VOL-08-ISS-14
Apr-05-2016
Gettin’ a room since 2009
MAKING SPACE Students Left Confused as KPU Overhauls Birch
News Community Criminal Justice Program Axed
Culture New Board of Directors Elected to KPIRG
Opinion Could KPU Ever Have Its Own “Storm the Wall?”
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Table of Contents
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News |Prof’s Photo Essay Sheds Light on Long-Term Heroin Users 05
The faculty of arts has suspended the community criminal justice program, according to a public letter from Dean of Arts Diane Purvey to CCJ students on Feb. 11, which attributed the suspension to “process concerns.” But internal emails from Purvey to the criminology faculty show that the suspension was prompted by the university’s failure to forward CCJ program changes to the Ministry of Advanced Education (AVED) in 2010.
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 2M8 778.565.3801
www.runnermag.ca Vol. 08, Issue no. 14 April 5, 2016 ISSN# 1916 8241
Culture |KPIRG AGM elects new board of directors 07
The Kwantlen Public Interest Research Group held their annual general meeting on March 23 in the social justice room on Kwantlen’s Surrey campus. The meeting’s primary focus was to conduct the elections for the society’s board of directors, and to discuss KPIRG’s continuing issue with their lack of a permanent space.
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.
Feature | Lost in Transition 10
In response to a space shortage, KPU is currently working on plans that will redistribute the space on the second floor of the Birch building, namely rooms 206, 208, and 209. The idea is to move around the cafeteria, take down some walls, and create more space for student-run organizations and clubs to conduct their business. But some student groups feel they’re being left in the dark.
CONTRIBUTORS Aly Laube Kyle Prince Matt Bremner Monica Mah Preet Hundal Rosa Ojeda Torin Slik Yuta Anonuevo
opinions | Forging Some Kwantlen Traditions 13
One way to remedy our school’s sub-par campus life might be to come up with an annual tradition that students can participate in and be proud of. UBC has their annual “Storm the Wall” obstacle course event, and the University of New Brunswick has their bizarre “Great Pumpkin Sacrifice.” What could KPU’s tradition be?
columns| Taking Back History: Women in the Justice System 15
It wasn’t until 1988 that the first woman justice of the Supreme Court of Canada was appointed. Her name was Bertha Wilson, and while she was a judge she issued a number of important rulings. Notably, she wrote one of the judgements that struck down a restrictive abortion law in Canada, as well as a judgement that led to the legal recognition of battered wife syndrome.
#BestPhoto Kwantlen’s finest featuring
nickbransford#kwantlenu #kpu #architecture #sky #reflection
Artist Bio
Shandis Harrison is an upstanding young citizen who has never been accused of a crime in her life. She spends most of her days donating to charity, helping little old ladies cross the street, and saluting the Canadian flag. She has no identifying marks or scars. If attempting to arrest Shandis Harrison, please consider how you hurting your loved ones and undermining this beautiful democracy in which we live. God save the queen, and god save Shandis Harrison.
STAFF
Managing Editor
Coordinating Editor
Connor Doyle managing@runnermag.ca
Tristan Johnston editor@runnermag.ca
Executive Editor
Samantha Thompson deputy@runnermag.ca @sampthompson
Production Manager
Art Director
Danielle George art@runnermag.ca
Shandis Harrison production@runnermag.ca
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Staff Writer
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Danielle George
Editorial
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News Briefs From The Editors Journalism is More than Holding a Microphone
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Council elects new KSA executives for 2016-17
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Tristan Johnston COORDINATING EDITOR
At a recent press conference, President Obama said that good journalism is “more than handing someone a microphone.” I completely agree. We could argue whether or not he was the right person to say that, given his record on whistleblowers and freedom of information requests, but his point is still a good one. I’m not currently convinced that the bigger TV news networks in the United States are doing a sufficient job covering the current presidential election. Networks need to ask themselves whether or not they’re giving “free advertisement” to certain candidates. This could certainly be argued in the case of Trump, who has been handed almost $2-billion in free media coverage, which is shocking compared to the mere $10-million he has spent on his own advertising. This also goes for Hillary Clinton, but to a lesser degree—she has been given $746-million in free coverage, compared to the $28-million she has spent in advertising. CNN and other news outlets are playing lots and lots of Trump because they know that he gets eyeballs, and thus more advertising revenue. Clinton gets much more coverage than Sanders, despite them being fairly close in the race. Media outlets actually love Trump, despite writing editorials that proclaim fear for the future of America. Closer to the beginning of the race in September, Trump allowed CNN to post all-time high viewership numbers: 22.9-million views, compared
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Kier-Christer Junos STAFF WRITER
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The Kwantlen Student Association council has just elected the new KSA executives for the 2016-17 year at a special meeting of council Apr. 1. Surrey Campus Representative Tanvir Singh was elected as the vicepresident of student services, Women’s Representative Natasha Lopes was elected as vice-president of student life, Business Representative Rawan Ali was elected as vice-president of finance and Arts Representative Alex McGowan was elected for another executive term as vice-president of external affairs. Shortly after, McGowan was elected as KSA president.
to their last record of 16.8-million. That’s a lot of advertising revenue. Do we have this sort of problem in Canada? Maybe, but definitely not to the same degree. Watching CBC during the election last October, they seemed to give a similar amount of coverage to the three main parties. To be fair to the CBC, we don’t have a reality TV star running for office (not yet, at least. I’m lookin’ at you, Kevin O’Leary). It might be unfair to compare the two. CNN is fully private and depends on ad revenue to make money,
while CBC gets federal funding, allowing them to focus on what’s actually important. Obama has a point about holding microphones, though. During the Kwantlen Student Association election, we asked prospective council members what they would do if elected, and the majority of them said some variation of “whatever the students want.” Right after that, I should have asked them, “what do students want?” To take it a step further, journalists can prod and dig without wor-
what’s up this week ( Apr 4-apr 14)
rying about being biased. Whenever someone says something that sounds odd, we can’t be afraid to ask for the interviewee for more evidence or elaboration. Sometimes we walk a weird line, where you want to ask hard questions, but you don’t want to make the interviewee so upset that they cut off access to you. But more often than not, the ones that might get mad at you are people who need to be held the most to account.
With Yaunna Sommersby
Mon. April 4 – Wed. April 6
Wed. April 6
Fri. April 8
Stress Relief Week
KPU Reads – Finale
KPU Wind Symphony Concert
Everyone’s stressed from final projects and exams. There’ll be events at each campus to help you relieve stress. Play with puppies, try yoga and take a deep breath.
The KPU community has been discussing Aislinn Hunter’s novel, The World Before Us. The finale will have a panel with Surrey’s Poet Laureate Renée Sarojini Saklikar.
Take a journey with the KPU Wind Symphony. Enjoy songs such as the National Geographic Theme and ensemble performances from the symphony members.
2 p.m. – 3:30 p.m., Surrey Main Atrium. Free. RSVP online
7:30 p.m., KPU Langley Auditorium.
Fri. April 8 – Thurs. April 14
Tues. April 12
Wed. April 13
Fine Arts Graduation Exhibition
Just for the Health of It
Green Wednesdays
Five students are graduating from the Bachelors of Fine Arts program this year. Check out their work in the Disjointed Narratives exhibition.
Want to get healthy? Stop by this health and wellness event, try some smoothies, and enter a beginner yoga class. Health-focused speakers will also share some advice.
The KPU School of Horticulture and Green Ideas Network are hosting another environmental documentary screening. This month, they are screening Peace Out.
11 a.m. – 2 p.m., Langley: April 4, Richmond: April 5, Surrey: April 6. Free
Opening: April 8, 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m., April 9 and 12-14: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., Cloverdale.
10 a.m. – 2:15 p.m., Surrey Conference Centre. Free
6:30 p.m., TWU Northwest Auditorium. Admission by donation. Register online.
KPU student calls for pre-registration syllabi
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Tristan Johnston COORDINATING EDITOR
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Vikram Saggu, a Kwantlen Polytechnic University political science student, started a petition two months ago with the intent of getting course syllabi released before class registration. When speaking to a friend, he discovered that advanced syllabi were available at Simon Fraser University, the University of British Columbia, the University of Northern British Columbia, and Langara, as well as other institutions. At KPU however, students might sign up for a course, pay for it, and attend the first lecture, possibly to discover that the course wasn’t what they wanted, expected, or needed. By this point, students can only get a 70 per cent refund, which could still mean several hundreds of dollars wasted. “I started the petition around December, before I even thought I would be running for senate, but I think it would be really beneficial—financially—for students,” he says. “I don’t think the idea has been pushed enough. I’ve spoken to past senators about it, they told me that it has been brought up, but like I said, everyone’s taken a top-down approach.” Saggu says that the incoming senators can use the petition to prove that there’s a substantial number of students who want to see the practice implemented. There were 109 signatures as of press time.
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Potential revisions to Policy C.39 reduce registration hassle KPU currently seeking online student feedback on changes
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Torin Slik CONTRIBUTOR
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Proposed revisions to a policy at Kwantlen Polytechnic University will hopefully make things easier for students in financing their education. Policy C.39, Refunds of Tuition and Other Fees, currently has several potential changes on which KPU is gathering student feedback. The first major change is the fee deadline for tuition. Currently, the fee deadline is three weeks before classes start each semester. The proposed change is that the fee deadline be pushed back until two weeks into the semester. “That gives students more time to get their funding in order,” says Zena Mitchell, KPU’s registrar. “It’s of par-
ticular importance for those who are getting financial assistance.” Mitchell says students who seek financial aid often don’t get their funding until after the current fee deadline. This causes a lot of stress, as anyone who doesn’t pay the fees on time are automatically dropped from classes. There is a reinstatement day for students who had classes dropped, but it’s still a difficult and stressful process. The drop for non-payment process is the second item up for change. Instead of being dropped for paying late, students will simply be penalized with a late fee and a lesser standing on their registration statutes for the next semester. “We’re not saying students don’t have to pay their fees in a timely fashion, but what we’re doing is elimi-
nating consequences that are such a blunt force,” Mitchell explains. With the elimination of the drop process, there will also be no need for the reinstatement day, which is the third proposed change. The fourth proposed change is the elimination of fee deferrals. With the fee deadline pushed back into the second week of classes, the fee deferral (the request from a student to have the fee deadline pushed back for them) becomes obsolete. Finally, the last proposed change is the elimination of subsequent registration deposit payments after initial application. That is, once a student pays the initial $250 registration deposit when they apply to KPU, they won’t ever have to pay that deposit again. The Kwantlen Student Associa-
tion president, Allison Gonzalez, says she is extremely excited for these changes, especially pushing the fee deadline back. As a student who uses student loans, she says this is something that will help eliminate a certain amount of stress. “There are about 6,000 students who apply for student loans every year. Having to have all these fees you have to pay before hand, we no longer have to worry about that,” she says. Gonzalez also says she’s glad that KPU is working closely with the KSA on this proposal. “KPU recently has been really keeping the KSA in the loop,” Gonza-
lez says. “I think they’ve always been meaning to be student-centric, but I think they’ve really started to come to consultations recently.” Students can also go to the KPU website to see what policies are under review and offer comments and suggestions. According to Gonzalez, the idea to review and revise Policy C.39 arose after KPU held multiple focus groups across all four campuses. Mitchell says, “This proposal is much more in line with what other universities are doing.” The policy changes are set for final review in May, and if they are approved, they will be implemented as soon as the fall semester.
Meet the person KPU fails to forward program changes behind KPU’s Snapchat account to ministry, kills the CCJ
New profile features student perspective on campus
Purvey recommends KPU undertakes study to see if other programs affected
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Kier-Christer Junos STAFF WRITER
The faculty of arts has suspended the community criminal justice program, according to a public letter from Dean of Arts Diane Purvey to CCJ students Feb. 11. The letter attributed the suspension to “process concerns.” But internal emails from Purvey to the criminology faculty show that the suspension was prompted by the university’s failure to forward CCJ program changes to the Ministry of Advanced Education (AVED) in 2010. The ministry subsequently asked KPU to suspend the program. “I’m disappointed this occurred and I will do all I can to support you in developing plans moving forward,” she wrote. Purvey didn’t respond to interview requests before press time. Any substantive proposed changes to programs must be forwarded to AVED. In failing to do this, AVED
doesn’t recognize KPU’s CCJ program. No one can enter it until further notice. “The changes to the degree were such that they should have been sent to the ministry,” Purvey wrote. “In the knowledge that we have been operating a degree that was not Ministry-approved, AVED has requested that we suspend the CCJ.” The university’s registrar Zena Mitchell confirmed that, “Students who are close to completing the CCJ will indeed receive the CCJ degree,” in a separate email from Purvey to the criminology department. Unofficial faculty meeting minutes show Purvey has recommended that, “KPU undertake a study to see if other programs might have been affected.” She added that one student is expected to graduate this spring, two or three more in the fall, and another two or three in Spring 2017. Purvey also wrote that KPU would not rescind the degrees of those who graduated with the CCJ. Criminology faculty members
now must make a choice about the CCJ program’s future. “Our current situation is uncertain and that encompasses both the status of where we are, the process to go forward, our options, and the implications of the dissolution of the degree,” says Mike Larsen, criminology faculty member. At a recent faculty meeting, Larsen says they decided they would take, “Whatever steps we can to ensure there is for the present a degree on the books.” He says that would look like going back to the pre-2010 version of the program, as that would give the department, “Something to work with.” “The concern is that if we don’t do that and we want to begin from scratch, then we have no idea if that’s viable or how long that process would take,” he says. According to a degree creation and alteration flowchart from KPU policy AC10, that route could take two or three years.
Tristan Johnston
Danielle George Rosa Ojeda
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Preet Hundal CONTRIBUTOR
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Since its launch in 2011, Snapchat has grown to be one of the most popular smartphone and social media applications in the world. Now, five years later, Kwantlen Polytechnic University has finally created a Snapchat profile of its own. Followers of KPU’s Snapchat will already know that many of the snaps feature one individual—business student and KPU student ambassador Argel Monte De Ramos. “They wanted me to show the life here on campus because that’s the thing we cannot share on other social media platforms,” he says. “They chose a student to handle it because Snapchat is personal, and as a student I know how to live here.” According to Monte De Ramos, he is expected to post on Snapchat as often as possible. This task, he says, isn’t as daunting as it sounds. “When I got the job it was not really hard for me to do it because I’ve been snapping on my personal account too,” Ramos explains. “I actually try my best to snap every day.”
Monte De Ramos explains that because some campus events are just for students, he’s able to show off KPU in a way staff members wouldn’t be able to. Therefore Snapchat, he argues, serves as a valuable platform to advertise KPU to both current and future students. One way he’s been able to advertise KPU was by creating a segment on Snapchat called Discover KPU, where he features aspects of Kwantlen that he finds “really interesting.” The first snap showed the Aboriginal Gathering Place on the Surrey campus. Beyond advertising, Snapchat has also proven to be a popular platform for students to ask KPU-related questions. “I get about six questions minimum per day from students, which is a great digit to share,” says Monte De Ramos. “Young people are really into Snapchat, and asking questions on it is less intimidating than other platforms, due to its personal approach to showcasing events.” Those who are interested in seeing KPU through Snapchat-filtered lens can find it by adding “KwantlenU” in Snapchat.
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KPU Prof’s Photo Essay Sheds Light on the Lives of Long-Term Heroin Users Aaron Goodman photographs and interviews participants of heroin-assisted treatment
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program, with his vision to produce a CONTRIBUTOR photo documentary about some of its Heroin use is spiralling out of participants. Many control in North America. The New were interested in York Times has called it an “epicollaborating with demic,” and it’s not just in the United Goodman, but he States—there are as many as 90,000 chose to document heroin users in Canada alone, accordthree individuals— ing to Providence Health Care. Cheryl, Marie and Aaron Goodman, a faculty memJohnny. They had ber in journalism and communication all used heroin for studies at Kwantlen Polytechnic Unidecades and tried versity, spent over a year photographdetox and methaAaron Goodman ing and interviewing three long-term done in order to heroin users to try and dispel some of stop, but hadn’t Cheryl self-injects drugs in her apartment in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside the stereotypes of drug photography. been able to. After learning about former ConserHe says that he vative Health Minister Rona Amwhich he considers “the least stigma- man’s interviews with the subjects. chose participants brose’s efforts to ban heroin-assisted “I hope the people see it for who whom he hoped he could photograph tizing,” were the primary focus of his treatment in Vancouver, Goodman project. I am, and you know, trying to be a spending time with their loved ones, set out to create a “new, more bal“My goal was not to ignore realrecovering drug addict,” says Cheryl, working, and engaging in a wide anced, more human type of image” ity, but to provide context,” he says. in response to a photo of herself cryrange of activities. Those images, “The media has often maligned or ing at her father’s funeral site. “In my misrepresented drug users. They de- journey in my life today, I’m going serve to be heard and have their voic- through a heroin program to better es amplified.” my life and I just want the people to After choosing the final images know that they need opiate programs for the project (out of hundreds), he for heroin addicts more, just so they realized that “the photos by them- can save the people who are out there, selves couldn’t tell the full story.” On still struggling on the streets.” their own, there was too much margin Goodman describes the expefor dehumanizing interpretation of rience of producing the project as Goodman’s subjects, so he decided to “alienating, isolating and gruelling,” interview his subjects as well. but also incredibly fulfilling. “The “I asked them questions like, ‘Do piece requires viewers to do a bit of you feel that I represented you accu- work,” he admits, “because it calls on rately? Is there anything you would people to not only look at the photos, have done differently? What do you but also read the interview excerpts. think people will get out of that pho- So far, the responses from viewers tograph?’ The answers that I got from has been phenomenal. I think there’s that were very valuable,” Goodman a yearning for stories that reflect people’s humanity.” Aaron Goodman says. The project has so far been pubGoodman’s photos and interviews lished by Medium/Vantage and The can be found on his site: AarongoodCheryl cries in the yard of a church in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside where her father’s funeral was held Conversation. Each of the photos man.com. are paired with excerpts from Good-
Aly Laube
of recovering addicts in the program. Heroin assisted treatment is a form of therapy which involves administering pharmacological heroin “under strict controls in a clinical setting to those who have failed in other treatments like methadone,” according to the Drug Policy Alliance website. “The people involved in the program are often users who haven’t sufficiently responded to other forms of treatment,” says Goodman, so they receive pharmacological heroin in a clinical setting. “While these programs have long been recognized as scientifically sound and cost-saving in countries like Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Denmark, heroinassisted treatment is only beginning to be offered in North America.” Goodman approached Providence Health Care, the organization that runs the heroin-assisted treatment
KSA seeks to increase mental health support on campus
Student Services VP Allison Gonzales discusses accessibility to resources at KPU
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Aly Laube CONTRIBUTOR
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Kwantlen Polytechnic University students struggling with their mental health have mostly relied on the Peer Support Program, supported by the university and the Kwantlen Student Association. Options for treatment within the program include one-onone meetings with volunteers, referrals for on and off-campus resources, mental health awareness events, peerled workshops and wellness programming. According to its website, the program’s primary goal “is to enhance the social, emotional, and academic experiences of students at KPU. Its secondary goals are to promote wellness within the university community and to enhance student-to-student support.” The KSA also strives to assist struggling students by encouraging physical activity with Active KSA
and involvement with on-campus initiatives such as Stress Relief Week. Despite of these efforts, a report from the KSA council’s March 3 agenda states that, “the mental health aspect is not very accessible to students at the time being.” “We would like to consider expanding mental health practitioners on the student plan to include Clinical Counsellors, Marital and Family Therapists, and a few other mental health professional types,” says the report. As it stands, only the services provided by Registered Psychologists and Masters of Social Work are reimbursed by the KSA. Unfortunately, those professionals are often exceptionally busy, meaning they cannot always be available for students when needed. In order to resolve this issue, the report suggests that other workers could be welcomed onto KPU campuses. Some possible titles on the list include registered clinical counsellors, clinical social workers, mem-
bers of British Columbia Association of Marriage and Family Therapy, and Canadian certified counsellors. “We review all of our programs on an ongoing basis to make sure we are always offering the best services possible to students. Last summer, while attending [the Gallivan-hosted CACUSS conference], we realized there was a potential add-on to our health plan for even better mental health access and we looked into bringing that system on,” says Allison Gonzales, the KSA’s Vice President of student services. “We identified that the access to our services was not ideal for all students. Therefore, by casting a wider net, we can ensure that more students can access services that work for them.” To cover the costs of hiring more workers, the KSA “will have to either pull from reserves or increase the fee (within our allowed limits and without going to referendum),” she says. The repercussions of financing the amendments to Kwantlen’s Healthy
Universities’ Framework are still being determined. As well as increasing accessibility for students, the KSA is hoping to improve its mental health resource plan for staff, which was discussed further at a special meeting of council on March 24. Additional details will be released “as soon as possible,” according to Gonzales. “We are still doing
more research into different options and we are also looking into the cost of this and how we can make this sustainable,” she says. “It’s such an important topic that we want to ensure it’s done right.” Students seeking help can either drop into the KSA office or send an email to peersupport@kusa.ca for more information.
Danielle George
News
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New MultiPass bursary helps exchange students Exchange students aren’t currently included in the U-Pass agreement
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Torin Slik
CONTRIBUTOR
Where Everybody Knows Your Name
Vancouver zero-waste cafe works to build community over coffee
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A new plan is in motion to hopefully give exchange students access to Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s U-Pass/MultiPass program. The U-Pass provides students with access to public transit at a discount rate, and the MultiPass provides additional benefits to Kwantlen students, like the campus-tocampus shuttle, a car-sharing program, bike lockers, and discounted fitness centre passes. The U-Pass agreement was negotiated between KPU, the Kwantlen Student Association, and TransLink in 2009, but it didn’t recognize exchange students as beneficiaries of the agreement. Waheed Taiwo, the KSA’s Vice President of finance and operations, says a new plan is in motion to correct this original mistake. The plan is to offer a bursary to exchange students in order to cover the extra costs of buying a monthly pass on their own. “Since 2009, all exchange students coming to KPU have had to pay the full amount for the compass card,” says Taiwo. The bursary will essentially split the difference be-
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Samantha Thompson
most of them were quite surprised.” Taiwo says it’s paramount that we treat our student equally and fairly. “We want to ensure that we don’t leave any group of students Danielle George out from the benefits we do have, even though they might only be tween the full cost and the reduced here for a few months, at maximum cost non-exchange students pay. a year, they’re still a part of the culIt is not entirely clear as to why ture,” he says. “Part of the reason for the exchange students were left out having exchange students over is for of the agreement in the first place. our students to have a multi-cultural Taiwo says he doesn’t think it was experience.” intentional. “I think it was more of The MultiPass Bursary will begin an administrative oversight,” he to serve exchange students in the upsays. “KPU has had a lot of new coming summer semester. people in administration now, and
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EXECUTIVE EDITOR
“I like starting, creating, building,” says Lisa Papania, the owner of a zero-waste Vancouver cafe called Lupii. The cafe serves coffee and features a vegetarian menu, but they’re also determined to play a positive role in their community. Papania is also a lecturer at Simon Fraser University’s Beedie School of Business. She has always taught her courses practically, where her students learn through hands-on experiences. Many of her courses have partnered with SFU’s CityStudio program, which connects students with city staff and community members to co-create, design and launch innovative programs in Vancouver. She and her students have long been exploring different ways to improve sustainability in the city, and in business. Lupii was a way for these ideas to come together. The cafe is located in the southeast neighbourhood of Champlain Heights, a mixed-income, mixed housing community. The space that Lupii now occupies was previously home to Champlain Video, a store famous for its gumball machine and staff member Alan Wong, who inspired his own Facebook fan page. When the store closed its doors in 2014, Papania saw an opportunity to implement what she and her students had been working on for years, and a way to help shape the neighbourhood she’s lived in with her family for the past decade. “We just wanted a space where people could be known and get to know each other, and have conversations,” she says of Lupii. “And if you knew people and they knew you, and then you had a conversation about why it was a bad idea to throw stuff away, and throw people away, and throw relationships away, then you could start to have an impact on how people behave.” A large component of Lupii is that they’re zero-waste, but it’s only one part of what they’re aiming to do. Papania emphasizes that when looking at issues related to environmental sustainability, there is always a connection to social and community awareness. Many solutions lie in getting to know one another, especially your neighbours, so that resources can be shared instead of wasted. Simultaneously, people begin to feel like they’re a part of something, which helps to address the social isolation
that often plagues urban spaces. “There’s so much that we can solve,” says Papania. “These problems are interconnected. If we knew people we’d be able to waste less, [and] we’d be able to share more.” Lupii hosts a number of events that are designed to build these interpersonal connections—each month they host a free community dinner, and they’ve also hosted a support group for families with disabilities, a number of craft and skill share fairs, clothing and toy swaps, and drop-in events for children and youth. There is also a meal each day that is available for free to those who can’t afford to pay, and they subsidize lunches for children at the nearby school. Many of the ideas for these events have come from customers, which allows Lupii to directly meet the needs of the community. “It wasn’t that I wanted to have a coffee shop … it was never what I thought I’d be doing,” says Papania. “I still don’t know if this is the right form for it, but it’s the best way that I can see right now where I can bring all of those pieces together, and I can get people talking … and educate in an environment where people are welcome, and they’re welcomed.” As Lupii closes in on their oneyear anniversary, Papania admits that it’s difficult for her to see the cafe in the long term. “One of the very first papers that I wrote in my PhD program was how companies need to be responsive and attend to the community, and long term that has to happen,” she says. “If you want to be able to survive economically, you have to first survive socially. People have to trust you, people have to want to support you, you have to attend to the community’s needs first and foremost. [The community events] are important before we do anything else, and that has meant that it’s very very difficult for us to actually see a future.” In an effort to help with costs, on April 1 Lupii embraced a non-profit business model and became the Lupii Community Cafe. Customers can now help themselves to a healthy vegetarian buffet, coffee, and tea, for $5. As long as it can, Lupii will continue what it’s doing: bringing people together in conversation so that community connections grow stronger while simultaneously promoting environmental sustainability. “Just knowing people,” says Papania, “Especially in this neighbourhood, is really important in just being able to do better.”
truopen.ca/summeronline 1-877-543-3576
Samantha Thompson
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KPIRG AGM elects new board of directors, discusses space Khan announces that AGM is squatting in social justice space
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Kyle Prince & Monica Mah CONTRIBUTORS
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The Kwantlen Public Interest Research Group held their annual general meeting on March 23 in the social justice room on Kwantlen’s Surrey campus. The meeting’s primary focus was to conduct the elections for the society’s board of directors, and to discuss KPIRG’s continuing issue with their lack of a permanent space. The meeting began with the announcement that KPIRG did not choose the space they occupy now, and that no space had ever been provided for them. Ayesha Khan,
KPIRG’s anti-oppression officer, made it clear that the social justice room and the adjoining Kwantlen Pride office were never meant to be KPIRG’s home on Surrey campus. “I want to let everyone know today that we’re actually squatting in the social justice space,” Khan told those in attendance for the meeting. “We don’t have this space booked because Student Life wasn’t able to accommodate us and give us adequate space for this AGM. So the school doesn’t even know that we’re using this space for this AGM.” Since their formation, KPIRG has been operating out of the social justice space, as per an agreement the
society made with Kwantlen Pride. This has been a point of contention for KPIRG, who claim that their lack of a dedicated office has impeded their ability to reach out to students. “We aren’t able to fully give our student society the resources and the space that they need in order for us to progress and abide by our mandate,” said Khan. The space issue was punctuated when, during their financial report, KPIRG’s administrative and resource coordinator Richard Hosein said all of the society’s financial and legal records had to be kept in his basement, a fact which he believed to be “wholly inappropriate.”
After reviewing their finances, they introduced the new candidates for the board of directors positions. Although few candidates were able to actually attend the meeting, both Russel Liu and Kim McMartin were able to make their presences and their intentions as directorial hopefuls known. Liu said that he wanted to “further engage the community at-large,” by collaborating with student organizations in different fields, while McMartin, who was until recently the Kwantlen Student Association’s disabilities representative, claims she mostly wishes to become a board organizer. She says she hopes to change
the way KPIRG advertises in order to get more people out to the events, and also to take care of people’s accessibility needs while she’s at it. Despite a number of false starts, where motions were passed without officially being called to vote, the members successfully voted to increase the number of KPIRG directors from five to seven. Other candidates for the board included Lincey Amora, Ryot “R” Jey, and Monika Saran. All five candidates have unofficially been announced as winners in the election and will presumably be forming KPIRG’s new board of directors. Official results will be announced by April 6.
Courtesy of KPIRG
Canada is a Leader in Space Professor from Calgary develops aurora technology
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Torin Slik CONTRIBUTOR
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Studying the northern lights just might give scientists insight into the working of the universe, and David Knudsen came to Kwantlen Polytechnic University to tell students all about it. Knudsen is a professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Calgary. On March 17, he gave a talk at the Richmond campus about his research into the aurora. “You see pictures of the aurora everywhere, and there are descriptions all around. Yet, one thing people don’t realize is that it’s a real mystery,” says Knudsen. “We encountered the aurora 100 kilometres above the surface of the Earth, but as soon as we get there, they’re unexplained.” Knudsen has spent the past 20 years or so developing the technology to study auroras with more sophistication.
“My research has been the development of what you could call a charged particle camera,” he says. “Instead of taking images in light, I collect charged particles and look at the pattern they make, try to understand how they got their energy and where they come from and how they work together to make the northern lights.” According to Knudsen, the auroras such as the northern lights are especially important to study, as they might give us insight into the workings of the universe. “It’s our best opportunity to measure plasmas—charged particle gasses which make up the vast majority of the universe,” he says. “So we can sort of see what happens in the universe up close by sending probes up, and that’s what my research has been.” In addition to lecturing about his research into auroras, Knudsen also said it’s important for people to realize how integral Canada has been to the exploration of space. “Canada got into the space game
early and has been an active participant through the years,” he says. “We’ve had a surprising amount of missions way back from the beginning.” There were some interesting points of Canadian history regarding space study Knudsen pointed out. Canada was the third country in the world to build a satellite. It was a Canadian and an American who developed the Charged Coupled Device. This is a device that moves electrical charges in electrical devices to an area where the charge is manipulated. These devices are “in all digital cameras and in all your smartphones.” This invention was created in 1969, and the inventors received a Nobel prize for it. While Knudsen talked about many things at his lecture, there was one thing he really wanted students to leave with. “Canada is a space leader,” he says. “We have a heritage that goes back to the very beginning of the space age, it continues forward, and there are opportunities to continue for exploration of space in Canada.”
Courtesy of David Knudsen
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Changing Chinatown
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Tristan Johnston
COORDINATING EDITOR
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Like the Downtown Eastside adjacent to it, Chinatown is a community that finds itself in a strange situation. A neighbourhood known for low income levels and a specific cultural character is finding its own residents slowly being pushed out by economic forces. Seniors who have lived in the area their whole lives are finding their businesses replaced by new cafes selling $4 cups of coffee. Chinatown is one of the oldest parts of Vancouver, dating back to the inception of the city in 1886. Many of the first people to live in the area were railway workers, but many also worked in the nearby Hastings Mill. Over the next century, Chinatown became the main enclave in Vancouver for Chinese immigrants, who had formed a tight-knit community of various societies. Many buildings in the area had shops on the bottom, residential in the middle, and a society or a school of some sort at the top. However, Chinatown has changed a great deal in the last few decades. Newer Chinese immigrants to Vancouver have chosen to live in other suburbs, notably Richmond. The overall increase in the cost of living in Vancouver has had a disproportionate effect on the neighbourhood. “The gentrification issue is pretty rampant,” says Kingmong Chan, who works with the Carnegie Community Action Project. “There’s a lot of new development along Main St. that’s coming online, there are already people who have moved into it.” Even though Chan first came to CCAP to do his practicum in social work, focusing on homelessness in the Downtown Eastside, he found himself drawn to Chinatown. Over time, he became closer to the com-
Tristan Johnston munity, and found himself wondering what it means to be Chinese in a Vancouver context. “We’re seeing a lot of high-end restaurants and coffee shops pop-up,” says Chan. “The problem is that it’s not accessible. I don’t think they have the intention to be. A lot of the new shops aren’t lingually and culturally accessible. [Residents] can’t go in and say ‘hi,’ and go and ask questions, they can’t just talk to people because everything’s in English. At the same time we’re seeing shops and places that they could have gone to, or went to in the past, are being closed. They’re either being sold to developers or rents are going up, property tax is going up, and so forth.” Statistics Canada data from 2006 notes that the median income for the
Kingmong Cham working from CCAP’s Carnegie Community Centre office
Chinatown area is $17,658, while the Vancouver median is $47,299. Furthermore, 67 per cent of the population is low-income. The unemployment rate in 2006 was 13.3 per cent, almost twice the Vancouver average of six per cent (more recent statistical data is unavailable due to census changes). In Chan’s view, the new developments favour a demographic that doesn’t live within Chinatown. He finds that the new buildings and businesses are better suited to younger, wealthier Vancouverites who won’t necessarily take part in maintaining the culture and character of the neighbourhood. Chan notes that while one of the newer restaurants in town—Baobei—has a neon sign and serves Chinese food, the clientele aren’t typical of Chinatown. “On the ground, we’re not seeing the results we would like to see. When we go to City Hall and oppose a certain development project, because of how all of this is contributing to Chinatown’s future, at least we’re getting the issue out there, and people are voicing their support in the opposition,” he says. Chan also uses the term “hollowization,” in the
sense that while buildings might be preserved, and new buildings might maintain the Chinatown character, the people who have traditionally lived in the area are being pushed out. “I think more people are concerned about Chinatown: in the past year we’ve seen different groups and youth, and Chinese youth, and nonChinese youth, who are saying that this place is important, it needs to be preserved in a better way than we’re seeing right now.” “A lot of people feel safe in this neighbourhood,” he says. “They feel that they’re less judged by other people that don’t understand their experiences, and people here help each other out because they’ve been through it themselves, and that fabric of the community is being ripped apart by gentrification and being displaced.” “Even at Woodward’s, the social housing building is separated from the condominium,” Chan says. “While the city talks about social mix, there’s clear separation, not everything is equal.” Most residents in the area want to be able to continue living in their homes with their current income, and for the character of the neighbourhood to be maintained.
When you talk to seniors who have lived in Chinatown for a long time, you’ll find many of them echoing similar sentiments. They love the sense of community that they have, the fact that there are plenty of businesses that cater to their culture, language and income level, and the history associated with the area. However, very few seem to be happy with the current situation. Godfrey Tang came to B.C. in 1973, and while he didn’t live in Chinatown, he visited often to buy groceries and soon made a lot of friends in the community. While he has lived in the area for only three years, he has seen many changes taking place. “Businessmen told us about the rent going up, because they have to pay, now on top of the rent, property tax. Property tax keeps increasing as the property changes hands, new buyers,” he says. “I think the three levels of government, they all declare this area as a heritage area. They keep on saying that they would like to see the area survive, to be preserved, but they’re only talking about, ‘Okay we don’t allow these 12 or 16 clan association buildings to be torn down.’ But they don’t mind, next door to these build-
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Godfrey Tang, Mr. Xia, others, share their stories of Chinatown as Wendy Au-Yeung translates
ings, having new buildings go up,” he says. “Across the alley, they allow 120-feet buildings to go up, more than twice as high. It’s ridiculous.” “Not only the character doesn’t match the existing building, it doesn’t give you the feeling of being in a special Chinatown area,” he says. Tang, like others in the area, also decries the entry of outsiders into the neighbourhood. He’s worried that newer businesses don’t cater to the low-income, Chinese-speaking residents. “People come to Chinatown, they look around… ‘Woah, is this really a Chinatown area? It doesn’t have that much Chinese culture that I can see at all,’” he explains. “Most of the Chinese stores who used to be around have moved away. I talked to them, next door, they’re putting on a 50 per cent sale. They said they have to close because the property tax is being raised $1500 per month. He said he couldn’t sell enough to make the difference.” “It would be best if the government did what they said, if they want to preserve this as a heritage area, to try not to disturb it, they try not to change the look of the area. If they’re in the right mind, they should try to keep the new buildings the same height as the old ones,” he says. Another longtime resident is Mr. Xia, who was speaking through Wendy Au-Yeung, an interpreter at an event in Chinatown. Xia has lived in Chinatown for many years, at one point working at Hon’s noodle house, which was originally started by an immigrant from Hong Kong. While he wants Chinatown to be preserved, he understands the potential benefits of new developments. “I think some development is really healthy and essential for my
neighbourhood, and we can’t just rely on old businesses for our neighbourhood,” he says in Cantonese. “Some development is healthy, but it needs to be relevant to our neighbourhood.” “It needs to be culturally appropriate and relevant, and reflective of Chinese cultural traditions and values, and what the neighbours need here as well.” Representatives from the City of Vancouver denied an interview request, but linked to their website, which explains their plan for the area. According to their plan, some of their goals seem to be similar to those in the Chinatown community. The neighbourhood plan acknowledges that certain buildings, especially those within “HA-1” zoning area, are deemed to be heritage sites. However, the plan also notes that roughly 33 per cent of the buildings are deemed “heritage,” compared to 75 per cent in Gastown and 50 per cent in Victory Square. The report also notes that maximum building heights were increased from 70’ to 90’ in the southern part of the district, and from 65’ to 75’ along Pender. While residents don’t want too much to change, the city believes that these changes will allow for greater living density, and keeping prices reasonable. “Will our needs be met? Those are still questions,” says Mr. Xia. “It’s really important for different groups to work together to protect the heritage of Chinatown.” “If no one works to preserve it, it could be gone in a few generations.”
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Lost in Transition As Birch room renovations begin, student organizations are getting all turned around
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Matt Bremner CONTRIBUTOR
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Obtaining adequate space at Kwantlen Polytechnic University isn’t a new issue for many of the institution’s most prominent student groups. The Kwantlen Gaming Guild, one of the largest and most successful clubs on campus, was recently moved out of the Social Justice Space on the Surrey campus and put into another room in the Birch building. The Kwantlen Public Interest Research Group aired their grievances about a lack of space at their recent annual general meeting—the group has been without a permanent space since they came into existence around two years ago. KPIRG has been borrowing space from Pride Kwantlen, which in turn has left the collective without a safe and dedicated space. There are other groups on campus who are vying for space too, but instead are finding themselves in a revolving door of bureaucratic timelines. In response to the space shortage, KPU is currently working on plans that will redistribute the space on the second floor of the Birch building, namely rooms 206, 208, and 209. The idea is to move around the cafeteria, take down some walls, and create more space for student-run organizations and clubs to conduct their business. “Creating spaces for student organizations is a major concern for us,” says Jane Fee, deputy provost and vice provost for students. The role of a provost is to advocate for students, student organizations, staff, and faculties in university administration. She is one of the people speaking on behalf of students during key meetings. According to Fee, a rough timeline for the project has been put in place. March was reserved for reviewing the project of reorganizing
the Birch building’s second floor, along with the final budget. The month of May will be dedicated to design and the appropriation of a contractor. In June they get the permits, July and August they build. Their goal is to have the space open and ready by Sept. 1, just in time for the new fall semester. These dates are all subject to change, but they do provide an approximate schedule of the renovations. In the meantime, the student groups who typically occupy that space are left counting the days until their new rooms are ready. Several of the groups have expressed concern that the plans haven’t been made clear to them. “We were really surprised by it all,” says John Shkurtaj, an executive member of the Kwantlen Gaming Guild, one of the student groups most directly affected by the Birch room shuffle. Shkurtaj recalls receiving an email in December regarding the project of redistributing space in the Birch building. Since then contact has been scarce. Deanna Fasciani, research coordinator for KPIRG, also commented on the lack of communication between those leading the project and the organizations being affected. She notes that not only are the rooms 208 and 209 shared by both KPIRG and a host of other student groups, the space was also originally intended to be Kwantlen Pride’s office, as well as a safe space on campus. “Safe spaces are important for any modern university,” says Fascini. “And so they should be. It might just be a couple of rooms next to a cafeteria, but this is an incredibly important space.” The student groups have made it clear that space is a commodity at KPU and is constantly an issue. But while the intentions of the project are to create more space for KPU student organizations, the lack of communication and structure is costing these
Courtesy of KPU groups members and, as a result, their lifeblood. “So many clubs suffer or dismantle due to a lack of people showing up,” says Shkurtaj. “We’ve already seen a drop in the number of people attending.” The KGG was moved from 208 to 206 just over a month ago with relatively little warning, and they feel this has caused some confusion to their members, resulting in lower attendance numbers. During construction, it is unclear where the Birch groups will meet. Shkurtaj claims the KGG will assume that Birch 206 will continue to
be available for them throughout the summer until told otherwise. “And if there’s no space on campus we’ll just have to make due,” says Shkurtaj. He worries that this eviction, like the last one, will cost the KGG additional members. “If we lose the room,” he says, “where are the people going to go?” Richard Hosein, KPIRG’s administrative and resource organizer, says that KPIRG has been preparing for the contingency that they will be forced to move out of their room in Birch during the renovations by reserving money for storage space
Courtesy of KPU
which could house their records. However, like the KGG, they’re not sure what being temporarily evicted would mean for their ability to operate. “I don’t know what’s going to happen to KPIRG if we don’t have any daily operating space,” says Hosein. “We’re going to have to figure that out when the time comes. We may have to work from home, which would be absurd because we need to be available for students and we need to have a space for meetings.” Hosein claims that, “The instability which results from not having a space has been detrimental to the mental health of staff, the development of the organization, and the participation from students.” All of which, he notes, are essential elements to the daily operations of a successful student society. KPU needs student clubs. Clubs like Pride Kwantlen, for whom having a safe space to conduct meetings is invaluable. Clubs like the KGG, who have been able to achieve impressive student turnout at their events but are losing members due to the space issue. Groups like KPIRG who believe they are unable to fulfill their mandate without a permanent home. These groups have heard nothing but demands from the KSA, and little in the way of solutions. Communication is going to be key in the search for space. If lines of communication don’t open up and a solid flow of information isn’t established between university student organizations and university administration, be it student-run or otherwise, in the end the victim will be campus culture and student involvement.
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Making the Leap Towards Climate Justice Naomi Klein and her team create plan, suggest fifteen steps towards a brighter future
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Aly Laube
CONTRIBUTOR
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“The Leap Manifesto is an unashamedly radical plan to convert the world to 100 per cent renewable energy, fast,” says world-famous activist and author, Naomi Klein. “And you can be a part of it.” Klein drafted the Manifesto during a meeting with her team from This Changes Everything, a bookturned-documentary she wrote about reforming the economy to avoid environmental disaster. The team consisted of “60 leaders from Canada’s Indigenous rights, social and food justice, environmental, faith-based, and labour movements.” Their goal, according to the Manifesto’s website, was to “stop the worst attacks on our rights and environment” with sustainable solutions. The document that came out of it—now known as the Leap Manifesto—lists fifteen demands for climate justice. It was released to the public in September 2015, and has since been endorsed by over 150 organizations and signed by more than 30,000 people. Some recognizable names amongst the list of signatories are Neil Young, Ellen Page, Ashley Callingbull, Black Lives Matter Toronto, and Greenpeace. The name of the Manifesto was based on 2016 being a leap year, but it’s not just convenient timing that led to the title. It’s also a “powerful analogy” for recognizing that it’s easier to change the rules of human society than the rules of nature. “We periodically add an extra day to our calendars because if we didn’t, the seasons would gradually fall out of alignment and eventually the seasons would go wacky,” Klein wrote in a blog post. “That’s why we chose “The Leap” as the name for our manifesto—the gap between where we are and where we need to be is so great, and the time so short, that small steps simply will not cut it.” The Manifesto outlines fifteen big steps which must be taken. It demands a 100 per cent clean economy by 2050, which would be achieved through ceasing involvement with all environmentally harmful industries and creating community-controlled clean energy systems, housing, transit, agriculture and infrastructure. In the process of making those changes, workers in carbon-intensive jobs and new refugees and migrants to Canada would be trained to work in clean energy sectors. The removal of fossil fuel subsidies, military spending, and corporate money from political campaigns as well as the introduction of universal basic annual income, finan-
Kier-Christer Junos
cial transaction and carbon taxes on companies, and income taxes on the wealthy are also outlined in the Manifesto. Finally, it calls for “an end to all trade deals that interfere with our attempts to rebuild local economies, regulate corporations, and stop damaging extractive projects.” This process is called a “justicebased energy transition to a clean energy economy,” and it means that everyone must work together to shape a healthy future economy, society, and environment. At the same time, we must ensure “those hardest hit by the worst effects of climate change should be first in line benefit from the renewable economy.” Over 600 people attended the Leap Manifesto workshop at the Paris Climate Talks last December, and although CNN called the Manifesto “a blueprint that could be used across the world,” no concrete progress was made. Several goals—such as keeping Earth from warming more than two degrees Celsius and donating money to countries struggling as a result of climate change—were outlined, but not mandated, by world leaders. The public reaction to the failure of the Climate Talks was the realization that perhaps people needed to take matters into their own hands.
With the publishing of the Manifesto, they are doing just that by organizing discussions, film screenings, workshops, and mobilizations known as “Leap Events.” One example was a 24-hour sit-in held by high school students in Nelson, B.C. this past February. They call themselves “Project Beginning,” and they organized the event to raise awareness for The Leap Manifesto in their community. “For us as youth, we are the ones who will be around to see the damage that climate change has on our earth,” says Sage Cowan, a Project Beginning member. “In many ways, it is our responsibility to make certain we have a future—but it’s a shared responsibility with past and future generations.” They called the experience “inspiring and incredible,” and were grateful for the opportunity to talk to a local MP, Wayne Stetski, and give feedback on a carbon neutral plan being written in their school district. Countless other Leap Events around the world have been held, from Vancouver to Croatia, but support for the Manifesto is hardly universal. The primary concern from detractors is that the Manifesto’s terms might not be affordable enough to be practical. If taxes are raised on the
rich, the possibility of capital flight also rises. If military spending is cut in Canada, the nation’s relationships to other counties as well as its self-defence may suffer. Most importantly, those who relied heavily on fossil fuel extraction will have to dramatically adjust to a clean energy economy, and it will take immense amounts of time and money to help them get there. Those in power may not be willing or able to spend the resources that it will take to dismantle capitalism in so little time. As said by Active History writer Jonathan McQuarrie, “too many people do well by the revenues produced from global capitalism to seriously consider locally orientated alternatives.” Especially if those alternatives must be in use within the next forty years. The means of paying for the Manifesto’s terms are outlined in the Manifesto itself, says Bianca Mugyenyi, Outreach Lead for the Leap Manifesto. “But there was a media backlash when the Leap Manifesto initially launched.” Writing for The National Post, Conrad Black released an article titled “Few will support Naomi Klein’s revolution, thankfully sparing us from national suicide” in which he criticizes the document as a “Marxist roadmap.” He calls the Manifesto’s
demands “a comprehensive assault on the whole concept of economic growth” for its anti-capitalist values, and commenters on the article seem to agree with him. Troy Media writer Karen Selick reminds readers that those who are already using wind and solar-powered energy, “don’t want [it] in their backyards” as turbines cause “adverse health effects to nearby residents.” Several members of the NDP have also signed the document, which has led to suspicion about how non-partisan the Manifesto truly is. In agreement with the Manifesto, Canada Post workers have put forward a motion to reform their post offices. The proposal, called “Delivering Community Power,” would enforce “postal banking that finances green energy, services for seniors, farm-to-table food delivery, coastto-coast charging stations for electric cars, and much more.” The company’s senior executives, however, have refused to “meet with them on these ideas.” What the Manifesto suggests is a rapid, radical overhaul of the economic and political system that is currently at the foundation of modern, North American life. However, its followers believe that it is now the only option. Time is of the essence, and the earth is ever-warming.
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the How and Why of Donald Trump KPU’s best and brightest assembled to answer, “what is going on?”
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Kyle Prince CONTRIBUTOR
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What does it say about a man when a panel of academics at a university in another country get together to try and understand his popularity? On March 22, Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s department of political science had a round-table discussion of Donald Trump. At the event, professors Ross Pink, Gregory Millard, and Noemi Gal-Or ruminated on what Trump did to get where he is, as well as the circumstances which surround his unprecedented rise in American politics. Pink began the proceedings discussing how he believes Trump’s success is largely based on appealing to America’s “dying middle class.” Pink claims that Trump, along with fellow candidate Bernie Sanders, has made the 2016 presidential race the “season of the outsider,” as both poli-
ticians capitalize on middle America’s frustration with the traditional Washington establishment. Millard spoke about the ideological phenomenon that Trump projects. He counters the claims that Trump is an “ideological moderate” or an “actual fascist,” and instead labels him as an “authoritarian populist.” Trump, he claims, has both left and right leanings in the political spectrum, and pulls from both sides of the fence to appeal to a large audience. Millard claimed that Trump shows himself to be a populist by “vesting authority in himself by showing how strong he is,” and thereby becomes a sort of “people’s champion.” He takes up the common cause, but also separates himself from others. “Like the schoolyard bully,” Millard says, Trump is getting votes by being the meanest kid on the block—who’s also willing to look out for the average voter. Gal-Or outlined the historical
AMERICA’S THRONE
Rosa Ojeda context of Trump’s popularity, and how similar things have happened in the past. She believes it’s “nothing outstanding or different” but that it hadn’t yet happened in America. She traces the history from fascism in Europe during WWI, through to modern-day leaders who share ide-
ologies with Trump. The reason for Trump’s success, as Gal-Or sees it, is that he’s the outlet for a lot of people’s unease and anxiety. She argued that many of Trump’s supporters are white, middle class industrialists who are afraid of change. The biggest worry seems to
KPU Animation Club looks to fill a niche
KPU instructor’s art enters the third dimension
Art classes offered not enough for students interested in animation
New technology means new styles at the SAG
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Courtesy of Paulo Majano
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Torin Slik
CONTRIBUTOR
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A new style of art is going on display at the Surrey Art Gallery. Paulo Majano, instructor of Digital Media at KwantlenPolytechnic University, has been working on this new style. It includes a lot of preemptive work, but it yields unique results. If you were to study the works in the gallery, you may not notice anything special right away—all you’d see is a photograph. However, if you were to look at it through a special app on your mobile phone you would enter a 3D world, almost able to walk inside the photograph itself. “You are able to move around it so you can see as if you’re looking through a window,” explains Majano. “You are able to see, for example, behind something. You can move it closer or farther back so you can see elements that are not present in the
original image.” Majano makes use of an app called Aurasma. He uploads the pictures to a website, and the app recognizes the pattern of the image. It then overlays the 3D content on the screen. “People can just download the app, press on the little scanning button, and then hold [their phone] up to the picture,” he says. “It’s basically rendering 3D content on the fly.” In order to create these works, Majano uses a software which renders a bunch of images together. “You can take photographs of an object or of a person, maybe around 70 images, moving around the object, and then the software will create a 3D model of that,” he says, noting also that the subject has to be quite still when the photo is being taken, or else the software can’t work properly. Majano will be giving a talk at the Surrey Art Gallery on May 21. He will be speaking about the process of
be that with Trump on the rise, there could be a “drop in democracy” and a “rise in autocracy” all over the world. Although this isn’t entirely dependent on Trump, Gal-Or believes America could set an unfortunate example.
making this type of art, ideas behind using this technology, and highlighting different ways of storytelling or capturing something. One of the things that’s really important to Majano is the relevance to the area. “It’s really important that it’s tied to the location,” he says. “It’s a way of letting people be able to see more than just a two-dimensional photo, being able to see the entire scene. So, capturing the location, that particular place and the actual objects that were there.” Majano explains that part of the title of each of his works is also the geolocation of the area the pictures come from. “It really ties it to a specific place,” says Majano. The exhibit itself will run from April 9 to June 12 in the Surrey Art Gallery.
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Yaunna Sommersby WEB EDITOR
Kwantlen Polytechnic University offers a variety of art classes, but none for the art of animation. John Holt, who has animation degrees from Bellevue College and Vancouver Film School, hopes his newly founded Animation Club can fill the missing niche. “There are plenty of classes that you can do an animation for [as a project]. But there are no classes on how to actually animate,” says Holt. In starting the Animation Club, Holt wants to get people learning, and to create new opportunities for students interested in animation. “I thought at the very least I could promote an animation-fostering environment to get people into wanting to learn about it,” says Holt. “Maybe even see if there are people here who aspire to be animators, and they can find out more about the different options they have open to becoming animators.” Holt hopes the club can eventually meet on Wednesdays for regular
movie screenings and instructional meetings on the craft of animation. According to the club website, these instructional meetings will cover everything from, “the history of animation to the 12 rules of animation.” “Another thing that really will get people to want to learn about animation is just watching some of what it has to offer,“ says Holt. The Animation Club plans to screen animations from around the world, and from a variety of studios. As a student at VFS, Holt made connections within the local industry and feels these could bring value to running the club. “I am planning to use some of the connections I made at VFS for tours of actual animation studios,” he says. “One of the coolest things is to go to an animation studio and just see how it all works. The differences between studios is interesting and can be vast. Getting to see the magic happen is actually very fascinating.” The Kwantlen Animation Club had its first meeting on March 2 and is continuing to meet periodically Find out more at kpuanimation.wix. com.
Courtesy of The Animation Club
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We need women in government International heads of state lead the way, while we play catch-up
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Aly Laube CONTRIBUTOR
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Women are far from infallible creatures. Like men, they can be corrupt, wretched, and dangerous. In the 20th century, Mao Zedong’s wife, Jiang Qing, committed horrific crimes under the name of communism. Queen Ranavalona, who reigned over Madagascar from 1828 to 1861, tortured and murdered a third of her people for their ethnicities or religions. Less dramatic and more modern examples include the infamously air-headed Sarah Palin and morally dubious Hillary Clinton, both of whom have been the subjects of intense criticism and parody over the past decade. These women proved to be unfit for their positions of power, and yet they are certainly not representative of women as a whole. When considering women in politics, it is important to keep in mind that their strengths and faults are as a result of being human, not female. They should be viewed as equally likely to succeed or fail in politics as males, and yet accounts of their
political efforts are less common in society. The reason for that is simple: they are given less opportunity to try. When it comes down to it, it is unfair to deny a person the ability to work because of their gender. There is no well-supported reason why the government should refuse the inclusivity of women, and by genuinely inviting them into public office, they will prove their dedication to dismantling the patriarchal injustices that currently permeate Western politics. Including women in politics will also provide fairer representation of the population. Since women are still a minority in this area, having a fellow female in power gives them pride in their identity and hope for the future. Male-dominated governments are less likely to address the issues that plague women, so if they are not heard in politics, significant problems may go unresolved. Strong, educated women can help, and there are plenty of them out there. Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir is a wonderful example of a responsible, political woman representing minorities. In 2009, she gained the title of Iceland’s first female Prime Minister and the world’s first openly lesbian
head of government. She also became the nation’s longest-serving member of parliament. Another woman to become the first female PM, Park Geun-hye, came into power in South Korea in 2013. Both of her parents were assassinated when Park was young. She has a degree in engineering and has successfully kept relations between North and South Korea civil and controlled. Angela Merkel is in her 10th year as the Chancellor of Germany and de facto leader of the European Union. She is highly praised for portraying Germany as a humanitarian superpower worldwide. The list goes on. It seems that the rest of the world has already begun to try their hands at welcoming women into politics. Why is North America—considered a largely progressive, democratic continent—falling behind? Despite the progress that’s been made, only 10 of the world’s 152 heads of state are currently female. That means that women constitute a pathetic 6.6 per cent globally. To truly include women in politics, we have a long way to go.
Danielle George
Girls with Guitars and Rad Attitudes
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Forging Some KPU Traditions
KPU needs an annual group activity
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Preet Hundal CONTRIBUTOR
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Kwantlen Polytechnic University has many unique perks which set us apart from other schools. For example, we have campuses in four different locations across three cities, small classroom sizes, and tuitions costs that won’t force you to sell your home. Noticeably absent from the list of things Kwantlenites can boast about, however, is a bustling student life. One way to remedy the school’s sub-par campus life might be to come up with an annual tradition that students can participate in and be proud of. UBC has their annual “Storm the Wall” obstacle course event, and the University of New Brunswick has their bizarre “Great Pumpkin Sacrifice.” What could KPU’s tradition be? Foosball Tournament Perhaps, the most fitting idea is right in front of us. The ceiling of Surrey campus’ cedar building is unusually adorned with gigantic sculptures of foosball figurines. Why foosball? Were Kwantlen’s founding architects trying to tell us something? Hiding a secret, a Da Vinci Code-esque riddle? Is foosball the answer to problems regarding KPU student life? I’m not one for conspiracy but this choice in décor does seem to suggest something. Perhaps at its inception the founders of KPU had meant the school to become known as an institution dedicated to foosball. The time has come for us to fulfill our destiny. UBC can keep its obstacle course— here at KPU we need to launch a grand student foosball tournament. Who knows, after years and years of possible success, Kwantlen could be
one of the reasons why foosball becomes an NCAA sport in the future. Slip ‘n’ Slide If foosball doesn’t quite entice the masses then perhaps it’s time for something less-competitive. KPU’s Surrey campus possesses a large plot of land that goes underused by students—the courtyard. This needs to change. With the summer heat making its way into the Lower Mainland, maybe it’s time we use the pond of water as a pool to slip-n-slide in? Just picture the summer heat beaming upon your skin after an arduous three hour lecture. At this point, I can’t think of a better way to cool off than a refreshing dip in a slime-filled pool. Forest Adventures Right next to the aforementioned pond lies a sizable forest which could potentially be used for some sort of tradition. With popular nicknames such as “the Whispering Wood” and “the Great Dank Woodland” it doesn’t take much effort to tell what kind of activity students currently use this area for. It’s obvious that a new exercise needs to take place in this wondrous plot of earth—perhaps the school should host an annual paintball tournament in the forest? An overnight camp-out featuring plenty of s’mores? A tree-climbing contest? The possibilities are endless. At the end of the day, Kwantlen student life may not necessarily need an annual tradition. However, the school clearly has the resources to create its own unique ritual that students can be proud of. Whether or not students get their foosball tournament or slip-and-slide lies upon the shoulders of Kwantlen’s top brass. Here’s looking at you, KPU President Alan Davis.
Appreciating women in American rock music
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Aly Laube CONTRIBUTOR
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Some of the OG ladies of rock and roll are now household names. Pat Benatar, Joan Jett, Janis Joplin and Patti Smith have shaped the history of music by daring to enter the industry at a time when it was overwhelmingly dominated by men. The Breeders, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and Fleetwood Mac each boasted dynamic, female members as well—and although those women may have appeared strong, it couldn’t have been easy to keep up such a tough demeanour in the face of doubt and discrimination. As a matter of fact, an ex-lover of Janis Joplin’s said that “sexism killed her” in response to her suicide. “People kept saying that she was just ‘one of the guys’… That’s a real sexist bullshit trip,” he said. “She was one of the women.” The struggle against sexism hasn’t seemed to slow these rockers down, though. Since the ‘60s, more and
more female musicians have been making it into the mainstream. After Joplin’s time came Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders, Nancy and Ann Wilson of Heart, and Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth. Murmurings of radical change were just beginning in the ‘80s, and sure enough, the riot grrrls burst into heavy music with guns ablazing. They showed up in the ‘90s, donning genre tags like foxcore, queercore, anarcho-punk and no wave. Really, they were punk, grunge, and rock music. The riot grrrl bands were largely represented by Bikini Kill frontwoman Kathleen Hanna, who also helped put together fanzines and shows for women in punk. Their message consisted of being unapologetically loud, political, and sexually liberated as women. In their music and narratives, they openly discussed sexism, encouraged societal revolution, and demanded justice for those discriminated against. Some of the riot grrrl bands that got big are Babes in Toy-
land, Erase Errata, Bratmobile and Heavens to Betsy. The 2000s rolled around, and the riot grrrl movement started to simmer down. Their point had mostly gotten across; female musicians weren’t having such a hard time getting their start in music and the sexism they dealt with was much more subtle, though definitely still present. Nowadays, folks barely bat an eye when they see a girl onstage, and that’s a good thing. It means that they’re finally being treated as valid musicians rather than being reduced to a fetish or delicacy, and they’re doing great things with the opportunity. Here are three of the coolest and most talented women in rock music today: Carrie Brownstein: Most people know Brownstein from her role in Portlandia, which she also writes with her co-star, Fred Armisen. In her lifetime, she’s worn almost too many hats to count. She’s had a prosperous writing career as a journalist and novelist, made notable appearances
Yuta Anonuevo
in film and television, and played in several bands. The most successful of those bands is the all-girl group Sleater-Kinney, which she plays guitar in alongside Heavens to Betsy exvocalist Corin Tucker. The two were dating at the time and are the group’s only founding members. Janet Weiss joined them in 1996, and they’ve released seven full-length albums since. Alison Mosshart: This singersongwriter, artist and model shares the stage with Jack White, Dean Fertita, and Jack Lawrence in supergroup The Dead Weather. She also co-founded The Kills in 2000 with
guitarist Jamie Hince. Mosshart’s made appearances on tracks by Primal Scream, Placebo, and Cage the Elephant. Bree McKenna, Childbirth & Tacocat: McKenna is a child of rock, quite literally. Recently, she outed herself as the daughter of Dave Mustaine, lead singer of Megadeth and original guitarist for Metallica. It’s important to note that her father’s status doesn’t define her, however. McKenna plays bass for two successful Seattle-based feminist groups, Tacocat and Childbirth.
Opinion
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Low Barriers, Low Standards How (not) to take care of people
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Kyle Prince CONTRIBUTOR
Low barrier shelters were recently the topic of some controversy in Maple Ridge. The provincial government was in the process of buying an unused hotel and transforming it into a low barrier shelter for homeless people in the area. On the surface this sounds nice—but what low barrier means is that addicts would be allowed to stay and use drugs on the premises. Instead, they shifted their attention away from buying the Quality Inn and are instead putting
$15-million towards a permanent facility. An issue surrounding the low barrier shelter was that it enabled addicts to continue their habit without any sort of conditions, or even offering help. If the shelter provided people a way to get clean, then it could be a clinic and shelter, which would lessen the impact it would have on the community, as well as helping people get over an addiction. The announcement followed a 2012 decision to shut down Riverview hospital, which housed a significant portion of the homeless population who would be living in the proposed shelter. So instead of
continuing to treat these people in a hospital, the government has chosen to leave them on the streets for four years, untreated, then put them up in a hotel and allow them to continue their destructive habits without giving them any resources to help them on a road to recovery. The hotel was going to cost B.C. Housing $5.5-million. To put that into perspective, they could put 561 people into rehab programs for the same cost, and that isn’t even factoring in the upkeep costs for the shelter. Instead of combining shelter with treatment, people are only being given a roof over their head. That does not look like a sound investment.
B.C. Housing’s plan for the low barrier shelter had the potential to put so much in jeopardy. The people using the shelter would have been exposed to drugs if they weren’t already using them. The addicts would have been regularly using in the area, not confined to the building while high. The community would’ve had to shoulder the burden of dealing with addicts in a small area, and the residents would have suffered from lower housing prices due to their vicinity to the shelter. Neighbourhoods close to shelters become more dangerous because of the potential for needles being discarded in the area, any amount of
addicts wandering the streets, and more. That’s enough reason to want to keep children away. Finding an addict passed out on the street would be rough for a kid, and finding a used needle could be even worse. So no, there might not have been any widespread disaster, but the shelter would have made it harder for Maple Ridge families to create a fun place in the community where kids can be kids. Where parents don’t need to worry about what they’ll find on the street, or who they’ll find on the street. There’s enough to scare people these days anyways, we shouldn’t add something else to an otherwise peaceful neighbourhood.
Runner Run-Down: The Site C Dam Understanding what led to the dam’s approval
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Kyle Prince CONTRIBUTOR
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The Site C Dam is not necessarily a new project. It began in 2011 with an environmental assessment, a process that involves federal, provincial, aboriginal, and public input. An independent company took almost three years to compile and assess the results of this assessment, which culminated in 29,000 pages of docu-
mentation. It was then passed through various other review groups and was eventually approved in late 2014. It was by no means a free pass— BC Hydro was required to fill over 80 conditions throughout the life of the dam laid out by the federal government, and another 77 outlined by the provincial government. These conditions meant that an “Aboriginal Business Participation Strategy” was required, and that housing must be built in the area, a
Courtesy of BC Hydro
portion of which will immediately be used for low-income families, with the rest of the housing to be used for the same purpose once the project is complete. Various other conditions were laid out which addressed environmental safety and preservation. There are, however, some effects that cannot be mitigated. Some breeds of fish will be affected, rare plant types, the habitats of specific migratory birds, and the use of culturally important places by certain First Nations for traditional purposes. This does not mean that no effort is being put towards lessening these effects— it is simply an acknowledgement that there will be some downsides to the project. The primary concern is the flooding that will be caused by building the third dam in this series. It is estimated that 5,500 hectares of land would be flooded, 3,000 of which are wildlife habitats, heritage sites, and Class 1 and Class 2 agricultural lands. These lands are important for providing food if needed, though are not currently in use for this purpose. Local First Nations are opposed to the dam
Tristan Johnston
due to the loss of several sacred sites, and local farmers and wildlife conservationists are opposing the dam due to the flooding of useful land. Despite these drawbacks, the governments approved the dam due to its energy efficient benefits. BC Hydro ran the numbers for what amount of energy the dam would generate. The Site C dam would generate 35 per cent of the energy produced at W.A.C. Bennett dam, while only using 5 per cent of the reservoir area. This translates to 1,100 mW of capacity, 5,100 GWh each year. This means it has the ability to generate enough electricity to power 450,000 homes in B.C. each year.
Can you be anti-immigration without being racist? Immigration is the spice of a nation, but it shouldn’t burn the throat
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Tristan Johnston
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COORDINATING EDITOR
When someone says they don’t like Trudeau for bringing in refugees from Syria, we instinctively begin to wonder if we’re hearing from a racist. But while our attentions are often drawn to the loud, obnoxious people who want to ban all Muslims or build great big walls, we don’t often get to hear from those who are more moderate. There should be no issue bringing 25,000 refugees into Canada from Syria—even 50,000 would be fine. They’re coming in at a relatively slow pace, so our government can
process them. And Canadians generally prefer to bring in whole families, instead of single men. When it comes down to it, Canada is great at bringing new people into the country, enabling them to provide for themselves and contribute to the nation by bringing their culture and innovations with them. However, Europe is having more problems with immigration that Canadians can’t grasp. Unlike them, we have two oceans on either side, arctic tundra to the north and America to the south. It’s very easy for us to control who comes into the country when compared to Europe, which has little with regards to borders or border police. Not only this, but 600,000 peo-
ple is a massive number to process. While the loud racists are often the first to be heard, the moderate type tend to be more subdued. I’m sure there are many people simply worried about there being no jobs for new immigrants to have, and that some countries won’t be able to afford to help them. The biggest example would be Greece, which is still in a state of financial disrepair—they can’t even afford to help their own citizens, let alone handle being the first stop for hundreds of thousands of refugees. The other big problem is that compared to Canada, Europe does a bad job at helping their new arrivals integrate, regardless of race. This at-
titude isn’t everywhere, but it’s surely less common in North America. I don’t hesitate to assume everyone around me is Canadian, regardless of their appearance. In the back of our minds, we know that Canada and the U.S. are countries of immigrants, built on colonizing foundations. However, Europeans are proud of their unique culture, and they seem much more ready to protect it. Remember that there are a lot of Europeans who believe immigrants bring crime to a country, not because they believe these refugees are bad people, but because, as a result of having no money, education or command of the local language, crime may be the only method left to make
money in their new home. You can even meet these people in the United States, who are sometimes immigrants themselves. There was a Trump supporter on the news the other day who happened to be Haitian-American. He said he supported Trump’s firm stance against illegal immigration, because he went through a long, arduous process to become American the legal way, while illegal immigrants weren’t paying the same kind of taxes or integrating in the same way. There are reasons for people to be anti-immigration that aren’t necessarily founded in racism, but our excuses for being anti-immigration in a country as isolated and prosperous as Canada are few and far between.
Columns
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15
Taking Back History Women in the Justice System
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Samantha Thompson COLUMNIST
It wasn’t until 1988 that the first woman justice of the Supreme Court of Canada was appointed. Her name was Bertha Wilson, and while she was a judge she issued a number of important rulings. Notably, she wrote one of the judgements that struck down a restrictive abortion law in Canada, as well as a judgement that led to the legal recognition of battered wife syndrome. In 1990, she published an article titled, “Will Women Judges Really Make a Difference?” After the problematic Ghomeshi ruling, it’s a question that is still on many of our minds, 25 years later. In the article, Wilson wrote that upon being appointed she was not confident that this was the beginning of a new era for women. “Change in the law comes slowly and incrementally; that is its nature,” she wrote. “It responds to changes in society; it rarely initiates them. And while I was prepared—and indeed, as a woman judge, anxious—to respond to these changes, I wondered to what extent I would be constrained in my attempts to do so by the nature of the judicial office itself.” Since Wilson’s article, there have been many other pieces exploring a
Courtesy Supreme Court of Canada
similar question—is the solution to a fairer judicial process found in a greater diversity in judges? The results so far seem inconclusive, if only because it’s such a complex subject to explore. Wilson, for example, focuses on a concept of judicial neutrality and impartiality, where we hold judges to an almost-superhuman ability to separate themselves from influences in the world. She, and many others,
doubt that this is possible—and in its impossibility, it is fair to suggest that diversity is a logical necessity. Diversity is important and necessary, but, as with so many white, heterosexual, male-dominated professions, any individuals who break into the field must then fight institutionalized sexism, racism, and a whole host of other “-isms,” all while simultaneously working to implement the
changes they recognize as necessary. It is important to have diversity in those on the bench, but it’s equally as important to recognize that the judicial system was created through processes that privileged a small percentage of people who were both white and male. Increasing the number of women in this system, while not a fix-all solution, could begin to address this problematic concept of judge neutrality. Women on the bench can have other impacts as well. For example, a 2001 article by Jason Schultz explored the concept of “therapeutic jurisprudence,” a philosophy from the ‘80s which suggests that “legal rules and results can have either a positive or negative impact on the psychological well-being of groups who become involved in the legal system.” Advocates of therapeutic jurisprudence generally want to redesign legal systems so that participants have an overwhelmingly positive experience. Schultz’s article uses the 1998 De Rosiers Study, which interviewed sexual assault victims on their experience with civil suits against their attackers, to determine which factors affected how they felt about the judicial process (things like having their voice heard, the reaction of the judge, and the length of the court proceedings all played a role). Schultz concluded that, “It does not seem farfetched to assume that women trial
judges possess more knowledge and sensitivity about sexual assault issues and therefore would be able to provide a more therapeutic courtroom experience for victims.” Since Wilson’s appointment, there have only been seven additional female Justices of the Supreme Court of Canada. Of all federally appointed judges, in 2011 there were 356 female judges to 1,117 male, according to The Globe and Mail. That year, eight women were appointed, compared to 41 men. The imbalance goes beyond gender, too—in 2012 The Globe and Mail reported that in the past three and a half years, the federal government had appointed 100 new judges across Canada, and 98 of them were white. What Schultz and Wilson demonstrate, although their focuses are different, is clear—increasing the number of women on the bench may not solve everything, but it certainly holds potential for changing the judicial system to one that is fairer to marginalized communities. “As much as we would like to believe otherwise, justice is not blind,” said Naiomi Metallic, an aboriginal lawyer in Halifax, to The Globe and Mail. “While the law is objective, a person’s assessment of the facts, including another’s behaviour, motives and justifications, is inevitably coloured by who we are and where we come from.”
Artist Spotlight: Wind-Up Birds A glimpse into the WUBiverse //
Aly Laube CONTRIBUTOR
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They describe themselves as “Steeley Dan for the under-forties,” and their Facebook page is run by a character named Milkboy. Wind-Up Birds is a four-piece, jazz-inspired indie rock band playing “100 per cent groove” tunes in Vancouver, and they’ve created an entire collection of characters under their name. These characters live in the “WUBiverse”, the group’s primary source of lyrical subject matter. It is host not only to the fictional Milkboy, but also Mayo Girl, Earl, Sherman, Walter, Peach and Frank. “Milkboy’s an interesting phenomenon,” says guitarist and vocalist Sam Willett. “I think there’s a venue somewhere in the States called The Milkboy. I saw it on the marquee in a Mac DeMarco interview and thought it was an interesting combination of words. We wrote a song about that,
Aly Laube
and the lyrics were all pretty silly. It’s just a catchy little tag.” “It describes the kind of person who thinks their taste in music is better than everyone else’s,” adds the band’s second vocalist and guitarist,
Matthew Okuda. After a post-show incident, the tag also became Willett’s nickname. “This girl came up to us and was like, ‘Are you Milkboy?’ so I guess I am Milkboy. She was like, ‘Is that
your real name? On your birth certificate, does it say Boy, comma, Milk?’. I’m not sure if she was joking but she definitely had a few drinks,” reflects Willett. “I’m hesitant to say that I’m Milkboy because I feel like Milkboy
isn’t a very nice person. He’s kind of scummy, and deep down inside, I don’t want to be scummy.” Characters aside, Wind-Up Birds is planning to release their first official EP within the next two months. It will be published in digital format and promoted on the band’s Facebook page. Listeners can expect “jazzy chords and twangy guitar tones,” along with hints of some of the band’s local inspirations: Supermoon, Winona Forever, TV Ugly, and We Are the City. They’re also hoping to go on an American tour early this summer, but details have not been confirmed. “I talk about it very carefully because I don’t want to jinx it,” admits Willett. If the tour does go as planned, the band will travel to Washington, Oregon, and California. Drummer Gavin Boyd confirms that the band name is a reference to the novel by Haruki Murakami. “That, and it just sounded super cool,” he says.
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Horoscopes
Sudoku SUDOKU No. 144
Medium
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If you like Sudoku you’ll really like ‘Str8ts’ and our other puzzles, Apps and books. Visit www.str8ts.com Libra Sept 24 - Oct 23
Virgo Aug 24 - Sept 23
Previous solution - Easy
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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
ublished here in the next issue.
To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 1 to 9 such that each row, column and 3x3 box contains every number uniquely.
© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles
May 21 - Jun 20
The solutions will be published here in the next issue.
© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles
9
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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
Aquarius Jan 21 - Feb 19 Baby just call me The Patriarchy ‘cause tonight you’re gonna straight demolish me.
Taurus Apr 20 - May 20 Reality is an illusion! The universe is a hologram! Buy gold! BYEEEE!
of your once precious soul is right for you.
To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 1 to 9 such that each row, column and 3x3 box Gemini every number uniquely. Cancer contains
© 2016 Syndicated Puzzles
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Sagittarius solution - Easy Capricorn Previous Nov. 23 - Dec 21 Dec. 22 - Jan 20
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Leo Jul 24 - Aug 23 The real mic drop was inside you the whole time.
Scorpio Oct 24 - Nov 22 Anyone know what ODB’s stance is, i.e. it being raw?