The Runner Vol 10, Issue 18

JULY 4, 2018 VOLUME 10, ISSUE 18 KPU’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER

BIG CITY BLUES IN VANCOUVER AND TORONTO New study finds that, "as cities get larger, they get less happy"

NEWS

KSA Executives Express Disappointment in CFS National Meeting

page 4

CULTURE

Multi-Faith Centre Welcomes Two New Chaplains

OPINION page 6

Debating the Ethics Behind 13 Reasons Why

page 11

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

STAFF 04

NEWS | KSA Expresses Disappointment in CFS National Meeting

According to KSA President Caitlin McCutchen, none of the motions that the KSA supported, including a motion to streamline the process of decertification, were passed during the national general meeting.

Editor in Chief

Aly Laube editor@runnermag.ca

Managing Editor

Connor Doyle managing@runnermag.ca

Staff Writer

Braden Klassen staff@runnermag.ca

Community Reporter

Ashley Hyshka community@runnermag.ca

Production Manager

Sarah Kraft production@runnermag.ca

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CULTURE | Multi-Faith Centre Welcomes Two New Chaplains

Even though Shaykh Nurjan Mirahmadi and Pastor Christoph Reiners have only been a part of the MultiFaith Centre for a few weeks, both chaplains say they are excited to start offering guidance to students as they navigate their spiritual journeys.

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FEATURE | Big City Blues

According to a recent study, people who live in large cities are generally less happy than those who live in rural communities. Those in Vancouver and Toronto, the nation’s two biggest cities, are the unhappiest of all.

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OPINION | Debating the Ethics Behind 13 Reasons Why

Few shows are as polarizing as Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why, which depicts the aftermath of high schooler Hannah Baker’s suicide. In the show, Hannah uses 13 audio-cassette tapes to reveal the reasons why she took her own life one by one.

Art Director

Nicola Kwit art@runnermag.ca

Hashtag KPU Post on Twitter or Instagram about or around KPU and you could be featured!

Web Manager

Alex Rodriguez web@runnermag.ca

Operations Manager Scott Boux office@runnermag.ca 778-565-3801

CONTRIBUTORS Yuta Anonuevo Katie Czenczek Kristen Frier Kristine Hui Daniella Javier Tristan Johnston @RESLUS Lincoln Saugstad

COVER BY Braden Klassen

Arbutus 3710/3720 12666 72 Ave. Surrey, B.C, V3W 2M8 778-565-3801 www.runnermag.ca Vol. 10, Issue no. 18 July 4 // 2018 ISSN# 1916 8241

All submissions to The Runner are subject to editing for style, quality, length, and legality. The Runner will not publish material which the editors deem to be harmful or discriminatory. The views expressed within the publication are not necessarily those of The Runner staff or of the Polytechnic Ink Publishing Society.

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

EDITORIAL

FROM THE EDITOR

WHAT’S HAPPENING THIS MONTH

Dear VPD: Leave the gun, take the cannoli Aly Laube | Editor in Chief Police officers carried rifles at a family-friendly event intended to celebrate Italian food and culture on June 10, and for many in attendance, this reminder of the Vancouver Police Department’s potential to be violent came as an unwelcome shock.

Hordes of people filled the streets for the festival and, as such, a police presence there was to be expected. What could not be reasonably anticipated was that these officials would be openly carrying carbine rifles under the guise of fighting terrorism. The police department has claimed that they sent armed officers to the event as a preventative measure against crimes like the Toronto van attack, which killed 10 people in April.

They claim that this was necessary in Vancouver, a place that has never once in its 132year history seen a major terrorist attack occur within city limits.

The VPD also seem to have concluded that this was particularly important at Italian Day—again, a community event that, notably, is open only to pedestrians. The entire road is closed off for the duration of the festival, so why it would be particularly at risk of an attack like what was seen in Toronto this April is unclear.

Even if there was a valid threat of a terror attack at Italian Day, having armed police present doesn’t seem like the appropriate response. Evacuating the area until the risk has been eliminated and carefully alerting vendors and attendees of the situation would be a more reasonable means of handling these situations. It’s hard to imagine a scenario where police with assault rifles could effectively manage large crowds of people and neutralize the risk of a driver

JULY 4 GARDEN YOGA

On three consecutive Wednesdays in July— the 4th, the 11th, and the 18th—the Kwantlen Student Association will be offering free yoga sessions in the afternoon.

It’s a great way to stay limber!

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm, Westerman Campus Garden, free

A brand new program designed to train students for a career in manufacturing and mechatronics repair is coming to KPU this fall.

Due to a recent $4.4-million provincial investment in trades and technology split between several B.C. institutions, KPU students will be able to make use of a new and modern mechatronics lab on the Cloverdale campus. The group of students admitted into the program in September will learn how to properly work with industrial electronics and machinery, according to a press release published by KPU on June 20.

Deemed the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Diploma program, and developed specifically to be up-to-date with industry needs and standards, courses will cover several different fields of engineering. Mechanical,

JULY 9

FIFA '18 TOURNAMENT

(Nicola Kwit) looking to kill pedestrians with their vehicle at the same time.

Very rarely do Vancouverites see police officers strolling down the road with weapons in hand. However, it could be the “new normal” for the VPD, according to VPD Sgt. Jason Robillard. The specifics of and reasoning behind their anti-attack tactics are considered to be best kept secret, according to Robillard, in order to avoid “potentially unsafe” situations.

This secrecy does nothing for citizens concerned about the seemingly unnecessary militarization of their municipal police force. If Canada has learned anything from how our neighbours down south have handled their police departments, it should be to avoid police killings and brutality—or the threat of inflicting it—whenever possible.

The excessive police presence at Italian Day could be a sign that the municipal police don’t have enough to do, don’t have proper

management, or are concealing that Vancouver is secretly a hotbed of terrorist activity.

The latter seems extremely unlikely, as the city has historically seen slim to none.

That means that Vancouver either needs less police officers or better-utilized police officers. Either way, the VPD violated a public trust by intimidating innocent civilians who clearly were not at serious risk of harm.

As to the question of whether or not the police have too much free time on their hands: This city has been home to some of Canada’s most horrendous crimes against marginalized communities. With the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Inquiry still failing to make discoveries promised by the Prime Minister, the opioid and homelessness crises growing steadily worse, and gang-related violence rising in the Lower Mainland, it’s hard to believe that Vancouver cops couldn’t find a more efficient and less sinister way to spend their time.

NEWS BRIEF KPU to Begin Offering New Mechatronics Program Aly Laube | Editor in Chief

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computer, telecommunication, and control engineering are a few of those that will be featured.

“Mechatronics is a blend of existing disciplines that have led to new technological advancements in the trades sector,” said Dr. David Florkowski, dean of the Faculty of Trades and Technology, in the KPU Newsroom release. “KPU is delighted to offer this new diploma program to train the specialists industry requires.”

The mechatronics program will offer 40 seats, and students who enrol will earn their certificate over two years.

“At the end of the program our students will have the diverse skills needed to operate and service these specialized machines, giving them strong employment prospects in an emerging field,” said Florkowski.

A few of the subjects that will be covered

through the two-year program are automation and data exchange in manufacturing.

Throughout the first year, classes will examine topics like robotics, using remote-control technology, and interpreting digital feedback.

In the second year, focus will shift towards learning about the standards for sustainability, manufacturing, resource use, and communications and business operations.

Students will also be able to weld, work with machines, and fabricate electrical and metal materials during the second half of the program. Presentations from guest speakers, participation in industry events, visits to nearby factories, and a 20-day workplace practicum will be included as well.

As the World Cup heats up, you have a chance to experience the action firsthand—vicariously, at least, through the latest FIFA game. Pick a team and enter the tournament to see if you can outlast Germany.

12:00 pm - 6:00 pm, Birch 250, free

JULY 10 BOLLYWOOD NIGHT

The KSA is hosting this event, which will be free for all KPU students. Come for the food, the dancing, and the appearances from DJ Simz and the Bhangra Dancing Club.

6:00 pm - 8:30 pm, KPU Surrey Conference Centre, free

JULY 17

CHATTERBOX SOCIAL

Connect with peers and learn more about mental health and wellness through fun, interactive activities at Chatterbox!

There will also be free snacks and the chance to win fun prizes.

11:30 am - 12:30 pm, Surrey Campus Airport Lounge (by Tim Hortons), free

JULY 20

BALL HOCKEY TOURNAMENT

This is the second event in an ongoing ball hockey tournament that KPU Sports & Recreation is putting on. All of the equipment is supplied and the game is only semi-competitive, so drop by and have some fun.

11:30 am - 1:00 pm, Surrey Campus Courtyard, free

JULY 21

PLAYLAND AT THE PNE

The ticket price covers park rides, attractions, snacks, and transportation to and from the venue, but you must bring your student ID to take part in this event.

Register with KPU International now!

10:30 am - 7:30 pm, The Pacific National Exhibition, $20

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NEWS

KSA Executives Express Disappointment in CFS National Meeting

The student federation expelled 12 B.C. schools but voted against simplifying decertification Braden Klassen | Staff Writer From June 9 to 12, executive members of the Kwantlen Student Association attended the Canadian Federation of Students’ 71st semi-annual national general meeting in Gatineau, Québec.

The CFS, which is comprised of 64 student unions representing roughly half a million students across Canada, advocates for accessibility to education and supports students through various campaigns and services.

Prior to the June meeting, the Federation represented 14 student unions in B.C., but early in the opening plenary, all but two of them were expelled. This occurred as a result of a years-long dispute between the Federation and the BCFS, a similar organization exclusively representing British Columbia-based student groups.

The KSA has a history of legal conflicts with both the CFS and the BCFS, and only exited from the latter organization earlier this year, as reported by The Runner in February.

While this was taken by most members of the Kwantlen Student Association as good news— since there would be no further expenses arising from lawsuits and appeals on the matter—it also meant that the KSA would not be included in the federal organization’s expulsion of members represented at the BCFS. “We all voted for them to go,” says KSA President and VP External Caitlin McCutchen. “And they just slowly walked out the door.

That was it for them. And then we were sitting alone at the back.”

As a result, the KSA is now one of only two student unions in B.C.—along with the College of the Rockies Students’ Association— represented by the CFS. In addition, because every province has a representative on the CFS's national executive team, and because no delegates from the College of the Rockies Students’ Association were present at the meeting, McCutchen was elected to a position on that team.

“It’s weird,” she says. “For decades [members of the KSA] have been vocal about how much they don’t like the CFS. To have us in a position on the executive—it’s interesting.”

According to McCutchen, none of the motions that the KSA supported, including a motion to streamline the process of decertification, were passed during the national general meeting.

There was also an attempt to introduce the option to vote online in CFS referendums and elections, an option which the KSA supported but was ultimately voted against by members of the CFS. Proponents of electronic voting believe that it would make it easier for students to participate in the democracy of the CFS. As reported by the University of Toronto’s student paper, The Varsity, a delegate from the Continuing Education Students’ Association of Ryerson named Phyllis McKenna argued that an online voting system could easily be hacked to change results.

But Daman Singh, a delegate from the U of T student union, said that the hacking concerns “really weren’t reflective of reality.”

“I don’t think that’s a reasonable position to have,” he said.

A motion to call the question passed, ending

CFS staff speak to member student unions in Gatineau, Quebec during the 2018 National General Meeting.

Photo courtesy of The Varsity. (Josie Kao) all debate on the issue, and the motion to introduce the option of electronic voting was defeated. The motion to make it simpler for member unions to decertify and leave the CFS was also voted against after calling the question.

The KSA’s vice-president student life, David Piraquive, is critical of members’ use of the motion to call the question, which he suggests is used to stifle the voices of CFS members who want to leave the organization.

“It’s overused to shut down debate on anything that was anti-CFS,” he says. “I never really felt welcome there, which was frustrating because they talk a lot about being inclusive and having safe spaces.”

He says he feels that the delegates treated him differently after he told them that he was from B.C. “They would kind of just step back and be like ‘Oh, cool! Um, I have to go now.’”

McCutchen, who also attended the NGM last year, says that her experience this year was “par for the course.”

“Because of the conflict between the KSA, the BCFS, and CFS national, we’re not wellliked there,” she says.

After a KSA council meeting on June 29, vice-president student affairs Murdoch de Mooy recounted his experiences at various meetings he attended during the conference.

He said he was disappointed to see that members were having their votes influenced by a whip, claiming that members would communicate online using WhatsApp, and vote based on a consensus.

After speaking about an issue in a CFS caucus meeting, de Mooy recalled that after the motion he supported was defeated, he was approached by a member who apologized to him. The member claimed that they believed in what de Mooy had been discussing, but had been compelled to vote against it by other members.

In spite of their experiences, de Mooy says he believes it’s important for the KSA to be present at CFS meetings, so that the interests of KPU students can be represented nationally.

Currently, KPU students currently pay $0.98 per credit to a maximum of $4.57 per semester in membership fees to the CFS. The Kwantlen Student Association has long held the opinion that services offered by the CFS are a waste of KSA members’ money. The KSA procures services similar to the ones

Member student unions present during the CFS 2018 National General Meeting in Gatineau, Quebec. Photo courtesy of The Varsity. (Josie Kao) offered by the CFS like health and dental care, and they do it for less money.

KSA VP Finance & Operations Joseph Thorpe is also critical of the time it takes for the CFS to release its audited financial statements.

“Originally we had a motion that said they should release it one week after the NGM at max,” he says. “They went through a bunch of arguments, and somehow they thought that 30 days was an acceptable amount of time.

Their excuses were things like, ‘Oh, NGMs are so tiring. People need to rest.’ We were like, ‘You need 30 days to release something that should already have been completed?’”

Thorpe says that the KSA’s protocol is to prepare the budget and statements 10 days before an AGM so that they can be released on the day of the meeting for members to view. “[The CFS] should have this done,” he says.

“It is inexcusable for a national organization with a ton of staff to release audited statements and their finished budget 30 days after its NGM.” CFS Treasurer Trina James says that the audited financial statements should be available on the CFS website soon, and that, “if there is ever a situation where a member wanted to look at the budget, it’s something that’s always available on our website—the up-to-date ones that have been passed by the membership.”

James admits that her knowledge on past conflict between the KSA and the CFS is “slim,” but says that she remains optimistic about working with the KSA in the future.

“That means building our relationships and being more transparent when it comes to our finances as well as when it comes to the various services and campaign work,” she says.

In 2017, the CFS was accused by some members of withholding the findings of a forensic audit that found that the organization had ties to an undisclosed bank account, holding over $250,000 dollars in funding. The audit stated that these funds had been intended for different parts of the organization, yet the account had not been revealed to members or the public until 2014. The audit report was not disclosed to members before it was voted on to be accepted.

McCutchen also expressed frustration with delays in the processes of the Federation, recalling motions from November 2016 that still hadn’t been voted on.

James believes this is primarily due to the fact that, at past meetings, “many of the delegates were not able to have those fruitful discussions and in-depth discussions about the work of the Federation because of other conflicts that don’t necessarily have to do with the work of the organization.”

Now that the BCFS has officially split from the CFS, it’s possible that there will be less conflict among members at its meetings.

James says that the work that the CFS does will still benefit students in B.C. “Though they’re not with us, we’re still fighting for them,” she says.

NEWS

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Bill C-45 Passes Senate as KPU Ramps up its Cannabis Training Programs

The university is developing a 32-week cultivation technician program to “meet a need” in the industry Ashley Hyshka | Community Reporter Bill C-45, which legalizes recreational cannabis use in Canada, passed through the Senate on June 20 with a vote of 52-29. With legalization slated to begin on October 17, this historic end to what has been called “90 years of prohibition” coincides conveniently with the expansion of Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s cannabis programs.

David Purcell, KPU’s Director of Emerging Business, is thrilled about Bill C-45 becoming law, saying that “it’s been a long time coming.”

Purcell oversees the university’s cannabis programs and partnerships. The Cannabis Career Training program is meant to provide “a foundational understanding” of Canada’s cannabis sector. Students learn about cultivation, facility management, marketing, and finance in adherence with federal and provincial regulations.

KPU’s Cannabis Career Training has proven to be popular. The last eight intakes into the program have been full, leaving a waitlist of approximately 200 students. Purcell adds that KPU is developing additional courses with a focus on cultivation, quality assurance, and retail.

“The courses that we’re developing today are a more advanced, in-depth view of those particular topics,” he says.

One of those is a 32-week long cannabis cultivation technician course which was designed

to “meet a need” in the industry, according to Purcell. He explains that KPU works in tandem with licensed producers across Canada to learn which gaps are present in the business of marijuana. The new course focuses on the entire process of production, including seed selection and cloning, fertilization techniques, harvesting, and cultivation.

“Growing cannabis is easy but doing so well within the regulatory framework is actually quite difficult,” says Purcell.

KPU recently announced a partnership with CannTrust, a medicinal marijuana corporation. Purcell says that its expertise in cultivation, quality assurance, and operations will be invaluable to the university.

Despite his optimism, not everyone believes that this rapid introduction of cannabis programs into universities like KPU is a wise move.

David Robinson, Executive Director of the Canadian Association of University Teachers, says universities are rushing too quickly to implement cannabis-based programs.

He argues that academic integrity must be adhered to, and that programs should be developed through educational institutions and not at the behest of corporations.

“There seems to be a mad rush right now for institutions across the country—colleges and universities—to develop these programs,” he says. “There’s a bit of irrational exuberance

that often drives these things.”

He advocates for making university-corporate partnership agreements public knowledge so that academic bodies can secure their authority over the program. He also recommends ensuring that the corporate sponsors adhere to research integrity and academic freedom.

“What makes universities and colleges unique is that they are places where scholars can engage in independent research … hopefully free of external influence. Giving sponsors too much influence jeopardizes that academic mission,” he says.

Robinson’s caution is rooted in past failures of university agreements with corporate sponsors. He also fears potential market crashes, saying that cannabis market predictions are “grossly over-exaggerated.”

In response to Robinson’s cautions, Purcell says that tens of millions of square feet of cultivation space are being developed and experts are being trained for the cannabis industry due to demand. He anticipates that 50,000 to 150,000 new jobs are being created in Canada because of this.

“We don’t see an imminent crash coming down the line anytime soon, so we recognize the need for trained employees and that’s what we’re setting out to do,” he says. “Our coursework is reflective of what the industry demands.”

Over the past year, Purcell has been developing partnerships with other post-secondary institutions across Canada to educate people using KPU’s cannabis coursework. He believes that promoting B.C.’s cannabis industry is critical and hopes to eventually create a national network of cannabis-related courses.

(@RESLUS)

Supreme Court of Canada Rules Against Trinity Western Law School

Judges voted seven to two in favour of law societies denying accreditation to schools that discriminate against LGBTQ+ students Ashley Hyshka | Community Reporter On June 15, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in favour of the Law Societies of B.C. and Ontario, confirming the societies' right to deny accreditation to Trinity Western University’s proposed law school due to its lack of accessibility for all students.

At the heart of the controversy is TWU’s mandatory community covenant. The covenant is a strict student code of conduct which includes abstaining from sex outside of heterosexual marriage. Many viewed this clause as discriminatory to LGBTQ+ students.

In its decision, the Supreme Court wrote that it’s “proportionate and reasonable” to limit religious rights in order to ensure open access for LGBTQ+ students. According to a CBC report, the majority judgement believed that the covenant would deter LGBTQ+ students from attending TWU’s proposed law school, and that the LGBTQ+ students who did attend would be at risk of harm.

“At the heart of the Supreme Court’s decision is a recognition of the responsibility of the Law Society to uphold the rights of all persons and to protect the public interest,” said Law Society President Miriam Kresivo in a press release.

According to Earl Phillips, the executive director of Trinity Western University’s proposed law school, the mood at the Langley-based university was somber following the decision.

“I think we’re all disappointed,” says Phillips. “And I think disappointment is the key word.”

Phillips says he’s dismayed by the “idea that diversity in Canada does not have room for a law school at a small Christian university that holds to traditional Christian values.”

He explains that there are a number of options which could be taken to change the community covenant. Before a decision is reached, however, he feels that TWU “as a community needs to take a good, long, hard look at everything.”

“That’s what we’re in the process of doing,” he says.

Phillips also acknowledges the hardships that the LGBTQ+ community has endured.

“I think those legitimate concerns that they have are very prominent and I think there’s a fear that a law school at Trinity would be a backwards step for them,” he says.

While he understands the other half of the argument, he does not necessarily agree with it. In his opinion, Canada’s mosaic of races, ethnicities, religions, cultures, and sexual orientations allow diversity to be Canada’s strength, but says it can only be achieved if all differences are allowed. “[Diversity] will only be our strength if we allow difference and then work together on how we are going to live and work together peacefully and productively despite difference,” says Phillips.

A representative of TWU says that the university will need to take a "good, long, hard look" at the situation surrounding its community covenant. (Braden Klassen) In a statement, the Law Society of B.C. wrote that “everyone should have equal access to law school” and that the “covenant that students of Trinity Western University must sign infringes

the access of those in the LGBTQ community and those in committed common-law relationships.”

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CULTURE

KPU Anthropology Dept. Offers First Ethnographic Field Studies Course Lincoln Saugstad | Contributor Students enrolled in KPU’s Ethnographic Field Studies course, which is being offered for the first time ever this summer, will be volunteering alongside community organizations in Surrey to better understand how homelessness influences the use of public space.

Ethnographic research typically involves immersing oneself in a cultural group or environment different to one’s own in order to develop an objective, in-depth analysis of what that group’s norms, values, and behaviours are. Interest in this particular topic developed from a number of discussions that the course instructor, Dr. Jason Ramsey, had with students over the course of several years. He was especially inspired by a talk he had while teaching a class called The Anthropology of Dirt and Disorder.

“One of the things we looked at is decay and dealing with areas of ruination,” he says. “Multiple students mentioned this place called Whalley … [and] the way that they described it to me, what I ended up imagining was just this sort of abject no-man’s land—the surface of the moon, barren—that had sort of been forsaken for a long time by ‘respectable communities.’”

Ramsey has spent the last few months building relationships and volunteering at a number of different organizations in the area in order to get the course off the ground. He says that it is the first time he has performed research with students this way, and that the whole project is “a new experience” for him.

Helen Wong, a second year student who is interested in majoring in sociology, says that what interested her about the course was that it “wasn’t going to be in the classroom.”

“I’m really interested in why society works like that, why [homelessness] happens,” she says.

This summer, Wong will be volunteering at the Surrey Urban Mission, one of three organizations students will partner with through the course. The other two organizations are the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and a Nigerian restaurant located along 135a Street.

Students will participate in activities regularly performed by the organizations such as serving and preparing food, cleaning, and partaking in cultural events. By involving themselves in this way, they can help generate deeper insight into how the organizations function and how homelessness impacts them.

Ramsey hopes that, by disseminating information about the ways that homeless people create their own cultural worlds, his students will help challenge common stereotypes about living on the streets in places like Whalley.

“It really is nothing like the very simplistic impression that I had,” he admits.

In addition, Ramsey hopes that the research will inform future decisions made by the city or the province regarding how it treats homeless communities.

Multi-Faith Centre Welcomes Two New Chaplains

Mirahmadi and Reiners are the newest providers of spiritual services to KPU students

Braden Klassen | Staff Writer Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s multifaith centre has expanded its services to students by recently inviting two new chaplains to join the team.

Even though Shaykh Nurjan Mirahmadi and Pastor Christoph Reiners have only been a part of the Multi-Faith Centre for a few weeks, both chaplains say they are excited to start offering guidance to students as they navigate their spiritual journeys.

Shaykh Nurjan Mirahmadi is an Imam and scholar of his own iteration of Classical Islam.

He has a large following on several social media sites such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Vimeo, and Soundcloud, platforms which Mirahmadi believes are essential for reaching out to younger people.

“A lot of older people are set in their ways, and they’re not interested. And any type of change—it’s the young people who are not set,” he says. “They want something dynamic, they want something spiritual and they want something energetic.”

Mirahmadi has travelled around the world to study Islam and learn from different communities. He’s visited countries like Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Singapore, Russia, and Thailand under the guidance of Shaykh Hisham Kabbani, a prolific scholar of Islam and the founder of the Islamic Supreme Council of America.

Mirahmadi spent part of his childhood in Los Angeles, which he says influenced his own approach to Classical Islam, his spiritual beliefs, and his style of teaching.

“I’m familiar with Los Angeles and all the temptations of Los Angeles, and the materialism. I’ve seen it all, and there’s an emptiness which many people have,” he says. “A lot of depression can come from the inner core of the being, thinking ‘What is this life about?

We’re just supposed to come here and buy things and go to the grave? There’s nothing else?’”

Mirahmadi challenges the materialistic trends of Western culture, which he says are particularly entrenched in Vancouver, where affordability and financial hardship are key concerns for many people.

KPU has not had an official Muslim Imam on campus before, even though there is a large Muslim population at the school. Mirahmadi also teaches at various community centres around the Metro Vancouver area and works with the Naqshbandiyya Nazimiyya Center in downtown Vancouver.

“Vancouver touched my heart because of the diversity,” says Mirahmadi. “There are so many different people and there’s a willingness to try things and express things.”

Pastor Christoph Reiners, who emigrated from Germany in 1992, has been serving congregations for decades. He has been an advocate for the homeless populations in the Lower Mainland and even found himself at the centre of debate in Abbotsford when members of the city council wanted to stop his congregation from handing out food to the homeless in a local park.

Reiners has kept his focus on supporting and advocating for the homeless in Richmond, where a new modular housing project

is being developed. He also thinks it’s important to reach out to the LGBTQ+ community at KPU, and to challenge the idea that having faith and identifying as LGBTQ+ are incompatible.

“I know people in my church who identify as LGBTQ, and being Christian or being a person of faith and identifying as LGBTQ is not a contradiction,” he says. “That’s another place I’d like to connect with students.”

Students can reach out to any of the chaplains at the Multi-Faith Centre by dropping by their offices in the Fir building or by emailing any of the chaplains if they’d prefer to meet them elsewhere.

New KPU Multi-Faith Centre chaplain Nurjan Mirahmadi. (Braden Klassen)

Strong Women Paved the Way to Graduation for KPU Student Rimi Afroze She spoke at convocation as a mother, graduate, immigrant, and mature student

Kristine Hui | Contributor For recent KPU graduate Rimi Afroze, taking part in spring convocation signified “a triumph for many girls and women who still think that they are lesser than men.”

In her home country, which she chose to leave unnamed, Afroze faced ostracism and misogyny as she pursued her education. She recalls being escorted to school every day by her mother, who carried a bottle of pepper spray and a pocket knife in her purse for protection.

In many ways, Afroze’s educational journey is defined by these acts of maternal love and sacrifice. Her biological mother was ill when she gave birth to her, so her mother’s best friend promised to care for her daughter.

When she eventually recovered, Afroze was left with two mother figures in her life. Now she thanks them for helping her to get where she is today.

Afroze graduated with honours from National University in 1997 as the top student in her country. Her family immigrated to Canada soon after due to harassment and the desire to make a better life for themselves.

Despite this, Afroze is steadfast in her belief that the fight for equality is not against a spe-

cific country or religion, but ignorance bred by society as a whole.

“It is the mind of the people that needs to be cleared up,” says Afroze. “You can’t sustain a civilization if you don’t let women lead, if you don’t let women be educated.”

During her second year of medical school at the University of Pittsburgh, Afroze became pregnant and unexpectedly gave birth three months before her due date. Her premature daughter underwent four surgeries to repair her heart and intestines. Doctors warned Afroze that, even if she survived, there was a 90 per cent chance that she would suffer from a mental or physical disability.

With that in mind, Afroze voluntarily withdrew from medical school and used her education in the health sciences to care for her daughter. Today, she’s a “perfectly beautiful, brilliant 12 year-old who raises money for BC Children’s Hospital every year,” according to her mother.

It would take Afroze 10 years to return to school.

“I was afraid of going back to an undergraduate classroom,” she says. In particular, she feared sitting with students who were fresh out high school while she was in her mid-30s.

Still, she enrolled and remained a diligent student in the face of adversity. When other students made her feel insecure about her age, she turned to a professor at KPU who also earned her degree later in her life: Dr. Karen Davison.

With Davison as her mentor, Afroze worked as a research coordinator in the department of biology. She also started the health sciences club which, with 170 members, is currently one of the largest clubs on campus.

This spring, she became the first student to graduate with a Bachelor of Health Sciences degree from KPU. She hopes to complete a PhD in epidemiology or infectious disease, with the goal of one day working with underprivileged women and children around the world.

“You have to be kind,” she says. “You have to accept people [for whoever they are]. You have to forget about being so greedy and clinging to your own needs and your own selfishness. This is the only way you can truly be successful and be truly proud of your accomplishments.”

CULTURE

7

Midsummer Shakespeare Performance Springs to Life in Surrey

Slumber Here is an interactive interpretation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream that turns the Bard on his head Braden Klassen | Staff Writer If the combination of Renaissance fair-style roleplay, classical theatre, and scavenger hunting sounds intriguing to you, then the Surrey Arts Centre’s presentation of Slumber Here is an experience you shouldn’t miss.

The production is an interactive, chooseyour-own-adventure-style take on Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream where the audience is encouraged to take on the roles of the play’s protagonists.

Slumber Here was brought to Surrey by playwrights Farilith Harvey, Ryan Caron, Chelsea Stuyt, and Andrew Lynch. It was written to cater to fans of both Shakespeare and narrative-driven games like Skyrim and Fallout. Originally, Slumber Here ran as part of the Vancouver Fringe Festival last fall, so moving the show to the much larger venue of Bear Creek Park changed its dynamic.

“We were invited by the Surrey Arts Centre and their arts programming to remount the piece here, and we were really thrilled to expand the show into this beautiful park,” says Ryan Caron, the co-artistic director of the theatrical company, The Geekenders.

According to Caron, running the show during Fringe helped make it what it is now.

For the team working on it, he says that it was a fun challenge to move it to the idyllic gardens of Bear Creek Park.

"It’s a much more sprawling venue,” he says. “Being here in midsummer is a really magical part of this remount.”

“We’re so happy to be here,” adds director Fairlith Harvey. “It’s so inspiring and affirming to us that people are connecting to our work. Our goal is to make our audience feel warm and welcomed, as if they are receiving applause.”

Harvey, whom the other directors referred to as “The Queen Nerd”, is credited with being the main advocate for applying the choice-centric story structures of video games to theatre, a trend which she says is “very in vogue right now.” In order to achieve this, the directors aimed to encourage both the performers and audience members alike to role-play through the performance.

“You might have a rough structure of what’s happening, but for the most part you just make it up as you go along,” explains director Chelsey Stuyt. “The point is to create something unique and ephemeral that only exists in the moment because of the people that are in the room. A combination of the actors and audience.”

As the general manager of Instant Theatre in Vancouver, Stuyt is well-versed in the practice of long-form improv.

“There’s an actual risk of failure,” she says. “The audience felt they were invested because they could fail. It wasn’t a linear rail-

Five actors portraying the mischievious Puck deliver the final soliloquy of Slumber Here. (Photo: Braden Klassen. Costume design: Shayan Naziripour) road track, and if they didn’t do the quests, and if they didn’t commit, the ending would change.”

During the hour and fifteen minutes I spent in the park for Slumber Here, I found a piece of Calliban’s heart to set him free from golden chains, aided Peasblossom the fairy in getting her voice back with the help of Francis Flute,

stole a teardrop from the fairy Queen Titania for use in a spell, had a pillow fight with Puck and his posse of fey hooligans, and “married” a complete stranger.

The directors of the production all agree that, if given the chance, they would definitely like to run Slumber Here in the future.

Surrey-Based Filmmaker’s New Movie Isn’t Your Typical Gangster Flick

Rather than stereotyping or glamorizing Surrey youth, Monster will focus on the human side of gang violence Lincoln Saugstad | Contributor Inderveer Sodhi, a 20-year-old director and music composer from Surrey, is set to begin work his first feature film in a few months. The film, Monster, will follow a night in the lives of several Surrey teenagers who find themselves caught up in the world of crime and gang violence after finishing high school.

Sodhi became passionate about film after creating a series of short videos for an album he produced in high school. After realizing that “visuals are a very strong part of [his] art,” he decided to pursue directing.

Whereas many movies “glamourize crime and the abuse involved in these issues,” Sodhi says that he wanted create a film that “really focuses on the personal side of these characters.”

“I was building the story in my head for a long, long time … getting a lot of influence, a lot of inspiration and ideas,” he says. “Finally, in March, I sat down and wrote the whole script in about a week.”

On top of directing and writing, Sodhi will also be acting in, composing, and producing the film.

“I have three goals: One of them is to get [the movie] into a film festival, to bring this story that is sort of nook-and-cranny in this small city of Surrey … on an international level,” he says. “I [also] think it’s really important for it to be played in schools because it’s a pressing issue that starts in high school and goes on from there …. The other thing is to distribute it to get the film played in theatres, so

the masses can watch it.”

Ivon Shiva, a fourth year psychology and criminology student at KPU, will be taking on the role of the villain, Gary.

“I got involved in the film because I actually knew Inderveer. He’s a good friend of mine,” he says. “I’ve always loved acting as a kid. I’ve always wanted to have a role in any type of film, so it’s a blessing to get.”

Shiva says that, while Sodhi specifically pitched him the role because he thought he was well-suited for the part, Gary’s personality is radically different from his own.

“He sees other people’s miseries and gets strength off that,” says Shiva. “Many people know me just as this social, humble person, but I got to really tell myself that’s wrong.”

Sodhi adds that the film focuses on broad themes such as parenthood, religion, school, and bullying in society. Specifically, it examines how these components interact to “create the monster you see in the news” as a depiction of youth in Surrey.

One of his highest hopes for Monster is that it will challenge the viewer to question how they label youth in Surrey. Rather than reinforcing toxic stereotypes, he hopes that it will “create empathy.”

“My main inspiration for the film came actually from the relationship with my mom,” he says.

“I always think about what is going through the heads of their parents and how they are feeling.”

Filming is to begin in September with the film to be released next fall.

Promotional art for Inderveer Sodhi's film, Monster. (Submitted)

8

FEATURE

Big City Blues New study from UBC and McGill finds that, "as cities get larger, they get less happy" Ashley Hyshka | Community Reporter

Vancouver is consistently ranked one of the most livable cities in the world. With its mild climate, breathtaking scenery, and quality of education and healthcare, it’s not hard to understand why.

Yet recent research has found that we’re also one of the most miserable cities in Canada.

A study entitled How Happy Are Your Neighbours? by experts from UBC and McGill sheds light on the varying happiness levels across Canadian communities. According to the study, people who live in large cities are generally less happy than those who live in rural communities. Those in Vancouver and Toronto, two of the nation’s biggest cities, are the unhappiest of all.

The study found that people in big cities are generally unhappier due to the pressures of living with pricy housing markets, longer commutes, higher population densities, and a perceived lack of community. While researchers can not definitively say that the these factors are the direct causes of unhappiness in Vancouver and Toronto, their preliminary data does seem to point to that.

How Happy Are Your Neighbours?

The study utilizes data from Statistics Canada, primarily collected between 2009 and 2013, to analyze life satisfaction levels among 1,215 different geographic communities across Canada. Toronto and Vancouver were nearly tied for the bottom spot out of 33 Census Metropolitan Areas for life satisfaction, with a score of 7.81 and 7.8 respectively.

How Happy Are Your Neighbours? is based on information gathered from about 400,000 respondents, 30,000 of whom were in Vancouver. These statistics determined Greater Vancouver’s poor rating, though the areas within cities can have fluctuating happiness levels.

For example, White Rock is one of the happiest regions of Greater Vancouver, whereas Whalley is one of the unhappiest.

Hugh Shiplett, PhD student at UBC’s Vancouver School of Economics and co-author of the study, says that, “as cities get larger, they get less happy.”

He hopes that the study will help Canadians consider how happy they are in their city, and would like to see lawmakers use the data to fuel happiness-related policies that are beneficial to the population.

Size Does Matter While the exact reason behind it is unclear, the study did find that Canadians living in small-

er communities lead comparatively happy lives.

“We found life to indeed be less happy in the cities,” reads the study. “This was despite higher incomes, lower unemployment rates, and higher education in the urban areas.”

“Urban areas,” in this case, are defined as having a population count of 50,000 or greater in the city core. The Greater Toronto Area has approximately 6.5 million inhabitants, and Greater Vancouver has a population of about 2.5 million.

For Isabelle Duchaine, a young professional living in downtown Toronto, these results aren’t surprising. She says that the high cost of living in Toronto and Vancouver provokes “anxiety and uncertainty” for people living there.

She adds that “the sheer mass of humanity” in these cities can be very overwhelming, especially for newcomers. Duchaine has lived in the medium-sized cities of Kingston and Ottawa and the small town of Brighton, and says that her experience with each was quite different from her time in Toronto.

KPU psychology instructor Jocelyn Lymburner says that many people living in Vancouver become trapped in a negative cycle due to unaffordability in the city. “[If you] can’t afford a house and therefore you have to live in Abbotsford, then you’re spending an extra three hours in the car,” she says. “You’re not seeing your family members, and you don’t have any time to do the things you like to be doing.”

The happiest communities in Canada have shorter commute times, lower population densities, and have members who spend 30 per cent or less of their income on housing, “all of which are features of rural rather than urban life,” according to the study.

The study also revealed that, in rural communities, residents benefit from stronger social ties, less competition for resources, and more opportunities to own a home.

“It’s a very different life,” says Lymburner.

Transit Headaches According to a Daily Hive article, Vancouver is Canada’s best city for commuting on public transit. However, it’s also the worst city to drive in due to reported congestion levels, fuel and parking costs, road accidents and fatalities, and the frequency of road rage.

“People in Toronto spend an average of 96 minutes in journey time and spend 47 hours in congestion,” reads the article. In Vancouver, those figures change to “an average time of 77 minutes spent travelling to and from work … and an average [of] 29 hours spent in congestion.”

Surrey-based entrepreneur Koralee Pearson has lived in Greater Vancouver for 30 years and describes her experience here as “fine.” While she and her family appreciate being able to take advantage of all of the opportunities a large city offers, the congestion in the city has long been a concern of theirs. The Pearson family owns three vehicles, as each of the four members have individual schedules and commutes.

“It’s hard,” says Pearson, regarding her commute to and from Richmond during evening rush hour. “If anything happens on the Alex Fraser or any of those tributaries—you’re done.”

The Impact of the Rental Market According an article in The Huffington Post posted in May, the average monthly rent for one bedroom and two-bedroom apartments in Vancouver is $2,000 and $3,150 respectively, making it the most expensive Canadian city to rent them in. Toronto came second overall with one and two-bedrooms renting for $1,970 and $2,500.

The housing woes don’t stop there. The Canadian Real Estate Association reported that the average cost of a home in Greater Vancouver in May 2018 was $1,094,000, whereas Greater Toronto’s price tag came out at $772,400 for the same period. According to Douglas Todd, writing for The Vancouver Sun, paying for housing in Metro Vancouver consumes 85 per cent of a typical household income.

“That compares to 78 per cent in Toronto, 22 per cent in average Canadian urban centres and six per cent in the hinterlands,” he wrote.

Immigrants in the City The share of the population that identifies as foreign-born is 22 per cent in urban areas and only six per cent in rural communities, according to the study. In Vancouver, that number jumps to 45 per cent.

“Immigrants often choose to move to cities, and generally the largest and least happy of cities,” the study reports. Lymburner adds that the pressure to compete for personal and financial success in Vancouver can be detrimental for those starting a new life in the country.

However, Shiplett asserts that, “in general, immigrants to Canada—regardless of where they come from—do achieve near the level of happiness of a native-born in Canada.”

He adds that it’s “highly plausible” that immigrants may score lower on the happiness scale because they’re newcomers to the area

and lack the community ties and relationships of long-time locals.

Lacking a Sense of Community For the researchers, the main takeaway from the study is that happiness is strongly intertwined with a personal sense of belonging and community.

“The sense of belonging is something that showed up very strongly in our results,” says Shiplett. “[There are] very strong correlations between the sense of belonging to the local community and happiness.”

Lymburner says that people need friends they can rely on, talk to, and spend time with in order to be happy, but that forming these social bonds is more difficult in a large city.

“Loneliness is a massive predictor of depression and anxiety,” she adds.

Young people often move to the big city to attend university or pursue a new career, but in doing so, they leave behind family, friends, and other established social connections. According to Duchaine, many people struggle to make new friends during this isolating process.

“People don’t really stop to smell the roses or chit chat,” she says. “You don’t know your neighbours very well.”

One contributing factor that Pearson suspects also affects happiness is the focus on social media rather than face-to-face interaction.

“When you’re on the SkyTrain or wherever, and you look around, everybody’s down on their phones. That becomes ritual over time,” she explains. “Nobody’s friendly anymore.”

Hope on the Horizon Despite the results of the study, there is hope for people seeking happiness in Vancouver and Toronto. However, it’s largely up to them to attain it.

Lymburner recommends talking to employers about flexibility in work hours, taking a break from your smartphone, and making a conscious effort to reach out to others to foster a greater sense of fulfillment. Volunteering and doing charitable work can also be positive influencers.

Vancouver is frequently lauded for its beautiful landscape and proximity to the mountains and ocean. Being outside, embracing nature, and exploring one’s community are also suggestions made by Lymburner.

Pearson adds, “with community, conversations, friendships and trust … that’s part of our DNA. We need that to really blossom.”

(Nicola Kwit)

STUDENT SNAPSHOT

KPU Staff Nivi Samra dances amid students and volunteers during KPU’s Canada Day Celebration in the Surrey Campus courtyard.

(Kristen Frier)

Ashton Schafer (left) DJs while students (right) dodge out of the way of a falling oversized Jenga tower.

(Braden Klassen)

Musician Tayfun SĂśzer enjoys the sunshine and grooves out on campus while students celebrate Canada Day. (Kristen Frier)

David Piraquive, Nivi Samra and Waheed Taiwo pose for a photo while taking a break from facilitating the Canada Day celebration at KPU Surrey.

(Braden Klassen)

Student teams deliberate on their next move while playing with a giant chess set in the Surrey courtyard.

(Braden Klassen)

OPINION

11

(Nicola Kwit)

The Runner Debates: The Ethics Behind 13 Reasons Why The show can be a catalyst for social change Ashley Hyshka | Community Reporter Warning: this article discusses potentially triggering topics such as suicide and rape.

Few shows are as polarizing as Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why, which depicts the aftermath of high schooler Hannah Baker’s suicide. In the show, Hannah uses 13 audio-cassette tapes to reveal the reasons why she took her own life one by one .

Simply put, people either love the show or despise it.

I understand the apprehension towards 13 Reasons Why. One criticism is that it promotes suicide by portraying lead protagonist Hannah as a romantic but tragic figure. The show has also been accused of being triggering for impressionable teenagers or people battling mental illness.

Last year, for example, CBS News reported that two teenage girls in California committed suicide after watching the series. Each episode now airs a disclaimer because of their mature subject matter.

People can choose to watch 13 Reasons Why or not, just as they can choose whether or not they will ignore the warning signs of loved ones in emotional distress. For those who do watch the show, there is an important lesson to be learned from it.

People with severe mental illnesses may not possess the emotional or psychological wherewithal to seek treatment. Because of this, we must personally pay attention to the actions of our loved ones—especially if they’re expressing warning signs of severe mental illness or suicidal ideation—and not blame a television show for their actions. Don’t wait until your loved one is dead to consider their well-being.

Intervene while you still have the chance.

Instead of scapegoating a television show, people should realize that suicide happens due to underlying mental health crises.

Writing for The National Post, Sharon Kirkey argues that, “when someone is in the grip of

severe depression and unbearable mental anguish, suicide can almost seem like a logical decision.” Despite this, people shouldn’t be afraid to discuss suicide with someone who is struggling because they’re concerned with implanting the idea in their mind. Reaching out shows that someone loves them and is willing to listen.

Personally, I was appalled by the outrage expressed towards the season two finale “Bye”, in which high schooler Tyler is raped by jock Monty. Everyone from social media users to the Parents Television Council were livid because the show depicted a scene that many said was “horrifying.”

As I read online comment threads, my blood began to boil. Why was I so angry?

Because everybody missed the point.

You want to know what’s worse than viewing a sexual assault on television? It’s being sexually assaulted in real life. The only difference is that real victims can’t turn off their television and pretend it’s not real.

Scenes like those which illustrate Hannah’s rape and subsequent suicide, or issues like school shootings and bullying, aren’t just fictional storylines in a Netflix show. They are mirror images of the world we live in.

No amount of changing the channel or petitioning for the show to be cancelled will change that.

Instead of finding faults with 13 Reasons Why, use the show to discuss social issues many of us are reluctant to openly talk about. With the recent suicides of designer Kate Spade, celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, and countless public shootings in the United States, these dialogues are more important now than ever before.

Mental illness has personally affected my life and the lives of my friends and loved ones. I know the stranglehold it has on its sufferers. It’s time that we change how it is perceived in society, and openly discussing it is the first step.

The problem isn’t the trigger warning; it’s the whole damn show

Aly Laube | Editor in Chief Warning: this article discusses potentially triggering topics such as suicide and rape.

As someone who has seen the devestation that follows a loved one's suicide, I can confidently say that the now-infamous rape scene in 13 Reasons Why isn’t the bane of the production. That would be the show’s entire underlying message, the consistent whisper into the viewer’s ear that eventually sticks and says: “Suicides are caused by bad people.”

Every scene screams that Hannah Baker never would have killed herself if kids were just kinder. That's a problem with more serious implications than the careless depiction of a triggering scene on television.

Whether you’re mentally well or not, the people in your life can upset you, hurt you, and damage you. If you have a mental illness, coping with abuse perpetrated against you becomes exponentially harder, and in extreme cases, a person may not be able to make safe decisions for themselves, or may be trapped in a situation where they’re incapable of reaching out for help.

But Hannah Baker wasn’t that person.

She was a high school student who had unfair things happen to her and then made the conscious decision to elaborately guilt trip her classmates for it. Her choices caused them to be the subjects of considerable abuse and made it impossible for anyone in her life to properly grieve her loss. I have difficulty understanding how this could be anything but an insulting and dangerous narrative.

Hannah Baker isn’t a person; she’s a symbol. Every teenage outcast who has been bullied, sexually harassed, abandoned, and shamed will feel a twinge of empathy for Hannah. If I had seen the show when I was younger and more vul-

nerable, I may have felt the urge to follow in her footsteps too, lured in by her tragic beauty and sarcastic sense of humor.

That genuinely frightens me, and it makes me angry at the team who wrote the show with no regard for the impact they could have on teens who actually struggle with serious mental health issues. Not the neatly-packaged Hannah Bakers of the world, but the real kids who can’t see any hope in their future and don’t yet know how to productively cope with their illnesses.

Research conducted by JAMA Internal Medicine tracked Google searches for topics related to suicide around the premiere of 13 Reasons Why and found that the rates rose by almost 20 per cent in the first 19 days. That’s between 900,000 and 1.5 million more searches on the site than average. Two families in California claim that their teenage daughters watched the show days before taking their lives. Two teenage girls in Australia were found attempting suicide at their school, and many of their peers suggested that they had been inspired to do so by the show. Suicide threats and self-harm increased at a Florida school in response to the program according to a superintendent there.

The examples don’t stop there, and surely there will be more. This is despite the fact that Netflix claims the show is a catalyst for conversation, and has made promises to remove the suicide scene, provide more trigger warnings, and show a list of suicide hotline numbers during each episode.

It seems to me that the people benefitting from this “catalyst for conversation” are the people who don’t have serious mental illnesses. These people think that they can get a look inside the ugly heart of mental illness by watching a Netflix show. Anyone who has seen what suicide actually looks like knows that it’s too scary and unpredictable to be nicely summarized into 13 cassette tapes.

12

OPINION

Five Chill Ways to Keep Cool at School this Summer

Keep these tips in mind

for your commute to class Daniella Javier | Contributor If you’re stuck commuting to KPU this summer, I’m so sorry.

All jokes aside, you better be prepared to endure the heat wave that will accompany you to campus over the next few months.

This summer is expected to be one of the hottest ones on record, so here are just a few ways to help you beat the heat during the sweltering summer semester.

Watch a chill movie. When it’s 30 degrees outside and you’re itching to escape the hot weather, why not put on a movie that’ll make you feel cool? When I went to see The Finest Hours in theatres, I actually felt really chilled just looking at the high waves of water rushing past the small boat on screen.

Okay, the air-conditioned room was probably a factor, but that’s not my point.

If you put on a movie that shows snow, ice, or some sort of crazy winter storm, it’ll ease your mind. Heck, you might as well watch Titanic. Just remember to keep some tissues with you for when Rose lets go of Jack.

Be wise with your wardrobe. At risk of sounding like my mom, the best type of material to wear on a warm day is cotton.

You can never go wrong with wearing cotton clothing because it allows your skin to breath. The polyester dress looks prettier, but cotton is the better option for beating the heat. Not feeling the 100 per cent cotton idea? Wear a romper. Boom, problem solved.

Relax by the Surrey Main water fountain. We can’t all be lounging beachside in an all-inclusive resort, but there's always the fountain in front of Surrey Main.

Throughout the five and a half years I attended KPU, I’ve never tried dipping my feet into the fountain. I’ll leave that task for you, but attempt it at your own risk.

Freeze your water before you commute. Whether you’ll be taking transit or driving your own car to campus, you should keep yourself hydrated in the heat. The best way to do that is to drink a lot of water.

However, when you take water with you on the go, it can get warm. To avoid that, fill it up and leave it in the freezer for a bit before you go to class.

When I went to Disneyland a few years ago, my mom froze our water bottles to keep them cold. We got weird looks, but we were one step ahead of those judgemental park-goers by keeping ourselves hydrated.

You may end up finishing the water before your class even starts, but at least you’ll still have one ice-cold bottle on hand.

Whatever you do to keep yourself cool on campus, may the odds be ever in your favour.

Surrey Community Alliance Proposes the Creation of a New Police Force While authoritative action against gang violence is important, youth resources matter more Daniella Javier | Contributor According to an article in The Vancouver Sun, Doug Elford, a city council hopeful and president of Surrey Community Alliance, wants the City of Surrey to create a municipal police force to diminish local gang violence. In response to the recent targeted shooting of two teenagers—16-year-old Jaskarn Singh Jhutty and 17-year-old Jaskaran Singh Bhangal—the alliance wants to make sure that the community doesn’t lose any more kids the same way.

Elford says there should be a “boots-on-theground” approach to policing the city that will make officers more visible. Rather than hiring more police, he suggests that they should be

deployed more efficiently.

Still, this change in deployment may not adequately solve the problem.

While a new force sounds promising for a city that has been plagued by gang activity for decades, it’s not enough to require officers to be visible for locals. As Tom Gill, a Surrey councillor with Surrey First and a candidate for mayor, told The Vancouver Sun, ending gang violence is more complicated than placing more police on the street. There is much more that needs to be done before a new municipal force comes into the picture.

If Surrey really wants to address the root of the problem, one of the things that they need to do is educate their youth. As argued by CMP

Surrey RCMP cruisers parked outside the District 3 station in Newton. (Braden Klassen)

Corporal Elenore Sturko in an article by The Surrey-Now Leader, kids need to know the reality of what it’s like to be involved in gangs.

She also said that Shattering the Image, a presentation about this subject made to youth in elementary schools, is one of the long-term strategies that will help keep kids safe.

SFU criminologist Evan McCuish told the CBC that 90 per cent of gang-affiliated youth committing serious crimes drop out of school or are expelled. This means that the city will need to connect with them before they get to high school. Fortunately, Wake Up Surrey has plans to unveil a “one year action plan” and launch three summer programs meant to draw youth away from crime, according to an article in The Surrey-Now Leader. This seems to be a much more efficient approach to slowing gang violence in Surrey.

While I understand why the Surrey Community Alliance wants a municipal force, it would come with added costs. In fact, hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars have gone towards addressing the issue already.

Hopefully, the government will work efficiently with the authorities to come up with helpful resources. If that money were spent on programs such as behavioral courses to change the perception and attitudes of people who affiliate themselves with gangs, we would likely start to see more productive change.

In the long run, every member of the community should be involved in tackling gang violence. Rather than leaving it up to the police, let’s hope that everyone who cares about the safety of Surrey citizens does their part.

I’m Leaving the Nest to Bike Across Canada As an amateur cyclist, travelling cross-country is an exciting but daunting adventure Kristine Hui | Contributor Every year for the last six years, I’ve asked myself if I would ever achieve my dream of biking across Canada. Now, I’m finally getting ready to begin the seven-week trip that will take me to the opposite side of the country alongside 19 other riders.

When I think about the 7,550-kilometre journey ahead of me, my palms start to sweat and anxiety overwhelms me. Over the past few

In preparation for her trip across Canada, Kristine Hui spent Victoria Day cycling through Burns Bog. (Kristine Hui)

weeks I’ve woken up in the middle of the night from stomach pains—something that only happens when I am extremely stressed.

I signed up for this trip in December and did so secretly because I knew that nobody in my family would approve. In previous years, when I had floated the idea by them, my parents were adamant that I stay home. They liked to remind me that I could very well get hit by a car and die.

After a couple of years of trying to get their stamp of approval I had a revelation of sorts; I didn’t need their approval to go.

When I did tell my parents, I did so after paying the non-refundable trip fees. Unsurprisingly, they tried to convince me to drop out, but six years of waiting and wondering had only solidified my intentions to go.

In my parents’ defence, I am not a cyclist.

I don’t consider myself an athlete either. The very idea of people paying to go to the gym is baffling to me. Paying to exercise is the same as paying to suffer—why would anyone want to do that?

My reasons for cycling across Canada are entirely unrelated to exercising or staying fit. I just want to see my country in its most natural form. If I went by bus, I’d be stuck in a metal box insulated from the sights and sounds of Canada. I’d probably fall asleep and miss seeing things too.

On a bike you can feel each bump in the road.

You can feel the agony of every uphill climb and the delight of every downhill ride. I want to have the most immersive experience possible, as this will be the first time I travel anywhere in Canada that’s not British Columbia.

I learned to ride a bicycle when I was about seven or eight years old. After that, I did not ride until about two months ago, when I purchased my current bike. Since then, I’ve learned how to shift gears, ride with “clip-in” pedals, ride while eating and drinking, and ride without using my hands.

The trip is planned by the non-profit organization, Tour du Canada, which has organized this annual cross-Canada ride since 1988. When I signed up for the trip, I received a booklet from Tour du Canada on how to prepare for it. I am supposed to have logged a minimum of 2,000 practice kilometres before the trip begins.

Our group of riders assembled at the University of British Columbia on June 20, and our first riding day fell on June 22.

On the Tour du Canada website, it’s written that over 98 per cent of participants are able to complete this trip. While I am anxious, I’m also optimistic about my chances of making it all the way to St. John’s, Newfoundland on August 31. Here’s looking at you, Canada!

The Runner will publish additional articles from Kristine as she makes her way across the country.

OPINION

13

Social Media Helps Breathe New Life Into Old Artforms “Instagram poets” like Rupi Kaur are keeping poetry relevant in the digital age Katie Czenczek | Contributor You’ve probably seen them on your feed as you’ve scrolled through various slime videos and Jeff Goldblum appreciation posts. Instapoets—who, as you might guess, are poets whose fan bases are bolstered mainly through the app Instagram—are becoming increasing-

ly prevalent.

Celebrities have quoted them, their works have become bestsellers, and almost every social media-savvy person nowadays knows who Rupi Kaur is. In her style, insightful tidbits hide inside of minimalistic sketches, and the popularity of her work has been making waves in the literary world.

(Nicola Kwit)

As with most trends that challenge traditional art mediums, poetry published on social media has developed a bad rep. First, there’s no need to describe poetry found on social media as anything else but poetry, and the fact that Instapoets have been put into a different category than print poets is ludicrous. It should be the content that defines a person’s work, not the platform.

I can respect the argument that creating work that panders directly to specific audiences can lead to unoriginal, disingenuous ideas that may not reflect the writer’s true vision. I understand the concern that Instagram poetry can be considered the junk food of poetry.

With that being said, Kaur’s work is still allowing people to regain interest in a dying medium that might otherwise be perceived as pretentious or inaccessible. It gives people a chance to appreciate poetry rather than fear it.

And if it leads even one person to be inspired, then I think that it’s a wonderful thing.

Instagram also gives writers a chance to cash in. Making money while trying to be a writer full-time is no easy task, and Instagram’s popularity and user-friendly interface makes it easy for them to get publishers’ attention. It’s hard to convince a publishing company to prioritize your work out of the countless stacks of submissions they go

through, and having a pre-existing following online makes it easier to prove that you deserve to be picked up.

I struggle to see the reasoning behind supporting print or classic poetry for the sake of its age or reputation. Critics probably read Shakespeare’s sonnets and decided that Homer’s work was more profound in the same way that Rupi Kaur and other Instapoets are being criticized today. Call it cultural conditioning, but it seems like every time a new artist comes around and mixes things up, they’re criticized heavily and compared to the artists who have come before them.

Instagram provides a platform for every poet’s voice to be heard. Who gains notoriety through it is up to the masses. Rather than having gatekeepers decide whose content is worthy and whose is not, writers have full reign over their own words on social media, which allows underdogs in Canadian literature to be appreciated.

Whether you love or hate poetry published on social media, there’s no denying that the writers on it have sparked a revival in the written form. Rather than grabbing pitchforks and declaring Instapoets the enemy, maybe it’s time to encourage the artists who have managed get people interested in poetry again.

It’s All Greek To Me: The Future of Frats at KPU Student housing might not be too far away, so let’s imagine our very own fraternities and sororities Braden Klassen | Staff Writer And, with on-campus student housing getting closer and closer to becoming a reality at many universities across B.C., Greek life could one day descend upon KPU. While it’s super unlikely that our university will allow fraternities or sororities, it might be fun to see what they would look like if they did exist at our school. Here are a few speculations: Omega Kappa Sigma - ΩΚΣ

(Yuta Anonuevo) Fraternities and sororities are formal, clublike groups of students who are looking to network socially, engage in community service, and throw legendary parties.

Once you have pledged to your chosen frat or sorority house, you have committed to attend and promote house events and initiatives and to support members of other houses and your own. In return, students can expect to receive mentorship from senior members, career networking advantages after graduation, a sense of community and belonging, and chances to

do fun, crazy shit with people they may or may not be forced to be friends with.

However, many students understand that there’s often a darker side to Greek life.

During rush in September, when frats seek out new pledges, they use hazing as a way to selectively reject pledges by putting them through a series of humiliating and sometimes painful initiation trials.

In the States, there have been several instances where pledges were hospitalized or even killed in the process of being hazed.

This is the most popular frat among business students because the house is located by Surrey Central, near KPU Civic Plaza. Omega Kappa Sigma’s most well-known tradition is forcing all new pledges to wear a necktie for the entire first month of their initiation. Pledges are forbidden from washing the tie or taking it off, even to shower. At the end of the month, if they succeed in their initiation, the pledges can take their stanky ties off and hang them up in one of the upstairs rooms of the house.

The tie of every past frat brother hangs in there; some of them have been there for decades.

It’s pretty gross. Nobody really goes in that room.

Delta Delta Delta - ΔΔΔ Delta is KPU’s only co-ed frat house.

Despite the insistent nature of the frat’s name, their house is actually located in Sunshine Hills. Historically, this discrepancy has been the cause of confusion for new pledges who are unfamiliar with the area—confusion

that the other frats regularly exploit by telling new students that the Triangle House is actually located on the east side of Ladner.

Pledges have to swear an oath of fealty to triangles and are required to pass an intermediate-level trigonometry exam to even be considered for recruitment. If they pass the test, pledges are then forced to eat several pounds of day-old Sodexo fries while reciting the oath over and over again. Condiments are strictly forbidden.

Members get free admission to the Delta Golf Club though, so that’s pretty cool.

Theta Beta Zeta – ΘBZ Nobody cares about Theta Beta Zeta.

I think their house is located somewhere in Richmond? I really don’t know.

Alpha Chi - AX Alpha Chi’s house is the only fraternity in Cloverdale, making it the most popular house among KPU trades and tech students. They host super competitive annual foosball tournaments and are known for sometimes taking things too far with their rodeo after-parties.

Hazing rituals include having to change a tire while drinking a mix of vodka and motor oil, and having to board the campus shuttle at its earliest departure from Langley campus to ride it back and forth between campuses for an entire day without food, water, or bathroom breaks. You’re not allowed to take anything on the bus with you—no phones, laptops, or books. It’s brutal.

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COLUMNS

Going Global: Central America

What are the asylum seekers fleeing from?

Tristan Johnston | Contributor When the knowledge that migrant and asylum-seeking children were being separated from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border was made public, it made headlines for days.

Most North American media focused on the abusive treatment towards these children by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, but little attention has been paid to what these people are fleeing from.

While it’s not on the same level as what’s happening in Syria, the situation in Central America is nearly as violent. The primary source of refugees and asylum seekers to the U.S. have been from the “Northern Triangle” of Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador.

All of these countries are dangerous to live in—according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, Honduras and El Salvador were two of the deadliest countries in the world, with 56 and 82 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, respectively.

As written in U.S. State Department reports from March 2017, these countries have massive security problems. The average citizens there face moderate to extreme poverty, and the only way for most to escape it is to either leave the country or join a gang. These gangs will then groom children, and eventually give them the choice of joining them or dying. Honduras in particular can barely afford to pay its public school teachers, and constant strikes leave many classes cancelled, resulting in even more children being recruited by gangs. UNESCO found that, in 2016, only 31 per cent of Hondurans completed high school.

Homicide rates are also extremely high due to lack of effective deterrents. Police are generally either corrupt or too overencumbered to act, and in 2014 it was estimated that only

five per cent of crimes in Honduras would be investigated.

These nations are caught in a spiral of poverty and violence. At this point, anyone with a modicum of empathy should want to address the underlying problem bringing families to the United States for asylum. People will continue to flood towards the border to escape, as getting stuck in a large cage may not prove as terrifying as the possibility of being murdered by a gang member.

Few foreign investors have any interest in investing in these countries, and you can imagine why. Who would spend $1 million on a factory only for it to either go up in flames, get seized by the military and nationalized, or be left completely abandoned by the populace?

In Guatemala, for instance, low enforcement of intellectual property rights means that starting factories of any sort isn’t appealing.

These countries can not be considered politically stable. Guatemala is still dealing with the aftermath of a civil war that lasted from 1960 to 1996. Honduras had a military coup in 2009. Protests in Nicaragua that started in April are still ongoing, with an estimated 285 already killed in the ensuing violence.

While Venezuela and Colombia still have their share of problems, Colombia has done a fairly decent job at curbing its crime rates, posting a murder rate of 24 per 100,000 in 2016, the lowest since 1974. Much of this can be attributed to political reforms, clever urban planning, and assistance from the U.S. Medellin. The former headquarters of Pablo Escobar's famous drug cartel is in fact safer than many big cities in the U.S. It’s currently estimated that 90 per cent of cocaine in the U.S. is routed through Honduras.

The lack of reliable law enforcement there is likely appealing to traffickers. Cracking down

A member of the armed forces watches a gang-riddled Honduras neighbourhood.

(EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations/Flickr) on gangs in the Northern Triangle is made more difficult by the fact that most gangs lack coherent structure and act independently of one another.

All of this information shows that many of the people running from Central America to the U.S. are asylum seekers, not “economic migrants,” which the country formally recognizes the right to be. Despite what President Trump suggests, there’s nothing illegal about showing up at the U.S. border and asking for help.

The U.S. has slowly become more and more inconsistent with accepting claims from these asylum seekers, and it can’t be attributed to who’s in the White House. In President Bush Junior’s second term, 50 per cent of Venezuelan asylum seekers, about 2,000 of them, were granted status, while only 700 Iraqi refugees were accepted in a similar time period.

While sovereign countries ultimately have the legal right to decide who’s allowed in their borders, acceptance of refugees is both moral and beneficial to host countries if done correctly.

Artist Spotlight: Emma Citrine

Following her collaborative debut, the singer-songwriter is starting fresh as a solo artist Aly Laube | Editor in Chief Emma Citrine’s first album was chaotically diverse, opening with a honky-tonk guitar riff before barrelling into just under a half-hour of alternative rock, blues, and folk. The record, Sad Surprise, was more of a collaboration between her and her friends than a true solo album.

Now, Citrine is preparing to release the first album written and performed entirely by herself: Shadowless, a six-song LP coming out this July.

“A lot of it is a reflection of, mentally, where I’ve been. I wanted to really focus on these stark, almost unflinching depictions of depression and mental illness and addiction in this record,” she says. “Now I’m in a space where I’m releasing this really sparse, pared-down record and I’ve played everything on it, which is the polar opposite of the last one I released.”

The minimalist instrumentation on Shadowless was chosen to better highlight some of these issues close to her. Rather than blanketing the sensitivity of her lyrics in layers of sound, Citrine wants to keep her words “at the forefront” of the LP. She adds that it has been a way for her “to contextualize the complexities” of what she feels, though she still wants the listener to be able to “take the songs and inhabit them in

whatever way they need to.” She also hopes that it “allows for space to be experienced in different ways.”

Each of the six tracks on Shadowless is much longer than anything seen in Sad Surprise.

Listeners can expect to hear “eight-minute songs” and plenty of experimentation on the record—and while there are elements reminiscent of her work with her local duo, Leave—she hasn’t put out any music comparable to what will be released in July.

“I didn’t intend for them to be super long songs but that’s kind of just how they’ve evolved,” she says. “I would see it as more of a narrative, but again, I don’t think it needs to be taken that way if someone else’s natural instinct is to experience it as more of a daydreaming record.”

Generally, Shadowless tells a story about redemption and resolution as someone struggling with self-acceptance, according to Citrine. The “shadow” represents being “overcome with that paralyzing fear that people will see all of the ugly stuff you’re dealing with.”

With the name of the record, she communicates the hope of being free of that shadow.

“I think it would be inaccurate to say I’m no longer in that place of struggle and hardship, even though amazing things are happening,”

Themes of mental illness, addiction, and overcoming hardship are explored through Emma Citrine's first true solo album. (Aly Laube) she says. “Comparing my last record to this one, I was in a really dark place but presented the opposite because I didn’t want anyone to be burdened by what I was dealing with, but now I feel like I’m in a place where I am accepting and embracing of others’ support.”

“I guess what I learned during the creation and evolution of this record was that the negative and unpleasant and ugly things don’t

negate our capacity for happiness and they don’t diminish our intelligence,” she adds.

“Writing this record for me was a way to have power over those things.”

Emma Citrine will be playing on July 20 at Beaumont Studios with Porteau, Salmon Friends, and Future Star in celebration of the release of Shadowless.

PROCRASTINATION HOROSCOPES

Sagittarius Nov. 23 - Dec 21

Capricorn Dec. 22 - Jan 20

Aquarius Jan 21 - Feb 19

Pisces Feb 20 - Mar 20

You will be the middleweight champ of all Mexico before the week is out.

Aries Mar 21 - Apr 19

The mysterious beyond holds no allure for you anymore. You must go beyond the mysterious beyond to the, uh, really fucking peculiar beyond.

Taurus Apr 20 - May 20

Gemini May 21 - Jun 20

Cancer Jun 21 - Jul 23

Leo Jul 24 - Aug 23

Virgo Aug 24 - Sept 23

Libra Sept 24 - Oct 23

Scorpio Oct 24 - Nov 22

Do not let your kingdom be passed down by absolute primogeniture. That’s for suckers.

Your coworker telling you to “take it sleazy” this weekend was not an invitation to disregard all laws of man and God. You are going to jail.

Your unique brand of corporate-friendly punk rock will never catch the world’s attention. Your band, The Music Industry is Bomb, will forever live in market obscurity.

SUDOKU

Look for the answers in the next issue of The Runner.

Last issue’s answers.

Your pain and sadness is more painful and sad than most people's.

Unclose your eyes, and see again the water below you.

You're just an insect that dreamt of being human and loved it. But now the dream is over, and the insect is awake.

May all your enemies live to eat your dust and bemoan the loss of their former stature.

The illuminati are, in fact, controlling every aspect of your life. Well, almost every aspect. That one time you tried to pop-a-wheelie and ate shit, that was all you.

When you finally get to shake hands with the lead singer of Pearl Jam, resist the urge to tell him, “It doesn’t get Eddie Vedder than this.”

Your resemblance to a muppet will be your downfall.

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