution, it’s her.

“Every major university has somebody that they cling to, somebody that’s come out of their institution that is very famous—a lot of American schools have this and they play upon that,” says Lopes. “For me, Mr. Reynolds is so well known to the public that I want to celebrate somebody that not only comes from our province, our city, but somebody who did come to KPU, and to show to students that we can get you places.”

According to Lopes, while the main reason for celebrating Reynolds’ birthday may have been mostly to give students a reprieve from mid-semester burnout and to raise a little money for a special fund by the KSA to help students in financial need, there is also another reason. According to Lopes, there’s a lesson that we can all learn from Ryan Reynolds.

“No matter how bad your day is, doesn’t matter if—to use a Reynolds example—your daughter left a big mess in her diaper and she’s laughing at you because you’re cleaning it up, or if you’re, like me, really stressed out about your french homework, it’ll all be okay and you just have to take everything with a little bit of salt,” says Lopes.

Little can be said definitively about Reynolds’ time at KPU. It’s something of a mystery, even to Ryan Reynolds super fan Natasha Lopes.

“I know that he spent one semester here, and that’s about it,” says Lopes.

We don’t know what he studied, who his professors were, or if he ever used the washrooms that now proudly bare his name. What we can be sure of is somewhere in Hollywood, Mr Reynolds is assuredly looking back fondly on his time at our little campus and KPU students all over the Lower Mainland can proudly proclaim that we go to the school of the Green Lantern himself.

‘94

0 1 TOP Facts n a y R ·

He’s scared of flying. After going skydiving and having his parachute fail to open the first try, he formed the reasonable phobia of free-falling through the air.

He failed his first drama class in high school.

He’s a big fan of the Green Bay Packers.

He got engaged to and separated from Alanis Morissette and Scarlett Johansson, but is now married to Blake Lively and has two kids at home.

Morissette’s album, Flavors of Entanglement, and particularly the song “Torch”, was written about her breakup with Reynolds.

He was offered the role of Xander in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but Nicolas Brendon got it instead.

He loves motorcycles and owns three: a 2005 Harley-Davidson Springer Softail, a 2006 Ducati Sport 1000, and a 2005 Confederate.

He has a tattoo of Vancouver’s Nine O’clock Gun, a cannon that goes off every evening at Stanley Park, on his right wrist.

He was named People’s Sexiest Man Alive in 2010.

His net worth is $45 million, but to KPU, he’s priceless.

· · · · · · · · ·

(Scott McLelland)

Anxiety

How it affects university students, and what you can do to fight it off Alyssa Laube, Staff Writer

In high school, I had a counsellor who described anxiety in a way I had never perceived it before.

“It’s just fight or flight,” she said. “Way back when we had to hunt and run from predators to survive, that response is what kept us from getting eaten.”

She paused and looked me in the eyes, gesturing to the warm, comforting office we were sitting in. A fan hummed in the corner and pictures of kittens and babies were pinned to pale yellow walls.

“But there’s nothing that’s going to hurt you here.”

That concept changed my life. It opened my eyes to understanding my own anxiety which, for most who deal with it, is nearly impossible to figure out.

It’s hard to get a handle on anxiety because anxiety isn’t logical. It isn’t like being nervous, which happens for an explicable cause, like taking a test, and is often manageable enough to cast aside or power through.

Anxiety comes hard, fast, in waves, and sometimes for no detectable reason at all.

That’s why fight or flight simplifies the concept and makes it easier to tackle. Even though there might not literally be a tiger at your heels, something inside you might feel just as threatening. Maybe the predator you’re scared of is confronting personal trauma, overcoming a daunting obstacle, or finding balance and positivity with yourself and your life. The physical and mental side effects are not your fault, they’re just your chemistry.

University is an experience riddled with doubt, change, insecurity and challenge. Depending on who you are, it can feel like every turn you make leads you straight into an anxious pit. Each class is an opportunity to pass or fail, be scolded or praised, fit in or stick out. It’s a lot of pressure, and it’s normal to feel overwhelmed.

A survey conducted by the Canadian Organization of University and College Health this year revealed that university students are struggling in large numbers.

Nearly 90 per cent of those surveyed disclosed feeling overwhelmed by their responsibilities during the last year, with over 50 per cent feeling hopeless and 63 per cent feeling very lonely. 9.5 per cent had considered suicide, and 1.3 per cent had attempted it.

There are many ways to interpret this data. For instance, having normal anxiety is very different from having an anxiety disorder, which is “constant, chronic, and unsubstantiated worry that causes significant distress, disturbs your social life, and interferes with classes and work,” as defined by the Anxiety Disorder Association of Canada. The latter is far more serious and rare than the former, and that margin should be considered in the seriousness of implications of the 90 per cent “overwhelmed” group.

It’s also important to remember that this bleak, collective state of mind may have always been the case in young people, but only now are they beginning to feel comfortable enough to divulge the details of their mental health. The stigma is disappearing and resources are becoming more and more accessible.

Whether or not that is precisely the case, it is an unfortunate truth that many post-secondary students grapple with anxiety and, as suggested by the survey, depression. Students at KPU are surely no exception.

If you think you may have an anxiety disorder or even need help with average anxiety, there is a lot you can do to improve your health and happiness. The first step, though, is detecting the warning signs.

Identifying Anxiety Like all mental health issues, anxiety is different for everyone, but there are some common symptoms that you can watch out for if you’re struggling. First and

foremost, feeling panic, fear, or nervousness is almost always the trademark of anxiety and anxiety attacks.

There are also the physical aspects: sleeping problems, sweating, difficulty breathing, fidgeting, dry mouth, numbness, heart palpitations, nausea, dizziness, and muscle tension.

If you experience some or all of those sensations regularly, it would be wise to see a health professional. They can provide you with a diagnosis, support, resources, and—in extreme cases—medication, when you need it.

Seeking Professional Help There’s no shame in reaching out to others when you’re feeling down, and although family and friends are often crucial to living well with anxiety, health professionals are well-trained and confidential sources of therapy and medical attention.

All KPU students are welcome to make use of the university’s counselling services. The website states that they’re open to assistance with adjustment to post-secondary studies, addiction, anxiety, depression and grief, stress management, relationships and family, referrals, and crises.

Appointments can be made in-person with counsellors—Room 1075 in Langley, 1560 in Richmond, 160 in Surrey, and 1120A at KPU Tech—or online. Students can also sign up for the peer support program if they want to talk to someone of their own age and life experience. The program has a great deal of resources available on their website at http://www.kusa.ca/peersupport/.

Outside of the university, anyone under the age of 19 can access free counselling at most youth clinics in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. The doctors, nurses, and therapists there will keep your conversations strictly private unless they feel that you are at serious risk of harming yourself or someone else.

Those 19 and over can find their nearest mental health clinic by doing a quick online search, or visiting a nearby hospital’s relevant branch. Depending on your financial situation you could even pay for one-on-one visits to a psychologist if need be. If your anxiety is coming from a relationship or relationships in your life, group therapy sessions can often be scheduled in the same offices, although those can be pricey. All necessary details can be found on the internet.

Getting medication is another story. Only licensed psychiatrists and doctors can administer drugs, so you’ll have to take a trip to your family practitioner to get a prescription. If that sounds scary, bring a friend or family member along with you, but try not to get too worked up about seeing shrinks. They’re happy and willing to do anything you need, with only the mandatory questions asked, and they won’t judge you for your health problems. That’s their job—all you need to do is be there and be honest.

Seeking Interpersonal Help Opening up to loved ones about how you’re feeling could alleviate a lot of stress from your life if you’re feeling anxious, as long as they are supportive and willing to listen. Often, the first conversation you have with someone you know is the hardest, but once it’s over it can feel like a huge weight has been lifted. Speaking about one’s mental health is, for many, a gateway to owning and treating it. For some people, that’s all they need to start getting better.

If there’s nobody you feel comfortable talking to in your personal life, there are places you can go to meet others dealing with similar difficulties. Support groups

are normally open to people of all ages and identities, and they can be a fantastic way of getting to know both others and yourself. Groups are always safe spaces, and there is usually a professional in attendance to moderate and provide educated advice. Search for groups close to you to find one that’s best suited for your needs.

Learning Self-Care Anxiety starts inside of you, and that’s where it needs to be questioned, addressed, and treated. Take the time to take care of yourself every day in whichever small way you can, whether it’s alone or with pals.

What works for you will be different from what works for others, but here are a few activities that have helped my friends and me out with anxiety over the years: • Take a shower or bath: It’s relaxing and it’ll make you feel clean and smell nice! Plus, if you need a good cry, there’s nowhere more private than in a warm tub full of water, behind a locked door. If you like music, put on some tunes and meditate on your thoughts.

Hopefully it’ll make you feel better.

• Go for a walk: Feeling unwell can cause us to lock ourselves up in private, but that doesn’t make it the right thing to do. To avoid going stir crazy and making yourself sick, leave your homework, computer, and everything else in your bedroom and go for a long stroll somewhere beautiful and safe.

• Make something: Who cares whether your art is gallery-quality or not? Make stuff exclusively to express yourself and remember that you have the power to create anything you want to. It could be a painting, a song, a sweater, a sculpture, a story, a meal, or anything else your mind can come up with. Let yourself run wild with your creativity—you might even get a new hobby or a friend’s birthday gift out of it.

• Journal: Writing down your feelings, although cliché, is a dependable and easy outlet for getting the bad stuff out of you and onto paper. Journalling gives you a chance to have an honest conversation with yourself, out of the reach of prying eyes. If you’re feeling less contemplative and more expressive, you can doodle in them too.

• Take a nap: Anxiety can get a whole lot worse if you’re sleep-deprived. Even when your to-do list is getting longer all the time, it’s absolutely necessary that you give yourself a break. Put on some cozy clothes and blankets, lay your head down, and set your alarm for a reasonable time. The chances are good that you’ll feel more stable afterwards.

• Get in touch with a friend: You could call, Skype, or FaceTime someone if they’re not around, but if you live with others, meeting them to hang out for a bit might help you out more than you would think. All positive distractions are good for you, and so is talking it out.

• Animals: Need I say more? Animals are the cutest form of therapy. If you’re kind to them, they love you unconditionally, and they never get tired of hearing you tell them about your day. Visit your pets or someone else’s, go to a pet store, farm, or shelter—wherever the animals are, that’s where I want to be on a bad day.

• Treat yourself: Feel like getting fancy? Do your hair, dress up in something that makes you feel confident, and eat something that makes you happy. Being indulgent is fun and healthy and the right times, especially when you’re exhausted from stress and anxiety.

Remind yourself that you’re amazing and capable of doing whatever you need to do.

There’s undoubtedly more you can add to that list, but what it is exactly depends on how you work and what you need.

(Danielle George)

12 opinions

The Runner Debates: CCTV Cameras on Campus CCTV Cameras Will Make for a Safer Campus

Alyssa Laube | Staff Writer Security cameras, a new addition to KPU, have the potential to make the campus safer for students, faculty, and visitors. The impact they will have on safety and security will likely be small, but anything is better than nothing at all, and cameras make it more probable that a perpetrator of harassment will be justly convicted.

The university has set out to install the cameras on its campuses for that cause—tthough Surrey is the only one that currently has them installed—and their list of student rights and responsibilities reinforces that.

“Students have a right not to be subjected to harassment, sexual harassment or violence, bullying or discrimination, indignity, injury or violence,” it reads. Unfortunately, just because that right exists does not mean that it is respected.

KPU has seen its own sexual harassment complaints filed this year, with two instances occurring right here on campus. On other university campuses in the Greater Vancouver Area, particularly UBC, harassment has been all the more common. It’s disconcerting that, for KPU students, there would have been no proof of such a crime to show the police.

With that information in mind, it would seem that cases of harassment are relatively uncommon, but it is

crucial to consider the percentage of harassers that are actually reported for their offence. As a young woman, I have been harassed on or around campus at least once every month, but have not reported a single incident to the security or police.

For that I have my reasons, and I believe a majority of those who have faced harassment will share these reasons.

The most significant one is that I’m used to it. Being catcalled, leered at, and physically intimidated is a relatively common aspect of my life, and I’m certainly not the only university student to feel that way. When someone does something sexually inappropriate towards me, the chances are high that I’ll shrug it off to avoid

conflict and continue on with my day.

Secondly, I know that history repeats itself, and if cops haven’t cared about harassment in the past, they aren’t going to now. All it takes is common sense and a look at how harassment is repeatedly approached to reach that conclusion.

Generally speaking, the law has never even punished rapists deservedly—historically speaking, even murderers of women have not been investigated as thoroughly as they should have been—so harassers are exponentially less likely to be tracked down and disciplined. Consider the time and effort it takes to work with the police, and reporting harassment seems even less worth it.

An extension of that argument is

the he-said-she-said aspect of harassment and the fact that there is rarely proof to show authorities. In that way, CCTV cameras on KPU campuses could make a big difference, and for that purpose alone, I believe they are a necessary aspect of security here.

“The CCTV system may be used to help stop an incident from progressing, investigate an incident in accordance with University policies and procedures, and/or prevent future incidents,” according to the university’s External Closed Circuit Television Cameras policy.

It should do that in part, but it will take deep societal change to truly make a difference to the issue of harassment and university culture.

(Nat Mussell)

CCTV Cameras Create The Illusion of Security

Calvin Borghardt| Contributor

An ongoing commitment to the safety and security of all its members by our fine university sounds like it might actually lead to something useful, but instead has caused KPU to install external closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras at our Surrey campus.

Perhaps they forgot about the level of surveillance we are currently under, since we insist on carrying around a microphone and two cameras at almost all hours of the day. And that’s just our cellphones.

That doesn’t even include the other cameras that are planted around our society, scattered across buildings,

perched next to streetlights, or built into our computers and laptops. At least one eye is fixed on us at almost all hours of the day, like a scolding father who refuses to let his children roam where he can’t see them.

But the important question is whether such surveillance yields the results we’re looking for, and in that realm CCTV won’t do.

These cameras, in the case of KPU, capture video footage without any audio for twenty-four hours everyday, and this footage is archived for thirty days. This is intended to serve as a safety and security incident investigative tool.

Regardless of how useful the footage is, the importance of these cameras is their effect on human be-

havior. Predatory individuals will be looking for a good spot to engage in harmful activities without getting caught and they will look elsewhere if they see a camera.

While an advocate for these cameras may see this as a win for his or her camp, the statement produced by KPU about these cameras claim that will be placed in “public areas where there would be no reasonable expectation of privacy.”

A predatory person would not have been looking for a victim in such a place—camera or no camera—which means that they will not act as a deterrent for these disturbed people.

Although the camera, as an object, may be of no use, surely the

footage is. Suppose an assault is committed on campus, in full view of one of these cameras, and recorded. This incident is reported to campus security and one of the officers reviews the footage.

Even if it were unmistakable that a crime had been committed, the level of clarity offered by CCTV cameras would make it almost impossible to identify the perpetrator.

If the perpetrator cannot be identified, then the footage is rendered useless. It would preserve the crime, but fail to assist security in ensuring the guilty party does the time.

That means that KPU has just invested its limited funding into purchasing equipment that lacks value as a deterrent and the information that it

collects is also of no use.

Yet there is hope for this fumble.

When students glance around campus and see cameras perched on rooftops and canopies, many will sigh in relief, knowing that they are “safe” and under the watchful eye of people who are without an understanding of security’s purpose.

To be fair, KPU claims that CCTV cameras are only one component of the university’s “overall safety and security strategy.” The university has taken a step towards creating an environment of false security and if they continue, then it’s unlikely that students will see a truly safe campus soon.

14 Opinions

Why We’re not Proud of our Country

Canadian nationalism is dwindling in Millennials, to no one’s surprise

Alyssa Laube | Staff Writer Gone are the days when Canadians sang their national anthem crying tears of pride and joy. Singing the anthem seems more like a chore than a tribute nowadays—an obsolete tradition that we’re all forced through, full of reluctance and lip-syncing.

Whereas the Americans flip their lids every time a flag is burned, I find it difficult to imagine myself blinking an eye at the desecration of our country’s flag, no matter how disrespectful the motive may be. Canada Day is nothing more than an excuse to stay home and enjoy sleeping in. Honestly, I couldn’t even tell you where it lands on the calendar. 40 per cent of Canadians aged 18 to 34 agree.

That isn’t to say that we are not grateful for living here. I feel impossibly fortunate to have been given such a privileged life. Canada is one of the most safe and liberal places on the planet, and its general values align neatly with many of my ideals.

There is a reason why people travel from all over the world to be here, and I myself have happily returned to Vancouver after spending years living

in the United States.

It is widely known that the people there are much more nationalistic than Canadians. Although their country is full to the brim with issues— from horrifically common shootings to hilariously corrupt politicians—the Americans love it to bits.

There’s nothing particularly wrong with patriotism, but it is easy

Until Trudeau came into office, that facet of Canada’s personality had been long forgotten. Not only had we dropped peacekeeping— we did the opposite. The Harper government basically revolved around pissing people off, whether it be Indigenous Canadians or the population in the Middle East. Even with Trudeau here, the damage is done. It feels relatively irreversible, (Kieth Harris) and we haven’t to make fun of. From the outside seen much concrete change.

Maybe we say we’re not proud looking in, pride attached to a geographical location can seem illogical because our community is diverse and strange, but there’s more to Can- and globally connected. So many cultures exist and thrive here that it ada’s lack of national pride than that.

Maybe it’s because we’ve lost would be impossible to identify with touch with our identity. Once, Cana- them all. It makes more sense that da was the peacekeeping leader of the we would be proud of our diversity, world. Back then we had something but even that is not without its flaws.

There’s no doubt that bigotry is still to be proud of.

big here, and the news consistently reminds us of that.

Media also reminds us of everything that Canada has done and is doing wrong. Now that youth are constantly bombarded by national and international stories, they have learned through experience to criticize and rally their government, instead of blindly trust.

There is a personal aspect for Canadian youth too. Many of us feel like our country has failed us.

Young Canadians are overwhelmingly burdened by debt, unemployment, and a lack of housing. Many of us feel like the path to adulthood is blocked by nearly insurmountable obstacles, and only the generations of citizens and politicians before us are to blame.

Our parents had more security, more cause to trust authority, and reason to value Canada’s place in international politics than we do. If the country we live in cannot support us—if they cannot be dignified in their identity as peacekeepers or changemakers—we cannot trust it.

And if we cannot trust it, we cannot be proud.

Aspiring Parents Should Be Required to Obtain a License to Have Children It takes a village to raise a child, especially when the parents happen to be village idiots Braden Klassen| Contributor You’ve heard it before—being a parent is hard. Extremely hard. For many people it may be the most difficult thing they ever have to do. In the confines of modern society, it seems like there are an infinite number of ways to screw up your kid, and relatively few ways to raise a child that meets our expectations of what a “decent person” should be.

The qualities that parents should imbue with their children read like a grocery list of virtues. In short, they should probably be a law-abiding, hard-working, intelligent, benevolent person in order to become truly successful, and society sort of pressures parents to raise their kids to exemplify these traits.

A lot of parents do this. A lot of parents don’t. A lot of parents don’t give a shit.

Is that fair to their kids? Is that fair to the rest of society? How far should a parent’s responsibility for a child’s well-being and upbringing go? I imagine there’s a finer line than you’d expect between the decisions that lead to raising the next Little Albert or the next Albert Einstein. But

come on, there’s always common sense.

Make your child wear a helmet when they’re on their bike. Make sure they are nourished regularly. Try not to let them touch too many scorpions, and so on.

In order to earn the privilege of being allowed to drive in B.C., a series of criteria need to be met. First, you need to pass a knowledge test, which awards you with a learner’s permit. You need to practice driving with your L in order to prepare for the test that awards you your new driver’s permit. After you get your N, you’re expected to drive around with it for twenty four months while adhering to a set of restrictions, and then—three years after beginning the process—you can finally drive a car with a class 5 license.

Undoubtedly, the improper handling of a motor vehicle could be the cause of all kinds of road accidents and catastrophes. Someone who gets behind the wheel without the proper training and the right credentials is putting others at risk.

You need a license to be allowed to serve people alcoholic beverages in B.C. because the consumption of alcohol could potentially lead to

(Nicole Kwit)

unintended and possibly fatal consequences—yet you have the right to create an entire new human being from scratch without needing to meet

any sort of pre-requisites or standards.

Ultimately, there’s only one requirement for having a child, and it’s

so simple, so formally insignificant, so unregulated and non-existent, that it can essentially be summed up by a Nike slogan.

People have children by accident.

Think about that.

Sometimes people make people without even meaning to.

If you accidentally start driving a car around without a license and you get pulled over, well, to quote the BC’s government website: “The consequences of driving without a valid driver’s licence are severe in this province.”

However, if you accidently create an entire human being, a person that can form and destroy relationships, a person that can underachieve or overachieve to infinity and beyond, a person that could, hypothetically, be the difference between developing the cure for cancer and developing the next bioweapon that exterminates humanity...

It’s just another one of God’s little miracles. Oops.

Reproduction is a human right, and I firmly believe that it should continue to be. But that doesn’t mean we can’t re-examine what it means to be someone who has a child versus what it means to be a parent.

Columns 15

Artist Spotlight: Phono Pony

On the vulnerability of making music with Shay Hayashi and Micheal Kenyon Alyssa Laube | Staff Writer The cover of Phono Pony’s first EP, Phonography, is eye-catching on the surface and meaningful beneath.

Emblazoned boldly on its face are the two nude figures of its members, Shay Hayashi and Michael Kenyon, barely obscured by various pieces of analog technology. Obviously, it’s bold and sort of curious, like a modern version of John and Yoko’s Two Virgins 1968 cover shoot.

But like Two Virgins, there is a solid idea behind the photo. The concept behind Phonography is vulnerability—what it’s like to wear your heart on your sleeve both with another musician and your audience—say Hayashi and Kenyon. Stripping down in front of a camera is an extension of that.

The four-track record is sludgy, dirty, and sexy, full of fuzz and sudden screams. Phonography walks a delicate line between being ploddingly melodic and wildly energetic. Like early Sonic Youth and The Pixies, one male voice and one female voice break through screeching guitars and bluesy riffs.

Phono Pony drummer Shay Monyou and bassist/vocalist Micheal Kenyon stand outside of a coffee shop on The EP is their official begin- getting recognized in the city and Commercial Drive on Oct. 2016. (Alyssa Laube)

The duo likens their sound to “something you might have heard but don’t recognize,” referring to the “nostalgic aftertaste” tag that is often attached to their songs. They’re not aiming to fit into any one genre, nor are they trying to make a new one.

Hayashi says that Phono Pony just wants to have their own image, rather than replicating anything that has been done in the past.

“We don’t want limitations,” she says.

ning as a band, but the two actually met through a previous project, Still Creek Murder, that recently came to an end. In that group, Kenyon played bass, which is radically different from his role as lead guitarist and vocalist in Phono Pony, and Hayashi played drums, although she is taking a different stylistic approach to suit their current sound.

“After coming out of another project that was sort of peaking and

having that fall apart, I was like, ‘this is our own thing and we’re starting fresh,’” says Hayashi. “We were super vulnerable. I think when you’re back at square one, you’re vulnerable.”

“Art is about being vulnerable.

You do it to find out things about yourself, and when you do performance art, you do it to share with someone else,” adds Kenyon. “But I have learned that it’s hard and it’s

something you shouldn’t do to create art for other people if you were setting out to find out something about yourself.”

The duo are currently writing their first full-length album, which is set to be released on vinyl and the web by January. Kenyon, who graduated from Nimbus, is starting up his own recording studio as well, which is where it will be recorded.

“This album is going to be a little more thought out and well-rounded.

I think we know what our sound is a little bit better,” says Hayashi. “We also have a bunch of songs on the chopping block. We wanted this not to be a concept album, but more of a themed album than our last one. We don’t want it to sound anything like our last, but we still want it to be Phono Pony.”

“It’s going to sound very blue and very green,” says Kenyon.

As for any other details, he promises, “There’s going to be sound and silence, and those two things we guarantee to our listeners.”

Phono Pony will also be touring through Alberta and Saskatchewan this May.

Going Global: Hillary Clinton

What foreign policy issues are on the mind of the next President?

Tristan Johnston |Coordinating Editor The next U.S. President of the United States will have a world of issues to deal with upon inauguration to the top office. With Clinton winning the election, the world can expect more of the same from the U.S. However, it should be stated that the extent of U.S. global influence is lessening. It’s not because the U.S. is getting weaker, as Trump suggested.

It’s actually because other countries are slowly becoming stronger and more independent, and the U.S.’s ability to impose its will on other countries is growing weaker. While they remain the strongest individual country in the world, we’re still in a multi-polar world.

In that light, here’s a select rundown of some of the major foreign policy portfolios that will be on the mind of the next president:

Canada The U.S.’ relationship with Canada is unlikely to change under a new Clinton presidency. In the recent decade, the only major sticking points between us and our best friend has been the Keystone XL pipeline and softwood lumber.

Of course, phase four of Keystone XL was rejected by the Obama administration in November of last year, and while Trudeau was displeased, he said that the international relationship was bigger than one

project, and he’s right. Given that relations improved slightly from Harper to Trudeau, it stands to reason that relations will remain the same or improve from Obama to Clinton.

Lumber still remains the biggest question, a problem since the 1980s.

In a nutshell, the issue is that Canadian lumber is subsidized and harvested from government land, whereas American lumber has its price set by the market, and is harvested from private land. Though both Obama and Trudeau’s cabinets said that they were going to work on the problem in March, a deal is yet to be seen.

With regards to military cooperation, Canada has been inconsistent within the last two decades, sometimes joining the U.S., such as in Afghanistan (2001) and in Desert Shield (1991), but sometimes remaining separate, such as Jean Chretien’s refusal to get involved in Iraq (2003).

Regardless, with a democrat in the White House and a Liberal in Langevin Block, military cooperation or lack thereof is unlikely to affect the relationship.

Eastern Europe James Clapper, American Director of National Intelligence, has said in an interview with Charlie Rose that the U.S. relationship with Russia is “certainly not at its peak by any stretch.”

The Americans still have to deal with the situation in the Ukraine, which is creating tension in the east.

Say what you will about Putin,

have to go through China, meaning the U.S. should try to be on good terms with them.

Middle East

With Clinton winning the election, the world can expect more of the same from the U.S. (United States Mission Geneva/Flickr)

he’s extremely good at working with a bad set of cards. Despite a wreck of an economy and massive sanctions, Putin still manages to hold Russia together and forge alliances with the Philippines, Belarus, and others.

Clinton will also need to worry about the increasing influence of Russia on democratic elections in the West, namely their closeness to alt-right political parties and leaders.

Viktor Orban, Donald Trump, and Nigel Farage have all said positive things about Vladimir Putin. Since the U.S. prefers the status-quo, it’s within the interests of the next president to nip growing Russian influence in the bud.

East Asia Just last week, Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines met with Xi Jinping of China and worked out a deal to secure the Scarborough Shoal in the

South China Sea. While this is good for both countries, it’s bad for the U.S. and their allies in the region.

Diplomatically, it will be difficult for the U.S. to recover from such a failure. Ensuring that China doesn’t become a local hegemon is critical to maintaining the balance of power.

Should China get its way with the local waters, they’ll have the military ability to blockade critical trade routes. Of course, this is unlikely to ever happen, but China doesn’t like the fact that the Americans have the capability of doing so.

North Korea’s unpredictable behaviour will also be a concern, given the fact that American attempts to dial down their nonsense have been largely ineffective. And while it’s unlikely to be successful, they’re still developing nuclear weapons, and attempting to build the hardware necessary to deliver it to the U.S.. Any hope to de-escalate North Korea will

The Middle East remains complicated. Everything is interconnected in the region. You can’t do anything with Iran without bothering Israel or Saudi Arabia. You can’t do anything in Syria without affecting Russia or Turkey.

Saudi Arabia will have trouble in the coming years with changes to the price of oil—which their economy is massively reliant on—and less money will mean a weaker ability to influence the region. It stands to reason that they will become less and less important to the U.S..

Iran will grow closer as an ally to the U.S., especially after the nuclear deal. This will be extremely frustrating to Saudi Arabia and Israel, but also to Russia, who has typically been closer to them. Though it’s unlikely to happen, Iran still has a card up its sleeve—the Strait of Hormuz—should they ever feel like screwing with global oil trade. 1/5th of the world’s oil supply goes through the strait, and a blockade would cause oil prices around the world to surge.

Though such a move would be good for the Canadian dollar, it would be bad for the environment and the average North American who relies of their car.

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Sudoku

SUDOKU No. 160

Medium

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

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Horoscopes

Full moons provide the perfect opportunity to go You wish you could’ve gotten to know your hiking through those misty Scottish moors where grandfather better after his death. Sometimes you For many strategies, hints and tips,graveyards, looking for his name on the local villagers dare not tread. walk through visit www.sudokuwiki.org every tombstone you pass.

If you like Sudoku you’ll really like Libra Virgo ‘Str8ts’ and our other puzzles, Apps Sept 24 Aug 24 Sept 23 and books. Visit www.str8ts.com - Oct 23 You tend to bring out the best in people, and by “the best” I mean their internal organs.

It’s often difficult to put your feelings into words, but a “Happy Anniversary” card from Hallmark is a great way to say “you are my least favourite nephew.”

Aquarius Jan 21 - Feb 19 Know what? Those Mormons seem to be working extra hard this week. Give them a glimmer of hope by shouting “Hail Jeebus!” as they walk by.

Taurus Apr 20 - May 20 The bad news? Wishing for “a million wishes” has voided your remaining wishes. The good news?

You’ll only have to feel bad for a couple of hours before the meteor hits.

Leo Jul 24 - Aug 23 There is no point arguing with someone in a position of power. Instead, cut their breaks and be ready to comfort their grieving widow.

Scorpio Oct 24 - Nov 22 You’ll never know where tomorrow will take you because it locked you in its trunk and has been driving through the night.