Vol. 05 Issue 16

July 30

2013

News and culture for Kwantlen Polytechnic University, by the students, for the students since 2009

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BIKINI BODY PRESSURES

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MASTHEAD

The Runner is student-owned and operated

by Kwantlen Polytechnic University students, published under the Polytechnic Ink Publishing Society.

Arbutus 3710/3720 12666 72 Ave. Surrey, B.C, V3W 2MB 778.565.3801

www.runnermag.ca Vol. 05, Issue no. 16 July 30, 2013 ISSN# 1916 8241

EDITORIAL DIVISON Coordinating Editor / Matt DiMera editor@runnermag.ca / 778.565.3803

Deputy Editor / Chloe Smith deputy@runnermag.ca

News Editor / Sarah Schuchard news@runnermag.ca Culture Editor / Bianca Pencz culture@runnermag.ca Media Editor / Sasha Mann media@runnermag.ca

Production Editor / Roland Nguyen production@runnermag.ca

Associate News Editor / Brian Evancic Associate Opinion Editor / Hannah Ackeral

CONTRIBUTORS Kendall Gschiel, Samantha Lego, Elizabeth Hann

Cover Photo. Bianca Pencz

BUSINESS DIVISION Operation Manager / Victoria Almond office@runnermag.ca / 778.565.3801 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.

The Runner

July / 30 / 2013

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The Runner

NEWS

July / 30 / 2013

KSA

Another one bites the student association dust

Runner File photo

Kwantlen student association’s director of student services resigns.

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SARAH SCHUCHARD NEWS EDITOR

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Christopher Girodat has resigned from the Kwantlen Student Association (KSA) to take the reins as the top employee at another student association.

Girodat, director of student services and chairperson for the Kwantlen Student Association’s (KSA) executive committee, will be leaving Kwantlen to become the Capilano Students’ Union’s (CSU) new general manager. This will be an entirely new position at CSU, as the position of general manager was non-existent before.

During a KSA special meeting of council on July 26, women’s representative Arzo Ansary was voted in to take over Girodat’s position.

Although Girodat has been involved with the KSA for several years, starting in 2011, he insists that the change of position has nothing to do with his feeling towards the controversial student association.

During his time serving the KSA, Girodat experienced contributing at the KSA during one of its most controversial

moments. Girodat was heavily involved in the KSA, and was a part of the Special General meeting on November 30 of 2011, that resulted in the impeachment of a number of the KSA’s previous directors.

“In terms of career progression, and in terms of what I can personally get out of it, I think [CSU] is better. I’ve been at the KSA for two years, I’ve put in a fair amount of effort into getting stuff done there, and introduced a lot of projects. I think at a certain point you put in what you can and you sort of hit a bit of a wall in terms of what you can’t continue to contribute.”

Girodat has decided to move on to a position at CSU, but he intends to finish his term as a student representative for KPU senate.

Before being appointed into the position as director of operations, which was later renamed as director of student services, Girodat first ran unsuccessfully for director of academics against the previous directors, and had also served as a student senate representative. In December of 2011 Girodat was appointed chairperson for the KSA executive committee.

Since the impeachment of 2011, Girodat has become the director of student services,

and has helped to implement a number of programs for Kwantlen students. Some of the KSA’s accomplishments during Girodat’s time as a director include student discount cards, an extension to the intercampus shuttle service and the installment of waterfillz h20station, which can now be seen in Kwantlen’s hallways.

While serving his term as chairperson for the executive committee, there has also been an increase of in camera minutes,

“At a certain point you put in what you can and you sort of hit a bit of a wall” where the KSA held secret discussions and made decisions in private sessions.

Girodat insists the in camera minutes were necessary for the operations of the KSA, and had been lacking in previous times.

“There’s more of a focus on making sure that we’re having a conversation about the performance and conduct of management in terms of us actually doing our job, to make sure that the general managers are doing what they’re supposed to do.”

Melinda Bige, director of student life, says that the resignation of Girodat will affect the KSA greatly. His knowledge of

Robert’s Rules of Order, and his attempts to keep order, have been evident in the KSA. But, she says she is “thrilled” to see him resign. Bige reveals that her, and others’, attempts to create social justice will be better achieved without the level of bureaucracy that Girodat brought to the KSA. “It will be great for social justice because of the barriers a bureaucracy will be able to be diminished,” says Bige.

Girodat also stresses that a learning curve has been present to the KSA, when trying to be transparent. Although transparency is very important to him, restrictions to issues that dealt with human resources, and employment matters, such as job descriptions, needed to be private, says Girodat.

Girodat’s last day as chairperson of the KSA executive, and director of student services will be on August 11.

The CSU’s chairperson did not respond to a request for comment before deadline.

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FEATURE

The Runner

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July / 30 / 2013

Bikini-body pressures The rocky relationship between women and summer.

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SARAH SCHUCHARD NEWS EDITOR

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Summer can mean a multitude of things to a multitude of people. To put it nostalgically, summer is a time of backyard barbeques, sprinklers, sun-melted popsicles, little girls’ shrills of joy, and visions of women sunbathing on the beach. Although, summer has always represented youth and a carefree spirit, it also can be a time of stress and anxiety in our society—especially if you are a woman.

Every year, we know it is time for summer when our local grocers start stocking up on inflatable water-wings and sun block. But, if you are woman, you know it’s time when magazine covers begin calling for you to start toning your body, to lose weight and to restrict yourself from your favourite treats in order to achieve bikinibody status.

To the gym A recent blog post by Toronto City Gossip urges women to get their bodies “summer ready,” and offers five so-called necessary steps. These steps include picking a “motivational” piece of clothing to work towards fitting into. It goes on to point out to readers that by choosing a piece of clothing that doesn’t fit you, it will, “serve as a little dose of self-motivation to keep you on the right track and ensure you hit that pre-summer body goal.”

According to TCG, the reward for restricting your body enough to fit into your chosen piece of clothing will, “get you up and to the gym and keep those high calorie snacks out of your fridge.”

They also write that a woman should increase her workout regiment to five or six times per week, make sacrifices in what she eats, make substitutions for less caloric food options, and get a tan because, “you just feel better when your skin has a nice bronzy glow.”

In a special report by Women’s Health, they suggest that women shouldn’t submit their bodies to unrealistic expectations, when it comes to slimming down. But according to their coverage, a woman can easily lose up to 18 pounds in a month by using a combination of Lipo Slender (a green coffee extra and dietary supplement) and a natural cleanse.

“I love water, but I’ve avoided going to swimming pools and hot tub parties my whole life, because that meant getting into a bikini.”

According to their website, the Lipo Slender boosts your metabolism while suppressing your appetite. And a natural cleanser will remove the toxins from your colon, while regulating your metabolism.

It’s so strongly engrained Although both Toronto City Gossip and Women’s Health suggest they are the reasonable an-

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swer to the societal pressure women feel to lose weight, it doesn’t mean they actually are. What is portrayed as healthy in society does not necessarily correspond to the reality.

Dietitian and nutritionist Nicole Fetterly says, “Any kind of extreme diet can have repercussions on the body. One issue may be that you’re not taking in enough essential nutrients because you’re limiting what you’re taking in so much. If you are losing weight too quickly, you can actually be losing muscle other than fat, and you can also deplete your bone density.”

The measures women go through to obtain a “bikini body,” have repercussions not only on their physical states, but also on their mental states.

Tanya Johnson, a Langley counsellor who specializes in women’s issues, has noticed an increase of anxiety in women when it comes to their bodies and the summer season. Johnson has witnessed younger women become increasingly body-conscious, and also that many people respond to summertime by isolating themselves.

Johnson says the pressures to obtain a perfect body are, “so strongly engrained. I think that as summer comes up, there’s far too much pressure to look a certain way and be ‘ready’ for the beach.

I know that a lot of women go to pretty extreme measures in terms of starvation and chronic exercise, and it’s too much for the body.”

Johnson believes that the pressures toward perfection that accompany summer culture lead to increased anxiety, and a belief in some women that their bodies—and by extension, they themselves—are not good enough.

The Runner

July / 30 / 2013

“I forgot to be ashamed” Sarah Kucharski, a fourth-year Kwantlen student, says that although she is a feminist, she finds it hard to be body-positive.

Kucharski received a knee injury before her first year of post-secondary, which caused her to gain weight, and she confesses she has been selfconscious of her body her whole life.

“I love water, but I’ve avoided going to swimming pools and hot tub parties my whole life, because that meant getting into a bikini. If those situations were completely unavoidable, I would wear a t-shirt and soccer shorts because that was the only way I felt comfortable,” she says.

Kucharski is able to look at media images with a critical feminist eye, but she has trouble when it comes to looking at her own body. She chooses to surround herself with positive people that make her feel comfortable when going to the beach, but she can find it hard to not notice the people around her. She still feels that someone could be judging whether her body is bikini-worthy.

“Even a couple hours after swimming and tanning, you realize, ‘Oh, there are other people here. I forgot to be ashamed,’” says Kucharski.

“It gets drilled into you from a young age that bikini-ready, or sexy, or gorgeous is equivalent to being thin. That’s obviously not the case, but it is really unfortunate because that’s honestly the first thing that comes to mind. You can try to out-think your way out of it, but that’s what initially pops into people’s heads—that image of the Victoria Secret model on the beach, sprawled and skinny.”

FEATURE

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NEWS

The Runner

July / 30 / 2013

Kwantlen students buy into the IDEA of personal development Kwantlen’s interdisciplinary expressive arts instructor Ross Laird organizes student trip to Colombia.

SASHA MANN MEDIA EDITOR

In an attempt to gain self-realization and a greater perspective in their lessons, 15 Kwantlen students travelled to a remote part of the Colombian Amazon, participating in a self-directed field school.

The class—Interdisciplinary Expressive Arts 1—left for Bogota, Colombia on June 7 and returned June 23. During that period, students visited a monkey refuge, explored the region by boat and met with a shaman.

The majority of the field school was spent at the Calanoa Natural Reserve. Calanoa is a private nature reserve and sustainable tourism hub. It has the philosophy of conserving not only the nature, but also the culture of the Amazon region. Many of the experiences that students had at the Calanoa jungle lodge focused on indigenous views of medicine, spirituality and horticulture.

Students chose an area of deep interest to focus on during their time in Colombia. Some selected architecture. Others focused on anthropology. But interdisciplinary expressive arts (IDEA) instructor Ross Laird says the personal development that students undertook in the Amazon was just as important as the knowledge they acquired.

“The one thing that university doesn’t generally do very well is help students with personal development,” Laird says, “which is the one thing they really need.”

“Students spend so much time in classrooms trying to digest stuff that other people have determined is useful for them to know. And they hardly get any time to do the most important thing of all—which is find their own way.”

Laird says that last year, he was approached by Lucie Gagné, the coordinator of KPU’s interior design program, about the possibility of a trip to Colombia. Gagné had organized field schools for Kwantlen students before, including trips to Mexico, Chile and Turkey.

Gagné and Laird collaborated to make the curriculum of IDEA 3100, a class focused on creativity, match the Amazon trip. Both arts students and design students were well represented on the trip. Some students had travelled before. For others, it was their first time leaving Canada.

Student Yvonne Oetter needed one more upper-level arts class for her degree. The idea of an Amazon trip appealed to her, but Oetter had doubts about the safety of Colombia.

Besides being a hub of the illegal drug trade, Colombia has also had its share of armed conflict. An ongoing fight between FARC (the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) and the Colombian army has led to staggering brutality by both sides.

Targeted killings of political journalists and union leaders are not uncommon. Even with a safer reputation in recent years, there are still plenty of reasons to be wary of Colombia.

But none of Oetter’s fears came to pass. The most pressing problems the students faced in the jungle involved frogs in their showers and mosquitoes at night.

Oetter was deeply impressed with the way of life of the indigenous Colombian people. She says that on returning home, she started to write a blog post reflecting her experiences. She had to force herself to stop writing after 20 pages.

This trip cements the IDEA suite of courses as the most alternative take on education available at Kwantlen. IDEA’s website describes the courses as being based on “self-awareness, empathy, and character development.” Students have more autonomy over their education than in most classroom environments.

“I think I put more work into IDEA than any other course, time-wise,” Oetter says. “I put more effort in. I learn more, because I’m allowed to decide what I want to learn.”

Laird says that on the basis of the Amazon trip’s success, field schools will become an important part of future IDEA courses. Some of these trips may happen closer to home though. Laird is excited by the possibility of excursions in British Columbia by canoe and through the mountains.

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The Runner

July / 30 / 2013

EDITORIAL

“Maybe it’s time for the rest of society to realize they are George Zimmerman.”

A society of George Zimmermans Removal of racial profiling in Zimmerman case upholds discrimination.

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THE RUNNER EDITORIAL

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The shooting of Trayvon Martin is proof that America’s problems with race are far from over. The 17-year-old’s death was as unexpected as it was tragic. So how is it that the man who admits to shooting him walked out of court acquitted of all charges?

On the night of Feb. 26, 2012, Martin was walking home when George Zimmerman, a volunteer member of the neighbourhood watch, deemed him suspicious and called 911. The operator advised Zimmerman to stay in his vehicle and not approach Martin; instructions he ignored. The resulting altercation ended with Zimmerman sporting lesions on the back of his head and a broken nose, and Martin with a bullet in his heart.

Zimmerman claimed self-defense, referencing a Florida law referred to as “stand your ground,” which allows citizens to “meet force with force” when they feel their lives are being threatened. On July 16, the jury sided with Zimmerman, agreeing he was not guilty of the charges laid against him.

Of course, Zimmerman wasn’t exactly standing his ground. He was the instigator in this situation, driven to confrontation by...what, exactly? If he had not approached Martin, then both men would still be living their lives, unaware of the other’s existence.

In the year since the shooting occurred, there has been a public outcry from those who believe the shooting was the result of racial profiling.

While the judge ruled that prosecutors could not claim racial profiling without concrete proof, which, given the lack of witnesses, would be hard to come by, it would be wrong to think this case had nothing to do with race. It is nearly impossible not to wonder what would have happened if Zimmerman had seen a white teenager wearing a hoodie that night. Was his suspicion aroused by Martin’s skin tone? What could have marked a lone figure walking through a suburban neighbourhood different from any other? If Martin had been armed and stood his ground, shooting Zimmerman first, would he have been acquitted?

One only has to do a quick search of “Trayvon Martin” on any social media or news site to see that, while there may not have been concrete proof that this started as a race issue, it has certainly evolved into one.

The shooting and subsequent trial opened up dialogue for the outrage and fear felt by African-American communities. People are engaging in discussions and demonstrations that are as much about Martin as they are about their own feelings of oppression.

Demonstrations demanding justice nationwide may be garnering attention, but they only represent one side of the discussion. As soon as Zimmerman went on trial, so did Martin.

Media outlets and blogs began reporting on Martin’s past, highlighting a suspension from school for drug possession and showing images of him wearing grills - an accessory which marks an African-American as “thuggish,” but on Miley Cyrus is “bold.”

These snapshots of Martin’s life were paraded around as if they somehow justified Zimmerman’s actions. If the public could be convinced that Martin fit the African-American stereotype of a gangster, then they could be convinced that it was only a matter of time before someone shot him. As if a ten-day suspension from high school had anything to do with how Zimmerman saw him that night.

It wasn’t just Martin who faced scrutiny during the trial. Rachel Jeantel was on the phone with him that night, their last conversation included Martin’s concerns that he was being followed. Jeantel’s time on the stand resulted in a social media storm of what can only be described as racially fueled bullying.

Bloggers critiqued everything from her body to her word choice, some going so far as to call her Precious in reference to the 2009 film about an illiterate girl from Harlem.

That this trial drew an audience of spectators determined to see the victims of a crime as somehow deserving of what happened to them should tell us something. Martin and Jeantel were dehumanized and their experiences erased, reducing them to characters in a cliché drama. When Jeantel was read as “ghetto,” it became okay to disregard her story. When Martin was portrayed as a druggie and a thug, it was okay that he was killed. That society has such a low opinion of roles traditionally assigned to people of colour is proof that racism is alive and well in North America. Maybe it isn’t the time for African-Americans to say, “I am Trayvon Martin.” Maybe it’s time for the rest of society to realize they are George Zimmerman.

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CULTURE

The Runner

July / 30 / 2013

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Media

Glorifying serial killers is bloody awful

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KENDALL GSCHIEL

As the opening monologue of TV show Dexter states, “There’s nothing like a crisis to define who you are.” And arguably, nothing defines a society like its portrayal of violent crime as entertainment.

The drama’s eighth season premiered on Showtime on June 30, and with it, the debate on glorifying serial killers has been unearthed once again.

Glamourization of serial killers is not a new phenomenon. But the popularity of shows like Dexter, or breakout hit Hannibal, has re-introduced the concept of not only sympathy for murderers, but also admiration and physical and emotional attraction.

This blurred line between TV’s roman-

tic portrayals of serial killers and the reality behind these individuals points to a dangerous trend. Ever since there has been media coverage of the actions of serial killers, there have been “fans” lured in by a morbid fascination with gory crimes.

The idea of turning a violent criminal into a celebrity is not a byproduct of modern times. Media-saturated, high profile serial killer cases—such as The Zodiac or BTK—are instances in which the news media can be blamed for elevating these murderers to a celebrity-like level of popularity.

But with media and technological evolution, a new generation of fans of the murderously malefic have stopped relying on newsmakers to feed their appetite, and have moved online—or onto uncensored platforms.

Blogging sites such as Tumblr have

become ground zero for serial killer “fandoms.” Proclamations of affection have moved from handwritten letters sent to prisoners, to claims of love and desire posted online. Alarmingly, the vast majority of this material is posted by teenage girls and young adults.

“This blurred line between TV’s romantic portrayals of serial killers and the reality behind these individuals points to a dangerous trend.”

The question remains: Why is the same kind of googly-eyed admiration traditionally directed toward boy band members now being thrust upon men convicted of unspeakable crimes?

This trend became overwhelmingly noticeable after the recent death of serial

Silence of the Lambs/IMDB

killer and morbid media darling Richard Ramirez. Tumblr, in particular, was flooded with posts expressing sadness that the “world has lost one of the great ones,” and tributes in the form of GIFs and fan fictions.

Statements like, “I would have killed to be one of his victims,” and “I would let him strangle and rape me any time” were common. These allude not only to the dangerously hazy distinction between criminal and celebrity, but also to a culture that routinely condones rape and violence.

This evolution from general curiosity to full-blown idolization is made easier and easier as the media grows more pervasive. Of course, blame can’t solely by placed on the popularity of homicidal, fictional protagonists. But it’s impossible to ignore how the media has been effective in portraying killers on a human level and, in some cases, as heroes among men.

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The Runner

CULTURE

July / 30 / 2013

Music

Arts Words are wonders at the Summer Dreams Literary Arts Festival

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Surrey Fusion Festival shows promise

// SASHA MANN / MEDIA EDITOR

There are disadvantages to a free outdoor show. For one, not everyone can tell the headliners apart from the roadies.

“Is that k-os?” asked someone in the crowd, as a bearded, middle-aged roadie stepped onstage.

“No, it’s not,” a friend whispered back.

“I know what k-os looks like.”

The Surrey Fusion Festival is an annual event that bills itself as a “celebration of music, food and culture.” Put on by the city of Surrey, this years festival, which took place on July 20 and 21, was the sixth Fusion Fest.

The culture aspect was illustrated through pavilions representing 30 different nations. The choice of countries is interesting and hints at a progressive inclusivity beyond the usual Canuck attempts at multiculturalism.

Palestine had a tent. Israel didn’t. There was also an Aboriginal pavilion and a Mé-

tis tent, selling “Keeping it Riel” shirts.

Stephen Harper would have felt uncomfortable.

Countries that Canada has waged war on were well represented as well: Afghani food and Haitian jewellery were sold to many a festival-goer.

“A ferocious take on ‘Emcee Murda’ reminded the audience why k-os was such an exciting force in rap when he first blew up in 2004.”

For the musical aspect of the fest, there were three stages to choose from. One stage played folk music, another played reggae, and the main-stage closed Saturday night out with hip hop.

Local rapper Kyprios performed an earnest, but altogether unexciting set with a live band. The band settled on a mix of pop, rock and reggae to back Kyprios up. It was fusion alright, but not in a good way.

The only memorable moment was a medley of old-school rap classics: “Juicy”

k-os spicing things up at Surrey Fusion Festival.

Sasha Mann/The Runner

by The Notorious B.I.G., “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” by Old Dirty Bastard, and “Rebirth Of Slick” by the underrated Digable Planets. But even when performing these classic tracks, Kyprios lacked the grit and soul that great hip hop requires.

Final headliner k-os was much more engaging. Taking the stage almost an hour after he was scheduled to, k-os made his apology with a dynamic show.

Some elements didn’t quite work: His rapping over Saukrates’ pre-recorded verse on “I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman” came off like drunk karaoke.

However, other songs worked fantastically. A ferocious take on “Emcee Murda” reminded the audience why k-os was such an exciting force in rap when he first blew up in 2004. k-os—much more-so than Kyprios—is exactly the type of artist that belongs at Surrey Fusion Festival. His music is genuinely eclectic: a raw and imperfect, but totally authentic take on diversity.

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ELIZABETH HANN CONTRIBUTOR

Vancouver is a city of many summer festivals and special events. Some, like the Khatsalano! Music + Art festival, or the famous Vancouver Folk Festival, are devoted to popular music. Others, like the Powell Street Festival and the Richmond Night Market, are celebrations of Vancouver’s cultural diversity. But there’s more to Vancouver’s festival and special-occasion circuit than that.

On August 24, Trout Lake John Hendry Park will be the backdrop for a summer festival celebrating Canadian literature: The Summer Dreams Literary Arts Festival.

Pandora’s Collective, a Vancouver-based organization dedicated to promoting literacy and self-expression, founded the festival a decade ago.

The festival attempts to raise peoples’ awareness of the many ongoing literary events, programs, and resources available in Vancouver. It’s also a showcase for the kinds of art made out of words: stories, poems and songs.

At the festival, there are three different stages: a main stage, a community stage, and even a children’s stage. Each stage offers a different roster of artists, acts, and features, including The Wanda Nowicki Quartet, poet Elizabeth Bachinski, a panel discussion on ‘Social Media and Art in the new Do-ItYourself World’ storytelling workshops for young people, and the Great Smartini, a fabulous magician.

The biggest attraction this year is Joy Kogawa, whose 1981 novel Obasan was named one of the most important books in Canadian history by the Literary Review of Canada. Kogawa is this year’s winner of the Pandora’s Collective Distinctive Body of Work Award, which the collective awards annually in recognition of an author’s literary achievements.

Anyone who aspires to be a writer, anyone who wants to learn more about writing, or just anyone who cares about Canadian literature should most definitely head down to John Hendry Park, at Trout Lake, on August 24. They’re in for a celebration of the wonder of words.

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CULTURE

The Runner

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July / 30 / 2013

Travel

“Locals will whisper, ‘hash, weed,’ secretly in your ear as you wander among the crisscrossing, maze-like streets.“

Morocco’s city in the sky

A resident of Chefchaouen: the Blue City .

(Below) an aerial view.

Samantha Lego/The Runner

Colourful Moroccan town supported by hashish farming.

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SAMANTHA LEGO CONTRIBUTOR

Nestled in the Rif Mountain range of Northeastern Morocco lies the 50- yearold city of Chefchaouen. Blanketed in every possible shade of blue, it is famously sought out by those wishing to see a place where the sky bleeds into the streets.

The town was founded in the 1400s by displaced Jews and Muslims during the Spanish inquisition, and is decorated in their style.

Pale periwinkle to bright azure mix together in the streets of the medina, creating a sense of being amongst the heavens.

As Chefchaouen is very old and many of the houses in the mountain city don’t have numbers, properties are differentiated by decorations on the doors.

Blue permeates throughout, but different religions decorate distinctively. Interspersed in alleyways are green for Berbers and brown wood for the small Jewish population still living in the city.

Whatever the religion, all doors range from plain to brass fitted, to ornately mosaicked, so that no door looks the exact same.

Like the decorations, Chefchaouen’s culture is varied with a unique blend of the traditional and the progressive. Older generations choose to wear traditional

garb—such as elder ladies herding their goats up the mountainside in colourful skirts and hats—while younger people opt for a more western style of dress.

Here, ages and perspectives contrast and a dichotomy of views exist.

Although alcohol remains difficult to come by, marijuana and hashish are tolerated in their role of Chefchaouen’s biggest export, being one of the main tourism draws.

Trekking up one of the surrounding mountains and wandering about the abundant fields of hash is a popular excursion for foreigners. Many farmers are willing to give tours. For a small fee, they describe how it is grown and produced in fields incapable of

growing much else.

Although the substances are still heavily illegal in Morocco, Chefchaouen seems to have adopted a much more relaxed view. Locals will whisper, “hash, weed,” secretly in your ear as you wander among the crisscrossing, maze-like streets, making your way through a myriad of goods and stalls.

The streets were not designed for navigating effectively. The real joy comes from getting lost down side streets made up in a hue so vibrant, it’s almost fluorescent, with every corner adding a different array of colour and texture to the endless blue.

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The Runner

July / 30 / 2013

PROCRASTINATION

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Horoscope

Sagitarius Nov. 23 - Dec 21

Capricorn Dec. 22 - Jan 20

Repeat this to yourself in the mirror, every morning: I am Beyoncé. I am Beyoncé. I am Beyoncé.

Stop gazing into the abyss. Haven’t you heard what happens if you do?

It’s time you accepted Our Lord and Saviour, Satan, into your heart.

Aries Mar 21 - Apr 19

Taurus Apr 20 - May 20

Gemini May 21 - Jun 20

Pierce your septum, and watch your luck change drastically.

Always remember to carefully ration your swag.

We have only two words for you: Alien impregnation.

Avoid Ouija boards for the next few weeks. They don’t actually work anyway.

Virgo Aug 24 - Sept 23

Libra Sept 24 - Oct 23

Scorpio Oct 24 - Nov 22

So you were thinking of going camping this weekend? … Don’t.

Try growing facial hair, especially if you don’t identify as male.

Visit a nude beach with as many clothes on as possible.

Leo Jul 24 - Aug 23

Ever heard of self-marriage? It will be the answer to all your problems.

Aquarius Jan 21 - Feb 19

Pisces Feb 20 - Mar 20

You’re not being paranoid--everyone really is out to get you.

Cancer Jun 21 - Jul 23

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July / 30 / 2013

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