Vol. 4 Issue 19

THE

VOL. 04 ISSUE 19 07.17.2012

NEWS AND CULTURE FOR THE STUDENTS OF KWANTLEN POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY

KWANTLEN SIGNS ACCESS COPYRIGHT AGREEMENT PG. 4

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SENATE GOES DIGITAL

PRESIDENT SLAMS RUNNER

IPADS FOR EVERYONE PAGE 3

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ABOUT US

The Runner | www.runnermag.ca

NEW TEAM

We have new editors!

We’d like to welcome Kimiya Shokoohi and Max Hirtz to our editorial staff. Both were selected at our annual editorial elections in June. Kimiya will be our new digital wiz as media editor, while Max will take the reins as culture editor.

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. 19 July 17, 2012 ISSN# 1916-8241

EDITORIAL DIVISION: Co-ordinating Editor / Jeff Groat editor@runnermag.ca / 778-565-3803 Culture Editor / Max Hirtz 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 Media Editor / Kimiya Shokoohi media@runnermag.ca / 778-565-3806 Associate News Editors / Sarah Schuchard / Vacant/ Vacant Associate Culture Editors / Vacant / Vacant Associate Features Editor / Vacant Associate Opinions Editor / Vacant Associate Photo Editor / Vacant Associate Art Director / Vacant CONTRIBUTORS: Ruth Jeyamanoharan, Tabitha Swanson, Estefania Wujkiw, Chris Jassmann, Kyle Latchford Cover Photo: Jeff Groat BUSINESS DIVISION: Operations Manager / Vacant ops@runnermag.ca / 778-565-3801 Office Co-ordinator / Victoria Almond office@runnermag.ca / 778-565-3801

NEWS

www.runnermag.ca | The Runner

vol. 4 issue 19 | July 17 2012 | page three

KWANTLEN

The Runner Roundup Gordon to depart A brief run around the latest news from Kwantlen and beyond.

Senate goes paperless

Jody Gordon, associate vice-president, students, is leaving Kwantlen on Aug. 10 to take a new position as vice-president of students at the University of the Fraser Valley. Gordon started at Kwantlen in 1998 as associate registrar, becoming registrar in 2001. For the last two years, she has worked closely with students as head of the university’s student life and community division.

The Kwantlen senate is going digital. At their June 25 meeting, the senate voted to approve a plan to become paperless by buying second-generation iPads for all senate members.

The senate intends to spend $22,408 on 40 iPads, and estimates that the university will save $46,109 on printing, photocopying and courier charges over three years of use.

The Great

Canadian Hair

Do Ten Kwantlen students are preparing to purge students of their hair this summer, all in the name of charity. Willing participants can get their head shaved and/or their bodies waxed in support of those who are undergoing chemotherapy. The fundraiser, organised by students from a fourth-year English class, will collect both donations and hair for the Terry Fox Foundation on July 23 in the Surrey campus courtyard.

Each year, Terry Fox supporters seek new ways to make their mark on the fight against cancer. A great way to make your mark this year is to participate in The Great Canadian Hair “Do�.

NEWS

page four | July 17 2012 | vol. 4 issue 19

The Runner | www.runnermag.ca

COPYRIGHT

Kwantlen signs onto new threeyear Access Copyright agreement Student and faculty associations decry lack of consultation.

I

SARAH SCHUCHARD MATT DIMERA

Kwantlen Polytechnic University has agreed to sign onto the new three-year Access Copyright Agreement, despite objections from university faculty and students.

The Kwantlen Faculty Association (KFA) and the Kwantlen Student Association (KSA) sent a joint letter of protest to Kwantlen’s president John McKendry on June 26, urging him to reconsider the agreement.

“We firmly believe that the proposed model harms the interests of faculty and students, fails to reflect current court decisions in this area, ignores the prospect of pending court actions as well as legislative changes related to copyright and undermines efforts to create better ways of accessing, using and sharing educational and research material,” wrote the two groups.

“Kwantlen’s proposal to embrace the model agreement is ill-timed and at odds with the interests of its faculty and students.”

The new agreement will implement a cost increase from the previous $3.75 a year per full-time student, to $26 a year, and will cost Kwantlen more than $250,000 annually, according to figures cited by the KSA as part of their opposition Excess Copyright campaign.

Along with the increased financial cost, the KSA argues that the new agreement is also set to restrict students and staff from storing literary articles on personal desktops, sending them through email, and sending links to the desired academic works.

According to a written statement from McKendry’s office, the decision to join the agreement took many months, and was “based on a measured weighing of the pros and cons.”

In a phone interview with The Runner, McKendry explained that the increased

cost is actually less than was previously expected.

According to McKendry, Kwantlen lacks the maturity and establishment that other schools may have to provide its students with “in-house copyright.” “[Access Copyright] gives [Kwantlen] copyright protection ... and a great deal of the colleges and universities we have worked with are doing exactly the same thing,” he said, citing both the University of the Fraser Valley and the University of Victoria.

However, the KSA also pointed out that many other universities have refused to sign the new agreement, including the University of British Columbia (UBC).

In a public email sent out in May, UBC officials called their decision “the bolder, more principled and sustainable option.”

Terri Van Steinburg, president of the KFA, told The Runner that even though the agreement has been signed, her group will continue to raise their concerns with the university.

“One of the biggest concerns [we have] is a concern about student and faculty privacy... and there is a joint KFA - KSA committee that is going to continue to work on this issue, and look at things that arise... and how it’s impacting the KSA and KFA members,” she said.

McKendry expressed confusion at the KSA’s ongoing anti-Access Copyright campaign.

“I really don’t know what the problem is with the agreement,” he said. “I have five key questions from the KSA and I have addressed all of them, so I don’t understand what is the concern.”

McKendry’s response to the KSA’s and KFA’s concerns were put on an internal Kwantlen website that can not be accessed by students or the public.

Christopher Girodat, a Kwantlen senator and KSA executive, said students have been frustrated by the lack of openness from the

university.

“The university didn’t consult with the university community. We didn’t know this was going on until we found out in a side conversation and then brought it up,” explained Girodat.

“We’re just wondering why that debate didn’t include the students of Kwantlen Polytechnic University.”

Kwantlen senator and KSA executive Christopher Girodat is frustrated by a perceived lack of openness from the university over the new Access Copyright agreement. MATT DIMERA/THE RUNNER

www.runnermag.ca | The Runner

NEWS

vol. 4 issue 19 | July 17 2012 | page five

EDUCATION

Clark unveils new B.C. student loan repayment assistance plan I

LAURA RODGERS THE UBYSSEY (UBC)

VANCOUVER (CUP) — The B.C. government has unveiled a new “repayment assistance program” to help university graduates repay their student loans.

Student loan payments can now be partially relieved for people whose incomes are above the thresholds of the existing student loan interest relief program. B.C. Premier Christy Clark announced the new assistance plan Monday as part of her “families first” agenda.

“Eligibility is determined based on income, student loan debt and family size,” said Ministry of Advanced Education spokesperson Baljinder Jacques in an email.

According to Jacques, the repayment assistance program ensures that those paying back student loans will not need to give more than 20 per cent of their monthly income toward provincial student loan repayment.

The program is an adjustment to a previously existing provincial student loan relief plan. Under the new plan, those unable to repay their loans can apply for what is called Stage 1 relief, in which the province will pay a portion of the borrower’s interest.

After five years on interest relief — or if someone has been repaying their loans for 10 years in total — they can apply for Stage 2, at which point the government can pay down some of the principal on the loan. If the full amount of the loan is not paid off

after 15 years, the government will relieve what remains.

But B.C. NDP post-secondary education critic Michelle Mungall doesn’t think the new repayment options go far enough.

“It’s just the reannouncement of an existing program that’s had a few changes to align with the federal government program,” said Mungall. “It’s not substantive.

It’s not addressing the major issues around student debt and affordability for post-secondary education.”

Mungall said her party would prefer to see more money go toward grants that students can apply for while they’re still in school, rather than student loan relief after they’re finished.

“B.C. still has the highest interest rate for student loans in the country,” she said. “This

program doesn’t address any of that.”

After graduating from UBC this May, Justin Dirk hopes that the new program will keep him from being overburdened with debt. “I guess it would help me. I plan on traveling and gaining some life experience before I decide what I want to do with my life. I may go to grad school and rack up more debt, in which the relaxed [payment] load would help.”

Dirk continued, “Going into your adult life with more debt is never a good thing. I would prefer lower tuition so that coming out of university, especially in Vancouver, with high living costs, I would be able to have the means to live here and not worry about more debt and debt payments.”

ACTIVISM

Hundreds march in Vancouver’s second annual SlutWalk I

GRAYSON REIM THE UBYSSEY (UBC)

VANCOUVER (CUP) — On June 30, more than 200 people gathered at the Vancouver Art Gallery for Vancouver’s second annual SlutWalk.

“This is a march to end slut-shaming and end victim-blaming, and it’s a movement that’s happening across the world,” said Rachel Malek, one of the organizers of this year’s Vancouver event. “We are going to be doing this year after year now to raise awareness and end victim-blaming everywhere.”

The movement began in Toronto last year, in response to a comment by a Toronto police officer that a woman should “not dress like a slut” in order to avoid sexual assault. SlutWalks have since been held around the world, attracting media attention in part because of the provocative name.

Signs seen at the event held slogans such as “Slut Pride” and “I’m not asking for it until I ask you for it.”

“We should have the freedom to dress how we wish without [it] being considered being an invitation to sexual assault,” said participant Lysse Dahl.

There was much debate prior to this

year’s event over the appropriateness of the word “slut.”

In the movement’s beginnings, it advocated for reclaiming the word “slut” as an empowering term rather than a negative or violent one.

However, critics raised concerns that some groups of women, including racial minorities, didn’t consider reclaiming the word “slut” to be empowering. They suggested changing the name to make the movement less likely to exclude those who find the word uninviting.

Local organizers decided to put the name to an online vote. Voters were asked to choose between four possible names: “SlutWalk,” “Yes Means Yes,” “End the Shame” and “Shame Stop.” The original name stood, receiving 53 per cent of votes,

PHOTO COURTESY KAITLYN TISSINGTON/THE UBYSSEY

and the event was billed as SlutWalk for another year.

This year’s organizers sought to make the event more equitable in other ways: they shortened the route to accommodate physically disabled participants. Last year, the route was a two-hour trek through Gas-

town, while this year it only went down Granville to Davie Street and back to the Vancouver Art Gallery.

The organizers plan to continue the movement with another annual event next summer.

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NEWS

The Runner | www.runnermag.ca

PRIDE

Gay pride festival comes to Surrey I RUTH JEYAMANOHARAN

While the sun shone, the gay community and their supporters came out to play in Surrey, as the Surrey Pride Society hosted the thirteenth annual Surrey Pride Festival on Sunday, July 8 at Holland Park.

Jen Marchbank, the society’s president, has been involved with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) community for a long time, but she never imagined taking on the role of president.

“I feel that if you want things to happen in your community, you have to get up and make it happen,” said Marchbank.

“We focus very much on being a family friendly pride festival... like Vancouver, we are open, inclusive and diverse.”

As temperatures soared to thirty degrees, emcees Mz. Adrien and Taylor Mayd kept the crowds entertained in between musical performances. Lone skateboarder Ryan Brynelson of Protest Skateboards showed off his skills with handstands turning into flips, ollies, and tricks; his moves often in complement to the music.

Performers included lesbian duo Sugarbeach and pianist/songwriter Matthew Presidente.

Local politicians came out in droves to show their support for Surrey’s burgeoning LQBTQ community, shaking hands and giving speeches. The City of Surrey issued an official proclamation in support of the celebration on behalf of Mayor Dianne Watts, though Watts herself was absent.

Local universities were also represented by students from Pride Kwantlen and Simon Fraser University’s Out on Campus.

Jody Gordon, Kwantlen’s associate vice president of students and head of the student life and community department, was happy to attend Surrey Pride on behalf of the university.

“In student life and community, it’s really important to us to support all of our students; to show our pride in our students, as well as to be able to support our students in student life and engagement,” said Gordon.

Gordon encouraged all interested students, faculty and staff to join her and Pride Kwantlen on Aug. 5 in Vancouver.

“Being here at Surrey Pride leads nicely into our next event which will be at the Vancouver Pride Parade,” she said.

For more information or to get involved with the upcoming Vancouver Pride event, contact her at jody.gordon@kwantlen.ca.

EDUCATION

Faculty unions challenge Bill 18 in court I

JONNY WAKEFIELD THE UBYSSEY (UBC)

VANCOUVER (CUP) — Two labour groups are taking to the B.C. Supreme Court to challenge a controversial bill that bans union executives from serving on the boards of post-secondary institutions.

The Federation of Post-Secondary Educators (FPSE) and the B.C. Government and Service Employees’ Union (BCGEU) filed notice Monday that they were challenging legislation that bans faculty from sitting on a university or college board of governors while serving on the executive of a union.

They argue that the legislation, known as Bill 18, undermines union members’ Charter rights. “[Bill 18] says you have to choose be-

tween whether you are going to be active in your union or on the board of your institution,” said Philip Legg, communications director for the FPSE. “You shouldn’t have to make that choice. Being active in your union is a right that you have. It’s called the freedom of association.”

Bill 18 was brought to the legislature in late 2011 by Minister of Advanced Education Naomi Yamamoto and became law in April 2012. The court challenge was brought after the legislation was used to remove a union-affiliated faculty member from the Vancouver Island University board.

Yamamoto argued that allowing union executives to serve on post-secondary boards is a conflict of interest.

“The legislation guards against the conflict of interest that results if an individual

is — at the same time — representing an institution as a board member and sitting at a bargaining table as a union executive member,” Yamamoto wrote in a statement.

But according to UBC Board of Governors faculty representative Nassif Ghoussoub, the province is sending universities a mixed message on what constitutes a conflict of interest.

“The University Act doesn’t specify who can represent [students and faculty] and who cannot,” he said. “Now they want to add that people who are on the executive of faculty associations cannot. But in the same vein, they should add that faculty members in management are also in a conflict of interest.”

The challenge is expected to have farreaching implications for other controversial

aspects of the bill. Another provision gives a board the ability to remove an elected representative with a two-thirds majority vote.

Ghoussoub pointed out that two-thirds of the UBC Board of Governors is appointed by the Province, enabling appointed members to remove elected representatives.

Legg said they expect the constitutional challenge will be “lengthy and expensive.”

But he said that their members felt they have no other choice.

“We met with the minister in December, and we asked a very basic question: What is the problem this legislation will fix? And she couldn’t point to any example that we felt justified the removing of union activists from a board,” he said.

“We’re quite resolved on this one.”

www.runnermag.ca | The Runner

EDITORIAL

vol. 4 issue 19 | July 17 2012 | page seven

KPU SENATE

KPU senate should not ban recording public meetings

Kwantlen president slams The Runner

Banning reporters from recording meetings would be a barrier to student engagement.

ITHE RUNNER

At Kwantlen’s June 25 senate meeting President John McKendry ordered Runner editor Matt DiMera to delete his audio recordings of the meeting and not to publish anything that was said, in his reporting. The senate has no rules about electronic recording of meetings, but the presumption should be toward openness and transparency. The Runner reporters weren’t breaking any rules or laws – they were merely doing their jobs as responsible reporters and student-citizens.

McKendry accused The Runner of not granting him “due process.” If public officials and elected representatives don’t want their words to be published in a newspaper, then perhaps they shouldn’t be saying them during a public meeting.

Runner reporters have been regularly recording senate meetings over the last year.

They are open and public, and should remain so. The senate performs a vital role at KPU (and other universities). It is centered on principles like academic freedom – a close cousin of objective journalism.

For journalists, there is no difference between electronic recording and shorthand, other than the improved efficiency of the former. It is hard for reporters to keep track of every single word said by everyone present during a three-hour meeting using only a pen and paper. The Runner doesn’t use electronic recordings for broadcasting, but to ensure the accu racy of quotes or statements made during these public meetings.

It was this accuracy that protected The Runner’s reporting during the Kwantlen

Kwantlen’s president John McKendry.

Student Association (KSA) controversy last fall. We made many of these same arguments when the KSA went so far as to ban all electronic recordings of all public KSA meetings.

Many senate members, including faculty, staff and student representatives, spoke in favour of allowing The Runner to continue recording senate meetings. During the meeting, the matter was referred to a senate committee, which will make a recommendation as to whether audio recordings will be allowed in the future.

It is imperative that Kwantlen students be given access to the KPU senate via their campus newspaper. Engaged, informed students are the lifeblood of Kwantlen’s vibrancy. We urge the senate to stand up for academic freedom, openness and transparency and establish clear rules allowing electronic recording of public meetings.

Our story about Kwantlen’s disappearing Southlands report prompted an outburst from KPU president John McKendry.

ITHE RUNNER

During the June 25 Kwantlen senate meeting, university president John McKendry publicly stated that The Runner’s recent Southlands story was inaccurate (Kwantlen buries review of alleged ethical violations, May 8). McKendry did not point to specific errors within the story, but instead used the forum to make allegations about our reporting.

During the meeting, only senate members are allowed to speak, meaning no response from The Runner could have been given, nor could further questions have been asked regarding the story or the alle-

gations. We were unable to respond or defend our reporting.

McKendry’s use of the senate to make a political attack against the student press is nothing less than grandstanding and is embarrassing. The Runner represents the student voice on campus and is an instrument for informed dialogue. We serve the students and they deserve unhindered access to the administration that provides them their education while they’re here. To dismiss The Runner is to dismiss the student body as a whole.

When our paper originally sought comment on the Southlands story, the university communications department declined to answer our questions or to participate in the story. It is common practice for all questions to be directed to the communications department. If there are errors in our reporting, KPU chose not to clarify or correct them when given the opportunity.

At no point since the piece was published in May has the president’s office contacted our paper, either to point out any errors or to ask us to make a correction. It is unfortunate then that McKendry chose to make these allegations during the senate meeting. It shows a troubling disregard for the student press, for student involvement - for students in general – on McKendry’s behalf.

We stand behind our story as it was reported. If there were inaccuracies or errors in our story, we would gladly address them and publish a retraction or correct the story, given the opportunity.

CULTURE

page eight | July 17 2012 | vol. 4 issue 19

The Runner | www.runnermag.ca

POP CULTURE

Culture Roundup Your monthly review of pop culture – from the amusing to the irreverent.

Hobbit photography done

Frank Ocean making waves

Hooray! It’s actually happening! Peter Jackson announced recently that the principle photography, a moderately important part of the filmmaking process, is done for his two-part epic. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will (hopefully) be released in December 2012, and The Hobbit: There and Back Again will (hopefully) be released exactly one year later. The cast includes new faces, such as Martin Freeman and Andy Serkis, as well as old faces, like Ian McKellan.

Frank Ocean, one of the most buzzed about musicians of the past few months, has been all over the news lately for a couple of reasons. First, he came out as bisexual or gay in a blog post. Not by blogging, “I’m bisexual or gay,” but by releasing a confessional story in which he describes his romantic interest in a man he met four summers ago. Then he unexpectedly released his album Channel Orange one week early digitally, to delight of music fans and critics, who have given the album overwhelming praise.

Justin Bieber graduates from high school, gets sued for $9 million Justin Bieber has officially graduated from his high school, St. Michael Catholic Secondary School in Stratford, Ont. Bieber, who was probably the only one in his graduating class to earn $55 million in one year (according to Forbes), now has more time to spend doing whatever 18-year-old multi-millionaires do for fun.

Like dealing with lawsuits. An Oregonian woman is suing Bieber for destroying her hearing at one of his 2010 concerts. For $9 million. Bummer!

www.runnermag.ca | The Runner

CULTURE

vol. 4 issue 19 | July 17 2012 | page nine

FASHION

Low-key fashion event at the Biltmore a success I TABITHA SWANSON

Vancouver’s first fashion Bazaar kicked off the summer season, Saturday, July 7 at the Biltmore Cabaret.

The Biltmore may be best known for its burlesque Sunday Kitty Nights, but on this particular Saturday afternoon it paid tribute to its name: Bazaar, a Persian term for market.

As patrons descended the stairs into this basement venue, they were immediately taken with its enveloping eclectic atmosphere. From the red velveteen walls and plush booths to the mounted deer heads and wooden accents, the Biltmore radiated a comfortable and intimate feeling. The

cozy feel was complemented by the downto-earth staff.

The event was hosted by Local-E, a company created by Lexi Soukoreff, who is also the head of Portobello West (a local fashion and art market) and owner of the hand dyed clothing company Daub and Design.

Prior to starting her own company, and taking on a fairly substantial role for organizing events for the artisans of Vancouver, Soukoreff completed an ample amount of schooling to prepare herself for her current role. She graduated with a bachelor of fine arts from Emily Carr, a textiles diploma from Capilano University and a fashion merchandising diploma from Blanche Mac-

Donald.

Beginning in December 2011, Soukoreff worked hard through Local-E to bring together a group of designers who have ambitions to start something wonderful in Vancouver. They have embarked on a mission to create a buy-local revolution and get back to basics with honest, hand-crafted items. Some of the vendors in attendance included: Sofia (clothes), Herro Hatchi (tshirts), Billy Wood Designs (jewelry), Meiku Designs (jewelry), and Carnal Design (clothes).

One vendor in particular who stood out was Visa Mexicana, a truly unique jewelry company created by Tania Orozco, a graph-

ic designer from Mexico.

Another standout was Dolce Delights.

Started by Stephanie Sia as a part time baking endeavor, her salted caramel cupcakes were indeed a most palatable experience.

The event had a slow start, leaving many of the vendors to mingle between one another, but it picked up around 2:30 p.m.

One downside to the event was the beautiful sunny weather. It’s hard to get people to go into a basement when it’s a perfect day to be outside.

The next Bazaar is set to be held in October, and with more time to advertise and plan, it is sure to be an event that any fashion fans in Vancouver will want to attend.

FOOD

A beginners guide to barbecuing the perfect steak I KYLE LATCHFORD

If you are going to cook a barbecued steak, get a decent cut. Buy a nice strip loin or rib eye. Make sure that it is thick, too; anything thinner than an inch will cook too quickly for the times I give. Do not buy a cheap cut of rib eye because it will be disappointing. If you have a choice between a cheap cut of rib eye and nice cut of strip loin, take the loin.

Here are the ingredients you will need: One-inch thick cut of steak (rib eye, or New York strip loin) Handful of fresh rosemary, roughly bashed with a mortar and pestle Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper Extra-virgin olive oil Generously salt and pepper the steak several hours before cooking, if your time allows. The addition of salt will help get rid of excess moisture, which in turn will increase the flavour of the beef. At this point

you can also lightly press the rosemary and olive oil on the steak (a fork or spoon will do just fine).

Make sure the meat is at room temperature before cooking. As long as the meat was stored in the refrigerator, it will only need to sit at room temperature for about 30 - 45 minutes before being cooked. Allowing the meat to rest like this is referred to as tempering, and it helps ensure that the meat is cooked through evenly. This should be done with all meat but tempering time will vary depending on the situation.

Preheat your BBQ to between 400 F and 500 F; it needs to be quite hot. Once it’s hot enough, place the steaks on the grill with twice the distance of each steak between each piece. After two-and-a-half minutes, flip the steak, but flip it over so that the uncooked side is on the untouched part of the grill. This helps make sure that the meat is in constant contact with a hot part of the grill.

Once the steak is flipped, wait two to two-and-a-half minutes. Once it is cooked to an internal temperature of 125 F, remove the steak from the grill and let it rest for five

STIJN / FLICKR CREATIVE COMMONS

minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute and the flavour to intensify. Heat will also redistribute, cooking the steak another 5 F. If the steak is removed from the grill at a temperature any higher than 125 F, you run into the territory of a medium steak. Food

cooks quicker the higher the temperature gets, and therefore it will be more difficult to nail the recipe if you let it grill past 125 F. Once the steak has been rested, arrange it on your serving plate, and you’re done. Serve with roasted potatoes, and asparagus.

CULTURE

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The Runner | www.runnermag.ca

MUSIC

Their There venture into unfamiliar territory with Familiar Skin

Fourth PEAK Performance Project begins Top 20 for B.C.’s biggest music competition have been announced; local artists include The Gay Nineties and Dominique Fricot.

COURTESY THEIR THERE

I

CHRIS JASSMANN CONTRIBUTOR

Their debut album might have come out just last month, but White Rock band Their There’s Familiar Skin has been in the making for six years.

The band was formed in grade 8, when multi-instrumentalist Harley Small and bassist Adam DeSouza met in a drama class. After meeting guitarist Ross Jenkins, they were introduced to drummer Jess Derochers. Trumpeter Rory Hislop and saxophonist Adam Gough would join later.

After playing together for years, Harley said that, “we just had all these songs that we had been playing for so long already.

Then Adam came up with the title ‘Familiar Skin’.”

The title alone, when pitched to Ross on Facebook Chat, prompted him to write out an entire new song on the spot, which became the title track for the album.

“We had recorded stuff before; like different, little EP things. We were never really happy with any of them,” Harley said. “The only thing we had released before was the one single, ‘Dead of Winter’, and even that we weren’t really happy with.”

That’s when the band got in touch with Evan Morgan, a producer who engineered the album in White Rock’s Blue Frog Studios.

“He’s just...brilliant,” Harley described, after struggling to find the right word. “[Familiar Skin is] 50 per cent Evan and 50 per cent Their There. I’m really glad we

met him.”

A few weeks before the release of their debut album, the band’s high school friend Sebastian Galina released “I Won’t Change” on Vimeo, a stylish half-hour documentary showcasing each member of the band during their recording sessions. By the halfway point of the film, it’s hard not to feel just as excited as they are to finally release their first professionally recorded production, a process which took some time due to budget restraints.

“We basically paid for the whole thing with the help of our families,” Harley explains, “so the bulk of it got done in six days. We went in there, two weekends in a row, and did all the bed tracks...”

“Through the whole recording process there was probably only one instance where we actually got caught up trying to figure out particular parts, because for the most part everyone knew all these songs well enough that we could go in and bang them out.”

Their ability to record the album in a small window of time is a testament to their friendship outside of the studio.

“They’re my five best friends, basically. I mean... we always have our little fight, then we might mope around for a bit, but the next day we show up for practice and it’s fine. When you’re playing in a band with five people, you can’t have an ego. You can’t want to stand out. You have to let everyone do their thing, and I think that that’s something that we’re all very good at, luckily.”

Last year’s winners, Current Swell, at the competition finale.

COURTESY WWW.PEAKPERFORMANCEPROJECT.COM

I ESTEFANIA WUJKIW

If you keep up with Vancouver’s local music scene, chances are you’ve heard the Peak Performance Project mentioned at least once since it began four years ago.

The competition, which has been a platform for providing up and coming artists of British Columbia with the opportunity to launch their careers, began when the radio station the PEAK approached the Music BC Industry Association with the idea to invest $5,290,000 over seven years.

Executive director of Music BC, Bob D’Eith explained in a phone interview that the uniqueness of the Project comes from the way it integrates “funding with education, with marketing, with promotion and a radio station to be able to play their music.”

From a pool of about 500 B.C. artists, 50 are selected by an online jury, and then the top 20 are selected by a committee.

These top 20 artists are then put through a stringent process.

Part of this includes a boot camp at Rockridge Canyon in Princeton, B.C. It is purely educational with sessions on how to deal with important aspects of the business, such as the media or online marketing.

At night, all the bands perform and “we have the panel that actually critiques them live about how to improve their live performance,” said D’Eith.

Since the artists are expected to deliver a song that is radio ready, following their show, they get one on one time with the professionals who are involved in the music industry.

They also have the opportunity to spend time in a studio and record songs.

The professional development program is not necessarily a popularity contest, but the most successful acts are often the “most talented who also show that they [have] business sense.”

The top prize for the competition’s finalist is $100,500, which has helped propel the careers of bands like We Are The City from Kelowna, the Juno-award winning band Said The Whale, and The Boom Booms, who are now touring in Brazil.

The next chance to see the top 20 artists perform live is in September and October at the Red Room.

The bands will be “bringing their A game because they’re being actually judged; this year it’s anybody’s game,” said D’Eith.

PROCRASTINATION

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vol. 4 issue 19 | July 17 2012 | page eleven

SKI NINJAS - CLUBBING

GEMINI May 21 - June 20

SAGITTARIUS Nov. 23 - Dec. 21

You will wake up tomorrow with one extra head, as seen in the above illustration.

You will fall into not one, but two, pits of lava next week. You will survive both accidents but will later be eaten by a wild boar.

KYLE LEES — SKININJAS.COM

CANCER June 21 - july 23

Avoid oatmeal at all costs. Just... trust us.

LEO July 24 - Aug. 23

SMART ZONE

CAPRICORN Dec. 22 - Jan. 20

The spirit world had nothing to say about this sign today. You’re on your own. Sorry.

AQUARIUS Jan. 21 - Feb. 19

Oh, who cares. You’re a fucking lion.

You will fall in and out of love many, many times this week. Many, many, many, many times. A whole bunch of times! Congratulations!

VIRGO Aug. 24 - Sept. 23 In a few days, you will have a burning desire to change your desktop wallpaper. The spirit world suggests you choose carefully. Or else.

PISCES Feb. 20 - March 20 This week, the stream of life will be full of shattered bones and lifeless currents of freezing wind from the hungry sky of the beluga whale. Avoid rice!

(CUP) — Puzzles provided by BestCrosswords.com.

Used with permission.

LIBRA Sept. 24 - Oct. 23

ARIES March 21 - April 19

Go watch True Blood at your ex-boyfriend’s house.

SCORPIO Oct. 24 - Nov. 22

Your best friend will try to run you over with his car. Let him. His motives may be mysterious now, but it will all make sense on or before Aug. 28.

Across

That trip you’ve been thinking about taking? The spirit world says it’ll never happen. Don’t kill the messenger!

TAURUS April 20 - May 20

Unfortunately, the spirit world had nothing to say about this sign. Better luck next month.

1- Soviet news service; 5- Narc’s employer; 8- Copied; 12- Dos cubed; 13- Boarded; 15- Mex. miss; 16- Caspian Sea feeder; 17- Appliance brand; 18Mariners can sail on seven of these; 19- Merciless; 22- Advanced degree?; 23- Pinch; 24- Westernmost of the Aleutians; 26- Scottish pudding; 29- Drowsy; 31- Equinox mo.; 32- Grind together; 34- Alma _ ; 36- Glimpse; 38- Stare angrily; 40- Jester; 41- Bottom line; 43- Olds model; 45- Former nuclear agcy.; 46- Filament; 48- High-speed skiing; 50- Always; 51Blend; 52- Center Ming; 54- Psychokinesis; 61- “ _ quam videri” (North Carolina’s motto); 63- Draw a bead on; 64- City near Phoenix; 65- Arguing; 66Thin glutinous mud; 67- Friends; 68- Sibilate; 69Part of TNT; 70- Very, in Versailles;

Down 1- Travel from place to place; 2- 160 square rods; 3- Counterfeit; 4- “Farewell!”; 5- Cupola; 6- Bibliography abbr.; 7- Bang-up; 8- Balaam’s mount; 9- Before marriage; 10- Coup d’ _ ; 11- Morse element; 13- Breathless; 14- Like Fran Drescher’s voice; 20Diana of “The Avengers”; 21- Flower part; 25- Side; 26- Serf; 27- The ideal example; 28- Cobb, e.g.; 29Termagant; 30- Arabian republic; 31- Cpl.’s superior; 33- Gal of song; 35- VCR button; 37- Sportscaster Albert; 39- Recluse; 42- Internet writing system that popularized “pwn3d” and “n00b”; 44- Thor’s father; 47- Bailiwicks; 49- Free from an obligation; 52- Casual assent; 53- Italian wine city; 55- Light air; 56- Chieftain, usually in Africa; 57- Animistic god or spirit; 58- Scorch; 59- Archipelago part; 60Back talk; 62- Aliens, for short;

page twelve | July 17 2012 | vol. 4 issue 19

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