The Runner: Volume 8, Issue 6 by The Runner

VOL-08-ISS-06

Nov-10-2015

Starring Michael Keaton since 2009

UNCEDED TERRITORY

O UR EVOLV IN G R E LAT ION S H IP WIT H LA N D ACK NO W L E D GME NT S

ksa loses case against cfs

meet surrey’s new poet laureate trudeau’s sex appeal run Amok

find us online / runnermag.ca / @runnermag / facebook.com/runnerMAG / INSTAGRAM.com/RUNNERMAG

Table of Contents

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News |KSA loses case against the Canadian Federation of Students 04

After several months, the verdict for the court case between the Canadian Federation of Students and the Kwantlen Student Association is in, and the judge has ruled in favour of the CFS.

The Runner is student-owned and operated by Kwantlen Polytechnic University students, published under the Polytechnic Ink Publishing Society.

Culture | Love in this Club: The Kwantlen Secular Student Alliance 07

www.runnermag.ca Vol. 08, Issue no. 06 Nov 10, 2015 ISSN# 1916 8241

Arbutus 3710/3720 12666 72 Ave. Surrey, B.C, V3W 2M8 778.565.3801

The Kwantlen Secular Student Alliance is a newly founded club for all secular, humanist, atheist, agnostic, skeptic and other freethinking students at KPU.

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.

features | Our Home on Native Land 09 It’s more than good form in the administrative circles of B.C. universities to begin a meeting with a formal, explicit acknowledgement of the unceded territories on which they conduct their business. But gauging the authenticity of these acknowledgements isn’t so simple. Sometimes they’re good, sometimes they’re not.

CONTRIBUTORS

Opinion | Justin Trud’oh! 13

Aida Garcia Aileen Tran Aly Laube Danica Johnston Kyrsten Downton Kévin Paré Louis Marta-Widjaja Mike Zhao Monica Mah Natalie Mussel Pifanida Rosaura Ojeda Torin Slik

It didn’t take long for the public to swoon over Trudeau 2.0. Even before the Liberal leader won the election, talk of his toned physique and coiffed hair dominated social media. And unfortunately for the Conservatives, their attack ads didn’t help much. Every Canadian with a television set or internet connection had “Nice hair, though,” stuck in their head for the entirety of the election.

columns | Breaking down the World Health Organization’s cancer report 14 On Oct. 26, the World Health Organization issued a press release detailing the International Agency for Research on Cancer’s findings that red meat and processed meat may cause cancer in humans. This news has proven itself to be confusing and controversial.

COVER ARTIST

#BestPhoto featuring Kwantlen’s finest from @kpudesign on Instagram Vintage 3D printing? An oxymoron indeed. Popped in on our 2nd year Fashion students in class today, watched a few of their amazing presentations. They shared some of their research on historic fashion designs and we were so impressed with their creativity! This was an original shoe design that our student brought to life using 3D print technology. Very cool! #kpu #kpudesign #kpufashiondesign #3dprinting #vintage #KPUOpenHouse #ourstudentsarethebest

Geoffrey Nilson is a writer, editor, visual artist, and musician. He works as an editor with Arc Poetry Magazine, The Rusty Toque and The Runner. He studies writing at Kwantlen Polytechnic University and lives in New Westminster, BC, Canada, with his daughter, Scarlett.

STAFF

Coordinating Editor

Managing Editor

Tristan Johnston editor@runnermag.ca

Connor Doyle managing@runnermag.ca

Executive Editor

Samantha Thompson deputy@runnermag.ca @sampthompson

Production Manager

Art Director

Web Editor

Charis Au art@runnermag.ca

Kenny Chui production@runnermag.ca

Staff Illustrator

Yaunna Sommersby web@runnermag.ca

Photo Editor

Geoffrey Nilson photo@runnermag.ca

Danielle George

Staff Writer

Kier-Christer Junos staff@runnermag.ca @kierjunos

Operation Manager

Scott Boux office@runnermag.ca 778.565.3801

Editorial

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From the editor Why I don’t hate Harper.

News Briefs The Eagles are Flying to Nationals

Connor Doyle Managing Editor

For the ﬁrst time in the team’s

GOV.UK

Tristan Johnston Coordinating Editor

were trained on him. This handshake had nothing to do with his policies. There is no connection between the handshake and Bill C-51. There is, however, a connection between this and the way Harper would continue to approach the media, which contrasts sharply with Trudeau’s approach. We have already seen images of Trudeau gleefully trick-or-treating with his wife and kids, with he and Sophie dressed as Star Wars characters. One of the things that made Harper so unlike many other politicians is his introversion, a quality that many political pundits have said is counter-intuitive to the job. John Ibbitson, a writer for The Globe and Mail, wrote in his book, Stephen Harper that the Conservative leader didn’t like travel, liked to wake up at the same time, eat the same meal, and preferred structure and order. He wasn’t very good at dealing with large crowds, or even individuals. All of this contrasts sharply with Justin Trudeau, whom the day

There is an image that was taken of Stephen Harper and his children, shortly after the election in 2006, when the Conservatives won a minority parliament. In the image, taken on a snowy morning, Harper is seen shaking his son’s hand as he runs off to school. Some might look at the image and think of Harper as an uncaring, cold robot—which I would say applies more to his leadership style. In Paul Well’s 2013 book, The Longer I’m Prime Minister, a former advisor says that the photo hurt Harper deeply, as the photo suggested that Harper was a bad father, or that he didn’t love his son. It was one thing for Harper to endure attack ads which went after his policies, ideology, or campaign promises, it was another for his children to get involved. In 2008, after his next election, Harper made sure to hug his daughter when the cameras

after taking Harper’s job, walked into the Jarry metro station in Montreal and started shaking hands and taking selfies. This can even be seen in the last few weeks. Harper has avoided the media as usual, sneaking through backdoors to meet the Governor General, meeting privately with Trudeau. Now, I don’t think he’s a monster. I think that Harper, like Trudeau, Mulcair, May, and whomever else, just wants to do the right thing. Whenever I see people on my Facebook feed accusing Harper of being a “fascist,” a “hard-right religious nut” or a “Nazi,” I shake my head. Before anyone starts to throw the “f-word” around, they should make a visit to North Korea. Others make comparisons between him and the Republican Party in the United States, which is just goofy. If Harper went into debates saying the Earth is only 6,000 years old, and that climate change isn’t real, his party would have never gotten a seat.

what’s up this week (Nov 10 - nov 24)

Remember that, despite the strange mail that MPs sent out during the last election campaign, the Conservative Party made no moves to mess with abortion or gay marriage legislation, even though they absolutely had the power to do so. On this note, I remain baffled as to why they thought bringing up the niqab would end well. As for Harper, it’s surreal to see him slink away from the spotlight, and fade away into being just an MP. This is a guy who, throughout his life, didn’t like being told what to do—someone who preferred to go without a higher power to answer to. You can see this over the last nine years, the only people that Harper had an iffy relationship with were those that had a degree of power over him—the President of the United States, and the Supreme Court of Canada. Harper didn’t seem upset, or angry, but very cordial and professional on the night of Oct. 19. Maybe he was just tired.

with Monica Mah

THurs, nov 12

FRI, NOV 13

Sat, Nov 14

Keeping Your Flock Healthy

Market Safe Training

Active KSA Bowling

Nov 12, 19, 26 and Dec 3. 6pm – 8pm (Participation at all four evening sessions is requested), Langley KPU, Room 1305, Free.

8:30am – 4:30pm, Surrey Campus, Cedar 1015, Free.

6pm – 8pm, Commodore Lanes, 838 Granville St., Vancouver, Free for KPU students.

Sat, Nov 14

Mon, Nov 16

Wed, Nov 18

Badminton Tournament

KPUAA’s Annual Networking and General Meeting Event

KPU Green Wednesdays

Interested in raising healthy chicken? This is a free course intended for owners of small flocks who wish to learn more about poultry diseases and ways to prevent them.

KPU Recreation is hosting a fun-filled badminton tournament at ACE Badminton Centre in Richmond. You can either register with a partner or sign-up as an individual. Registration time 12:30p.m., Tournament 1p.m. – 4p.m., ACE Badminton, 9151 Van Horne Way, Richmond, Free.

Start Mini School is hosting a Market Safe Training course, for people interested in making, baking or growing products to sell at local farmer’s markets.

This event brings together KPU alumni, students, and faculty to network every year. This year’s keynote speaker is Chris McCue, President of McCue Environmental Contracting and KPU’s Distinguished Alumni Award winner.

6p.m. – 8:30p.m., Surrey Conference Centre. Free.

All you need to bring is yourself and you can enjoy a fun night out with the Active KSA, bowling at Commodore Lanes.

KPU’s School of Horticulture and Green Ideas Network is showing a monthly series of environmental movies, and on Nov 18 they will be showing, “Tipping Point: The End of Oil.” Doors at 6:30pm, Film begins at 7:00pm, Langley Campus, Room 1030 West Building, by donation.

history, Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s men’s soccer team has qualified to compete in the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association national championship tournament. Despite losing 0-2 to the Capilano Blues last Saturday in the PACWEST provincial championship match, the team still managed to be eligible for the national tournament. This year the tournament will take place in St. Lambert, Quebec from Nov. 11-14, and the Eagles’ first game will be on Wednesday Nov. 11 at 2:30 p.m. Canada’s top eight college and university teams will compete for the championship title at the CCAA’s tournament, and the Eagles will be one of only two team representing BC. In addition to competing as a team in the tournament, two of KPU’s team members—Mateo Serka and Nawaf Binsaleh—were among 11 players named to the PACWEST all-star team.

KSA asks $4,500 legal questions

Kier-Christer Junos Staff Writer

The Kwantlen Student Association executive committee spent $4,500 for a legal opinion on two questions that involve possible conflicts with KPU policy C21 and the University Act, and the grounds for appeal to the Senate Appeal Committee (SAC). Policy C21 outlines student conduct and the section 61 of the University Act has to do with student suspensions. KSA president Allison Gonzalez says they’re looking for general information on some of KPU’s administrative processes. Student advocates in the KSA, she says, found something in their work that prompted them to start investigating. She wouldn’t disclose specifics on the grounds that the work of student advocates deals with people’s personal information. Still, she didn’t explicitly say these asks are for the sake of any individuals, instead saying the purpose is ultimately for the sake of more information. “It’s just to give us a better understanding of what’s happening,” says Gonzalez.

News

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KSA loses case against the Canadian Federation of Students Judge rules that the KSA is still a member of federal lobbying organization.

Samantha Thompson Executive Editor

After several months, the verdict

for the court case between the Canadian Federation of Students and the Kwantlen Student Association is in, and the judge has ruled in favour of the CFS. The KSA filed a petition to the court earlier this year, stating that on Feb. 6 the KSA’s membership in the CFS and CFS-Services was validly terminated. In October 2014, the CFS amended their bylaws which define membership, changing it so that only student associations were considered members. Before the change, membership included the students themselves, as well as their associations.

In February of this year the KSA voted to end their membership in the CFS, a claim which the CFS refuted, leading to a protracted court case. The KSA believed that the amended bylaw meant that the CFS no longer had the legal basis to require Kwantlen students to pay individual membership fees, or vote in a referendum that decides whether or not the KSA remains a member of the CFS, when students themselves are no longer members in the eyes of the CFS. One of the primary tasks set to Justice John Steeves, who presided over the case, was to determine whether or not the decision of the KSA to join the CFS back in 1981 was ultra vires—beyond their legal authority. He also sought to decide whether or not the bylaw amend-

ment now made the KSA’s membership in the CFS ultra vires, and if the CFS’ bylaws require the KSA to collect membership fees from students on behalf of the CFS, even though the students are no longer direct members of the Federation. On the issue of ultra vires, Justice Steeves determined that there was “nothing that is consistent with the KSA’s membership in the [CFS].” He believes that the KSA directors

in 1981 made a good-faith decision to become members of the CFS, that was in-line with their bylaws at the time. He confirmed that in order to end their membership in the CFS, the KSA would have to follow the decertification procedures in place, which require a petition and referendum process. He also declared that the CFS’s bylaw amendments in 2014 were made in good faith, “in response to

legislative changes.” On the issue of fees, he stated, “The evidence is that Kwantlen University ‘collects’ fees for the respondents. Further, there is no compulsion by the [CFS] on KSA to collect fees.” He has determined that the KSA collecting membership fees for the CFS is valid as per their bylaws and the University Act. Justice Steeves also awarded the CFS ordinary costs from the KSA.

CFS

Canine ear cropping banned by B.C veterinarians Controversial cosmetic procedure for dogs no longer legal.

Kyrsten Downton Contributor

On Oct. 27, the College of Geoffrey Nilson

Coming soon: U-Pass Referendum and possible price hikes There will be some changes regarding KPU’s U-Pass/Compass Card program.

Aida Garcia Contributor

Kwantlen Polytechnic University, along with several other universities in Metro Vancouver, will soon be voting in the new U-Pass referendum. The referendum will ask students whether or not they want to keep paying for the mandatory U-Pass, were the price to increase. The referendum will take place on Nov. 24 and 25, and all students need to bring is their students IDs to vote. However, regardless of the vote, the price will be increased in May 2016 from $37 to $38.50, and one year later the price will increase again to $41 per month. The U-Pass has long been part of student fees and provides an alternative to driving and costly parking fees. There are, however, some disadvantages worth mentioning, the most glaring one being the strain this pricing increase will put on students who do not use the U-Pass. Kwantlen’s contract with TransLink is slightly different from other universities, as Kwantlen’s deal involves the University, TransLink, and the Kwantlen Student Association. Our U-Pass is part of a bigger contract which includes the campus-to-campus shuttle service, dis-

counted gym memberships, bicycle lockers, and a car-sharing program, which explains the higher price KPU students pay. “We held a referendum and asked students if they would agree to pay another $10 on top of the $37 they had to pay for the U-Pass,” says Vice President External of the KSA, Alex McGowan. “With that referendum we determined that a majority of KPU students would benefit from the extra services that the KSA could get them for that additional $10.” With regards to the price increase, it should be noted that inflation has gone up since the time TransLink got into the U-Pass contract, which means that sooner or later the company was bound to make some changes. McGowan explains that, “Contracts vary between three-to-five years, so as the KSA started to get into negotiations with TransLink, they rolled out the new Compass Card. This made them hold out on negotiating with us and just gave us this new price for us to decide upon.” “However on our end of the deal, we can’t increase the fee we agreed upon with the students,” says McGowan. “That’s why we hold referendums, because we want to make sure that students have a say in what they are paying for.”

Veterinarians of B.C. announced that they have banned the practice of ear cropping on dogs. Any vet who tries to carry out the procedure could be faced with animal cruelty charges under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. Ear cropping is a controversial procedure that removes the external flap of an ear on an animal. This cosmetic procedure is most commonly practiced on dogs, specifically breeds such as pit bulls, boxers, and dobermans, and is usually performed when a dog is only seven to 12 weeks of age. Ear cropping has already been banned in other provinces like Manitoba, Saskatchewan, P.E.I, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, as well as most of Europe, New Zealand, and Australia. Historically, ear cropping was a defensive measure for dogs who guard livestock on farms. The external flap is an easier target for larger predators to tear. Without the flap, predators would have a harder time getting a hold of the dog. Ear cropping is also a common prevention in dog fighting, despite being illegal in most countries. This decision has been praised by many animal activists and organizations, including the BCSPCA. Animal activists have raised concerns over cosmetic procedure practices on dogs regarding the inherent risks of said procedures. Ear cropping, and the ensuing recovery period, is often painful for an animal, especially if not given proper medication or practiced by a professional. Unless done for health reasons, activists argue that ear cropping is an unnecessary procedure that causes more harm than good. But breeders argue that ear cropping is an important tradition

with certain pureblood breeds. In dog competitions, these breeds traditionally have their ears cropped to enhance their appearance. Furthermore, breeders argue that dogs with uncropped ears will be unable to enter competitions. The Canadian Kennel Club released a statement opposing the ban, saying, “The practice of ear cropping is a significant part of the history of many breeds of purebred dogs. Breeders of purebred dogs continue this practice for not only historical reasons but also to promote safety in performance activities and to promote hygienic animal husbandry.” However, there is no scientific proof which suggests that ear cropping has any health benefits at all. In fact, new studies suggest that

ear cropping can negatively affect a dog’s ability to communicate properly. Furthermore, activists argue that it’s time for breed associations to change their stance on ear cropping. For example, the United Kingdom’s kennel club prohibits ear cropped dogs from competitions. Some argue that a similar stance could be implemented in Canada and North America. Despite the controversy, activists see B.C.’s ear cropping ban as a first step towards better animal protection policies. Many are optimistic that the ban will help pave the way for the rest of North America and other parts of the world to start doing the same. That is something we can all wag our tails for.

Marnee Pearce / Flickr

News

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Financing the KSA: new year, new budget We are entering one of the KSA’s busiest seasons of the year.

Aida Garcia Contributor

Every organization needs to account for their spending and investments throughout the year— where money came in, where it’s going, and how quickly. Larger organizations such as the Kwantlen Student Association need to check their finances more often than normal, in order to achieve a higher level of transparency. “Between December and January we draft up a budget which needs to be accepted by the board of directors of the KSA from the KSA council,” says Waheed Taiwo, the KSA’s vice-president of finance. “We want to be extremely careful with our money, so we check where we are spending money and where money is coming in. This process is done every month—however, once a year we decide upon the organization’s budget for the next year.” Every organization has to do something similar to what the KSA is doing at Kwantlen, but for the KSA the main concern is for the students it serves. A university’s students make up the main audience they need to keep happy in order to

continue operating, and every year the KSA calls on students to have a look at the new proposed budget and have a say in what should remain funded or what should be cut. One example of this is the gym in the Cedar building. According to Taiwo it was previously owned by Kwantlen itself, and in order for students to have access to it they would have to pay a $5 fee. “We decided to help out students and talked the university into letting us pay that $5 fee they were charging. Now any student can use the gym and its equipment for free,” says Taiwo. “So what students want is very important to us.” On a similar note, three months ago the KSA put forward a motion for new gym equipment and the motion passed. This new equipment should now be in the gym. This year’s accounting operations have just begun—though the KSA has completed the budget it wants to propose, their work is far from over. They still need to get approval from the board of directors, which is good news for students who may have some ideas that they would like to see implemented at Kwantlen.

Taiwo does explain, however, that not everything is ideal for the upcoming year’s budget. “The budget will contract for some of the worksheets because revenue has decreased,” he explains. This decrease in funding will affect important line-items such as the student life budget, which has already projected a $90,000 decrease for next year. But that won’t stop the KSA from taking the initiative on new projects. “As far as investments go, we’d like to open a new student union building, which will provide

not only a bigger space for clubs but also give Kwantlen a better sense of community,” says Taiwo. While students are in on the decision making process for approving or disapproving certain financial motions, another important source of ideas for the KSA comes from their competitors. Any respectable company will tell you how important it is for a company to gauge where it stacks up against the competition in order to see “the bigger picture,” and account for where it’s lacking. The KSA does

something very similar to other universities, and looks for services or operation plans that students at KPU would benefit from. “We see what other universities are doing and if we see something we like, we begin to try and figure out how to implement it at Kwantlen,” says Taiwo. “If we are already collecting fees from students in an area that is related to whatever service we want to launch, then we may not even have to collect additional funds and we’ll use what we already have.”

KSA

KSA renovations aim to increase comfort for students All four campuses will receive major changes to the student association’s offices.

Torin Slik

Contributor

When you walk down the hallway in Cedar, past the Kwantlen Student Association office, you might notice that something looks a little different. The windows, previously clear and perfectly see-through, are now striped. This is just one of the several renovations planned for the KSA offices across all four campuses. It all started with a list of possible projects back in 2012. The KSA compiled many different ideas on what they believed Kwantlen

needed, and how they were going to satisfy those needs. The list has changed over the years, with some items being added, and others being removed, but what is clear by looking at the 2015 council meeting agenda is that among several of the high priority projects on the list, the KSA office renovations are at the top. KSA general manager Jeremy McElroy made it clear that the renovations are made with the students in mind. In all but the Surrey campus, the KSA spaces are more than just where KSA members work. “The key to all of our spaces, with the exception of the Surrey of-

fice, is that they are first and foremost student lounges. The vast majority of the square footage in each of the spaces is meant for students—informal learning space, hanging out, eating your lunch, meeting friends, and that was something that was really lacking in our Langley space.” Spread across four campuses, it’s important that students have equal access to KSA facilities that are both welcoming and functional. Equal distribution of resources is something that the KSA has made a priority. Unfortunately, this hasn’t always been the case. “Langley is a perfect example

Torin Slik

of a space that just wasn’t given enough love,” says McElroy, “and Richmond was not the most pleasant place to hang out in.” The renovation projects aim to equalize the quality between all campuses. And with the amount of student use the KSA spaces get, they argue it was important to put these projects as high priorities. Of course, the KSA spaces are not the only high priority projects being currently worked on. The Grassroots has also been identified as needing additional work. Plans include replacing the existing beverage fridge, installing new counters and shelving, and coating the entire lounge area in a new layer of paint. In the Richmond campus, the idea of adding city bus shelters at Lansdowne Road and Garden City road is also being explored. Since the creation of the project list, several projects have been removed completely. Some of these removed projects include even more major renovations to the Grassroots, basketball hoop and exterior recreation upgrades, and blue light emergency telephone system.

Each of these projects was taken off for a slightly different reason. “As time went on, and we started to get some estimates of cost and realizing we were getting closer and closer to getting a new student union building, making a large investment just didn’t make sense,” says McElroy. “The exterior basketball hoops, that came off the list . . . with the reshuffle that’s happening with athletics and recreation, the university has taken on those projects themselves.” For some of the projects that are currently in motion, the finish line is in sight. In both Richmond and Langley, the renovations are scheduled to be 100 per cent finished near the end of October or beginning of November. As for the others, only time will tell. “Every time we think we’ve got a deadline it seems to get pushed a little bit,” says McElroy. Despite any glitches, the renovations are moving forward. When finished, they will provide a welcoming comfort to anyone using them during their studies throughout the year.

Culture

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Student life committee’s new direction for clubs, events Events Coordinator resigns, SLC seeks to fill position.

Kier-Christer Junos Staff Writer

A toga party and a club forum are among the ideas that the Kwantlen Student Association student life committee has put together as the weeks roll along. All this and more in the midst of a now projected $90,000 reduction in next year’s student life budget, and the resignation of the recently hired KSA events coordinator Rachel Huibers. In the summer she claimed she had plans for more funbased events on campus instead of the many info-based ones she had perceived. The position is supposed to be filled as soon as possible, and Huiber’s previous duties are currently delegated among two KSA staffers and the vice-president of student life Manpreet Bassi. “She’s a key part of the events we put on,” says Bassi. “…We won’t see much of a disruption hopefully.” Before resigning, Huibers had at least a Canada Day and a BBQ or two (among other things) organized under her hands, as well as her grandiose “carnival-themed” Welcome Week, where tents of all sorts and students of all faculties filled the Surrey courtyard. Huibers said there had also been a potential “big Halloween monster bash” in the works. It’s these sort of larger-scale events that the KSA typically puts together, though, Bassi says alternative events like the

reverse-trick-or-treating exist to balance those out. Recently appointed SLC chair Tanvir Singh believes that Huibers was overqualified. “We’re able to hire high-quality individuals,” says Singh, “but that also means they might go onto other opportunities instead of the KSA.” Singh feels Huibers’ role overall was to create large-scale events, and that she filled hours that many other people, namely students, will always be unable to fill to the same degree. Otherwise, clubs have been said to be the natural extension

of the KSA’s student life, creating the small-scale events that cater to a niche. Still, Singh says there’s a growing propensity for the SLC members to “actually hold events.” The meeting minutes confirm it, with member Rawan Ali observing the lack of social life opportunities at the university—perhaps a reminder of the obvious fact that many students are still doing the car-park-class-car-leave grind. Maybe Ali’s looking in the wrong places, but Singh at least agrees that committee members could attend events. His view is

that organizing them should be left to other groups on campus, like clubs, which the committee should empower instead. Singh has always been involved in organizing all things Kwantlen Gaming Guild, one of Kwantlen’s most successful student clubs. He speaks to his experiences there as proof of the “power clubs have on campus to promote student life.” He says that during the genesis of the KGG in 2014, the Guild’s organizers were mostly unaware of the KSA’s workings, the funding and advertising support they were

Danielle George

able to provide, among other things. They eventually contacted KSA executives and Singh says those conversations helped the KGG become successful. This insight considered, the committees have plans to start inviting club presidents for the sake of more feedback and connection. At best, Singh thinks the committees should work more like a liaison for clubs and more like a thinking brain rather than a pair of hands. Bassi doesn’t think that’s entirely correct. “Well he was there to help us with the event planning…” says Bassi. “I think it’s mostly both. We do need members that are part of the committee that are involved to help with the events itself.” Singh thinks there needs to be better event quality control on the part of the KSA executive committee, which he perceives is too ready to approve most event planning applications. He says that, “Only high quality events should be approved.” Right now, financial support for any given organization—except for the KSA—is limited to $250 until that group holds at least three successful events. Singh thinks that regulation should reach farther. “So, $250, $250, $250 [for the first three events], $300, $500, $1,000 [for the subsequent three],” Singh lists off. “And then, if you continue holding successful events, that’s when we should open up more.”

Kwantlen’s Sexpo Titillates and Educates the Student Body Conference welcomes LGBTQ students and experts from local communities.

Aileen Tran Contributor

A sexy exhibition took place on Oct. 27 at Kwantlen’s Surrey campus. The 2015 Sexuality Education Explores Positivity and Openness (SEXPO) Conference was a studentled event that provided a safe place for positive discussions of sexual identity, gender, healthy relationships, and consent. Educational, inclusive, and sex-positive discussions were made possible by the sharing of experiences through not only the panel speakers but the audience as well. One such panel expert was Tim Byron, a KPU psychology student, who spoke about his experience with conversion camps, his own internal struggle with his sexuality, and finally about being ostracized from his strict religious family after coming out as gay. There were also two transgender student speakers at the conference, Mason and R. R spoke about his experience being a transgender person of colour and his struggles living with a homophobic parent. Mason discussed his journey towards

understanding his gender identity, which started at a very young age, and also touched on etiquettes when talking to a transgender or transsexual person. These students were able to shed light on Kwantlen’s LGBTQ community, providing their unique, insider’s perspective on gender and sexual identity. By speaking at the conference they hoped their stories would reach other individuals in similar positions, so that these people would know there’s a community who shares their struggles and can lend support. “I want to change hearts,” says Byron. “I want to educate people because I don’t want anyone to go through [my] experience—it isn’t fair, but it’s something that some of the LGBTQ community goes through.” The SEXPO was also honoured to have guest speakers from the local communities to be a part of the panel. These speakers included KPU’s very own Dr. Cory Pederson, a psychology and human sexuality professor, Ranbir Johal, an instructor of language and culture, and Velvet Steele, Vancouver’s sexual

health educator and activist. The panel speakers answered the audience’s questions with the education and experience that they each specialize in. The speakers addressed sexual consent as well as healthy and unhealthy relationships—both of which are topics often overlooked in sexual education within the school system. A major concern presented through the panel was the poor sexual education that young people are getting, both from biased sex educators and parents who are against teaching their children sexual education at all. “I believe when you go through the sex education process, you’re not learning about sex acts. That’s not what it’s there for. You’re there to learn about human physiology and anatomy and as to what’s going on [with your body],” says Velvet Steele. “I fully and 100 per cent believe that people who are going to be teaching sex education need to get it out of their heads that there is no room for religion and cultural ethics. You are there teaching each and every individual in that classroom about their bodies.”

Mike Zhao

Culture

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Surrey Finds Its Inaugural Poet Laureate in Renée Sarojini Saklikar “Poetry is news that stays news, the issues and emotions within it go beyond the headlines.”

Aida Garcia Contributor

The needs of a society are much like the needs of an individual. If someone is dying of hunger,

they’re not going to be complaining about the poor decorum of the room in which they’re starving. For a long time the city of Surrey has had to deal with issues pertaining to crime, perhaps at the expense of “lower order” needs

like art and creativity. But if there’s a sign that things are changing, it’s in the appointment of the city’s first ever poet laureate—a title recently bestowed upon Indian-born Canadian poet and teacher Renée Sarojini Saklikar. “It’s an honourary position. You are like a literary ambassador— [poet laureates] are an honourary tradition that came back 20 years ago,” says Saklikar. “Cities like Surrey want to build community and foment the arts by appointing poet laureates.” The new title bears with it a city-supported poet’s responsibilities, including writing consultations with poetic hopefuls the second Friday of every month. But that doesn’t mean that there’s no room to enjoy the position. In fact, Saklikar explains that every day already begins as her “ideal day.” A normal day of work for Surrey’s first-ever Poet Laureate starts

with about three to four hours of working on her own creative writing projects. Afterwards, she typically busies herself with either her teaching responsibilities at SFU or with all of her manuscript consultations. Saklikar is also working on a musical theatre piece in partnership with a live orchestra at SFU. The play will be a theatrical version of her book, Children of Air India, which is set to air on Nov. 6 at SFU’s Goldcorp Center for the Arts. Saklikar’s book is written in poetic verse and addresses the topic of Canada’s worst act of terrorism to date, the bombing of the Air India Flight in 1985. “Art doesn’t hold back anything . . . Poetry is one of those things that doesn’t look away from issues,” says Saklikar. The blossoming of art and literature are arguably the best signs that speak of a healthy, well-adapted society. Saklikar hopes that’s

true of Surrey, now more than ever. “Imagine a city without poetry, literature or art in general. Public art gives us a sense of place and connection. It gives a city life, and cities get this—they know that art is good for people and education,” she says. Speaking of education, Saklikar is pleased to announce she will be mentoring a new group of writers enrolled in SFU’s writing program. “When I meet with new writers, I don’t want them to see me as a judge. I want to be like a guide by their side who works with them so they become the best artist they can be,” said Sarojini. Surrey may yet have a long way to go to become a true cultural or artistic hub, but with its very own poet laureate influencing the next generation of writers and creatives, one can now see newfound artistic potential in Metro Vancouver’s fastest growing municipality.

Harbour Publishing

Love in this Club: The Kwantlen Secular Student Alliance New club hopes to promote free discussions of religion, culture, and openness.

Aileen Tran Contributor

The Kwantlen Secular Student

Alliance is a newly founded club for all secular, humanist, atheist, agnostic, skeptic and other freethinking students at KPU. In their own words, the Alliance advocates for and provides a source of outreach to non-religious students of all descriptions while promoting scientific thinking and reason in all aspects of human experience. There are similar clubs on other university campuses, such as UBC’s Freethinkers Club and SFU’s Skeptics. Like these groups, the KSSA

aims to hold weekly meetings at which members can freely explore a diverse spectrum of opinions regarding culture and religion. And while there will be plenty of questioning and skepticism, founders Parabjot Singh and Aaron Philip— who are also the club’s president and vice-president, respectively— are quick to explain that it’s always done in a respectful manner. “The goal of the Kwantlen Secular Alliance is to help students at Kwantlen to develop their philosophies of life, not to convert a religious person to become nonreligious,” says Singh. The KSSA’s meetings also serve as a safe space for those students

who are in a strict and religious family. Their intent is to collect a group of students who support each other, respect one another, and allow their peers to speak freely about religion and explore other beliefs without being stigmatized. Forming a club that questions religious beliefs invariably runs the risk of receiving negative feedback from the public, however. Especially from the family members and religious leaders of the club’s members. “For a lot of immigrant families, religion is one of the things that ties them back to their home country, so when an immigrant family hears that their child is moving away

from their faith, they’re seeing it as Canada corrupting their child,” says Philip about the potential scrutiny his club will face. However, the KSSA will do its best to ensure the public that that’s not on the club’s agenda. “It is all about exploration, and no one’s trying to tell someone to be a certain way—we’re all here to respect everyone’s beliefs,” says Singh. The Kwantlen Student Secular Alliance is still in the process of becoming a recognized KSA club, but hope to attract new members as soon as possible. Look for them online or contact Singh at parabjot.singh1@ kpu.net.

Natalie Mussel

Slamapalooza Returns from the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word Kwantlen’s poetry slam team placed second last, but still had a blast.

Torin Slik Contributor

Slamapalooza, Kwantlen’s poetry

slam team, returned last week from the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word. This year the event ran from Oct. 18 to 24, and featured 24 poetry slam teams from all around nation competing against each other for the distinction of Canada’s best slam team. While Slamapalooza would have liked to have placed higher than 23rd, the experience of the festival more than made up for it. “Slamapalooza did really great,” says Simon Massey, a KSA

Arts Representative and Slamapalooza’s organizer. “There were a lot of poets who had not experienced the festival before. So they got to go out there and see what the national scene was like.” Teams competing at CFSW were given the opportunity to perform poems of their own design in front of an audience and selected judges. “A poet goes up and does a piece of poetry of their own in under three minutes,” says Massey. “Five judges in the audience give [the poem] a score between one and 10.” This was the second year Slamapalooza has entered the CFSW.

They came in eighth place last year, and although they didn’t do quite as well this year, they returned confident. “They got a lot of good feedback,” says Massey. Kwantlen will continue to hold its own poetry slams in the Grassroots on the third Thursday of every month, an opportunity for any aspiring poet to gain valuable experience. Throughout the year, poets will gain points, and at the end of the year the top twelve poets will have the opportunity to compete for the team. “The next big event will probably be in February, which will be our playoffs to see who will repre-

sents in the Canadian Individual Poetry Slam championships, which

happens every year in Vancouver at the end of April,” says Massey.

Slamapalooza

Eagle Lens

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OUR HOME ON NATIVE LAND The history of acknowledging unceded territories at KPU.

Kier-Christer Junos Staff Writer

It’s more than good form in the administrative circles of B.C. universities to begin a meeting with a formal, explicit acknowledgement of the unceded territories on which they conduct their business. But gauging the authenticity of these acknowledgements isn’t so simple. Sometimes they’re good, sometimes they’re not. Acknowledgment is particularly important in B.C. because the majority of these lands are not defined by treaties, whereas in most parts of Canada, the British Crown did negotiate land treaties with First Nations people. Our westernmost province confederated later, in 1871, and the treaty process for B.C. started only in 1993. It’s not exactly the long weekend after confederation. The Kwantlen Student Association aboriginal students’ representative Justin Bige defines these territorial acknowledgments as a welcome. Not all First Nations bands necessarily do them, but

these acknowledgements are akin to a traditional welcoming for anyone who is coming onto the land with good intent. A traditional welcome at the beginning of a meeting or conference or event might look like someone explicitly reminding everyone of the unceded status of the shared land where they live, work, and play. It might be the performance of a traditional song of a First Nations band. It may be a prayer by an aboriginal elder. After these, the thing really begins. The problem is, some perceive, that it just stops at mere ceremony. So what’s authentic? Bige says authentic recognition continually involves a person or group throughout the event. It does no good to have someone perform a welcoming song and then sit off at the side for the rest of the event, he points out. “Just there to play the drum and give everyone a nice little feeling as they come in—that’s tokenizing and that’s worthless,” says Bige. “I’d say we’re currently bad at it.” He finds it “kind of strange,” for example, when people who aren’t

First Nations do an acknowledgement at a meeting and then proceed forward so swiftly as if the acknowledgement was just another point of business. Bige, who states his “radical view” on the issue, says it’s at that point that the meeting should stop and discuss what it means to work on unceded territory. He makes a point of this when he himself acknowledges territories at KSA council meetings. He even aims to make people uncomfortable about it because he believes they should feel uncomfortable about it. Brandon Gabriel from the Kwantlen First Nation, who is a KPU alumni and guest lecturer, has sat on various boards of directors and councils where he says the challenge has always been for First Nations people to be recognized as “authentic partners.” He says that the process of symbolic welcoming can limit what they contribute and how they work in terms of the given organization’s mandate. At KPU, Gabriel believes there has always been a desire among the university administration to recognize the KFN as symbolic partners

and authentic collaborators. That involves the KFN’s say on how the school functions and sees itself. That desire for recognition reaches back to the days that the school was endowed as the namesake of the Kwantlen First Nation. Gabriel says that past presidents and boards of governors have understood that, and that the challenge for the KFN has always been re-establishing and reconnecting with new administrations. The current KPU Board of Governors and president Alan Davis perhaps heeded the understanding of administrations’ past when they rescinded a controversial agreement with Trans Mountain Expansion Project in October. The fruits of that agreement were contingent on the approval of a pipeline expansion through KFN territories. Davis cited the relationship with the KFN as the contributing factor to the turnaround decision, and that their September BOG presentation against the agreement made “an impact on people.” Gabriel thinks the BOG truly saw value in their partnership with the KFN that day, and that, “An at-

tempt by them to rekindle that relationship is a good move.” He believes that unresolved land acknowledgements and large corporate developments on that land were at the heart of the Trans Mountain issue. The KFN is still negotiating their terms to leave the Indian Act of 1876, for example. Aboriginal issues have arguably seen a renaissance in Canada within the last decade, with perhaps Stephen Harper’s 2008 apology to residential school survivors as a solid milestone. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to this day continues their mandate to support survivors and educate Canadians on the impacts of the residential school system. KPU continues to host reconciliation weeks to uphold that, too. But within those kinds of KPU events—they might be reconciliation weeks, pow-wows, Aboriginal awareness days, etc—a need always exists for proper collaboration with First Nations people, according to Bige. For KPU administration to live that sort of philosophy, Bige says that means giving aboriginal people both the floor and the say.

Natalie Mussell

Run-Downs

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What happened to the Bloc Québécois this election? Much ado about nothing.

Kévin Paré Contributor

As a result of the recent federal

election, the Bloc Quebecois increased their seats in parliament by 500 per cent. Of course, this is really not a fair use of statistics. It hides the fact that the Bloc really went from two seats at the official launch of the elections to 10, and that they actually lost popular support as it went from 23.4 per cent of Quebec’s popular vote in 2011 to just 19.3 per cent now. These 10 seats really wouldn’t matter for much if it were another

party. Ten seats out of 338 in a majority government is not enough to shift the balance of power—it’s not even enough to achieve official party status. The Bloc doesn’t have a leader anymore, as Gilles Duceppe was not elected in his riding, and Mario Beaulieu was elected but abdicated the leadership to Duceppe due to really poor figures in the polls. So the party exists as more of an annoyance than anything else. However, as far as political culture goes, it does indicate that Canadians underestimate the effect of regionalism in their politics. Who voted for the Bloc? Ac-

cording to the electoral map, the Bloc gained six seats from the NDP in an incredibly localized presence in the surrounding area of Repentigny, somewhat in the suburbs of Montreal. This region is where the ghosts of Paul-Emile Borduas and Louis-Joseph Papineau are still alive in public memory. This area is near where the Patriot had most of their infamous battles during the Lower Rebellion. This is also where the fairly well-known separatist and abstract painter Borduas comes from—he was born in a town called Chambly, which passed rather close (six per cent) to having a separatist leader,

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but ended up with Matthew Dubé of the NDP. This region is also near the birthplace of Joseph Papin who was the founder of the Institute of Montreal. The same institute that was closed because the Catholic church of Quebec hated their collection of books so much that they refused to bury the body of Joseph Guildford on consecrated ground, just because he was a member of the Institute. An old saying from the Quebec church goes, “Hell is red, and paradise is blue.” If this is the case, you could not find more of a hellish red than the Repentigny region for the priests of Quebec—except in Europe, with the communist and the radical Republicans, because some ultramontane believed that the “real red” were in Europe, and the real “French-Catholic” were in Quebec, and that Britain saved the “real French-Catholic.” I guess that no true Scotsman would understand that fallacious thinking, but it made some sort of sense to regional religious leaders like Ignace Bourget. Of course this feels weird, but it is not as cryptic as it seems. Even the names of some of the riding provide a clue. For instance, the Bloquiste Xavier Barsalou-Duval won his seat in the riding of “Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes— Verchères.” Could a riding name show more traces of the Lower Rebellion? Maybe by including towns where actual battles happened during the lower rebellion, like Saint-

Denis-Sur-le-Richelieu—which, then again, is also true of this same riding. That region is a little different than the rest of Quebec. A little bit more Republican, a bit more skeptical of the church, and a bit more liberal in some odd ways. In fact, the Liberals in Quebec are also the descendents of that rogue tradition that they took from Laurier. In this election, two primary factors boosted the Bloc vote—Harper and the niqab debate. Harper is perceived as such a cultural threat that some voters voted to be the party’s leader, thinking that having a state will better protect their culture and better meet their needs. Such a threat that even the Conservative minister Maxime Bernier stayed away from Harper, instead asking people to vote for him because he is the MP from Beauce. And the controversy over the niqab did ignite some anti-clerical and republican forces by pushing a stronger divide between state and religion. These factors bolstered their republicanism and nationalistic views. Even with these boosts, the Bloc is now limited to a local chateau fort. Unless they adapt, their long-term chances of survival are low. However, the Bloc has already evolved before, as this generation is the descendent of the Parti Nationaliste du Québec of the 1980s and the Union Populaire, which did not fly in the late 1970s. So who knows what the future holds?

Government spending can also be talked about as fiscal policy, and this is inefficient to targeting inflation, for example, compared to monetary policy employed by the Bank of Canada, where interest rates are changed. When these rates are reduced, industry investing is much higher because it’s cheaper to finance equipment, among other things. This is part of where more substantial economic stimulation

happens compared to a government’s fiscal policy. In terms of what the Bank of Canada did post-election, they announced that the bank would maintain the overnight rate at 0.5 per cent on Oct. 21, one of the eight dates within the year that the BOC makes interest rate announcements. They didn’t comment on the election.

on the post-election economy

TSX, Loonie close on a high note after Liberal majority.

Kier-Christer Junos Staff Writer

The TSX closed on a good note the day after Canadians elected a Liberal majority, and the loonie saw marginal gains against the USD as the week continued. Some news reports say investors are banking on the new government’s projected spending plans, which amount to billions of dollars of deficits before the next federal election. Government deficits have typically negative connotations, so some might find it puzzling as to why investors have started placing bets on a government that basically promised to go red for a while. In part, large amounts of spending generally can be attributed as economic boosts. This sequel to the Trudeau Liberals promises massive transport infrastructure upgrades, for one. Besides the jobs this spending move is supposed to create, the theory is that upgrading transport infrastructure can improve the efficiency of a commuting workforce. A society could then become more economically productive. As the unemployment rate

decreases from this boon, inflation will eventually begin to rise to some degree, making Canadian goods more valuable relative to foreigners. This would, in theory, incentivize more foreign investment in Canadian industries because of the higher returns. All the parties promised to spend a lot, really, but now investors can benefit from this majority government instead of having to factor in what could have been—a minority that prompts more uncertainty. Investors hate that, and it makes them jeer loudly at the index screens on King Street. With so many toeing the party line, the probability of pushing out Liberalstamped legislation and spending moves is much higher, so investors can be a little more pre-emptive when it comes to entering any implicated markets. On top of that, the Canadian government is probably the best credit risk in the country. Their diligence can be reflected in treasury bills and government bonds, which tend to have virtually perfect liquidity; you can count on turning them back into cash without

anything bouncing. That basically translates to a higher certainty on return from the new government’s spending. But for a moment, take no need to what I just wrote. Despite the TSX and loonie bumping up postelection, by the end of this month it’s clear how marginal those bumpups really were. The TSX closed on a good note by little under one per cent on Oct. 20, and by Halloween the TSX ended on a wholly unimpressive note that basically negated any market boosts realized from the election until now. The loonie went up a couple of cents the week following the election, but not more than a nickel, so imported Twinkies are just as expensive now. Speaking of imports and exports, these sectors of the Canadian economy are historically far greater facets of overall production than government spending. It’s been that way ever since the first Canadians showed up here and saw to the slaughtering of tens of thousands of beavers. It’s that way now, as the world continues to run on dinosaur souls from the Calgarian oil sands.

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QUESTION: Do you agree that the U-Pass BC program be continued for two years for all Kwantlen Polytechnic University students for $39.50 per month of study commencing May 2016 and for $41 per month of study commencing May 2017? Yes or No

Referendum Polling

Tuesday, November 24, 2015 & Wednesday, November 25, 2015 10 AM – 7 PM

Ballot Counting

Wednesday, November 25, 2015 at 8 PM Surrey Campus | In Surrey Main 3801

Surrey Campus | In the Lobby of the Surrey Main Atrium Richmond Campus | In the Hallway between the Bookstore and the Library Cloverdale Campus | In the Student Lounge by the Cafeteria Langley Campus | In the East Building in front of the Bookstore

For more information on the KSA referendum, visit

www.kusa.ca/elections

Chief Returning Ofﬁcer | Corey Van’t Haaff

Kwantlen Student Association | Cell: 604.889.5437 | Email: kwantlencro@gmail.com

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Andrew Coyne’s Last Stand for Journalistic Integrity

Popular columnist’s resignation shows that journalism isn’t dead, despite Postmedia’s efforts.

Kévin Paré Contributor

Towards the end of this last elec-

tion cycle, Andrew Coyne resigned as editor of editorials and comment for the National Post, though he opted to keep his column. The decision came after the executives at Postmedia—Coyne’s bosses—rejected his column dissenting against the Post’s decision to endorse the Conservative Party of Canada in the election.

Coyne’s managers feared that publishing his piece, “would have confused readers and embarrassed the paper.” I do not understand what would be so confusing and embarrassing. Politically, Coyne can be considered a bit of a redtory, or at the least a right-winger. Yet he voted for the NDP in the election, as he thought that, “The Conservatives do not deserve to be re-elected, and the Liberals do not deserve a majority.” Postmedia used the National Post, as well as many of their other 70 publications, as a platform to support the Conservative Party, and chose not to allow Coyne’s differing views a spot in their biggest publication. In response, Coyne

made it clear he could not continue on in his role as editor. Coyne’s choice was about ethics. He felt there should be no suggestion that he was endorsing the Conservatives, and felt he could not continue to be an editor if he were obliged to stay silent when his views conflicted with those of management. To Coyne, this was a simple professional disagreement— but I would argue some aspects of this issue go a bit further than just a professional relationship. It’s legal for Postmedia to push their readers towards a specific party in every newspaper they own. Indeed, it is a long-standing media tradition, and for the most part was generally a good thing—nobody’s work is value-neutral and every journalist is biased, even when

Danielle George

trying to be objective. Disclosing such biases, as long as it does not fall into blind partisanship, at least gives the public a chance to make up their own minds. Given the concentration of medias, however, such behaviours could influence our sense of deliberative democracy. If we assume that people take the time to weigh the different options before voting, and they are told repeatedly by certain respected figures that one political party is the best choice, this might bring some undue influences. Divergences of opinions are needed in a functioning democracy. Things could be even worse if the ownership is a conglomerate that gives the impression of competition, but pushes the same editorial agenda across all their publications. After all, both The Province and The Vancouver Sun endorsed the Conservatives. They could easily look like they’re competing for a common market, but both newspapers are owned by Postmedia. It could also be made worse if, somehow, an ad on the front page is used to bash another political party a few days before the election. Here, to be fair, Postmedia just asked the Conservative Party to pay the usual rate for such public-

ity, but it does give the impression of a potential conflict of interest and of a potential lack of respect for democratic values. It also reinforces an impression that Postmedia and others use their newspapers only to make a profit, and don’t care that much about quality journalism, as such ads look cheap and made their papers feel cheap. Andrew Coyne chose to do what seemed right for him. He might have pushed it further and left altogether, but it is not necessary given his already impressive reputation. Besides, a columnist does not necessarily have to support the editorial line. Even Paul Godfrey, the president and CEO of Postmedia, appreciated that he was upfront and honest about his views on the situation, a sign that really nobody can blame Coyne in this story. Postmedia, however, pushed their reliance on a single editorial agenda too far, and in addition to almost losing one of the most widely read columnists in the country, they likely pushed a few readers away too. Lucky for them, Coyne is classy enough to keep professional conflict on the down low at all times, and lucky for Canadians he still understands the modern context of journalistic integrity.

International Criticism of Harper rings true among Canadian readers Foreign media held the ex-PM’s feet to the fire while domestic media kissed his shoes.

Louis Marta-Widjaja Contributor

Throughout the election, Conservative

Party leader Stephen Harper received scathing criticism by international media, unlike the largely Conservative-endorsing domestic media, such as Postmedia. The critics slammed Harper for his undemocratic policies, such as reluctance to share information, escalating xenophobia, making efforts to deny votes, and weakening the influence of environmental scientists. Now, none of this was anything new for Harper’s Conservative government. In 2011 the Conservative Party was held in contempt of parliament (which was a first occurrence in the history of the commonwealth) for refusing to share information that opposition members needed to assess legislation. The Conservative Party is also well-known for withholding information from the press (including the Toronto Star, The Atlantic and The New York Times), who claim candidates running in the federal election are advised not to speak to reporters during the campaign or attend all-candidates meetings. Press conferences held by the Harper government are also said by the same press groups to be notoriously brief, rigorously filtered, and vetted. This reluctance to share

information continued to be iconic of Stephen Harper’s leadership, even after he was voted out. Harper informed his handlers of his resignation as leader of the Conservatives, informing nobody else, not even his supporters present at the rally when he made the decision. The international press also criticized Harper for snubbing issues that many voters were prioritizing, such as removing environmentalassessment requirements from most of the country’s waterways, and declining to participate in women’s issues debates. There is concern even among our American neighbours that the Conservatives are either unaware or indifferent to issues of prevailing concern among voters, opting instead to implement a “Barbaric cultural practices” hotline that was widely criticized as divisive and pandering to Islamophobia, as also seen in the niqab debate. Contrast the international criticism of Harper and his Cons with the domestic media’s endorsing rhetoric. It’s very telling that Canadian, pro-Conservative media focused on economic and national security issues while the international media raised concerns of the democratic electoral power of the people being limited by the powerholding party. Does the Conservative base prioritize the economy and Islamophobia over the voting

power of the electorate? The Conservative Party and its donors do not hesitate to limit the electoral power of the people, as they benefit from low voter turnout. During the 2011 election, Conservative staff member Michael Sona was convicted of using robocalls to misguide voters to wrong polling locations in Guelph, Ontario. In the 2015 election, voters from several provinces found pre-marked ballots for the Conservative Party. A Conservative supporter will be very quick to tell you how great its government is at economics and security, though the oil-based economy has proven to be a one trick pony whenever the price of oil crashes. A pro-Conservative article will never tell you that the Conservative government opened privatization to our water systems or granted oil barons billions in handouts and the chance to write legislation. They won’t tell you that the Conservative government worked more closely with the interests of businessmen than with environmental scientists. Pro-Harper supporters are as adept at withholding information as Harper himself, but you’d have to be pretty stupid to give away the secrets of exploitative bureaucracy to the working or impoverished classes.

The difference between the international media and the Conservative-endorsed domestic media is one of a democratic vision in opposition to an endorsed tyranny, as if foreshadowing the election outcome itself. It signifies a successful democracy, as Harper has focused enrichment upon wealthy corporations while denying the state $45-billion a year

in revenue. A balanced prioritization to issues are in demand, rather than the indiscriminate supporting of the wealthy and incorporated at the expenses of the people. Canada’s 86 richest people own as much as 11-million of the poorest—with such a large gap in income, what benefit is there to continue Harper’s policies of tax breaks and handouts for wealthy business owners?

Rosaura Ojeda

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Justin Trud’oh!

Why the PM’s sex appeal is harmful to Canadian politics.

Aly Laube Contributor

It didn’t take long for the public

Pifanida

to swoon over Trudeau 2.0. Even before the Liberal leader won the election, talk of his toned physique and coiffed hair dominated social media. And unfortunately for the Conservatives, their attack ads didn’t help much. Every Canadian with a television set or internet connection had “Nice hair, though,” stuck in their head for the entirety of the election—which, if anything, brought complimentary attention to Trudeau’s luscious locks. Granted, Trudeau himself did shamelessly play the “handsome” card to win favour in the lead up to the election. With the broadcasting of one of Trudeau’s boxing matches came the opportunity for a “checkout-the-gun-show” posing, which he certainly didn’t shy away from. One photo in particular of a tatted Justin giving the camera a sultry stare in fighting stance has been distributed all across the globe. Also, just in case anyone made the mistake of thinking it was an isolated incident, Trudeau stripped from the waist up for the Canadian Liver Foundation’s “What a Girl Wants” fundraiser. The PM put himself on display like the public had begged for it, but who was really dying to see their Prime Minister shirtless? Apparently, more people than you might think. Just as his father before him, Justin rode a vicious wave of Trudeau-

mania. In the days following the Liberal Party’s victory, it became inescapable. A UK-based publication, The Mirror, released an article called “Is Justin Trudeau the sexiest politician in the world?” and many seem to think so. As a Facebook user, I was subject to reading the word “pilf,” amongst several more disturbing statuses. Twitter exploded with exclamations of the Canadian Prime Minister’s “hotness” as well as photos of him captioned, “We’re moving to Canada.” The only information that was missing was why he won the 2015 election, other than for having a rockin’ bod. This might all seem like fun and games, but there is a disturbing side to it as well. As a Canadian citizen, my hope is that people wanting to move to Canada would wish to do so for a better life. Trudeau does have some fantastic policies (particularly for the left side) that will hopefully improve the country’s conduct. His efforts to start mass infrastructure projects, legalize marijuana, and finally pay attention to aboriginal land claims and the environment are long-desired and frankly overdue. Yet they’ve received almost no attention. Most Americans—who now know his name strictly because of his face— likely wouldn’t even be able to tell you which party Trudeau represents, let alone his plans for Canada’s future. Of course, the proposition of

relocation for a sexy politician is a joke, and that’s exactly the problem. The obsession with Trudeau’s sex appeal has turned Canadian politics into a laughingstock, if it weren’t already seen as one by the rest of the world. Worse and more likely than that is being viewed as a shallow, short-lived, media-oriented trend. If the only time Canadian politics shows up in international headlines is when our PM flaunts his boyish charm, why would we expect to be taken seriously? Within the country, the same notion applies. The amount of voters who chose the Liberals because of Trudeau’s attractiveness and hipness is concerning enough. Now that he’s in control, his duties as a politician continue to be widely ignored. A pretty face is wonderful for Trudeau, and if that’s what it took to oust Harper then so be it. But it’s time to be responsible about our role as citizens of a democratic society. That means cutting the gossip about Justin’s bulging muscles and focusing on the vastly more important topic: he is our Prime Minister now, and the power he holds should not be underestimated. Making light of his role by reducing him to a sex symbol is reckless and offensive to the efforts that have been made to reach this point in Canada’s history. We have a liberal leader who promises change, and we need to pay attention to ensure that he follows through.

Student advocacy is a powerful force for change

The focused efforts of a dedicated few can do more than some would have you believe.

Torin Slik Contributor

Kwantlen’s recent withdrawal from the Trans Mountain MOU is a great victory for students. It demonstrates the power that students have when dealing with big affairs, both at the university level and beyond. When the withdrawal was announced, Kwantlen Polytechnic University President Alan Davis made a very interesting public statement. He informed us that his decision for the withdrawal was completely independent of any sort of student advocacy that took place. In other words, all of the lobbying and protesting done by a vast number of students had nothing to do with his decision. The truth of the matter is that we’ll never truly know the sincerity of this statement. It could be true, or it could be a cop out. It’s hard to say. What we do know is that a lot of students put in a lot of hard work to make their voices heard, and I believe their hard work paid off. Justine Nelson, recent criminology graduate from KPU and chapter coordinator at PIPE UP, firmly believes that student advocacy has

the power to change things. To her, Kwantlen’s withdrawal from the Trans Mountain MOU is a sign of that. “I think that there is a lot of the mentality that’s like ‘what am I going to do? I’m just one person. I can’t have an impact,’” she says. “But there’s that quote, ‘Never doubt that a small group of dedicated people can change the world.’ The MOU impacts Kwantlen, but it also has a community impact that sets a precedent.” The big key in the success of student advocacy projects is getting past the mindset that small groups can’t do anything. Just one person has the potential to create a huge impact, and often, one person standing up for what they believe in spurs on others. In addition, a student advocacy project has to have a clear goal in mind. It’s not enough to tell someone you don’t want something. You have to have a clear alternative you want to achieve rather than simply objecting to something. “I think one of the biggest things is to know what you want,” says Nelson. “So, not just to say this is what we don’t want, but to know what you want. We weren’t saying we don’t want to have the MOU.

We want you to back out. We want you to have a respectful relation with the Kwantlen First Nations. We want you guys to hear what the students have to say.” There are other examples of student advocacy acts which have succeeded in the past. In 2012, the student unions and their supporters in Quebec stood up against the government’s proposal to significantly raise tuition fees. A widespread series of student strikes were organized to protest. The end result of these protests was the implementation of tuition freezing. It was a clear

victory for the students. This is just one of many examples where students have had a significant impact at the administrative level. Of course, the administration doesn’t always want to admit that they’ve been swayed by the student body. If Davis was influenced by the students about his decision with the MOU, he doesn’t want people to know it. “It certainly seems like a power thing, where he wants to be in power,” says Nelson. “Realistically, in

the school, the students should have the power to be saying what is happening in their institution.” Educational institutions are designed to empower students with the right tools to navigate the real world. It teaches them to think for themselves and to make a difference in the world. As such, it’s pretty easy to see how powerful we are.

Danielle George

Columns

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Artist Spotlight

Burping the Baby: An Interview with The Plodes.

Aly Laube Columnist

“Our show is probably a quarter

to a third standup comedy,” says Reid Blakely, frontman of Vancouver-based punk rock duo, The Plodes. According to drummer Gemma Goletski, “It’s semi-improvised. Sometimes I’ll just say some garbage and think, ‘Oh, that was okay,’ so I do it six more times until I feel like it’s time to retire. [For example,] every show, I ask if anybody in the audience has seen the movie Straw Dogs. There have only been like, two people who said yes. I mean, I haven’t seen it. It’s really dark and violent so I don’t really have any interest in watching it. I just want to ask people if they have.” Other live antics include the insistence that an audience member sings “You Treat Me Poorly and It Makes Me Upset”, a song with one lyric (hint: it’s the title). However, due to the size of Vancouver’s music scene, Blakley and Goletski often recognize every face in the crowd. Their solution is to pretend they don’t know the volunteer and bestow a fake name upon them,

which, for reasons unknown, is always Krogus. “It goes, ’Welcome to the band. Your name’s Krogus. Everybody say hi to Krogus.’ And then they’re in the band for like, a minute and a half,” says Goletski. Cracking up the crowd is an intentional approach by The Plodes, and they consider it an important part of playing. “I think it’s good to balance the music with something else, whether you like to roll around onstage or bring a push mower and throw that around.” For Blakely, “The point of rock or punk is to see a show and watch people perform it. Our performances have to reflect that more than our recordings. It’s sort of the same philosophy as The Minutemen used, which is that they viewed their records as promotions for their live shows rather than the other way around.” And while Goletski is the main source of “banter on stage,” Blakely writes all of The Plodes’ lyrics. They have an equally distinctive sense of humour, and most every song seems to centre on animals or simply absurd concepts—just check out song titles like, “Bad Bunny”, “Now I’m Really Tiny and

I Live in a Jar”, “Kissy Giraffes”, “Did You Find Something Weird on the Bottom of my Shoe?”, and of course, “Penis”. Their most recent release—High Five Every Animal—manages both animal and absurdist imagery. “I can’t really write any other way,” says Blakely. “I can’t be really serious. The only way I know how to make things interesting for myself is to put humour into it— not to be a comedian, but to make people laugh.” Although it can be silly and surreal, it isn’t thoughtless humour. Blakely puts a “painstaking” amount of effort into his choice of words and structure while songwriting. “Lyrics are hugely important to me, sometimes more so than the music. I’m very self-conscious and easily embarrassed, so I don’t want to make my lyrics too boring or show-off-y or conspicuous,” he explains. Repetition, which the band considers “an underappreciated artform in songs”, is another favourite technique of Blakely’s due to “a combination of ambition and laziness.” Instead of writing completely new material, he will often choose a variation on a preexisting part, “to make the song

coherent and generate ideas.” “And that way, that song has it’s own sort of aesthetic,” agrees Goletski. The Plodes once consisted of four members, but due to scheduling conflicts, its membership was halved. Now it’s just Goletski and Blakely, who was—and still is— the only founding member of the band. “It’s sort of my baby,” he says, gushing. “For a long time, it was just me and whoever was able to help me burp the baby.” Nodding, Goletski adds, “I’m just giving the baby an antacid ev-

ery time it gets gassy.” From their shared sense of humour down to their roles in the band, Blakley and Goletski work together to bring The Plodes up to a fuller level of entertainment. The addition of humour to quality music helps make them memorable in a sea of Vancouver punk, although the amount of material they’re producing leaves more to be desired by both the duo and their fans. “Maybe people think that we’re just a joke band, but we’re very serious all the time. Really, such dark souls,” says Goletski with a groan.

The Plodes

Science Explained

Breaking down the World Health Organization’s cancer report.

Danica Johnston Columnist

On Oct. 26, the World Health Organization issued a press release detailing the International Agency for Research on Cancer’s findings that red meat and processed meat may cause cancer in humans. This news has proven itself to be confusing and controversial. The IARC reviewed over 800 studies on cancer in humans. They have concluded that red meat is probably carcinogenic to humans and has been placed into the Group 2A carcinogen category. They have also concluded that processed meat is carcinogenic to humans in the Group 1 carcinogen category, along with tobacco and asbestos.

However, even though they are in the same category, eating meat is not necessarily as dangerous as smoking—the IARC warns against comparing two agents in the same category, saying, “The classifications reflect the strength of the scientific evidence as to whether an agent causes cancer in humans but do not reflect how strong the effect is on the risk of developing cancer.” The risk they outlined was that a 50-gram portion of processed meat a day, the equivalent of two slices of ham, increases the risk of developing colorectal cancer by 18 per cent. The report states 34,000 cancer deaths a year are caused by meat consumption. Compare this to the eight million cancer deaths a year from smoking. That 34,000 number,

Danielle George

however, is not the total number of deaths due to meat consumption, it’s only the cancer-related deaths, and there is substantial evidence that has already led many national food agencies to recommend individuals reduce their red meat consumption due to the other known risks. Diets that focus on large amounts of meat typically have more risk than just cancer—heart disease and diabetes, for example. Heart disease is the second leading cause of death in Canada and the number one leading cause of death in the United States, and has been linked to meat consumption in many published articles. A study from Nature Medicine describes how gut microbes metabolize the amino acid L-carnitine, primarily found in meat, into Trimethylamine N-oxide, a compound that promotes atherosclerosis—hardening of the arteries. One factor, which may contribute to the carcinogenic effects of meat, depends on the cooking method. When any meat, including chicken and fish, is cooked at a high temperature—barbequed, grilled, or pan-fried—dangerous compounds are formed. Heterocyclic amines are a product of amino acids and creatine in meat reacting under high temperatures. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are produced when oil and liquid from

meat comes in contact with fire, the fire contains PAHs that stick to the meat. PAHs are formed by incomplete combustion, and are also found in cigarettes. The amount of these compounds depends on the method of preparation—for example, smoking and charring food produces high levels of these carcinogens. The temperature at which the food is cooked, the length of time the food is cooked, and the type of food—specifically dependent on fat content—are factors that impact the level of these carcinogens present. The safest cooking method for eating red meat is by boiling or microwaving. Researchers found that high consumption of well-done, fried, or barbecued meats is associated with increased risks of colorectal, pancreatic, and prostate cancer. However, according to the World Health Organization, the only one with enough evidence to confirm the risk is colorectal cancer. The reason is because these compounds are genotoxic—they can cause cancer by genetic mutations, which may cause your cells to reproduce uncontrollably. Shalene McNeil, executive director of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, said, “We’ve taken a look at these 800 studies and what we see is that we have a weak association that’s weakening over

time, and about half of the time, these studies don’t even find an association. So this is not a causal link between red and processed meat and any type of cancer.” The US meat industry, a $100-billion industry, may be a contributing factor in the uproar of this report, as their profits could take a serious hit. The WHO’s purpose is to look at all the evidence and give a modest conclusion, and there is nothing far-fetched about their findings. People want to hear good news about their bad habits, and to look at the WHO’s report and justify that red and processed meat do not cause cancer is, in a way, wishful thinking. There is simply too much evidence—this is not one study that has come out, it is over 800 studies that have been performed over decades. The IARC is aware that meat consumption carries other risks such as heart disease and diabetes. Their goal was to release a statement about the cancer risk. Eating meat will not guarantee cancer —cancer is dependent on many factors such as genetics, environment, lifestyle habits (diet, physical activity, smoking). However, reducing meat consumption will reduce cancer risk and may potentially slow cancer growth. Even if your genes put you at risk for cancer, you can adapt your lifestyle to prevent it.

Procrastination

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SUDOKU No. 134

Very Hard

3 9 5 1 8 6 2 4 7

8 4 1 8 1 3 2 2 7 8 4 8 6

The solutions will be published here in the next issue.

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

Previous solution - Tough

4 2 8 3 7 9 6 5 1

6 1 7 2 4 5 3 8 9

5 7 9 6 1 3 8 2 4

2 3 1 4 9 8 5 7 6

8 4 6 5 2 7 1 9 3

9 5 3 7 6 2 4 1 8

7 6 4 8 5 1 9 3 2

1 8 2 9 3 4 7 6 5

To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 1 to 9 such that each row, column and 3x3 box contains every number uniquely. For many strategies, hints and tips, visit www.sudokuwiki.org If you like Sudoku you’ll really like ‘Str8ts’ and our other puzzles, Apps and books. Visit www.str8ts.com

Horoscopes Sagittarius Nov. 23 - Dec 21

Capricorn Dec. 22 - Jan 20

Jet fuel can’t melt these abs.

There are only five forms of storytelling: Man vs Man, Man vs Society, Man vs Predator, Kramer vs Kramer, and Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice.

And be sure to stay tuned to our Chris Hardwick/Aaron Sorkin crossover show, Walking and Talking About The Walking Dead.

Pisces Feb 20 - Mar 20

Aries Mar 21 - Apr 19

Taurus Apr 20 - May 20

If you can’t learn to play reggae, try taking up its gently inbred cousin: ska.

Be the person your phone’s autocorrect wants you to be.

If someone asks what your fetishes are, tell them you don’t like having your feet held to the fire, then slowly close the drawer full of matches and photos of women’s feet.

Gemini May 21 - Jun 20

Cancer Jun 21 - Jul 23

Aquarius Jan 21 - Feb 19

Leo Jul 24 - Aug 23

That street magician is not a powerful sorcerer who can read your mind. It’s a trick deck. Also you’re an idiot.

The weakness in your body is crushed to a fine point, like a secret buried beneath the dirt.

Time is overrated. This week trying moving through a different dimension. Depth, perhaps?

Virgo Aug 24 - Sept 23

Libra Sept 24 - Oct 23

Scorpio Oct 24 - Nov 22

Don’t take any trips this week. Don’t even go out. Know what? Just stay exactly where you are for a few... more... seconds...

Anybody before bros.

Missed connection. You: A smokin’ Starbucks barista. Me: An intergalactic overlord of unfathomable power and malevolence. Hit me back, girl.

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