OCTOBER 16, 2018 VOLUME 11, ISSUE 4 KPU’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER
COMING OUT OF THE BROOM CLOSET As elements of Wicca are increasingly commodified, witches ward off cultural appropriation
NEWS
KDocs Cancels Next Year's Documentary Film Festival
› 04
CULTURE
Multi-Faith Centre Hosts Discussion Series on Religion and Violence
OPINIONS › 06
Keep Yourself and Others Safe by Understanding Consent
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
STAFF Editor in Chief
Aly Laube editor@runnermag.ca
Managing Editor
Connor Doyle managing@runnermag.ca
Staff Writer
Braden Klassen staff@runnermag.ca
Production Manager
Sarah Kraft production@runnermag.ca
Graphics Editor
Kristen Frier photos@runnermag.ca
Web Manager
Alex Rodriguez web@runnermag.ca
04 06 08 13
NEWS
KDocs Cancels Next Year’s Documentary Film Festival
The founder and primary organizer of KDocs, Janice Morris, regrets that she didn’t have the time to properly plan the 2019 festival due to personal circumstances, but reassures fans that it will be back in 2020.
CULTURE
Multi-Faith Centre Hosts Discussion Series on Religion and Violence
“We are always looking for ways to encourage students to think carefully about the world we live in,” says Ethan Vanderleek, the Multi-Faith Centre Chaplain who leads the discussions.
FEATURES
Coming Out of the Broom Closet
“This is my religion and I take it seriously, but because there’s this whole Harry Potter world, this whole pop culture sense to what I’m doing, it’s like people see it as fantasy,” says Wicca practitioner Mila Krajina.
OPINIONS
Keep Yourself and Others Safe by Understanding Consent
Consent is a consistent agreement to do something from all parties who are sober, conscious, of legal age, and exhibiting free will. People who are drunk, sleeping, unwilling in any way, or flat-out saying “no” are not consenting.
HASHTAG KPU
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Operations Manager Scott Boux office@runnermag.ca 778-565-3801
CONTRIBUTORS Elizabeth Douglas Andre Gress Lisa Hedmark Cristian Hobson-Dimas Kristine Hui Ashley Hyshka Tristan Johnston Nat Mussell @RESLUS Kayci Roy
COVER BY @RESLUS
Arbutus 3710/3720 12666 72 Ave. Surrey, B.C, V3W 2M8 778-565-3801 www.runnermag.ca Vol. 11, Issue no. 4 October 16 // 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
Socially progressive horror movies can keep you scared straight Aly Laube | Editor in Chief Some of the most successful horror movies to come out in recent years have been strikingly progressive, with titles like Get Out, It Follows, Hereditary, The Descent, and The VVitch making the rounds among critics and horror buffs alike. However, having a cast full of women, or people of colour, or members of the LGBTQ+ community isn’t all that makes these movies progressive. What allows horror to be a vehicle for social change is how it’s written and how it manipulates our own internalized fears and hidden biases. What makes you jumpy? Is it little girls in old-timey dresses (The Shining)? Weapon-yielding madmen (Texas Chainsaw Massacre)? Foreign demons from faraway lands (The Exorcist)? Whatever it is, there has to be a reason why it gets you, and sometimes they’re more complicated and symptomatic of social conditioning than you might suspect. Take, for example, the trope of the female ghost. She has been a figure in cinema for as long as scary films have been around. Even before that, in historical and religious texts, female demons have appeared regularly, often as vengeful spirits, sometimes wailing, usually in white. This image of the woeful, tainted woman traversing the world as a lost, angry, powerful being is a recurring motif in horror. Here’s a female force you can’t control, escape, seduce, or subdue. She’s not pretty (or if she is, not for long), she’s not sweet, and she’s not serving anything except for her own pure, unadulterated rage. An evil woman is a terrifying thing, especially in a patriarchal society. If you want to, you can pick this apart for days. Some argue that it’s unnerving because she’s a reversal of what we instinctively crave from our mother figures. It could be the fact that a world where a woman is the exact opposite of nurturing and reasonable is too different from our own to be anything but unsettling. It could be because of history— how humans have treated women who do not fit traditionally feminine expectations, from
OCT. 18
SLAMAPALOOZA OCTOBER
This will be Slamapalooza’s season opener! The slam will consist of two three-minute rounds, and afterwards there will be an extra long feature performance from the 2018 Slamapalooza team. Enter for your chance to win cash prizes! 4:30 pm - 7:00 pm,
Room TBD, free.
OCT. 18
WIND SYMPHONY CONCERT KPU’s Wind Symphony will be putting on Vision for a New Season, which will surely put you in the mood for enjoying all things autumn. The Langley Fine Arts School Wind Ensemble will also be featured. 7:30 pm,
KPU Langley Auditorium, free.
OCT. 19
RICHMOND OPEN HOUSE (Kristen Frier) the witch trials to the lobotomizing of those deemed hysterical. The list goes on, but the point is this: When you’re putting together your list of must-watches for this Halloween season, choose and watch wisely. I recommend the titles referenced in the introduction to this article, but there are so many more. The best place to start is thinking about what really freaks you out. Then pick out as many of the most acclaimed, interesting, diverse movies that fit that niche as you can. Sit down, watch the films, and hope you get scared enough to have something to think
about for the rest of the night. Usually, we use horror as a cheap thrill or an easy way to escape. Blockbusters are a quick and dirty way to get your heart pumping, but it’s entirely within your ability to take your Halloween viewing experience to the next level. Maybe you’ll even have some perspective-shifting conversations with your friends. It could change how you watch films, or even how you watch just one in particular. In any case, happy watching! And let me know if you find any titles that give you the shivers—We at The Runner will be waiting.
The preliminary results of the October 2018 Kwantlen Student Association by-election have been announced. Three new candidates have been elected to positions on KSA Council. Vanshi Kapoor and Amrick Sidhu have been elected to the Business Faculty Representative positions, receiving 99 and 179 votes respectively. Gunjanpreet Kaur, who received 51 votes, and Howie Qu, who received 23 votes, were not elected. Matthew Yorston has been elected to the position of Health Faculty Representative, receiving 13 votes. Opposing candidate Ismail Duaa received two votes.
11:00 am - 3:00 pm,
KPU Richmond, free.
OCT. 22-26 SUSTAINABILITY WEEK
Learn to create small, important changes to reduce your carbon footprint and become a better global citizen! Check out the KPU website for more details. 11:30 am - 1:30 pm,
One day on each campus, free.
SURVIVAL OF THE GAMING DEAD
KSA 2018 By-Election Results Released Two of the eight total candidates dropped out of the race, both of whom were running for the Students with Disabilities Representative position. Jaskiran Kaur withdrew her candidacy, and Ishita Goyal was disqualified. The nomination rules state, “Each candidate for Constituency Representative shall be a Member of the Society who self-identifies as a member of the Constituency. A candidate for Constituency Representative must self-identify as a member of the Constituency that they seek to represent by indicating their self-identification on the nomination form.” Neither of the students who ran for the Students with Disabilities Representative position identify as people living with disabilities,
KPU’s Richmond campus will be having an open house, where prospective students can meet KPU faculty, students, and advisors, take a campus tour, and enjoy interactive activities.
OCT. 23
NEWS BRIEF
Braden Klassen | Staff Writer
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and according to the nomination rules in the KSA Regulations, this makes them ineligible to hold the position. Even after the election, there are still six vacant representative positions on KSA Council: Students with Disabilities Representative, Academic and Career Advancement Faculty Representative, Design Faculty Representative, Trades and Technology Faculty Representative, Tech/Cloverdale Campus Representative, and one of the four Arts Faculty Representative positions. The next KSA Council election will be held during the spring semester, when students will vote to decide who fills the 29 seats on council.
The Kwantlen Gaming Guild’s biggest event is back from the grave! There will be a Smash Bros. tournament, a costume contest, and plenty of games to play. 11:00 am - 6:00 pm,
Surrey Campus Conference Centre, free.
OCT. 24 ARTS SPEAKER SERIES
Artist Sylvia Grace Borda will be discussing a recent project that explores the theme of the kiss as an embracing and symbolic gesture of affection and acceptance in art. 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm,
Surrey Cedar Boardroom 2110, free.
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NEWS
KDocs Cancels Next Year’s Documentary Film Festival The event will return in 2020, and small screenings will still be held on campus this semester Aly Laube | Editor in Chief The 2019 iteration of KPU’s annual documentary film festival has been cancelled. The founder and primary organizer of KDocs, Janice Morris, regrets that she didn’t have the time to properly plan the 2019 festival due to personal circumstances, but reassures fans that it will be back in 2020. Other facets of KDocs, including its outreach program and smaller community-based events on campus, will continue to be held throughout the semester. Morris had already considered about 300 films and put about 100 hours of work into KDocs 2019 before she made the decision to cancel it. In April, with her husband in palliative care, Morris became uncertain whether or not she would be able to finish the job. “The films have to be finalized by July, and I could see where things were going for me personal-wise, and there were just so many question marks that I just had to make a strategic decision,” she says. “Then, unfortunately, my husband did pass away in June, and in theory I guess I could have rebooted it but I wasn’t really in a position personally to do that at the time. I was also off-campus on leave.” She will be returning this January, and the following month will hold a special Valentine’s Day KDocs screening of RBG and Won’t You Be My Neighbour? The link between these two films, Morris says, is that they explore “the power of the individual and how that individual circulates within the larger community.” She hopes that
(Left to right): KDocs organizers Elizabeth Tosetti, Janice Morris, Greg Chan, and Mark Diotte check the registration list before a screening of Kombit: The Cooperative on Nov. 2, 2016. (Braden Klassen) they will inspire attendees to consider what it means to intelligently unite communities and strive for social change. On Oct. 12, KDocs helped organize a screening and panel discussion for a three-day conference by the Burns Bog Conservation society about the importance of peatlands. The organization has also recently welcomed new members onto its board—including KPU instructors Jennifer Hardwick and Rajiv Jhangiani—who will share the responsibilities of carrying out the operations of KDocs. “We’re really excited about the fact that
we’re at a kind of pivotal crossroads in our development, in our growth, and it was the right time for us to re-evaluate,” says Morris. “Like any organization, as you grow, there’s change. What hasn’t changed is our mission.” The most significant of these changes is the expansion of KDocs’ outreach program. Headed by instructor Greg Chan, the program has led to the creation of promotional and educational videos for internal groups like the Faculty of English at KPU and the Phoenix Kwantlen Learning Centre, a resource for adult learners who may be in
treatment for substance abuse issues. Outside of the KPU community, Morris will also be talking publicly about the potential of film festivals as sites of community building and activism, and KDocs is hoping to work with the Surrey Council and Surrey City Lab to host events in the future. “We’re hoping, on the horizon, to see a deeper partnership with the university as a whole, where we’re able to hopefully construct some even bigger projects,” says Morris. “We really do feel like KDocs is a perfect example of the Vision 2023 document in action.”
KSA Planning Spring Referendum to Join CASA The vote will determine whether students will pay membership fees to join the advocacy group Braden Klassen | Staff Writer The Kwantlen Student Association plans on holding a referendum this spring to see if students at KPU want to join the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations. CASA is a Canada-wide organization that advocates on behalf of student at the federal level. Founded in 1995, the organization facilitates meetings between politicians and student union members, allowing them to directly represent their constituents’ issues and desires to members of the federal government. “We intend to have a referendum in February, and if students want to join, then we’ll join,” says KSA President and VP External Caitlin McCutchen. “Having the KSA’s voice at the federal level would be fantastic.” In the past two years, CASA has published policy papers on international students’ needs, open education resources, campus mental health, and student employment issues. They have advocated for changes to campus sexual assault policies, raised awareness of educational material copyright concerns, and supported the Canadian government’s investment in grad students through the Canada Student Loans Program. “While the provincial government provides a lot of funding for education, the federal government can also do a lot for students,” says McCutchen. “Currently, the KSA doesn’t really do anything federally. We’re well-known on a provincial level, but we also need to be
advocating to the federal government.” Additionally, CASA has led campaigns aimed at increasing student participation in the 2015 federal election, as well as awareness of student debt and the importance of financial assistance in Canada. Every year, CASA holds conferences where members can come together to develop strategies and policies meant to benefit the students they represent. “If the referendum passes in February, [CASA] will have its annual general meeting in March, so we’d be ratified as members in March, and then student fees wouldn’t be collected until September of next year,” says McCutchen. The KSA is planning to pay CASA’s membership fees for March until September from part of its own budget and reserves. According to CASA’s website, since there are more than 20,001 KPU students, CASA’s yearly membership fees should amount to $2.57 per each full-time equivalent student, with the total annual membership fees capped at $55,232. The fee would be collected each semester, then remitted by the KSA in a similar fashion to the membership fee that students currently pay to the Canadian Federation of Students, which amounts to $0.51 per credit to a maximum of $4.57 per semester. The KSA has frequently expressed dissatisfaction with their membership in the CFS, saying that the organization works too slowly and fails to effectively serve the needs or
KSA President and VP External Caitlin McCutchen. (Braden Klassen) interests of KPU students. This means that, if the referendum to join CASA passes in the spring, students will be paying fees to two different student advocacy organizations. CASA’s membership includes student associations from across Canada, including the
UFV Student Society, the Capilano Students’ Union and UBC Vancouver’s Graduate Society. If the referendum passes, it would make the KSA the fourth B.C.-based student association to join the organization.
NEWS
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British Columbia Youth Parliament is Accepting Applications for its 2018 Session The BCYP is looking for students aged 16-21 to join its 90th session Braden Klassen | Staff Writer Young people from across British Columbia will convene in the Provincial Legislature in Victoria to form the 90th session of the British Columbia Youth Parliament this December. At the event, a group of 97 students and non-students between the ages of 16 and 21 will debate issues presented in Private Member’s Resolutions and decide which projects the organization will run over the next year. The debates will cover issues from local communities as well as national and international policies. University of Victoria student Sheridan Hawse will be serving as the Premier of the B.C. Youth Parliament for the upcoming session. “For me personally, it’s been an opportunity to expand how I see my community by engaging with people who have very diverse opinions from me,” she says. “It has also been a really incredible platform to serve my community through service projects.” The BCYP grew out of the the Older Boys’ Parliament, an organization established in 1924 which exclusively accepted Christian men. After facing pressure from the public and the provincial government to become more inclusive, the OBP became the non-denominational BCYP in 1974 and began accepting applications from women as well as men regardless of their beliefs. In order to become a part of the BCYP,
interested applicants must have at least five nominators sponsor them. The nominators have to be a part of an organization like a school or a service club. After being nominated, applicants submit a personal essay that explains why they wish to be a member of the BCYP and which relevant activities, like debating or public speaking, they have experience with. “I never would have had the opportunity to do any of this on my own,” says Hawse. “I think it really gives youth a chance, not just to learn about the parliamentary procedure, but to be surrounded by a group of people who care about what’s going on around them.” In 2017, the BC Youth Parliament debated issues like the Site C Dam construction and the upcoming referendum on electoral reform. Abbotsford MLA and Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Darryl Plecas joined the BCYP as the Lieutenant Governor last year, and according to Hawse, the position will be held this year by Global News reporter Richard Zussman. Hawse says that taking part in a BCYP session can be a valuable and formative experience for B.C. youth, especially if they are interested in pursuing politics or community policymaking later on in life. “A lot of our members join for one year and they don’t come back for a second, though they still talk about that one year of experience that they had,” she says. “It’s a real-
Students pose at the Legislative Assembly during a session of BC Youth Parliament. (BCYP) ly incredible opportunity to get to sit in the legislature. Many people don’t have that chance—the staff of the legislature don’t necessarily have the chance to sit in those seats.” The deadline for mailing in applications is Oct. 23, and the registration fee is $395.
Applicants can apply for financial assistance from school or community organizations, although the BCYP also offers limited financial support to cover a portion of the fee for those in need if they contact the registrar before the deadline.
UVic Launches Dual Degree Program Combining Canadian and Indigenous Law The program is the first of its kind in the world Ashley Hyshka | Contributor In response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which called upon post-secondary institutions in Canada to include more Indigenous courses, the University of Victoria has recently launched a dual degree program which combines Canadian common and Indigenous law. The B.C. government will contribute $2.25-million in funding over two years, according to the CBC. The program was officially launched at the University of Victoria on Sept. 25. Students, faculty, members of the public, and Minister of Advanced Education, Skills, and Training, Melanie Mark were all in attendance at the launch. “This is an emotional day,” Mark said during the ceremony. “It is imperative that truth and reconciliation is in everything that we do.” Students in the new program will learn how to understand Indigenous legal orders and build institutions based on this understanding, as well as design institutions and procedures that work in tandem with Canadian law. According to UVic’s website, the program will also help build political and legal relationships between Indigenous people and Canada. The first cohort consists of 26 students— and 25 more will be admitted per year in the future—while the program itself lasts for four years. In their third and fourth years of study, students will engage in field studies within
various Indigenous communities across Canada to learn about pertinent issues and how to best address them. Val Napoleon, Law Foundation Professor of Aboriginal Justice and Governance in UVic’s Faculty of Law, says that the university’s Indigenous law degree program is “something that’s been imagined for a very long time.” On the day of the ceremony, Mark said that the program is about reaffirming the position of Indigenous peoples in Canada and around the world and emphasizing that Indigenous laws do matter. She also added that, in order to move towards reconciliation, tangible action must be taken. “What you’re going to do is make change for environmental law [and] our interpretation of child Indigenous law,” Mark said. “It will be about our children, it will be about our land, [and] it will be about our future.” Napoleon stresses that, although Indigenous law hasn’t been allowed to dictate many facets of life since Canadian common law was enacted, it can be rebuilt through research, legal education, and collaboration with communities. “All of the issues that are part of human messiness and living with one another, and conflicts caused by us living with one another, are what Indigenous law has to deal with, as does Canadian law,” says Napoleon. In a statement to The Runner, Dr. Steve Cardwell, Associate Vice-President, Academic
Val Napoleon, Law Foundation Professor of Aboriginal Justice and Governance at the University of Victoria. (Submitted) at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, praised UVic for the addition of the program. He added that, while the process would take time, KPU would welcome any proposals which foster innovative Indigenous programs. “Such programs would need to address the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and attend to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,” wrote Cardwell.
Graduates can work as attorneys in a unique capacity because of their knowledge of both Canadian common law and Indigenous legal orders. They can also go on to work with Indigenous governments and businesses and the Canadian government if they so choose. “Change is never easy. Fighting for rights is never easy, but we won that fight as Indigenous people,” Mark said.
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CULTURE
Multi-Faith Centre Hosts Discussion Series on Religion and Violence KPU chaplain discusses a book which questions the perception that religious thinking can lead to violence Braden Klassen | Staff Writer Do strongly held religious views increase the chance that someone will resort to violence? That’s the question William T. Cavanaugh tackles in his book The Myth of Religious Violence. The book has in turn inspired a series of bi-weekly discussions being facilitated by the KPU Multi-Faith Centre. On the surface, it’s a confusing question. Most religions hold central tenets that oppose violence and promote generosity, mercy, and kindness. In many cases, though, history tells a different story. From historical conflicts like the Crusades and The Troubles in Ireland to present-day violence perpetrated by ISIS extremists and the oppression of Rohingya people in Bangladesh, religious beliefs have been repeatedly used as a way to incite and sustain conflict instead of preventing it. One of Cavanaugh’s ideas is that the criteria we use to link religion to things that encourage violent behaviour—such as divisive thinking and claiming to teach absolute unquestionable truths—appear in many ideologies which are not just unique to religion. “When you first hear that, you think, ‘Oh, that means that religious people are never violent,’” says Ethan Vanderleek, the MultiFaith Centre Chaplain who leads the discussions. “That is definitely not the thesis of the book. It has to do with the definition of this term ‘religion’ and looking closely at its history and looking at how it’s used today—and
also looking at how, maybe, it is misused in order to legitimize or defend certain types of violence and condemn other types.” Christopher Gordon Laarz, a third-year criminology student, says that he appreciates listening to the different points of view presented in the book through the discussions. “It is a difficult topic. It can be complex,” he says. “I don’t believe that religion is a problem itself. It’s radicalism that I believe is a problem. Being close-minded, and not being open to other beliefs or [considering] why other people think things, that’s what causes problems.” A member of the Kwantlen Christian Fellowship, Gordan Laarz also says he is interested in attending future discussions held by the Multi-Faith Centre. He believes that students can benefit from participating in similar kinds of discussions, even if they are not religious or interested in the philosophies derived from religious scholars “Sometimes you might not really understand why you think a certain way, but if you try and discuss it with someone, you might further believe in what you do, or you might change that,” he says. “It’s important to face that and have your beliefs and thoughts challenged. It’s a part of learning and I like that.” “We are always looking for ways to encourage students to think carefully about the world we live in,” adds Vanderleek. “University is a unique time to be reflective on the world and our place in the world. At the Multi-Faith Centre, we want to be attentive— not exclusively, but certainly importantly to
KPU Multi-Faith Centre chaplain Ethan Vanderleek holds William T. Cavanaugh's book, The Myth of Religious Violence. (Natania) people who adhere to what we understand to be religious traditions like Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, Buddhism, and others.” Each discussion will focus on a new section from the book. They will continue throughout
the semester, taking place every other Thursday at 12:00 pm in the Multi-Faith Centre, located in the Fir building on KPU’s Surrey campus.
Museum of Surrey Re-Opens after $16-Million Expansion The opening ceremony showcased dinosaurs, Indigenous culture, and the diversity of the city Lisa Hedmark The City of Surrey unveiled the nearly $16-million expansion of its civic museum on Sept. 29. To celebrate the renovation of the Museum of Surrey—formerly known as the Surrey Museum—there is a temporary Dinosaurs Unearthed exhibit on display alongside a few permanent exhibits and a photo mural containing nearly 2,000 images taken by Surrey residents. At the launch, there was a ribbon cutting by Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner, performances from acts like Bobs and Lolo, and cultural dancing by Van City Bhangra, Shao Lin Hung Gar Lion Dance, and Ache Brasil. The expansion is connected to the old wing of the museum by a bright, windowed hallway which leads to the TD Explore Zone and dinosaur exhibit. Other educational exhibits surround the outside of the new wing, waiting to be unveiled to the public. “The expansion was funded by the City of Surrey, approximately $10 million, the federal and provincial government, approximately $5 million, and by multiple community sponsors, including Toronto Dominion Bank, which donated $500,000 to fund the TD Explore Zone,” explains Lynn Adam Saffery, the museum manager. “The museum itself took about a year to build—about three years of planning, and five years to raise the funding.”
As you walk through the new wing into the old wing of the museum, you see a breathtaking black and white mural of photos taken by community members along the side of a beautiful glass staircase. The mural leads to one of the permanent displays added to the old Surrey Museum—an Indigenous hall featuring an interactive display and demonstrations of activities like basket weaving and rug hooking. Before the expansion, there was very little representation of Indigenous history at the museum. The museum also has a water pumper on display from the Cloverdale firefighter’s department. “They had to get water from somewhere. They had to get it out of a ditch because there was no running water in Cloverdale,” says Roger Bose, a historian and volunteer with the Museum of Surrey. “The pumper was operated by Cloverdale’s fire department volunteers and they pulled that behind their own personal cars.” The Dinosaurs Unearthed exhibit features new research and fossils from Asia, South America, and North America which suggests that many of the dinosaurs we are familiar with, including the Tyrannosaurus rex, may have been covered in feathers. Animatronic feathered dinosaurs and genuine fossils can be seen at the exhibit being hosted by the
An animatronic display in the new Dinosaurs Unleashed exhibit at the Museum of Surrey. (Lisa Hedmark) Museum of Surrey until March 31, 2019. “I started thinking of all the great exhibits, programs, and special events we host and how they attract a whole gambit of people,” says Saffery. “I started thinking about this and what makes me most excited isn’t the exhibits or the programs, but the diversity
of people from all over Surrey and the Lower Mainland that are coming.” For anyone interested in visiting the Museum of Surrey, admission is free and exhibits are open to the public from Wednesdays to Sundays.
CULTURE
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Festive Things to do this Halloween Season October is the best month of the year if you spend your time wisely Kristen Frier | Graphics Editor There is so much to do this month. Between midterms, work, and day-to-day stress, who has time for Halloween? You do. No excuses, kids. There is something for everyone in October, even the faintof-heart. To start with the least spooky (or the spookiest depending on your personality), Ellen DeGeneres is coming to town. You can dance it out with the one, the only, Ellen at Rogers Arena at 7:00pm on Friday, Oct. 19. Diwali Fest is also a big deal, especially in the Surrey area. On Oct. 21 from 2:00 to 5:00 pm, thousands of people come together for a South Asian cultural extravaganza. Diwali will combine a bazaar, dance performances, music, and more for family-friendly fun. There are ghost trains at either end of town. In Stanley Park resides an all-ages ghost train which takes riders “through a mystical and magical world,” according to its website. This runs from Oct. 11 to 31. There is also one at Bear Creek Park if you wish to stay local. This one goes from Oct. 5 to 31 from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm. There are all kinds of haunted house experiences to pursue in the Lower Mainland. Right next to KPU’s Surrey campus is Potter’s House of Horrors, infamous in the Surdel area and beyond for scaring the heck out of your friends and family. It has been running since Oct. 5 and will continue until the 31st. Check
out pottershouseofhorrors.com for varying times and prices. Another big one to check out is the Amore Manor Haunted House on 1151 Robin Way. It’s a normal looking house, at least, from the outside. Inside, however, it’s a completely different story. From Oct. 26 to 28, and then again on the 31st from 6:30 until 9:30 pm, enjoy an extra-spooky, non-kid-friendly experience for a donation of either cash or food, which goes straight to Share Society Food Bank. If you will be in the Langley area sometime between Friday Oct. 19 and Nov. 3, Brinkworth Dungeon haunted house could be worth checking out. At 22260 48th Ave., Murreyville, Langley, the house is also accepting food donations for the Langley Food Bank. Seriously, what is better than a good time for a good cause? The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the infamous cult classic from 1975, has evolved into a live show including props, scheduled heckling, cosplay, props, and “virgin initiations.” Taking place at The Waterfront Theatre at 1412 Cartwright Street from Oct. 26 to Nov. 10, there will be 10 performances and prop bags available for purchase. Prepare to see men in tights and get toast crumbs in your hair. I’m sorry, but it’s inevitable. The Parade Of Lost Souls is an annual event that takes place in the Commercial Broadway area on Oct. 27 from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm. The exact location is not revealed until midnight the night before (how mysterious). It is put
(Kristen Frier) on by Dusty Flower Pot Productions and has a sweet after party at the Wise Hall at 10:00 pm. This year, the theme is Magic and Realism, so dress accordingly. For even more creepy times, check out the VanDusen Botanical Garden from Oct. 19 to 31, the Thriller Dance Zombie Event on Oct.
27 at the Plaza in Olympic Village for some Michael Jackson-themed activities, or look up the Ghostly Gala fundraiser held at the Kitsilano Neighbourhood House. All proceeds go to West Side Family Place. Enjoy your time, and stay safe this Halloween season.
Radio Noir Just Got a Whole Lot Funnier Phantom Signal is not for the humorless or faint of heart Kristen Frier | Graphics Editor In case you haven’t heard of it, Phantom Signal is an anthology series based on radio noir, presented as if it is going live to air. Despite its roots in radio, it is performed on stage in front of a live audience after only a couple of rehearsals, which the cast believes gives the show an improvisational feel. “We haven’t rehearsed it to death, so there is still spontaneity,” says Phantom Signal creator Jayson McDonald. McDonald is a three-time recipient of the Georgia Strait Critics Choice Award, a two-time recipient of The Edmonton Fringe’s Artists Choice Award, and a founding member of alt-sketch group Fully Insured. Thankfully, co-hosts Tara Travis and Andrew Bailey are also there to help McDonald nail the performance. Tara Travis is the artistic producer with Monster Theatre and artistic director of Sticky Fingers Productions. Aside from her work with Phantom Signal, she is also a very experienced playwright, performer, and “vocal acrobat,” and is described by McDonald as “wildly creative with incredible comic sensibilities.” McDonald also describes Bailey, who is also a writer, actor, comedian, and author, as “the heart of the Ghostbusters.” This dream-team trio—who create the self-aware, ironic, and so-funny-it’s-scary production—have a natural rapport between them. They met sometime during the Canadian Fringe Festival circuit over a decade ago and have been close ever since. “[Fringe is like] summer camp for weird
Phantom Signal is performed live by Jayson McDonald, Tara Travis, and Andrew Bailey. (Submitted) grown-ups where you find your people,” says Travis. The show is in its fourth season with over 30 episodes, and there are many more to come. They used to perform the 70-minute show at the Fox Cabaret, but have recently moved over to Havana and Little Mountain Gallery for a more intimate and cozy vibe. The show begins with a ridiculous warmup featuring a recurring cast of characters such as Uncle Andy, who tells bedtime stories and destroys classic horror tropes, Cursed Lou, who is cursed for eternity to sell various products, and Madame Tika Luna, the fortune
teller with no real psychic abilities. Following the warm-up is a full 30-minute episode separated into two acts. The podcast-like style invites the audience to use their “mind’s eye” to envision the antics as they unfold, but also allows them to see how it’s made. “We also make all of our own sounds live, often with unexpected things,” says Travis, adding that they have the help of hired musicians who help set the mood. “If a joke doesn’t land it’s because I included a joke just for me,” says McDonald, adding that these usually end with an unexpected
twist. “God, I don’t know how many times we’ve destroyed the world at this point.” Usually Phantom Signal runs consistently once or twice per month. However, the most recent season, which Travis has affectionately dubbed, “frankenseason,” has been less consistent than usual because of the change of venue." Catch them for only $10 at Havana on Wednesday, Oct. 31 at 10:00 pm. You can also visit phantomsignalradio.com for information on more upcoming shows or audio clips of what you can expect to see.
Coming Out of the Broom Closet As elements of Wicca are increasingly commodified, witches ward off cultural appropriation Aly Laube | Editor in Chief
In a Youtube video about the starter witch adolescence. Now a committed Wiccan, she A book by Scott Cunningham entitled Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner, states that kit posted on Sept. 2, a Wiccan woman under says that her gradual immersion in the faith “there is not, and can never be, one ‘pure’ or the username BehatiLife explained, “For cen- “felt natural.” turies, witches have been a target for violence “It grounds me, and I like that it can be a ‘true’ or ‘genuine’ form of Wicca.” “There are no central governing agencies, and assault because it’s so misunderstood. solitary practice,” she says. “You don’t have no physical leaders, no universally recog- Witchcraft and witches have been kind of to go anywhere to learn anything. You can nized prophets or messengers. Although hidden under the scenes because they’re con- just pick up a book and do stuff on your own specific, structured forms of Wicca certainly stantly getting attacked.” and it’s intuitive, but I also feel more conexist, they aren’t in agreement regarding rit“If you wouldn’t do this to any other religion, nected to the earth when I’m practicing it.” ual, symbolism, and theology,” Cunningham if you wouldn’t mass market and paint it pasKrajina was upset when she heard about writes. “Because of this healthy individual- tel for other religions, what makes you think Sephora’s distribution of the so-called “witch ism, no one ritual or philosophical system has that it is okay to do it for witches?” she asks. kit,” but says that it wasn’t the first time she emerged to consume the others.” Pinrose has since issued an apology on had witnessed this sort of appropriation of The religion itself can be difficult to define their website and agreed to stop producing Wicca in popular consumer culture. Nor was in simple terms, but what unites practitioners the kits, but conversations about appropriat- it the first time she was made hyper-aware of Wicca is their devotion to living in harmony ing Wicca remain relevant. The starter witch of her own identity as a Wiccan, which she with nature and the divine. One key element of kit isn’t the only example of this kind of mal- says has sometimes resulted her being treataccomplishing this is through ritual worship. apropos consumerism. ed with contempt and hostility by those she Many refer to Wicca as a sect of NeopaBasic Witches: How to Summon Success, Ban- shares it with. ganism, although as Cunningham notes, con- ish Drama, and Raise Hell with Your Coven is a “I want people to treat things with respect, sensus on this label is not unanimous. The self-proclaimed guide to modern witchcraft— because I feel like the more people use it as practices most commonly associated with written by two atheists. It sold like hot cakes in a fashion trend ... the more I have to deal it—such as crystal magick, spell casting, and 2017, although Jaya Saxena told news site RNS with people being ignorant towards me and smudging—have roots that date back to sev- that she and her co-author made “no claim to writing me off really quickly,” she says. “It eral places, times, and cultures throughout the religious practice of Wicca, paganism or adds to that whole part of someone asking history, which many modern witches strive to any other faith … [but] see the cultural image you if you’re religious and you go, ‘Oh, yeah. acknowledge and respect today. of a witch as a separate and valid identity.” I’m kind of a Wiccan,’ they just write you off Considering this, it’s no surprise that the The same RNS article reminds readers, as that girl who buys stuff at Sephora and Sephora witch kit, and other products like it, “Critics say a perfect storm of Instagram-era smudges.” have incited debate and controversy from the online branding combined with leftist polit“This is my religion and I take it seriouscommunity since they became popular. ical posturing has made witchcraft the latest ly,” she adds. “But because there’s this whole Sephora likely didn’t expect to attract criti- victim of cultural appropriation.” Harry Potter world, this whole pop culture cism from dedicated witches when they agreed Local Wiccan Mila Krajina and KPU “Reli- sense to what I’m doing, it’s like people see to put Pinrose’s “starter witch kit” on shelves. gion, Magic, & Witchcraft” instructor Jason it as fantasy.” Sold in whimsical, pastel packaging, this Ramsey agree. Womanhood is an important aspect of product was set to offer nine small perfumes, Growing up, Krajina was surrounded by Wicca for Krajina, who feels that its emphaa tarot deck, white sage, and rose quartz for elements of Wicca. Her mother read tarot, sis on feminine energies, life and death, and the low price of $42.00—but after going viral taught her about energies, and kept crystals menstrual and environmental cycles resoonline, the product never made it to the tills. in their home. Although she practiced less as nates with her. When practitioners caught wind of Sephora’s the years went on, Krajina started learning Despite the positivity that lies at the base distribution plans, they protested on social more about the religion and began perform- of her faith, she says that the social percepmedia until the product was recalled. ing rituals throughout her childhood and tion of witches in Western culture still pre-
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"The number one rule we have is, ‘An it harm none do what ye will.’ It’s like, if you’re not hurting anybody and you’re not offending anybody, then you be a Wiccan.” vents her from expressing her beliefs openly. “I’m still scared to let everyone know what I do and what I am,” she says. “It’s not like you can go out into a park in the middle of Vancouver and start doing a healing spell with three other women. It’s just not socially acceptable right now, you know?” Jason Ramsey, who teaches a course on religion, magic, and witchcraft at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, agrees that sex and gender is an essential component of both Wicca and its recent boom in pop culture. “The social structure back in Europe in the Middle Ages and beyond was obviously very much male dominant, and what was happening in Medieval times was that groups of women sometimes would come together to discuss questions of female health and the regulation of fertility,” says Ramsey. He continues, “Females talking to other females about birth control, about pregnancies, about various tactics to take control of their own powers of fertility and their own body with no men around was seen as extremely threatening.” Such knowledge was passed from generation to generation, according to Ramsey, but the members of these groups remained on the outskirts of society, oftentimes ostracized and marginalized as menaces to the patriarchy. Because they challenged the status quo, the figure of the older, disenfranchised woman disseminating controversial information to younger women eventually evolved to embody the mythological interpretation of a witch in European culture. “By taking up and inhabiting a completely different cultural space, they were actually sort of surpassing the possibilities for life that the dominant society offered them,” says Ramsey. “By advancing in the ranks of Wicca, they were involving themselves in themes that made sense to them.” The themes of feminism and reproductive health seen in this form of Wicca remain relevant now, particularly considering the recent backlash against the marginalization and victimization of women seen in the media. The
#MeToo movement has dominated popular committed and maybe understand themdiscourse this year, as have conversations selves as being fully or partially outside the about calling out abusers publicly. Trump’s system. But it also, in the form of mass conpresidency—and his simultaneous affronts sumer goods, can appeal to those who only to feminist ideologies—has fuelled these dis- want to play aesthetically with things and cussions and forced members of the public have that kind of deniability.” to defend legislation that is fundamental to However, he understands how the desire women’s health, such as Roe V. Wade. to connect with notions of female empowEnvironmentalism and anti-consumer- erment might lead to unintentional approism are also themes which Ramsey suggests priation of Wicca. Some may intend to use it influence the increasing popularity of the as a medium for self-love and growth, which faith. Using nature as “something to be dom- Krajina attests is both common and possible. inated and used and reshaped for our own “I feel like it’s coming back now because of desires is a cultural choice,” he says, and how the world is today. There are so many those who feel uncomfortable with that may screwed up things happening and this is all be more likely to turn to nature-based belief about healing, and I think people need that in systems such as Wicca. this world right now,” she says. He supposes that the religion offers peoKrajina says that, for her, practicing ple an opportunity to challenge the patriar- Wicca is therapeutic. She believes that it chal, capitalistic society that they’re a part of. can serve the same purpose for anyone who Because of this, he says it makes sense that chooses to pursue it, as long as they’re carepractitioners were outraged by the Sephora ful to do so respectfully. witch kit and other similar products. “There’s a sort of respect you have to have “The kind of objectification of nature, the for what you’re using and respect for where kind of commodification of nature and other it came from,” she explains. “The number things, that Wicca helps people escape in one rule we have is, ‘An it harm none do the first place—If Wicca is now being used what ye will.’ It’s like, if you’re not hurting primarily for that in those stores, it’s sort of anybody and you’re not offending anybody, offensive,” he says. then you be a Wiccan. You do what you’ve Krajina echoes this statement in reference to got to do. That’s what I would want from the Sephora witch kit, expressing that, “if you’re any other Wiccan.” selling that at a spiritual store, it’s a totally difKrajina suggests that those who are interferent thing because it’s a spiritual store.” ested in the religion learn about it on their “If you’re selling it to younger girls or peo- own time to determine if they’re truly interple who are more in the mainstream, I find ested and, if so, which level of commitment that offensive because that store has noth- they’re comfortable with. ing to do with spirituality. It’s actually the “From a starting standpoint, just really opposite,” she says. know the religion, and then once you feel like Exploring these concepts “in a playful or you’re not totally incompetent, start getting ambiguous way,” allows those who aren’t will- into it and trying new things,” she says. ing to commit to the religion to claim aspects “It’s not about what you have at all,” she of it that “make them feel empowered but do continues. “It’s about what you know. It’s not require them to say, ‘Hey guys, I’m a Wic- about how much you want to practice it, can,’ and have to deal with all of the questions because there are a bunch of different levels. that will come,” according to Ramsey. Some people do sabbaths and some people do “Wicca is not mainstream. Despite Sepho- full moon rituals and go really heavy into it ra, it’s still not mainstream—at least not real and then there are other people who are on Wicca,” he says. “You have those who are fully the lighter side of the spectrum.”
PhotoPhoto @jakobnewman @Kali Bardi (Flickr)
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Crossing Canada as an Amateur Cyclist The journey was harrowing, the experiences were enlightening, and the road was bumpy Kristine Hui | Contributor
As the second largest country in the world, the challenge of riding across Canada has beckoned cyclists from far and wide. Some see it as a challenge; they want to prove to themselves that they have what it takes to make it all the way across. Some make the voyage to fundraise for charities, while others cycle to explore this vast country. My reason was that I wanted to see my home country. I wanted to feel the wind pushing against me and to be rained on. I wanted to see all the things people miss when they are zooming along the highway without giving the scenery around them any more than a passing glance. I started this ride because I thought it would be fun, and it was. Each day was its own special adventure. B.C. and The Prairies We began our cross-Canada trip 20-strong as an international group of riders from Canada, the United States, Germany, Switzerland, England, and Australia. Our first day’s ride was from Vancouver to Mission—83 km, well below the daily average distance of 130 km— which proved too much for the oldest rider in our group, a 69-year-old Ontarian who left the tour. By the end of the first day, we were down to 19 riders. Even though I had trained for the trip beforehand, I was worried that I’d be the least physically fit in the group and, as such, would be left behind. My biggest fear was getting a flat tire, since I’d never had to fix one before. I was careful to never be last in the group so that, if I had any problems, someone would always be behind me to help. The most physically challenging day for me was the third, when we travelled the 111 km from Hope to Merritt. We went through the Coquihalla Pass, a mountain pass with an elevation of 1,244 m, which, according to ICBC, saw 32 fatal crashes from 2004 to 2013 with 400 to 500 crashes during winter months. It’s considered one of the deadliest highways in B.C. due to how steep it is to climb up and down the summit. The long journey up the mountain coupled with the intense summer heat was excruciating, and I had to stop every 10 minutes to take a break. Though I managed to make it there, I arrived in danger of succumbing to heat exhaustion. Later, this happened to a fellow rider who was unable to finish one day in
Alberta and collapsed five kilometres away from the campsite. While I consider the ride into Merritt the most physically challenging of the trip, my most mentally challenging ride was from Banff to Irricana, Alberta. We had set up our tents in the pouring rain the night before, and in the morning all of our tenting gear was packed away wet. The weather continued to be cold and miserable that morning as we started our 171 km ride, one of the longest days of the trip. One kilometre in, I got my first ever flat tire. The two cyclists I was with at the time were in front of me, and when I called out to them for help, they didn’t hear me. They didn’t look back and carried on without me. My worst fear was realized. I was stuck beside the highway in the cold, with a flat tire, all by myself. I began the process of fixing my flat, which I—theoretically—knew how to do. With the help of two other riders who later came along, I repaired it and carried on by myself. I became extremely paranoid that I would get another flat and stopped several times to make sure that my tires were still in good shape, then made it another 60 km before I got my second flat tire. About 10 km after patching that one up, my tire went flat for the third time that day. Luckily, I was able to hitchhike to the bike shop in the nearest town, but by the time I left I knew that it would be dark before I would be able to make it to the campground. Having been invited to stay with a fellow biker in Airdrie, I went off-route and arrived at her house after more than 12 hours on the road. The people who say that the Prairies are flat must have been driving, because on that day they certainly did not feel that way. I can honestly say that I have never been happier to climb into bed. Although I experienced my share of difficulties on the trip, I’m happy to say that I didn’t get into any trip-ending accidents. The same cannot be said for all the cyclists in our group. Cycling into Regina, Saskatchewan, a rider in our group fainted on the highway, broke her collarbone, and returned home. We were down to eighteen riders until she returned four weeks later. She plans to make up for the time she lost in 2019. Though we had many adventures across the first four provinces of Canada, I found the days recounted above to be my most memo-
rable. More than being able to experience the country’s natural beauty, I got to experience the kindness of British Columbians, Albertans, Saskatchewanians, and Manitobans. They stopped to help fix my bike and to offer me water or a lift when I needed it. I learned that the stereotypical image of the nice Canadian is more than just a stereotype—Canadians really are the nicest. Ontario, Quebec, and the Atlantic Provinces Most cyclists in our group would agree that Ontario was the toughest province to travel through. The scenery, while nice, was not spectacular, and the long and humid days soon became monotonous. There were days when I would fall asleep on my bike while dreaming of other things. To break up the monotony, I got a ride from a fellow traveller to Toronto, where I visited my old high school friend. It had been several years since I’d seen her, and as I took in the view from her classy apartment, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy. Though we were the same age, she had a steady job and was living with her boyfriend in downtown Toronto, whereas I was still a student who lived at home with my mom. Where she was dressed elegantly in simple but expensive clothing, I wore damp, sweatsoaked clothes that had not dried properly during the night. I told her a bit about my travels and the places I had visited in Ontario. I asked if she had been to Thunder Bay, Tottenham, or Kenora, but she shook her head at each name I offered. She said she rarely left the city and didn’t have a driver’s license or a car anyways. I was a bit shocked that I had seen more of Ontario in the two weeks that I had been there than she had through five or six years living there. Although we ended up having a lovely time together, I left Toronto thinking that we were each travelling on very different paths now, and I wasn’t sure which one was better. I’ve never felt more like a foreigner in my own home than the day I crossed the border into Quebec. Logically, I know that Canada is a bilingual country, but the only French I’ve heard in B.C. is the nervous kind that’s spoken under the watchful eye of a high school teacher. In Quebec, English was both a minority language and culture, and there I saw a part of
Canada that I didn't know existed. Montreal and Quebec City had cathedrals all over, and the architecture and food there had a decidedly French air. Even as I entered New Brunswick, French seemed to be the dominant language. Because we only spent one day in Prince Edward Island, I woke up at 5:00 am so I could spend as much time there as possible. I had romanticized the place based on what I had read in Anne of Green Gables and was determined to have a great time. While there were many quaint seaside towns, everything in PEI just felt like it was made for tourists, with Anne’s face around every corner. She was on postcards, magnets, menus, and marquees as the titular star of two plays. She was also the reason gaggles of Japanese tourists came to the island every summer. I can’t imagine living on the island and having to see or hear about Anne of Green Gables every day. I was sick of her after only one. The next day, we took the ferry to Nova Scotia where I learned that the province had strong ties to Scotland, since they had been some of the first settlers there. The Cabot Trail in Cape Breton Highlands National Park was one of the best parts of the trip. The ocean hugs the mountains tightly on the trail, and I was treated to spectacular views of both. While it was difficult climbing up three mountains in one day to get to this lookout, the view made it worthwhile. When we made it to Newfoundland, I was glad that the ride was nearing completion. As much of an adventure as it had been, I was ready to go home to the comfort of a personal fridge and a big bed. I wish I could say more about the natural beauty of the provinces, but after seeing breathtaking view after breathtaking view, and charming town after charming town, I started to become indifferent to it all. On the final day, as I cycled up to our final destination, Signal Hill, it started to dawn on me that I had done it. For the rest of my life, I could say that I cycled across Canada, and it was a beautiful thing to discover that I could do what I once thought was impossible for me. More than the beauty of Canada, and even more than the people, what I will remember from this trip is the feeling of fearlessness that it gave me—the belief that I really can do anything.
Posing near the Othello Tunnels in Coquihalla Canyon Provincial Park, Hope, B.C. (Courtesy of Kristine Hui)
Arrival at Lake Louise on Canada Day! A rainy group shot to celebrate. (Courtesy of Kristine Hui)
Vibrant green mountains in Roger's Pass. (Kristine Hui)
Dipping my bike wheel in the Pacific Ocean along the Spanish Banks Beach Park. (Courtesy of Kristine Hui)
Climbing up the treacherous Coquihalla Pass on a hot day in June. (Courtesy of Carolyn Elliot)
SPooKY Snapshot Student Featuring Potter’s House Of Horrors, 12530 72nd Ave., Surrey, B.C.
Feeling fenced in by stress? Take a deep breath, unwind, don’t let midterms get the best of you. There is nothing to be scared of, as long as you are prepared. Grab a study buddy and find some cue cards. Or blow off steam at Potter’s House Of Horrors. (Aly Laube)
Considering going vegan? Consider pumpkins. Squash your bad consumerist habits. (Aly Laube)
This is how a lot of students feel during exam season. Good luck on your midterms if you have them. (Aly Laube)
KPU has a really impressive drama program. (Aly Laube)
These folks are getting up to some spooky shenanigans just off of campus. Stay cool guys. Don’t ever change. (Aly Laube)
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Keep Yourself and Others Safe by Understanding Consent A lack of understanding about consent can make university a more dangerous place than it needs to be Kayci Roy
Consent Snakes and Ladders was created by the KSA Campaigns team to increase campus awareness about consent and healthy relationships. (Submitted) cases, from famous people like Harvey Weinstein to civilians like Brock Turner, also play a part in the increasing need for education about consent. Sexual assault can happen to anyone at any time, so using knowledge of consent can help keep people safe. It’s disappointing that consent is still a foreign term to a lot of people. Most notably, consent during sex is something we should absolutely understand and put into practice, but many don’t. Instead of being direct and asking for consent, people instead rely too heavily on reading body language, which can be confusing and potentially cause trauma. Creating awareness about consent is something that our universities are taking initiative on quicker than our governments are. Unfortunately, this means that a lot of people who don’t attend university are unable to have the education that we do. This leaves them at risk of being harmed or harming others.
A 20-month study from the Globe and Mail concluded that one in five sexual assault cases are dismissed for being baseless or unfounded. In Vancouver specifically, the number of cases determined unfounded was reported as 12 per cent. The study found that the police are incorrectly concluding that too many cases are unfounded. The government should be working to not only improve police training so this issue stops, but also to crack down on sexual assailants who know they are likely to get no more than a slap on the wrist for their crimes. Kwantlen Polytechnic University has a variety of support services, including counselling, KPU Listens, and the peer support program. If you believe that you may have been sexually assaulted, you can contact any of the KPU services mentioned above, or someone you trust. If there is a threat being made to your safety, dial 911.
Going Global: USMCA or “NAFTA 2” is a win-win-win Not much has changed, but that alone is something to celebrate Tristan Johnston | Contributor During a late night session some weeks ago, Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau walked outside of an old, wooden-doored building in the middle of the night. Reporters tried to chat with the PM, but all he had to say was that it’s a “good day for Canada.” Though the North American Free Trade Agreement wasn’t actually saved, it feels like nothing short of a miracle that, ultimately, it was only slightly tweaked. Unless you’re part of the dairy lobby, the deal is fairly good for Canadians. If the U.S. had stuck with the Trans-Pacific Partnership, they would have gotten access to 3.25 per cent of our dairy market, and in this deal, they get 3.6 per cent. The rest of us get some more duty-free leniency, a temporary bump in our currency value, and the satisfaction of averting an economic crisis. On a more frustrating note, the steel and aluminium tariffs are still in force, and a 16-year sunset clause which Canada was entirely against is part of the deal. On top of that, and perhaps more worryingly, is Article 32.10, which says that any country that wishes to trade with a “non-market” economy—such as China according to the WTO—needs to give three months’ notice. While the impacts of this clause haven’t been made entirely clear, a worst-case read of it could be a sign-off of our sovereignty. For now, the Liberals get to say that they’ve kept us out of trouble, and that they
Post-Secondary Students in Vancouver Need to Vote Elizabeth Douglas
Warning: This article contains information about sexual assault and/or violence which may be triggering to survivors. All over British Columbia, universities like Simon Fraser University, the University of British Columbia, and the University of Victoria are working on campaigns to educate students about consent. Through videos, events, and online information, the topic is becoming more and more prevalent. Student governments are encouraging people to learn what consent is and why it is extremely important in many different parts of our lives. Consent means granting permission for something to happen, which can be applied to any situation where mutual agreement is mandatory. Most often, though, it refers to communication between partners during sexual or intimate moments. Consent is a consistent agreement to do something from all parties who are sober, conscious, of legal age, and who are exhibiting free will. People who are drunk, sleeping, unwilling in any way, or flat-out saying “no” are not consenting. Anyone using body language that says they do not want to do something is not consenting. Silence from someone you’re with is never synonymous with consent. It also makes articulating the difference between having sex with someone and raping or molesting someone more and more relevant. Mass media coverage of sexual assault
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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau celebrates with Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland. (Flickr/Joseph Morris) worked across party lines to do so, since Rona Ambrose and Brian Mulroney were involved in negotiations. The Conservatives have a weaker attack line, considering that their tactics might have involved capitulation, and the NDP should hopefully rest easy knowing that automakers must pay their workers $16 per hour in all three countries. On that note, many argue that Trudeau is putting too much attention on social issues, such as worker’s, women’s, and LGBTQ+ rights. This might be a fair point when it comes to China, due to their staunch attitude towards anyone critical of their internal affairs, but in other cases, it’s a practical way of levelling the playing field. If the law requires you to pay your workers a high wage, give them safety equipment, treat them well, and so on, you have an economic disadvantage against someone who doesn’t need to do the same.
In the U.S., Trump gets to claim a trade victory, even though the deal can only be described as a series of minor tweaks at the cost of saying mean stuff about our negotiators, laying down tariffs, and starving the WTO of judges. While NAFTA certainly wasn’t “the worst trade deal in history” as Trump might have claimed, it wasn’t an act of sacrilege to update it. Since 1994, trade between the U.S. and Canada has tripled, and the nature of what we trade and how we conduct business has changed. The booming tech industry has demanded an update to the way we treat intellectual property, and the way people shop online. However, it’s still hard to say how this will affect the States’ ability to negotiate trade. Even after Trump, it will be difficult for other countries to adjust to what appears to be, on the outside, a standard of negotiating in bad faith.
On Oct. 20, Vancouverites will be voting to elect a mayor, 10 city councillors, seven commissioners for the Board of Parks and Recreation, and nine school trustees for the Vancouver School Board. That is, if they decide to vote. During the last municipal election in November 2014, residents of Metro Vancouver voiced their concerns about the issue of affordable housing. In the time between that election and this one, little progress has been made to alleviate the housing crisis, so perhaps it’s understandable that people are reluctant to make it out to the polls. If nothing has changed in four years, why try again? Writing for the Surrey Now-Leader, Katya Slepian cites an SFU research paper which found that “more than 50 per cent of Metro Vancouverites don’t believe that they can affect the way government runs.” If roughly half of all voters aren’t getting involved in provincial or federal elections, then we’re likely to get an even smaller turnout for this month’s municipal election. I think a lot of this falls on the shoulders of my generation—college-age citizens who are disenchanted with the idea of democracy. A lot of new voters, and young adults in general, don’t even know how their electoral systems operate. For instance, nearly every young person that I have talked to about the upcoming election has said that they’re not planning on voting, and many have said they haven’t voted in past elections either. Even those who do vote might simply cast their ballot for whoever their parents are voting for because they don’t know who else might deserve their support. To change this, voters need to take it upon themselves to stay up-to-date with issues concerning their own cities. As Slepian explains, “only 29 per cent [of Vancouver residents have] even attended a public consultation meeting.” This shows that, regardless of their supposed concern with current events, citizens are failing to take any initiative themselves. Young people constitute a large portion of the population in Metro Vancouver. Not only do all of our votes together make a big difference, but also, issues like unaffordable housing are going to continue affecting us directly in the future. We should put in the effort to educate ourselves on the matters at hand, decide which issues are most meaningful to us, and make our opinions heard by casting our votes. We aren’t risking anything by making our own choices for who we want to see in office, but by not voting, we are at risk of not having our voices heard at all.
14 OPINIONS
When Faith Lets You Down, Pick Yourself Back up
"At the end of the day, you will have nobody but yourself" Kayci Roy Since news broke that 300 priests in Pennsylvania were being accused of sexually assaulting more than 1,000 children, members of the Catholic faith have been expressing their disappointment in the Church. While this is only the latest in a series of Catholic sexual abuse cases that have come to light, hugely upsetting scandals like this can and do happen in any religion. After these revelations, practitioners often end up feeling confused and unsure of where to turn. Many believers even begin to question their devotion to their religion or their faith in a higher power. As someone who is not religious but has been impacted by faith a lot throughout my life, these feelings of disappointment have resonated with me. I’ve felt isolated, hated, and not accepted for who I am because of a belief system. Whether or not I was a part of a church at the time, religion somehow always comes back to hurt me. I was hurt the most when I came out as bisexual to my parents. Though my mother was seemingly okay with it, my father wasn’t. Despite the fact that he hated the religion he was raised in and didn’t want anything to do with it, his childhood had been spent sitting in the pews of a very conservative church, and that influenced his opinions even 30 years later. Church was never a place for me to go, and faith itself was like a joke to me. Feeling
alone and afraid, I remembered a quote that a close friend told me years ago, to which I’ve never found the author: “At the end of the day, you will have nobody but yourself. You will have to put yourself to bed.” When we have nowhere to go, we must remember to take care of ourselves. Life is a journey of love, suffering, joy, and sadness. If we can find solace in our hardships, it will become easier to work through them and get to the great parts of life again. If you’re a believer, remember that what matters most is your personal connection to your faith, regardless of what your religious leaders might tell you. In times of doubt, keep doing what you have been doing to feel that connection. If you believe in a higher power, you don’t need some sort of mediator to have a relationship with it. If your place of worship is pushing messages that you don’t agree with or feel uncomfortable hearing, it may be time to consider finding a new place of worship. You don’t necessarily need to give up your faith like I did. I gave up on something that brought me a lot of pain, but I know that there are so many people that religion has positively impacted, who have found acceptance and a sense of community in their places of worship. In the end, go back to where you feel safest. Don’t force a relationship with something or someone you don’t want a relationship with.
(Nat Mussell) Be truthful to yourself and how you are feeling. If faith is all you have, then be faithful. If you’re a KPU student and you feel like you need somewhere to go to, a community to rely on, or some questions answered, you can
always stop by the Multi-Faith Centre. There, they’ve created a safe space for people to be able to speak their mind freely and get help with finding their way in faith.
Hiring Instructors from Diverse Backgrounds Helps Dismantle Power Structures in Class
KPU should value instructors who have experience with the social issues they teach about Cristian Hobson-Dimas In the ceaseless struggle to achieve societal equality, the increasing number of university courses on the past and present oppression of marginalized groups is immensely helpful. When it comes to who should be teaching such courses, is it acceptable to have people in the highest position of privilege—straight, white men—standing at the head of these classrooms? “I don’t think you can fully endeavor to reduce inequity by having white male settler profs talk about inequity,” says Tawahum Justin Bige, a Lutsel K’e Dene and Plains Cree activist and creative writing major at KPU. “I often feel like I am the one teaching the class about the oppression that impacts Indigenous people. I have the lived experience that most profs don’t, so they tend to be more hesitant. Lived experience is crucial, especially in creating a more conducive and motivating environment for students who share that identity.” Although my own interaction with such course content is from a position of privilege, I can personally attest to the difference made by whether your instructor identifies with the oppressor or the oppressed. In a class I took on Victorian poetry, instructor Kiran Toor made a point of focusing on feminist literary movements of the era. The semester offered a captivating look into how women challenged and overcame sexist power structures which had blatantly favoured males, not just in literature but in society. The pas-
sion with which Kiran showed us the power of poets such as Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Christina Rossetti was crucial to my understanding of the anti-patriarchal themes that permeated the literature of the era. I had a different experience with an American Literature course taught by one of the qualified, but in many ways, wholly interchangeable, white male professors. While there was an attempt to focus on inclusive content such as Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin In The Sun, I mostly remember being on my phone instead of following along with readings of Gatsby, which took up more space than any piece of literature in our curriculum. Upon reflection and comparison with Kiran’s class, I recall American Literature being taught to us with the enthusiasm of someone whose academic position had not been challenged throughout his entire career. In Kiran’s case, I couldn’t help but think that she taught Victorian Poetry feeling empowered by the feminist writings she lectured on, and how they historically paved the way for her to be able to receive an Oxford education and ultimately become an esteemed English professor. For me, her personal connection and identification with the course material made for an intellectually stimulating and socially enlightening semester. Having professors who identify with the issues of oppression covered in the curriculum they teach is important for creating representation in positions of status and a more
(@RESLUS) engaging learning environment. Tawahum feels that “there should be more BIPOC [Black, Indigenous and People of Colour] in the institution—not just as professors, but making decisions as well." "You’ll find these issues coming up less and less if we have them at the top, too," he says. Perhaps, from day to day, the way your instructor identifies is less concerning than their score on ratemyprofessors.com. But ask
yourself these questions: If the majority of classes on social issues and oppression are taught by straight white males in positions of privilege, isn’t the university perpetuating the harmful structures that these classes teach about? And if our university—named after the Kwantlen First Nation—does not make efforts towards more inclusive representation in positions of power, how progressive can it really claim to be?
COLUMNS
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Afterthought: Municipal Election Shenanigans Continue in Surrey Surrey can be added to the list of municipalities with elections beset by controversy Braden Klassen | Staff Writer It’s strange to think of how interesting this year’s municipal election season has already been, especially when you consider the fact that people haven’t even started voting yet. So far, we’ve seen shady party advertising that bends election rules in Vancouver, candidates being cited for unprofessional conduct in Richmond and West Vancouver, a mayoral candidate being financially audited by the RCMP in Chilliwack, and now allegations of widespread organized voter fraud in Surrey. Wake Up Surrey, a grassroots community group that advocates for safety in the city, raised concerns that certain groups were attempting to fraudulently use people’s personal information to dupe the absentee mail-in-ballot system in the hopes of giving some candidates additional votes. A few days later, Surrey's chief elections officer, Anthony Capuccinello Iraci, publicly confirmed that the city was already looking at approximately 160 suspicious applications for absentee mail-in ballots. In order to prevent any more potentially fraudulent applications, they changed the process so that now voters now have to present personal identification and sign for the mail-in package in person. Needless to say, requiring someone to be physically present to apply for a mail-in ballot seems to kind of defeat the purpose of having an absentee voting system, but it’s a necessary step to take in order to preserve the fairness of the election. Democracy is about representation. It’s about the freedom of choice in determining our leadership. It’s about giving people a
Community organization Wake Up Surrey alleges it has received reports of election fraud. (Kristen Frier) chance to speak up and voice their opinions in order to drive the positive changes they wish to see in their city. Intentionally subverting the balance of fairness in a municipal election is an affront to everyone who has the ability to vote, and can be divisive and seriously damaging to a community in the long run. In an open letter to the RCMP published in September, Wake Up Surrey also said that they had “learned of vote buying offers in the South Asian community,” which just adds to the perception that Surrey’s election might
essentially be rigged in favour of otherwise undeserving candidates. For their part, both Wake Up Surrey and other media outlets reporting on the story have opted to maintain the anonymity of people coming forward with information about the people behind these schemes. This is partly because, for some of them, their employers are the people being implicated in the allegations. On its Facebook page, Wake Up Surrey has publicly accused supporters of Tom Gill’s candidacy of being complicit in the fraudu-
lent tactics, and said that, to their knowledge, “no other municipal campaign is acting in such a manner.” Gill defended himself, saying that he believes he’s being targeted by a smear campaign. Hopefully, we’ll find out soon enough. The RCMP are investigating the allegations and have said they will release a public update in the near future. For now, all we can do is sit and wait to see who really is involved and if they will face any charges when it’s all over.
Artist Spotlight: The Sylvia Platters The Abbotsford group’s next record, a split 12-inch called Shadow Steps, will be out before Halloween Aly Laube | Editor in Chief Not quite shoegaze, not quite pop, and worlds away from the valley’s acoustic and metal communities, The Sylvia Platters have been standing out in the Abbotsford music scene since 2013. Their next record, a split 12-inch with Stephen Carl O’Shea from You Say Party, will be streaming online on Oct. 19. Side A belongs to The Sylvia Platters with six songs, and side B to O’Shea with five. The title, Shadow Steps—which appears in lyrics throughout the whole album—refers to “those tentative actions or movements that you want to make but you’re not making,” according to Platters guitarist and vocalist Nick Ubels. “Also, I think it reflects the dualism at play on both sides of the record, one side being the shadow of the other,” he adds. The six tracks written by the band are moody but comforting, led by heavy, dissonant guitars and backed by ethereal harmonies. They’re noisy and sludgy enough to be reminiscent of classic groups like Smashing Pumpkins and My Bloody Valentine but playful enough to be likened to more modern favourites like Nana Grizol and Yuck. On the flip, O’Shea’s style is gloomier and more pensive, but possesses the same dark style as the content from the Platters.
“Stephen’s side is quite different from ours, but I think they complement each other thematically and musically,” says Nick. “His is a little more minimal and a moody, somber kind of thing. On the other hand, because our sound is a little bit more upbeat … it complements certain aspects of his side of the record. As a project, it has some really interesting aspects. I think the two sides go really well together.” While he’s hesitant to categorize the band as a shoegaze project, bassist Scott Wagner does say that Shadow Steps is closer to falling into that genre than any of their previous releases have been so far. “I wouldn’t say we’re a shoegaze band, but we have our feet in the water for sure,” he says. “We’re not necessarily a band that tries to seek out bands from the 90s. I think that’s just the kind of music that we love.” Some of the other themes included on the upcoming release are “communication between people, barriers to that, [and] overcoming those barriers,” according to Nick and Tim Ubels, the primary songwriters for the band. “I don’t want to tell people what to think about what the lyrical content is or make too many big, sweeping statements, but there’s something about self-actualizing in there too—sort of living your life the way you want to live it as opposed to getting stuck in routines that are, maybe not even unhealthy, but
Sylvia Platters, a genre-bending Abbotsford-based group. (Submitted) just not what you want for yourself,” says Nick. The Sylvia Platters will be playing two release shows with Stephen Carl O’Shea in celebration of Shadow Steps—one at
I-Lead-Abbey on Friday, Oct. 19 with Energy Slime and another at Avant-Garden on Sunday, Oct. 21 with Harlequin Gold.
PROCRASTINATION HOROSCOPES
Sagittarius
Capricorn
Aquarius
Abandon all hope. “Yeet,” who enter here.
Picture this: you are born into a cold and unforgiving world, a child of no God, and you look like a lobster, but worse.
You have been described not uncommonly by your friends as a young gentleman with a distinctive blend of airy nonchalance and refined gormlessness.
Pisces
Aries
Taurus
It wasn’t that long ago that you were in a little lamborghini, sleeping on bookshelves in the Hollywood Hills, with only $47-billion in your bank account and only 47 billion lamborghinis in your lamborghini account.
Sufjan Stevens has been brought into custody. You are finally safe.
Render unto Little Caesars what is Little Caesars.
Gemini
Cancer
Leo
Get out of my backyard before the police come.
When all you have is an ice pick, every problem looks like someone you should murder with an ice pick.
The newscaster is telling you the monsters will look like people you love, people you trust. But your mother says the newscaster is wrong, and so does the newscaster’s mother.
Virgo
Libra
Scorpio
Your extensive plastic surgery was both a necessity and a mistake.
Once again your life will be made immeasurably worse due to a brush with musical theatre.
By the end of the week you will be mauled by the bear of bad news.
Nov. 23 - Dec 21
Dec. 22 - Jan 20
Feb 20 - Mar 20
Jan 21 - Feb 19
Mar 21 - Apr 19
May 21 - Jun 20
Apr 20 - May 20
Jul 24 - Aug 23
Jun 21 - Jul 23
Aug 24 - Sept 23
Sept 24 - Oct 23
Oct 24 - Nov 22
I S SI O
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DM
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VANCOUVER CONVENTION CENTRE Expo: 1 pm - 5 pm Free Seminars: 12 noon - 5 pm
ISSIO DM
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OCTOBER 21
A
Canada’s Largest International University and Student Travel Expo
www.studyandgoabroad.com
Excuse me sir. Why would I buy this?
uhhh.. because you can’t get the milk for free..