The Runner Volume 10, Issue 5

October 31, 2017 VOLUME 10 // ISSUE 5 kpu’s student newspaper

THE FIGHT TO DEFEDERATE Ongoing legal dispute between BCFS and KSA could delay the Association’s defederation efforts

Culture

Features

Opinions

Diwali Celebration Lights up the Surrey Campus

Thrive Week Promotes Mental Well-being at KPU

Netflix Deal Could Be a Game Changer for Canadian Content

2 table of contents

staff 04

News|Legal Trouble Between the KSA and the BCFS Continues

The Kwantlen Student Association was the respondent of an appeal from the British Columbia Federation of Students on Sept. 18 that will likely delay the KSA’s ongoing efforts to defederate from the BCFS.

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

07

culture|Diwali Celebration Lights up KPU Surrey

The six-hour festival of lights featured a Bhangra dance performance, henna tattoo artists, prayers, lunch, and a dance celebration that lasted for most of the day. It was attended by a diverse mix of students, with some dressed in luxurious silk saris, well-tailored suits, or other colourful clothing.

08

features|Thrive Week promotes mental well-being among students

Beginning on Oct. 23, the university’s third annual Thrive Week encompassed over 50 events taking place on all four campuses. The campaign is intended to bring the university community together to support students, faculty, and staff in promoting physical and mental wellness.

13

OPINIONS|Netflix Deal Could be a Game Changer For Canadian Content

Critics of the deal have argued that it benefits Netflix more than it does Canadians. While it’s easy to see where these people are coming from based on a purely monetary standpoint, for those of us who have longed to see Canadian television production taken seriously, it’s difficult not to be excited.

Staff Writer

Joseph Keller staff@runnermag.ca

#FeatureTweets Web Editor

Mel Pomerleau web@runnermag.ca

Use #kpu or #runnermag in your tweet, and you could be featured in the next issue!

Community Reporter

Ashley Hyshka community@runnermag.ca

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

contributors Epifania Alarcón Katherine Dolmat Kristine Hui Sandra Hunaidi Tristan Johnston Leah Rosehill Lincoln Saugstad

Cover by Braden Klassen

Arbutus 3710/3720 12666 72 Ave. Surrey, B.C, V3W 2M8 778.565.3801 www.runnermag.ca Vol. 10, Issue no. 5 October 31 // 2017 ISSN# 1916 8241

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

Hulk Hogan vs. Gawker: whoever won, we lost

(Nicole Kwit)

Alyssa Laube | coordinating Editor Last week, I spoke on a panel about media censorship following a screening of Nobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press. The documentary, in part, examines Hulk Hogan’s secretly-funded court case against Gawker for releasing his sex tape.

The event was presented by KDocs, Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s documentary festival, and contemplating the importance of journalism in North America so carefully left one prevailing thought in my mind: Gawker’s work did not deserve to be called newsworthy.

For those of you unfamiliar with the outlet, Gawker was a sensation-

alist online publication that became known for getting dirt on America’s A-list celebrities, one of which was Terry Gene Bollea, also known as wrestler and TV personality Hulk Hogan. Even Gawker’s arguably serious stories suffered from a cloyingly obvious bias towards “gotcha” journalism and, at best, could be accepted as well-written blog posts. At worst, they trafficked in baseless cyberbullying.

In an industry full of senior journalists working themselves to the bone just to keep their newsrooms running, Gawker was an immature high school freshman spreading rumours about all the kids they didn’t like. Then, when it came back to haunt them, they had

the gall to sit in front of a camera and say that Bollea and Peter Thiel—the billionaire co-founder of Paypal who donated millions to support Bollea’s lawsuit—were attacking the entirety of the free press by taking them to court.

However, it is true that Thiel supported the Gawker lawsuit in order to get back at reporters who published content he didn’t like. With no one except Bollea and his legal counsel knowing, Thiel effectively weaponized his personal fortune, contributing $10 million to winning the case and bankrupting the publication. The documentary Nobody Speak argues that he did so to get back at the writers who publicly speculated on

his sexuality—and, in Thiel’s eyes, wrongfully humiliated him—years prior. That is what’s still dangerous about the Gawker/Bollea case today.

By acting out his own vendetta against one trashy online publication, Thiel told the world that, with enough money and willpower, anyone can take journalists down. That should make everyone uneasy.

With Trump instilling fear and distrust of the media in the American people through his “fake news” rhetoric, we are at risk of being dismantled by corrupt powers now more than ever. Rich white men like Trump have an arsenal of weapons to use against the free press, and thanks to Thiel’s role in ending Gawker, they now know that they don’t even need to have a good reason to sue the people telling the public truths that they don’t like. All they need is a lot of money.

Too many bad people have that in spades, and too few good journalists have the resources they need to defend their work and contributions to democracy.

Dressing something as ugly as Gawker up with pretty words about the bravery of unabashed journalism doesn’t make it any less of a gossip rag, and the writers who speak so proudly about their work with the publication ought to admit that they deserved to be sued for bullying a flawed celebrity for the sake of getting online views. What they did not deserve was to be bankrupted in a fight that unfairly targeted the free press from its beginning.

George Melville Reappointed KPU Chancellor

News Brief

joseph keller | staff writer Kwantlen Polytechnic University announced on Oct. 17 that George Melville had been appointed the university’s chancellor for another term.

Melville first became chancellor in 2014, with university officials citing his “professional and philanthropic achievements, commitment to community, and valuable service to KPU” as reasons for his selection.

Melville’s new term will last until October 2020.

“I’m excited about continuing my deep connection to KPU as chancellor and I look forward to representing our students, faculty, staff, and community supporters,” Melville said in the university’s press release.

Although it is a largely ceremonial title, the chancellor represents the head of the university. They act as an ambassador for KPU and preside over

convocation and granting degrees to graduating students. Candidates for the university chancellor position are nominated by the Kwantlen Alumni Association before a final selection is made by the university’s Board, in consultation with its Senate.

As a B.C. born and raised businessman, Melville has been a prominent member of the Metro Vancouver business community for many years. He is a part-owner and founding board member for Lower Mainland-based restaurant chain Boston Pizza, as well as the chairman and owner of T&M Management Services Ltd. He has also supported charitable organisations across Canada including Kids Help Phone and the Rick Hansen Foundation.

Melville sat on KPU’s Board of Directors from 2003 to 2009 and helped oversee its transition from a college to a university. He has made

a number of contributions to KPU, including a donation of $500,000 to create the Melville Centre for Dialogue on the Richmond campus in 2012.

Despite his recent involvement in and support of higher education, Melville never attended university himself. Nevertheless, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from KPU in 2013. In 2014, university president Alan Davis told Business in Vancouver that he believed Melville’s involvement with KPU would “raise the profile and raise the expectation for KPU.” “He understands the struggles that students have, he understands the importance of education and he really believes in Kwantlen Polytechnic University,” Davis said in the interview. “What he brings as a businessman, as a philanthropist, I think is going to help us in all kinds of ways.”

What’s Happening this month

oct. 31

rise of the gaming dead The Kwantlen Gaming Guild is holding its fourth annual Halloween party. If you’re a fan of snacks, scares, pizza, board games, Smash Bros. tournaments, costume competitions, and virtual reality horror games, don’t miss out!

11:00 am - 6:00 pm, KPU Surrey, free.

nov. 1

study abroad social KPU’s third annual Study Abroad Social will feature students who’ve gone around the world to study share their stories over free pizza and drinks. Attend the event to find out if studying abroad is for you.

4:30 pm - 8:00 pm, Grassroots Cafe, free.

nov. 2 what is sikhism?

As part of its “brown bag belief” series, the KPU Multi-Faith Centre is holding this event. It will feature activist and educator Balwant Sanghera as a guest speaker. Everyone is welcome to learn more about the world’s fifth largest religion.

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm, KPU Richmond, Room 1564, free.

nov. 4

me too rally

KPU’s feminist collective, Women Organizing Opportunities for Women, is marching in solidarity with survivors of sexual assault at the Me Too Rally in Vancouver.

9:30 am - 12:00 pm, London Drugs on Granville and Georgia, free.

nov. 7

farms schools info session

Have you ever wanted to learn how to grow your own food? Find out if a life on the farm is the life for you by getting all the information on KPU’s farm school programs.

6:30 pm - 8:00 pm, KPU Richmond, free.

nov. 10

Performance Anxiety Workshop

The Kwantlen Music Student Association is hosting a presentation on performance anxiety, featuring psychotherapist and lecturer Paula Wise.

The event will focus on the needs of contemporary music students.

2:00 pm - 4:00 pm, KPU Langley, Room 1230, free.

4 news

Legal Trouble Between the KSA and the BCFS Continues The BCFS have appealed a court decision that would allow the KSA to continue with a referendum they tried to hold in 2013

braden klassen | photo editor The Kwantlen Student Association was the respondent of an appeal from the British Columbia Federation of Students on Sept. 18 that could delay the KSA’s ongoing efforts to defederate from the BCFS. The KSA has been trying to leave the provincial association for years, arguing that the yearly membership fees KPU students would pay to it are not justified by the services that the BCFS provides. The Kwantlen Student Association’s attempt to leave the BCFS in 2013 was met with a legal challenge from the organization on the grounds that the KSA owed membership fees from past years that had not been remitted. This was because the fees which the KSA were remitting had been to the CFS, not the BCFS—two organizations with an increasingly tenuous relationship.

Members of the KSA—which includes the vast majority of KPU students—currently pay $0.98 per credit to a maximum of $8.86 per semester in membership fees to the CFS. Per credit, the CFS membership

fees are higher than what students pay for the Clubs and Events Fund ($0.65 per credit), Intramurals or ActiveKSA ($0.30 per credit), the Polytechnic Ink Publishing Society ($0.75 per credit), or the Kwantlen Public Interest Research Group ($0.80 per credit). However, these other fees are not subject to a maximum limit.

The BCFS used to be a member of the CFS but split from the organization last year. Nevertheless, the BCFS alleged that the KSA was obligated to pay membership fees to it separate from their payment to the CFS, as per the provincial organization’s bylaws.

This arrangement has been contested by the KSA and was one of the primary issues of the case.

The BCFS claimed that the fees that were owed to them invalidated a petition the KSA had circulated which would allow them to hold a student referendum to leave the federation. The argument for invalidation was reinforced by a disagreement over the number of students who signed the petition, as the BCFS had recently changed its bylaws to give themselves a higher authority in verifying petition results.

When the case went to court, the presiding judge observed that the federation’s bylaw changes were “specifically added to the [BCFS] bylaws after this matter arose,” which the KSA alleges was a measure taken in bad faith that further justified their position in wanting to leave the organization. The court document states that “the plaintiffs allege bad faith and liken [the BCFS] to a lobster trap: easy to get in; almost impossible to get out.”

On Feb. 24, 2017, the judge ruled in favour of some of the KSA’s arguments. Specifically, he did not feel like the BCFS had the “implied authority to investigate and verify” the petition results before the bylaws were added, and that he dismissed the BCFS’s application to continue working through the case in a summary trial.

Summary trials are meant to reduce the time and costs of litigation. However, the KSA contended that a summary trial would not be thorough enough to fairly represent their position.

The presiding judge, Justice J. Christopher Grauer, opined that “the

practical way forward in the current circumstances would seem to me to involve the holding of a defederation referendum under the Bylaws as they stood in 2013, presumably subject to some sort of agreement as to the Chief Returning Officer and Appeals Committee. The question of whether there are outstanding fees, and if so how much, could be referred to a neutral arbitrator for decision, preferably with the involvement of the Canadian Federation of Students.”

Grauer noted that this was not a process he could order, and that he would instead leave that matter to the discretion of the feuding organizations.

Months later, in a KSA Council meeting on Sept. 22, KSA President Tanvir Singh’s report noted that “the KSA was the respondent for an appeal from the British Columbia Federation of Students,” and that he, KSA General Manager Jeremy McElroy, and KSA Vice President Student Life Jay Reedy attended the court hearing on Sept. 18.

Singh declined to comment on what this hearing entailed, and though it is not certain that this appeal is

related to the ruling made on Feb. 24, if it is it could mean that the litigation between the organizations will continue, possibly for months. If this is the case, the KSA will not be able to proceed with a referendum to defederate until the issues are resolved.

In 2013, the line in the KSA’s annual budget operations worksheet dedicated to legal and professional fees was projected to be $75,000, and the estimated year-to-date usage of that money, recorded on Dec. 31, 2013, was $56,743.

In 2017, that same budget line projected that legal and professional fees would cost the KSA $250,000 for the year, and as of Sept. 9, 2017, the estimated year-to-date cost was reported to be $346,837—almost $100,000 dollars over the initial projection.

Judge Grauer also mentioned an older case involving SFU’s defederation from the CFS, adding that “the cost of this litigation, no matter which party or parties are successful, will be borne by post-secondary students.”

The same is true for KPU students.

The BCFS did not respond to interview requests for this story by press time.

Vancouver Ranked Fifth Best Canadian City for Women to Live In

Study by the CCPA does not have an “intersectional lens,” but its future work will alyssa laube | coordinating editor Vancouver was declared the fifth best city in Canada for women to live in by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives this month, following Kingston, Hamilton, Gatineau, and Victoria. It received the high ranking primarily for its health, security, and leadership rates among women, while the relevant economic security and education rates trailed behind.

Kate McInturff, the director of the CCPA’s initiative on gender equality and public policy called Making Women Count, compiled the report using data from Statistics Canada. In

it, she states that “there are reasons yet to march, gaps yet to be closed.”

“This report provides not only the measure of those gaps, but also the signs of progress and the unquestionable strength of women working to make theirs the best city in Canada to be a woman,” she writes.

In the Vancouver section of the document, Women Transforming Cities is cited as “a project to increase women’s participation in local government” in Surrey and Vancouver.

Co-chaired by ex-city councillor Ellen Woodsworth, the organization led a campaign focused on having all political parties in the last municipal

election agree on 11 local issues concerning women and girls.

Woodsworth says that she and her team will continue to push for equity in politics, and “have great respect for Kate’s work and for the CCPA,” but emphasizes that the report itself did not have the intersectional lens they feel it needed.

“When I look at her statement around Vancouver being fifth in terms of violence against women or security, I don’t see reflected the fact that this is where Indigenous women have gone missing and murdered and continue to go missing on the Downtown Eastside,” says Woodsworth. “With-

out that intersectional lens, we’re not looking at the disaggregated data to look at how this would impact women who maybe are seniors, youth, Indigenous, immigrants, or refugees.”

Woodsworth questions the accuracy of the report, adding that Vancouver has only ever had a white, male mayor, and that the same applies for several cities in the Lower Mainland, among other area-specific issues.

“Right now, because of the housing crisis in Vancouver, so many aspects of Vancouver have gotten much worse for women,” she says.

“Many women are being forced out of Vancouver because they can’t

The co-chair of Women Transforming Cities, Ellen Woodsworth, delivering a speech at the Hot Pink Paper Campaign launch in 2014. (womentransformingcities.org)

afford the rent.”

In response to Woodsworth’s concerns, McInturff says that she was “clear in the report that the data just isn’t available.”

“It isn’t possible to measure the indicators that I measure on an annual basis for different groups of women because Statistics Canada just doesn’t collect that data,” she says. “The only time you can really look at some of those economic indicators are in census years, so at the end of November this year we’ll have some of that data from the census, and then I’ll be able to write about different living standards for women in different cities.”

McInturff plans to release a more intersectional report once she has access to the relevant data. The CCPA is already examining different qualities of life for women among various Winnipeg neighbourhoods.

In defence of publishing the CCPA report prior to obtaining intersectional census data, McInturff says that only being able to conduct research every five years is “worse than trying to capture the gaps that can be captured with the annual data.” “[Publishing more frequently] keeps the conversation alive and it keeps the conversation moving, and it also gives us a broad picture of which gaps are narrowing and which ones aren’t,” she says. “I think that’s worthwhile.”

News 5

The Risks of Health-Care Work

KPU’s Nursing program prepares students for one of the province’s most dangerous jobs joseph keller | staff writer Health-care workers have one of the most dangerous jobs in B.C. according to workplace statistics. Recently, WorksafeBC published data confirming that providers of patient care report more time-loss injuries than those occupying any other profession in the province.

The workplace risks associated with a career in health-care were a major topic of discussion at this month’s Hearts and Hands Conference, a gathering of health-care workers in Vancouver and Victoria on Oct. 3 and Oct. 26 which was hosted by WorksafeBC and partially sponsored

by Kwantlen Polytechnic University.

The Dean of KPU’s Faculty of Health, Dr. David Florkowski—who was previously employed by WorksafeBC—says that a lot of the risk for health-care workers comes from the patients themselves. Healthcare workers understand that people coming to them for help are often in extremely vulnerable positions and under intense mental and physical stress. This can lead to incidents of physical aggression from patients towards their health-care workers.

Exacerbating the risk, according to Florkowski, is the issue of fatigue and stress on health-care workers.

These professionals are frequently subject to working extremely long hours under high amounts of stress without having a proper rest. This can commonly lead to workplace

accidents.

KPU’s health-care programs have to prepare students for the risks of the job, which Florkowski says is paramount to helping lower workplace injury rates in the health-care sector.

He says that on-the-job training is the the most important aspect of making sure that students are ready to deal with risks when they step into the field. Such placements allow students to see the methods of risk minimization that they are taught in the classroom in action.

Students begin by shadowing experienced professionals and gradually transition into carrying out the duties themselves. Inevitably, they will witness incidents that demonstrate the challenges of the job and will be debriefed on how to respond.

“We can do all the theory we want in the classroom, but until we put students into the hospital setting and they’re right there with that patient, that’s where the student is going to connect the dots and really get what we’re trying to get at,” says Florkowski. “But we have got to put the student in that state to really say, ‘Is this job for you?’”

Instructors in the Faculty of Health talk to students about the workplace risks early on in their education so that they understand what they are getting into and what they need to do to minimize the risks to themselves, their patients, and their coworkers.

Body mechanics is an important aspect of training, and students invest

a significant amount of time in learning how to move immobilized people without injuring themselves. The programs also include multiple courses dedicated to developing communication skills so that students can identify potential hazards and de-escalate potentially confrontational situations with aggressive people.

Tamira Nicholls, President of the Faculty of Health Student Association, considers these communication techniques to be among the most important skills she has learned through KPU’s nursing program.

“I feel that effective communication with clients who may display violent behaviours or aggressive behaviours is important because, with effective communication, we can stop these behaviours from happening in the first place,” says Nicholls.

The cost of replacing health-care professionals provides ample financial incentive for the industry to protect its workers. Still, Florkowski believes that more can be done to minimize workplace injuries. He says that there is a common theme in the industry of hospitals trying to be as frugal as possible, and that the subsequent understaffing increases the stress put on the few workers on shift.

Florkowski explains that there are multiple models for addressing potentially aggressive patients that are often best applied on a case-bycase basis. However, hospitals rarely have the resources to do so.

(Kwantlen Polytechnic University YouTube Channel) “Focusing on the best patient-centered care for that specific client at that specific time and putting that support structure in place, often the hospitals don’t have time or resources to do that for every single client.

But that would technically lead to the best outcome for that client as well as the health-care worker,” says Florkowski.

Ultimately, it’s up to each individual student to decide for themselves if they are the type of person who can handle the risks and stress associated with being a health-care professional.

Florkowski has known plenty of people who have left the field because they couldn’t deal with the risks involved. Still, Nicholls says that her education has made her confident that she can handle such a difficult, and important, job.

“I really feel that I’ve gotten all my skills together and I’ve gotten the chance to say, ‘Yes, I can be a nurse now,’ and I feel very confident now in my skills and my ability to communicate and my skills to prevent injury,“ she says.

KSA By-Election Winners Announced

Seven new student representatives have joined KSA Council while three positions remain vacant

The Runner Staff The results of the 2017 Kwantlen Student Association By-Election were released on Oct. 19.

Emily Haugen, Mamanjot Kaur, and Munir Khalid-Dossa are the KSA’s new constituency representatives. With 90 votes, Haugen was elected the Aboriginal Students Representative while her competitors, Sarah Strachan and Bruce Ferguson, received 50 and 38 votes, respectively.

Haugen, a business student, believes that “on campus there’s a lack of inclusivity, not only within the Aboriginal community, but also with students at large.”

“I feel like everyone could be a lot more involved in this school rather than just coming to school, doing what you have to do, and then leaving at the end of class,” she told The Runner prior to being elected.

Kaur is the new International Students Representative with 143 votes, defeating Manpreet Singh, who received 77. Dossa is the new Students of Colour Representative, with 149 votes in his favour and 32 against.

As an international student herself, Kaur aims to “stand for international

students and their issues,” and understands how it feels to be shy while attending school in a new country.

Dossa had already been in his position as the Students of Colour Representative since March, but was re-elected on a platform of “really having students of colour feel welcome on campus, more or less making it a fun atmosphere on campus too.”

He also intends to increase student involvement in KSA committees.

Turning to faculty representatives, Paula Aguilar will be representing the Design Faculty after receiving 45 votes in support of her election and, notably, no votes against it. Rabia Khan will be representing the Science and Horticulture Faculty after receiving 50 votes, while Joseph Beland, who also ran for Science and Horticulture Faculty Representative, received 25.

“It has been years since we have had someone from Design in [KSA] Council and I think it is so important, now that we are soon moving into the new building, that we have representation,” Aguilar told The Runner on Sept. 26..

Khan, who is a student in the Science department, plans to “bring awareness about what’s actually going on in the school and with the

science faculty … and with that understanding, bring that knowledge to the students and see what we can do better in our department and as a university.”

The Langley campus will now be represented at KSA Council by Bilan Hassan, who got 134 “yes” votes and 33 “no” votes. Damanpreet Garcha is the new Richmond Campus Representative with 115 votes. Landon

Charney, who ran against Garcha for the position, received 63.

Hassan hopes to fix “the lack of sociability” at KPU, as well as improve the quality of food available on-campus. Garcha, who calls herself “a frequent volunteer in the KPU community,” wants to “create events that make people feel that they’re in a community.”

Three positions remain vacant on

KSA Council: the Faculty of Academic & Career Advancement Representative, the Faculty of Health Representative, and the Faculty of Trades and Technology Representative. The next KSA election will be held in February.

(Braden Klassen)

6 culture

Fifth Annual Pow Wow held on the surrey campus The KPU community celebrated Darlene Willier’s work on Oct. 14

braden klassen | photo editor For the fifth consecutive year, the hallways of Surrey’s Cedar building echoed with singing and the proud rhythm of pounding drums.

As with Pow Wows of the past, First Nations singers, dancers, vendors, and audience members from all over Western Canada convened at Kwantlen Polytechnic University to take part in a celebration of Aboriginal culture and customs. Friends, family members, and spectators filled the seats in the Cedar gymnasium to enjoy the spectacular display of spirited dance performances and stunningly ornate regalia.

KPU student Emily Haugen spent part of her day volunteering at the event, greeting newcomers and helping the judges assign scores to the dancers in the competition.

“All of the attendees are really high-energy and really positive, so it’s great to deal with people like that, who are always on our side,” she says.

Haugen, who was recently elected as the Aboriginal Students Representative for the Kwantlen Student Association, says that she has identified with the Aboriginal community her whole life. She makes a habit of attending as many community events as possible.

“They’re always really well done,” she adds.

About halfway through the ceremony, KPU Aboriginal Services Coordinator Darlene Willier was presented with a ceremonial blanket

by KPU Criminology Instructor and

Head Lady Dancer Dr. Lisa Monchalin, KPU alumni Melinda Bige, and KPU student Justin Bige.

Afterward, Monchalin led a Jingle Dress Special dance honouring Willier for having organized the KPU Pow Wow every year, and for her immense contributions to the Aboriginal and KPU community. Willier is set to retire at the end of October, and several members of the community lined up to speak with her and say their farewells.

Dakota Ward, a dancer competing in the Men’s Traditional category, says that he has been competing in Pow Wow dance competitions since he was eight years old.

“I’ve travelled all around North America doing this way of dance,” says Ward, who came from Edmon-

ton to attend the event at KPU. “It’s a warrior’s dance. We’re supposed to imitate going into battle. Long ago, the men would go into battle and when they came home, instead of telling a story, they would portray it by dancing.”

A large number of vendors were also in attendance at the event to sell their goods, from t-shirts to blankets, dream-catchers, drums, traditional art, and jewellery.

“My kids have been competing in Pow Wow for about 10 years,” says Eileen Tann, who was selling natural botanical medicines and handmade jewellery at the event. “I make all of their regalia, I do all of their beading, and I just bring them out to wherever we can go and let them dance.”

“It’s always nice that you have

KPU student Justin Bige delivers a speech thanking KPU Aboriginal Services Coordinator Darlene Willier. (Braden Klassen)

things that you can go to with whatever you are feeling, and it helps to release that negativity,” says Shannon Isaac, who participated in the Pow Wow as both a vendor and a dancer in the Women’s Traditional category.

“It’s almost like coming home.”

Spectators noted that this year’s Pow Wow was the biggest that the university has hosted yet, and even though it is the last one Willier will help to organize, members of the community are optimistic that it will continue to grow in the years to come.

Pow Wow dancer Dakota Ward brandishes an antique rifle adorned with eagle feathers during the Men’s Traditional dance competition. (Braden Klassen)

Literature Comes to Life in KPU Prof.’s Chinatown Walking Tour Students of ENGL 1202 see history, fiction, and biography come together Tristan Johnston | contributor Though Greg Chan’s 1202 class teaches English, the students who joined him on a walking tour of Chinatown on Oct. 13 might have felt that they were learning equal parts history and anthropology.

In Chan’s class, students are reading The Jade Peony by Wayson Choy.

The novel, released in 1995, follows three children of the Chen family living in Vancouver’s Chinatown throughout the 1930s and 1940s. The work is fiction, but it borrows heavily from Choy’s own life growing up in Vancouver.

“My class is a first year topics in literature course, so we study novels and plays,” says Chan. “We’re studying the Wayson Choy novel and one of the benefits is that it’s local, so I thought, ‘Let’s put together a field study so that they can come and see for themselves what the characters were living through.’”

Conducting the tour for Chan and his students was John Atkin, a civic historian.

“Of course, we can’t take them back to 1930s Chinatown, but with [Atkin] giving the history lesson on

Chinatown, we can a little bit,” says Chan. “Exact locations are mentioned in the novel and he brings us to those sights, so it really brings the novel to life for them.”

Along the tour route are the reallife locations where the fictional Chen family lived. Among them are houses they lived in, schools they went to— both public and after-school language classes—and the places where they interacted with their community.

Chan and Atkin have been doing the walking tour for 15 years, making small tweaks to it along the way but sticking with the same book. He says that many of his students feel the tour brings the book to life, and many of them consider it to be a highlight of the course.

“I think [by] using a fictional book that had a lot of research behind it … you are largely portraying a realistic Chinatown,” says Atkin. “This isn’t a fantasy. This is something based on both the lived experience of Wayson Choy growing up in Chinatown and the Strathcona neighbourhood. At the same time, it gives the framework of the characters and how they experience things, but it’s also based on that reality.”

One could argue that both a history book and a semi-autobiographical novel are able to transport readers to a different time, but each will provide them with very different perspectives. History will offer a dry one that comes with a lot of context, and fiction offers a rich one that depicts days or years in the life of characters who lived in that time and place.

“The novel allows you to explore a lot of the themes present within Chinese culture, but you’d have a hard time bringing it to life [in a history book] compared to fiction,” says Atkin.

While Choy’s novel details the experiences of Chinese-Canadians living in a much more prejudiced Vancouver, visiting the actual locations where thousands of Chinese immigrants made their homes can provide a greater understanding of both the fictional story and the history than inspired it. By reading about their lives, visiting the places they lived in, and ultimately contemplating their experience, students in Greg Chan’s 1202 class have had the chance to understand what their fellow Canadians’ lives were like all those decades ago.

The Kuomintang building, which hosted Chinese language classes, was designed by an architect of European descent.

Chinese-Canadians were still banned from designing their own buildings in 1920. (Tristan Johnston)

Diwali Celebration Lights up KPU

The first-of-its-kind event was hosted by KPU International on Oct. 20

Ashley Hyshka | community reporter The sounds of Punjabi music bellowed out of the Cedar conference room at Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Surrey campus on Oct. 20, marking the first Diwali celebration to be held at the university.

The six-hour festival of lights featured a Bhangra dance performance, henna tattoo artists, prayers, lunch, and a dance celebration that lasted for most of the day. It was attended by a diverse mix of students, with some dressed in luxurious silk saris, well-tailored suits, or other colourful clothing.

“I’m really happy to see campus culture expanding into what it is right now,” says Kwantlen Student Association President Tanvir Singh, who was there to enjoy the festivities with his fellow students.

KPU has historically attracted a large number of international students, with the Surrey campus hosting many students from India in particular. Singh says both international and domestic students have Indian origins, and that because Diwali is one of the most celebrated festivals of the year, the KSA decided to partner with KPU International to sponsor the event.

The student association contributed $2,000 to help “cater to the needs of students that we don’t always cater

to,” according to Singh.

“We’re always looking for ways to expand the services and the events that we provide to students, and I think this really helps with the breadth of that,” he adds.

Waheed Taiwo and Bianca Meritz of KPU International say that the event was being planned during the six months prior to the beginning of Diwali on Oct. 19. The inspiration to hold an on-campus event for the celebration of lights came directly from the students who, according to Taiwo, had long been requesting a Diwali festival.

“One of the things that we are

looking for is to let them know that we do care about them, and that we care about their wellbeing,” he says.

“As well as the fact that we don’t want them to miss out on too much.”

Taiwo goes on to say that most students attend KPU for between two and four years, and that “the experience they have here as a student will determine what they do in the future.” He also feels that events like the Diwali celebration will help to improve the reputation of KPU’s on-campus culture. Meritz says that she enjoyed seeing “students who are not from India who came to see what it was like and participate, and

expose themselves to a different cultural event.”

For many students, KPU’s Diwali celebration makes them feel closer to home. Attendees Aanchal Suncja and Kuljeet Kaur say that they came to the event because it was the first Diwali celebration they’ve had the ability to attend since arriving in the country around one year ago.

“It’s not only an opportunity for international students,” says Taiwo.

“It’s also an opportunity for domestic students … [and the] community to see what life looks like in other cultures, and I think we’ve been able to achieve that.”

KPU students and staff pose for a group photo during the Diwali celebration in the Cedar Conference Room. (Braden Klassen)

Political Science Instructors Discuss the North Korea Nuclear Threat at Grassroots

Professors Ross Pink and Logan Masilamani ask, “Is Winter Coming?” joseph keller | staff writer “Aggression left unchecked and unchallenged leads to war.”

This quote from President Kennedy was used by Kwantlen Polytechnic University political science professor Dr. Ross Pink to describe the danger of appeasing the North Korean regime.

Pink spoke alongside his colleague, Dr. Logan Masilamani, at a roundtable discussion held by the university’s political science department at the Grassroots Cafe on Oct. 13. Both instructors presented their take on the complex issue of the North Korean nuclear threat.

“Here’s the big question: Do you want Kim [Jong Un] to get a deliverable nuclear bomb, or do you take him out now?” says Pink. “That’s the issue right now.”

Pink’s view was that North Korea is winning the ongoing nuclear showdown with the United States, arguing that the last four Presidents of the U.S. have erred by failing to reign in the Kim regime. As a result, North Korea is now believed to be five months away from possessing a nuclear weapon deliverable to North American shores.

While he is not a fan of Donald Trump, Pink says that the current

President has inherited a nightmarish situation with North Korea and understands the “good cop bad cop” strategy Trump and Secretary of State Tillerson have taken to diplomacy with North Korea.

“Nobody wants a war on the peninsula, but there comes a point where you can’t appease,” says Pink.

“That’s the whole lesson on the Nazi regime. They kept appeasing Hitler and then it led to World War II, so my point is that they needed to confront [Kim Jong Il, later Kim Jong Un] years ago.”

Masilamani used a sizable portion of his time to explain the complex history of the Nuclear Non-Prolifer-

ation Treaty and how the current situation with North Korea came about.

He says that he believes the rhetoric coming from both Pyongyang and the Trump administration is counterproductive to reaching a peaceful solution.

“In international relations, one thing that keeps the world going is this notion of predictability … In the case of North Korea and the United States of America, the rhetoric, the speech, the language that’s coming from these two political leaders is not helping the cause, and I think someone has to back down,” says Masilamani.

Overall, Masilamani was pleased

with how the evening went and how it was received by attendees. He looks forward to being involved in similar discussions in the near future.

Possible topics for future discussions according to Masilamani involve the South China Sea dispute, the presidency of Donald Trump, and issues of race. “[Roundtable discussions] bring to the forefront some of the critical issues that we’re facing right now as a country and as a community,” says Masilamani. “They bring together like-minded individuals. They spread the news and create an engaging community. I think we should have more of these.”

KPU Political Science Instructor Ross Pink talks to students about the issues stemming from North Korea’s aggression on the world stage. (Joseph Keller)

culture 7

Sustainability Week helps KPU go Green Lincoln Saugstad The final week of October marked KPU’s annual Sustainability Week, intended to raise awareness of sustainability-related issues on and off campus. The four-day series saw a number of events featuring demonstrations from KPU students in science and horticulture, psychology, policy studies, and product design courses, amongst other on-campus organisations.

Let’s Be Compassionate, a student club that hopes to raise awareness of the animal agriculture industry, had a table at Sustainability Week’s “Food Waste Showcase” on Oct. 25. They were primarily collecting pledges to reduce animal consumption and providing topical information on the harm caused by the animal agriculture industry. The group hosts regular events on campus such as movie nights.

Richard Macmillan, one of the group’s cofounders, says that Let’s Be Compassionate has been getting good feedback for their work as of late. A total of 44 participants attended their screening of Cowspiracy in the Grassroots Cafe on Sept. 18, making it their most well-attended event to-date.

According to KPU administration, the university has been able to decrease natural gas and energy consumption by 14 per cent and 10 per cent respectively, despite seeing an increase in its total building surface area by 36 per cent from 1994 to 2015. the university also uses 50 per cent less energy than average post-secondary campuses across North America, and is proud of its sustainable building design, energy efficient lighting, and interval metering to control indoor temperatures and ventilation. These initiatives have earned it awards from BC Hydro’s yearly Power Smart competition, as well as LEED certification from the Canada Green Building Council.

Tanvir Singh, the president of the Kwantlen Student Association, is proud of the sustainable work that the KSA and the university have carried out over the years. One of the initiatives he is happiest with is the KSA’s implementation of different types of recycling bins around campus.

“When people are done eating, or they throw something away, they are going to be faced with sustainability right then and there and one of the things that we like is that it starts a conversation and kind of sets an idea in people’s heads,” he says.

Another project currently in the works is creating homes for solitary bees on campus. This would help support pollination and protect the already at-risk species.

8 FEATURES

On-Campus groups teach kpu students how to thrive For Mental Health Awareness Month, the KPU community came together in a series of events to let students know which support systems are available Ashley Hyshka | community reporter College and university students who battle mental illnesses often feel like they’re alone in their fight. The organizers of Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Thrive Week sought to let those students know that there’s always someone willing to help.

Beginning on Oct. 23, KPU’s third annual Thrive Week encompassed over 50 events taking place on all four campuses. The campaign was created to bring the university community together to support students, faculty, and staff in promoting physical and mental wellness, according to Codie Hindle, KPU Coordinator of Athletic Facilities and Events.

Hindle says that KPU’s sports and recreation department sits “at the helm” of Thrive Week, but it also works in tandem with the Kwantlen Student Association, the Peer Support program, and other members of the KPU community.

“We have a broad array of students on different campuses, and we need to make sure that we don’t leave anybody out,” says Hindle.

To him, Thrive Week is for students to have “an outlet in times of need,” and for them to be able to access a myriad of resources such as physical activity programs, counselors, academic advisors, and library resources.

“Open your eyes to everything that’s happening around the campus,” he says.

A More Mindful U and the Mental Health Resources Fair This October, as part of Mental Health Awareness Month, the Kwantlen Student Association VP External Affairs Caitlin McCutchen created a month-long campaign called A More Mindful U. In addition to raising awareness of mental health issues, McCutchen also wants to let students know about the resources provided by the KSA, KPU, and the surrounding community.

She says she was inspired to start

the campaign because the KSA had never done anything like it before, and because she has been personally affected by mental illness.

“Everyone will be affected by it, whether it’s you personally or your friends, family, or colleagues,” says McCutchen.

Because universities pay for the mental health services they provide to students, the KSA is also petitioning as part of the campaign to have $40 million worth of provincial funding distributed to all public B.C. post-secondary institutions.

With these funds, the schools would be able to provide “targeted mental health funding” to help supplement the resources already available.

While McCutchen praises KPU’s counselling services, she says there is usually a two-week waiting period before students get to see a counselor.

Additional funding would help KPU shorten that wait time and alleviate pressure on other universities with longer line-ups to see mental health professionals.

A More Mindful U also included various workshops and events that encouraged students to both share their personal stories of mental illness and learn how to help those around them who might be struggling.

“If you’re experiencing anxiety, depression, or any other mental illness or mood disorder, you’re not alone,” says McCutchen. “Even if one person gets the help they need from this campaign, I would feel like I did something successful.”

KPU’s Mental Health Resource Fair, held on Oct. 19, highlighted the various physical and mental wellness services available to KPU students, such as counselling, academic advising, the health and dental plan, and the MyWellness app. McCutchen volunteered at the event and will continue to speak out about how to dissolve negative and misinformed attitudes towards those with mental illnesses.

“The more conversations we have

about mental health, the more people are willing to get the help they really need to succeed,” she says.

The KPU Peer Support Program Jennifer Lingbaoan, a KPU student and member of KPU’s Peer Support program, says that she and her colleagues each “try to be that center person to direct people where they need to go” when they are struggling.

“Where someone might often reach out to a friend first, and maybe never a professional, we hope to be that in between,” Lingbaoan says.

She adds that most volunteers with the program are KPU students or alumni, because students in need are often more open to speaking with peers who understand campus culture and the hardships of going through university.

Peer Support volunteers are trained to provide confidential, one-on-one support. They are available to students looking to confide in someone who understands their issues, but typically they end up exploring heavier topics with their peers. If a student’s issue is recognized as serious by Peer Support members, they will likely be referred to professional counsellors.

The KPU Peer Support program hosts many awareness-based events, including workshops and conferences, but it hopes to extend its services to wellness programming.

The Pieces of Mind Mental Health Conference Hosted by KPU Peer Support, the Pieces of Mind Mental Health Conference was held on the university’s Surrey campus on Oct. 24.

The event featured several speakers, a presentation by the YMCA, and a keynote address by Joshua Rivedal, who specializes in integrating theatre into discussions about mental health.

It also featured several exhibits categorized by the five dimensions of wellness—physical, mental, social,

spiritual, and financial.

McCutchen and KPU President Alan Davis opened the conference by speaking not of their roles at the university, but of their own battles with mental illness.

Davis showed a rarely-seen vulnerability as he recalled how his father died following a long battle with cancer during Davis’s final year of university. During exam season, he says that he couldn’t concentrate on his studies because he was combatting newfound mental health issues.

“I suffered a trauma,” Davis said.

“In retrospect, it was a terrible trauma.”

At his roommate’s suggestion, Davis sought help through a doctor who treated him and listened to his story. He was later admitted into graduate school.

“Peer support is vitally important. You never know, it could be years later before somebody sees the impact of your willingness to share and care,” he said.

McCutchen spoke about how the stress of her academic workload at the beginning of the year made her feel “burnt out,” and how she hid her stress and anxiety out of fear, suffering to the point where she could not get out of bed to go to class or work.

She decided to get professional help because her schedule and stress was taking her away from the things she loved in life.

For students attending the conference, she hoped that “by the end of the day, you’ve asked yourself, ‘How do you thrive, and how can you ensure that those around you are also thriving?’”

Student Testimonials Two student speakers also presented at the event, recounting their personal battles with mental illness and how they found healing by sharing their experiences with others.

One of the students, Yusra Said, talked about how she dealt with anxi-

ety during her first year of university, when she was deeply affected by a family member’s bout with depression. At the time, she chose to remain silent out of fear of being a burden to others, but later sought help through friends and counselling in her fourth year of university.

“I’m not saying that counselling has solved everything,” she said. “But it did allow me to face my thoughts, my feelings, like I never had before.”

Said’s peer, Calvin Tiu, recounted how he was bullied throughout his youth due to his disability, and how he eventually grew to love himself through his passion for rap and musical storytelling.

While suffering from mental illness, Tiu says he began to withdraw from the world, spending less time eating, hanging out with friends, and producing music. After a friend who recognized these warning signs confronted him about it, they told him it was okay to feel the way that he did.

Having his feelings validated helped him move forward.

Tiu spoke about how “it’s tough being human,” and discussed how his passion for mental health advocacy led him to become a member of the KPU Peer Support team for two years. If he had not gone through the experience of battling mental illness, he believes that he wouldn’t be making music today.

“It’s like everybody’s on their own path … but at the same time, we are a university and I feel like we should, together, feel like we are one as well,” says Tiu. “We all have different stories and paths, but I think we can relate to feeling lost and battling our own demons.”

FEATURES 9

Third-year marketing student and KPU Sports and Recreation Student Assistant James Ho uses the treadmill in the Fitness Centre. (Braden Klassen)

KPU graduate Calvin Tiu, aka “Kalvonix,� delivers a spoken-word performance at the Pieces of Mind Conference. (Braden Klassen)

Members of the Peer Support Program pose with representatives from the KSA at the Pieces of Mind conference. (Braden Klassen)

10 features

Five Reasons to Be Proud (and Ashamed) of KPU Our institution’s newness makes for lacklustre culture and reputation, but every cloud has its silver lining joseph keller | staff writer connor doyle | Managing Editor Imagine a classroom filled with one student from each of British Columbia’s post-secondary institutions.

The UBC student would probably represent the “top of the class,” with SFU and UVic trailing close behind.

These would be the “A+” students— the ones who speak up in class, get their work in on time or early, and complete any and all extra-credit work they can. Then there would be the students who half-ass most of their assignments and still walk away at the end of the semester with a half-decent grade.

KPU belongs firmly in the second group, and most of us who go to school here know it. While other universities in the province have nearly a century of prestige to their names, we’re perhaps best known these days for offering a course that teaches you how to make money selling weed.

There are plenty of disparaging things to say about KPU, but there are just as many kind things to say. We at The Runner decided to examine a few of the most prominent reasons why students here should hold their heads high when talking about their school, but—because this is KPU, after all— why those might be the same reasons you plan on transferring to UBC in a year or two.

Shame: Our Campus Culture is on Life Support Nobody comes to KPU for the student life. Our lack of sports teams, student housing, and a centralized location has stuck us with the unfortunate reputation of being a “commuter campus.” Students who have to travel upwards of an hour to get to class, and then another hour to get home, aren’t usually in the mood to stick around for club meetings or social events like those who live on campus. The fact that we’re a polytechnic institution—where students tend to be more focused on earning practical degrees than getting a “college experience”—isn’t doing our

campus culture any favours either.

Pride: You Have the Opportunity to Start Something Attending a century-old university means that basically any club you might want to start at school was already founded at least a decade prior. The UBC Alma Mater Society website currently lists 415 student groups that you can join, making the chances of successfully starting something new and exciting pretty slim. But at KPU, if you have a passion that you want to share with your peers, you can be listed as the president and founder of a student group in no time. And the opportunity extends beyond founding clubs: want to start a publication? A speaker series? An annual, school-wide tradition? Find an organization that will help fund it and you’ll be on your way to leaving a legacy that future students can enjoy. Most other universities don’t have room for more student initiatives, but at KPU, there’s plenty of untilled soil.

Pride: How Many Universities Have Their Own Brew Lab? Most of us aren’t enrolled in the Brewing and Brewery Operations program because chemistry is hard, but you don’t need to be an up-and-coming brewmaster to enjoy the fruits of KPU Brewing students’ labor. The university offers plenty of opportunities to try their sudsy masterpieces, and KPU beer is almost always phenomenal. The Surrey campus’s Grassroots Cafe usually has some of the program’s most recent offerings on tap, and the brew lab will personally fill growlers every Friday.

SFU and UBC might have their own pubs, but only KPU has its own brewery.

Shame: It Would Still Be Nice to Have a Pub, Though

There aren’t many places on campus where students can go to wet their whistle between classes. KPU Richmond’s closest thing to a bar is the Tim Hortons, and while the Surrey campus has the aforementioned Grassroots, there’s no replacing the atmosphere of an authentic university pub. Investing in KPU’s very own watering hole would seriously help support our underdeveloped student life, but it’s unlikely that we’ll ever dedicate the money or space needed to make an on-campus pub a reality. While UBC students can take an express bus to the Storm Crow Alehouse, we’ll still be weighing the risks of sneaking a mickey into class and waiting for a Student Union Building.

Shame: Eagles Athletics Soars No More In May 2015, The Runner published an article about the KPU men’s soccer team playing a friendly game against the Whitecaps FC alumni team. In it, we proudly proclaim that “KPU has been moving up in the soccer world.” Less than two months later, that team—along with the women’s team, all of the university’s other athletic programs, and all of their associated staff members—were gone. Who knows how KPU sports culture could have developed if the university had shown it some love.

We have all of the delicious craft beer we could ever want, and no sporting events to overindulge at.

Pride: But We Have Two of the City’s Greatest Athletes. Sort of.

Last summer, Daniel and Henrik Sedin became honorary KPU alumni and that is pretty damn awesome.

It’s not like they ever attended a class here, and it’s not like they played for our hockey team—on account of us not having one—but there is exactly one university in B.C. that can lay claim to the greatest players ever to

play for this city. Sure, just about any other university in the province could have extended the same honor to our favourite Swedish gingers and they probably would have accepted, but they didn’t, and we did. Whatever any of those other schools might achieve with their fancy, still-existing athletic programs, we’ll be the only ones taking vicarious pride through our two future Hall of Famer alumni.

Shame: Ryan Reynolds Reynolds’ relationship to KPU is a joke that gets less funny, and more sad, the longer it’s told. Prior to becoming a movie star, he attended school here in the mid-90s, and though he dropped out before graduating he has apparently left an indelible impression on KPU’s student life.

Occasionally you’ll hear a rumour that he took a class with one of your professors or sat where you’re sitting in the courtyard. The Kwantlen Student Association has made a habit of including him in their affairs by springing for a life-sized cut-out of the actor, which disturbingly went missing a few months ago, and earlier this year they even made him an honorary member of the KSA. And yet, despite this, Reynolds virtually never acknowledges his time here, and all attempts to convince him to come over for a beer, maybe—or to just hang out or whatever—have been ignored.

Pride: But, C’mon, Ryan Reynolds!

He’s Deadpool! He’s Van Wilder, to a lesser extent. And I swear I took a class with a guy that says his sister dated him when he went to school here. Maybe if we all tweet at him at once we can get him to visit for an alumni mixer. Hell, maybe we can make him our next mascot!

Who cares that SFU can boast about Canadian hero Terry Fox going to school there, or that Royal Roads

is astronaut Chris Hadfield’s alma mater? Did either of them date Alanis Morissette? I don’t think so.

Shame: No Prestige KPU is nobody’s dream school.

With a history only stretching as far back as 1981, it isn’t going to have the same kind of name-dropping power as an institution with origins that predate the first world war. Those of us who choose to get our degrees at KPU aren’t joining some long and illustrious tradition—we’re basically the Vegas Golden Knights of the B.C. university world.

Pride: Who Needs Prestige?

Seriously, fuck prestige. KPU has no laurels to rest on which means that everything this university has was earned recently. Only a few decades ago, our school was nothing but a collection of portables on a satellite campus for Douglas College. Look how far we’ve come in such a short amount of time.

This university is still developing into the institution that it’s destined to become. We’re building a unique identity as we go, and along the way we get to shape that identity into whatever we want it to be. KPU has used its status as a new and less traditional university to offer innovative programming that isn’t available anywhere else. At less established student institutions, there’s opportunity for anyone to leave their mark.

Those of us who are part of the KPU community now will get to look at the university in the future and know that we helped build it.

Let’s take pride in being the scrappy underdogs, KPU.

(Nicole Kwit)

12 OPINIONS

Make Sure You’re Equipped for a B.C. Disaster The province is overdue for a devastating earthquake, so having an emergency kit is vital to staying safe

Katherine Dolmat A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Mexico City and the surrounding area on Sept. 19, killing almost 400 people and injuring over 6,000. I was there one year to the day before that quake, and watching the chaos unfold in neighborhoods that I spent time in was haunting. My first thought was, “What if an earthquake like that happens here? Are we ready?”

We all know that the “big one” is inevitable. We’ve been told that we are years overdue for a massive quake. Since elementary school we’ve learned to “drop, cover, and hold on” before evacuating the building as soon as possible. But how prepared would we be at home and in our daily lives in the face of a “megathrust” earthquake?

On the morning of Oct. 19 Kwantlen Polytechnic University participated in The Great British Columbia ShakeOut. It is the province’s biggest earthquake drill, practicing the “drop, cover, and hold on” procedure in schools, workplaces, and homes across B.C. It is a reminder that practicing emergency plans can save lives.

I’ve always meant to put together an earthquake emergency kit. Living in a basement suite has caused me a few claustrophobic, panicky moments where I’ve had a sudden urge to go to the store right away and purchase everything I need in the event of an entire house collapsing on me.

Let’s face it, though—once that moment of terror subsides, life gets

in the way. Most of us probably don’t have an earthquake kit at home. Even though we’ve been warned, there hasn’t been a sizeable earthquake in this area in our lifetime. An earthquake of any significance could still be hundreds of years away, and building a kit can be time-consuming and expensive.

Over and over again, however, we are reminded of the devastation that even moderate earthquakes cause.

Look at what happened in Mexico City in 2017, Japan in 2011, and Haiti

Of the seven candidates vying to be the B.C. Liberal’s next party leader, one stands out for deliberately branding herself as “not a politician.”

Lucy Sager, who hails from Terrace, B.C., is campaigning on a platform based largely on having no prior political experience. According to her LinkedIn profile, most of Sager’s career has been spent in business and community development. She also operated her own bike retail shop.

“I would say that a lot of people in British Columbia right now are not into politics,” Sager said in an interview with The Vancouver Sun. “I think that people are looking for someone who’s not a politician, [someone who has] owned a business, had staff, cleaned up broken glass at 3 a.m.”

While there have been candidates in the past who successfully campaigned as average Joes, it’s difficult to see this angle working for Sager, who was relatively unknown before entering the Liberal leadership race.

While Andrew Weaver was a professor and an internationally recognized

Your at-home emergency supply kit should contain a first aid kit with medications, a battery powered or hand crank radio, a flashlight, a whistle, a cell phone with chargers, local maps, cash, a minimum threeday supply of non-perishable food, a can opener, garbage bags, moist towelettes, plastic ties, a daily four-litre per person water supply lasting at least three days, a dust mask, and seasonal clothing and footwear.

In addition to having a supply kit in your home, you should also have

“grab-and-go” supplies in your car or at work, including food, water, cash, and other small emergency items.

You can organize and purchase resources for these kits for yourself or buy them ready-made. Ready-made kits can be purchased directly from redcross.ca for between $84.95 and $169.95, depending on the number of people living in your household.

They say that the only way to predict the future is to create it, so why not ensure that you’re ready for when disaster strikes?

Earthquake kits are designed to help people prepare themselves in case of a natural disaster. (Flickr/Global X)

Lucy Sager is an outsider in Liberal Leadership Race Kristine Hui | CONTRIBUTOR

in 2010. The list goes on. It’s vital that we do as much as we can to prepare ourselves for a disaster, and having an emergency kit at home could be the key to survival.

According to PreparedBC, the province’s resource for emergency preparedness, you should have an earthquake kit available that will supply you and your family with all of the resources you may need for as long as possible because you could be without water, electricity, and heat for days or weeks.

scientist before running for leader of the Green Party, the majority of Sager’s life and work experience has been limited to Northwest B.C. This puts her out of touch with the majority of British Columbians.

South of the border, Donald Trump serves as a constant reminder of the perils of placing a person with no political experience in a position of power. With this in mind, British Columbians will likely be wary of someone who is trying to market her lack of a political history as a desirable quality. It is unlikely that the Liberals, who are looking to re-establish party unity following Christy Clark’s departure, will choose Sager to be their leader when there are a bevy of more qualified candidates.

On Oct. 15, the Liberal leadership candidates participated in their first debate. Sager was the only candidate who did not participate, and while the B.C. Liberals won’t select their new leader until early February, her decision not to appear at the debate hints that she may soon follow MLA Mike Bernier in withdrawing from the Liberal leadership race.

OPINIONS 13

The Netflix Deal Could be a Game Changer For Canadian Content Half a billion dollars could help get a lot of Canadian stories told, if Netflix does it right joseph keller | staff writer At the end of September, Netflix made an announcement that could be the biggest thing to happen for Canadian content since an old man in northwestern Ontario shared his passion for duct tape with us on The Red Green Show.

The American company has earmarked at least $500 million for the creation of Canadian content over the next five years. Now, this doesn’t mean that there are going to be more American productions gumming up the streets of Vancouver, as we’ve seen so often before with shows like Arrow or The X-Files. What Netflix has promised is 100 per cent beer-soaked, puck-slappin’, flannel-wearin’ Canadian content.

If Netflix Canada delivers on what it’s promising, these next shows will be produced in Canada, by Canadians, primarily for Canadian audiences.

The announcement represents a deal between Netflix and the Canadian government, the latter of which previously considered imposing a sales tax on streaming services that Netflix lobbied hard against. The announcement was made jointly by representatives of the American cor-

poration and Canadian Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly.

Critics of the deal have argued that it benefits Netflix more than it does Canadians. While it’s easy to see where these people are coming from based on a purely monetary standpoint, for those of us who have longed to see Canadian television production taken seriously, it’s difficult not to be excited.

With respect to the content creators working for CBC and CTV, the Canadian media landscape is in desperate need of a shake-up. Ask any Canadian what their favorite Canadian TV show is and you’ll likely hear a lot of love for Corner Gas, The Red Green Show, Trailer Park Boys, and not much else.

Trailer Park Boys—an early example of Netflix’s Canadian content since the streaming service brought the show back in 2014—is an exception, but Corner Gas and Red Green both ended in the 2000s. In the time since Brent Butt’s lovable sitcom went off the air, Canadian content producers have been looking to recreate those quirky successes with big marketing pushes for shows like Schitt’s Creek and Kim’s Convenience. But so far, Canadian television remains hungry for a big hit.

Half a billion dollars put in the hands of Canadian content producers could create loads of potential if used wisely. It’s rare that Canadian programs will take off and become wildly successful, and part of the reason for that is their limited budgets.

It’s no coincidence that almost all of the most iconic Canadian shows are known for their quirkiness—because

quirky humor mixed with smart writing is a great way to create productions that work on a tiny budget.

There’s nothing wrong with being quirky. We’re a quirky country after all, but Canada is a vast nation filled with all kinds of people who have all kinds of stories waiting to be told.

Although it depends on how Netflix decides to fund the projects that

it greenlights, it has the opportunity to create Canadian television with a whole new scope.

The possibilities for the content that could come out of Canada are endless, and for decades there have been few chances to make that content available to the public. Please don’t disappoint us, Netflix.

(Leah Rosehill)

b.c. Needs to Take Students’ Mental Health Seriously The West needs to follow in the footsteps of Atlantic post-secondary institutions

Ashley Hyshka | Community Reporter Beautiful British Columbia, you truly are stunning with your extensive evergreen mountain range, deep blue ocean, and vibrant cities. I wish I could go outside and explore the places I love—but instead, I’m stuck inside working on a pile of homework.

Deep in the heart of midterm season, my frustration is common among students. While we chase our university degrees, many of us are also dealing with countless homework assignments and exams, full-time class loads, online bullying, financial burdens, and part-time jobs.

The Association of Atlantic Universities, which represents 16 post-secondary institutions on the East Coast, has taken a collectivized approach to mental health initiatives. An article by University Affairs reports that a “three-year research study will be conducted at all 16 Atlantic Canadian universities to determine student needs, what barriers they face in accessing care, their level of resilience, and how services can be better offered.”

I applaud this move, as student mental health is finally being taken seriously by Atlantic universities and the people in power there. But what about British Columbia?

There are 25 public post-secondary institutions in this province, and divided among them are hundreds of thousands of students, each battling their own myriad of problems. On top of this, “the 18 - 25 age range is also when many mental illnesses first present and are initially diagnosed,” according to a report by the University of Victoria A recent KPU study examined responses given by 263 KPU students and concluded that “over 85 per cent of students reported experiencing feelings of hopelessness, exhaustion, sadness, depression, and/or being overwhelmed.”

Post-secondary institutions in other provinces are dealing with a similar, if not worse, problem. Four students at the University of Guelph committed suicide between September 2016 and January 2017, prompting a backlash from students who demanded that the university do more to support their mental health.

So what are the Atlantic schools doing right? Although she never personally used her university’s mental health services, Shannon Brown—a graduate of Memorial University in St. John’s, Newfoundland—recalled that the student health clinic there was an excellent resource, accessible to all students. Those who needed to could make day-of appointments at

the clinic.

She also noted, however, that many students in Nova Scotia, where she originally hails from, frequently complain about the long waitlists for accessing mental health services.

On this side of the country, students at the University of British Columbia having been taking to the internet to post about anxiety and depression on the “UBC Confessions” Facebook page. Most of them are critical of the university’s approach to handling these issues.

One student wrote, “How many more people need to harm/kill themselves before concrete measures to address mental health are implemented? As a second-year student the amount of people I know that hurt themselves is already in the double digits, and every time I hear about someone who does it, a little bit of my sanity chips away.”

Until we destroy the stigma surrounding issues of depression and anxiety in university—where they’re often viewed as indications that those struggling are being overdramatic to get attention—the mental illness epidemic will continue to plague students across the nation.

This isn’t just an Atlantic, Pacific, Eastern, or Prairie problem. This is a Canadian problem.

(Epifania Alarcón)

14 columns

Artist Spotlight: Late Night Takeaway

The White Rock trio’s main goal is to keep alternative rock fun alyssa laube | coordinating editor Late Night Takeaway’s success is more of a happy accident than an end goal for members Mike Bremner, Miller Koop, and Ryan Robinson. The band is easy to groove to, vaguely jazzy, noticeably upbeat, and inspired by a little bit of everything.

Their first record, Late Night Takeaway, was released only last month and makes for easy listening for fans of riff-based, sunshiney alternative rock. At five songs long, the EP is a collection of the band’s favourite samples of their early work, when they were playing with only an acoustic guitar, a bass with a tiny amp, and a drum kit that was falling apart.

“We would just play together and be like, ‘Wow, this doesn’t sound really bad. We should continue forward,’” laughs Robinson, the band’s drummer. “I don’t think we anticipated doing this on any level. We just like playing music and it snowballed from one thing to another.”

Bremner, the frontman and primary songwriter for the band, adds, “I think we’d be blowing a lot of wind out of our ass if we were like, ‘We were really trying to tackle some concrete themes with this one.’ We just got it completed and we got our music out ... I wouldn’t say this has been a very lyrically-driven EP,

if you will, or that the songs have a definite narrative structure to them.”

The three musicians met as high schoolers in their hometown of White Rock and have been writing together since. Although the city is small, they’re grateful to have lived somewhere scenic and closed-knit enough for them to find each other and start Late Night Takeaway.

“There were a lot of people who played music that surrounded me, so it was part of my everyday life. It was easy for it to turn into a band,” says Miller, who plays bass and keys.

“Still, when you’re travelling or you’ve gone through a really tough time in your life, it can generate some really good creative energy.”

Bremner agrees, “There are a lot of good things that can come from being challenged by your surroundings and from variety. When you’re exposed to the same things day-in day-out, it’s difficult to foster some sort of new inspiration.”

The love-hate relationship they have with their city isn’t doing anything to stop the band from moving forward. They’re already equipped with a fully functional home studio and are regularly gigging in White Rock and beyond.

Their next show will be on Nov. 5, from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm, at Backyard Vineyards Winery. Fans of the

new EP are encouraged to come out, have a glass of wine, and enjoy Late Night Takeaway’s “stream-of-consciousness” lyrics and lighthearted sound.

“If there’s one thing I’d like to get across to someone who listens to our music, it’s this—please don’t take us too seriously, because we don’t,” says Bremner. “I would hate for some-

one to listen to our music and think, ‘These guys are douchebags.’ We’re not douchebags. We don’t take no guff. Have fun with it.”

(From top to bottom:) Miller Koop, Ryan Robinson, and Mike Bremner in the Grassroots Cafe.

(Alyssa Laube)

Afterthought: “Adopt BC Kids” is the Craigslist of Foster Care

The site is an example of poor marketing that insults the children it seeks to help braden klassen | photo editor Last year, the provincial government launched an online service called Adopt BC Kids.

The service, which is touted as the first of its kind in Canada, is meant to expedite the typically slow process of adoption by aggregating the information of every child in foster care into one publicly accessible online database.

It sounds good in theory, and was obviously created with the best of intentions, but an online service that allows anybody to browse through profiles of children is a bad idea. The interface is unnervingly similar to the classifieds-like layout of online shopping and dating sites, and the writing tone used for the profiles sounds more appropriate for product advertisements than for informative biographies.

Here is an example taken from the site: “Meet Cameron! Age: 9. Ethno-Cultural Background: Métis.”

Notably, this is how all of the profiles start: a curt summary of their name, age, and background—a kind of description that seems better suited for selling a used car than for talking about an actual human being.

The fact that the site places such an importance on categorizing children based on their race is unsettling enough, but it gets weirder as each

profile continues.

“Cameron is an endearing, spunky young fellow who likes to sit down with a puzzle or Lego and wile away the time. Cameron is an active boy and enjoys a range of outdoor activities such as swimming, roller blading, fishing, and hiking,” one profile details. “He is happy to work alongside you in the garden. Cameron is experienced at garage sales and has

learned to negotiate the price! This boy knows how to spot a deal.”

It reads almost like a resume. Are they really trying to advertise a child based on their work ethic and negotiating skills?

This section of the site is a clear attempt to market children to the public in the same style as storefront displays market to window shoppers, and it’s kind of disgusting. The fact

that it’s accessible by anybody with a computer is also unsettling.

Adoption agencies in Canada and abroad seem to have different standards for posting information about children online. For instance, adoption.uk.org, does not post any information about children in care online, meaning that people can only get in contact with children through social workers. Children of all Nations,

A promotional image for Adopt BC Kids in 2016, captioned “Moving adoption in BC into the 21st century.” (flickr/The Province of British Columbia)

an international adoption service, requires people to at least fill out a form with their personal information and the reason they are looking to adopt before the site users can access the “photolisting” section of the website.

Other sites, like British Columbia’s, are less protective. Alberta’s Human Services posts photos and promotional videos of children as young as two years old on their adoption website. Washington state adoption services do the same thing.

Canada’s child welfare laws contain very clearly defined provisions that limit the news media’s ability to publish children’s personal information online or in print. Children’s privacy rights are well protected in these instances because the legal framework has been in place for decades.

However, this is not the case for the children listed on the provincial government’s website.

Perhaps the B.C. government should reconsider how helpful an online adoption platform like Adopt BC Kids really is. Even if we forgive the tone deafness of marketing human beings the same way we do consumer goods, it still seems irresponsible and unethical to publish the identities of children who can’t understand the implications of being displayed like this online for everyone to see.

PROCRASTINATION HOROSCOPES Sagittarius Nov. 23 - Dec 21

Capricorn Dec. 22 - Jan 20

Aquarius Jan 21 - Feb 19

Set reasonable goals for yourself this week. Try not to die from a booby trap of your own construction.

So let me get this straight: Your human father took his human penis and put it into your shark mother’s vagina, and you just sat there and let it happen?

Pathetic.

You will finally live out your lifelong dream of becoming a cyborg this week when your friend launches a calculator into the side of your face.

Pisces Feb 20 - Mar 20

Aries Mar 21 - Apr 19

Taurus Apr 20 - May 20

I’m a girl, you’re a girl, how did you cheat death!?

Find your enemy’s consigliere, make him your consigliere, then leave him for a much younger consigliere who’ll do stuff that he won’t.

You’re the one thing in the galaxy God doesn’t have His eyes on.

Gemini May 21 - Jun 20

Cancer Jun 21 - Jul 23

Leo Jul 24 - Aug 23

You wouldn’t say boo to a goose. You would, however, set fire to a Doritos factory for not honouring your self-produced coupon for a lifetime supply of snack food. But goose-booer you are not.

You will rise from the swamp like an infant from the womb.

Jabroni marks without a life that don’t know it a work when you work a work and work yourself into a shoot!

Virgo Aug 24 - Sept 23

Libra Sept 24 - Oct 23

Scorpio Oct 24 - Nov 22

While contemplating the ennui of life you accidentally wrote the second verse of the lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock. So let us go then you and I, while evening spreads across the sky.

You are the key to the locks in the house that keep our toys in the basement.

Selling acid was a bad idea, but selling it to a cop was a worse one.

SUDOKU

THE DOODLE BOX Last issue’s answers.

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

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

Tweet a photo of your drawing with #runnerdoodles and you could be featured in the next issue!