Vol. 4 Issue 12 by The Runner

THE VOL. 04 ISSUE 13 03.20.2012 NEWS AND CULTURE FOR THE STUDENTS OF KWANTLEN POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY

FESTIVAL OF COLOURS KWANTLEN’S FIRST HOLI PAGE 8

DISCRIMINATION

TRANSPORTATION IDENTITY CLAUSE PAGE 4

FIND US ONLINE

ART FESTIVAL

WRITER Q&A

MOVING IMAGES AT KWANTLEN PAGE 11

JENNICA HARPER READS AT KWANTLEN PAGE 14

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page two | March 20 2012 | vol. 4 issue 13

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Vol. 4, Issue no. 13 March 20, 2012 ISSN# 1916-8241

EDITORIAL DIVISION: Co-ordinating Editor / Jeff Groat editor@runnerrag.ca / 778-565-3803 Culture Editor / Kristi Alexandra culture@runnerrag.ca / 778-565-3804 News Editor / Matt DiMera news@runnerrag.ca / 778-565-3805 Production Editor / Antonio Su production@runnerrag.ca / 778-565-3806 Media Editor / Matt Law media@runnerrag.ca / 778-565-3806 SENIOR WRITERS: Senior Culture Writer / Chris Yee Senior Entertainment Writer / Mike Shames

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Senior Features Writer / Lliam Easterbrook CONTRIBUTORS: Vivian Pencz, Bianca Pencz, Sana Sohel Cover Photo: Matt Law

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NEWS

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vol. 4 issue 12 | March 20 2012 | page three

The Runner Roundup A brief run around the latest news from the world of Kwantlen and beyond.

Kwantlen instructor is ﬁrst Aboriginal woman in Canada with a PhD in criminology Kwantlen instructor Lisa Monchalin earned her degree from the University of Ottawa in December of last year. Monchalin, who is of Algonquin, Huron and Metis Nations, did her thesis on crime prevention in the Aboriginal community in Winnipeg. “Its about crime prevention as it relates to aboriginal people,” she said. “It was a case study done in Winnipeg, and basically I was looking to come up with a solution – with actual concrete solutions on how to reduce crime affecting urban aboriginal populations in Canada.” Monchalin points out that there are no plans in place to tackle the wide problems of crime affecting Aboriginal people, whether at city, provincial or the federal level. “It’s hard to find an aboriginal person today who hasn’t been impacted in some way

shape or form, say by residential schools, or by colonization – colonialism, racism, discrimination,” she said. “There’s no plan in Canada to make an impact on the aftereffects of those things.” In a press release, Kwantlen president John McKendry said, “we are very fortunate to have someone with Lisa’s background, education and commitment to the community as a faculty member.” “Lisa exemplifies everything Kwantlen stands for—innovation, inspiration and transformation,” he said. Monchalin hopes to stengthen Kwantlen’s ties to the local Aboriginal community in the future by hosting an official Kwantlen Aboriginal day tentatively scheduled for April, and through her continuing work with the Aboriginal drum circle.

Kwantlen smartened up. Finally. Student wins Smart Car in University’s Smarten Up with Kwantlen contest.

“

I’ve never even won a free coffee at Tim Hortons but I won a car

”

Kwantlen student Bhavya Sharma and his new ride. Matt Law/The Runner.

NEWS

page four | March 20 2012 | vol. 4 issue 13

The Runner | www.runnermag.ca

GENDER

Transgendered people banned from Canadian airplanes I

BIANCA PENCZ CONTRIBUTOR

Canada’s newest air travel regulations could ban transgendered people from flying. It’s been one month since the blogosphere first found out, and now people are wondering — because there aren’t any reports of transcitizens being turned away yet –– why continue talking about it? Others are wondering, where’s the uproar? Recent changes in the Ministry of Transportation’s identity screening regulations include a clause that reads, “an air carrier shall not transport a passenger if [...] the passenger does not appear to be of the gender indicated on the identification he or she presents.” To restate, if a passenger has transitioned from one gender to the other, but has not acquired updated identification yet, or if a passenger merely diverts from gender norms through their appearance, the Ministry of Transportation thinks they should be banned from flying. This and other clauses were added July 29 last year, but were first brought to light last month by blogger and politician Christin Milloy in a Jan. 30 post. So are the regulations discriminatory? Transport Canada says no. “The intent is merely to prevent a person from getting on board an aircraft using identification that doesn’t belong to them,” Transport Canada spokesperson Maryse Durette said in an e-mail. “The rules apply to all passengers regardless of race, culture or sexual orientation and [they were created] for security reasons.” Of course, transgendered citizens worry about discrimination based on gender identity, not race, culture or sexual orientation. Critics say the regulations infringe on the right to mobility given to all Canadians through the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Marie Little, chair of the national Trans Alliance Society, is one such critic. “The idea that it does something for security is pretty silly,” she said. “If security thinks you’re carrying a bomb, it doesn’t matter what gender you are.” Little said the logistical problems of the regulation show Minister of Transportation Denis Lebel’s ignorance on trans issues. (Lebel did not respond to interview requests.) If transgendered citizens wanted to comply with the new regulations, they would need to update their ID. However, bureaucratic obstacles make this difficult. “If you’re in B.C. and you’re transgendered and you get approval for surgery, you fly to Montreal. But you can’t change your passport until after you get the surgery,” said Little. “Many transgendered people in B.C. have changed their driver’s licenses. So, they’ll have two pieces of ID that contradict one another. That’s yet another problem.” There are also transgendered individuals who do not

wish to ever have surgery, for financial reasons, safety issues or otherwise. Ultimately, Transport Canada says trans Canadians need not have concerns. “There have been no reported incidents of transgendered persons being denied boarding since these specific requirements were clarified,” said Durette in her e-mail. But Little doesn’t take comfort in this information, citing the fear many transgendered Canadians now have going to the airport. After all, ‘no reported incidents’ does not mean ‘no incidents.’ “If nobody has been turned away yet, that’s because they haven’t been enforcing it yet,” she said. “The people who’ve not been enforcing are in violation of the regulations, and sooner or later the clerk is going to be a prejudiced person. And in that case, they can really inconvenience transgendered people.” NDP MP Olivia Chow’s attempt to rescind the regulation changes at the House of Commons Standing Committee on Transportation on Feb. 9 was rejected in a 6-5 vote. Since then, and until further moves are made, this issue is still up in the air.

TRANSPORT CANADA Maryse Durette, spokesperson: “In 2007, the Identity Screening Regulations were implemented to support the Passenger Protect Program whtich is Canada’s no-fly program. Under the Identity Screening Regulations, air carriers are required to verify (at the boarding gate), that a passenger’s name on his or her identity document, is the same name that appears on the passenger’s boarding pass. As the Identity Screening Regulations did not explicitly require that the air carriers compare and verify the physical identity of the passenger against their travel document, they were amended in 2010 following a security incident where a woman wearing a veil allegedly boarded a flight without her face being checked against her identification. To further protect the security of travellers, Transport Canada amended regulations so that air carriers must screen each passenger by matching the face, date of birth, and gender with that on their identification, otherwise boarding is not allowed. As age, gender, or facial characteristics could vary from that on the passenger’s identification for a number of reasons, airlines have discretion to resolve any apparent discrepancies when comparing passengers with their identification.”

VIVIAN PENCZ/THE RUNNER

TRANS ALLIANCE Marie Little, Chair of Trans Alliance Society: “What the minister has been saying in the press is if you have a medical letter, you’ll be fine. But it doesn’t apply to not appearing to be the gender or age, just your picture. He’s never bothered to read the thing because he kept saying 2010, not 2011. Many women dye their hair to get rid of the grey, or take botox. If they do that, do they look 70 years-old anymore? Maybe not.... If they do decide to enforce it, what do you think they’ll do to the Australians who have an ‘X’ on their passport? The medical certificate doesn’t apply to the gender or age one, so that’s not a defense. People need to keep talking to the media, and MPs and Transport Canada. The idea of applying for an ‘X’ has some merit too. Anything that people can think of.

www.runnermag.ca | The Runner

NEWS

vol. 4 issue 13 | March 20 2012 | page ﬁve

PROVINCE

B.C. budget calls for cuts at postsecondary institutions Provincial government asks universities and colleges to find $70 million in administrative savings.

ARSHY MANN CUP WESTERN BUREAU CHIEF

VANCOUVER (CUP) — In the pursuit of a balanced budget, B.C. is asking universities and colleges to tighten their belts. The provincial government, in its budget tabled Feb. 21, is calling for postsecondary institutions to cut $70 million from their collective budgets over the next three years. According to Finance Minister Kevin Falcon, the government expects this money to come from administrative savings. “The province will work with universities, colleges and other institutions to help ensure that front-line programs are not affected,” he said in his budget announcement. “And we believe a one per cent cost reduction is very achievable.” Funding will stay stable for the next year, with the cuts coming between 2013 and 2015. The budget document asserts that savings can be found by combined purchases of equipment by institutions, cutting travel costs and through a reduction in support services. A statement from the Ministry of Advanced Education emphasized that the budget also included a $9 million increase for “additional medical, health and other priority seats,” and that $462 million had been set aside for capital projects over the next few years. UBC declined to comment about how the university would deal with budget cuts. Michelle Mungall, the NDP critic for advanced education, said that despite the government’s promises, the cuts are likely to affect students. “We’re seeing colleges report projected deficits, and that would be before

the budget was released. And now with this budget, we’re going to see program cuts.” She argued that institutions have been cutting back on administration for years and that there remains little left to cut. “They’ve become very lean machines,” she said. “And they have no choice but to go back to students. No surprise here, when you look at the budget book, the only thing increasing in post-secondary education is revenue from tuition.” Mungall said that colleges will be hit harder by the budget cuts than universities. “They don’t have the ability to seek out research grants to top up in the same way that universities do.” Mungall also pointed to the special challenges of northern and rural institutions. She argued that schools that have multiple campuses spread over large regions, such as Okanagan College and Northwest Community College, must pay more for travel and often replicate classes at various campuses. She went on to say that the budget also falls short on financial aid for students, and that an NDP government would reinstate a needs-based grant program that was axed in 2005. Robert Clift, the executive director of the Canadian Federation of University Faculty Associations of B.C., said that post-secondary institutions face greater inflationary pressures than other sectors of the economy. “Prices for things like journals, scientific equipment, laboratory supplies ... the inflation rates for those types of goods and services increases at a faster rate than the general price index,” he said. Clift was sceptical of the government’s claim that funding cuts won’t af-

fect students. “They said that the cuts can’t come at the expense of services to students, which is laudable, but impossible,” he said. “Students are going to feel this one way or another.” Clift went on to say that while lay-offs are unlikely at universities, one way that savings may be found is by departments not rehiring for vacancies. “So it’s not that a faculty member gets laid off, but a department that was maybe looking to hire somebody won’t do that hiring now. When we can’t reduce services to students, we can’t cut the number of sections, so what we do [is] we try to hire sessional instructors to do that job.”

BC Finance Minister Kevin Falcon. BC GOV PHOTOS/ FLICKR

We need people like you. editor@runnerrag.ca

page six | March 20 2012 | vol. 4 issue 13

NEWS

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POST-SECONDARY

Quebec student tuition protest ends in violence MONTREAL (CUP) — An impromptu and lively student protest against tuition hikes worked its way through Montreal’s busy downtown streets March 7. The protest started at Square-Victoria where urban studies students from the Université du Québec à Montréal wrapped trees and other objects in the park in red fabric, a symbol of the student movement against tuition increases. It soon turned violent when students attempted to block the entrance of the Loto-Québec building, which also holds the offices for the Conference of Rectors and Principals of Quebec Universities (CREPUQ). CREPUQ’s offices were being protested due to the organization’s support for the government’s tuition hikes. “[CREPUQ officials] are the first to waste public money in advertising and investing in real estate firms,” Gabriel NadeauDubois, Association pour une solidarité syndicale étudiante spokesperson, said during a radio interview March 7.

Riot police quickly stepped in and removed the students. “We were peacefully blocking the CREPUQ building. The police decided to clear up Sherbrooke St. with a violence hard to describe,” said Nadeau-Dubois. “It was really peaceful, except for when we were at Loto-Québec when the police set off flash-bombs,” said Noémie RoyGibeault, a student at the protest. Riot cops used tear gas to disperse the students, four of whom were injured, as well as one police officer. The Coalition large de l’ASSE, an umbrella student union representing over 80,000 students, issued a statement late on March 7 reporting that a CÉGEP Saint-Jérôme student had been hit by a stun grenade in the eye from point blank range and had to be rushed to the hospital. According to a spokesperson for CLASSE, there is a strong chance he will lose sight in that eye from the injury. “For the second time in two weeks, the police violently repressed a student protest,” said Nadeau-Dubois, referring to last week’s protest in Quebec City, when

police fired tear gas at students. “The police have to respect the students’ right to demonstrate.” The Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) arrested five students in total. “They just charged into us. They were really brutal,” said Jean-Luc WymanGrimard, a student from CÉGEP VieuxMontreal, whose student union has been on strike since Feb. 16. After leaving the Loto-Québec building, around 600 students marched haphazardly through downtown with the police

following behind. “Going from Square-Victoria to LotoQuébec, I’m pretty sure, was probably planned, but the rest of it was improvised,” Wyman-Grimard said. “There was no real target; basically just moving around and students deciding together that they want to act.” After stopping for a few minutes in front of the Education Minister’s office, the students came back to Place-des-Arts Metro and dispersed onto separate metro cars. The SPVM was unavailable for comments at press time.

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EDITORIAL

vol. 4 issue 13 | March 20 2012 | page seven

OPINION

The west: growing economy means growing national inﬂuence

MISSUSK (CINDY)/FLICKR

I THOMAS FALCONE

Hardly a day passes nowadays without the business sections of the major Canadian newspapers being lit up with good-news stories about the roaring economies of the western provinces: the sudden emergence of a bustling manufacturing industry around Edmonton, massive labour shortages across Alberta and Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall flying to economically-devastated Ireland pleading for Irish workers to cross the Atlantic where they will be able to cherry-pick high-paying jobs. Between the black-gold flowing from the oilsands, the potash produced by the prairies and a host of other resource-driven economic sectors, the new reality is clear: Western Canada is set to dominate economically. But if all indicators clearly suggest that the western provinces are on the ups economically, it is not so clear what the consequences of this national gravitational shift will have for Canadian political culture. Canada has long been beset by entrenched regionalism. Chief among these has been the perceived divide between the once-thriving eastern provinces (mainly, Ontario and Quebec) and the West. “Western alienation” was on the re-

ceiving end of a lot of lip-service from (eastern) politicians, yet the money and the votes were forever locked in the East. So the West continued to feel left out. Things are undoubtedly starting to change. As the West gains financial capital over the East, soon to follow will be political capital as demographics shift. It is likely inevitable, therefore, that issues that are near-anddear to the hearts of Western Canadians—Senate reform, the monarchy, provincial authority over immigration—will gain traction in a political culture no longer dominated by Eastern elites long disinterested in these subjects. Indeed, the recent abolition of the Western-loathed long-gun registry by a sympathetic Conservative federal government can be seen as a bellwether of changes in political discourse to come. What receives less attention but is of greater magnitude, is the implications for the perennial question of national unity the emergence of the West will cause. For decades, Canadian politics have been viewed through the lenses of various national unity battles: fights over language, disputes about recognition, arguments surrounding Quebec’s place—or lack thereof—in Canada. The rise of the West may just be the medicine that this

country has long needed to put this troubling issue to rest. On the surface, the economic absurdity of an independent Quebec is now clear as day. The continuing financial uncertainty emanating from Europe and siphoning of capital and skilled labour by the western provinces means that Quebec will becoming increasingly reliant on the economic prowess of the West. On a less obvious but more profound plane, however, the rise of the West means a strengthening of an individualistic ethos across the country. A robust liberal individualism has long been engrained in the essence of Western Canada, and the rise of the West will likely result in the completion of a individualization-process begun by the adoption of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1981. A political culture animated by the inviolability of the individual offers little space to the old collectivist narratives of Quebec nationalists from yesteryear. Those who find hope in a united Canada should look West to seek solace. Join the Political Science Society of Kwantlen on Thursday, March 29 at 10:00 a.m. for a round-table discussion on the rise of Western Canada. For more information, email PSSK president Andrea Harvey at andrea.harvey@kwantlen.net.

FESTIVAL

www.runnermag.ca | The Runner

Kwantlen student Gurbaksh Dhaliwal recieves a colourful shower from friends during the Holi festival.

Nakul Bhanot attempts to clean the vibrant colours from his face after being covered head to toe.

(Left to right) Kirpanpreet Dhillon and Arshdeep Toor attack friend Jasmine Kaur with a colourful face wash during the ﬁrst ever Holi festival held at Kwantlen on March 8.

Colours, colours everywhere Celebrating Kwantlen’s first ever Holi festival of colours. Photos by Matt Law

Students Kirpanpreet Dhillon (left) and Arshdeep Toor give each other a friendly face wash during the ﬁrst ever Holi festival of colours held at Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Surrey campus on March 8.

OF COLOURS

vol. 4 issue 12 | March 20 2012 | page nine

Students Amrit Mahil and Jasmine Kaur hug amid the laughter and colourful chaos.

Kirpanpreet Dhillon runs through a ďŹ&#x201A;urry of colours.

Gurbaksh Dhaliwal receives a dusting of yellow from friend Nakul Bhanot.

page ten | March 20 2012 | vol. 4 issue 13

CULTURE

The Runner | www.runnermag.ca

LOCAL MUSIC

Wildeman paints Portraits on new EP Victoria folkster, Brett Wildeman, writes “troubadour style” –– with his guitar and loose leaf paper.

VIVIAN PENCZ CONTRIBUTOR

Folk balladeer Brett Wildeman has always lived and breathed poetry. And on his latest single, “1 Year Pass,” off of his second EP, Portraits, he seems to condense every image and moment that inspires him into one song: flickering flames, birthday balloons, drained gas tanks and a feeling that “grows like a cancer,” just to name a few. This is, after all, simply what he does. “As far back as I can remember, I’ve written books upon books of poetry about things I was going through or stories people have shared,” he says. “And music has been part of my life for a long time. My main musical influence is life, and the experiences and encounters I’ve had.” Growing up in Roberts Creek along the Sunshine Coast, on a “quiet dead end road” encircled by woodland, Wildeman integrated himself into his small town’s rich musical community early. He started classical guitar lessons in the fourth grade while developing a deep relationship with his natural surroundings. “Exploring the forest and the beach as a kid, playing with crabs, getting muddy,” he recalls. “I wouldn’t really change anything about my childhood.” Then, during the last couple years of high school, Wildeman played in a nonprofit, youth-focused Celtic group, The Coast String Fiddlers, where his love of the violin and cello, instruments featured prominently on Portraits, was kindled. Despite the accompaniment of other instruments on the new EP, Wildeman’s music is largely minimalist, his acoustic guitar and narrative lyrics composing the heart beating at the centre of his songs. “Folk music is roots music to me: stripped down, raw,” he says. “I wouldn’t say that I’m not drawn to other styles of music, but when I sit down and write a song with just my guitar and a loose leaf of paper, I do it troubadour style.” At the same time, Wildeman has always been self-reliant when it comes to

Brett Wildeman always makes a point to look away from the camera as if soulfully pondering the name of his next album. PHOTO BY NELSON FRASER

songwriting. His first EP, One Man One Voice Two Hands, released in 2010, was “just me with an $80 microphone recorded in my bedroom,” he says, being equal parts personal exploration and creative output. And after spending the past year floating between Victoria, the Lower Mainland and the Sunshine Coast for day job opportunities, establishing a band lineup has been problematic.

Nevertheless, Wildeman believes the fuller and more mature sound achieved on Portraits, much of which was recorded creatively in makeshift blanketed forts, was helped profoundly by the influx of collaborators and ideas that accompanied it. Even the album title was inspired by a comment violinist Tegan Ceshi-Smith made one day: “all of your songs kind of remind me of portraits, because they

paint a picture.” With a tour and a bike trip down the coast of California and Oregon in the works, it looks like North America is Wildeman’s canvas right now. And although the future is uncertain, his aspiration is not. “I just have to keep doing what I’m doing. Progression will happen naturally.”

www.runnermag.ca | The Runner

CULTURE

vol. 4 issue 13 | March 20 2012 | page eleven

ARTS

Moving Image Art Festival ﬁlls a void at Kwantlen

ILLUSTRATION SUBMITTED BY SHELLY LEROUX

CHRIS YEE SENIOR CULTURE WRITER

Clay. Collages. Feet. These are a few of the mediums that student animators and filmmakers, both at Kwantlen and from the community, used in the diverse body of work that will be shown off at the newly-launched Moving Image Art Festival this April. Organized by Kwantlen student Shelly Leroux, Moving Image will feature very short films and video art pieces of a decidedly experimental bent, with most no more than a minute in length (the longest piece clocks in at a mere three minutes.) Leroux, who is currently a fourth-year Fine Arts student but started at Kwantlen 10 years ago in the Fine Arts diploma program, got the idea for the festival while taking a community art practices course this semester. “A lot of my background... [is] in doing art shows, so I decided to do a film

festival. I thought it was a little bit different, [I was] able to expand my experiences in doing a festival of this sort,” Leroux said. The Moving Image Art Festival fills a void left by changes that transpired after the launch of the Bachelor of Fine Arts, Visual Arts program in 2010. The Fine Arts end of year show, an event for all Fine Arts students at Kwantlen in previous years, is now instead a grad show for this year’s first batch of BFA graduates. “The upside to this is that the grads are being exposed and having an exclusive show before they leave Kwantlen. The downside to this is that all [the] other Fine Arts students do not have a venue this year,” Leroux said. That is, if it were not for the Moving Image Art Festival, which will provide that venue this year, at least for Kwantlen’s digital media students. “It is always nice to have exposure for

the work that people do, and so I think students that work in digital media will enjoy showing their work to other students and to the public.” But Leroux, who works part-time for the Burnaby school district, also plans to bring high school students into the festival’s fold. “I thought it was great... to involve lots of people from outside of Kwantlen as well, and youth seemed more accessible and less exposed, and they’re the next generation that will be coming to Kwantlen. I thought it was a really good opportunity for them to be within the environment, to have their work shown –– and also a really good opportunity for Kwantlen students to learn from youth and see what matters from youth,” Leroux said. As for the future of the Moving Image Festival, and the Fine Arts program as a whole, Leroux hopes that other Kwantlen students will take up the mantle in com-

ing years –– and more importantly, the university as well. “Now that Kwantlen has the BFA, I would hope that the University would put more funding efforts towards the equipment needed to help students succeed as well as the facilities,” Leroux said. For the time being, though, this April’s instalment of the Moving Image Festival already has support from a number of sponsors. Envision Financial, Opus Art Supplies, the Kwantlen Bookstore, Starbucks, Tim Hortons and the Langley Colossus theatre are on board to provide popcorn and prizes (including gift certificates and free movie tickets), with more expected to come on board in the coming weeks. The Moving Image Festival will run from 6 - 8 p.m. on April 20 in Fir 128 at the Surrey campus. Submissions are free, open to all Kwantlen students, and will be accepted until April 4.

page twelve | March 20 2012 | vol. 4 issue 13

CULTURE

The Runner | www.runnermag.ca

LOCAL BAND

Xenocide is all hard work and all play I

SANA SOHEL CONTRIBUTOR

No amount of hard work ever goes unnoticed and Xenocide has proven it with the release of their debut album Galactic Oppression. Since 2008, the quintet started work on the album right away, eventually releasing it in 2011. As the band explains it, “Xenocide brings space-based technical death metal to the masses with lyrical content spanning ascension, colonization, of other worlds and holographic universes.” The Runner’s Sana Sohel got together with Tabreez Azad, vocalist and guitarist for the band, to get the scoop on their journey and what lies down the road ahead. Sana Sohel: What is the inspiration behind the name Xenocide? Tabreez Azad: It was inspired by Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game series. We felt that the name “Xenocide” was used in its weakest form with regards to the book so we took the name and made it to what we thought it best represented. Authors such as Carl Sagan, Isaac Asimov, and the Mass Effect games influence our lyrics and themes. SS: This is your debut album. How has your journey been up to this point? TA: Its been an amazing ride, filled with lessons learned and friends made. There have been four to five solid line-up changes since Xenocide’s inception in 2008. It took a while, but we found the right members who not only represent the band well but are also looking to evolve musically. The best part of the journey so far was recording the album in 2011. SS: Tell me a bit about your band, its members and the music. TA: Best way to describe Xenocide would be “death metal you can dance to”. Our

goal was to make a riff-oriented death metal band with cosmological themes. Our current line-up features: Michael Jakes on vocals, Zenon Shandro on bass, Sean Leask on guitar, David McGregor on percussion, with myself on guitar and vocal duties. We’ve written well over 50 songs in our short time as a band, and we pick and choose material from our repertoire that we think best represents us. SS: Is the band doing any shows or performances at the moment? How does the future look? TA: We perform shows as they come. Touring is important for us, just as well as recording. At the moment, we have our CD release show for Galactic Oppression

on March 14 at the Astoria Hotel in Vancouver. Also, we are planning a British Columbia and Alberta tour in May followed by one in Indonesia and Malaysia in October. Work has already begun on our sophomore album, tentatively titled Echoes from a Distant Star.

at last to set sail for the stars.” We are firm believers in exploration of space and that our goal as a species should be to seed life throughout the stars. There are bigger things out there worthy of our attention than the unfortunate narrowmindedness we see in today’s world.”

SS: Your band’s main message and/or motto?

SS: Any message for struggling artists, or dreamers?

TA: Our de facto motto for this album cycle is “Our intent: Harvest souls for Mass Ascension. Shed ourselves of corporeal form through Galactic Oppression.” But this is a very dark hypothetical message, so I’ll let Carl Sagan take the wheel and share with you what Xenocide believes: “We have lingered long enough on the shores of the cosmic ocean. We are ready

TA: Never give up. Total cliché I know but every time your neurons fire and you think, “I can’t do this,” just stop and think, “Who told you this?” You are only limited by your own inaction. Find friends that share the same interests as you, and get on it. Trust me, a recording is worth the investment.

www.runnermag.ca | The Runner

vol. 4 issue 13 | March 20 2012 | page thirteen

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Campus Representatives

Polling

Wednesday, April 11, 2012, 9 AM – 7 PM

Surrey - Main Atrium Corridor Langley - Bookstore Hallway Richmond - Rotunda

Polling

Thursday, April 12, 2012, 9 AM – 7 PM Surrey - Main Atrium Corridor Langley - Bookstore Hallway Richmond - Rotunda

Thursday, April 12, 2012, 10 AM – 4 PM Cloverdale - Main Hallway

Polling

Friday, April 13, 2012, 10 AM – 4 PM Cloverdale - Main Hallway

Ballot Counting

Friday, April 13, 2012, 6 PM – completed President’s Boardroom Sides A and B, Cedar Building, Room 2110, Surrey Campus

Chief Returning Officer | Corey Van’t Haaff

(total 4 to be elected) • • • •

Cloverdale (1) Langley (1) Richmond (1) Surrey (1)

Constituency Representatives (total 7 to be elected) • • • • • • •

Aboriginal Students (1) International Students (1) Mature Students (1) Queer Students (1) Students of Colour (1) Students with Disabilities (1) Women (1)

Faculty Representatives (total 14 to be elected)

• Academic and Career Advancement (2) • Arts (4) (formerly the Faculties of Humanities and of Social Sciences) • Business (3) • Community and Health (1) • Design (1) • Science and Horticulture (2) • Trades and Technology (1) For more information on the KSA general election, visit

www.kusa.ca/elections

Kwantlen Student Association | Cell: 778.388.7725 | Email: kwantlencro@gmail.com

page fourteen | March 20 2012 | vol. 4 issue 13

CULTURE

The Runner | www.runnermag.ca

POET

What it feels like for writer and poet Jennica Harper I

VIVIAN PENCZ CONTRIBUTOR

“What does God think of teenage girls? Spies who know too much and must be punished?” asks Vancouver-based wordsmith Jennica Harper, reading from her books of poetry What It Feels Like For a Girl and The Octopus at Kwantlen’s Surrey campus Thursday, March 1. You might not expect such incisive poetic depth from the screenwriter of the YTV comedy “Mr. Young,” but — as The Runner’s Vivian Pencz discovered during an interview before the reading — Harper is one of a kind. VIVIAN PENCZ: You are a poet, but you’ve also written TV and film scripts and a comic book. You’re a teacher, and you’re occasionally a stand-up comic. How do you balance all these projects? JENNICA HARPER: The truth is I don’t balance them. Some of those are things I’ve tried over the last several years, but I got to the point where I needed to choose amongst them. The comic book was a fun adventure, and I’m adapting it into a feature screenplay. The stand-up comedy was great for learning to write comedy, which is really what my living is now. And I love teaching, but you can’t do it all at the same time. I’ve just been really lucky to be able to have done several of those things at many times. VP: What are the differences between writing a poem and a script?

This smiling face is responsible for writing both ﬂuffy and entertaining children’s shows, and writing controversial poetry about teenage sexuality. PHOTO BY PARDEEP SINGH

don’t get there. It’s our failings that interest me, and that’s also the basis of comedy, so it makes sense that that would be what I’m drawn to.

teenage sexuality and… JH: [laughing] Because I use the word “cunt.” VP: What do you think about that?

JH: I want to tell stories through images, and that’s what I think is in common between poetry and screenwriting. I’m not somebody who tells a story through the internal monologue. I’m much more external, much more about narrative. So I feel like those two compliment each other, [even] in terms of economy of language. You have to be able to choose the moment, metaphor, or line of dialogue that is nailing everything. VP: What, more than anything, inspires you to write? JH: The imperfection of human beings. The lighter side of our humanity, our foibles and mistakes, and also the serious side: how we struggle and try to achieve things and

VP: A lot of your poetry does focus on awkward moments or stages of life. Are those kinds of [coming-of-age stories] something you’ve always gravitated towards? JH: I think so. Some of the most recent poetry I’ve been working on is about the push-pull of wanting to be a parent and not having taken that leap yet. So I’m thinking about this as a new coming-of-age for me maybe. For example, [in an as-of-now unpublished manuscript] I’ve written a lot about Houdini’s wife and widow, and also about Pinocchio, and yet somehow these characters I’m exploring come back to parenthood again and again. VP: Your work has been interpreted as being “edgy” or “controversial” because you talk about

JH: I don’t think of myself as an edgy person, but this is the one art form where I don’t have to answer to anybody else, and you have to go where the heat is. The stuff that’s a little scary, too personal or too emotional are exactly the kinds of places you can’t run away from. VP: Your work has also been heralded for being a significant feminist voice. Is that something that was intentional or surprising? JH: In What It Feels Like For a Girl, I was writing about young women and sexuality, and I wanted to explore the idea of what women are expected to do and be and how teenage girls learn and twist that and are still

ultimately strong. I hoped that the response would be that I am trying to contribute to the conversation in a meaningful and positive way. And I think it has been. There have been teenage girls who have told me, “I really relate to this.” And that is really powerful. VP: How have you overcome the biggest challenges of your career? JH: Perseverance. You go through a lot of years where you’re not making very much money, and you just have to not quit. You have to have the heart for it, even though it’s hard, and that’s been true for me. And if 10 years of sticking with it sounds like way too long a haul, there’s no shame in doing something else. Poetry is never going to pay my bills, but it’s also a really pure art form. To write a poem all you need is a piece of paper and a pen.

PROCRASTINATION

www.runnermag.ca | The Runner

vol. 4 issue 13 | March 20 2011 | page ﬁfteen

SKI NINJAS

HOROSCOPES

ARIES March 21 - April 19

LIBRA Sept. 24 - Oct. 23

Watch out for businesses that charge an arm and a leg. That sounds like cannibalism.

Go to the Dagobah system.

KYLE LEES – THE ARGUS (LAKEHEAD UNIVERSITY)

TAURUS April 20 - May 20

SCORPIO Oct. 24 - Nov. 22

SMART ZONE Begin every sentence with “I’m going to have to go ahead and...”

Does anyone else think Smurfette was kinda hot?

SAGITTARIUS Nov. 23 - Dec. 21

GEMINI May 21 - June 20 In Soviet Russia, roses stop and smell you.

If you see a wizard, kick him in the nuts. Seriously.

CANCER June 21 - July 23

Run down the street and pretend acid rain is falling. It could be good for a laugh, unless acid rain really is falling.

CAPRICORN Dec. 22 - Jan. 20

Selling yourself short will get you nowhere as a prostitute.

(CUP) — Puzzles provided by BestCrosswords.com. Used with permission.

LEO July 24 - Aug. 23

AQUARIUS Jan. 21 - Feb 19

Sandwiches make great parting gifts.

VIRGO Aug. 24 - Sept. 23

Something important may or may not happen to you sometime soonish.

Stop taking things for granted, take them for omelette.

PISCES Feb. 20 - March 20

Don’t be too quick to share your feelings or your snack pack.

Across 1- Beer buy; 5- Org.; 10- Thick slice; 14- Literary work; 15- Birth-related; 16- Circle at bottom, point at top; 17- Mixture that has been homogenized; 19- Feminine sufﬁx; 20- Sun Devils’ sch.; 21From the U.S.; 22- Armed guard; 24- Kathmandu resident; 26- Taylor of “Mystic Pizza”; 27- Largest ocean; 33- Disconcert; 36- Charged; 37- _ kwon do; 38- Network of nerves; 39- Standard for comparison; 40- Metallica drummer Ulrich; 41- _ Schwarz; 42- More delicate; 43- Quotes; 44- The act of superceding; 47- Interpret; 48- Contrive; 52- Sterile; 55- Enervates; 57- “Treasure Island” monogram; 58- Black-and-white treat; 59- Inﬂammation of the skin; 62- Actor Epps; 63- Chopper topper; 64- Pro or con; 65- Cookbook amts.; 66- Brewer’s need; 67- Hammer end;

Down 1- “Over There” composer; 2- Strike _ ; 3Add together; 4- That, in Tijuana; 5- Weak; 6- All there; 7- Celestial body; 8- Bran source; 9- Pertaining to an ofﬁce; 10- Attractive route; 11- Protracted; 12- Actress Heche; 13- Ale, e.g.; 18- Australian cockatoo; 23- Bunches; 25- Basilica area; 26- Passenger ships; 28- Decreased?; 29- Loses color; 30Coup d’ _ ; 31- Bern’s river; 32- Capone’s nemesis; 33- Pound sounds; 34- Boyfriend; 35- At the apex of; 39- Hostility toward men; 40- Waterfall; 42- At liberty; 43- Seashore; 45- Mistakes; 46- Disclose; 49- Bandleader Shaw; 50- Move effortlessly; 51Ruhr city; 52- Rubber overshoe; 53- Upper limbs, weapons; 54- Gather, harvest; 55- Mex. miss; 56Author Oz; 60- Fair-hiring abbr.; 61- AOL, e.g.;

page sixteen | March 20 2012 | vol. 4 issue 13

e h t t a e l b a l i a s av

L A R E N GE ION

A S K

n o i t i s o p

f o e c i t no

The Runner | www.runnermag.ca

T C E E1L– april 13, 2012

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Nomination forms may be picked-up at the KSA Member Services office located at each campus or can be downloaded from the KSA web site (www.kusa.ca/elections). Nomination forms will be available by March 15, 2012 at 9 AM and completed Nomination Forms must be delivered to the Chief Returning Officer or her delegates by 2 PM Wednesday March 28, 2012.

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Important Dates Nominations Open

Thursday, March 15, 2012 at 9 AM

Nominations Close

Wednesday, March 28, 2012 at 2 PM

All Candidates Meeting

All candidates must attend this meeting Friday, March 30, 2012 at 2 PM at Cloverdale Boardroom, Room 1853

Polling

Wednesday, April 11, 2012, 9 AM – 7 PM

Surrey - Main Atrium Corridor Langley - Bookstore Hallway Richmond - Rotunda

Polling

Thursday, April 12, 2012, 9 AM – 7 PM Surrey - Main Atrium Corridor Langley - Bookstore Hallway Richmond - Rotunda

Thursday, April 12, 2012, 10 AM – 4 PM Cloverdale - Main Hallway

Polling

Friday, April 13, 2012, 10 AM – 4 PM Cloverdale - Main Hallway

Ballot Counting

Friday, April 13, 2012, 6 PM – completed President’s Boardroom Sides A and B, Cedar Building, Room 2110, Surrey Campus

Chief Returning Officer | Corey Van’t Haaff

Campus Representatives (total 4 to be elected) • • • •

Cloverdale (1) Langley (1) Richmond (1) Surrey (1)

Constituency Representatives (total 7 to be elected) • • • • • • •

Aboriginal Students (1) International Students (1) Mature Students (1) Queer Students (1) Students of Colour (1) Students with Disabilities (1) Women (1)

Faculty Representatives (total 14 to be elected)

www.kusa.ca/elections

Kwantlen Student Association | Cell: 778.388.7725 | Email: kwantlencro@gmail.com