The Navigator Vol 48 Issue 11

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FEBRUARY 22

MARCH 7

Vol 48

FREE

VANCOUVER ISLAND UNIVERSITY STUDENT PRESS

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Authors Monia Mazigh and Caroline Adderson to speak at VIU

Funding a hockey fan's dream

Ray chin: VIU's Vivacious Violinist

When fear and hate threaten to tear us apart, it is crucial to seek out other perspectives.

Council has spent upwards of $500K on this project, without asking the citizens of Nanaimo if this is what they want.

When performing, Chin mixes classical pieces with his own, to make a uniquely beautiful composition.

NANAIMO EVENT CENTRE

CONTENTS

NEWS

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Editorials

VIU student delegates envision the road to 2067 at Converge 2017 --Model UN club to host conference at VIU

News in a Nutshell --VIU students prepare for upcoming Provincial Election --VIUSU urges students to say no to the CFS

Authors Monia Mazigh and Caroline Adderson to speak at VIU --Youth Employment Centre closing

FEATURES

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Dirtyin’ The Nav: An open letter about male feminists, pornography, and radical sex

Point of VIU

Funding a hockey fan’s dream

Everyday Earth: Spring, a time to awaken --VIU baking instructor mixes this up to make things go wrong

A prototype for the people of Syria

ARTS

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Santee Smith and Cris Derksen: Ancient voices in contemporary arts --Welcome to the future of roleplaying games

Coming soon: Arts events Nanaimo

Local Music Spotlight: Caleb Hart and the Royal Youths --Reel jobs: Film careers in high demand

The sets of Hollywood North --Community development through music

SPORTS & LIFESTYLE

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Men’s basketball: Mariners lead PACWEST to end season --Women’s basketball: Mariners finish season with a win

Men’s volleyball: Mariners lead PACWEST to end regular season --Women’s volleyball: Mariners poised for championship repeat

Ray Chin: VIU’s vivacious violinist --I’m all about dem oats

Island rivalry action

“Ascent Past Normal” --Lumberjack Joe Trudeau

CONTENTS

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LETTERS

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CONTRIBUTORS Sarah Abdulkafi Zachery Cooper Alex Gaiger Rafal Gerszak Dane Gibson Brandon Kornelson

Phoebe Lo Patigdas Krista Meckelborg Diana Pearson Sarah Segal Chantelle Spicer Mariah Vanderzee Kelly Whiteside

THE NAVIGATOR TEAM

THE NAVIGATOR WELCOMES READER CONTRIbuTIONS To submit, visit <thenav.ca> or email <editor@thenav.ca>.

Molly Barrieau Editor-in-Chief

Jessica Pirson Graphic Designer

Avery Crosson Art Director

Zyre Hoskins Graphic Designer

Natalie Gates Associate Editor

Spenser Smith Web Editor

Cheryl Folland Arts Editor

Elissa Doerksen Social Media Sp.

Aislinn Cottell News Editor

Lynne Williams Bookkeeper

Cole Schisler Sports & Lifestyle Editor

Christine Franic Business Manager

Catherine Charlebois Production Manager

Sarah Torgerson Copy Editor

All submissions must be original work of the author. Editors reserve the right to refuse submissions, and to edit for space or clarity.

Letters to the editor should be no more than 400 words in length.

The Navigator does not pay for letters. Opinions expressed in The Navigator are expressly those of the author and/or artist and do not reflect the views of The Navigator staff.

DESIGN WORK

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Avery Crosson Cover

Zyre Hoskins Spread

900 Fifth St. Bldg. 193, rm. 217 Nanaimo, BC, V9R 5S5

T: 250-753-2225 F: 250-753-2257

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Letters

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EDITORIALS

1400 push-ups

Molly Barrieau --Editor-in-Chief The Navigator

I now completely understand the true physicality of the term “blood, sweat, and tears”. You’re sitting there, hunched over, staring at the unending abyss of snowy mountain forest, and you can’t will yourself to get up and try again. You roll over, get on your hands and knees, and the tears drip onto the fluffy snow. The overabundance of adrenaline pumping through your body has you shaking, stress sweat soaks your clothes, muscles aching.

I tried snowboarding last weekend. How do you think it went?

I know, “you just gotta try again,” “nothing to it but to do it,” “you’ll get better the more you fall.” I don’t care. Forcing my body to comprehend rushing sideways down a steep hill full of other humans, strapped to a piece of fiberglass, scared me to the point of complete inability.

Does this make me less Canadian? I prefer not to dangerously throw myself into snow, at this point,

I might as well just not participate in Roll Up the Rim. (I take that back, sorry, eh?)

Not only did I freeze physically on the mountain, but my body rejected the whole event, making me feel about 86 years old. I couldn’t squat the next day, I constantly stretched and groaned. I didn’t consider that each time I fell, I had to push my body weight back up, time and time again, to propel myself dangerously quickly down the (bunny) hill.

My arms feel as if I did 1400 push-ups.ww Luckily, the student price for the day only cost me about $10 per an hour, so sitting in the snow was not a waste of my time. My board and boots were free from my Vancouver friend, and I never once got snow down my back. Maybe I didn’t fall hard enough.

I will give you this, winter sports, you do make people very happy. After lunch, when I let my group go on without me, I embraced the opportunity to

people-watch, dad’s catching daughters as they free glide on baby skis, kids sipping hot chocolate, moms consoling frustrated young boarders.

Mount Washington was beautiful, the genuine friendliness from everyone made the day. Cheers to Derek, the medic skier who slowly skied as I walked down the hill, chatting and listening to me anxiously develop my feelings on the sport.

He told me I might try skiing. #BringbackBeavertails Thank you to Jon, Olivia, and Joe for helping me learn more about my fears. It was worth it just to see you curving down the hill.

All aboard the Magic School Bus!

Natalie Gates --Associate Editor The Navigator

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editorials

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a bit of a hypocrite when it comes to getting to school.

I strongly believe in promoting public transit, biking, and walking—especially since Nanaimo is going to be receiving a “transit upgrade” by implementing the allegedly more environmentally friendly Compressed Natural Gas powered buses. But this year, I’ve been driving to school for the first time.

I live close enough to school that I could make it there in about 20-30 minutes. But I don’t finish until dark and would rather not trek home through the woods at 7:30 by myself.

Plus, of course, there are those days you are just unavoidably rushed AF and 20 minutes is not doable.

Thus, I have realized a whole other struggle that hundreds of VIU students deal with each day. Parking.

Determined to save money, for the fall semester I joined the folks who park across the highway on College Drive for free, and trek down to classes (and back up at 7pm at night, alone in the dark…). But this semester, the steel water supply main construction on that road is extending far past its original deadline, thus cutting off the majority of the parking for most of the semester. Plus, last year, they closed off that gravel lot right by the highway many students used to park in.

So I caved and coughed up $150 for a

semester parking pass (after spending $40 on day parking in the belief that the construction would be done in time...). If I hadn’t made that $40 mistake, I still would have been saving money over a bus pass.

Which brings me to the question: why doesn’t VIU include a bus pass in student dues?

Camosun College, UVic, and Capilano, among many others, all do this, with the average cost around $80 a semester. Students (at some of these schools) who would still rather drive or walk, have the option to opt-out—just as VIU students do with health coverage.

The price for a student bus pass at VIU? $176.

It’s more expensive than a parking pass. Yes, if you decide to not have a car at all, you save a lot on insurance and gas, but the students driving to school don’t have cars just for getting to school. They often have them to get all over the Island, and beyond. A bus pass at this price would be an expensive add-on for them.

Of course, busing in Nanaimo is nothing like in a bigger city, such as Victoria, where all routes are frequent and dependable. Here, it might take you at least 45 minutes on a bus that would take you 10 minutes to drive. Getting to the ferry on the bus from anywhere but downtown is a pain and a half. The one route that goes by my house runs once an hour (if I’m lucky). Nanaimo’s transit system is worthy of a whole other editorial, but, since the “quality”

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is so much lower than other cities, shouldn’t students be paying less?

Parking is—for lack of a better term—a shitshow at most universities. You wind up driving around in circles for often at least half an hour before you finally make that glorious, crazed eye contact with the kid walking back to his car and snag his spot before that girl in the yellow Volkswagen Beetle can pull a fast one on you.

You end up breezing into class 15 minutes late and just as sweaty as you would have been if you’d ran to school.

And the state of VIU parking may only get worse as enrolment increases. Plus, the new Health and Science centre is being built on Parking Lot D, which is currently short-term pay parking. This might mean more permit parking is sacrificed to replace short-term parking.

Don’t get me wrong, I think improved amenities for science students is more important than a few parking spots. And I think we should be bussing more. Yet, for many people, it’s hard to argue given the (lack of) value of passes. But, if it were to save you money by being included at a reduced rate in your student fees, benefit the environment, save you the stress of finding a parking spot, and still get you to school dry and without breaking a sweat, would you do it?

I know I would.

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NEWS

VIU student delegates envision the road to 2067 at Converge 2017 Diana Pearson On February 6 and 7, VIU student --representatives Keltie Chamberlain and Contributor

Diana Pearson joined VIU President Ralph Nilson in attending Converge 2017 in Ottawa. This event was organized by Universities Canada, and brought Canadian students, university presidents, leaders, entrepreneurs, and activists together to address some of the most pressing challenges in our world today.

The four prominent discussions of Converge 2017 were about how Canadian universities could work towards reconciliation, strengthening the arts, breaking down barriers to education, and ensuring support for global migration.

Universities Canada is a membered organization which advocates on behalf of post-secondary institutions to the federal government. Twice a year, membered university leaders unite to share ideas and address challenges in higher education, with the goal of improving education, research, and innovation across the country. This year’s conference was a special occasion, to celebrate Canada’s sesquicentennial, and to frame important conversations about Canada’s future.

“The conversations focused on strengthening Canada’s place in the world while enhancing the social and economic prosperity of its growing population over the next 50 years,” said Nilson.

All attendees of Converge were welcomed by Algonquin Anishinaabe Elder, Claudette Commanda, who spoke of the “collective responsibility to include First Nations, Inuit, and Métis youth, not just in our discussion, but in our actions.”

Roberta Jamieson, founder of Indspire, asked that all universities work with indigenous educators to create “opportunities for educational experiences” for youth, including “indigenous law, history, language, values, science, [and innovation].”

CEO of McKinsey & Co., Dominic Barton, spoke about economic power shifts, technology development, and job displacement in Canada, as well as Canada’s role in global economic development.

Students were buzzing as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrived for a Q&A; and probed him with questions about sexual violence, mental health, and concerns of some Indigenous communities, including poverty, boil-water advisories, and missing and murdered Indigenous women.

“Panels of bright young entrepreneurs, scholars, and independent thinkers who shared their ideas in TEDTalk fashion provided exceptional opportunities for in-depth discussions… by all participants,” Nilson said. Some of these panelists included UVic’s

Model UN club to host conference at VIU

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Transgender Studies Research Chair Aaron Devor, Co-Executive Director of Canadian Roots Exchange, Max FineDay, and Maayan Ziv of AccessNow..

Chamberlain, Pearson, and Nilson arrived back in Nanaimo with an intention to implement some of the changes learned at Converge 2017 within VIU campuses.

“We know post-secondary institutions play a big role in shaping Canada for the better,” Pearson said. “I feel proud to be a student of VIU, where reconciliation is a priority and involvement with the Nanaimo community is supported. What I’d love to see more of at VIU is faculty and students working together to find creative solutions to the big challenges we face today, such as climate change, reconciliation, economic instability, and the health and well-being of all Canadians.”

In a world of increasing complexity, post-secondary students face many uncertainties, however, Nilson left Converge feeling assured that with support, young leaders are capable of working towards a better future.

“I was pleased to have Diana Pearson and Keltie Chamberlain, as the student representatives from VIU, share their thoughts and ideas throughout the two days of dialogue,” Nilson said. “I learned a great deal, and know that Canada has a highly committed and talented group of people emerging as leaders to continue building Canada, learn from the past, and invest in the future.”

VIU students Keltie Chamberlain and Diana Pearson en-route to Converge 2017.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau answers questions from student delegates across Canada at Converge 2017.

Natalie Gates VIU MUN is looking to host its first conference --on campus since 2011, with the theme “Taking The Navigator

Action on the Sustainable Development Goals: Tackling Climate Change and the 2030 Agenda”.

This conference is open to high school, and college clubs in the area, as well as all VIU students who are interested in attending as delegates for a weekend of diplomacy, debate, and international relations. Global Studies and Political Studies Professor Mark Williams has also created a directed studies course that allows club members to receive course credit for the organization of the conference.

“I am really excited to work with a strong group of our club members in helping to create and host our upcoming conference,” said Internal Relations and Club President, Justin North, who has been a delegate at four university-level conferences. “We want to provide our delegates the same fun educational experience that we all have had as delegates ourselves.”

The goal of the club is to use the upcoming conference to inspire incoming high school delegates, and encourage them to continue their MUN careers into university, and beyond into the world of international affairs, explained Secretary General Chelsea Bellingham.

“We are working to lay the groundwork for future conferences with VIU MUN 2017,” said Director of Finance and Corporate Relations Shantel Beute.

They also hope to establish an annual conference which is

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Courtesy of Converge Flickr

Diana Pearson

competitive with local conferences, and well-sought out from high school and undergraduate delegations in BC and elsewhere.

VIU MUN 2017 will be held April 28 – 30 at the Nanaimo Campus.

For more information on committees, countries, and registration fees, visit <viumun.org>. If you are interested in attending as a delegate, email <mun.viu@gmail.com> or join the weekly meetings, Thursdays at 2:30 pm bldg. 356, rm. 317.

The VIU MUN delegation at the 2016 UBC MUN conference in January.

Sarah Abdulkafi

NEWS

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NEWS

News In a Nutshell Aislinn Cottell | The Navigator

WHAT

WHERE

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE

On February 27, the VIU Bee Club is hosting a talk by biologist Gord Hutchings titled “The Coevolution of Flowering Plants and Native Bees”.

Nanaimo Campus, Bldg. 355, rm. 203.

Hutchings has been studying bees for over 25 years, and has a lot of information to offer on how to help local pollinators.

Admission: $5 for non-students. $2 for students.

WHAT

WHERE

On February 28, VIU is hosting an information session on the upcoming upgrade to the online learning site, D2L, which will be changing to the platform “Daylight” at the end of semester.

Nanaimo Campus, Bldg. 300, Royal Arbutus Room.

WHAT

WHERE

On March 8, VIU is offering a free Biometrics Clinic on campus. Screening should take approximately 20 minutes per person, and is on a first come first serve basis, although registration is required.

Nanaimo Campus Bldg. 300, rm. 401.

10 am – 3 pm.

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE

12 – 1 pm.

Get a virtual tour of the new platform, and ask any questions you might have about the upgraded interface.

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE

Registration through Karen Alden at <Karen.Alden@viu.ca>.

WHAT

WHERE

On March 8, the Sociology Department is hosting a Gender Symposium for International Women’s Day, with three guest speakers. A catered reception will follow.

Nanaimo Campus Bldg. 356, rm. 109.

Learn your current health stats, such as blood pressure, blood glucose, carbon monoxide levels, height, and weight, and get a prize for participating.

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE

1 – 2:30 pm.

Reception from 2:30 – 4 pm.

The symposium is intended to engage people with the evolving subject of gender, hopefully encouraging more understanding, as well as provoking thought on how we view ourselves.

VIU students prepare for upcoming provincial election Sarah Segal Vancouver Island University students are --ready to vote in the BC Provincial Election.

Contributor

“We continue to see a government who consistently underfunds education,” said Avery Bonner, VIU Students’ Union spokesperson. “Today, higher education is not optional; it is mandatory. For that reason, British Columbians need a government that has a vision that includes investing in education.”

Youth voting increased by nearly ten percent in the last provincial election, due, in part, to the campaign work of BC students. This election, students across the province

VIUSU urges students to say no to the CFS 06

News

will continue their work to mobilize young people to vote in their communities. Students cite increased tuition fees, growing student debt, the lack of entry-level jobs, low wages, and historically high housing costs as areas where the BC government has failed young people and their families.

“We want to engage students in conversations about the provincial election this spring, and the election issues that matter to them,” said Avery Bonner. “We know students are voting in increasing numbers. We saw that in the 2015 federal election. Students and young people collectively make up a large number of voters, enough that our voice can make a

difference in this upcoming election.”

This election is predicted to be close. In the last provincial election, four ridings came down to less than 200 votes. In this 2017 provincial election, there is a potential that youth voters can decide the outcome with their votes. The VIU Students’ Union will be out on campus for a Week of Action February 27 – March 3. Across campus, students will sign vote pledges, register to vote, and determine where their closest polling station is. For this provincial election, record numbers of youth voters are expected because on May 9, students are voting.

Phoebe Lo Patigdas This article is one of a multi-part --exposé on the Canadian Federation

delivered to the CFS office in Ottawa in late December 2016.

This semester, it is likely that students will be able to vote to decide if they wish to remain members of the CFS. Over the next several editions of The Navigator, the VIU Students’ Union will outline some of the controversies that have plagued the CFS. These topics will include: financial mismanagement, shady hiring practices, failing services, limited (or absent) campaigns, and secret bank accounts.

VIUSU encourages students to read the upcoming articles, take some time to research the CFS, and stay informed on this matter, as their votes will be important.

Contributor

of Students and the growing grassroots movement to leave it.

Many students may remember signing a petition last semester asking for a referendum on their ongoing membership in the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS). VIU students were not alone in that process: students at no fewer than eight other schools, including Douglas College, North Island College, and Camosun College, have also been signing similar petitions.

According to the CFS’ bylaws, 15 percent of VIU students needed to sign the petition in order to initiate the referendum process—that’s nearly 1,400 signatures. By the end of November, more than 2,200 VIU students had signed, further demonstrating VIU students’ discontent with the CFS. The petitions were

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Next time: waiting and waiting and waiting for audits… financial mismanagement and a lack of transparency.

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NEWS

Authors Monia Mazigh and Caroline Adderson to speak at VIU Aislinn Cottell In an age when the internet offers, but also --condemns us to, a constant bombardment The Navigator

of often conflicting information, a certain kind of paralysis can occur. The seemingly endless fountain of facts, “alternative” facts, opinions, and ultimatums becomes an overwhelming cacophony, and sorting through the noise to some semblance of truth, let alone determining what action should be taken in response, can seem borderline impossible to attempt.

Tunisian-Canadian writer, professor, politician, and human rights advocate Dr. Monia Mazigh will be sharing her story and presenting her new book, Hope Has Two Daughters.

Courtesy of Monia Mazigh

Canadian author Caroline Adderson will be presented in conversation with VIU’s Kathy Page, and discuss her work and writing process.

Rafal Gerszak

Nanaimo youth employment centre to close in March #11

A crucial part of navigating this often confusing and seemingly contradictory landscape, however, is to not remain a passive receptor of whatever ideas are shouted the loudest. When fear and hate threaten to tear us apart, it is crucial to seek out other perspectives, broaden horizons, and fight ignorance with knowledge. Although no one person should be looked to for all the answers, listening to the experiences of those who have already fought, and are still fighting, for a more

compassionate future, is a powerful way to arm yourself in a world where sanity can feel a little bit like it’s slipping away down the drain.

This semester, VIU is hosting a number of speakers who will share twwheir stories, offer new outlooks, and perhaps provide some guidance on how to work past the deer-in-theheadlights syndrome and do some good.

Dr. Monia Mazigh is a Tunisian-Canadian who emigrated to Canada in 1991, at the age of 21. Fluent in Arabic, English, and French, and holding a PhD in financial economics from McGill University, Dr. Mazigh is a professor, writer, politician, and human rights advocate.

She came into the public eye in 2002, when her husband, Maher Arar, was deported to Syria under suspicion of terrorist links, and held without charge for over a year. During this time, Dr. Mazigh fought tirelessly to have him returned, joining several human rights groups in order to lobby for his freedom. When her campaign proved successful, she continued to work to clear his name until 2007, when the government finally offered an official apology and compensation for the “terrible ordeal” the family had faced. In 2004, she ran as the NDP candidate for the traditionally liberal riding of Ottawa South, and, despite finishing third, at 8,080 votes she garnered the most support the NDP had ever won in the area, provincially or federally.

“Human rights advocacy is not an easy task,” says Mazigh. “There is frustration, intimidation, loss, and sometimes some victories, but, overall, it is a hard fight and we can get discouraged. To keep up the fight is really important. We have to develop networks of people and organizations. Most of all, we have to believe that there is always a way to continue the fight for justice.”

“It is so important to look at the greater picture. Divide and conquer has been used by politicians for centuries, so we shouldn’t fall into these traps. Young adults and students are our future, and they should develop more solidarity with different groups. Solidarity

is key. It brings us together despite our differences.”

Dr. Mazigh published her first book, Hope and Despair: My Struggle to Free My Husband, in 2008; a memoir dedicated to documenting her battle for justice. She has since written Mirrors and Mirages (2010), a novel exploring the struggle of balancing tradition and modernity through the lives of six different Muslim women living in Canada.

Her latest book, Hope Has Two Daughters, is also a novel, and looks at two historic moments in Tunisian history— the Bread Riots of 1984, and the Jasmine Revolution in 2010, which started the Arab Spring.

Dr. Mazigh will be presenting Hope Has Two Daughters on March 9, from 1 – 2:15 pm in the Malaspina Theatre lobby (bldg.

310). A short meet and greet will then be held from 4:15 – 4:45 pm in bldg. 355, rm. 211, following which she will hold a Q&A talk titled “Despair, Hope and Beyond”, where she will share her story, and reflect on how it changed her vision of the world, and brought her into the realm of writing and activism. To finish off the evening, at 7 pm there will be a showing in bldg. 356, rm.

109, of He Named Me Malala, a documentary on the incredible story of Pakistani teenager and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai, who was targeted and almost killed by the Taliban for speaking out about women’s rights in her country. These events are supported by VIUFA Professional Development and Status of Women funds; by VIU’s faculties of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities, and International Education; by Worldbridger, and by the House of Anansi Press.

Caroline Adderson is a Canadian writer originally hailing from Alberta. She has lived in many communities across Canada while doing a wide variety of volunteer work, including carpentry, radio broadcasting, and sheep farming, and is currently settled in Vancouver. Holding a Bachelor of Education with a Concentration in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia, she worked as an ESL teacher for 10 years, and has a large volume of creative work.

Adderson is the author of four novels (A History of Forgetting, Sitting Practice, The Sky is Falling, and Ellen in Pieces), and two collections of short stories (Bad Imaginings and Pleased To Meet You) as well as a number of children’s books. Much of her writing explores the human condition: relationships, revelations, and the baffling circumstances of everyday life. In her adult work, she has been much acclaimed for bringing a wry sense of humour to otherwise dark and sometimes disturbing topics, something she calls a “survival instinct”.

“Laughing helps us get through dark times,” says Adderson.

“Humour is also a very powerful political tool. Despots can’t laugh at themselves.”

Her young adult books are lighter, of course. “I have a tragiccomic sensibility. Though my adult books are always funny, they usually explore dark subjects. When I write for kids, I get to be just plain old funny.”

“I have a little button someone gave me. It says, ‘Fight evil.

Read books.’ I’ll add this: Focus on the personal. Strengthen your bonds with people actually in your life, then enlarge your circle of compassion from there. Be positive. Be generous. Laugh a lot.”

Adderson and has been nominated for numerous awards, including the Sunday Times EFG Private Bank Short Story Award, the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, two Commonwealth Writer’s Prizes, the Scotiabank Giller Prize longlist, and the Governor General’s Literary Award. She is the winner of two Ethel Wilson Fiction Prizes, three CBC Literary Awards, and the 2006 Marian Engel Award.

On March 2, Caroline Adderson will speak live with VIU professor Kathy Page, discussing her work and writing process for plotting her novels. The event will be held from 1 – 2:15 pm in bldg. 345, rm. 103. This presentation is a part of the English Department’s Writers on Campus series.

Kelly Whiteside Nanaimo will be losing another crucial --service this year. In addition to the

life and work skills, but the employment centre helps after they graduate from the program. They provide guidance for youth who are job hunting, and seeking to expand their professional lives. The employment centre is meant to work with the Bladerunner program and visa versa. One will not work as well without the other.

Many youth who have made use of the employment centre claim that it not only helped them find a job, but helped get them back on the right track, and, in some cases, literally saved lives.

The NYSA is in the process of creating public service announcements featuring youth talking about how the employment centre helped them.

The Navigator

recent cuts to the Nanaimo Economic Development Corporation (NEDC) and the Downtown Nanaimo Business Improvement Association (DNBIA), the Youth Employment Centre at the Nanaimo Youth Services Association (NYSA) will be closing on March 31, 2017.

GT Hiring Solutions, who sub-contracted the employment centre using government money, has made the decision to cut funding to it because of the NYSA’s Bladerunner program.

They’ve made an assessment and determined that both services are unnecessary.

A number of youth who have used both services beg to differ. The Bladerunner program provides youth with

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NEWS

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FEATURES

Dirtyin' the Nav :

An open letter about male feminists, pornography, and radical sex This letter contains mature content

Diana Pearson | Contributor

Dear Dirty D, I am inspired to write this letter to you, because, as a man who has long identified as a sex positive or sex radical feminist, I am really troubled by what I perceive as a growing wave of anti-feminism in social media. I’m concerned that there is a connection between these anti-feminist narratives and the increasing availability of patriarchal pornography.

I’m writing this to you on the day after Valentine’s. There is significant public education around this “holiday”, and it tells us lots about how “our” relationships are supposed to operate. It’s a complicated celebration that mixes strands of the Roman fertility celebration, a Christian remembrance celebration for a martyr, and the capitalist “buy something to show love” ritual. But it’s not just purchasing that I’m concerned about in these ads, it’s something deeper; it’s the objectification.

First, you learn to objectify love by turning it into a product that you can buy. If love can be so easily objectified, what about the body of your partner?

The same sex roles one can see in pornography can be seen in Valentine’s Day ads. In the ads ,only men are presented as people who make decisions and choices—the man chooses chocolate, dinner, jewelry, flowers, etc., and the woman necessarily swoons. This is a form of public sex education: men are active/women are reactive. I’m sure there is enormous pressure on women to be happy about their gifts.

This same set-up is true of public sex education: pornography. Men are presented an overwhelming image of sexuality that isn’t pleasure-based, and doesn’t happen for the mutual pleasure of two equal participants. It’s orgasmic, but it’s a functional orgasm that focuses exclusively on rushed penetration. Pornography is a form of public education that, I think, is causing a lot of damage.

The public sexual education men receive through pornography informs our private conversation from the time we’re kids, pretending we know what sex is. Men with big dicks are shown, over and over again, to be great lovers because, as far as we’ve been taught, dick size and sexual satisfaction are equated. Size matters and bigger is better. So big dicks get waved around like magic wands and women are pleased.

As a cisgender man who has been brought up to perform dominant masculinity, female pleasure is something that I was not taught to consider. I was very fortunate in my late teens to have an older lover who stopped me and said: “You are very enthusiastic and that’s great, but let’s take some time to understand a woman’s body. This is my clitoris.”

I was embarrassed and felt shamed. But, when I learned how to please her, I began to learn more about my own pleasure, and then about feminism. In my experience, radicalizing sexuality has become a kind of political project. It’s a radical pleasure-based way of fighting back against dominant masculinity. That’s a political project I can get behind.

And it’s a lifelong project. I still battle between the lessons I learned from her, and the public sexual education of pornography. The best sex of my life has been with women who actively resist pornographic reproductions of sexuality. And, not surprisingly, the worst sex has been with partners who fall into that pornographic education. Sexual patriarchy is not just practiced by men.

I have gone through times in my life when I have had to stop watching pornography because it was getting in the way. I would start having sex with a woman, and then, almost magically, an objectified woman from a porn flick would replace her in my imagination. The scary part is that, when this happens, she stops being a real person for me, and starts being an object. I would stop wondering about her pleasure and take it as a given that intense lovemaking would get orgasmic results.

I’m sure she noticed. And I’m pretty sure it was mediocre sex at best.

I feel pretty confident saying that, because now I know when we both have great sex. And it is these times that I am able to stay focused on both of our bodies, I am able to pay attention and read her positive responses, to read her physical responses and to use these cues to sort out what to do next, what we explore next. It is also during these times that I don’t worry about what I look like, how long sex is going to take, or even focus on my orgasm. I knew we’d get there and I am now focusing on finding her orgasm. Getting radical about sex has also allowed me to forget the impossible body expectations of pornographic pleasure.

Finally, sex with other sex radical feminists has been the dirtiest sex I’ve ever had. I was always too concerned about power differences to explore bondage and BDSM. Together we began exploring bondage and sexual play, and it contributed to a loving and exciting environment.

I hope this letter might be a little moment of resistance against the pornographic and capitalistic sexual education currently dominating in our society. I think it’s important right now for male feminists to speak out against the anti-feminist discourse that is developing amongst men in conservative media. I hope this letter is helpful for other men who maybe haven’t thought about this before or who haven’t had the support to push back against destructive forms of dominant masculinity.

Signed, Anonymous

Written by an anonymous reader.

The writer is a political science student interested in Indigenous self-government.

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Point of viu

Do you trust the news media, why or why not?

Cole Schisler | The Navigator

OCEAN

Rob

Harman

Jas

Kris

“I don’t really watch or read the news, but as someone who’s been asked this question before, and someone who’s been a part of protests all over BC, I would say that a lot of the news is bullshit.

People try to exaggerate, and make things sound more complex than they really are. I trust the people who have actually been in the situation, someone who has actually been in the situation will actually understand the situation.”

“I think it all comes down to the source. Overall, I trust the reputable services in the media.

Of course, there will be biases, but as long as you consider the source, and take in a personal sense of balance, you should be able to glean what’s going on in the article. It’s necessary to go out there and check what is said, and compare it towards the record; it’s never been easier to fact-check.”

“I trust them, but sometimes I read news that might be rumours.

Overall, I trust them. Everyone wants to check information twice. If you think that there is a problem with the news, then you should decide whether or not you trust it.”

“I follow the Nanaimo Bulletin News, when the snow was here, they posted on their site that the schools were open, but the buses aren’t running. Everyone thought they meant the city buses, but it was the school buses. There is some news that people want to double check, but there are some people that just don’t care about.”

“I don’t consume the news too much, I feel like the world is all drama. I’d rather make my own decisions, without the media influencing me. I feel like they hide a lot of things, and they tell us the things we want to hear instead of what we should know.”

theMASTHEAD SATURDAYS 12-2 PM ON 101.7 FM CHLY

Podcasts available Sunday themastheadradio.wordpress.com #Mastheadradio

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Funding a hockey faN's dream Kelly Whiteside | Contributor

Two years ago, when our Nanaimo city council was elected, none of the nine councillors mentioned a multiplex or event centre as a priority in their platforms. Now, over the course of a few months, council has spent upwards of $500K on this project, without asking the citizens of Nanaimo if this is what they want.

The concept of a multiplex in Nanaimo is not new—it was first dreamt up in 2002 by previous Clippers owner Dieter Peter, and has been a recurring aspiration in the hockey world ever since. Peter’s dream ended with the proposal that it would be taxpayer-funded.

The next Clippers owner, Gary Gelinas, shared Peter’s ambitions. This also ended with the announcement that it would be taxpayer-funded.

New Clippers owners William Gallacher and Ken Wagner had the multiplex objective in 2006. Their vision started out slightly different, with the proposal of no funding from taxpayers. They eventually began considering the all-too- familiar path of taxpayer-funding, and their endeavor ended soon thereafter. In 2013, a group that included the Clippers and Western Hockey League (WHL) discussed the concept again, this time dissolving due to lack of interest from city council and the community.

The idea of a multiplex made another appearance in 2015 by the owners of the Howard Johnson Hotel. Their description of a privately funded 5,000-seat arena on their property was picked up by the WHL, who said in a statement that “The WHL remains very interested in the City of Nanaimo as a potential market in the future for a WHL Club.” With the WHL’s interest piqued and a deadline given, city council hopped on board, spearheaded by WHL scout Bill Bestwick.

With council now involved, the Howard Johnson Hotel’s original idea has been pushed aside, and the city has come up with its own version.

The city hired Brisbin Brook Beynon Architects to complete a study on the financial and architectural details of this project.

City-owned waterfront property in south Nanaimo has been chosen as the site for the possible event centre, in hopes that it will revitalize the downtown core. Council has been meeting with Snuneymuxw First Nations (SFN) to discuss the usage of 1 Port Way, a location that holds great importance to the SFN as their longhouses once stood there.

Specified parking for the centre will be minimal, with only 100 valet spots available for roadies, staff, persons with disabilities, and other VIPs. Attendees will be expected to find parking elsewhere downtown, and in the nearby residential areas.

Not only will this be a centre for sports and entertainment, there are plans for an indoor walking trail, multi-purpose space for art, meeting rooms, retail space, and an outdoor covered community space as well. The centre will be in use every day of the year, with 114 “planned event days” and 251 “community days”. Planned event days include sports events, concerts, family shows, WHL games, conferences, and tradeshows. Sports events and concerts are estimated to use the centre 16 days of the year. Family shows could use it for up to 18 days, annually. A number of planned events would be WHL games, using the space 39 days, every year.

The other 41 days of planned events would likely be conferences and tradeshows. Community days, which are responsible for the majority of the centre’s use, include public skating, recreational sports, cultural activities, and educational speakers.

Seating will range depending on the type of event. For sports, the venue is expected to seat between 5,200 and 5,700 people. For concerts, the floor opens up to increase capacity to between 7,100 and 8,300 people.

Cost for the centre will be $69M for building the base model, plus $11M for soil remediation of the Port Way property. The city is asking to borrow $80M in total for this project, which will lead to $5.4M in annual debt for 20 years. The cost of the referendum to ask the citizens’ permission is $130K. If this goes through, it’s possible that the event centre will require a $200K subsidy for the first two years. Operating costs for the centre are estimated at approximately $4M a year, with ice and event rental charges to help cover the costs. The whole project will be taxpayer-funded, but council claims there will be no increase to property taxes.

Debt financing will come from casino revenue, current property taxes, the Nanaimo Port Authority, and the hotel tax. The new Strategic Infrastructure Reserve Fund created in December will contribute $2.4M, current property taxes add $1.6M, the Nanaimo

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Port Authority will pay $400K, and the city is looking to raise the hotel tax to three percent, so that $240K of hotel taxes can be used on the project, as well. The city has not picked which model of the centre they will build if approved for the loan. If more money needs to be borrowed than has been approved, it would have to be paid back in less than five years, or approved in an Alternate Approval Process.

Benefits noted include jobs and downtown revitalization. There are 20 full-time positions available, as well as 133 part-time positions for the event centre. These jobs range from operational staff, facility maintenance, event services staff, and security. The building of the centre would also create jobs. With the centre being used during the day and night, more people are expected to be in the downtown core, with money to spend at local restaurants and bars. Up to 35 percent of these people will be from out of town, increasing the number of hotel room rentals.

The discussion and planning of this possible event centre has caused a large stir amongst Nanaimo’s citizens. A number of concerns have been brought up, including the location, SFN conflict, lack of parking, funding, time frame, conflict of interests, hockey attendance, the history of sports venues, and a general lack of support.

Nanaimo’s South End Community Association (SECA) was previously asked by city council to create a South Downtown Waterfront Initiative (SDWI) regarding the high-value waterfront

"Now, over the course of a few months, council has spent upwards of $500K on this project without asking the citizens of Nanaimo if this is what they want." space at 1 Port Way. When the SECA was building the SDWI, they held a survey, which concluded that there was a three to one ratio against a multiplex in that location. The Harbour Fair, with more than 300 attendees, noted little support for such a project on that site, and the Ideas Forum of 80 people had zero support for it. The final design charrette, therefore, did not include a multiplex in their designs and, instead, focused on creating more parks and a Granville Island-style public market. With the results of the SDWI, the SECA is opposed to the construction of the centre at 1 Port Way. The land at 1 Port Way is SFN land, and previously was the location of their longhouses. Building an event centre would likely stir ancestral remains. Though city council has been meeting with the SFN to discuss using their property for an event centre, so far there has been no consent by the SFN, which is required in order for the city to build there.

In the architect’s plans for the event centre, there are only 100 parking spots, yet the centre is meant to hold between 5,200 and 8,300 people. They are relying on other areas of downtown Nanaimo and the surrounding neighbourhoods for parking. Unfortunately, parking in the downtown core is already limited, and there have been many complaints by business owners and shoppers that an event centre would only make it more difficult to find a spot near their destination, as they would be fighting with the thousands attending the new centre. To expect property owners and renters to sacrifice the parking outside their residences for people attending a concert nearby is also unfair, as it can already be tough with the numerous cars from each household, and people taking their spots when searching for free parking downtown.

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City council and their hired consultants claim they would not need to raise property taxes in order to fund such a costly project.

However, many are skeptical due to the services that have preemptively been cut over the last few months, including the Nanaimo Economic Development Committee, Tourism Nanaimo, and the Snow Removal Budget, though it’s been stated that the recent cuts are not related to the event centre. Some have noticed the lack of basic care being put into the roads lately, as well, with a high number of potholes still not fixed, and projects such as the Northfield intersection being postponed. Taxes have already increased significantly in 2017 due to the creation of the Strategic Infrastructure Reserve Fund. Citizens have also been pointing to the Vancouver Island Conference Centre and Port Theatre projects, which ended up costing much more than expected and haven’t been as profitable as hoped. The biggest concern is future expenses, however. Even if property taxes are not increased because of this project, it would be near impossible for Nanaimo to fund anything else in the future without property taxes rising, including basic infrastructure needs, and Nanaimo already has high property taxes in comparison to other cities on the island of similar size.

Phase 1 of this project began in September 2016, and the final phase before construction begins is set to end in March 2017. A multiplex was not mentioned as a priority during council elections in 2014, and this would be Nanaimo’s biggest, most expensive project to date. With the WHL deadline in March, it’s of great concern that Nanaimo has rushed such an important project, simply to meet a deadline for a team that is not committed to moving here.

The main goal of the project is to attract a WHL team. Bill Bestwick, a WHL scout, has been the council member most actively promoting the project, raising flags regarding a conflict of interest.

Another conflict of interest has been pointed out in the city’s paid consultants: the same architect group that would be building the centre. Why would someone make a project sound like a bad idea if it would mean you wouldn’t get hired to complete it?

The WHL will be the main tenants of this new event centre if approved. It’s rare that an opportunity to acquire a WHL team arises.

However, when a team is looking to relocate, it’s important to look into the reasons behind the relocation. The team Nanaimo is hoping to bring is the Kootenay Ice (KTN). KTN currently has the lowest attendance in the WHL with an average of only 1,681.41 attendees in their 2016-2017 season, which is a 14 percent decrease in attendees from the year before. If Nanaimo approves the event centre, it will take two years to build. During the building of the centre, KTN would play out of Frank Crane Arena, which has a maximum occupancy of 3,000 people—plenty of extra seats for a team that attracts so few fans. To update and expand Frank Crane Arena (if needed), which also has more parking than the downtown location, would likely cost less than $80M. Spending public money on sports venues is considered one of the oldest con games that many cities have fallen for. There are numerous reports showing a lack of economic growth stemming from these venues. The money brought in isn’t enough to subsidize the operation costs and the money people are spending isn’t going into the local economy—it’s simply making the rich richer. In the end, the victims of the publicly funded sports venues lose millions of dollars and sacrifice their economy.

A general lack of support comes from other issues, such as poor transit in the city, the fight against Victoria and Vancouver for concerts, and the inevitable increase in property values and lease rates in the area.

This event centre has caused a lot of debate in Nanaimo, and with no business plan released to the public yet, it has been difficult for people to find accurate information.

A referendum regarding the event centre will be held on March 11 from 8 am to 8 pm There will be advanced voting on March 1 and 8. For a list of voting locations, as well as the official referendum question, please visit the City of Nanaimo’s website. Make sure to check ifW you are registered to vote. If not, you can register the day of voting by providing two pieces of ID that prove your residency and filling out an application. More information on the voting process and voting qualifications can also be found on the city’s website, <nanaimo.ca>.

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FEATURES

Everyday Earth: Spring, A Time to Awaken Chantelle Spicer I considered for a long time what --to write for the column this issue.

Contributor

There are many disheartening events happening right now regarding pipelines (and leaks) all over North America, Site C dam, and deforestation. I acknowledge their existence in every way, but thought I would take a moment here to remind our readers, and myself, of the power and hope of spring—which, even after all of this snow, is coming.

While many people celebrate January 1 as the New Year, I celebrate the return of spring—it is time to leave my house, which has graciously protected me from inclement weather, and embrace new opportunities to explore, grow things, and learn things. Nature seems to echo my excitement.

The air is alive with birdsong and the fresh smells of new growth from the conifers. The soil warms, welcoming seeds.

The sun changes and days lengthen, beckoning us to stay outside longer and feel the warmth on our skin. These are real things—but they also have deeper, sometimes symbolic meanings that make them matter even more than the physical experience of spring time.

It is hard to not fall in love with spring when the trees begin blooming. There are few things more magnificent than the entirety of a tree covered in thousands, even millions of flowers, especially as most of these displays last only a few days or weeks. The Japanese have been celebrating the ephemeral beauty of the blossoms since the Nara period (710-794), gathering together for hanami—or flower viewing, which is centered around cherry or plum trees.

Festivals include poetry, music, dance, food, and drink, all celebrating the flowers which are a metaphor for life itself—luminous and beautiful, yet fleeting. As a sign of friendship to the city of Vancouver, Japan gifted 40,000 trees in 1957. Since the trees have matured, the city has celebrated with its own festival to celebrate not only the blossoms, but also the generous gift. Linda Poole, Director of the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival, describes the deep meaning of the celebration beyond the flowers, saying, “appreciating the beauty in life… makes life worth living.

In our universal response to their beauty, we are united.

Especially during these times, we must connect back to nature. Reminiscent of the famous Issa haiku, truly ‘there is no stranger under the cherry tree.’” This year’s event takes place from March 30 – April 23.

Easter is a widely-recognized holiday, celebrated within the Catholic religions as the resurrection of Jesus. But, this holidayalso has meanings that run deeper—temporally and symbolically. Originally celebrated as Eostre, the holiday was a celebration of a goddess whose earthly symbols were, coincidentally, a rabbit and the dawn. The ubiquitous Easter egg is largely taken from ancient belief systems as a symbol for fertility, signaling a new season of vegetation and the end of animal hibernation. May Day is another excellent celebration of fertility, observed throughout Europe for centuries—particularly by Germans and the UK. Originally Floraila—another festival of flowers—it involves singing and dancing around a central pole, symbolic of a sacred tree, the world axis, the phallus, growth, and regeneration. BC actually

holds a claim to fame in this realm of celebration, with New Westminster having the longest continuously observed May Day in the Commonwealth, first celebrated here in 1870.

For the Saanich people, the two moons of spring, Pexsisen, is observed, having its own duties and ceremonies that acknowledge the re-awakening of the earth. This is the “moon of opening hands” or the “blossoming moon,” which recognizes that, just as the people open their hands to show thanks, the plants and flowers also begin to open at this time. It is a time when the land and the people express gratitude for a change in the season and an opportunity to grow. The warming weather announced it was time to turn to the Cedar—the most integral plant to Coast Salish culture—for bark-stripping and boat building.

This year, the spring Equinox takes place on March 20, but I can already feel my spirits, my body, and the land awakening to the potential for change. This is not just about wanting to be outside or planning the garden, but is also a recognition of the work that needs to be done socially. All around me, I see and hear people acknowledging a need for change in the way we treat each other and the land. Brought together by certain political decision on both sides of the US-Canadian border, social and environmental activists are raising their voices for a shift in societal norms and the idea of “progress”.

This could be a “spring forward,” not just in a seasonal or temporal sense, but also in community building, equality, and environmental rights. Just try to remember to take time, celebrate, and express gratitude for the opportunity as you move forward.

VIU baking instructor mixes things up to make things go wrong Dane Gibson ---

Sometimes you have to get things wrong to make things right, a lesson VIU Communications students in the Vancouver Island University (VIU) Professional Baking and Pastry Arts Program are about to learn, as they gather around eight fresh-out-of-the-oven loaves of bread. Each one baked with different grains, such as kamut, red fife, spelt, and stone ground whole wheat. The unique aroma fills the air and almost immediately it’s clear–something smells wrong.

But that’s the point of instructor Martin Barnett’s cause and effect class. As program chair, he introduced this teaching method into the curriculum this semester as a creative way to challenge students. What it means for them, is that one day a week, nothing is going to turn out right.

“The point of the cause and effect class is to make changes to the recipes without students knowing what we changed. When you introduce a little too much baking soda, too much salt or forget an egg—unexpected things happen,” said Barnett.

He says instead of always pushing for perfection with each baking or pastry project, the students know that something will go wrong during the cause and effect class.

More importantly, they are given time to track down exactly what happened.

“Our classroom is a busy commercial kitchen. We produce a wide range of products for our VIU community cafeterias and various events held across campus—and they have to be perfect,” said Barnett. “For some students, a failure is devastating for their self-esteem. Their product comes out wrong and has to be thrown in the trash. By offering this

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class away from the pressure of production, when mistakes happen, they leave knowing why. It’s much easier than trying to figure out what went wrong after the fact.”

Once the loaves have cooled, he tells the students: “Go ahead—look at it, smell it, taste it.” Keen with anticipation, they cut into the bread and prepare to take notes. One student turns up her nose: “This one smells like concrete.”

Another: “This one tastes like cardboard.”

The cause and effect teaching method was suggested by an instructor from The School of Artisan Food (SAF) in Nottinghamshire, England, which has been using the technique in their classes for some time. VIU and SAF participate in student and teacher exchanges, and, through that process, Barnett was introduced to the idea.

VIU’s Centre for Innovation and Excellence in Learning director, Dr. Liesel Knaack, says the introduction of the cause and effect teaching strategy is giving baking students the opportunity to co-create their own knowledge and skills through innovative and high-impact learning experiences.

“Enhancing teaching and learning practices in the trades and applied technologies is a vital part of successful learning at VIU,” said Knaack. “Martin and his colleagues are designing rich learning experiences to assist students in deeper retention of key competencies of being a successful professional baker.”

First year student Jessica Scott uses her finger to tap the brick-like loaf of bread in front of her. She carefully cuts into it to begin the process of finding out what happened.

“This class is great because I know I will screw up in the future. When it happens, it’s going to be really useful to

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know why and what I can do to fix it,” said Scott. “It’s about trial and error, and I believe it will help reduce mistakes as we move forward.”

Angelique Frederiksen graduated from VIU with her Red Seal baking certification. She is now an instructional assistant in the program, and says it’s interesting to watch the students use their senses to deconstruct what was changed in a recipe.

“I can see that the cause and effect class is making things less stressful for our students, which is always a good thing. By taking that production pressure away, you learn how to problem solve, which is just as important as the baking when you are employed full-time in a busy kitchen,” said Frederiksen.

For Barnett, incorporating new teaching styles is exciting, especially when the lesson is something that transcends the kitchen.

“There are 12 steps to making a loaf of bread. Baking is a science, and in a busy environment like this, mistakes happen all the time,” said Barnett. “Cause-and-effect relationships affect students every day, whether they recognize it or not. To be successful, students need to be aware of their environment and their place in it. Decisions have consequences, and if we can make students aware of that, they will be better equipped to think analytically in not just their academic lives, but their personal ones as well.”

Prospective students are welcome to make an appointment to visit the baking program area anytime the program is in session. To learn more, please visit the VIU Baking and Pastry Arts Program.

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A prototype for the people of Syria

Natalie Gates ---

On November 6, 2015, the cafeteria was packed with students, staff, and media The Navigator in anticipation of the VIU International Refugee Scholarship Fund announcement. A vow was also made to sponsor the school’s first refugee student from Syria through the local World University Service of Canada (WUSC) committee, in addition to the two students that are sponsored each year.

This year, as the last day of International Development Week wrapped up, Mohammad Tahhan, 26, darted around, cradling a camera and snapping photos of the events. A year ago, he was desperately awaiting his chance to escape the confines of the crisis.

An estimated 470,000 Syrians have lost their lives since the outbreak of the civil war in March 2011. There are about 13.5 million in need of humanitarian assistance within the country, and more than 11 million who have fled their homes since the armed conflict began. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), 4.8 million have fled to Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, and Iraq.

Tahhan is considered Syrian because of his parentage, but he was born and raised in Jordan. In 1982, his father was working in Aleppo, Syria for the military, with most of his friends working for the Muslim Brotherhood of Syria, a political organization which pledges to “respect individual rights” and promote pluralism and

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democracy. The government was targeting those who worked for the Brotherhood, so, knowing he would be in danger, Tahhan’s father fled to Jordan. Some relatives moved to other countries, while others remained in the danger of Aleppo.

Tahhan was born in 1990, and lived a “normal” life, integrated amongst Jordanian society until the civil war erupted, sending relations between the two countries ablaze. “When the disaster happened in Syria in 2011, everything changed,” Tahhan says.

“Syrians were seen to be taking all the jobs, consuming all the resources, and no longer part of the culture.”

In 2012, Tahhan’s father decided he needed to go to Syria, and was soon captured and taken prisoner. His identification was confiscated and he was interrogated on everything he knew about the Jordanian government. For a year and a half, he had no contact with his family; Tahhan, his mother, and his five siblings thought he was gone forever. Eventually, Tahhan’s father was deported to a Syrian camp in Jordan for about six months, before he was let out to live with his family again.

At that time, Tahhan was working for international organizations as a marketing and social media consultant.

“Then it changed,” he says. “I was told I couldn’t work with them anymore because the organizations could no longer work with Syrians. I lost thousands [of dollars].”

Things got worse when Tahhan’s passport expired at the

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end of 2014. He went to the Syrian embassy in Jordan to renew it, but was told he would have to go to Syria to do so—of course, this was not an option because of the crisis. He no longer had any ID, and each time he found himself walking the streets after sunset, he feared the police would confront and interrogate him.

No longer able to work legally, he began to work under the table, freelancing as a marketer and social media specialist.

As the conflict raged on, things became increasingly dim for Tahhan. His freelancing work eventually became unsustainable, a planned marriage fell apart, and his grandfather and cousin were killed by the bombing in Aleppo.

Tahhan knew he couldn’t stay in Jordan. While there were opportunities to study abroad, he would need a passport; as a Syrian, the options were especially limited. So he began a long stretch of late nights hunched over his computer, researching other options. He found many scholarship programs where students could go away for a few years, but must then return to Jordan. This would not do; he needed resettlement. Eventually, he stumbled upon WUSC. He applied, but didn’t pass the English exam. He applied a second time with no luck. He applied a third time, even though, by that point, he exceeded the age limit of 18-25 years old.

“I just thought, ‘Oh my God. I’m going to have to stay in Jordan forever,’” he says. But he would not settle, and spent three days

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working on an email to WUSC headquarters, explaining his need to study in Canada. After a couple months, the program manager decided to make an exception to expand the age range so he and others could still apply. He continued working on his English skills, and eventually made it to the interview. At the end of 2015, he was told he was accepted and would be placed at VIU in Nanaimo.

Tahhan lets out an exasperated sigh, remembering that email. “Finally, I made it.” Yet, “making it” wasn’t as hard as saying goodbye to his country.

“Imagine you are born and raised in Canada and you must leave,” he says, gesturing around Jumpin’ Java and the students bustling around the library. “Every single memory, friends, and family are here. It was the same situation in Jordan.”

In the summer of 2016, as he worked through the paperwork, Tahhan was told he had to sign an agreement that he would never return to Jordan.

“Why?” He says now, a frustrated edge accenting his friendly tone. “I still cannot figure out why.” All the while, his mother was asking him when he would be able to visit again, but he did not tell her about the agreement. If he did, she would not have let him leave. Once he arrived in Canada in August, he finally confessed to his family. “For a month, they cried every day, asking ‘why.’”

The first night in his apartment on VIU’s residence, he did not

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sleep. He closes his eyes and puts his fingertips to his temples, silently wiping at the tears that begin to form as he recalls that night. “Every time I remember this moment, there are so many thoughts,” he eventually says before pausing again.

He blinks and adjusts his toque. “I don’t like the feeling that I am weak,” he says. “I want to feel strong all the time. I want to know exactly what I’m doing. I always have a long term vision.

But that day, I did not. I didn’t even know what I was going to do the next day.”

After a couple weeks of quiet reflection as the summer wound to an end, he began to find solace in the new life he was starting, and excitedly began his first VIU classes, kicking off a major in Digital Media and a minor in Marketing. He says he hopes to start his own social media and marketing consultation business once he graduates.

“For years in Jordan, I didn’t think about my future,” he says.

“But I can do that now. In Jordan, every day you are working, but there is no means for your life. You are like a machine, just trying to live as long as you can. But here it is different.”

His studies, social life, and a part time job as a VIU Student Ambassador of Social Media keep him busy, and time constraints make keeping up with family difficult. “But it is also hard to hear what they are still going through,” he admits. “I made it here, but what about all the others?”

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Tahhan will be able to qualify for a Canadian passport and apply for citizenship once he has been in Canada for four years, but he still does not know if this will allow him to enter Jordan again.

“Many Syrians have disaster stories,” he says. “My story is just like a prototype for people that come from Syria to Jordan.

Everyone is in the same situation, whether they are raised there or just arrived a couple years ago. As long as they have a Syrian passport, they can’t do anything.”

Recent events, like the USA travel ban and the Quebec City mosque shooting, also bring heartache for Syrians and other Muslims abroad. “I have some Syrian friends in America,” he says. “I get messages from Syrians in the States and all different countries asking how to get to Canada. It makes me think something really big is going to happen in Syria. I’m not sure what, but it’s something.”

Yet, Tahhan says he remains optimistic and certain that, if countries like Canada continue to keep their doors open to refugees, there is hope.

He looks out at the campus, now quiet and orange-tinged in the setting evening sun. For now, he has found a home in Nanaimo, full of peaceful ocean breezes, late nights studying, and many new, accepting faces.

“It’s not bad,” he says with an easy smile. “Not bad at all.”

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Santee Smith and Cris Derksen: Ancient voices in contemporary arts Cheryl Folland Overlooking the harbour from the third --floor of The Port Theatre, patrons seated The Navigator

themselves among the rows of chairs and waited for the pre-show chat to begin. Art by local high school students hung on the walls. Images in pencil, coloured pencil, and mixed mediums, at a professional level quality, created an appropriate setting to discuss the art and methodology behind the February 3 performances.

What has informed your art to get you to this point?

Cris: I grew up in Northern Alberta, in the Buffalo Head Hills.

I’m half Cree and half Mennonite. I’ve been playing cello for ten years, first in the Edmonton public strings program, and then getting a degree in classical music. My study centered around the intersections of contemporary art and the traditional.

Santee: I find myself, as an artist, marrying new and ancient art together to reawaken and resurface the story of my people.

I studied for six years at the National Ballet of Canada, in Toronto. After that, I obtained my Masters in Indigenous Styles from around the world. I’ve had limited exposure to contemporary dance as a category, and started working with Cris about five years ago when I commissioned her to write

six pieces for my Transmigrations piece. This is our fourth collaboration.

Do you take part in powwows?

Santee: Powwows are not part of my culture as a member of Six Nations.

What moves you about this show?

Santee: I love cello, it’s one of my favourite styles of music.

I appreciate music in all its forms, except for maybe new country, if I am allowed to say that. (Laughs) I invited people to collaborate where I think I wanted the production to go. I commissioned Cris to write for this production due to the ease of our work together and our shared vision.

Cris: This time I had a full year, instead of one week. (Laughs) How does your heritage influence your art?

Cris: Both parts influence me. You can’t take part of your blood away from you. Old Colony Mennonites don’t have traditional classical music. The priest would start a line and the people would sing along. It was hard on my very particular ears.

Those circular lines still appear as movements in my writing, but in a more edgy and musical way.

Cris: Yes. Go. I love bannock and indian tacos. Lately, I’ve been marrying symphonic music with the powwow drum in the middle—cutting out the stereotypical white conductor.

Watching the performance, this marriage was profound. Cris plugged her cello into electric guitar pedals and live-looped mixed tracks while a traditional hoop dancer interpreted the music for the audience.

At intermission, Santee smudged the area with sage in preparation for the medicine dance she would perform. Her dance took the audience on a journey through three realms: Skyworld, Earthworld, and Underworld. For many, this was their first exposure to traditional dance and music. Effective and visceral, Santee left many in the audience with tears.

The show was sponsored in part by the Crimson Coastal Dance Society, Kaha:wi Dance Theatre, Mid Island Métis Nation Association, Nanaimo Aboriginal Centre, and Tillicum Lelum Aboriginal Friendship Centre.

Welcome to the future of roleplaying games Alex Gaiger With the advent of Kickstarter and 3D --printers, the hobby of tabletop roleplaying Contributor

games (RPGs) has never been richer.

Throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s, Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) was the one game that everyone played. Others came and went, but D&D had taken hold of the nerd psyche in the ‘70s and never really let go. Despite financial troubles in the ‘90s, it remained the go-to RPG that everyone had played. Now, all the people that grew up playing D&D, and the games that came after, are running the show—and that show has never been better.

I’d like to focus on one game in particular, Delta Green (DG). DG began as a supplement released in 1997 for the Call of Cthulhu(CoC) RPG from Chaosium INC. While CoC focused mainly on investigative horror in the 1920s, DG brought it into the present day. Players took the roles of government agents working within the Federal bureaucracy fighting back against

nameless horrors from beyond time and space. They would do so with little support from their superiors, working in the shadows, their family and coworkers never knowing the horrors they had witnessed or what they had to overcome to accomplish their mission. With the popularity of the X-Files, DG was a hit. They had four major hardcover books released, with additional material released electronically. The original books received many awards, including the top spot on the RPGnet Rating Index.

However, popularity waned, until only diehard fans continued to play. Fan material was produced for years, the most popular being the annual Shotgun Scenario contest, starting in 2005. Fans submitted short adventures to a mailing list, and then voted on their favourites. The winners received a prize (usually a gift certificate to an online store), and all of the submissions were published on DG’s official website.

In fall of 2015, nearly 20 years since the original

publication, DG came back to life with a new ruleset via a wildly successful crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter.

Backers raised $362,324, well over the projected $40K goal.

Thanks to the fans, new material is being produced nonstop, and more is still to come.

This is just one of the many success stories for RPGs thanks to Kickstarter. New games are being made all the time, and fans are able to vote with their dollar and decide what they want out of it. Thanks to 3D printers, it is much easier for the creators to make miniatures for the games, terrain, and even custom dice for the rules they have made.

Groups meet in libraries, bookshops, and other public settings across the globe. Parents play with their children, fostering critical thinking skills, encouraging creativity, and, most importantly, having fun. Thanks to this boom in the hobby, RPGs have never been more popular.

Summer Session

Earn credits in only 7 weeks!

Join hundreds of students this summer to get ahead with your academic studies.

@ VIU

Choose from a wide-range of University credit courses.

Visit viu.ca/summersession for course selection.

Two terms to choose from: May term: May 1 to June 16, 2017 June term: June 19 to Aug 4, 2017

matter here

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Coming Soon: Arts events nanaimo Cheryl Folland | The Navigator

WHAT

WHERE

WHY BE THERE?

Kiran Ahulwalia, Juno Award winner of Best World Music Album, and her five-piece band.

Wednesday, March 1, The Port Theatre, 7:30 pm, pre show chat in the Harmac Room at 6:45 pm.

Seattle Times called Kiran’s music “...a transitional sound as fresh as tomorrow,” blending blues, jazz, and mysticism. Listeners are invited to experience a memorable and enchanting evening of world music.

Tickets adults $42, members $38, students $15, eyeGO $5.

Tickets available at <theporttheatre.com>.

WHAT

WHERE

WHY BE THERE?

Sugar & Spice: Rainbow Equinox. A 19+ variety show that boasts an inclusive environment with a touch of sass. Local music, burlesque, boylesque, drag, and other entertainers.

Friday, March 3, Harbour City Theatre, doors open at 8:30 pm, show begins at 9 pm.

With many in the production crew celebrating a birthday, the evening’s events are sure to be jubilant.

From comedy to serious art, the evening has something for everyone. Early Bird tickets are $12.50 online , Students $10.50 at <sugarandspiceshow. org> until March 1, after March 1, $15.

WHAT

WHERE

WHY BE THERE?

On The Dock w/ John Herman, Brandon Stone, Louis Patterson, & Dane Letourneau

Saturday, March 4, The Dinghy Dock Pub, 8 Pirates Lane, Protection Island. Doors open at 7 pm.

Support local artists before they hit the big time.

Tickets are $20 plus s/c in advance (included return ferry and the show). Tickets available at The Dinghy Dock Pub or online at <ticketzone.com>.

WHAT

WHERE

WHY BE THERE?

The Nanaimo Musician’s Association Big Band’s 50th Anniversary Concert

Sunday, March 12, the Branch 256 Legion Hall, 1630 E. Wellington Rd., from 2 – 4 pm.

When else will you be able to see an accomplished 17-piece orchestra play amazing jazz? Tickets by donation at the door, with all proceeds going to a Scholarship Fund. Get there early, as seats sell out fast.

WHAT

WHERE

WHY BE THERE?

Stratford Festival’s Macbeth, directed by Antoni Cimolino.

March 18, Galaxy Cinemas Nanaimo, 12:55 pm.

Antoni Cimolino’s direction of Macbeth, was one of the best selling productions in the Stratford Festival’s 64-year history.

Tickets avaible online at <cineplex.com/Movie/ macbeth-stratford-festival>.

theoxypub@outlook.com

Daily Drink and Food Specials Breakfast Specials Karaoke every Thursday and Friday Music Trivia every Saturday

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ARTS

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Local Music Spotlight:

Caleb Hart and The Royal Youths Cheryl Folland On February 10, listening to Caleb Hart and --The Royal Youths set up for soundcheck, at The Navigator

The Queens, and planning their two short sets, their chill vibe was already spreading. As each person shouted ideas, “we can do that” was the answer. In between last-minute decisions, I had the opportunity to learn what life is like while touring incessantly.

You’ve been touring non-stop, how do you keep centered on the road?

Caleb: I am healthier now than when I first started. Learning not to indulge in everything that’s offered to me. I don’t mean alcohol and drugs, that’s not my jam, but unhealthy food.

Realistically though, I’d have to say if it wasn’t for my faith, I probably would’ve killed myself.

Is your suitcase becoming home for you?

Caleb: It has been my home for years now. I’m always jetlagged, yet, somehow, I am functional and engaged. It’s beyond a blessing having these folks with me. The Royal Youths are the most amazing humans. And they’re amazing at what they do.

Some of the best guys you’ll ever meet.

How is playing in Nanaimo different than other small venues?

Caleb: The audience is always very appreciative. It’s harder to get into the Nanaimo scene at first, because it’s about who you know, but once you’re in there, the crowds are very attentive.

What’s on your playlist right now?

Caleb: (Laughs) Not really anything. With all of my tour dates, I spend my down time in airports and sleeping. I get about three to four hours of solid sleep on average a night, but (pulls out phone) right now, Protoje, you should look him up.

What advice would you offer other artists?

Caleb: Make sure your intentions are in the right place. It’s more work than you’d ever imagine, and it’s easy to get lost without priorities.

Lastly, what’s in store for you short term and long term?

Caleb: Touring Australia, Western Canada, Trinidad, and Tobago, now and forever. Right now, The Royal Youths and I are recording an EP and I have a solo one coming out, launching this summer.

Long term, life stuff—I want to eventually get married and have kids, you know, but, ideally, I’d like to get down to 40 or 50 shows a year, instead of 450 shows.

Humble and heartfelt, Caleb engaged in a high energy performance with The Royal Youths. When the group wasn’t on stage, they spent their time dancing on the floor of The Queens with patrons. All feet were on the floor, leaving empty chairs and jackets, as Reggae spilled out on to the street. Cheers of “one more song” and lengthy applause foreshadow further success.

To learn about Caleb and upcoming tourdates, visit: <iamcalebhart.com>.

Cheryl Folland

Cheryl Folland

Cheryl Folland

Cheryl Folland

Reel jobs: Film careers in high demand Cheryl Folland After taking transit to a local Tim Hortons --in the early morning hours on January The Navigator

28, and purchasing the largest doubledouble I could get my hands on, I climbed into a van with three members of Nanaimo’s Film Industry and began the short trek to Victoria BC. We were headed down to the Reel Jobs in Film Career Fair, sponsored by GT Hiring Solutions and Vancouver Island South Media and Film Commission, promised leading experts in all things industry related. What they weren’t banking on, was the turn out.

“This morning, a colleague thought 80 pamphlets would be enough,” an event staffer said. “The event started at 11 am and I was already out of materials by 10:45 am.”

As of 11:30 am, the lines to get into the venue were around the block. Hundreds of people with resumes in hand waited outside the Pacific Fleet Club, located at 1587 Lyall Street in Victoria BC, for a chance to talk with film industry employers.

Inside, the rooms were at capacity as guests waited in line,

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body to body, to chat with the area of film production that held their interest.

After waiting in line for 20 minutes to talk to production manager Fabiola Arias, I was able to ask her a few questions about how to break into film production.

“Your best bet is to start as a location production assistant. It’s not glamorous.” Arias said. “You’ll be working long hours keeping the set quiet during filming, redirecting traffic, and running errands. This position is perfect for those willing to work their way up, as you have to be willing to do just about anything.”

Arias knows what she’s talking about. As part of Reel Job’s first panel discussion, she outlined her journey from the bottom up and gave some great pointers for aspiring production buffs.

“In this business, it’s not only who you know, it’s all about availability.” Arias said. “Be available. If someone calls offering you a job as production assistant, say yes and figure out the rest later.”

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Co-panelist Kate agreed, saying, “I was in school for accounting when Fabiola called me saying one of her staff was unable to make it. She asked me if I could come do Set Dec. It’s like packing up a whole house, moving it to another location and repeating the process many times in a day until production is finished.”

Kate explained how saying yes to multiple opportunities led her to move up rather quickly. “Availability is key, and having your own car. Production will often rent your car from you, which covers the cost of gas for all the errands you’ll run as an assistant.”

From set design and lighting to local directors and creative arts schools, the Reel Jobs in Film Career Fair was a huge success. The only complaints were from those who waited in line for hours to get in, which reflects the Island’s film boom.

With Hallmark movies, streaming series, and major motion pictures being filmed in our backyard, next year’s fair is certain to be bigger and better.

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The sets of Hollywood North

Mariah Vanderzee ---

I’ve always loved visiting the sets of my favourite TV shows. At first, Contributor it was solely an opportunist way to kill time while in Vancouver, waiting for one thing or another.

Once I crashed the set of CW’s The Flash in hopes of seeing something or someone. Not much happened, but Grant Gustin (The Flash from the CW show) and Wentworth Miller (Captain Cold) did see us; they smiled and waved.

Had we stayed, as some fans did, we would have seen the gentlemen come out later to say ‘hi’ and pose for photos.

It’s that easy.

The next time I happened upon the set of the CW’s Arrow.

(Side note, the CW loves Vancouver,) I was downtown, when I discovered a Star City Police car. I walked closer and had a conversation with a production assistant and two minor extras.

After these fortunate run-ins, I found the most wonderful website in the world. <whatsfilming.ca> is incredibly informative for those who are looking for what’s shooting in Vancouver and surrounding areas. It has a directory of shows and the signs used to indicate filming. Some shows have more than one and some are more obscure than others.

For example, Arrow uses one sign saying OLIVER, whereas Supernatural has used a sign that says JAFTS. So, if you see a film crew and are curious as to what is filming in that area,

you can just pop on the site and know within seconds.

People question why I go to sets. I’ve been to set four or five times where I didn’t get to talk to any actors, but it’s fun when it’s a show you like. I’ve been able to take pictures with the most iconic car on Supernatural. I’ve made friends. Occasionally, something spectacular happens.

One Friday night, my friend and I checked Whatsfilming and saw that Arrow was shooting two minutes from where we were. It was cold, but we got to watch setup and filming.

Stephen Amell (The Green Arrow) stepped outside, saw us, and waved. A little while later he came out again and was carrying two cups. All I can remember thinking was, ‘No, Stephen…you are not,” as he brought my friend and I hot chocolate and talked to us for a few minutes.

The second night, less than a month later, on another Friday night, we saw the Flash/Supergirl musical episode was shooting downtown. We were there as soon as could be. That episode, Darren Criss, who is a huge personal hero of mine, would be there. That night we got selfies, hugs, and to talk to four different cast members. It was such a surreal experience.

I would recommend trying Whatsfilming if you enjoy the many aspects of filmmaking, production, and catching up with your favourite shows.

Community development through music Krista Meckelborg ---

The recent passing of Stuart McLean of CBC’s The Vinyl Cafe reminds us Contributor how art brings people together. The Canadian radio host, humourist, and author has, once again, given us an opportunity to reflect on the importance of art in our communities. Canada is filled with people reminiscing over road trips with their families, and Sunday evening gettogethers spent listening to McLean’s brilliant stories.

This sense of community that comes from the arts is even more clear when it comes to music. Has a song or line of melody brought you back to a memory of a specific moment in time? For most people, music creates powerful connections between moments and people.

Live music can have this effect not only on families and groups of friends, but also on whole communities. Live music can bring thousands of people together. That feeling in the middle of a concert where you seem emotionally connected with every single person in the room; the energy that comes at a music festival when everyone standing on the grass with you is feeling the same thing you are.

Cathleen McMahon, founder of Mission Management Group in Ladysmith, has seen this effect first-hand. With years of experience in the music industry, McMahon is the current manager of internationally-renowned local folk band, Lion Bear Fox. “If you turn the stage around,” says McMahon, “and you look at the audience instead, you are able to imagine how many people of different religions, of different political views, all congregate when music or some form of art brings them all together. It makes the generations disappear.”

Music opens hearts and breaks down barriers. Bringing

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people together through music not only creates a sense of community, it also allows for greater economic development within that community.

“A happy community spends more in their community, does more in their community,” says McMahon. “To create moments of joy within a community is hugely important.”

When people feel a sense of belonging and togetherness, they tend to stick around because it feels good. These people then go on to spend money in their communities, and attract others who also come and want to spend money.

Destination venues, such as the Carleton in Halifax, or the Waverly in the Comox Valley, are internationally known for providing unique, exciting music. People are willing to travel from all over the world to attend music events, bringing with them their tourist dollars.

“Arts and tourism are huge economic builders,” said McMahon.“A community that supports their multifaceted art projects can draw people from all over the world.”

Additionally, money spent on local artists tends to stay local. The musicians who play in the pub down the street are the same people who buy groceries in the local supermarket every week.

“If you’re celebrating your music and your arts,” said McMahon, “those people don’t go very far to spend their money.”

By spending money on music and other arts, communities invest in themselves. Money spent locally stays within the community and allows for continued economic development.

Without opportunities for local music, the same artists will move on to other communities where there are opportunities.

Music also helps develop communities right from the start.

Studies have shown that music can help children develop

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certain learning capabilities, such as listening skills, communication, and self-confidence.

“It builds your ability to take in information through different perspectives,” said McMahon. “Music can build teamwork, it can build logistics skills, and it provides many facets for other learning capabilities.”

Local initiatives within Nanaimo, such as the Vancouver Island Symphony Fabulous Fives Choir for children in grade five, are a great way for young people to get involved with music on a personal level. Other more widespread programs, such as Music for Young Children, can also help build these skills in developing years.

Communities that come together and show that they can support emerging artists in Canada often receive many sources of funding. The BC Music Fund, Canada Council of the Arts, Canada 140 Fund, and Factor are only a few of the organizations that provide grants to communities who value music.

“There is a massive amount of funding out there if people are willing to write the grants,” said McMahon.

Within the city of Nanaimo, music may be the very thing we need to create a stronger sense of community and begin greater economic development locally. But it takes everyday people to take the initiative and support local, live music.

What is the purpose of music if not to be heard? The arts are a celebration of life, an opportunity to open up our hearts, a chance to connect with one another. Take these opportunities; let’s celebrate life together through music.

As the beloved McLean once said, “We do this thing. We open our hearts to the world around us. And the more we do that, the more we allow ourselves to love, the more we are bound to find ourselves one day.”

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SPORTS & LIFESTYLE

Men’s basketball: Mariners lead PACWEST to end season Cole Schisler As the regular season wraps up, the Mariners --are red hot from a 13-game win-streak, and The Navigator

are poised for success at provincials.

The Mariners have not lost a match since November 12, when the Langara Falcons edged out victory by a single point, winning 95-94, over the Mariners.

The Mariners have not scored less than 75 points in a game since their win-streak began, and the most points they have allowed against them in a single match was 79 points.

“The guys have been playing really hard for each other,” Assistant Coach Avneet Brar said. “We’ve been a cohesive unit in the second semester, and we’re doing a way better job on the defensive side of the ball.”

Coach Brar says that the team is practicing with high energy, and that the players have a hunger to win. The players encourage and challenge one another to play to their potential at practices.

The Mariners have been working to control the pace of play during the games, minimize turnovers, and execute for the full 48-minutes of play.

Recently, the Mariners defeated the Langara Falcons 84-76, the Quest Kermodes 89-78, the Capilano Blues 93-73, and the

Douglas Royals 75-59. On Thursday, February 16, the Mariners won their last home game of the season against their rivals, the Camosun Chargers, 102-76.

“I thought we did a great job of honouring our seniors and playing to their strengths,” Coach Brar said of the Mariners’ performance against the Chargers. “We had Kaz Kobyashi out there, who is a very hard worker, and Eric D’Andrea, who’s a very good shooter and a great teammate. We shot the ball well, and we were great about moving up and down the floor.”

Coach Brar says that the Mariners had a few minutes of lapses when they made substitutions, and says that the Mariners need to work on their communication when players come in off the bench to avoid those lapses.

The Mariners finished their season with a 95-78 win over the Columbia Bible College Bearcats, and will head into the postseason with a 16-2 record, which puts them comfortably at the top of the PACWEST division. With their win against the Bearcats, the Mariners secured a bye-week going into provincials.

“I think we have a chance to win provincials, as does every other team,” Coach Brar said. “We’re starting to play well and peak at the right time, hopefully we can keep it going and be successful.”

Usama Zaid hangs sideways after slamming a dunk against Capilano.

Cole Schisler

Women’s basketball: Mariners finish season with a win Celina Guadagni guards a Capilano player

Cole Schisler The Mariners have had a rough end to their --season. Four Mariners are on the injury list, The Navigator

and the Mariners have lost five of their last six games.

“Our game plans are changing weekly,” Head Coach Bill McWhinnie said. “We haven’t been able to go five-on-five in practice since October. We’re learning on the fly, the girls have been really good at adjusting, and being flexible.”

Fifth-year forward Stephanie O’Sullivan is playing with a torn ACL, second year guard Avery Snider and first year guard Shayce Johnston are is out for the year with a torn ACLs, first year guard Shayce Johnston is out for the year with a torn ACL, and first year forward Chantel Went recently recovered from a concussion. Coach McWhinnie says the Mariners will have only eight healthy players going into provincials.

The Mariners began their losing streak on February 3 against the Langara Falcons, when they lost a close match, 49-45. The next day, the Mariners lost 70-61 to the Quest Kermodes. On February 10, the Mariners hosted the Capilano Blues, who defeated the Mariners 52-43. The Douglas Royals visited the next day, and won 64-47 over the Mariners. The Mariners’ most recent defeat was at home against the Camosun Chargers, who won the island

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Cole Schisler

rivalry matchup 54-50 over the Mariners.

“It’s been a theme for the last six weeks that we’re not executing,” Coach McWhinnie said. “The talk is there, but we’re not following through, and doing what we’re supposed to be doing.”

McWhinnie says that the Mariners need to improve their communication on the court, and work to reduce their errors.

He says that the Mariners need to be more effective on offense, improve their shot selection, connect with more accurate passes, and be more cohesive on their defensive efforts.

“If they see a teammate that’s out of position or making a mistake, if they talk to them early enough, they can correct the mistake before it happens, and they weren’t doing that tonight,” McWhinnie said, following the loss to Camosun.

The Mariners ended their season with a decisive 68-38 victory over the Columbia Bible College Bearcats. At the end of the first quarter, the Mariners led 13-11, and by the half, they increased their lead, 30-23. The Mariners took off in the third quarter, punishing the Bearcats with basket after basket, resulting in a 51-25 lead at the end of the third.

Heading into provincials, the Mariners will be focused on translating their passion at practice into results on the court.

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SPORTS & LIFESTYLE

Cole Schisler

The Mariners huddle to start the match.

Men’s volleyball: Mariners lead PACWEST to end regular season Cole Schisler After winning against the Camosun Chargers --3-2 on February 17, the Mariners hosted their The Navigator

Vancouver Island rivals to end the season with a suspenseful 3-1 victory. Many Mariners alumni attended the game, and watched proudly as the Mariners won.

“You always want to finish the season on a high note,” Head Coach Abe Avender said. “With a crowd like this, that has over forty men’s alumni in attendance, it was nice for the guys to play at a good level, and come out with a win.”

To begin the match, the Mariners presented the inaugural Ryan Thibault Memorial Award to Mariners’ star power hitter, Zach Grigg, for his work ethic, academic achievements, drive, and leadership on the court. Ryan Thibault played for the Mariners from 2005 to 2011, and passed away last year after a battle with

cancer. The award helped raise 10K in funds, which were matched by the VIU Foundation.

The Mariners and Chargers traded the lead many times throughout the match. Halfway through the first set, the teams were tied 13 apiece, but the Mariners broke away with a 2519 victory in the set. The Chargers regained some ground in the second set, however the Mariners were able to contain the Chargers and win the set 25-22. The Mariners lost their composure in the third set, and lost it 25-22 to the Chargers after a series of mistakes. The Mariners pulled it together, and finished the match with a 25-19 victory in the fourth set, to win their final regular season match 3-1.

Coach Avender said the Mariners did an excellent job of limiting their service errors, which put pressure on the Chargers

to make plays, and allowed the Mariners’ defense to capitalize on their mistakes. The Mariners defense came up with a pile of digs to keep the ball in play, and prevent the Chargers from scoring.

As the first seed going into Provincials, the Mariners will have the advantage of a bye-week, and will play against either the College of the Rockies Avalanche, or the Douglas Royals. Both teams are different, and the Mariners will adapt their game plan accordingly. Coach Avender is focused on keeping the Mariners’ momentum going through provincials.

“The hard work is paying off,” he said. “I comment all the time in the room about our snowball, and how big it’s getting. We’re adding to it every night, and it’s just gotten better and better.”

Women’s volleyball: Mariners poised for championship repeat Cole Schisler The Mariners ended their regular season --with an impressive three-set victory over The Navigator

Vancouver Island rivals, the Camosun Chargers, on Saturday, February 18.

The match started with an emotional farewell to Mariners star power hitter Megan Rosenlund, who is finishing her fifth year with the Mariners. In a PACWEST All Access interview with Ryan Watters, Rosenlund said leaving the league is, “scary to think of, but I’ve been trying to stay in the moment, and practice each day with purpose.”

Rosenlund proved that purpose as the Mariners won in front of an energetic home crowd, filled with Mariners alumni, to end the season. The Mariners took the first set 25-22 over the Chargers. The Mariners let their foot off the gas in the second set, but managed to keep the Chargers behind with the same 25-22 score. In the third set, the Mariners ran away with the match, and ended the set 25-13, to take the match in three straight sets.

The Mariners displayed a near-perfect defense, and boasted many successful blocks to keep the Chargers down. Cattie Hegglin played strong through the middle, Kelsey Hutt held down the defensive end at libero, and Megan Rosenlund played well as

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always; overall, the team played well as a unit, with flawless chemistry and communication.

“Our team excels the most when we’re at this point,” Head Coach Shane Hyde said. “We’re really happy with how we finished, we’ve finished strong these past few weeks and we’re ready to go for provincials.”

With a winning record of 19-5, the Mariners lead the PACWEST division, and will enjoy the advantage of a bye-week going into provincials. Depending on who wins in the first week, the Mariners will face either the College of the Rockies Avalanche, or the Fraser Valley Cascades. Coach Hyde is focused on facilitating a fun, competitive environment for the Mariners during their bye-week.

“They’re a really good group of girls, and they work hard together,” Coach Hyde said. “The team is feeling really positive, and we’re ready to get on with the real games.”

Many Mariners from last year’s National Championship winning team are on the roster this year. At the end of a superb regular season, the Mariners are poised for success at provincials, and beyond.

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Cole Schisler

The Mariners gather for a timeout.

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Ray Chin: VIU’s vivacious violinist

Cole Schisler

Cole Schisler ---

Even if you have never met Ray Chin, if you are a student at Vancouver Island University, The Navigator it’s likely that you have heard him playing his violin around the bus loops, or outside the upper cafeteria.

“Here in Nanaimo the weather is beautiful. This kind of environment helps me to focus on my music,” Chin said. “I’m trying to connect with more people in general so I can develop my performance skills.”

Chin has been playing violin since he was six-years old; he is now 26, and studying education at VIU. Originally from South Korea, Chin was attracted to VIU because of the quality of their education program. While he is not studying music, he has been playing violin at a professional level for years. Chin sometimes collaborates with Philosophy professor and guitarist Oscar Clemotte, as well as students in the music department.

His style is inspired by compositions from the European Classical Era. When performing, Chin mixes classical pieces with his own, to make a uniquely beautiful composition. Sometimes,

he plays pop or rock music, but prefers classical. One of the biggest influences on his style is Italian composer and violinist Nicollo Paganini, who composed complex violin pieces in the early 1800s. Chin has a slight interest in playing in a fiddler style, as he has gotten many requests to play “Devil Went Down to Georgia,” by Charlie Daniels, but classic remains his focal point for violin. No matter what style Chin plays in, the response to his music has been overwhelmingly positive.

“People appreciate it a lot,” he said. “It makes me really happy because, globally, not all people appreciate music that much. Here, in general, people have been very positive.”

Chin is not keen on attending local open mics, instead his focus is on school, and entering serious violin competitions. He is not sure what his future holds, but he hopes it will involve violin.

If you have not had the chance to hear Chin play his violin, check out <thenav.ca> for an exclusive video of Chin playing an original composition, or try to catch him someday as he plays in the open air at the VIU Nanaimo Campus.

I’m all about dem oats Natalie Gates ---

Overnight oats are a super nutritious alternative to processed breakfast cereal.

The Navigator Plus, a minute of prep the night before saves you lots of time in the morning, compared to cooking hot oats, and they can easily be taken to go. Bursting with yummy whole foods, they’ll keep you full and satisfied all morning. The add-ins can be mixed up to suit your taste, or made from whatever you have lying around the house; this version is packed with protein, fiber, Omega 3s, and vitamins, and is free of any added sugars.

Mix the following in a jar, tupperware, or bowl with a lid: • 1/3 - 1/2 cup of old fashioned rolled oats

• 1/3 - 1/2 cup of milk or milk alternative (almond, soy,

• coconut etc.)

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• A scoop or two of plain Greek yogurt

• 1 spoonful of chia seeds and/or hemp hearts

• 1/2 - 1 banana, chopped finely (I promise, you don’t end

• up with a gross mushy banana texture!)

• A handful of other fresh or frozen fruit, such as chopped • apple and mango, or berries • 1 spoonful of shredded coconut • A pinch of cinnamon Instructions: Throw ‘er in the fridge overnight. In the morning, top it with a scoop of your favourite au naturel nut butter (Adam’s peanut butter is an inexpensive, delicious option). Say goodbye to boxed cereal forever.

Natalie Gates

LIFESTYLE

theNAVIGATOR

#11

SPORTS & LIFESTYLE

Island Rivalry Action Cole Schisler | The Navigator

The Mariners ended their regular seasons in basketball and volleyball against their Vancouver Island rivals, the Camosun Chargers. Here are photos from the weekend’s action.

1 — Celina Guadagni drives toward the net 2 — Sienna Pollard collides with a Charger in midair

7 — Jared Parhar slams a kill down to the Chargers side of the court

8 — Amanda Dobbyn comes up with a big block

to score

3 — Megan Rosenlund winds up for a spike 4 — Kaz Kobayashi charges through Chargers on his way to the net

5 — Nick Xylinas treads Chargers airspace to sink a basket

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4

6 — Zach Grigg floats the ball back over the net

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5

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SPORTS

LIFESTYLE

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PAGE 22

Ascent Past Normal I’ve been privileged, through fierce dedication, To be the first sibling, to obtain higher-education.

Self made choices, spawned a crater of illiteracy, The elevator was broken, so I took the steps to literacy.

I’m not more valuable than any student, but, I value this experience more than most students.

Being prudent is one of my many virtues, Don’t construed it, or woo me of it.

I don’t shy away, from helping my fellow man, It was a helping hand-up, that made me a gentleman.

I’m not the greatest-man because of my climb, But, a greater-man for using my mind.

Benjamin Franklin said, “a word to the wise is sufficient,” So, Millennials, judgment of other’s race or gender is insufficient.

Zachery Cooper --Contributor

Brandon Kornelson is a Sociology and History student. He hopes to become a journalist.

Where did you come from? Where did you go? We voted for Justin, now we’ve got Joe.

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Contact Brandon at <brandonkornelson@shaw.ca>.

#11

FEBRUARY/MARCH

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

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Strategy Board Game Night

PACWEST Volleyball Championships

NDSS presents All Shook Up

Rogers Hometown Hockey Tour

VIU Nanaimo campus gym,

The Port Theatre 125 Front St.

Maffeo Sutton Park 50 Arena St.

Starts 1 pm

Starts 7 pm

12 – 6 pm

FREE

$6 adults, $4 alumni/seniors

$20

FREE

Habourfront Library 90 Commercial St. 5:30 – 8 pm

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Maple Sugar Festival

The VIU Bee Club presents “The Coevolution of Flowering Plants and Native Bees” with Gord Hutchings

WordStorm

Writers on Campus: David Leach

Mid-Island Comedy Competition Semi Finals

14th Annual Wee Tipple Party

Contra - Learn Celtic Barn Dancing

The Grand Hotel 4898 Rutherford Rd.

Royal Canadian Legion 1630 Wellington Rd.

7 – 10 pm

1:30 – 3:30 pm

$95

FREE to students

Beban Park 2300 Bowen Rd. Starts 10 am

By Donation

Bldg. 355, rm. 203, Nanaimo Campus

Tandoori Junction 489 Wallace St. 7 – 9:30 pm

Rm. 135, Cowichan Campus Starts 6 pm

$5 adults

FREE

The Corner Lounge 121 Bastion St. Starts 8 pm $5

6:30 – 9 pm $2 students

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Canada 150th: Centennial Stories

Valhalla Wilderness Society presents Primeval

Bring Your Lunch & Learn About: Research in a Teaching University: What I Learned

Nanaimo Museum 100 Museum Way 10 am – 5 pm $1.75 students

Qualicum Beach Civic Centre 747 Jones St. 7 – 9 pm

By Donation

Bldg. 305, 4th floor 12 – 1 pm FREE

JOIN THE NAVIGATOR ONLINE

THENAV.CA /THENAVIGATORNEWSPAPER @THENAV_VIU

#11

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CALENDAR

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Get your resumes and cover letters ready The Navigator will be hiring the 2017/2018 staff.

If you have any questions, email <editor@thenav.ca>.

Available jobs will be posted in Issue 12.

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