The Runner Volume 10, Issue 1 by The Runner

VOLUME 10 // ISSUE 1 august 29 2017 runnermag.ca

WELCOME BACK Starting the fall semester on the right foot

News

Feature

Opinion

The Thin Line Between Support and Enforcement on the Surrey Strip

KPU’s Hangry Students Speak Out About Eating Under Sodexo’s Shadow

B.C.’s Hotel Boom has the City Soaring to Unaffordable Heights

2 table of contents

staff

Coordinating Editor Alyssa Laube editor@runnermag.ca

Managing Editor

Connor Doyle managing@runnermag.ca

Production Manager

Melanie Tan production@runnermag.ca

Art Director

Nicole Kwit art@runnermag.ca

Photo Editor

Braden Klassen photos@runnermag.ca

Staff Writer

Joseph Keller staff@runnermag.ca

Web Editor

Mel Pomerleau web@runnermag.ca

Community Reporter

Ashley Hyshka community@runnermag.ca

News|the thin line between support and enforcement

When the Outreach Team was first announced it drew immediate support from Surrey businesses but skepticism from many in the homeless population who feel like they have been stigmatised and marginalised by the police.

10 16 18

features|eating under sodexo’s shadow

culture|kdocs: five years in the making

The origins of the festival can be traced back to 2012, after KPU instructor Janice Morris hosted a documentary screening of the film Miss Representation, which takes a critical look at the media for perpetuating gender stereotypes.

opinions|the unaffordable heights of b.c.’s hotel boom

The construction of the Civic Hotel only perpetuates the social and economic divide felt across Greater Vancouver. The new, extravagant property will no doubt cater to upper and upper-middle class individuals … while the citizens of Greater Vancouver are left in the dark when it comes to affording their own accommodations.

Operations Manager Scott Boux office@runnermag.ca 778.565.3801

#FeatureTweets

contributors Yuta Anonuevo Neil Bassan Kyrsten Downton Tristan Johnston Amei-lee Laboucan Nat Mussell Tae Whitehouse

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. 1 August 29 2017 ISSN# 1916 8241

Fall Semester 2017 Student Publication Fee opt-outs available in person from Sept. 5 - Oct. 31. Student ID & proof of registration and payment required. PIPS office: Arbutus 3710, Surrey Campus.

Hours: 10 - 5 Monday to Friday. Phone: 778-565-3801 Email: office@runnermag.ca

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 Kwantlen is adaptable and changing so is The Runner.

editorial 3

From The Editor

Time management in university is a balancing act

(Nicole Kwit)

Alyssa Laube | coordinating Editor Every seasoned university student knows what it’s like to be crushed under the burdens of academic stress. Whether it happens an hour before an important exam you forgot to study for, during your first day on-campus, or right before you graduate, the best thing you can do for yourself is to prepare not only to learn and make memories, but also for times of turmoil and fatigue. When deadlines are stacking up around you and it feels like you’re

going to burst if you add one more assignment to your agenda, take a minute to sit down, drink some water, listen to your favourite song, and calm down. You won’t be able to make progress if you’re too frazzled to think, so invest some time in getting to know yourself and what you need to be content with your bustling post-secondary life. It might take some time to figure out what your go-tos for decompressing are. If it ends up being a few hours in bed watching Netflix or taking a long, tearful shower, do yourself

a favour: accept it with open arms. As students, we’re often taught to believe that our grades come before everything else. And they do matter, but what matters more is how happy you are in your everyday life. Simple pleasures can have an invaluable effect on your peace of mind, and the best way to succeed in something— academic or otherwise—is to genuinely want to succeed at it. Student anxiety descends on most of us at one point or another. Some of us have pre-existing mental and physical health conditions, issues with our

personal lives, and additional barriers to enjoying our time at university that add to that weight on our shoulders. Moving into our twenties, many of us are under the looming expectation of living the best years of our lives while stumbling along the rocky road to adulthood. Mature learners here often have dependents to take care of, bills to pay, and learning curves to tackle at school. Meanwhile, world politics refuse to slow down. Headlines these days are threatening and incessant, and we as youth are responsible for being aware of the issues that are encroaching on us and others around the world, no matter how much they scare us. All of this is hard to take when you’re trying to be a well-rounded, happy individual, but it’s also inevitable. And that’s okay. There will be days when you feel your head in the clouds and your nerves on edge no matter what you do. Do your best to be ready for that, and be kind to yourself. Have your list of things to do at the ready in case life starts getting too hard for you to finish that essay or crack open another textbook, and know that the vast majority of your peers around you know how you feel. Reach out and ask for help if you need it, and remember: KPU is a community. Try to be there for one another this semester, but first and foremost, always make sure that you’re there for yourself.

RCMP Warns of Ongoing Cyber Extortion Scheme

News Brief

joseph keller | staff writer The RCMP is asking universities in B.C. to warn students about an ongoing cyber extortion scheme targeting Chinese people in Canada, including international students. In several reported cases, Chinese students in Metro Vancouver received automated calls from people claiming to be Chinese authorities with the goal of manipulating victims to comply with their demands. The RCMP outlined the details of the scheme in a release on their website. In each instance, scammers pretended to be an authority figure with the Chinese police or consulate. The victim is told that their personal information has been compromised and that they are now associated with crimes committed in China. A series of demands is made of the victim, and they are told that if they do not com-

ply, their family will be harmed. At the same time, the victim’s parents in China are contacted and told that their children are being held against their will, leading to a demand for money. “From our conversations with the [Chinese] consulate general, they’ve told us that, should someone be in trouble in China, they would not be contacted by an automated phone message. It’s just not how this would occur,” says RCMP Staff Sergeant Annie Linteau. “It’s just very important that the victims contact us right away and not after the fact.” In the release, the RCMP was purposefully vague about how targeted individuals are being instructed to proceed by scammers. They don’t want targeted individuals to believe that the contacts they received are legitimate, should their instructions fail to match the scenario described by RCMP exactly.

The RCMP urge anyone who receives one of these automated phone calls to refuse to comply with any of the demands made and to contact the police immediately. “We are very concerned that there may be more victims and we do understand that people may have some apprehension about coming forward, but I want to assure you that the police are here to help you and we will thoroughly investigate these incidents,” wrote Linteau, in the press release issued by the RCMP. As of now, few details about the progress of the active investigation are available. “The most important thing right now is for the public to be aware,” says Linteau. “We’ve reached out to the media to make sure that those who appear to be targeted are aware that this is happening.”

What’s Happening this month

Sept 2

richmond world festival The annual Richmond World Festival showcases some of the brightest talent the Lower Mainland has to offer. There will be dancers, singers, poets, artisans, craftspeople, food trucks, and this year the festival is being headlined by Tokyo Police Club. 11:00 am - 11:00 pm, Granville Avenue, Richmond, free.

sept

5-8

welcome week

This event offers a whole week (well, really four days) for getting to know your university better. Each campus will feature the event on a different day, so mark your calendar based on which campus you regularly attend. We’ll see you there! 11:00 am - 2:00 pm, all KPU campuses, free.

sept 11-21 dis/orientation days

Every year, to ring in the fall semester, KPIRG holds its Dis/Orientation series to let KPU students know that there’s more to attending university than what the administration might tell you. Check out the ad in this issue for details on each event. Various times across all KPU campuses, free.

sept 16

bike the night

Hub Cycling is hosting Vancouver’s only night riding event which hopes to be 5,000 cyclists strong. KPU students can register for the event and join their friends in the night ride by emailing sustainability@kusa.ca. Make sure to bring your own bike. 6:00 pm - 9:30 pm, Concord Pacific Place, $15.

sept 18

canadian shoreline clean-up Help keep your country beautiful by taking part in the shoreline clean up. Volunteers will meet at the Grassroots Cafe before heading over to the Serpentine Greenway. Remember to bring gardening gloves and sturdy shoes! 1:30 pm, Grassroots Cafe, free.

4 news

alan davis reflects on his first term as kpu president Through the past five years, Davis has learned how to better navigate his presidency

KPU President and Vice-Chancellor Alan Davis announces in 2014 that KPU will expand into Surrey’s downtown core with a fifth campus at 3 Civic Plaza. (Courtesy of KPU)

alyssa laube | coordinating editor As the President of Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Alan Davis has been praised, condemned, and often called on for comment regarding community issues over the past five years. Since beginning his first term in 2012, he has been faced with issues such as the once-possible Kinder Morgan-KPU memorandum of understanding, the lack of available

space for students, staff, and faculty on campus, and everyday concerns raised by those working and studying at the university. He has also achieved a great deal since being appointed, playing a personal role in improving the status of KPU, creating a more transparent relationship between university administration and students, and striving to diversify programming as much as possible. “Obviously, when I was hired in

2012, I thought I was pretty damn good,” says Davis, who had previously been President at an American college and a Vice President Academic for a number of different institutions. “I think the thing that surprised me about KPU is that it’s a very complex and large institution. It really forces you as a president to decide where you’re going to focus your attention.” In the end, Davis set his attention primarily on finding a reliable team to work with, and to making decisions

that are “more strategic, more external, and more impactful on the institution from [his] relationship with the government and industry.” “I learned some patience and something about persistence. You come in with a lot of hope and expectations and suddenly you realize, ‘Hold on a minute. I’m going to have to rebuild things. I’m going to have to think about things more, and I’m going to have to think about the longer game,’” he says. “With my second term and transitioning, I want to be much more strategic about how I spend my time on things that really will impact KPU.” One way that Davis hopes to accomplish that goal is to ensure that in-depth community consultations are held before the university makes any important decisions. Revisiting KPU’s policies to include consultation was a part of his efforts to move towards inclusivity and transparency with the administration—as was working on efficiency in the Board of Governors and Senate. Yet conflict still occasionally arises between the administration and KPU’s faculty, staff, and students. “There are no secrets, but the downside of not having any secrets is that you know when people disagree with you, and you have to be able to roll with that,” says Davis. One such conflict is the ongoing debate surrounding space allocation on-campus. With the newly-signed Maple Leaf Education MOU, international high school students will soon be using university space for their studies—a notion which many KPU students and faculty have taken

issue with due to struggles with finding the space they need. “Our overall utilization rate isn’t 100 per cent. There is space, but it depends on the time of day,” says Davis. “If we had more classes stretched out from 8:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m., we would have available space … It’s just being more directive and having better information and being able to say that we can avoid these clashes if we use the full timetable. We can use all our campuses and try to keep accessibility for students.” The new KPU campuses, such as the design school and Civic Plaza, will also provide more space for the community in the future, and Davis is hoping to build another classroom block or potentially student residences on the Surrey campus. Over the next five years, he plans to continue bolstering community engagement, expansion south of the Fraser, and KPU’s reputation as a polytechnic university. Davis also aims to provide an education for first-generation learners, mature learners, and anyone else who is regularly faced with barriers to going to school. “We do things differently. We do things well. We serve students in our region,” says Davis. “It’s about making people think more positively and consistently about KPU and its role in the higher education system, and being proud of that.”

KSA By-Election to be Held Oct. 17-19 Nominations will be open from Sept. 5 to 26

joseph keller | staff writer As the fall semester welcomes new and returning students to KPU, the Kwantlen Student Association is gearing up for a mid-term by-election. The KSA hopes to see several student representative positions filled, some of which the association has had difficulty finding candidates for in recent years. “There’s a lot of different spots right now that are going to be up and available and we’re hoping to engage as many students as possible to try to get people to run for those spots,” says KSA President Tanvir Singh. Nominations will open on Sept. 5—a date chosen to coincide with the fall semester Welcome Week— and close on Sept. 26. The campaign period will run from Sept. 26 to Oct. 17, while student voting will be held from Oct. 17 to 19. The positions that will be open include the Aboriginal Students Rep., International Students Rep., Students of Colour Rep., Queer Students Rep., Langley Rep., Richmond Rep., Ac-

ademic and Career Advancement Rep., Design Rep., Health Rep., Science & Horticulture Rep., and Trades & Technology Rep. Currently, many of these roles are being filled by acting representatives, elected at the KSA’s Annual General Meeting in March. Singh admits that the KSA has had a hard time finding candidates to fill these positions in the past. The association has only had one full time Health Rep. in its history, and Singh attributes this to the demanding nature of KPU’s Faculty of Health programs which, particularly after the first year, takes up most of students’ time and leaves them unable to commit to the KSA. Shorter programs, such as trades and technology, present a problem for students hoping to get involved with student government because of their duration. Trades students usually don’t attend KPU long enough to become acquainted with the KSA. Additionally, the KSA has had problems finding students engaged enough with the university to express interest

in these positions. “Sometimes students don’t have the opportunity to see what the KSA does. Sometimes they see it as kind of a daunting task and a little bit too much for them to handle. Sometimes they don’t think it’s worth their time,” says Singh. “But we like to think that as soon as students do get involved with the KSA they find that we’re definitely a worthwhile endeavor and we’re definitely a great place for them to grow, both professionally and personally.” This year, the KSA is hoping to maximize student engagement with the by-election by having a prominent presence at Welcome Week. By doing this, the KSA hopes to find new students who are interested in getting involved with the campus community. “We’re hoping that, while we’re engaging with students and putting the money and effort into Welcome Week, we’ll also be able to engage students to sign up for the by-elections at the same time.” Singh explains that the ideal candi-

The KSA’s Chief Returning Officer, Ron Laufer, will be overseeing the association’s by-election this fall. (Alyssa Laube) dates for these positions are students willing to dedicate themselves to the job, balance the KSA with their other commitments, and have the ability to learn and ask a lot of questions while working. Most of all, Singh says that the ideal candidate will care about KPU students and the KPU community. He also notes that, as some of the

current KSA executives are planning to graduate and move on from the KSA over the next few semesters, an opportunity is opening up for new KSA members to step into those high-ranking roles. “Now’s the perfect time for anyone that wants to become an executive to really get involved with the KSA,” says Singh.

News 5

The Institution of Kari Michaels

Starting the feminist collective and building student advocacy are just some of her KPU accomplishments

tristan johnston | contributor If you’ve had a dispute with the university, gotten involved with the KSA in the last few years, or been to a WOOW meeting, then you’ve likely been in the same room as Kari Michaels. Though she is currently on leave, she has been the student association’s records coordinator for years, and somewhat more recently, an instrumental part of the Students Rights Centre. Michaels has also served as a student senator at the university for three terms. When she first started with the KSA, Michaels says that “advocacy was something that was provided, and it was generally through a position on [KSA] Council” with the help of a general manager or staff member. However, when the association began collecting a fee to fund student advocacy in 2009, their services became much more robust. “We started drafting up a terms of reference for our service, and that’s where the shift into creating a students rights centre came from,” says Michaels. The Students Rights Centre was established several years ago and is often used by students who have a dispute with the university, or who otherwise must navigate the administrative system. Cases that the centre handles can be complaints against instructors, the university itself, or even tenancy issues, though Michaels

is careful to note that they don’t specialize in the Tenancy Act. ”We help [students] understand the process that’s in place through KPU’s policies, find out what it is that has happened, and how they can best take that forward to be handled with the university,” she says. While Michaels has lately been most active with the SRC, she’s still found time to remain involved with Linking Intersectional Feminists Together (LIFT), KPU’s on-campus feminist collective, which she helped create. “It was 2011, and we had basically gone through a KSA election,” she says. “There was an incident that arose that targeted one of the candidates … for being a woman, and it was incredibly shocking that that would happen in 2011.” Shortly after the election, Michaels founded LIFT—then known as Women Organizing Opportunities for Women (WOOW)—with two other women from the student association. “We had people signing up and people who wanted to be part of it,” says Michaels. “We need something on campus to give people a confidence that they’re going to be supported if they choose to put themselves out there, and that there’s a community behind them that’s going to say, ‘We’re not going to stand for misogyny or sexism on campus.’” Along with LIFT, Michaels also started the now-defunct Greymatters

Philosophy Club as well as the Animal Rights Collective. She says that LIFT played a part in establishing the President’s Diversity and Equity Committee at KPU, along with other campus groups such as the recently founded Let’s Be Compassionate Club, which focuses on animal and environmental rights. Years ago, Michaels wouldn’t have thought she would be so active in the KPU community. “I think when I first came into [KPU], I was just expecting to go to class, and you know, maybe make some friends. I had zero assumptions about what going to university would be about, particularly for me, because I didn’t see myself as a very involved person,” she says. It wasn’t until she got involved with the KSA’s Welcome Week that she realized “trying to do different things, seeing what’s not happening, what people are struggling with and where you could lend a hand … makes a huge difference in terms of what’s possible.” “To me, it isn’t about what I’ve done or what I could do, it’s what students working together have been able to accomplish,” says Michaels. “A lot of what I have done was a result of recognising that there was some power imbalance or injustice happening where voices weren’t being heard. We’re much more powerful when we act collectively.” Michaels’ belief in collective ac-

Kari Michaels has been an important part of the KPU community for years, but has recently accepted a position with the British Columbia Government and Service Employees’ Union. (Tristan Johnston) tion is now exemplified by her success in becoming an Executive Vice President of the B.C. Government and Service Employees Union, making her one of the youngest labour leaders in Canada. As for what Michaels plans to do

after she’s done at KPU, she’s still not sure. Whatever it is, she says it will be with a focus on “changing things for the better.”

NDP Reintroduces tuition-Free ABE and ESL Courses at B.C.’s Post-Secondary Schools Students and educators applaud the province’s decision to scrap adult education tuition

joseph keller | staff writer B.C. Premier John Horgan announced on Aug. 8 that the province will restore funding to allow institutions like Kwantlen Polytechnic University to offer adult basic education (ABE) and English as a second language (ESL) courses without charge. The decision reverses a 2015 move by the provincial government under former Premier Christy Clark to cut funding to institutions for ABE and ESL courses. As a result of those cuts, institutions across the country, including KPU, began charging up to $1,600 for a full course load for classes that had previously been free. Predictably, enrolment plummeted. Information on how taxpayers will be affected by free ABE and ESL courses will be outlined in the September provincial budget update. Since the announcement was made, organisations like the Federation of Post-Secondary Educators of B.C. and the Alliance of BC Students have put out statements in support. “I’m really excited that the government has been in power for just over three weeks and they’ve already been

doing a lot of wins for students,” says Kwantlen Student Association Vice President External Affairs and Alliance of B.C. Students Chairperson Caitlin McCutchen. Like other organisations, the Alliance of B.C. Students has lobbied the provincial government for the return of ABE and ESL funding. The return of the funding and the re-elimination of tuition fees for these courses were the focus of the ABCS’ 2015 Lobby

Days campaign. In their press release following the Premier’s announcement, the ABCS points out the importance of these courses for students belonging to marginalised groups that are striving for higher education. McCutchen herself says that she benefited from tuition-free courses before the 2015 decision was made. “This is opening up doors for people that don’t have the $1,600 to pay

for a Grade 12 class, and quite frankly, kindergarten to Grade 12 is a basic right,” says McCutchen. The province’s decision was welcome news to KPU Department of Academic and Career Preparation Chair Geoff Dean who, in 2015, pushed for the university to maintain free tuition for continuous intake courses despite the government’s funding cut. After this latest change regarding ABE and ESL courses was made public, Dean

The NDP government announced that they are making adult basic education and English as a second language education free for British Columbians. (Flickr/Province of British Columbia)

sent a letter to South Fraser MLAs and local newspapers applauding the province’s decision. “Thank goodness that our provincial government has decided to reopen the doors for the many people in our province who need a bit more education to be able to get a job, get off welfare, and contribute positively to our economy and our communities,” Dean wrote. However, Dean also points out remaining issues at KPU with access to adult basic education. He argues that KPU needs to receive more funding for ABE programs so that it can offer enough student spaces to meet local demand. “The arguments for how making ABE and ESL tuition-free will be good for our society by enabling more people to improve their education also apply to the importance of increasing the number of seats available in these programs.” says Dean. “Tuition-free doesn’t help if there aren’t spaces available for students.”

6 news

The Thin Line Between Support and Enforcement on the Surrey Strip

The Surrey Outreach Team was created to provide support for the homeless on one street, but critics argue it can do more harm than good

joseph keller | staff writer According to the city, the Surrey Outreach Team was created as a means of providing comprehensive support for people living on the Surrey Strip, and since its launch last December it has shown some encouraging results. Critics, however, argue that centering resources around a single stretch of road overemphasizes police enforcement and focuses more on hiding Surrey’s homeless population than improving their quality of life. “The whole focus seems to be keeping people contained on this one little strip of cement,” says PJ Lilley, a Whalley resident and member of the Surrey homeless advocacy organization Alliance Against Displacement. 135A Street and the area around it—which is often referred to as the “Strip”—has long been a spot for Surrey’s homeless to set up camp. The city’s homeless population has grown significantly over the past few years as the affordable housing crisis has forced more people out of their homes and onto the street, and their situation is made all the more dangerous by the ongoing opioid epidemic. In response to this, the city launched the Surrey Outreach Team, which consists of 12 RCMP officers and four city bylaw officers, all dedicated to the area around 135A Street. The team is also partnered with organisations such as Fraser Health, which operates a safe injection site on the Strip. At the time of the Outreach announcement in December, Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner told the media that the team would “provide 24/7 visible presence of police, bylaws, and social services to help those in need, increase the public safety and the protection of property of area businesses and residents, and target those who are preying on the vulnerable in the area.” “In the past, the primary function of the police in that area has been enforcement … but now our focus is supporting the homeless and addicted and the people with mental health issues,” says Corporal Scotty Schumann, an RCMP media relations officer.

Homeless residents’ tents and belongings are placed temporarily in the Surrey Legion parking lot while city crews prepare the Strip for a weekly cleaning. (Joseph Keller) Today the Strip is home to over 50 people. The left side of the street is lined from end to end with tents and the worldly belongings of their inhabitants. On the other side is a shelter operated by Lookout Society, which provides food and some beds, the Fraser Health safe injection site, and a small, recently constructed building that operates as a base of operations for the RCMP. Where the city’s efforts have undeniably been successful is in preventing overdose deaths. The Vancouver Sun reported in February that there has been a marked decrease in visits to Surrey Memorial Hospital for overdoses, and Schumann says that calls to the police for assistance to the area have also dropped dramatically. “That can be attributed to several things, but certainly the police are a part of that,” says Schumann Still, a visit to the Strip quickly reveals that life there remains grim. While organisations like Lookout Society and NightShift Street Ministries do their best to keep basic necessities readily available, many other basic needs are barely being met. Three portajohns are available and are emptied regularly by the city, but the job of cleaning them usually falls to the residents of the Strip who choose to step up for the unpleasant task. A single shower is available at the shelter, and the wait to use it usually takes days. While homeless people living on the Strip are free to come and go as they please, there is a perception among them that the area functions as a sort of “open-air prison.”

Schumann says that the RCMP never forces anyone to go to the Strip, but since camping is heavily discouraged in most other parts of the city and people doing so risk losing their belongings, the Strip is effectively the only option for many who are forced to sleep outside in Surrey. When the Outreach Team was born it drew immediate support from Surrey businesses, but also skepticism from many members of the homeless population who feel like they have been stigmatised and marginalised by the police. Critics like Lilley believe that an unstated goal of the project is to keep the city’s homeless population out of sight and out of mind while the area around the Strip is gentrified for businesses and condominiums. Additionally, advocates of the city’s homeless population argue that homeless voices should have been consulted in the program’s planning process. As far as Lilley is concerned, city resources would be better spent on more social housing programs. She believes that regular, heavy police enforcement is the wrong approach to outreach. “The number of ways that this money could have been spent by the city to actually help people, it really shows that the priority is just about businesses in the area and gentrification in the area and getting rid of visible homelessness instead of actually helping people,” says Lilley. For those living on the Strip, holding on to what few personal possessions they have is a full time job. This was true before the launch of

Candice Lander sits with her dog outside her tent on 135A Street. Lander’s other dog, Caesar, was taken by bylaw enforcement weeks earlier after an incident involving another dog. After several attempts to get him returned, Caesar was euthanized. (Joseph Keller)

the Outreach Team, but according to Strip resident Tim Carter, the new procedures brought in by RCMP bylaw officers have made keeping their belongings more difficult. “Our normal existence, the thing we gotta do every day, is run around and make sure we’re all tidy when the police and the city come by so that they don’t take something dear to us,” says Carter. He says that he has had officials take away items that are deemed “not necessities,” and that when items are left unattended they are often thrown away. Personally, he has seen people lose military medals, pictures of family, medication, and electronics. “They technically want us to carry everything in a backpack and that’s impossible. For me, I can’t even dream of that,” says Carter. “For anyone who thinks we’re just a lazy lot, I guarantee that me and a lot of my friends work harder than most people do at jobs just to keep what we have,” says Zach, another resident of the Strip, who preferred that his last name not be published. On Wednesdays, the city cleans the street in a process that can be the most stressful part of the week for homeless residents. People are given a warning at 6:30 am that, at some point, a garbage truck and a cleaning crew will be coming through, and anything left in its way will be lost to the trash compactor. The morning is often a mad rush of activity as people try to save their belongings. The Outreach Team’s 12 officers dedicated exclusively to monitoring the small stretch of street make many of the people living there uneasy. Police make an effort to know everyone who stays on the Strip, which means checking IDs of all new arrivals and doing head checks to see who is staying in each tent. Schumann says that the RCMP is not there to conduct surveillance on the people of the Strip, but that an important focus for officers on the Outreach Team is building trusting relationships with the people there. “We don’t overextend our authority in that area,” he says. “However, we do make an effort to know who’s there and build relationships, and

when you build relationships you increase trust, and when you have more trust then it’s more likely that those that are in that area are going to reach out to police and partners in the area for assistance.” For many of the people on the Strip, however, that trust is simply not there. Carter says that he has seen and experienced tense arguments between officers and homeless people that quickly become violent. He believes that many people there are afraid to speak to police when they have problems. Long-time Strip resident Jen Weeks says that she has both seen and experienced verbal abuse from officers, although their conduct varies from night to night. She believes that some of the officers are strongly biased towards the homeless who live there. “They’ve gotten worse, like an iron fist rule, but they try to be a little nicer with, like, ‘Hey, I like your hair,’ or saying ‘Hi,’” says Weeks. “I’m like, ‘We’re not friends.’” These reports are echoed by homeless advocates like Lilley who have seen similar incidents between homeless individuals and officers while on the Strip. Erin Schulte, an advocate and founder of the Surrey Pop Up Soup Kitchen movement, told The Runner in July that she has seen the police treat the homeless in the area unfairly. “They’ve got the worst job in the world some days,” she said. “But there’s a way that you have to treat humans and there’s a level of respect, even when they’re not respecting you.” In response to the critical reports made by people on the Strip, Schumann asks that any issues be brought to the attention of the RCMP. “We’re professionals and we expect a high level of professionalism from all of our officers, and that means treating all persons with respect,” he says. “I can just say that if someone takes issue with the way they’ve been treated by an officer, there are several complaint processes that are available, and those issues can be worked through.”

news 7

Burnaby City Government and “Demovictions” Protesters Clash Over Metrotown Plan

The government views the plan as progress, while protestors see it as vulnerable people being evicted

Ashley Hyshka | Community Reporter Burnaby City Council unanimously approved the controversial “Metrotown Development Plan”, which calls for 3,000 units of affordable low-rise apartment buildings to be demolished and replaced with highrise condominiums, on July 24, 2017. The plan would evict 6,000 residents from their homes, but would also see the redevelopment of Metropolis at Metrotown from a massive shopping complex into a pedestrian-friendly street front with stores and retailers. Despite public resistance, Burnaby City Councillor Colleen Jordan views the plan as progress. She calls it “a vision for increasing the density of Metrotown, for providing more jobs … office space, and commercial space than is allowed presently.” Jordan says that the Metrotown plan is designed to accommodate a 40-year growth projection for the City of Burnaby, in which an estimated 125,000 residents will move into the area over the next four decades. “These are the kind of long-term plans that it’s our duty as a city to work towards,” she says. Jordan calls the plan a “more modern way of doing things … [Burnaby residents can] live upstairs, go down the elevator, do their shopping, go to their Starbucks. Then if they want to go downtown, they just hop on

the SkyTrain, which is half a block away.” With the redevelopment plan approved, Metrotown is slated to become Burnaby’s official downtown core. The target is for Burnaby to add 2,000 or more new units of housing every year over the next 40 years. Protesters, however, have not remained silent regarding the Metrotown plan. Jordan says she’s met with “loud and vocal” protestors who are pushing back against the project. “We listen, but we also listen to the people that maybe don’t have quite as loud a voice, or have quite the profile that they do, who see that this is an opportunity,” says Jordan. “I live here, I talk to people who live in that area … They’re not happy that their building may someday be gone, but a lot of them understand that’s progress.” “People are choosing to come and live here, and we have to find a place for them to live,” she adds. Rick McGowan of the Metrotown Resident’s Association is one citizen who’s been fighting back against the plan. “I thought there was a need for a voice for the residents of Metrotown,” he says. The Metrotown Resident’s Association, in collaboration with ACORN BC and Alliance Against Displacement, has been working to have this issue of “demovictions” brought to the attention of the media and the lo-

Approved unanimously by Burnaby City Council, the controversial Metrotown Plan is slated to redevelop Metrotown and turn it into Burnaby’s official downtown core. (Ashley Hyshka) cal government. McGowan’s motivations are simple. “I don’t want to see my neighbors displaced from my community,” he says. A primary goal for the campaign is to find affordable housing for people who have been displaced. McGowan says that, in some cases, people have no choice but to leave Metrotown or Burnaby as a whole because they cannot find affordable housing. “We want to make sure that Burnaby has an affordable housing plan before they start having a development

plan,” he says. McGowan recognizes that Metrotown is prime real estate, particularly near the SkyTrain, but asserts that people who live in the area are dependant on the affordable shopping and transit routes, which they are losing due to evictions. He says that “the government’s making decisions that are not in the best interest of renters,” and that the 40-year population projections the plan is based on are over-inflated. The Alliance Against Displacement has called upon the provincial

government to intervene and authorize a moratorium on the demolitions until an affordable housing strategy can be put in place. McGowan says that this might be the group’s last hope. According to him, the recent standin protest at City Hall on July 24 was “an act of desperation.” “City Council is not listening to these voices that are speaking out for renters … They’re just moving forward,” he says. “They have the power, and they’re not responding to the concerns of the powerless.”

Surrey Board of Trade Concerned About the Economic Impact of Gang Violence Board CEO Anita Huberman feels it’s time for the government to step in

Ashley Hyshka | Community Reporter With every story that breaks about gang violence in Surrey, Anita Huberman, CEO of the Surrey Board of Trade, grows more worried that it will damage the city’s economy. To address this, the board is requesting the newly elected NDP government’s aid in combating the violent epidemic. “We’ve always asked for a collaborative effort as it relates to public safety efforts in Surrey,” says Huberman. “But when I heard that these gang shootings were so consistent and there were so many … [I knew that] something has to be done.” The Board of Trade makes a priority of attracting and keeping business in Surrey, but Huberman explains that due to the gang shootings plaguing the city, consumers and businesses are deterred from giving local businesses their patronage for fear of their own safety. She says that it’s not a “one ingredient solution” but a complicated

process that the B.C. government only plays one part in. Still, she emphasizes that the board needs to sit down with local government to combat the issue of gang violence. The NDP made a campaign promise to aid Surrey with ending its crime epidemic, and the Surrey Board of Trade is intent on holding them accountable. While Huberman praises the work of the RCMP, her end goal is to get violent offenders who are responsible for the spree of violence off the streets. “We’re doing so many good things around industry hubs, industry creation, technology creation, and when you have just a really small, small segment of the population creating such a large, loud impact when it comes to public safety, it’s unfortunate, but it has to be dealt with,” she says. “Our job is to remain consistent in our messaging … and to instigate change.” NDP MLA for the Surrey-Guildford district, Garry Begg, feels that his work as an RCMP officer offers

a unique perspective on Surrey’s current situation. Begg says that, while violence in the city can have a longterm effect on the economy, it isn’t as damaging as Huberman suggests. Rather, he believes that it’s more of a “regional crime issue than a Surrey crime issue,” and points to the steady economic growth in Surrey as proof that it is faring relatively well, regardless of the violence. Begg says the key to fixing the issue is implementing a long-term strategy so that it doesn’t arise again in the future, stating that it is easier “to prevent crime than have to deal with the aftermath of crime.” Even so, he reminds concerned Surrey citizens that the government is determined to continue funding its “Wraparound Program”—which puts at-risk youths susceptible to being recruited into gangs in a positive and nurturing environment—and remains fully committed to upholding campaign promises made during the recent provincial election about resolving gang violence.

Because it is such a complex issue, he argues that solving it requires collaboration with local governments, the RCMP, Crown Counsel, schools and the community. “We’re looking for solutions,” says

Begg. “If it were a simple issue, and a simple problem, it would’ve been solved years ago.”

The Surrey Board of Trade says that gang shootings are having a noticeable impact on local businesses. (Flickr/British Columbia Emergency Photography)

8 news

KPU-Affiliated Honeybee Centre Nominated for Surrey Environment and Business Award The centre does its best to keep honeybee hives natural and healthy

Mel Pomerleau | web editor The Honeybee Centre, home of Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Commercial Beekeeping Program, has been nominated for the City of Surrey’s Environment and Business Award. The Environment and Business Award is divided into small, medium, and large business categories, and the Honeybee Centre is one of four medium-sized business nominees. The luncheon awards ceremony will be held on Thursday, Sept. 14. Back in 2010, the Centre was the recipient of the City of Surrey’s Environmental Sustainability Award. Earlier this year it received Green Business of the Year at the Cloverdale Chamber of Commerce “Clovies” Awards. “Naturally, as a beekeeping operation, we are very committed to helping with the food chain and using bees to pollinate local plants and flowers,” says Andrew Delbaere, a marketing coordinator for the Honeybee Centre. “Bees are very important to making sure your grocery stores are stocked with all different fruits and vegetables.” The Centre is a registered B Corp, which are for-profit companies dedicated to high standards of social and environmental accountability. “[The B Corp] is a great organi-

zation that is all about finding practices both on the business side and environmental side and just how to operate better, whether it’s for the environment, employees, or just the business in general,” says Delbaere. In practice, the Centre keeps their bees in local, pesticide-free fields. Keeping the bees safe and healthy is not only ethical and safe for consumers, but also vital to ensuring that they survive the winter. Aside from making profits and helping bees, the Centre aims to promote community awareness of the importance of the insects by running programs on beekeeping and offering tours, field trips, and community outreach teams. “There are still a lot of people who

just see a bee as something that they should be scared of or just something that makes honey. They don’t know how important they are [or] how much food is produced [by them],” says Delbaere. The Commercial Beekeeping program offered by KPU operates out of a warehouse at the Honeybee Centre built specifically for the 11-month program. It is designed to prepare students to work as beekeepers, or to start their own beekeeping company—a service that is currently in high demand, as local pollination services continue to rise in the Fraser Valley and Lower Mainland. “It’s an industry typically underserved as far as local beekeepers go,” says Delbaere.

KPU’s Commercial Beekeeping program is run out of the Honeybee Centre in Surrey, B.C. The centre has been nominated for the City of Surrey Environment and Business Award. (Mel Pomerleau)

Institute For Sustainable Food Systems Creates Policy Database The database is meant to be a tool for increasing sustainability in the food industry

joseph keller | staff writer Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Institute For Sustainable Food Systems (ISFS) has spent the last year and a half developing a tool to make navigating local bureaucracies easier for municipal planners who are looking to integrate sustainable food solutions into their communities. The B.C. Food System Policy Database serves as a library of the food system policies that exist in British Columbia so that planners can easily find the regulations and policies that apply to their operations. “This is an example of the kind of purposeful work we [at ISFS] do to support B.C. communities, B.C. citizens, and our sustainable future,” says Dr. Kent Mullinix, Director of the Institute For Sustainable Food Systems. Hosted on KPU’s website, the database is searchable by keywords, location, population, level of government, and more. The system includes over 2,000 citations from 40 per cent of the municipalities in the province and official community plans, area agriculture plans, bylaws, policies, food charters, and other relevant in-

formation. “[The data] is certainly not exhaustive, but it is extensive,” says Mullinix. The idea for such a database came to the attention of the ISFS through their work with municipal organisers who have had difficulty navigating the several separate sources to find out which policies apply to local food systems. Mullinix says that, in the short time since the database has been online, the ISFS has already received positive feedback from municipal planners who have utilized the system for their projects. “They told us it would just be exceedingly valuable to them to quickly assess what kinds of policies around various food system issues there are across the province,” says Mullinix. This database is the first tool of its kind in Canada. The ISFS is currently working with the University of Alberta to put together a similar database for municipalities in that province, which will likely also be hosted on the KPU website. Mullinix says that the ISFS is open to sharing their methodology with any province wishing to put together a food system policy database.

A year and a half ago, the ISFS received funding for the project from the Real Estate foundation of B.C. which Mullinix says is one of the most ardent supporters of projects and studies that foster stewardship of natural resources in the province. He also explains that the bulk of the development time was spent painstakingly scanning the policies of B.C. municipalities from several sources. As of now, the database includes information from 40 per cent of B.C. municipalities. Mullinix says that the ISFS chose to focus on the largest municipalities in the province, including all 27 Lower Mainland communities. The ISFS encourages planners and municipal staff to let them know if there is a policy that should be included but is not yet on the site. “We really see this database existing as a dynamic database,” says Mullinix.

(Yuta Anonuevo)

Apply to

The Runner KPUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Student Newspaper

editor@runnermag.ca art@runnermag.ca

We proudly pay for all the work we publish.

10 features

Eating Under Sodexo’s Shadow KPU’s “Hangry Students” speak out about food availability on-campus alyssa laube | Coordinating Editor

Sodexo, the corporate giant that holds ownership over the cafeteria and the Tim Hortons on KPU’s Surrey campus, has again fallen under fire for failing to satisfy some of the university’s students and faculty. An advocacy group founded by five youths in the criminology program—and overseen by their instructor Jeffrey Shantz—is now running a “Hangry Students” campaign to urge KPU to stop putting all its eggs in Sodexo’s basket and shift its focus towards student-oriented food security on campus. Sodexo has provided services to a wide array of clients ranging from universities to prisons, and has been the subject of controversy for the better part of a decade. Although the company itself is French, it operates all over the world. Sodexo has been boycotted several times in the United States and protested nearly everywhere else they have served, almost always on university campuses, and always for the

same reasons—unfair pay and labour practices for their workers, investment in the prison and armed forces industries, poor food quality and, occasionally, the odd customer abuse accusation or string of horse DNA discovered in their beef products. Seven years ago, Sodexo staff made local headlines by chasing KPU criminology student Emery Warner off campus for handing out pamphlets condemning the company’s ethics and operations. The ordeal attracted media attention all over the city, but other than that, little came of the dispute. “He was handing it out on campus and the manager of Sodexo got wind of it and came with security and tried to shut him down, tried to stop him from disseminating this information on-campus,” says Shantz, who was also Warner’s instructor at the time. “They asked him for ID. They wanted to take his fliers away. They ended up pushing him to the edge of campus where, being a clear thinker, the

first thing he did when he stepped on the sidewalk was call The Vancouver Sun.” Shantz says that he consistently sees student interest in the company in his classes, and has continued to encourage his students to look into issues regarding Sodexo’s presence on campus as part of their criminology class curriculum. Sodexo on Campus A year before Warner’s altercation with Sodexo, KPU was looking to replace its then food service provider, Chartwells, and began a bidding process to bring in a contractor “with proven experience, capability and capacity to develop and provide a comprehensive food service program for a multi-campus post secondary institution.” Although the call-out document listed one of the contractor’s requirements as being able to “effectively and efficiently provide an affordable, quality and appropri-

ate menu and service for Kwantlen’s cafeterias and catering needs,” and makes no mention of student-run or local businesses being either banned or encouraged from applying, Shantz says that the student body and faculty were not alerted of the open bid. “There was concern about a lack of transparency in the bid process,” he says. “There was a real concern that this decision was made unilaterally, without consultation on certain parts of the community … The KSA and the Grassroots were never given the opportunity to put in a bid.” The application form for interested contractors included a list of references, answers to questions about company history and experience, and information about KPU’s campus customer base and facilities. Sodexo won the bid and has been the primary food service provider for KPU’s Surrey campus ever since. Now a group of passionate students are demanding better standards for the hungry on campus.

Hangry Students Speak Out Alyssa Carpenter, Rhoda Fong, Satnam Gill, Michael Pincott, and Ximena Poblete—all students of Shantz—together make up KPU’s “Hangry Students”. Their demands, although plenty, can reasonably be summarized as getting student access to healthy and affordable food around the clock. “We’re not ignorant. We’re not angry that [Sodexo is] here. We just want them to work with us,” says Gill. “If they’re willing to listen, we can maybe work with them on behalf of all the students about these problems: keep their doors open, keep the cafeteria open during summer semester, remodel the menu so there are healthier options, and find cheaper options.” “We’re expected to be here all day if we have a full course load, and there aren’t that many options that we really have,” says Fong. “The cafeteria is very expensive. We have Tim

Hangry Students: Satnam Gill, Rhoda Fong, Ximena Poblete, Alyssa Carpenter, and Michael Pincott (not pictured) are advocating for improvements to KPU’s food services. (Braden Klassen)

features 11 Hortons but there are high school students coming in, and during breaks everyone’s going at the same time so you have to wait—but breaks are only 10 minutes, so you’re either interrupting class because the line’s made you late or you’re stuck at your desk and you’re hungry.” Of the three food service providers open to students on the KPU Surrey campus, two are owned by Sodexo. The student-run Grassroots Cafe offers healthier options, but charges much higher prices than Tim Hortons, which often closes before the sun goes down. Those attending classes anytime after 5:00 p.m. are frequently left either to go hungry or eat from vending machines until their instructors excuse them. “Students who are starving tend to be very distracted,” says Fong. “Being food-deprived for long periods of time does affect your cognitive development, and there are plenty of studies on that. Students that want something really cheap or really fast don’t have time to wait in a 20 minute line up or don’t have the money to buy something really expensive.” The lack of culinary variety is particularly problematic for anyone on campus who has dietary restrictions. For community members eating vegan, vegetarian, halal, and so on, grabbing a bite on campus on a budget or after dinnertime can be nearly impossible. Because the contract between Sodexo and KPU has not been made

public, whether or not the cafeteria must remain open during particular hours is uncertain. The Hangry Students group suggests that, if is unable to stay open longer every day, the university should consider running external programs for local businesses, food trucks, and KPU students— such as those from the KPU farm school—to sell and give away their products. This would not only boost community involvement and businesses, but also provide more variety to KPU students who don’t have the time, money, or ability to run across the street to get acceptable food between classes. “There are a lot of classes that build models about creating and running your own business, but this would also allow entrepreneurs to test out the waters, like, ‘How does this work with students?’” says Gill. “It would also help students to get food that is healthy, because the students have thought out what would sell, what’s healthy, and all these benefits.” Personally, she and Fong would like to see a company other than Sodexo “taking that space and making it feel like it’s more for students,” as compared to the impersonal service they feel they receive in the cafeteria. “It almost feels like I’m in a hospital—the quality of food and the employees there. I’m not saying they’re bad people, but they’re so phased out. It’s like, ‘Okay, here’s your food, go.’ They treat us as if we’re just profit and someone to take money from,”

says Gill. KPU’s Cold Beverage Agreement Though unrelated to Sodexo, another issue that concerns the Hangry Students is the lack of water fountains on KPU campuses. Shantz says that building plans he and other faculty members were sent included spaces for water fountains, but they were never actually constructed. Instead, there are vending machines selling Coca Cola products around nearly every corner—a fact that Shantz, Fong, and Gill suggest may be a strategic symptom of the university’s exclusivity agreement with the franchise. Despite the lack of KPU-installed water fountains, the Kwantlen Student Association has set up water bottle refilling stations on-campus to keep the community hydrated and environmentally-friendly. Fong notes that refilling reusable water bottles is “better for the environment and it’s healthier for students, instead of being forced to buy a vitamin water, which is actually still pretty unhealthy, or Coke or iced tea.” She suggests that the university install more fountains in its buildings, seek out a more student-friendly provider, and negotiate a new contract with Coca Cola as soon as possible. The cold beverage agreement that KPU and Coca Cola are currently under states that its purpose is “to provide product, equipment,

commissions, and sponsorship with Coca-Cola and Pepsi in return for a 5 year limited exclusive agreement with extension options for the Cloverdale, Langley, Richmond, and Surrey campuses.” Evidently, Coca-Cola was chosen as the provider on June 10, 2010. “The concern coming from some students and staff was that this was kind of a ‘gimme’ for Coca Cola [and Pepsi],” says Shantz. “If there are no water fountains, people have to buy bottled water.” Looking Forward The bid for a new food contractor on KPU campuses will open at the beginning of 2020, which Gill sees as “an opportunity for businesses around us to build a better relationship with each other and the school.” “It would create a more tight-knit community as well, to know we can provide for ourselves and provide our own resources,” she says. When asked to comment on the opening bid and direction that the university plans to go in, KPU President Alan Davis replied that, although he is “open to the conversation” around Sodexo and whatever may replace it once the bidding process begins again, he wasn’t certain of “where [KPU was] at in respect to the bid for space” at the time. “The process is the process. Things are put out to bid,” says Davis. ”We are aware of student concerns in re-

spect to food services generally. It’s been something that I’ve talked about with a number of different people over the years and if it’s coming up on the list of things that are more important now then so be it. Can we do better? Probably. Let’s see if we can find a way to do better.” Sodexo declined to be interviewed, but the company’s General Manager of Food Services Gurpreet Sanghera wrote in an email on Aug. 10 that the company “will be running some great programs in [the] new semester like Meatless Mondays, Salad Bar Wednesdays, only using free run eggs and locally grown produce etc.” On Aug. 24, Fong wrote in an email that the Hangry Students were able to meet with Stefan Durston, KPU’s Director of Ancillary Services, on Aug. 22. “Our concerns were addressed, and there’s promise of change coming soon. They are currently looking into adding new water refill stations in the main building,” she wrote. “Once we meet with Sodexo we will have a better understanding of the situation, and what changes we can see moving forward.” Although the students have not yet heard from Sodexo, they hope to meet with a representative of the company as well as the Kwantlen Student Association in the near future.

The Tim Hortons on Surrey campus is operated by international food-services company, Sodexo. (Alyssa Laube)

Cafeterias on campus were closed during summer in order to maintain cost-effectiveness, according to Sodexo. (Alyssa Laube)

12 FEATURES

your guide to kpu

University can be a hard game — here’s a map to help you through connor doyle | words & melanie tan | art

Spruce Building - A world of artists and scientists. Plans are to overhaul this level with shiny new labs and student space by spring of next year. Fir - The centre of english, philosophy, anthropology, and so much more at KPU. Some students can warp right to their degrees from here without traveling to another part of the map. Surrey Main - Historians and criminologists tend to call this world home. You can also find administrative offices here, as treacherous and unenjoyable as any underwater level. Cedar - Perhaps the greatest maze on the Surrey map. Very few classes are actually held here, but if you’re lucky you might locate an extra life in the Grassroots cafe.

Birch - This recently renovated level is the place to buy your books, grab some food, and—when needed—consult with your representatives in student government. Just try not to lose all your coins here.

Arbutus - Home to the Coast Capital Library and the Surrey Learning Centre. Mostly a tutorial level to help you beat the harder bosses (exams) in the game.

The Runner office What’s this, a hidden level? Come to The Runner contributor meeting on Monday at 1:00pm to learn all the secrets this game has to offer.

Richmond Campus - The most stylish of campuses. This is where you can get all the latest fashions in blue overalls, princess dresses, and tanooki suits (if you’re into that). Surrey Campus - The heart of the Mushroom Kingdom. You’ll be able to get pretty much everything you’re looking for in this world, though the princess will still be in another castle.

Cloverdale Campus (KPU Tech) - The campus of the future. This is a high-tech world full of gadgets and gizmos more akin to something from Megaman, which is appropriate because you’ll keep hearing good things about it but will probably never check it out. Langley Campus - A lot of unique power-ups can be found here, as both the brewing program and the Marijuana Management course are run out of Langley. It also has the ferrier program, so you can find your poor tired Yoshi a pair of shoes.

14 features

Introducing KPU’s Student Institutions Your guide to the big three student-run organisations on campus joseph keller | staff writer & Ashley Hyshka | community reporter

University life is about far more than just attending class—it’s also about being part of a community of students, staff, and faculty. Whether you’re just coming to KPU from high school or returning for your final semester, your experience as a university student will be greatly enhanced by getting involved with the student-owned-and-operated organisations that help create a vibrant culture on campus. You already support these institutions by paying your student fees, so you might as well see what they have to offer you this semester. Kwantlen Student Association The Kwantlen Student Association is KPU’s student government and, as such, exists to support student life, provide vital resources, and represent student interests and concerns to the university. Its directors are involved with every aspect of student life including clubs, special events, and advocacy campaigns. “The KSA is there to provide opportunities [for students] to really engage in not only their learning, but their university experience in general,” says KSA President Tanvir Singh. Throughout the year, the KSA is busy organising events to keep students engaged throughout their time at school. From open mic and professional comedy nights at the Grassroots Cafe to hosting guest speakers and forums, the KSA does its best to always have something coming down the pipe to keep student life interesting. “There is a myth that nothing ever happens at KPU and that campus is a place to park, take your class, and drive away,” says KSA Vice President Student Life Jay Reedy. “The best advice I can give for any student is stick around on campus for a little bit of extra time after class and you’ll see that as long as you’re looking, there is plenty to do.”

To start the fall semester off, the KSA will once again be holding Welcome Week from Sept. 5 to 8. Every day, each on a different campus, there will be KSA directors and staff members helping students to mingle and get settled in on campus. There will also be information tables, so new students are advised to stop by, talk to some of the student representatives, and find out what the association has in store for the semester. “I think we’re taking a new approach [with Welcome Week] and having more fun things instead of it just being an information filled week,” says KSA Vice President External Affairs Caitlin McCutchen. “I’m really looking forward to that.” Student advocacy and social justice are also part of the KSA mission. Every semester, the KSA runs various campaigns and programs for environmental sustainability, fighting poverty, supporting marginalised people, and so on. The association supports initiatives on campus such as Pride Kwantlen and the KPU women’s centre, and will be launching a campaign centering on mental health in October. The U-Pass, student health and dental plan, campus shuttle, and Grassroots Cafe are all funded and put together by the KSA as well. All students actively enrolled at KPU are automatically members of the KSA. Currently students pay a total of $9.68 in KSA fees per credit plus a flat fee of $9. “Each fee that we collect is associated with a service that the KSA provides, and we have amazing staff that make sure that all the services are running perfectly and students can benefit from it the most,” says KSA Vice President Finance & Operations Rawan Ramini. “We work a lot on marketing those services and making sure that students are aware of them.” If you’re the type of student that wants to have an impact on campus, it may be worthwhile to get actively involved with the KSA. Several vital

positions will be open for applicants during the by-election and, according to Singh, several executive positions will be opening up in the near future. He suggests that those interested in moving up in student government start working with the KSA as soon as possible. “Being part of the KSA, you get to experience this whole new side of university life. You get to do all these really cool things that most students don’t get to do,” says McCutchen. “It definitely enhanced my university experience. I actually extended my degree so I could be part of the KSA and it’s been so worthwhile.” Kwantlen Public Interest Research Group The Kwantlen Public Interest Research Group (KPIRG) is a non-profit student society focused on social justice. It prides itself on hosting various events that are designed to get students talking about societal conflicts that they may normally be hesitant to speak of. “At the end of the day, we are for the students, by the students,” says Zafreen Jaffer, Director of Anti-Oppression for KPIRG. A primary goal for the organisation is to provide students with an opportunity to conduct research on social justice issues they’re passionate about, and to utilize the knowledge they gain from that research to further engage with the public for educational and awareness purposes. One of the group’s research programs, CARP, is designed to fund such projects. It provides mentoring to students during the researching process and utilises the support of action groups to promote awareness of the findings when they are made available to the community. While there are plenty of research opportunities for KPU students, Russell Liu, KPIRG’s director of community affairs, says that the first step is

simply to get involved with KPIRG. “I just would like to see more students be aware that we exist and realize that there are a lot of resources they can utilize,” he says. “If students know that we’re here, and if they need support, or want to see some events happening, see some campaigns happening, or if there’s a particular problem that they’re seeing, then we can address that.” KPIRG is excited for the upcoming campaigns and events it has planned for the fall 2017 semester, including their annual Dis/Orientation series, which, according to Jaffer, will be “inclusive [and] diverse.” Along with having “a big presence on campus,” Jaffer says that KPIRG hopes to move from their current office on King George Boulevard back to the KPU Surrey campus to be more accessible to students this semester. In total, there are seven board member spots, four of which are currently occupied. Three are vacant. The Board of Directors encourages any interested students to apply for a position with KPIRG, whether it’s as a director, administrator, or volunteer. “We’re really excited for the students to see what we’re working on,” Jaffer says. For every tuition credit that students receive, $0.80 of their payment for that credit goes to KPIRG’s funding. The group also receives funding from private grants. Polytechnic Ink Publishing Society What do you call an electrical outlet that never feels remorse or humiliation? A shameless plug. The Polytechnic Ink Publishing Society serves as the voice of KPU students. The student-owned-and-run non-profit publishing company operates KPU’s campus publications, The Runner and Pulp Magazine. To fund the production of Pulp and The Runner, students pay 75 cents

per credit. Pulp is KPU’s visual arts and literature magazine. The creative Pulp team spends each fall and spring semester compiling KPU students’ best works of prose, poetry, and visual art, and publishes them in two issues every year. Artists and writers interested in having their work featured in Pulp should send an email to submissions@pulpmag.ca. The Runner is KPU’s very own community-oriented news-magazine. Throughout the year we are hard at work reporting on what happens on campus and the surrounding areas to bring attention to the issues and events that KPU students care about. The Runner employs nine staff members and many more writing, art, and photography contributors. Our office is a great place to start for students interested in cutting their teeth in the world of journalism. Whether you’re a long-time journalism student looking to develop a portfolio of published work or just looking to try your hand at something new, The Runner’s editors will work with you to help you develop your skills. “It’s easier than you think to get started as a journalist,” says The Runner’s Coordinating Editor, Alyssa Laube. “I think a lot of the best skills that I’ve learned for my career I’ve learned through working with The Runner, rather than just sitting in a classroom or working freelance.” The Runner holds weekly contributor meetings in its office on the third floor of the Surrey campus library every Monday at 1:00 p.m. All KPU students are encouraged to attend to get to know our team and the paper, as well as to potentially get started on the path to becoming a student journalist.

features 15

KSA VP Student Life Jay Reedy, KSA President Tanvir Singh, and KSA VP Finance & Operations Rawan Ramini. (Braden Klassen)

KPIRG Director of Anti-Operation, Zafreen Jaffer. (Braden Klassen)

The Runner staff and contributors gather in the PIPS office for the weekly contributor pitch meeting. (Tommy Nguyen)

Members of KPIRG pose for a picture with slam poet Dana I.D Matthews after holding their 2017 Annual General Meeting. (Braden Klassen)

KPIRG Director of Community Affairs Russell Liu. (Ashley Hyshka)

16 culture

KDocs: five Years in the Making

A look at the origins of one of KPU’s largest annual events and what it has in store for 2018

braden klassen | photo editor KDocs, the annual documentary film festival organized by members of the KPU community, will be returning to Vancity Theatre in 2018. This will be the festival’s fourth year running, and it has come a long way from its relatively humble beginnings. The origins of the festival can be traced back to 2012, after KPU instructor Janice Morris hosted a documentary screening of the film Miss Representation, which takes a critical look at the media for perpetuating gender stereotypes. “I got this strange unsolicited email that dropped into my mailbox one day about this film,” says Morris. “We decided to try and have a film night.” Morris partnered up with fellow KPU instructor Helen Mendes, with whom she had recently attended the Vancouver International Film Festival, and together they hosted the first screening. “I actually did say, ‘How hard could it be?’ and at that time I had no

idea how hard it really was, even to plan an event like that,” says Morris. “But we did it and it was a very successful evening.” The two documentary buffs continued to host similar screenings and began to invite guest speakers to accompany the films. Some of the speakers that presented between 2012 and 2013 were Liz Canner for her film Orgasm Inc., David France for his film How to Survive a Plague, and celebrated author Margaret Atwood, who spoke at a KPU screening of the documentary adaptation of her book Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth. The success of the screenings inspired Morris to expand them into a full-fledged film festival. After Mendes retired in 2014, Morris rebranded the project as KDocs and partnered with VIFF in order to host a documentary showing of The Price We Pay at the Vancity Theatre. The showing, which featured the film’s director, Harold Crooks, as a special guest, took place on Oct. 5, 2014 and was attended by roughly 200 people.

Five months later, KDocs appeared again at the Vancity Theatre, this time as its own independent documentary festival to screen three films over the course of one day. “Every year since then, we’ve doubled in size,” says Morris. She anticipates that the duration of the festival will run over four or five days in 2018, starting the screening of about 18 films on Feb. 14 or 15 and ending on Feb. 18. This year’s festival will launch a new series of videos on YouTube called KDocs Talks, which will archive the festival’s keynote addresses and panel discussions for online viewing. The list of guest speakers is yet to be finalized, but Morris says that prolific anti-poverty activist Jean Swanson will be attending, as will local housing advocate Judy Graves and KPU alumni Lenée Son. “A number of organizations now look to KDocs as a space where they can come and actually be seen and be heard, which really, at the heart of it, is the intent of KDocs,” says Morris. “They are people who are working on

KDocs at Vancity Theatre, 2014 (Kier Junos) whatever the issues are represented in the film. They are filmmakers themselves. They are academic, and the one thing we try very hard to do is to have a student on every panel. That’s really key for us.” Students are involved in KDocs at every level, from volunteering at the festival to being a part of the KDocs board, programming and coordinating, panel moderation, and being featured as presenters. “I personally think it’s a really important endeavor,” says Tanvir Singh, President of the Kwantlen Student

Association. “It gives students the opportunity to get a little bit more familiar with their community.” The KSA has been a main sponsor of KDocs for years, and is planning to contribute $7,500 to the festival’s estimated budget of approximately $46,450. “KDocs … is a catalyst or a vehicle for our partners,” says Morris. “That’s really what we’re trying to create, a space for our partners and collaborators where they can come and have their voices—which might be typically marginalized—heard.”

Blueridge Chamber Music Festival Concludes its Eighth Season KPU music instructor and VCC instructor co-hosted the festival throughout August

alyssa laube | coordinating editor Although the popularity of chamber music largely rose and fell before the beginning of the 20th century, its influence continues to ripple into classical music communities today. KPU Music Instructor Alejandro Ochoa and Vancouver Community College Instructor Dorothea Hayley have been organizing the Blueridge Chamber Music Festival for eight years to celebrate the genre, inviting local musicians, composers, and classical music enthusiasts to take part in live performances throughout August. “It began as an excuse to play music with friends and other musicians that we like playing with,” says Hayley, about the origins of Blueridge. “Every show is a pleasure for us to play and we wanted to share that with local audiences.”

It’s the intimate and spontaneous nature of chamber music that Hayley and Ochoa find themselves drawn to as musicians. Because the music was originally written to be played at social gatherings in people’s homes, it is composed to be very personal and pleasing to the ear, but recreating that feeling in a concert hall can be challenging, according to the duo. Regardless, they both hope that “there’s not such a big divide between the performers and the audience” as there is with most live classical performances. The festival’s Aug. 18 event included three performances: Beethoven’s famous “Kreutzer” Sonata, composer-in-residence Chris Harman’s take on “Midnight with the Stars and You” from The Shining soundtrack, and Shostakovich’s Piano Quintet in G minor, Op 57. As a unique take on the Kreutzer

Sonata, a string quartet—rather than the original piano and violin arrangement—performed the work. Hayley hopes that “this different version of the piece allows people to look into a piece that a lot of people in our audience will have heard many, many times.” Harman’s variations on “Midnight with the Stars and You” was strikingly modern in comparison to the sonata, and is chillingly fragmented and inharmonic. Written to match the haunting nature of the film it was featured in, Hayley and Ochoa “think that the result is something that, in a way, is familiar to classical music audiences but, in a way, is a quite new, quite personal musical language.” “Even if you’re a person who hasn’t heard a lot of contemporary classical music, it’s the type of piece that is very intriguing because you can hear that it’s very, very difficult

A string quartet plays Beethoven’s “Kreutzer” Sonata at the Orpheum Annex. (Alyssa Laube)

for both performers. It’s very lively,” says Hayley. The passion of the musicians who performed on Aug. 18 was visible to a crowd of nearly 100 in the Orpheum Annex, located in downtown Vancouver on Seymour Street. From the spidery, spastic movements of the violinists playing Harman’s piece to the rhythmic sawing and swaying of the quartet working through the complicated Beethoven sonata, it became clear that it isn’t the relevance of the music that makes Blueridge possible, but the inspiration of the artists who

respect and admire the genre. Ochoa is excited to teach KPU students about chamber music this fall, when he will begin his first semester with the university. “I sure hope they have a chance to collaborate with chamber music, and I would love to have a chance to show music to them,” he says. “I believe there are some courses where they already have to do some of this but personally, in my studies, when I had to do this, it was never enough, especially for pianists.”

A violinist and pianist perform Chris Paul Harman’s “Midnight with the Stars and You” on Aug. 18. (Alyssa Laube)

culture 17

KPU Students Bring Hong Kong Nostalgia to Marpole

“Entrepreneurial Leadership” students discuss challenges and risks of starting your own business Tristan Johnston | contributor For Aurelia Au and Wayne Poon, the decision to start an original company as part of their KPU Business practicum came naturally. Together they co-own and operate Snackshot—or 糖百府 (tong baak fu) “sugar house”—which is located at the south end of Granville street in Vancouver. “We couldn’t find a company that was qualified for doing consulting, so we thought, ‘Okay, why don’t we open our own snack shop?’” says Au. “Our intention wasn’t for a restaurant, just a snack place.” “Everything is challenging. Everything is not like school,” she adds. Au says that their professors at KPU were very direct in their criticism regarding how she and Poon were planning to run Snackshot. They acknowledged Carlos Calao and Chamkaur Cheema as particularly inspirational and helpful when finding out that they were serious about starting a business. Calao helped them develop their business ideas. Au acknowledges that they’ve put a lot of work into making Snackshot run efficiently, but dealing with government red tape and human resources proved to be very difficult. Regardless, business is going well for the duo—it’s not unusual to see lineups running outside of the establishment from 7:00 p.m all the way until midnight. “It’s more powerful than before,” says Poon. “CBC came and interviewed us, but it’s probably [less effective] than social media.”

Aurelia Au and Wayne Poon have taken homework to the next level by starting their own business. (Tristan Johnston) Social media has played a big part in establishing their company’s reputation. Au and Poon say that they have no advertising budget to speak of, but have arranged aspects of the restaurant that will likely spread via word of mouth and online sharing. Their tables are arranged to mimic picture frames, and desserts and drinks are served with peculiar flair. The interior design might appear familiar to visitors who have been to restaurants or bus stops in Hong Kong, but there is also a good deal of 60s and 70s influence in the decor on the walls as well as music playing from the speakers. Au says that it’s difficult to find an eatery like Snackshot in Hong Kong due to large chain restaurants taking business away from smaller ones. The pair considers authenticity to be critical enough that they bought the

dishware for Snackshot while in Asia during their winter holiday. As business owners, their workload remains heavy. For the first four weeks of its operation, Au, Poon, and one of their friends were the sole employees at Snackshot, with one covering drinks, another on food, and the last on customer service. Although they lost money from waiting for the city to approve paperwork while paying rent on a storefront they couldn’t operate, they are happy with the amount of business they are currently getting. “During the first month, we only slept for three to four hours maximum per day,” says Au, noting that they spend considerable time making sure their products—such as bubble tea—were freshly made. “We don’t want to use powders. People can taste the difference.”

The food itself lives up to its Instagram fame, such as the Vitasoy Milk with Red Bean Bulldog, which features sweet red beans with Vitasoy along with its bottle poking out. (Tristan Johnston)

KPU Fine Arts Faculty Featured at Surrey Art Gallery Shift exhibit will be open to the public until November

Amei-lee Laboucan For the first time since 2009, the Surrey Art Gallery is featuring a collection of artworks created exclusively by KPU faculty. The exhibit—entitled Shift—includes a total of 14 faculty members from various backgrounds. Shift revolves around a few underlying themes: experimentation with different materials, recent developments in global politics, and individual inspirations behind each of the artists’ works. Mediums ranging from photographs to paintings and sculptures can now be admired in the “community rails” section of the gallery. Also contributing to the recent opening of Shift is the fact that the studio in KPU’s Spruce building is currently being renovated. As a result, the Surrey Art Gallery felt that it was a good time to feature KPU art once more.

According to SAG assistant Rhys Edwards, the gallery is proud of celebrating community art and considers the KPU fine arts faculty to be “a very strong element within the local arts community.” “They’re responsible for guiding the vision of lots of next generation’s artists,” says Edwards. KPU Fine Arts instructor Terry Sawatzky created his artworks by “experimenting with wetting wood and seeing how far [he] could stretch it.” His piece is a sculpture made of plywood that he “cut in a spiral, soaked in water, and started bending.” “Having some experience and building my own sculptures, I can bring that to the students. I can understand … maybe not where they’re coming from, but where they’re going to,” says Sawatzky. Another instructor whose work is showcased in Shift, Kira Wu, is a breast cancer survivor. She was in-

spired to create a piece she called The Fortune Teller while reflecting on her battle with the disease. “While I was going through treatments two years ago, I noticed I was given a lot of paper products, from magazines to medical forms to lucky money envelopes—these common materials were all around me,” she says. “I started to fold the paper into these objects from childhood—the fortune tellers. I liked the idea that fortune tellers were transformed from a flat piece of paper to a three-dimensional form, then transformed again by being photographed by me.” Elizabeth Barnes, whose work is also exhibited, says that her paintings “are the result of a long-term and regular engagement with the material aspects of paint and pigment,” and that her “practice is informed by [her] interests, observations, and research, as a means for understanding the world and time [she] lives in.” The work that she contributed, Stroll,

Histories 1 by Anna Black, which was showcased at the Shift exhibit in the Surrey Art Gallery. (Submitted) “began with a series of stains on raw canvas created with pigment, water, and acrylic medium.” “Teaching is an extension of my studio practice. The opportunity to share what I have learned through my years of education and practice is a privilege I do not take lightly,”

says Barnes. “I strive to respond to my students individual needs while assisting them in developing the technical skills necessary for visual communication.” The exhibit will be open to the public every day at the Surrey Art Gallery until Nov. 5.

18 opinion

we should be understanding towards indian students coming to canada through “fake” marriages Canadians shouldn’t judge international students trying to get an education here, even through arranged marriages

alyssa laube | Coordinating Editor Newspaper ads in India designed to set up “fake” marriages between Indian and Canadian students have recently been discovered as a method of bypassing the hassle that comes with paying international student tuition and maintaining the paperwork needed to stay in the country. For the students that are emigrating, this deal promises much easier access to an education, job, and citizenship in one of the world’s most desirable locations for attending post-secondary school. Those waiting for their new spouse in Canada get a partner for the cost of paying their travel expenses and housing an extra person in their home. Although deals like this seem simple at a distance, they can end up being extremely complicated for both sides. Arranged marriages can easily go wrong when, for instance, the couple finds that they are completely incompatible or downright miserable together once they start their marriage in Canada. What’s more, if an aspiring Canadian student from India has troubles getting into school or into the country, the entire agreement can fall apart. What happens if one party wants a divorce, and the other

wants to stay together? What if the student from India is forced out of their agreed-upon living or financial situation, and is left on the streets? In an advertisement found in an Indian newspaper called Jagbani, a 24 year-old Canadian man named Barbar Sikh requested a “BSc or IELTS pass girl” as a wife. The advertisement stated that the “boy’s side will pay all expenses to go to Canada.” Other ads follow a similar format—almost always with the Canadian family offering to pay travel and citizenship expenses in exchange for the Indian family’s son or daughter, as long as they can speak English and have an education. Students from India make up a huge portion of KPU’s international student body, and it is relatively likely that some of them are involved in these fake marriages for citizenship This could potentially be an issue for the financial side of KPU, as the university makes a substantial profit off of international student tuition. It also very likely irritates members of the provincial and federal government, but technically, there is nothing illegal about arranged marriages in Canada. There is a clear distinction between forced and arranged marriages, and

while the federal government has been talking about making forced marriage illegal here for years, action is yet to be seen. This makes life easier for those happy in their arranged spousal situation, but probably much harder for everyone else being held hostage in a relationship they aren’t enjoying. It’s reasonable for international students in Canada to want to avoid paying fee after fee to settle and

go to school here. As Canadians, our primary concern should be the well-being of the people involved in these marriages, and the government should have legislation in place to prevent toxic forced marriages from taking place on Canadian soil. When it comes to setting up a fake marriage to get a proper education, however, there’s little reason to get upset with the students smart enough to find a way to better themselves

without paying through the nose to do it. Keep in mind that they’re sacrificing a great deal by coming to Canada to live with a stranger as well. The quality of a life is immeasurably more valuable than a few dollars in international tuition for post-secondary institutions.

(Nat Mussell)

The B.C. Hotel Boom has Surrey Soaring to Unaffordable Heights The forthcoming Civic Hotel is a 52-storey reminder of the high living cost of our city

Ashley Hyshka | Community Reporter Rising 52 storeys high in Surrey Central, the $200 million Civic Plaza Hotel is aiming to be the newest crown jewel of the province. And so are the other 20 hotels slated for construction across British Columbia. Having lived in Richmond and Downtown Vancouver for two years, I’ve witnessed the never-ending construction of high-rise properties. Sometimes I find it hard to find fault with the demand—people want to move into Greater Vancouver, so these skyscrapers are critical in maximizing space and population density. But what about people who are still on the ground floor of their low-rise apartment building? Their homes are at the mercy of developers who want to tear down those complexes to build condos, and aside from unaffordable housing, there is an utter lack of available units in the city. Springing up like weeds, these condos are always in demand and under construction. A recent article in The Vancouver Sun reported the average monthly cost of rent in Vancouver as $1,950. Meanwhile, minimum wage will only increase to $11.35 this September. And then there’s KPU. The uni-

versity is renting out the bottom five floors of the Civic Hotel, and KPU’s website says that the campus will host a variety of departments and faculties as well as eight teaching classrooms, two collaboration classrooms, two lecture classrooms, one distance learning classroom, and 18 meeting rooms. Instead of spending money on building affordable student dormitories or expanding the existing campuses, KPU Surrey, Richmond, Langley, and Cloverdale are left behind because the new KPU Civic Plaza is not a university, but a hotel and office tower, and a very expensive one. Earlier in my life, I worked at a Marriott hotel, which radiates luxury, class, and extravagance. Being a front desk agent for such a prestigious property filled me with glee because I got to represent a renowned hotel chain. But as a student I’ve also struggled financially, living paycheque to paycheque, or counting down the days until I received my student loan. Having lived in both worlds, it has become clear to me that sometimes you must take a step back and put that new luxury item you’ve been dreaming about purchasing (or a multi-million dollar hotel, in this case) on the backburner and address your priorities.

The construction of the Civic Hotel only perpetuates the social and economic divide felt across Greater Vancouver. The new, extravagant property will no doubt cater to upper and upper-middle class individuals. The most luxurious skyscrapers in Downtown Vancouver are mere kilometers from the Downtown Eastside, the site of mass homelessness, and now Surrey has followed suit. The extravagant Civic Hotel is also in the backyard of 135A Street, home of one of Surrey’s biggest tent cities. Surely, the Civic Hotel is a gorgeous property, and it undoubtedly made someone very wealthy. But while hotels, condos, and other commercial properties are constantly in development, citizens of Greater Vancouver are left in the dark when it comes to affording their own accommodations. Money is always available when it comes to funding these expensive projects, but when it’s a struggling family who can’t afford monthly rent, or are facing eviction, we are at a standstill to help them. Why? Because there is no money in helping the poor. Just because you can build it, doesn’t mean that you should. Remember not to forget about all the people who remain on the ground floor.

When it opens next year, Surrey’s Civic Hotel is going to be a multifaceted propery with 144 guest rooms as well as multiple conference and meeting centres. It will also be home to KPU’s new 5 storey campus. (Ashley Hyshka)

The two week Dis/Orientation days consists of workshops, discussions, and events where students and members of the community can position themselves as anti-oppressive and environmentally sustainable participants. It is also meant to re-center the narratives on suppressed voices and empower marginalized groups.

September 11 Social Justice 101 Surrey KPU, 1-4pm September 12 Right to Resist Richmond KPU, 1-4PM September 13 Stories Around Us Surrey KPU, 9AM-5PM Birch 250 September 14 Seeds of Change Langley KPU, 4-7PM

September 18 Stories Around Us Surrey KPU, 9-5PM Birch 250 September 19 Our Home on Native Land Surrey KPU, 7-10PM FIR 128 September 20 Workers Rights Tabling Cloverdale KPU, 12-2PM September 21 You, Me & the Sea Surrey KPU, 10AM-1PM

THE RUNNER debates:

opinion 21

The morality of calling Millennials “snowflakes Millennials aren’t just sensitive, they’re progressive Tae Whitehouse In today’s society, the task of being both progressive and palatable can seem borderline impossible. If one simply accepts their situation, making no effort to take control of their own path and place in society, the older generations label them lazy or copasetic. On the other hand, if one tries to make their voice heard and inspire change, they are often given the stinging title of “snowflake”. Snowflake is a name used to condescendingly belittle the Millennial generation. Often slung by the Baby Boomers, the term suggests that a desire to move towards social progress, political progress, and individuality is not only a negative trait, but the adverse consequences of being coddled too much as a child. It is used to shame people for having and expressing their own opinions, suggesting that those who take offense to certain ideas are hypersensitive and trying to dismantle free speech. That notion could not be more self-contradictory. Saying that the right to express displeasure with the current socio-political system and desire to change it is oppressive to free speech is a thinly veiled attempt to take away the right to free speech. Free speech is not simply listening to others’ opinions and swallowing your displeasure. It is, and has always been, about healthy debate and discussion on topics where there are many areas of disagreement. Many feel as though Millennials are too soft and sensitive. In reality, this generation is the one who is willing to acknowledge the social injustices present in our society and work

in order to fix them. Ironically, the generation before us, who claim to have thicker skin, is not only equally as easily offended, but also set on focusing their displeasure on criticizing the things we are offended by. To get offended by someone else’s offense is both purposeless and damaging to those who are struggling to make society a more accepting place for everyone. It is time for minority groups to have equal rights, and it is time for the social lens to broaden and include those who have previously had their voices taken away. Using the term “snowflake” only shows one’s insecure fear that they do not have the power to raise their own voice and make the changes that they want to see in the world. “Snowflake” as an insult discredits progressive conversations. It is used supposedly to promote free speech, while in reality, its only purpose is to make a mockery of those willing to weigh in on social and political discussions. It is a way to avoid expressing your own opinion, while humiliating those with the determination and strength to express their own. When called a “snowflake”, to get offended by it is only reinforcing the insult, making it an effective plug for any debate. It is a poorly thought out insult that serves only as a weak final resort to any discussion where one feels out of their depth and desperate to disgrace their intellectual opponent. Use of the word “snowflake” truly only serves to root out those who are afraid of change and easily offended, effectively revealing the accuser as the true thin-skinned, hypersensitive person. A “snowflake”.

(Nat Mussell)

The word rightly describes a generation who cries before they are even hurt neil bassan | contributor

(Nat Mussell)

The advent of the word “snowflake” as an insult is essentially a way of pigeon-holing the young adults of the 2010s as spineless, coddled, and emotionally vulnerable brats. That’s right—if you tend to be indulgent in your self-pity, are happy without humility, or are severely invested in your political ideologies, congratulations! You are on track to becoming a “snowflake”. Before you get excited, consider that one isn’t completely responsible for one’s “snowflake”-ness. Decades of sensationalist messages about trauma do not help in building psychological resilience—but they do help in solidifying the position that words can kill you, as put forward by Claire Fox in “Generation Snowflake”. The term “snowflake”, which is slowly being incorporated into common parlance, is effective in categorizing not just the participation award-holders of the generation, but the cultural trend they inhabit.

This trend, visible on many university campuses, is where hurt feelings and offense-taking constitute valid argumentative retorts, and where social justice is the institution’s raison d’être. The political climate at many schools these days feels as if millennial students have found solutions to not only the social problems of today, but all the systemic injustices across time. There is a case to be made for merely maintaining our civilization instead of perfecting it, and I suspect this is a case that many “snowflakes” are ignorant of. As each new injustice is just as worthy as the one prior, “snowflakes” lack perspective, and often put forward solutions that are not proportionate to the issues at hand. Let “snowflake” serve as a reminder to all millennial students and young adults of the 2010s: you don’t know everything. Not everything can be connected to systemic oppression, or white supremacy, in five steps or less. Academic work has a unique

purpose in and of itself, and this purpose is unrelated to any political ambitions you see as noble or ignoble outside the university. This is not to say that the “snowflake” agenda is meaningless or without merit. Much of social justice’s concern in being emotionally protective is fascinating as a point of academic inquiry, but not fascinating enough to have true-blue “snowflakes” in positions of power at institutions of higher learning. As John Stuart Mill once put it, “He who knows only his side of the case knows little of that.” This, in effect, captures one glaring feature of being a “snowflake” perfectly—if you have lost your ability to doubt everything you are told, you debase and take for granted your most basic of liberties. Using the term “snowflake” against Millennials distinguishes between those who value justice over truth from those who value knowledge and the striving for truth above all else— and sometimes, the truth hurts.

22 columns

After Thought: B.C.’s New Environment Minister

George Heyman should come as a breath of fresh air for those who enjoy breathing fresh air

George Heyman, the new Minister of Environment and Climate Change, will focus more on environmentalism than previous Minister Mary Polak. (Flickr/BC NDP)

braden klassen | photo editor George Heyman is the new Minister of Environment and Climate Change succeeding Mary Polak, who served as the environment minister for the Liberal Party since her appointment in 2013. Heyman has been the NDP MLA representing the Vancouver Fairview riding since he was elected in 2013, and has also held the position of Opposition Spokesperson for the Environment, Green Economy and Technology. Heyman should be seen as a significant improvement from Polak for those who were concerned that the Liberal Party’s efforts to address environmental issues were insufficient. Her previous involvement and experience relevant to environmen-

tal issues was practically non-existent before she was shuffled into the Cabinet position, although Polak had worn several ministerial hats before her appointment. That may be why it felt like the party’s decision to elect her was motivated more by the necessity of filling a vacant position and less by a real desire to pick a specialist who could advance progressive environmental policy. She is a loyal member of the party, and has been hopping from one role to the next for almost a decade without drawing too much public criticism. Certainly, Polak’s adaptability is a key part of sustaining her successful career as a politician, but she lacks the environmental specialization that Heyman brings to the table.

Before he was elected, Heyman served for three years as the executive director of the Sierra Club B.C., which is one of the most prolific environmental advocacy organizations in the country. This already means that Heyman is leaps and bounds ahead of Polak when it comes to past experience with and commitment to environmental causes. He also spent a long time working in forestry, and even had a near-death experience while working as a logger before he reportedly decided to take a safer job with the Ministry of Forests in the late 70s. He has decades of experience working in the natural resource sector to add to his years of ecological advocacy, but outside expertise alone surely doesn’t guarantee that some-

one will be a great politician. It takes leadership skills. It takes an aptitude for negotiation. It takes a mind for strategy and a stomach for administration. And the big question is: Does George Heyman have any of these qualities? Well, if his CV is any indication, the short answer is yes. In spades. True to NDP culture, Heyman spent part of his early career working within a union, and he served as the head of the B.C. Government and Service Employees’ Union from 1999 to 2008. He also spent time teaching as a faculty member in the Dialogue and Negotiations program at SFU, and has guest lectured at universities. On the subject of negotiation, if the word “expert” is ever used to describe George Heyman, it

is without hyperbole. The time he spent handling union negotiations will help inform his politics while he navigates the contentious territory that comes with trying to reconcile the debate between the importance of preserving the environment and the importance of expanding the economic interests of the province. For example, the Sierra Club clearly opposes the building of the Kinder Morgan Pipeline and the completion of the Site C Dam, and both of these are projects that the NDP has been cautiously supporting. This conflict may be the first of many that Heyman has to contend with, but compared to Polak, environmentalists can rest assured that the province is in much better hands.

Artist Spotlight: Milkers Wanted

The hard-hitting garage rock group has broken out of Maple Ridge alyssa laube | Coordinating Editor Off the rails and explosive, Milkers Wanted shows are guaranteed to leave your head spinning. The Maple Ridge-made band fits most snugly into the darker and dingier venues of East Vancouver, where young members of the underground music scene come to drink, smoke, and socialize. There, through a mass of squirming, sweaty bodies, frontmen Ezra Tamminga and Colten Secord can often be seen toting their guitars with drummer Jack Feherty and bassist Mitch Kozlik bopping behind them. Their crowds are always ready for a good time, and that’s exactly the energy that the band exerts. There’s a lightness to their stage presence, certainly, but a noticeable darkness behind their songwriting as well. Inspired by outspoken bands like FIDLAR, Milkers Wanted uses their music to express the struggles associated with being stuck in the cycle of working, partying, and regretting drunken mistakes. As compared to their first record, the recently released Squirtgun EP is full of guitar-driven chaos and Tamminga’s voice screaming out lines about cel-

ebration, remorse, and self-reflection. Squirtgun EP is also diverse in its sound, ranging from the delicate sing-songy “Moon Rock” to the raging punk jam “Rat Mose”. There are Spanish influences, surf influences, and plenty of punk influences, but good ol’ fashioned rock n’ roll prevails above all else. Despite their sometimes-heavy lyrical content, Milkers Wanted has managed to keep their sound fun and lighthearted for their audience. Tamminga describes Squirtgun EP as “louder, heavier, and more aggressive,” with more work and darker tones underlying its creation. At its core, the record is about “it fucked my day up, it fucked my week up, it fucked my life up” situations that the band members confront in their dayto-day. “The first EP was more fun. It just happened by itself, pretty much. With this one, we had to try. The songs were a little bit more complex and had a little more to them than, ‘Yeah, let’s get drunk or drive around,’” says Tamminga. “It’s so easy to get caught up in the humdrum of getting off work and knowing that the bars are open until 3:00 downtown. You go

Maple Ridge-based garage rock band, Milkers Wanted. (Submitted) home or go to the bar and get drunk and make some bad choices. It’s easy to get caught up in that.” A recently released video showcases the song “Bunk Waves”, which veils commentary about abusing cocaine behind the metaphor of adopting and mistreating a child—a symbol of innocence designed to represent the drug as an unused substance. Although it seems abysmal, writing music about such experiences is healthy for the members of the band. “Listening to FIDLAR, loving FIDLAR, helped us not want to hide it as much—not like it’s something to

be proud of,” says Tamminga. “I feel I need to get it out, because it’s not a happy thing. It’s not encouraging like, ‘Let’s get fucked up!’ It’s like, ‘Man, I got fucked up and the consequences suck.’” “It’s almost, in a way, an anti-teen smoking and alcohol ad,” he laughs. The band’s next record will explore new concepts separate from growing older both with and without drugs and alcohol. With the upcoming records, the goal is “taking actual ideas and writing songs about them instead of writing about that crazy time I had when I didn’t sleep for two days and ended up in a stranger’s apartment,”

says Tamminga. Two new songs coming from the band—one colloquially known as “The Back Song” which is about Tamminga’s herniated disks in his back, and the other called “Jose Cuervo” after the brand of tequila—will be coming out within the next few months. Although the band has been struggling to come up with a concept for their next album, fans can expect a music video and short EP to be released before the year’s end. They may even release a version of “Jose Cuervo” played with a full mariachi band sometime in the future.

Show us your story with #runnermag Your picture could be selected as our featured photo!

SUDOKU No. 179

Easy

2 7 5

9 8 4 7 1 2 5 3 6

7 4 6 2

9 4 6 8 7 2 3 4 7 9 4 6 1 2 5 3 4

2 6 5 9 4 3 8 7 1

1 7 3 8 6 5 2 4 9

4 9 1 5 2 6 3 8 7

5 3 6 1 8 7 9 2 4

7 2 8 4 3 9 6 1 5

8 5 9 2 7 4 1 6 3

3 1 7 6 5 8 4 9 2

6 4 2 3 9 1 7 5 8

9 6

Previous solution - Very Hard

For many strategies, hints and tips, visit www.sudokuwiki.org

Horoscopes Sagittarius Nov. 23 - Dec 21 Sometimes the most romantic thing you do with a person is leave them.

Capricorn Dec. 22 - Jan 20 Maybe next time, to help temper your inevitable disappointment, don’t ask yourself, “Does she like me?” but instead, “How could she possibly?”

Aquarius Jan 21 - Feb 19 It’s just three easy steps: flip it, stick it, and see-yalater-bye!

If you like Sudoku you’ll really like ‘Str8ts’ and our other puzzles, Apps and books. Visit www.str8ts.com

The solutions will be published here in the next issue.

the doodle box

Pisces Feb 20 - Mar 20 Try to describe your depression in terms everyone can enjoy. It’s “an old friend visiting” and not “a foul and leering demon once more crouched atop your chest.”

Gemini May 21 - Jun 20

We’ve merely started the creation, you get to finish it!

Aries Mar 21 - Apr 19 Please leave the sea creatures in the sea, okay? I shouldn’t have to tell you this more than twice.

Cancer Jun 21 - Jul 23

Taurus Apr 20 - May 20 You’re lookin’ bodacious in that guillotine, hombre.

Leo Jul 24 - Aug 23

You yourself are the pedestal for that ugly hump at which we stare.

You crawl onto the slab next to him, smear flesh on flesh, the bonding of unlike metals, of time and timelessness: the living and the dead.

Tomorrow you will meet a Spaniard with a knife. Be sure not to confuse one with the other.

Virgo Aug 24 - Sept 23

Libra Sept 24 - Oct 23

Scorpio Oct 24 - Nov 22

You’ll get that lousy key to the city from that goodfor-nothing mayor if you have to burn this whole fucking affluent suburb to the ground to do it.

Always, ALWAYS be prepared to roll initiative.

Every morning while looking into the mirror, repeat this phrase until you are sufficiently inspired: “You’re ugly, you’re disgusting, I’m gonna kill you. Now give me two hundred dollars.”