THE
VOL. 04 ISSUE 18 06.12.2012
NEWS AND CULTURE FOR THE STUDENTS OF KWANTLEN POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY
KSA JOINS BC STUDENT UNIONS IN LOBBY CAMPAIGN PAGE 4
KSA SUED
FRESH AIR CINEMA
CFS FILES SUIT AGAINST KSA PAGE 3
FIND US ONLINE
SUMMER MOVIES UNDER THE SUN AND STARS PAGE 8
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HARVEST BOXES KWANTLEN-GROWN VEGGIES TO GO PAGE 9
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NEWS
www.runnermag.ca | The Runner
vol. 4 issue 18 | June 12 2012 | page three
KWANTLEN
The Runner Roundup A brief run around the latest news from the world of Kwantlen and beyond
KSA sued again: bills, bills,
bills
The Kwantlen Student Association (KSA) is headed to court – again. The Canadian Federation of Students - British Columbia (CFS-BC) filed a notice of civil claim in the Supreme Court of B.C. on May 17, alleging that the KSA owes them $49,302.80 in unpaid bills for student handbooks. “We have tried every avenue of seeking the KSA to pay for the services that they have received,” said Michael Olson, treasurer for the national CFS, in a June 6 phone interview. “Unfortunately, even though we’ve been trying for the last number of years to have these payments remitted, they haven’t been and they provided us with no other opportunity.” The lawsuit alleges that KSA ordered handbooks from the CFS between 2005 and 2007, but never paid for them. The suit asks for damages, court-ordered interest, and costs. None of the allegations made by the CFS-BC have been proven in court. The KSA had not yet filed a response as of The Runner’s deadline. The KSA and the national and provincial branches of the CFS have a long history of conflict. The KSA has been involved in three lawsuits with the CFS or CFS-BC since 2008. The KSA board also voted in March 2012 to ban the CFS from booking space on Kwantlen campuses.
GOODNCRAZY/FLICKR
New dean of arts at Kwantlen Kwantlen is getting a new dean for the faculty of arts. Dr. Diane Purvey, who holds a Ph.D. in social and educational studies from the University of British Columbia, will be appointed into the position on Aug. 1 and is leaving her jobpost at Thompson Rivers University (TRU). Purvey recently co-authored and edited Vancouver Noir, 1930-1960, as well as having worked on two previous books about British Columbia’s social history. Among her accomplishments, Purvey helped build and launch the master of education program at TRU and served in advisory roles associated with graduate studies, research, and institutional realignment. “Kwantlen is very excited to welcome such an accomplished academic and inspiring organizational leader to our university,” says John McKendry, president and vice-chancellor of Kwantlen Polytechnic University. “We look forward to the abundance of knowledge and leadership she will bring to Kwantlen.” As dean of the faculty of arts, Dr. Purvey will encourage a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approach, support academic excellence, and promote originality in research, scholarship and teaching.
page four | June 12 2012 | vol. 4 issue 18
NEWS
The Runner | www.runnermag.ca
TUITION
Kwantlen students join BC campaign Kwantlen Student Association forgoes CASA membership to focus on provincial lobbying.
I
MATT DIMERA NEWS EDITOR
The Kwantlen Student Association (KSA) joined the Where’s The Funding?! (WTF?!) coalition, the largest student-organized post-secondary campaign in B.C., on Wednesday, June 8. The KSA council voted unanimously to join the group, only after a heated debate about whether joining would lead the KSA into endorsing the student protests in Quebec. “We have to be very careful here,” argued Diana Fournier, the KSA’s mature students constituency representative. “The right to rally against or for something you believe in differs greatly from the right to violently protest and cause millions of dollars in damage, while rioting in balaclavas.” Fournier also suggested that tuition at Kwantlen was affordable compared to other universities in B.C. and the rest of Canada, and drastically so, compared to American post-secondary institutes. “If you go and simply demand more money from your parents are you going to get it?” she asked. “That to me is ‘What the Fuck’, not ‘Where’s The Funding.’”
The issue was largely defused after Arzo Ansary, KSA director of external affairs, explained that the WTF?! coalition was a separate issue from the Quebec protests. The WTF?! coalition describes itself as the largest student-organized post-secondary campaign in B.C., representing more than 160,000 students in eight student unions. The members of the coalition include the students associations at the University of Victoria (UVic), the University of British Columbia (UBC), Simon Fraser University (SFU), Capilano University, Langara College, the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV), the University of Northern British University (UNBC) and the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT). “Their focus is especially on provincial lobbying which is exactly where we need to be,” said Ansary. She praised the WTF?!’s consensus model and lack of rules around leaving or joining. The campaign advocates for the elimination of interest rates on student loans, the re-establishment of a provincial needsbased grants program and an increase to core funding for colleges and universities. The news coincided with the KSA’s decision not to seek full membership in the
Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA), a national student lobby group. The KSA has been an associate member for several years and had been asked to either transition to full member or to leave. “The Kwantlen Student Association and its council felt that the funds that would have been transferred to CASA for our membership would be better used to create and build our own lobbying and campaign
base,” said Ansary. Ansary estimated that the membership would have cost the KSA approximately $50,000 annually. She also expressed concerns about the lack of western schools involved in CASA, noting that the Alma Mater Society at the University of British Columbia had also recently dropped their associate membership status.
Arzo Ansary, KSA director of external affairs, believes that joining the WTF?! campaign will benefit Kwantlen students. MATT DIMERA/THE RUNNER
NEWSPAPERS
PIPS bans CFS and Armed Forces from Runner advertising I
SARAH SCHUCHARD CONTRIBUTOR
The Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) has been banned from advertising in The Runner and other campus publications, for the next three years. Kwantlen students voted at the May 30 annual general meeting of the Polytechnic Ink Publishing Society (PIPS) to ban the student lobby group from advertising in all PIPS publications. PIPS is the parent society that publishes The Runner and Pulp magazine. The motion was introduced by Derek Robertson, a former KSA executive member and outgoing PIPS treasurer and seconded by Kwantlen senator-elect Jared Penland.
Robertson motivated for the ban by criticising the CFS’ tactics. “Instead of talking with government they rush to protest. So obviously it does absolutely nothing,” said Robertson. “Also they have been in a number of lawsuits involving the KSA and myself over the years.” Penland argued that many large universities in B.C. are either no longer members or are attempting to leave the CFS. Later in the meeting, PIPS members also voted to uphold a pre-existing ban on ads from the Canadian Armed Forces, after Penland questioned the motivations behind that ban and attempted to lift it. “I guess as a student organization we
might be inclined to ban the Canadian Armed Forces, but it’s my opinion that although we may or may not agree with the actions of certain governments, it’s not the Canadian Forces that we’re against,” said Penland. Paul Li, the outgoing chairperson of PIPS, suggested that the military ad ban could take away a potential source of funding for The Runner, calling it “a restriction on opinions.” Jeff Groat, co-ordinating editor of The Runner, clarified that the ban only applied to paid advertising and not news articles or editorials. He also said the ban would not have a large effect on advertising revenues. Penland withdrew his support for lifting
the ban, after hearing that the UBC’s campus newspaper, The Ubyssey, has a similar restriction. Runner editors Matt DiMera and Jeff Groat abstained from voting on both motions. “University campuses are bastions of academic freedom and free speech,” Groat said to The Runner after the meeting. “Our members decided to exercise that right by saying that any money that comes from Canadian Forces and the CFS won’t be accepted to pay for our editorial content and to pay for our running of the society.” Michael Olson, national treasurer for the CFS, declined to comment when reached by phone.
www.runnermag.ca | The Runner
NEWS
vol. 4 issue 18 | June 12 2012 | page five
EDUCATION
Interned Japanese Canadian students get honorary UBC degrees I
LAURA RODGERS THE UBYSSEY (UBC)
VANCOUVER (CUP) — After an injustice that occurred 70 years ago, the JapaneseCanadian UBC students of 1942 finally received their honorary degrees in a ceremony on Wednesday. Of the 76 who were honoured, only 22 were still alive and only 10 were able to attend the ceremony. Many of the degrees were accepted by children or grandchildren. The room erupted into thunderous applause and cheers each time one of the bright gold-and-scarlet sashes was draped across one of the 10 who were present to receive the degree. The honourees, all of whom were in their 80s or 90s, grinned broadly as they were each recognized.
“When I go to get my degree, I think I’m going to go berserk,” reflected honorary degree recipient Roy Oshiro on the morning of the ceremony. “I don’t think I’ll be able to contain myself.” But Oshiro was calmly joyful as he crossed the stage, raising his hands in acknowledgment and warmly smiling to all in attendance. Oshiro, who went on to become a missionary after he was interned, was moved by UBC’s long-overdue gesture. “For UBC to say, ‘Here’s the rightful degree you should’ve had … We kicked you out, I’m sorry, come and get your degree’ — what greater thing is there? I can’t think of one,” said Oshiro. Honorary degree recipient Geri Shiozaki initially wasn’t sure how to feel when she first heard that she would finally be receiv-
ing a UBC degree. “It’s a mixture of excitement and nostalgia, I suppose,” said Shiozaki. “It’s a little overwhelming.” Shiozaki recalled the astonishment she felt when she was forced to leave UBC in 1942. “Those days were so full of uncertainty and rumours. We never expected what did happen,” she said. “I was devastated. I didn’t think my country, which is a democracy, could do this to me and others. It was very unsettling.” UBC president Stephen Toope wasn’t shy in acknowledging that UBC should have done more to protest the forcible removal of its Japanese-Canadian students. “They were really committed students who were working very hard and had done nothing to justify this action,” said Toope in a video produced to introduce the ceremony. “The sad thing for this university is that no one
stood up in their defence.” Toope acknowledged the work of Mary Kitagawa of the Greater Vancouver Japanese-Canadian Citizens’ Association, who initially began the push for the degrees in 2008 and was rebuffed until last November. As UBC chancellor Sarah Morgan-Silvester made her final speech after conferring the degrees, her voice wavered with emotion. “It has been my great pleasure, privilege, and honour to meet and congratulate each member of today’s graduating class,” said Silvester. “Above all, please know that UBC is, and will forever be, your university. “Welcome home.”
ACTIVISM
Proposed SFU men’s centre criticised by Communist group I
GREG PRATT NEXUS (CAMOSUN COLLEGE)
VICTORIA (CUP) — A proposal by the Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS) to establish a men’s centre at Simon Fraser University (SFU) is being met with resistance. The Young Communist League of Canada has officially spoken out against the idea, arguing that men do not face systemic barriers and do not need a safe space. “There is a Women’s Centre on campus,” said Young Communist League of Canada British Columbia provincial treasurer Erin Searle. “Its goal is in part ‘to struggle against all forms of oppression and demand justice’. Over the years, the Women’s Centre has been a positive space on campus and a force for fighting misogyny and racism. The Women’s Centre is positive because it addresses systemic gender-based barriers facing women in society.” Searle said the difference between a women’s centre and a men’s centre is that men do not face systemic gender-based barriers in today’s society. Searle pointed out that men still make more than women and hold a large majority of the seats in provin-
cial legislatures and federal parliament. “The SFSS is advancing a confused perspective on the role of both feminism and the student movement,” said Searle. But SFSS university relations officer Jeff McCann doesn’t agree. McCann agreed that women’s issues are unquestionably essential, but he said that women’s groups often point at men on the other side of the issue at hand instead of working with them. “What we aim to do with the men’s centre is to engage men in topics such as these, rather than talking around men,” he said. “Women’s groups will benefit from men talking about gender equality, I don’t know how they [the Young Communist League of Canada] miss the positives of that. There will not be any single focus of programming, which is why the centre needs to stand autonomous.” McCann said that the SFSS has actually received lots of positive feedback from around North America for the proposed men’s centre, but that supporters haven’t been as vocal as the opposition. “I did not realize this amount of controversy would surround the men’s centre,” he
said. “I thought that society was at a point to accept and recognize that people face different challenges in life and need support to face those challenges. Men are no different. Having said that, we have had large positive support from across North America. The media is really creating its own controversy by up-playing the negative comments.” At Camosun College, Elizabeth Morris, women’s director for the Camosun College Student Society, stated that she is in support of the centre. “I am a humanist,” she said. “I believe in equality and equal opportunity for all people, regardless of how they identify themselves. That being said, if the need is there and the want is legitimate, I strongly endorse the development of a men’s centre.” As for the Communist League’s press release, McCann said that the sentiments displayed in it exemplify a larger societal problem. “In terms of the press release, they recognize that men face many issues but don’t think there should be a place for dialogue and community around these issues,” he
said. “That attitude is part of the problem in society. I believe that this place should exist, and that it is nobody’s right to deny men of a service that many experts and students believe to be a valuable idea.” According to the SFSS, a men’s centre will be beneficial idea in part because men struggle disproportionately with issues such as alcoholism and suicide. The Young Communist League of Canada, however, disputed that these problems result from gender and that counselling systems should be put in place instead of a men’s centre. Searle said that if the SFSS really wants to help students, it should be focusing its energy and resources elsewhere. “If the SFSS leadership wants to serve its membership it should increase funding to the Women’s Centre or organize campaigns against racism and misogyny,” she said. Meanwhile, McCann hopes that the proposed men’s centre will move forward and feels it’s a great opportunity. “I don’t pretend to be an expert on men’s issues or health,” he said, “but I can create a platform for building community and dialogue amongst men about men’s issues.”
page six | June 12 2012 | vol. 4 issue 18
EDITORIAL
The Runner | www.runnermag.ca
OPINION
Whistler University won’t actually benefit Whistler at all
The Runner is student owned and operated by Kwantlen Polytechnic University students, published under Polytechnic Ink Publishing Society. Arbutus 3710/3720 12666 72 Ave. Surrey, B.C. V3W 2M8 www.runnermag.ca 778-565-3801
Vol. 4, Issue no. 18 June 12, 2012 ISSN# 1916-8241
EDITORIAL DIVISION: Co-ordinating Editor / Jeff Groat editor@runnermag.ca / 778-565-3803 Culture Editor / Kristi Alexandra culture@runnermag.ca / 778-565-3804 News Editor / Matt DiMera news@runnermag.ca / 778-565-3805 Production Editor / Antonio Su production@runnermag.ca / 778-565-3806 TYLERINGRAM/FLICKR CREATIVE COMMONS
I
JESSICA WIND THE CASCADE (UNIVERSITY OF THE FRASER VALLEY)
ABBOTSFORD (CUP) — Towering mountains, a bustling village, sensational restaurants, and now university students? The internationally-known vacation destination for both summer and winter sports will soon be home to students not unlike us. Whistler University could open its doors as early as next year. What good can this possibly bring to the Olympic village? It will be a state-of-the-art facility, constructed on some of the last remaining wetlands in the area. The proposed private university’s programs are clearly aimed at an international market rather than bolstering the local community. An influx of students looking to combine vacation and education is expected. At a projected capacity for only 1500 students, 70 per cent of them will likely be international. Whistler is already the place to be if you want to rub elbows with people from every corner of the planet. But the community is also ripe with locals that have made their home in the mountain resort, and this university doesn’t seem open to those looking for a close-to-home education. This is tourism in the guise of education. The website claims to have a focus on sustainability that will ultimately benefit the local community. But it also boasts an international draw, appealing to students both young and mature for an exotic learning experience. While many of the programs directly relate to Whistler’s most important industries, they encompass a random smattering of educational avenues. You are welcome to study tourism, sustainability, leadership, culinary arts (as per request by local restaurants) or a master’s in business administration. There are also programs set up to “provide university preparatory programs … to give our First Nations students a better chance of success in
university than they currently achieve.” A fair trade, considering the school is being built in their traditional territory. The question is, what exactly will this school do to bolster Whistler’s economy? I don’t even think they know, as the website overview offers a buzz-word heavy plan to serve the local community. The locals, however, have been against it for years. “Pave paradise to put up a parking lot,” said one Whistler resident, quoting Joni Mitchell. J. Wright has lived just south of the village for the last 12 years. He is sure that while the University may accomplish some of its initial goals, it will also create a bigger party scene than the village already experiences. After all, students have to blow off steam somewhere and the village is ripe with pubs, clubs and restaurants. “One day tourists will decide they’ve had enough and stop coming, and no one will know why,” Wright said. What about other schools nearby with similar programs? The Vancouver Sun reports that both UNBC and BCIT are in support of the project, assuming it will attract more students to their institutions as well. Sure, studying in Whistler would be neat, but it’s may be one of those “too much of a good thing” scenarios. Ultimately, Whistler U will feature primarily two types of students. There will be those who are too busy to enjoy where they are, who will hole up in their rooms studying — and therefore not buy into the consumer economy. Then there will be the other kind of student — the partier. These students will wholly contribute to the restaurants and bars, but will forget that they are there to learn. They will tarnish the winter paradise image that Whistler has maintained. Whether it’s the destroyed wetlands, the lack of support for locals, or the likelihood of party-loving students overtaking the town, Whistler University is just a bad idea, through and through.
Media Editor / Vacant media@runnermag.ca / 778-565-3806
CONTRIBUTORS: Alexandra Hawley, Jacob Zinn, Katya Slepian, Sarah Schuchard, Chris Yee Cover Photo: Jeff Groat BUSINESS DIVISION: Operations Manager / On Leave ops@runnermag.ca / 778-688-3797 Office Co-ordinator / Victoria Almond office@runnermag.ca / 778-565-3801
Funds are collected by the university and channelled to PIPS via the KSA.
www.runnermag.ca | The Runner
CULTURE
vol. 4 issue 18 | June 12 2012 | page seven
GDMA
Terry O’Reilly imparts advice to grads Canadian radio personality gives words of wisdom at Kwantlen’s GDMA grad show on May 25.
I
ALEXANDRA HAWLEY CONTRIBUTOR
After four years of hard work, 16 Graphic Design for Marketing (GDMA) students are doing what, for many students, is the reason for coming to Kwantlen: they’re graduating. On May 25, the grads put on a show at Vancity Theater, with Terry O’Reilly as guest speaker. Showcasing their talent, the students proved they’re ready to start working with real clients. Most of the works showcased were projects that the students chose themselves, rather than commissioned by an outside party. Like Jon Janzen, he re-branded Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, an existing organization that he thought needed a new look. “One of the great things about the program,” he said. “I got to choose things that interest me.” Some students did have the privilege to work on real projects. Davidson Yeap branded a musician and Johanna Bonogofsky is working with Family Services of Greater Vancouver to brand their adoption agency. She said the program was really enjoyable, although there were some repetitive things, like never use the Comic Sans font. It did, however, teach her the skills she needed to succeed in the field and prepared her best it could because “it’s always different working with potential clients, than getting a project done for school.” Terry O’Reilly is a broadcast producer from Ontario. Best known as the host for several CBC Radio shows the Age of Persuasion and Under the Influence, he’s also a big name in advertisement, where his career started. O’Reilly’s speech, “The Power of Storytelling,” began with his praise of the work by the students that was showcased in the lobby, claiming it to be “already at the level it took me six years of working in the field to obtain.” He then told a story to explain to the audience why storytelling is so important when trying to get information across to
people: that you can pelt people with information but they won’t remember it, or care, unless they feel something in response to the information. Stories are a wonderful way to get people to feel connected to a product; they’re the hardest and least understood, but when right they instantly add value to your campaign. “Who needs a witty line, when you have a good idea,” he asked. When you have something that gets people telling everyone around them to go check it out, you achieve good advertising. Give people what they want, but in a way they don’t expect. That way, you don’t need to outspend your competition just outsmart them (easier said than done, of course.) In story after story, O’Reilly instilled his wisdom upon the audience, giving the graduates one piece of advice after another. Possibly his best piece of advice about succeeding in general was about asking for opportunities. “You just need twenty seconds of courage to be so ridiculous that you can change the course of your career.” His speech was enjoyed by all the graduates, which was apparent when they all rushed to have a word with him after the show was over.
Top: Grit & Spirit is just one of many design projects that were on display at the 2012 GDMA grad show. PHOTO SUBMITTED BY GDMA. Bottom: Industry professionals, students and guests mingle at the GDMA event. C.H. JASSMANN/THE RUNNER.
page eight | June 12 2012 | vol. 4 issue 18
CULTURE
The Runner | www.runnermag.ca
CHEAP SEATS
Fresh Air Cinema provides free fun in Lower Mainland
Vancouverites gather with picnic blankets and goods infront of Fresh Air Cinema’s projection screen in Yaletown on a summer evening. YALETOWNBUSINESSIMPROVEMENTASSOCIATION/FLICKR.
I
KATYA SLEPIAN CONTRIBUTOR
What’s the last movie you saw in theatres? The Avengers? Dark Shadows? Men in Black III? And how much did it cost you? $10? $12? More? And more importantly, how awesome would it be to see one of those movies for free in a just few months? Thanks to Fresh Air Cinema, an outdoor movie company founded just over half a decade back, you can. Fresh Air Cinema came about when founder Jason Bashnick was stuck in a job he didn’t like.
Years earlier, as an exchange student pursuing a business degree in Australia, he’d been invited to come see an outdoor movie. While he didn’t do anything then, the idea stuck with him and popped up again when he was looking for a new, more entrepreneurial career path. Outdoor cinema in the Lower Mainland doesn’t work the same way as Bashnick saw it in Australia. It’s a little easier to set up a permanent summer site in a place where it’s actually sunny in the summer; whereas around here even a few sunny days in a row is a luxury. Not to be put off however, Bashnick
changed his business model to reflect what he had to work with. Fresh Air Cinema hosts temporary movie nights every few weeks. While that’s not quite as often as movie theatres, Bashnick listed many reasons why you should come out and join the 5000 plus people that have come out to some events. “[It’s] a really relaxed, enjoyable atmosphere, we’re [setting up] a custom-made movie theatre and we usually have music playing, for a nice ambiance even before the movie starts.” With such a great event atmosphere, some people make a day of it, showing up hours early and bringing supplies, ready to dig in
for the night. “People play frisbee, have a picnic, some people have a barbeque on the field right before the movie starts.” Picnics? Barbeques? Playing frisbee before the show? Sure beats illicitly texting during the previews, the $6 drink and $5 bag of candy movie theatres insist you buy if you want some food. For information on movie listings in your area, please visit freshaircinema.ca or their Facebook page, facebook.com/OutdoormoviesBC.
www.runnermag.ca | The Runner
CULTURE
vol. 4 issue 18 | June 12 2012 | page nine
CHEAP EATS
Harvest Box program gives cheap grub With new KSA Harvest Box program, Kwantlen joins the community-supported agriculture movement.
I
CHRIS YEE SENIOR CULTURE WRITER
The KSA, in partnership with the Kwantlen Horticulture program and the Langley Community Farmer’s Market is now offering fresh produce to students as part of the newly-launched Harvest Box program, currently a year-long pilot project. “For only $9,” the KSA’s Harvest Box program website reads, “you can walk away with a box full of fresh produce like salads, cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes.” The Harvest Box program was the brainchild of Eddie Lee, the KSA’s Health and Recreation Manager, who originally wanted to start farmers’ markets at Surrey and Richmond campuses, inspired by the farmers’ market on Langley campus, says Horticulture instructor Gary Jones. Working with Susan Davidson of Glorious Organics and others, Jones and Lee came up with a different idea instead: the harvest boxes. The harvest box is a form of communitysupported agriculture (CSA), where farmers offer a share of their produce to customers at a set price, who in turn get a package
containing a variety of fruits, vegetables, and other kinds of produce. Most of the produce for the KSA’s Harvest Box program will be grown by Horticulture students and staff in the School of Horticulture’s greenhouses, while Glorious Organics, a 26-year-old Aldergrove-based “organic farming collective” specializing in salad greens, will contribute bagged salads to the box, Jones said. Students can pre-order their Harvest Box online from the KSA, with pickups occurring every other Thursday at the KSA Member Services office in the GrassRoots Cafe on Surrey Campus from 11 a.m. to 4.p.m. KSA Harvest Box deliveries began May 31, with the next delivery slated for June 14. However, according to the KSA’s Harvest Box website, the harvest boxes will only be available in batches of 20. As such, students will be limited to one box per order. With the KSA’s Harvest Box program, Kwantlen joins the ranks of a number of Canadian post-secondary institutions with on-campus produce box programs, which include UBC, SFU, UVIC and the University of Calgary.
According to the program website for the UBC Farm CSA Box program, one of two such produce box programs at UBC (the other being offered by the student-run
Sprouts organization), similar communitysupported agriculture initiatives have been put into place in the United States.
UNHINDEREDBYTALENT/FLICKR.
MUSIC
Zulu Winter fails to impress on Languages I
CHRIS YEE SENIOR CULTURE WRITER
2/5 RECORDS
Let’s be blunt: the press release for Language, Zulu Winter’s latest album isn’t very promising. Seemingly grasping for straws, the press release was full of miniscule quotes of praise, just like the ones used to make a movie sound better than it actually does. They weren’t even from actual reviews per se, either. They were taken from Pitchfork track-
of-the-days. They were taken from concert listings from Time Out New York. There was a horrifically generic one (“Catchy and anthemic indie-dance”) from a mendacious Guardian piece, which bent over backward to make Zulu Winter sound very sophisticated. “New bands today… are well-educated and well-read, and Zulu Winter are no exception. They don’t like only the Beatles and they’re not allergic to books,” Paul Lester wrote of Zulu Winter’s members in his “New Band of the Day” column, namedropping obscure Armenian directors and Alice Coltrane - then he admitted that“it’s not as if you can hear elements of the aforementioned in Zulu Winter’s music.”
Well, the musical references the press release makes are dead-on, at least. “Lovers of Cut Copy and Coldplay alike will be pleased,” the Time Out New York concert listing proclaimed. I can’t think of any better references myself. Either I’m an ignoramus, or their adultcontempo mid-2000s dance-punk shtick is completely transparent. This is especially true of the first half of the album, all hollow, thumping soft-rock arena anthems that wouldn’t have looked out of place on the first Twilight movie’s soundtrack. Fortunately, Zulu Winter gets a better command of their Language pretty quickly. Unfortunately, “better” is a relative
term. Sure, Language after the lively fifth track, “Silver Tongue,” has a fuller sound and tighter arrangements, but sometimes it seems like Zulu Winter truly doesn’t have an interesting thought in their heads, though. “Words that I Wield” comes dangerously close to being a The xx impression for the first minute or so, but then those swells and those Martinesque pipes rush in after the intro. I don’t know if I’m praising these guys or not. All in all, Zulu Winter fulfills all its expectations on Language –– it’s just that they’re a bit low to begin with.
page ten | June 12 2012 | vol. 4 issue 18
CULTURE
The Runner | www.runnermag.ca
MUSIC
Tenacious D rocked Vancouver gently I
JACOB ZINN CONTRIBUTOR
“The D is back! The D is back!” the Vancouver crowd chanted Sunday night. Comedy metallers Tenacious D – comprised of Jack Black and Kyle Gass – rocked the PNE Amphitheatre, an unusual venue given the exhibition’s nearby access to the PNE Forum, the Agrodome and the Pacific Coliseum. But the 3,000 or so concert-goers didn’t fuss over the makeshift outdoor stage, the aged bleachers and the rickety wooden stairs. The D opened with “Rize of the Fenix”, the title track of their new album, followed by the disc’s next three tracks, “Low Hangin’ Fruit”, “Señorita” and “Deth Starr”. Fans at the barricade clearly listened to the new album on repeat, singing word-for-word with the new D classics. JB and KG performed with a giant, inflatable, winged, veiny, phallic fenix looming over them, never mentioning the bird’s striking resemblance to male genitalia. After a roadie gently dabbed off Black’s forehead with a towel, the duo started their ode to the road crew, “Roadie”, and segued into the party-starting “Throw Down”. “You guys are awesome,” said Black to cheers. “I’m saying best crowd of the tour, easy.” JB lit up the crowd with a brief saxaboom solo – he sure made the plastic keys of that children’s toy sing – and led that into “Kielbasa”, reaching back to the band’s 2001 selftitled debut. As the sun set over the North Shore mountains, Jables sang the lyrics, “A longass fuckin’ time ago in a town called Kickapoo,” marking the first song off their sophomore record, 2006’s The Pick of Destiny. Fans sang word-for-filthy-word, waving their hand-painted D posters and copies of the Jack Black-voiced video game, Brütal Legend. Cleary, they could relate as though their own fathers were anti-rockers who looked like Meat Loaf.
JB performs infront of the slaytanic bird, which looks not-so-accidentally like a male member. JACOB ZINN/THE RUNNER.
Onstage, Black blamed Gass for a lukewarm performance, prompting Rage Kage to quit, raise two middle fingers and moon his bare ass in JB’s direction. The fans, upset, started chanting “Kage” to give him support and hopefully bring him back. “No amount of chanting ‘Kage’ will bring him back,” said Black. “He’s gone forever.” The band was broken up for about 90 seconds until Black’s solo pre-bromance ballad, “Dude (I Totally Miss You)”, won Gass over. They continued with songs from their debut record, including “Kyle Quit the Band”, “Friendship” and their dedication to the most powerful form of rock ‘n’ roll, “The Metal”. JB didn’t have as hearty of a laugh at the expense of the genres that tried
to kill the metal. The band burned through “Sasquatch”, “Papagenu (He’s My Sassafrass)”, and “Wonderboy”. However, long-time backing guitarist John Konesky became possessed by the Devil and the D had to fight him through “Beelzeboss (The Final Showdown)”. The D rocked so hard that KG broke a string, but not even Satan himself could get an old-fashioned moshpit started. Following the song that slayed the Devil, Tenacious D performed their tribute to that song, “Tribute.” As the set wound down, they performed “Double Team” and a medley of songs by The Who, mimicking Pete Townshend’s trademark windmill. “You can’t deny that we’ve rocked you extremely hard tonight,” said JB. “I daresay
you’ve achieved multiple eargasms.” The band left the stage momentarily as the fenix deflated, then peered through the bird’s wings and emerged for the encore, kicking off with “Dio” in memory of the late Ronnie James Dio. “This one is for the ladies, but I’m singing it to the dudes on the behest of the ladies,” explained Black as the two of them performed “Fuck Her Gently” sans the backing band. Overall, JB didn’t ham it up as much onstage and the exclusion of “Master Exploder” was a downer. But The D’s fans are as tenacious as the band, making Sunday’s show that much more energetic. The D has rocked for a long, long time, and it’s much too early to pass the torch.
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vol. 4 issue 18 | June 12 2012 | page eleven
CHILDREN’S STORIES: LATE-NIGHT PICKUP
GEMINI May 21 - June 20
SAGITTARIUS Nov. 23 - Dec. 21
Stop worrying about people making fun of your last name. There’s always someone who has it worse than you.
You will discover that, yes, Portland is exactly the way it is in Portlandia. ANDREW MCLACHLAN — THE PEAK (SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY)
CANCER June 21 - july 23
Your attention to craft will pay off, big time. Keep your chin up!
LEO July 24 - Aug. 23
CAPRICORN Dec. 22 - Jan. 20
You will seek approval and/or hot dates through hiding clever messages in horoscopes.
AQUARIUS Jan. 21 - Feb. 19
You will spend the next few evenings and weekends landing men on the moon.
Whatever, man.
VIRGO Aug. 24 - Sept. 23 You should write a new sex column for the Runner. It might lead to something more –– you never know!
LIBRA Sept. 24 - Oct. 23
PISCES Feb. 20 - March 20 Just be glad nobody’s trying to find a cure for your horoscope sign. Being eradicated sucks.
ARIES March 21 - April 19
You will live a life that’s real and full of zest, but with no appeal.
SCORPIO Oct. 24 - Nov. 22
25 was a good year.
SMART ZONE
Yes, that tortilla is in fact a “wrap.” Stop pointing out the obvious.
TAURUS April 20 - May 20
Better days are ahead of you. At the very least, you will no longer know the smell of old breath on the bus, ever.
(CUP) — Puzzles provided by BestCrosswords.com. Used with permission. Please print the above statement with the puzzle. Across 1- Mother of Ares; 5- Birthplace of Muhammad; 10- Actor Tamiroff; 14- One of the Baldwins; 15Sign up; 16- Get up; 17- Letter opener; 18- List of candidates; 19- Narrate; 20- Large wine bottle; 22Donates; 23- Prefix for small; 24- Neighbor of Cambodia; 26- The cruelest month?; 29- Affluent; 33Salivate; 34- Evidence; 35- For each; 36- Long time; 37- For _ (cheap); 38- Room in a casa; 39- Precious stone; 40- Become less intense, die off; 41- Bay; 42- Costume; 44- Deputised group; 45- Polite address; 46- Amoeba-like alien: The _ ; 48- Rescues; 51- Capital of Queensland Australia; 55- Banned apple spray; 56- Encore!; 58- Native Nigerians; 59Pealed; 60- Actress Taylor; 61- Antitoxins; 62- Joint with a cap; 63- Sailing hazards; 64- Prefix with sphere;
Down 1- Pilgrimage to Mecca; 2- Gen. Robert _ ; 3- Back; 4- Part of the shoulder joint; 5- Subatomic particle; 6- China’s Zhou _ ; 7- Jam-pack; 8- Portable bed; 9- Draft choice; 10- Painter, e.g.; 11- Capital of the Ukraine; 12- Wight, for one; 13- “Alice” diner; 21Beak; 22- Ball game; 24- Sierra _ ; 25- Sleep like _ ; 26- Saying; 27- Primp; 28- Chambers; 29- Penned; 30- October birthstones; 31- Strikes out; 32- Take to the soapbox; 34- Sacred song; 37- “Dancing Queen” quartet; 38- Haughty; 40- Latin I word; 41- Wall St. debuts; 43- Come out; 46- Lasting a short time; 47- Queues; 48- Cutty _ ; 49- Astronaut Shepard; 50- Windmill blade; 51- Cause of ruin; 52- Busy as _ ; 53- “Cheers” regular; 54- Morales of “La Bamba”; 56- Part of ETA; 57- “Fancy that!”;
page twelve | June 12 2012 | vol. 4 issue 18
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