Nav Vol 46 issue 06

No 06

NOV. 19

DEC. 02

Vol 46

NAV I GATOR VANCOUVER ISLAND UNIVERSITY STUDENT PRESS

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VIU BUSINESS PLAN COMPETITION

CULTURAL CONSEQUENCES OF WAR IN MODERN POLAND

AND FULL COMMUNITY INCLUSION FOR ALL

VIU will be hosting its first-ever Business Plan Competition, culimating in a “Dragon’s Den-style” competition that coordinator Ken Hammer hopes will light the flame for Nanaimo’s entrepreneur community.

Identity, art, war, history, memorials, memory, and migration are at the heart of a forthcoming Arts and Humanities Colloquium presentation

by English professor, Terri Doughty, and Dr. Justin McGrail.

As far as rights for people with disabilities have come, there’s still a long way to go. Full equality and inclusion are becoming closer to reality in 2014.

w r o c ł a w

Contents

NEWS

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Editorials

Nanaimo Museum hosts 160th Princess Royal Ceremony

VIU’s Business Plan Competition takes local business to new heights

University of Ottawa student resigns position over sexual harassment allegations

New reports help create better understanding of homeless situations in BC

Connect with Portal at the Annual Beer & Burger Fundraiser

City of Nanaimo - Preliminary General Local Election Results

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Book review: What I Want to Tell Goes Like This: stories

WWI love story from CLIP Project memorialized in symphony

Point of VIU Is there anything you wish you had learned before coming to university?

Photo Page: Heads turning

And full community inclusion for all

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Dancing on the Stars with the massless

Movie Review: Interstellar

Profs to talk on the cultural consequences of war in modern Poland

A Haunting

Nanaimo Arts Council Annual General meeting announces new director

FEATURES

Café review: The Buzz Coffee House

ARTS

Student-produced TV show to air on Oprah Winfrey Network

SPORTS

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Buccaneers add to crew

Mariner men pick up big victories

Mariners finish sixth at soccer nationals

Odds and Ends Comics, Sudoku, and More

Women split weekend series

Mariners continue hot start

Men’s soccer win silver at nationals

Mariners’ basketball victorious over Blues

Clippers on top of Island division

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THE NAVIGATOR

Letters

www. thenav .ca THE NAVIGATOR WELCOMES READER CONTRIBUTIONS

â&#x20AC;˘ To submit, visit <www.thenav.ca> or email <editor@thenav.ca>.

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

CONTRIBUTORS Shari Bishop Bowes Justin Chandler (CUP) Jennifer Cox Ciro Di Ruocco Nadia El-Bouzaidi (CUP) Angela Espinoza (CUP) Dr. Gordon Hak Shaleeta Harper Arlen Hogarth Drew McLachlan Lorin Medley Spencer Wilson Jess Woodrow

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.

900 Fifth St. Bldg. 193, rm. 217 Nanaimo, BC, V9R 5S5 T: 250-753-2225 F: 250-753-2257

STAFF Leah Myers Editor-in-Chief

Blake Deal News Editor

Kotarah Rivere Copy Editor

Brendan Barlow Social Media Sp.

Christine Franic Business Manager

Rio Trenaman Art Director

Ben Chessor Sports Editor

Jessica Reid Graphic Designer

Antony Stevens Web Editor

Gareth Boyce Board President

Alexandria Stuart Associate Editor

Kelly Whiteside Production Manager

Dahlia Yuen Graphic Designer

Felix Naud Multimedia Prod.

Denisa Kraus Arts Editor

Molly Barrieau Senior Copy Editor

Eva Calder Ad/Sales Rep

Lynne Williams Bookkeeper

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LETTERS 03

Editorials

Cheat sheet Leah Myers Editor-in-Chief The Navigator At some point during my run at the Nav, this was going to have to be said. For the past couple years, I’ve been fortunate enough to only be in healthy, happy relationships. But before that, I remember talking with a friend and mentioning how I’d never been two-timed before, and I guess I forgot to knock on wood, because it happened shortly after that conversation.

I never used to be, but I’m sensitive to the topic now. I can sympathize fully with girlfriends who need a shoulder to cry on because they can’t believe they were “so stupid not to know” or that they were left “for some (insert any synonym for sexually active girl here).”

Of course, it’s absolutely ridiculous to blame your partner’s unfaithfulness on anything other than their own actions, and in the past I’ve half-heartedly agreed with girlfriends about how the girl had been flirting with him for weeks, etc.

But it’s wrong, and it encourages the very backwards idea that men can’t be held accountable for their sexual actions, which is bullshit.

The next phase after blaming your cheating lover’s partner in crime is actually the step that I personally started on after I discovered my then-boyfriend had been unfaithful. Selfblame seems to be forcefully engrained in women—why is

it our first reaction to the misdeeds committed by another?

Maybe it’s just the easy response for a problem solver. If I peg the problem on myself, then I can also solve it. After all, it’s arguably a lot easier to try and fix a problem within yourself than to change someone else. Blaming yourself for being cheated on, believing that it was your fault isn’t only misguided, but detrimentally inhibits the healing process.

And this notion is sickly commonplace: if you were satisfying your partner, he or she wouldn’t have cheated. Well guess what? It takes two to make a relationship successful.

Chances are, if one person isn’t happy, the other probably isn’t either, but the faithful counterpart has better morals.

And guess what? If the problem isn’t bad enough to break up over, it’s probably worth working out. Considerate and self-adjusted people recognize this, and instead of cheating, they simply call it quits and pursue a relationship they believe is better suited for them. They don’t play the cheating game.

And it’s important to note that cheating is a game: cheaters get a twisted but unparalleled thrill from the amorous game of cat and mouse. And let’s not forget that some people coo for quantity over quality; if I have two lovers at the same time, surely it’s more of an achievement than having one?

But I’m psychoanalyzing here—something that my mom (in all the infinite wisdom that good moms have for coaxing a heartbroken daughter) warned me against whilst trying to understand the actions of a narcissist.

Another misconception about cheating that I’m guilty of believing at one point in my life is that cheating has something to do with proximity. Sure, long distance relationships are lonely. And sure, it might be easier to cheat if your significant other lives in another city, but people either cheat or they don’t. There’s a reason why the saying “once a cheater,

always a cheater” exists. It’s because cheating is a personality flaw, not usually an isolated, circumstantial incident. If anything, cheaters probably get a deeper thrill by cheating in close quarters to their partner—the risk of getting caught is that much greater (once again, I’m psychoanalyzing here).

But in case I sound like a scorned lover taking a final stab at an ex-boyfriend, I’ll momentarily get off my soapbox and fully recognize that women, of course, are equally as capable of participating in this dirty deed as men. In fact, when women cheat they often mask it as an act of exceptional romance, following your heart, or a brave act of true love. This drives me crazy. I’m not an avid movie buff, but I’ve seen a few staple “chick flicks” that romanticize cheating for the sake of love.

Something Borrowed is a film about a 30-year-old New York law attorney who sleeps with her best friend’s fiancé, but is meant to be sympathized with because she has been in love with him since high school. And conveniently, the guy can’t call off his wedding because it would apparently devastate his clinically depressed mother. The messed up part is that these movies aren’t sending the message to follow your heart and pursue love, because after the initial love affair, they continue to lie about their relationship instead of immediately ending their unsuccessful relationship to start their new one (overlaps happen, but continuous affairs shouldn’t).

Dealing with the trauma of being cheated on is onerous— but there should be no self-shame in it. And not realizing that your partner was creeping around isn’t a sign of gullibility, it’s a sign of vulnerability, the beautiful kind that you give another person when you’re brave enough to take a leap of faith and when you’re secure enough in your own skin to free fall into love, regardless if the other person is strong enough to hold you up or not.

‘Tis the season Alexandria Stuart Associate Editor The Navigator Campus life is steeped in tradition: the Freshman 15; first campout in the bookstore lineup (then, “Never again!”); the sacred vow never to hand in a late assignment, ever (usually blown first semester); and for many, spending the holidays away from home. With Remembrance Day in the rearview mirror, our attention is hauled into the Christmas season whether we like it or not.

Sometimes home isn’t all that far away, but the price tag on a ferry ride and a four-hour drive is hard to fit in the student budget (not to mention the terror of navigating the Coquihalla on bald summer tires). Left alone in your nothome-town, “Festive Greetings for the Holiday Season” can come across like a kick in the face.

My sense of family tradition was shattered early; my childhood was sufficiently messed up to imbue every holiday with the subtle taste of lead. My dad and his family did their best, but it was always a day late. When you’re a kid, arriving at a celebration isn’t the same as waking up to one. By my 20s I’d abandoned tradition, unless it was reconstructed and embraced in an ironic, well-pickled, rock and roll sort of way.

With the birth of my son came a romanticized notion that

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our celebrations could have meaning again, but a sudden illness drove us into the hospital for his first Christmas, and all bets were off. As he aged and his retreat into autism became more pronounced, it was clear that the holidays weren’t about him. He was completely disinterested in visitations from magical creatures or the delicious anticipation of an advent calendar; he only cared about whether chocolate or jellybeans would find their way into his sticky mouth. I lost the energy for any of it.

Our local extended family became “home” for celebrations: five generations, more than 20 of all ages coming together around the table. It was our last link to anything resembling tradition, but as families are inclined to do, things imploded, many moved away, and that thread unraveled.

My sister joined us for a while, but then she had a family of her own to construct new traditions around. My son and I were back in a vacuum. When my partner came along, he wasn’t connected to family tradition either, so we haven’t built any together. We do feast with his parents, who live nearby, but those Christmas crackers at the table are about as festive as it gets.

Now, the consumer-crazy train has left the station and everything is being draped in tinsel and lights. For those of us who don’t buy into the hype, all that glitter just reflects our rudderless lives, devoid of tradition, back on us. My son couldn’t really care less about any of it. He’s madly driven to make lists, mostly surrounding things he would like, but this hobby isn’t relegated to holidays—he’s an equal opportunity, year-round consumer. Yes, we always put up a tree in December because he likes to decorate it, and that’s where the presents go. The sparkle of the lights does please me

THE NAVIGATOR

during the dark nights. That’s what tradition looks like here.

Maybe we’re destined to become one of those families that blows it all off and just leaves town, except that’s expensive. And so many other people have the same idea that the borderline misanthrope in me would run screaming from the crowds, lock the doors, and hide under a quilt at home.

Looking at others’ happy smiles and celebrations on Facebook seems masochistic, but maybe I’m searching for inspiration, for meaning to latch onto in an attempt to reconstruct some sort of notion of tradition for our family? But forcing the issue seems disingenuous. And it feels like a lot of work.

Back on campus, a lot of students may be facing the same struggles: meaninglessness (without the nativity it’s all just shopping), baggage (we aren’t all always happy families), or distance (emotional and physical). For our international students, it could be even worse. The time of year may be meaningless, but the bombardment of fuzzy family images must trigger homesickness, and for them, home may be very, very far away.

Today, wrapped up in the insanity of final assignments and exams, it’s hard to envision Christmas Day, but it will be here before you know it. Whatever your background or plans, wherever you call home, it’s not a bad time to start thinking about what that week in December will look like for you. Maybe it’s an “Orphans Pub Crawl,” a desserts-only potluck, a “Buy Nothing Christmas” protest at the mall, or a double feature at the movies on Christmas Day (popcorn for dinner!). Carve out new traditions, traditions that are your own, and slap new meanings, a new face on The Holiday Season. Here, mine starts with white chocolate mousse in my coffee.

News

Nanaimo Museum hosts 160th Princess Royal Ceremony BECCA MACDONALD This November marks the 160th anniversary of the arrival of the Princess Royal settlers in Nanaimo. The Nanaimo Museum is hosting the annual Princess Royal ceremony at the Bastion on Thursday, November 27 at 11 am. The public is welcome to attend the ceremony and hear the names of people who arrived on the Princess Royal in 1854.

The Princess Royal ceremony started in 1954. “This event is a long-standing tradition in the community,” says Debbie Trueman, General Manager of the Nanaimo Museum. “We are pleased to be a part of the event.” The ceremony attracts descendents of the 1854 Princess Royal passengers. Many of those descendents still live in the Nanaimo area.

The history of the Princess Royal dates to the era when Vancouver Island was a colony, before the province of British Columbia was

PRESS RELEASE created. There were 24 coal miners and their families on the Princess Royal sailing ship in 1854. The miners were recruited by the Hudson’s Bay Company for their new mining operation in Nanaimo. They were encouraged to bring families in an effort to colonize the area. There were settlers already established in Nanaimo when the Princess Royal passengers arrived.

Members of the community are invited to the ceremony. The Bastion bell will be rung and the names of the families will be called by descendents of the original passengers.

The Nanaimo Museum is located in the Vancouver Island Conference Centre on Commercial St. next to Serious Coffee. Hours of operation are Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm. For more information, please contact the museum at (250) 753-1821 or visit <www. nanaimomuseum.ca>.

New reports help create better understanding of homeless situations in BC

ANGELA ESPINOZA

THE OTHER PRESS

NEW WESTMINSTER (CUP) — Several reports released last week offer updated information on the state of BC’s homeless population. Reports were published by Megaphone Magazine and the Women’s Coalition of the Downtown Eastside, the latter of which formed in 2011.

Findings by Megaphone reveal those who are homeless in BC face half the average life expectancy of BC residents.

The Women’s Coalition report outlines the rate of violence against women in the Downtown Eastside (DTES), claiming physical assaults are “normalized.”

Megaphone’s report, titled “Dying on the Streets,” was conducted between 2006 and 2013, which found “at least 271 homeless people died in British Columbia.” BC coroners provided numbers of recognized homeless deaths, but the report says the numbers are “likely much higher” due to the number of homeless persons who go missing.

The report also states homeless are twice as likely to die via accident, suicide, or homicide compared to average BC residents; the average age of death for homeless ranged from 40 to 49 years of age. The average BC resident, according to the report, lives up to 82 years.

Of the 281 confirmed deaths, 160 are totalled for having died on the streets, 90 for having died in shelters and 31 were listed as “unknown.”

Recommendations for preventative measures are also outlined in the report. Among other suggestions, Megaphone said the BC Coroners Service “should work with regional health providers and local homeless agencies…so it can better record the true number of homeless deaths in British Columbia.”

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Also suggested were yearly coroner reports, as well as monitoring of aboriginal homeless people specifically to have accurate numbers of the aboriginal population of BC. As for the Women’s Coalition report, titled “Getting to the Roots,” research was conducted via participants who were “self-identified women with existing relationships to the DTES.” The report says 48 percent of those who responded to their research said they had experienced violence in the past two years.

Participants were asked, “Where do you go or who do you approach when you are feeling unsafe?” The majority, at 23 percent, were classified as “no one/deal with it myself.” An additional 20 percent said they inform friends or family, 19 percent go to women’s services, while 15 percent go to the police.

When asked “What services or organizations do you feel comfortable approaching to talk about women’s safety,” 69 percent of responses selected various women’s centre services, yet only one percent selected going to the police.

The report says one of the contributing factors of many not going to police is that some victims live in the same housing units as their aggressors, and thus fear living on the streets if the crimes are reported. Another factor was that some “women may be reliant on violent partners for income, housing, or other support.”

Suggestions for change are offered in the report, several of which include offering 24-hour shelters and self-defense training for women, as well as developing “decriminalized areas where sex workers can work openly and safely.”

NEWS 05

VIU’s Business Plan Competition takes local business to new heights DREW MCLACHLAN

CONTRIBUTOR

VIU will be hosting its first-ever Business Plan Competition, culminating in a “Dragon’s Den-style” competition which coordinator Ken Hammer hopes will light the flame for Nanaimo’s entrepreneur community.

The final event will see 10 teams of student entrepreneurs pitch their ideas to a panel of five judges, competing for the grand prize of $2k to help kick-start their businesses, with runner-up prizes ranging from $500 to $1250, donated by community organizations. The entrepreneurs will be divided into two categories: one for students taking an entrepreneurship class in the business, tourism, and hospitality programs, and an “open” category for all VIU students. The event takes place November 28 at 3 pm, in bldg. 250, rm.

125, and is free and open to the public.

Hammer, an MBA and Management instructor, said that despite seeing plenty of creative entrepreneurs go through VIU, the small business platform in Nanaimo sends many en route to bigger centres like Vancouver. He hopes that the competition can help shine the spotlight on growing support organizations like the Nanaimo Economic Development Corporation (NEDC) and Innovation Island (two sponsors of the event).

“I see it really bringing to the forefront what already exists—bright, motivated, and energetic students,” Hammer said. “It’s just a way to recognize, encourage, and promote student creativity and innovation. So I feel as if it’s a part of something bigger that’s happening, and that’s helping us to develop a culture and some support systems for students who want to create their own future.”

Hammer said he hopes the competition will become an annual affair, and despite getting off to a quick start, he hopes this year’s event will pique the interest of students with ideas but little business knowledge and build momentum for next year’s competition.

“This year we’re appealing most to people who have thought about these things and are down the path,” Hammer said. “Next year it might be different. We hope that students might start putting their ideas together in spring, and we can run workshops for those who aren’t taking an [entrepreneurship] class.”

For more details on the VIU Business Plan Competition, visit <startupnanaimo.ca>.

Connect with Portal at the Annual Beer & Burger Fundraiser JENNIFER COX It takes a village to raise a child, and the Portal 2015 publishing class is a close-knit village that works collaboratively to create a full-colour 98-page literary magazine showcasing the writing, photography, art, and graphic design of talented VIU students.

A large part of the early planning stage involves fundraising; money is a driving force to carry our literary and artistic creations through the production process.

Fundraising is also a great team-building exercise. The class has baked and sold cupcakes and cookies, hosted a Halloween photo booth contest complete with wacky props, brought friends together at Koncept Nightclub for a Mathletes and Athletes fundraising event, and is in the process of gathering an assortment of donations for their Beer & Burger Silent Auction event at Old City Station Pub, on November 23 from 6-9 pm.

Area businesses have been generous with silent auction items, including weekend passes to Vancouver Island MusicFest 2015, and gift packages from Shelter Point Distillery, Scorpios Hair Design, Starbucks, and more.

First published in 1991, Portal has secured a prominent place in the Canadian literary scene and provided a platform to showcase feature interviews with the

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CONTRIBUTOR annual Gustafson Chair of Poetry, including well-known Canadian poets such as this year’s chair, Katherena Vermette. These writers share their passion for the industry while providing goal posts that emerging writers can strive towards, along with the encouragement that every story, every poem had to start somewhere. Portal is a magazine of literary beginnings, encouraging student writers to submit their work for publication. It is a stepping-stone to the wider world of literary magazines, book publications, and awards that lie around the corner.

None of this would be possible without the generous support of advertisers, donors, and student fundraising. This is what Portal members will be celebrating on November 23. The evening is a great opportunity to spend time with old friends, and make new ones. It’s also a chance to get a jump start on holiday shopping at the silent auction table, traditionally brimming with goodies.

Tickets to the Beer & Burger night include a veggie or beef burger, fries, and beer for $15 and can be purchased through any Portal 2015 member. There will also be a limited number of tickets available at the door. For more information, visit <facebook.com/portalmag>.

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University of Ottawa student resigns position over sexual harassment allegations NADIA EL-BOUZAIDI Trigger warning: this article contains violent content which may be triggering to survivors.

OTTAWA (CUP) — Yaneric Bisaillon, vice-president of university affairs of the International, Political, and Policy Studies Student Association (IPPSSA) at the University of Ottawa, has resigned following allegations of sexual harassment during 101 Week in September.

IPPSSA wrote in a Facebook post that they became aware on November 5 of, “serious allegations of sexual harassment made to one of our members by one of the IPPSSA executive members during 101 Week.”

“I just wanted to say that I feel very victimized by the tone and the framing of the message Yaneric has put on Facebook,” said Arezoo, a first-year political science student, who said Bisaillon sexually harassed her. She does not want her last name published.

“He said, ‘I’m going to choke you in my bed,’ while looking right through my eyes and holding my shoulders in the middle of the dance floor,” she said. “I shouted so that the people around us would hear…that he threatened me with sexual assault.”

Arezoo said a close friend and another 101 Week leader witnessed the scene. She said Bisaillon replied by saying, “I was joking, it was just my tone.”

Bisaillon published a Facebook post on Thursday morning in which he explained what he believes happened.

THE FULCRUM “I made an awful joke to a female and I deeply regret it,” he wrote.

“In response to a comment made to me from a student who trusted me as a leader, I replied with what I felt at the time was a joke, saying ‘I will choke you.’”

“I then laughed as a sign of ‘I was sarcastic,’ and we all moved on. In hindsight, I realize how violent and hurtful my words are,” he wrote. “I realize how choking can be present in sexual and other physical abuse, but I did not mean that in a sexual way at all.”

“In the following days, I will be taking the appropriate steps to make sure that everyone feels comfortable around me, and to ensure that I become a better person,” he wrote.

Camille Bourassa, a first-year social sciences student, said she witnessed the incident and she doesn’t believe it was sexual harassment. She said Bisaillon said, “I want to choke you in my bed.”

“It was a joke,” said Bourassa, “I remember I even laughed too, because that’s his sense of humour, and it was just funny, and we changed subjects right after.”

Arezoo first met Bisaillon during the summer, and said he was “very helpful” in preparing for university.

She said she was told by friends not to get close to Yaneric, because he would “hurt” her.

“I decided I wouldn’t judge him from other peoples’ experiences with him, I would give him a chance, and he showed his true colours during frosh,” said Arezoo.

She said she did not feel com-

fortable talking about the incident immediately afterwards because she was new to the university and unaware of the resources available.

Arezoo posted a tweet on November 5, after hearing the news of the two Liberal Members of Parliament who were fired due to sexual harassment charges.

“The man who made sexually abusive comments towards me happens [to be] running for NDP nomination.

Will I name him? Yes. Will I make it partisan? No,” her tweet read.

Bisaillon said he pulled out of the race before the allegations came to light.

“I had said on Facebook that I was going to run, but I was never approved, and the NDP never endorsed me. I told them today that I was off the list,” he wrote to the Fulcrum.

Stephane Mukunzi, president of the IPPSSA, reached out to Arezoo after reading her tweet.

“After this happened, I tried to reach the specific individual, Yaneric, and I didn’t. It was almost impossible to have a conversation,” Mukunzi said.

The IPPSSA executive team held a private meeting, according to Mukunzi, where “a consensus [was] reached” that Bisaillon should resign.

“He took the measures that he decided were adequate given the allegation against him,” he said.

“We cannot stress enough that the IPPSSA does not condone any form of harassment,” read the IPPSSA statement.

The student federation announced plans to conduct an internal review.

“The last thing I want is to hide,” Bisaillon wrote to the Fulcrum. “I do believe that what I did is not sexual harassment, and although absolutely wrong, I don’t want to go down for this. I hope that people

can hear both stories.”

“It’s clear in the statement that he made [on Facebook] that he doesn’t really see the point in why his comments were sexually abusive,” Arezoo said. “It has to stop on our campus, it has to stop on Parliament Hill, it has to stop everywhere.”

NEWS RELEASE Distributed November 15, 2014

City of Nanaimo - 2014 Preliminary General Local Election Results SUMMARY The City of Nanaimo is pleased to release the preliminary results of the 2014 General Local Election.

The official results will be declared on Wednesday 19th when the count is finalized.

Bill McKay - Mayor Bill Bestwick- Councillor Bill Yoachim- Councillor Wendy Pratt - Councillor Jim Kipp - Councillor

Jerry Hong - Councillor Ian Thorpe - Councillor Gordon Fuller - Councillor Dianne Brennan - Councillor

KEY POINTS * These results are preliminary. The official results will be declared Wednesday, November 19 at 2 pm. * This year’s election turnout was 33 percent of the registered voters, which constitutes a X per cent increase in turnout over the 2011 election (26.9 percent of the registered voters).

QUOTES "The Inaugural meeting for the new Council will be Monday, December 1st at 7p.m. at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre. Everyone is welcome to attend to hear the oaths of office for the new Council's four year term."

Chris Jackson Chief Election Officer Elections Office - City of Nanaimo

THE NAVIGATOR

Alexandria Stuart Preliminary results in Nanaimo’s civic election, November 15, indicate that 67 per cent of eligible voters stayed home.

Mayor-elect Bill McKay was put office with 6400 votes (29.76 per cent) while a slate of eight councillors were successful with between 10218 and 6547 votes (7.38 to 4.73 per cent). This is the level of public support that is required to put a candidate in a position of power here. In Nanaimo, 33 per cent of eligible voters cast a ballot, which is an improvement over 26.9 per cent in 2011. In contrast, Toronto’s recent civic election brought out 60 per cent and Vancouver, 44 per cent of eligible voters.

NEWS 07

Features

Book review: What I Want to Tell Goes Like This: stories by Matt Rader LORIN MEDLEY

Courtesy of <harbourpublishing.com>

SHALEETA HARPER With cracked and polished concrete floors, and live-edge honey maple slabs for tables, The Buzz Coffee House is a unique space with warm industrial design.

Exposed pipes hang local artwork and act as room dividers.

Tucked away in the back, an elevated section with a bookshelf, fireplace, piano, and grandfather clock creates the feeling of a tiny rustic home for anyone looking to curl up and read. Rust and honey orange walls are hung with decorative wool rugs in reds and creams while burlap coffee sacks hang sparingly, their blue and green hues picked up by the potted trees dotting the room. The music is gentle indie-pop rock and jazz, and the air smells of warm cedar and cinnamon.

The atmosphere at The Buzz is different from other cafés I’ve visited recently, catering a little more

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CONTRIBUTOR

“The dead aren’t so different from us,” claims a writer in the well-placed, award-winning final story of this quirky and superbly crafted first collection from Vancouver Island writer Matt Rader. It’s a telling comment given that “All This Was a Long Time Ago” features a writer in conversation with James Joyce in the window of a BC Ferry.

Rader, who lives in Cumberland, BC and works in the Department of Creative Studies at the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus, is no stranger to the Canadian literary scene. He is the author of three books of poems, one of which (Miraculous Hours, Nightwood Editions, 2005) was a finalist for the Gerald Lampert Memorial Award. His poems, stories, and non-fiction have appeared in publications across North America, Australia, and Europe, and have been nominated for numerous awards, including the Journey Prize and Pushcart Prize.

The 15 stories in this collection share territory with many of the poems in A Doctor Pedalled Her Bicycle Over the River Arno (House of Anansi, 2011) as they explore unsettling private moments and the fluid relationship between past and present. All roads lead to central Vancouver Island, where contemporary stories of loyalty and betrayal, the hidden corners of a marriage, and the loss of self as an occupational hazard mingle with stories of labour unrest and the immigrant experience in the early 1900s. Rader links the stories through outer and inner landscapes and an idiosyncratic handling of time that includes inserting himself into the story as a character and then poking fun at both himself and his craft. And it works.

His characters—union organizers, coal miners, immigrants, trappers, old friends, truckers, and constables— inhabit the mountains, back roads, hair salons, coal mines, parlours, and pubs of the Comox Valley. The landscapes are as moody and violent as the characters. “Wejack” opens with an 18-year-old trapper evading the draft, and then moves

CONTRIBUTOR to professionals, with a boardroom available for meetings. Many students also fill the room, immersed in notebooks and laptops, lost in the end-of-semester crunch. This is a place for relaxed study and light conversation rather than a raucous gathering with friends.

The food and drink isn’t expensive, and there’s free unlimited WiFi. Large windows framing Mount Benson let the sun stream in, which makes deadlines feel a little less ominous and helps keep the homework blues at bay.

The Buzz serves local coffee companies like Moja Coffee (North Vancouver) and Galileo Coffee Roasters (Britannia Beach). The mocha is affordable and offers a different flavour, bordering on the bitter side with hints of gingerbread spices. The latté art transcends the simple leaf design and becomes a work of art. But I’m not

toward an eerily similar, but more contemporary scene: “Daylight was coming apart when Beth disappeared down the street, stashing itself in the foliage, slashing rooftops, going red.”

Rader monkeys with time, perspective, and narrative stance. His delivery employs the economic language and blunt syntax of Seamus Heaney and the happy shock of Larry Levis (he credits both as influences). Rader unsettles us with the ordinary, employing unreliable narrators and stories within stories.

In “The Selected Kid Curry,” Rader begins at the end and ends at the beginning, includes a dream within a dream, and then adds, “This changes nothing.” The reader trots along with an omniscient narrator and then Rader throws in the fact that he is telling a story, and that the subjects of that story would see it differently: “He feels heavier but he would not use this word.”

Consider yourself forewarned: the title of this collection hints both at deadpan humour (the black cover is no accident) and the many composites of a single story. “The Children of the Great Strike, Vancouver Island 1912-14,” is the one weak link, perhaps because it attempts too much and there are times the historical document takes precedence over the story (it was part of a community storytelling event in Rader’s hometown). But even here, Rader yanks us back thematically. When Ora, an Italian immigrant, discovers her mother’s tabouret in the home of her fiancé, “She was surprised at how immediately the details of that object connected to the object of her memory and she had the image of two shapes crashing through time to be reunited as a whole thing...”

What I Want to Tell Goes Like This delivers dynamic storytelling with a twist. And if, like James Joyce, “The story he wanted to write would take several years to fully arrive,” Matt Rader is one to watch—and read—now.

CAFÉ REVIEW:

The Buzz Coffee House Carrot cake and café latté up to the caffeine. My leg is dancing and my heart is racing, and I’ve barely made a dent in the drink.

The food prices are also reasonable: a tall open-faced tuna melt with thick slices of tomato on a bed of spinach is $5, and a large

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Shaleeta Harper piece of home-made carrot cake is only $3.85. Gluten-free options are also available.

The Buzz moved to this location in the hospital area just off Bowen Rd. on Dufferin Cres. under two years ago and the reception has

been excellent. Every table is filled and the baristas move quickly, steaming cups flying in every direction. Between the homey décor, warm atmosphere, and affordable prices, The Buzz is one of central Nanaimo’s perfect study spots.

WWI love story from CLIP Project memorialized in symphony SHARI BISHOP BOWES Yellowed with age and hidden in the bottom of a drawer for more than 50 years, a bundle of 43 letters, tied with a ribbon, depicts a World War I love story that began in Stratford, Ontario. The story of Private W. Murray Dennis and his young love, Margaret Munro, was memorialized in a choral commission that premiered at the World War One Remembrance in Stratford on November 15.

Creating a new choral work to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the beginning of WWI was a goal for Toronto composer Chris Meyer, who has been working with the Stratford Symphony for four years.

Meyer enlisted the help of his wife, a historian at the University of Toronto. In her online search for a WWI story with a Stratford connec-

CONTRIBUTOR tion, she discovered the story of Private Dennis in the Canadian Letters and Images Project (CLIP), a rich online archive of the Canadian war experience held and maintained by students and faculty at Vancouver Island University (VIU). Since it was launched by History professor Dr. Stephen Davies in 2000, the project has grown to include more than 18 thousand digitized letters, thousands of photos, and an array of other related correspondence and printed material from various wars in Canadian history.

The story of W. Murray Dennis memorialized in Meyer’s oratorio—Our Murray—is made up of scores taken entirely from the letters exchanged by Murray and his fiancée, Margaret Munro, as well as letters of condolence from Munro’s family after his death during the

Battle of Amiens in August 1918.

“The Canadian Letters and Images Project is a treasure trove of wartime stories,” Meyer said. “I got in touch with Dr. Davies, and he was very happy with how these letters were to be used in this project.”

Dr. Davies recalled Dennis’ story in particular. “The letters came to us in 2001 from Margaret’s son.

She married about 1930 and when she died the family was cleaning out her place, and in her dresser, tied up with ribbon, were the letters from Murray,” Davies said.

“Her later family knew nothing about him—she had never spoken about him—but they were the letters of what was very likely her first love. Her family was so moved by that, that they have preserved them, even though they have no connection to him.” Unfortunate-

ly the CLIP project was unable to track down family on Dennis’ side.

Meyer was excited about the premiere of Our Murray, the first major choral work in his music career. “I really love writing vocal music, and some of my favourites are the great orchestral choral masterworks.”

The premier of Our Murray, an oratorio for baritone solo and male chorus, was performed by the Stratford Symphony Orchestra and the Canadian Men’s Chorus.

VIU’s Canadian Letters and Images Project continues to build a free, open resource through its acceptance of new materials for its collections. Letters submitted are digitized and archived, then returned to their owners.

To learn more, visit <www.CanadianLetters.ca>.

“Just got back from a four mile route march. The houses are very much different from Ontario and the roads flanked with hedges. There are no able bodied civilians around here and in fact no one but old people. The country is surely pretty. Still there is no country like ‘my ain country’ and no girl like my own.” ­–Letter from Private W. Murray Dennis, stationed in England before heading to WWI’s front lines, to his fiancée, Margaret Munro in Stratford, Ontario, May 5, 1917.

Among the letters exchanged between Pte. W. Murray Dennis and Margaret Munro was this last one, a final love letter to Dennis that was returned to Munro upon his death on the battlefield in France in 1918 The Canadian Letters and Images Project

Dr. Stephen Davies and Paige Fehr

Shari Bishop Bowes

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09 FEATURES

Point of VIU DREW MCLACHLAN / CONTRIBUTOR

Is there anything you wish you had learned before coming to university?

Tegan Wardrop, 18, Undeclared

Ivo Nikolov, 26, Nursing

Ryan Williams, 20, Theatre

Mitchell Keyon, 23, Psychology

Mackenzie Taylor, 19, Interior Design

“I wish I had learned how to strike up a conversation more easily.

Compared to high school, it’s a lot harder to meet people here.”

“Better time management. I’ve always had a problem with procrastination, and I’ve realized that it’s a good habit to get out of before school starts.”

“I was actually surprised by how easy the transition was. In high school, my teachers spent so much time warning us about how different university was going to be.”

“How to do my taxes. I wish high school had taught me how to do more everyday things. I still have no idea what a resumé should look like.”

“I wish somebody had told me about how many stairs there are here. Red Bull becomes your best friend.”

FEATURES 10

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Heads turning CIRO DI RUOCCO

CONTRIBUTOR

LEFT Arts 271: Ceramics—Heads

RIGHT Ceramics Directed Studies student Jano Thibodeau wasn’t sure whether her body would allow her to continue working on the wheel. Now retired, but continuing her lifelong education at VIU, Jano throws huge orbs and is one of the most talented ceramicists on campus.

Mugs without handles. Mug in hand. Mugs with handles.

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11 FEATURES

And full community inclusion for all ALEXANDRIA STUART

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As far as rights for people with disabilities have come, there’s still a long way to go. Full equality and inclusion are becoming closer to reality in 2014; wheelchair-accessibility has become a given, and businesses are starting to embrace this incredibly capable, but formerly un-tapped, workforce.

This wasn’t the case in 1976 when the United Nations (UN) General Assembly recognized the need to assist people with disabilities to enjoy equality and fully participate in society.

They proclaimed 1981 The International Year of Disabled Persons, setting a mandate to develop action plans that enable full equality and participation. To allow time for countries to act on this 1981 World Program of Action, the UN Decade of Disabled Persons was proclaimed for 1983-1992. And on December 3, 1992 the UN promoted the first International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

The aim behind the UN’s actions is to promote an understanding of disability issues while mobilizing support for the dignity, rights, and wellbeing of persons with disabilities.

Integration issues are also gaining traction as society recognizes the overall benefits of full community inclusion in all realms of political, social, economic, and cultural life.

A different focus on disability rights is set each year. The theme for 2014 is Sustainable Development: The Promise of Technology.

At VIU, the Disability Services Office mission is: “To work collaboratively and innovatively with the campus community to create an accessible, equitable, and supportive learning and living environment that enhances each student’s academic and personal development while attending VIU.” The office provides information, services, equipment, and other types of support to students with documented disabilities—temporary and permanent—so that they have an equal opportunity to be successful in their studies.

Some of their services include providing scribes for students with visual or hearing impairments, as well as interpreters, electronic devices, software, and accommodations like quiet rooms for completing exams.

Learn more about disabilities and the VIU Disability Services Office On December 3, the VIU Disability Services Office hosts 14 community organizations in the Arbutus Room on the Nanaimo campus to celebrate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The theme this year is Break Barriers, Open Doors: For an Inclusive Society for All.

This event provides students, faculty, staff, and the public with an opportunity to connect with community resources in Nanaimo. Information will be available from groups including the Nanaimo Brain Injury Society, BC Schizophrenia Society, and Brooks Landing Mental Health and Addiction Services.

“Everyone is invited to come see the community resources and technological advances available to assist persons with disabilities,” says Debra Hagen,

Coordinator of Disability Services for VIU. “We feel it’s important to be part of this international day of observance.”

The event is also a good opportunity for students with disabilities to learn about resources that are available to them, for students with friends who have disabilities to learn more about how they can (and can’t) help, and for students who may be interested in a career working with the disability community to speak with frontline workers about their experiences.

For a full list of participants, visit <http://www2.viu. ca/disabilityservices/index.asp >.

You can attend the event and view the displays between 11 am and 2 pm on December 3 in bldg. 300, rm. 401. For more information about VIU’s Disability Services Office, call 250-740-6446 or email <disabilityservices@viu.ca>.

“We’re trying to level the playing field for all students. It’s all about improving access to education,” says Debra Hagen, Coordinator of Disability Services for VIU. 637 students are currently registered with the department.

Recent advancements in technology have opened doors for the disabled community that would have been hard to even imagine a few years ago. Livescribe is a smart pen that assists students with hearing impairments. “It looks like a regular pen but has a built-in recorder,” Hagen says. “The student takes notes in class on special paper, and later uses the pen [with their mobile device] to tap on key words to play back that part of the lecture.” Another device, UbiDuo, uses wireless units with keyboards and screens to help students with hearing impairments communicate with others when an interpreter isn’t available. VIU’s Nanaimo campus has three UbiDuo devices available.

The Disability Services Office also sees students with chronic health issues, physical disabilities, and temporary impairments due to an accident, illness, or injury.

Visible disabilities are often better understood and easily recognized because they’re visible. The needs of a student in a wheelchair, on crutches, walking with a cane, or accompanied by a service animal or an interpreter are often more easily understood by others intuitively.

In the 30 years since the UN turned its attention to persons with disabilities, the face of disability—of the conditions that are recognized as significantly restricting daily living—has changed. Today, so-called “invisible disabilities” are more widely diagnosed, and the life-changing benefits of providing appropriate supports are being recognized. With the right accommodations and modifications, diagnoses such as Learning Disabled, Attention Deficit Disorder, and Autism Spectrum Disorder no longer mean exclusion from university life.

There are alternative terms to “disabled,” like “differently abled,” and from Glee’s Sue Sylvester, “handycapable.” It’s all very politically correct. But political correctness grows from a grain of truth: words have power, and words weave our reality. “I’m having a bad day,” cements as fact that you are and will continue to have a bad day. “It has been a bad day,” on the other hand, acknowledges what has been going on, but allows for the possibility of change, allows for the rest

of it to be a different kind of day. So it is with “disabled,” it presumes lack: lack of ability, lack of intelligence, even lack of hope. With the bar set so low, you wouldn’t hold out for a person to soar above it. But in presuming intelligence, we unlock a door and ready it for opening.

It is estimated that 15 percent of the world’s population has some form of disability, yet there are still many

“It is estimated that 15 percent of the world’s population has some form of disability, yet there are still many stigmas that people face.” stigmas that people face. Widespread use of the R-word, a hurtful and degrading term, persists in 2014. Unflattering labels and stereotypes compel many people to remain silent in their struggles. “For that simple reason, we know we have many students across Canadian campuses who do not disclose that they have a disability” says Hagen.

“They are afraid of being stigmatized or discriminated against. This is especially true for students with ‘invisible’ disabilities such as mental health issues, learning disabilities, and others.”

Events like the International Day of Persons with Disabilities are one way to shed light on disability issues and the realities faced by people with disabilities every day. By increasing awareness and promoting understanding of the issues, society can make meaningful progress towards creating a world that is truly inclusive, offering full acceptance to all.

Goabaone Montsho is just one student who receives assistance from VIU’s Disability Services Office Three years ago, Montsho left Botswana to study Anthropology at VIU. Rendered blind by a medical condition at the age of 15, he faced many challenges, but he says, “Being legally blind isn’t the worst thing that can happen to a person.”

He’s very grateful for the support he receives from VIU’s Disability Services. The department’s staff can scan and convert textbooks and other materials into PDFs that are accessible via special software.

Jaws, a computerized screen reader, transmits emails and allows him to study and write papers. In class an assistant takes notes, and to complete exams he dictates his answers to a scribe.

The Nanaimo campus did present a unique obstacle. “At first, the stairs were challenging, but I’m used to

them now,” he says. The Canadian National Institute for the Blind provides Orientation Mobility Training that helped Montsho become comfortable moving between classes with a walking stick.

At a very young age, Montsho learned that bravery, courage, and a willingness to take on new challenges would help him succeed in life. “Now I hope to inspire others.

Anyone can overcome life’s obstacles,” he says.

Montsho likes to give back to his community by volunteering with VIU’s student ambassador program as a Peer Success Coach.

“I enjoy helping students with academic challenges find ways to improve their grades,” he says. “I love giving to others. It gives me great satisfaction.”

Arts

Dancing on the stars with the massless DENISA KRAUS

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Blaise: The massless aerobic. It’s revolutionary. We use a lot of shake weights. It’s a trade mark tool which I’m not going to describe.

Patrick: And I’m not allowed to talk about it.

Blaise: But really, as a band, we were really inspired by what Top Men do with the movie tribute shows [Trip to the Moon, Metropolis, Aliens], and we consider doing our own version.

Weekend at Bernie’s. These two dudes drag around a dead guy for a weekend. It’s a comedy, as you can tell.

If you were to play at a dance, what kind of dance would it be?

Patrick: I don’t think we’d get out of a square dance alive...

Blaise: We had to turn down an offer because of conflicting schedules, but we were going to be the house band in Dancing With The Stars show. It was supposed to be called Dancing on the Stars with the massless. I think our style of music could push those stars some really wicked dancing.

What would you consider your biggest musical success?

Blaise: I don’t spend time thinking about that. But for me, when we played as part of the Cymatics Research Institute with Damo Suzuki in that church, it was a magical night.

Patrick: I wouldn’t say I’ve been successful. I’ve enjoyed playing every single time, so you could consider that a success.

Denisa Kraus Forget about what you think you know about experimental music. Imagine layered saxophone melodies and unexpected bass licks entangled in pre-recorded loops and minimalistic synthesizers—all influenced by Frank Zappa, free jazz, gnawa and african music, Miles Davis, saxophonist Joe Henderson among many others. Add inconspicuous presence on stage, a wall of baffling ironic humour behind the scenes, and unique visual taste in music videos and album covers.

That’s it. Do you see the massless?

Navigator: The first time I ever saw you play was Valentine’s Day at the Vault. What do you remember from that night?

Patrick Simpson (sax): Did we have a drummer that night?

Or was it just the two of us?

Blaise Zhiam (bass): Yeah, we played all night long. Every single one of our songs, plus one we played twice, but no one noticed.

Do you remember the moment you realized you wanted to be musicians?

Blaise: No I don’t. I’ve just always played music. Actually, yes. When I was 15 years old I was either going to be a professional soccer player or a musician. I quit soccer and went with music. I’ve regretted that decision ever since. I could have made something of myself. I could have been a soccer player playing in small cafes in small towns.

Patrick: As long as I remember.

I’ve heard the story of you getting together is worth mentioning...

Blaise: Do you mean getting together as a band or the other thing? Because we also teach aerobics on the side as a duo.

But as the massless, I was playing with a drummer and looking for a sax player that we wouldn’t frighten. So we posted an ad on Craigslist saying we were experimentally dub-section rhythm. Pat showed up and then the drummer left, so now there’s the two of us. The first gig we played was the Noise Festival. We started with live looping and sax, and gradually progressed into what we are now.

What are you now?

Patrick: I don’t know how to answer that question. I can tell you what it isn’t. It isn’t jazz, it isn’t funk. There are pre-written loops and melodies, so it’s not pure improvising. Our music might have elements of different genres but— Blaise: —the massless is little bits of everything we like.

Is it possible to be genreless? Is that what makes your music unique?

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Blaise: I don’t think there are any electric bass players in town. To speak for myself, the one thing I like to do is playing whatever style or sound I want. Whatever makes me happy.

I don’t worry about genres.

What inspired you to do the concert series “the massless and Friends?”

Patrick: It’s about returning the favours to bands who invited us to play with them and introduced us to different venues in town. And it’s an opportunity to play with the bands we really enjoy.

Blaise: I find we get more into composition. The more we write, and our songs are getting quite worked out, the more I like doing the jam at the end of each show, because it brings back free vibes of anything-can-happen.

Patrick: When you play with other people, you play differently. It expands your musical knowledge.

Blaise: And you get to rip their good licks.

Aside from ripping other musicians’ licks, what makes for an ideal jam session?

Patrick: They’re all ideal. Any chance to play something fresh is good.

Blaise: I’d like Phil Collins on drums, Valery June singing, and perhaps get somebody else to play the bass and sax...

Patrick: I’d rather watch music than play it.

Blaise: You literally have to pay him to play.

How do you prevent yourself from being starving artists?

Both: We freeload a lot.

Blaise: I’m not starving. I make money. Last thing I was working on was a video for a fitness company in Vancouver, and I’ll be doing an instructional video for a yoga instructor.

Lots of fitness videos as well. And Pat is a gigolo.

Why do you digitally manipulate your photos and music videos?

Blaise: I can’t speak for myself, but Pat’s really ugly. (Laughter). I just do that. I really enjoy it.

Patrick: Just like a lot of our music is digitally manipulated.

The sax lines are processed.

Blaise: I went to film school for classical and drawn animation when I was younger. I like cartoons. The digital manipulations and weird videos on YouTube are an example of what you can do with a free program. I don’t have the technology to produce work on the level I want to yet. Just a couple more gigs maybe. (Laughter).

What about the other part of your enterprise? What is the aer-

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If you could define success for yourself...

Patrick: From that point of view, I am completely content where I am as a musician. I don’t need a recording contract or to play on big stages.

Could you define what separates an artist from a good musician?

Patrick: If you do something on the instrument that is completely new and original, that makes you a master, like Jimmy Hendrix. He played the guitar like no one else before or after him. If you can digest what other real artists do and then bring your own angle to it, that makes you an artist.

But I think real mastery is the ability to express emotions through music and make it connect with the listeners. Somebody goes up on the stage, plays a bunch of notes that are technically perfect, but it doesn’t hit you in any way. Then another guy plays something and those notes hit you right in your soul—that’s a master. And that’s in all art. You look at a painting and it speaks to you and sheds a different light on an aspect of life, or whatever, blah blah blah... (laughs).

Blaise: I think an artist is someone who really pushes and strives to express themselves in their own way. I don’t want to be too judgmental because I don’t know whether that person’s own way doesn’t sound like someone else’s. I think everyone’s an artist, but the true ones want to be more expressive, unique, do things differently. And any musician who thinks they’ve mastered their instrument has failed. If you ever get to the point you think you know everything, you’ve closed your mind.

You can never reach the top?

Patrick: It would be no fun if the quest was ever over. When you feel you’ve accomplished something you couldn’t do before, when you always aim towards something more, it must feel better than getting to the end of the journey.

Blaise: Knowing everything doesn’t really exist. I bet there’s a 14-year-old kid that’s doing stuff you’ve never even dreamed of. That’s what makes it so awesome: exploring and trying new things. There’s always more.

What would you do if music never existed?

Patrick: I would kill myself. Seriously.

Blaise: I would invent music.

The massless’ first album “the massless,” released on November 7, will be available digitally at <studiozerono.bandcamp. com> and in hard copies at the next show, “The Festivus Bash” at the Cambie on December 20.

Movie review: Interstellar

Courtesy of <hollywoodreporter.com> SPENCER WILSON Five seconds is all it takes to recognize a Hans Zimmer score. You hear the droning bass and the strings section all playing one note. The score is just as boring as his last one, albeit with a little more colour than usual. Coincidentally, this is exactly what you could say about Interstellar.

By now, everyone should recognize Christopher Nolan. After sling-shotting himself to fame with the reverse-plot thriller, Memento (2000), Nolan went on to direct the Christian Bale Batman trilogy and the excellent mind-bender, Inception (2010). Nolan is rigorously technical with his approach to filmmaking and writing; this can work to his advantage in the case of Inception, but not so much with the poorly structured The Dark Knight Rises (2012) and the dull Man of Steel (2013). Although Interstellar suffers greatly at the hands of Nolan’s writing, it does achieve some stand-out technical moments.

It is the near future, and humanity is slowly dying out due to lack of food and a continuous dust bowl effect. Blights have been continuously wiping out certain crops, leaving corn as the only crop left untouched. Caught in the middle of this is Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), a widowed, former NASA pilot and engineer who now helps run his family’s farm. Cooper hates being a farmer, but has no choice since the demand for engineers has diminished in the reversion to an agrarian society. This gets further exemplified when Cooper’s son, Tom (Timothée Chalamet), gets fast-tracked to agriculture by the school system, even though Cooper wants his kids to be engineers. The school itself is comically anti-science, with textbooks proclaiming that the moon landing was all government propaganda and that NASA spending was a waste of money.

Things start to get weird when Cooper’s daughter, Murph (Mackenzie Foy), blames a ghost for knocking books off her shelves.

Later, a pattern of dust begins forming on Murph’s floor after a dust storm, which Cooper discovers is binary coordinates to somewhere in the middle of the desert. After

CONTRIBUTOR investigating, it turns out to be a secret NASA base run by one of Cooper’s old university professors, Professor Brand (Michael Caine).

NASA is days away from sending a search team into space to investigate a wormhole, which may lead to a habitable planet for the surviving members of the human race. Conveniently, NASA happens to need a pilot with experience, so Cooper takes the job.

NASA has already received some data from another team (referred to as the Lazarus Mission) that was sent through the wormhole. Contact with the Lazarus Mission has been sparse, but their intel has helped ascertain what planets are worth visiting. The team makes it through the wormhole in one piece, but are met with a dilemma when one of the planets they are to visit is close to a black hole (translating to one hour on this planet equaling seven years on Earth). During the space team’s mission, we see Cooper’s kids on Earth grow up, with Tom (now played by Casey Affleck) taking over the family farm, and Murph (now played by Jessica Chastain) working for NASA under the direction of Professor Brand. Past this point, the film quickly falls apart.

The majority of the film is primarily concerned with being as scientifically accurate as possible, to the point of being robotic.

During production, physicist Kip Thorne leaned over Nolan’s shoulder and laid down strict guidelines to secure his help: “nothing would violate established physical laws, and that all the wild speculations would spring from science and not from the creative mind of a screenwriter.” Co-written by Nolan and his brother, Jonathon, it is clear that their primary concern was the hows, whys, and whats of everything that is happening. Not a moment goes by on that spaceship where somebody is not stating the obvious, just to let you know how smart they are. By the time the final act is reached (and you’re supposed to buy into the idea that if time can be a quantifiable energy, then so could love) the amount of disbelief it asks you to suspend is insane.

This would not be such a problem if the film actually spent some

time being a bit quieter and more whimsical. So much energy is spent on giving a thorough physics lesson that the film loses some of its mystery and room for emotional development. Visuals that should be awe-inspiring and left to wash over you are undercut by endless banter. This is why Inception works so well: it left a degree of mystery that Interstellar is missing. Originally, the film was meant to be directed by Steven Spielberg, and I can see where Spielberg would have danced circles around these issues.

It would have been a less scientific film, but it would certainly be a better film overall.

Despite this, McConaughey and Chastain gave fantastic performances. McConaughey has been on a roll with Mud (2012) and Dallas Buyers’ Club (2013), and he continues to be a great all-American leading man. On the other hand, Anne Hathaway, who plays one of the main members of the space team (also Professor Brand’s daughter), does not present much beyond her usual annoying, emotional affectations. Caine is back for his sixth Christopher Nolan film, and fills in his stereotypical role of being the guy who says, “I’m asking you to trust me,” and, “I give you my word.”

What the film does have going for it is some of the technical qualities. When the film isn’t suffering from J.J.-Abrams-lens-flair syndrome, there are some stunning shots using both props and CGI. Nolan took a lot of inspiration from 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), which inspired him to use prop spaceships rather than CGed ones, for the space shots. It looks great for most of the film, except for a couple moments where it gets sloppy and ends up looking like a home movie made by 12-year-olds.

At least there was flawless detail to the sound editing; when the camera sits in space, everything is ominously quiet, no matter how loud you think the moments should be. Overall, the CGI, the planetary shots, and the sound editing are what saves the film from being a complete sham.

Interstellar suffers from a lot of things, but what remains the

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most bothersome is how derivative it is of 2001. When you set out to make a sci-fi film like this, there is obviously going to be some influence (Nolan himself believing that art is not made in a vacuum), but there is a fine line between being inspired and copying. This theme of copying is shown when McConaughey’s facial expressions during a space travel scene perfectly mirror Keri Dullea’s when Dullea is travelling through the colourful vortex in 2001. When a film goes to that extent to copy

another one, you’re much better off just watching the original.

This film is going to divide a lot of people. Depending on how many sci-fi films you’ve seen, and what you take away from the film’s final act, Interstellar will either amaze you or annoy you. Interstellar is not a terrible film, but it is derivative.

Not even its technical achievements can save it from pacing issues and prop mishaps. Those of you who are expecting great things of this film will be disappointed. Go see Big Hero 6 instead.

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Profs to talk on the cultural consequences of war in modern Poland

From Magdalena Abakanowicz’s “Crowd Series”

DR.GORDON HAK

Justin McGrail

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“Polish writers and artists have been recuperating the region’s multi-ethnic history and exploring the questions of identity that are raised by migration and the erasure of memory”

Identity, art, war, history, memorials, memory, and migration are at the heart of a forthcoming Arts and Humanities Colloquium presentation by English professor Terri Doughty and Dr. Justin McGrail.

The VIU professors began taking groups of students to Wrocław, Poland, in 2012. By teaching credit courses in Poland, their goal was to enrich the educational experience of VIU students. “It is a wonderful opportunity for students to learn through hands-on study how literature, art, history, and politics shape identity,” says Doughty. “It’s also a chance for participants to experience European life and culture in one of central Europe’s most interesting border zones.”

The instructors continued to learn about Poland, and they will share some of their thoughts in a talk entitled “Cultural Contact Zones: Wrocław, Poland” on November 28 at 10 am in the Malaspina Theatre.

Wrocław is an interesting place to locate a Faculty of Arts and Humanities field school. While the city was founded by the Polish Piast Dynasty, beginning in the 14th century, it was ruled successively by Bohemians, Austrians, and Prussians. At the outbreak of World War II, it was a city with a majority German population, the largest German city east of Berlin. After the war, this changed. The city, which

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was then known as Breslau by the Germans, became part of a reconstituted Poland and the city took back its Polish name.

“Wrocław also experienced a massive population shift,” says McGrail.

“Most of the city’s German Jews had been killed during the war, and after 1945, most of its German inhabitants were forcibly expelled. Poles expelled from eastern territories awarded to the Soviet Union were encouraged to settle to the west, and they were joined by migrants from central Poland seeking a fresh start after the war.”

“The Polish Communist government,” adds Doughty, “embarked on an aggressive erasure of Wrocław’s German past. Public discussion of Wrocław’s German did not emerge until after the fall of the Communist government in 1989. Since then, Polish writers and artists have been recuperating the region’s multi-ethnic history and exploring the questions of identity that are raised by migration and the erasure of memory.”

The presenters are an impressive team. Doughty has long worked in the fields of Victorian Literature, Children’s Literature, and Literature of the Fantastic. Actively connected to the Polish academic world, she has taught Polish Literature and will teach a new course on Central European Literature in

January 2015. McGrail, from the Department of Art and Design, has written about and taught Architectural History and Art History. He is also a spoken word poet with over 20 years of performance experience in Canada and the US. According to Doughty, “Globalization works to erase borders. However, for a country like Poland, borders and transgressions of borders have defined its identity.” On November 28 they will investigate this theme by looking at the architecture of Wrocław, as well as two prominent Polish artists, Magdalena Abakanowicz and Olga Tokarczuk. Abakanowicz is an 84-year-old sculptor and fibre artist whose work reflects the volatility of Poland’s past and present.

Tokarczuk is a fiction writer who investigates cultural, political, and sexual border zones. Born in 1962, she is one of Poland’s most successful authors of her generation.

The talk is the third installment in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities’ very popular Colloquium series of the year. The theme this term is war and its consequences, a fitting subject for 2014, the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War. The free, illustrated talk is open to faculty, employees, and the general public. Students are especially welcome and there will be refreshments.

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“Passage,” an Installation by Jerzy Kalina Justin McGrail

A Haunting Live painting seance organized by the art and music initiative Project Ghost featured four painters, three bands, two canvases and everything that romanticizes the dark and the eerie.

DENISA KRAUS

LEFT Etiene McGuigan of Roberts Hall, the opening act of the night. Following were Palo Santo and Colliding Canyons.

“It’s like having a party in a public setting. We have live bands, drink beer, have a really good time, all while making art and creating something beautiful in the community,” says Neigum.

Jess Woodrow Live painting events tend to bring smaller but attentive audiences willing to participate either as artists or as models.

RIGHT It is a collective process of art-making to which individual artists (Carly Neigum, Chantelle Spicer, Valentina Cardinalli, and Alejandra Cano) bring their own styles and ideas.

Carly Neigum is the leading organizer of live painting events in Nanaimo’s art community.

Visit the Nav’s Facebook page to see the full photo gallery of the event.

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17 ARTS

Nanaimo Arts Council Annual General Meeting announces new direction DENISA KRAUS

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NAC’s newly elected president Melanie Godel and director-at-large Reta Beirnes outside the NAC gallery, located in the North Town Centre. NAC is currently researching potential locations downtown in order to be more accessible to the community and attract more diverse membership

Melanie Godel presents her strategic plan for 2015.

Among other ideas to improve and cultivate NAC operations, the plan includes rebranding NAC’s public image, developing new and innovative programming, and expanding membership and potential partnerships with other organizations

Student-produced TV show to air on Oprah Winfrey Network JUSTIN CHANDLER

THE EYEOPENER

TORONTO (CUP) — A Ryerson student-produced television show called The Naked Entrepreneur will be airing half-hour episodes on Rogers TV starting October 28 and will be broadcast internationally in one-hour episodes on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) beginning in January.

“OWN and Rogers came to us seeking great Canadian content,” said Sean Wise, the host of the show, in an email. “We were happy to provide [it].”

Wise is a professor at the Ted Rogers School of Management (TRSM). The Naked Entrepreneur features interviews between him and Canadian business personalities such as Christine Magee and Harry Rosen.

The show gives students “relevant, candid perspectives” from successful entrepreneurs, said Dana Abou Shackra, assistant producer of the show and recent grad of the Ted Rogers School of Management.

Abou Shackra said that being Canadian makes The Naked Entrepreneur more valuable. Canadian business students see American culture in the media most often, she said, and The Naked Entrepreneur aims to be a better fit for Canadian business culture.

Wise said he started the show because “[students] needed more Canadian role models to be inspired by and to learn from.”

When he decided he wanted to make The Naked Entrepreneur, he approached RTA Productions to help him.

ARTS 18

“For dozens of years, Ryerson’s radio and television faculty has been producing great TV,” Wise said. “Staying on campus allowed us to not only develop the show but also provide experience to our RTA students.”

RTA Productions pays students in the RTA School to produce shows.

Students apply, and are then put into roles and trained, said Rob Carver, general manager of RTA Productions.

Carver says the first episodes of The Naked Entrepreneur that will air on OWN are repackaged versions of content in the half-hour version of the program.

Wise said a lot of work goes into the show. “It takes us approximately 10 hours to produce 21 minutes of great television.”

Caitlin Dosa, director and associate producer of The Naked Entrepreneur said working on the show is a great experience. Being broadcast internationally shows the RTA Production’s work is credible, she said.

Charles Falzon, chair of the RTA School of Media, said the fact that the show has been picked up by OWN opens up new opportunities for RTA productions. Soon, more RTA programs may be on air—the group wants to further expand by getting content on Sportsbet, Falzon said.

The prestige of having content on network television is great for the school and the students who worked on the program, said Falzon.

“It’s always great when you have something [you] produced on the air.”

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Sports

Buccaneers add to crew BEN CHESSOR The Nanaimo Buccaneers have made a couple big trades in order to secure the team’s position in the VIJHL’s North Division.

The Buccaneers acquired forward Dalton Dubetz from the Creston Thunder Cats and defenseman Wyatt Meiers from the Oceanside Generals. Both players were acquired in exchange for future considerations.

Dubetz comes to the Buccaneers having scored two goals and adding three assists in 11 games for the Thunder Cats. Meiers comes to the Buccaneers having scored seven points in 17 games with the Oceanside Generals. Meiers was also the captain of Oceanside at the time of the trade.

The Buccaneers are hoping that Meiers can play a big part of the back end this season, as the team lost star defenseman Jake Calverley to the Battleford Northstars of the Saskatchewan JR Hockey League.

On the ice, the Buccaneer’s compiled a 2-3 record in five games these last two weeks. The team picked up 5-1 and 8-2 victories over the Peninsula Panthers and Oceanside Generals. Nanaimo also suffered 4-2, 7-4, and 5-1 losses at the hands of the Generals, Westshore Wolves, and Campbell River Storm respectively.

The 4-2 loss to Oceanside snapped an 11-game winning streak for the Buccaneers over the Generals, although the Buccaneers did get revenge with the 8-2 victory 13 days later. The victory over the Generals was also Meiers’ first game as a member of the Buccaneers, and interestingly enough was against the team he captained just 24 hours earlier.

The Buccaneer’s 5-1 loss at the hands of the Campbell River Storm marked the fifth time this season that the two teams have played

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Drew McLachlan each other. The Storm has been victorious in all five games so far this season.

The Buccaneers currently sit third in the four-team North Division. Nanaimo is only one point behind second place Comox Valley Glacier Kings. Nanaimo has also played one less game than Comox Valley.

Nanaimo’s next game is Thursday, November 20, against the Westshore Wolves. Puck drops at 7:15 pm. Tickets are $8 and available at the door.

VIJHL North Division Standings

GP

W

L

T

OTL

Pts

Campbell River

22

19

2

1

0

39

Comox Valley

23

12

7

1

3

28

Nanaimo

22

13

8

0

1

27

Oceanside

23

4

18

1

0

9

3-0 score. Those games marked the first time since the opening weekend of the season that the Clippers had lost back-toback games. Those two games against Powell River are also the only two games this season the

Clippers have scored less than three goals.

Since that weekend in Powell River, the Clippers have gotten their game on track winning all three games the team has played.

First, the Clippers picked up a dramatic 5-4 overtime victory against the Alberni Valley Bulldogs Friday, November 7. The Clippers trailed 3-1 with nine minutes left to play in the third period, but got goals from Ryan Forbes, Brett Roulston, and Jake Jackson to send the game into overtime tied 4-4. In overtime, Clippers captain Brendan

BCHL Island Division Standings

GP

W

L

T

OTL

Pts

Nanaimo

21

15

6

0

0

30

Powell River

22

10

7

0

5

25

Alberni Valley

21

11

7

1

2

25

Victoria

19

8

7

0

4

20

Cowichan Valley

21

4

16

0

1

9

Clippers on top of Island division BEN CHESSOR The first weekend of November was a weird one for the Nanaimo Clippers. Friday, October 31 the team lost 3-1 to the Powell River Kings. The next night the two teams played again. This time, Powell River was victorious by a

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Taylor scored his second goal of the game to give Nanaimo the victory.

The Clippers needed overtime again the next night, picking up a 3-2 victory over the visiting Penticton Vees. The game was tied 0-0 heading into the third period before each team struck twice in the final period. Jake Jackson was the hero in overtime for the Clippers- as he split two Penticton defensemen before slipping a shot under the arm of Vees goaltender Hunter Miska to give the Clippers the victory.

The win was a big one for Nanaimo, as Penticton came into the game as the top-ranked JR A hockey team in Canada. The loss was Penticton’s first overtime loss of the season, and only Penticton’s third total loss in their first 20 games.

Nanaimo was back in action against Alberni Valley Friday, November 14. This time, Nanaimo didn’t need overtime as the team picked up a convincing 5-2 win. The

game was tied 2-2 with three minutes left in the second period, but two power play goals by Nanaimo late in the second gave the Clippers a 4-2 lead heading into the third period. Sheldon Rhemple added his team-leading 17th goal of the season to seal the victory.

The Clippers are currently in first place in the five-team Island Division. Nanaimo has 30 points on the season, five more than Alberni Valley and Powell River, who are tied for second place. The Clippers’ 15-6 record is second best in the BCHL, behind Penticton.

The Clippers’ next home games are Saturday, November 22, against the Trail Smoke Eaters, and Friday, November 28 against the Victoria Grizzlies. Student tickets are available at Frank Crane Arena an hour before game time and are only $10 for students. Tickets are also available online at <www.nanaimoclippers.com>.

SPORTS 19

Mariner men pick up big victories

Drew McLachlan BEN CHESSOR

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It’s early in the PacWest basketball season, but the VIU Mariners are proving that they are a team to be reckoned with.

The Mariners picked up two big victories November 14 and 15 at the VIU gym.

On Friday, November 14, the Mariners took on the visiting Quest Kermodes. The game was a battle of the top two teams in the league as both sides came into the contest undefeated.

The Mariners came out strong in front of the home crowd and took a 26-15 lead after the first quarter. VIU continued their strong play in the second quarter, stretching their lead to 13 points at halftime.

Quest came out strong in the second half, cutting into the Mariner lead and staying within striking distance of the lead.

The Kermodes cut the Mariner lead to just two points in the fourth quarter, but the Mariners stayed composed, picking up the 84-77 victory. With the victory, the Mariners became the only unbeaten team in the PacWest with a record of 4-0.

The Mariners didn’t have much time to celebrate the win, as the team was back on the court the next day against the visiting Capilano Blues. It was the Blues who got off to a hot start this game, taking a 12-5 lead with two minutes left to go in the quarter. But the Mariners started to warm up just as the first quarter came to a close, with the Blues leading 14-12.

VIU was able to carry over their momentum from the end

of the first half as they took the game over. VIU held Capilano to just 12 points in the second quarter, while scoring 33 of their own, as the Mariners led 45-26 at halftime. VIU continued their domination in the second half, leading by 30 points in the fourth quarter. When the final buzzer sounded, the Mariners improved their record to 5-0 on the season with a convincing 91-62 victory.

The Mariners’ two victories over the weekend were made more impressive by the fact the team was shorthanded for much of the week. Mariners leading scorer Justin King was injured in the first quarter of the victory over Quest University and sat out the rest of the weekend.

The Mariners’ 5-0 record gives them ten points on the season, good for first place in the PacWest standings. VIU is currently two points ahead of Quest University who has a record of 4-1 on the season.

The Mariners only have two regular season games left before the Christmas break, both on the road. The Mariners face off against the Columbia Bible College Bearcats Friday, November 21. On Saturday, November 22, the team travels to Kwantlen University to take on the Eagles. The Mariners’ next regular season home game isn’t until Friday, January 23, when the Capilano Blues are in town. For more information on the Mariners and their schedule, visit <mariners.viu.ca>.

Women split weekend series BEN CHESSOR The Mariners’ women’s volleyball team played a weekend series against the College of the Rockies Avalanche on Friday, November 14 and Saturday, November 15. The team picked up a split in their weekend series.

The first game of the weekend was a battle, going right down to the wire. The Rockies took the first set of the match 25-22. The Mariners battled back in the second set, picking up the victory and tying the match 1-1. After the Rockies took the lead back with a victory in the third set, the Mariners once again responded, this time winning the

THE NAVIGATOR the team four points for the season, VIU is currently two points behind the Rockies and Douglas College Royals for fifth place in the standings.

The Mariners’ next home games are Friday, November 22 and Saturday, November 23 against the visiting Douglas College Royals. The Friday game starts at 6 pm, while the Saturday game starts at 1 pm.

These will be the last two games for the Mariners until after the Christmas break. The team won’t play at home again until Friday, January 16 when the Mariners take on the Columbia Bible College Bearcats.

Women’s volleyball Camosun College Chargers

GP

MW

ML

SW:SL

Pts

8

8

0

24:4

16

Fraser Valley University Cascades

10

7

3

25:14

14

Capilano University Blues

8

7

1

23:8

14

College of the Rockies Avalanche

8

3

5

14:17

6

Douglas College Royals

8

3

5

11:19

6

Vancouver Island University Mariners

8

2

6

6:21

4

Columbia Bible College Bearcats

10

0

10

9:30

0

20 SPORTS

Men’s soccer wins silver at Nationals BEN CHESSOR

fourth set to force a fifth set. In the fifth set the Mariners picked up the victory with a 16-14 win.

The two teams were back in action the next day, but this time it was the Rockies who had the last laugh, as the Mariners were unable to win a single set, falling by a score of 3-0.

After losing their first three games of the season, the Mariners have started to find their stride. The team has had two wins in their last four games and has picked up at least a split in their last two weekends of action.

The Mariners’ record of 2-6 gives

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Drew McLachlan

The Mariners’ men’s soccer team fell short in its quest for a national championship, falling in the national final 5-4 to the host Sheridan Bruins in a penalty shootout on November 8 in Oakville, Ontario.

The game was a back and forth affair, with both teams leading at some point in the match. Victor Blasco opened the scoring for the Mariners just seven minutes into the match. The Bruins evened the score at 32 minutes with a goal by Chris Di Vizio-Mendez. The Mariners took the lead back at 41 minutes, but the Bruins replied with a goal of their own just a minute later, tying the game at two heading into halftime.

After Sheridan took a 3-2 lead at 72 minutes, the Mariners refused to die, tying the score 3-3 on a penalty kick in the fourth minute of stoppage time and sending the championship game into extra time.

The Bruins scored in the first minute of extra time, forcing the Mariners to try and mount another comeback. Just when it looked like

THE NAVIGATOR the Bruins were going to be national champions, the Mariners scored a goal in the final minute of extra time, tying the game at 4-4, sending the match to penalty kicks.

After both teams scored on their first five attempts, the Mariners missed their sixth attempt, giving Di Vizio-Mendez a chance to win it for the Bruins. He made no mistake, giving the Bruins a 5-4 victory and the national championship.

The loss marks a disappointing end to a very strong season for the Mariners, who captured a silver medal at the PacWest championship as well as the silver medal at the national tournament. The Mariners also finished the regular season as the best team in the PacWest, compiling a 10-3-2 record in 15 regular season games.

The Mariners advanced to the national final after a 3-2 shootout victory over Algonquin Thunder in the semi-finals. VIU opened the tournament with a 1-0 victory over Holland University.

Mariners finish sixth at soccer nationals BEN CHESSOR

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It wasn’t the ending to the season they had hoped for, as the Mariners’ women’s soccer team ended the season with a sixth place finish at the CCAA National Championships, which were held in Medicine Hat November 5-8.

The Mariners opened the tournament on a positive note, picking up a victory in their first game of the tournament against the host Medicine Hat Rattlers. VIU came out firing, and led 3-0 after the first half on goals by Madeline Dawson, Bronte Fitzsimmons, and Zoe Grace. Samantha Rogers scored the lone goal of the second half, giving the Mariners a 4-0

win to open the tournament.

The Mariners’ next game was against the Garneau Elans.

Despite a valiant effort from the Mariners, it was Garneau that picked up the victory by a 4-0 score. With the victory , Garneau advanced to the gold medal game.

VIU was back in action the next day, this time against the Seneca String, with the winner moving on to play in the bronze medal game. After Seneca opened the scoring early, the Mariners responded on a penalty kick from Bronte Fitzsimmons to tie the game 1-1.

The game remained tied at 1-1 until early in the second half, when Seneca struck again, taking a 2-1 lead. Carli Rey tied the game for the Mariners 10 minutes later, tying the score 2-2. The game stayed through the rest of the second half and extra time, sending the game to a shootout. Unfortunately for the Mariners, it was the Sting who picked up the victory in the shootout, ensuring that VIU would be denied a medal at the tournament.

The Mariners played one final game in the tournament against the other PacWest team in the tournament, the Langara Falcons. The Mariners, playing their fourth game of the tournament, couldn’t muster any offense in the final game of their season as they fell to the Falcons by a final score of 3-0.

The sixth place finish at nationals caps off a successful season for the Mariners, as the team captured the PacWest provincial championship. The Mariners also finished the regular season as the best team in the PacWest with a record of 11-1-3.

Mariners continue hot start BEN CHESSOR The Mariners’ men’s volleyball team has opened the 2014-2015 PacWest season on a roll. The Mariners split a weekend series against the College of the Rockies Avalanche November 14 and 15 in Cranbrook to move their record to 6-2 on the season.

The Mariners dropped their first match of the weekend series against the Avalanche in straight sets, losing 25-23, 25-19, 25-21 on Friday, November 14. VIU responded well the next day as they picked up the straight set victory in the second game between the two teams.

The loss against the Avalanche snapped a four-game winning streak for the Mariners, who hadn’t lost a match since October 18

THE NAVIGATOR against the Camosun Chargers. The impressive winning streak made the Mariners the fifth-ranked volleyball team in the country.

The Mariners weren’t in action November 7 and 8, but two weeks earlier they successfully defended their home court against the visiting Fraser Valley University Cascades. The Mariners picked up victories in both games played between the two teams.

First, VIU earned a hard-fought 3-2 victory on Friday, October 31. The Mariners won the game’s first two sets 25-14 and 25-23. The Cascades won the next two sets, forcing a fifth and deciding set. In the final set the Mariners were victorious, picking up the dramatic 16-14 victory.

The two teams met again the next day. VIU once again won the first two sets of the match, 25-19 and 27-25. This time the Cascades couldn’t mount a comeback, as the Mariners picked up the third set 25-21, capturing the 3-0 victory.

The Mariners’ 6-2 record puts them in second place in the standings, two points behind first place Douglas Royals, who are 7-1 on the season.

The Mariners’ next home games are Friday, November 21 and Sat-

urday, November 22, against the Douglas College Royals. The Friday game starts at 8 pm, and the match Saturday starts at 3 pm.

For more information on the Mariners, visit <mariners.viu.ca>.

Men’s volleyball

GP

MW

ML

SW:SL

Pts

Douglas College Royals

8

7

1

23:6

14

Fraser Valley University Cascades

10

6

4

21:17

12

Vancouver Island University Mariners

8

6

2

19:11

12

Camosun College Chargers

8

5

3

18:12

10

Columbia Bible College Bearcats

10

3

7

14:26

6

College of the Rockies Avalanche

8

2

6

11:20

4

Capilano University Blues

8

1

7

9:23

2

Mariners’ basketball victorious over Blues BEN CHESSOR

Drew McLachlan

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The VIU Mariners’ women’s basketball team picked up their most lopsided victory of the season, with a 58-37 victory over the visiting Capilano Blues on November 15. The victory moved the Mariners above .500 on the season, improving their record to 3-2.

The Mariners got off to a hot start and put the game out of reach early.

VIU led 23-10 after the first quarter. The Mariners kept the pressure on the Blues and continued to expand their lead. At halftime the Mariners led by 26 points. The score at the half was 42-16.

The Mariners’ offense cooled down in the second half, as the team only scored 16 points in the game’s final 20 minutes. But the offense in the first half was all the Mariners needed as they picked up the 58-37 win.

The Mariners had more points in the first half than Capilano scored all game. The loss dropped the Blues to 2-3 on the season.

On Friday, November 14, the Mariners faced their toughest test of the young season as the undefeated Quest Kermodes paid a visit to the VIU gym. Despite Quest’s undefeated start to the season, it was the Mariners who started out hot. When the first quarter ended, the Mariners were leading 14-9. But the Kermodes came alive in the second quarter and took the lead away from the Mariners. At halftime The Mariners trailed Quest 26-21.

Quest increased their lead to double digits in the third quarter, leading 51-35 entering the fourth. The Mariners tried to mount a comeback in the game’s final quarter, but they fell short as Quest picked up the 64-51 victory on the road.

After five games, the Mariners have a record of 3-2. VIU’s six points gives them a two-point lead over the two teams in fourth place, Capilano and Camosun. The Mariners are four points behind Douglas and Quest who are both tied with 10 points each.

The Mariners don’t play at home again until January 23 when they take on the visiting Capilano Blues. VIU only has two games left before the winter break. On November 21, the team takes on the Columbia Bible College Bearcats, and on November 22 the team takes on the Kwantlen Eagles in their last game before the Christmas break.

SPORTS 21

Odds & Ends

Hunter's Daughter Emery Konst With gods are those who hunt the beast With health are those who skin the hides With love are those who cook the meat Hunter's daughter with tears she cried Never in furs shall I be clothed Never with flesh shall I be fed I embrace the winter frost I deserve a hungry death Your heart it aches with guilt my child In sacrifice we eat to live Respect the meat for all who die Fulfilled dead beasts they still go on Their song it plays without a sound Sings strength and flight in all hunters Emery is an English major student focusing on fictional story and poetry. Besides reading and writing in his hammock, annoying the neighbors with music is his favourite pastime.

Wake Sarah Torgerson The day they brought you home, It became my duty to protect you And keep those deep brown eyes, Soon magnified and hidden behind Thick, crooked glass, Pure.

So I set to work over the years, Lying bridges over broken glass, Clearing pathways through the eggshells He so often left Strewn over kitchen Floors.

I tried to keep you safe, Distracted and content, An alabaster doll I carried through battle, Dreading the day you Strayed from my Wake.

Sarah Torgerson is a third-year Creative Writing major at VIU. Her education is mostly focused on journalism, but she has also been exploring short fiction and poetry over the past few years. Originally from Kelowna, her free time is usually spent taking advantage of all the great things the island has to offer: ocean, trails, and amazing food.

“Wake” was inspired by Sarah’s younger brother, Wren.

Comics by Arlen Hogarth www.facebook.com/lunglessart http://lunglessart.weebly.com/

ODDS & ENDS 22

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November

SUN

MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

SAT

19

20

21

22

Free Chair Massage

Worldbridger Film Series presents Instructions Not Included

The Distributors w/ Artificial Scene & Awkward a/c

Unusual Nature

Nanaimo campus, upper cafeteria Free 11 AM – 1 PM

Nanaimo campus, bldg.

355, rm. 109 By donation

The Cambie, 63 Victoria Cr. $8 9 PM

The Electric Umbrella Tattoo & Gallery, 321 Wesley St. Free 7:30 – 11 PM

7 – 9 PM

23

24

25

26

27

28

Portal’s Beer & Burger and Silent Auction

Reuben & The Dark, Wood Pigeon, Coal Moon

FREE Winter Riding Workshop (and 20% off safety/waterproof gear)

Therapy Dogs and Edible Exam Prop

Flea Market

The Queens, 34 Victoria Cr.

Hub City Cycles Community Co-op, 12 Lois Lane

VISFF Bonus Film Night 100% Local Farmship Autumnal Gala Nanaimo campus, bldg.

355, rm. 203 Bowen Park Recreational Complex, $5 500 Bowen Rd.

Old City Station Pub, 150 Skinner St. $15

$10

6 – 8 PM

6:30 – 7:30 PM

7 PM (early show)

Nanaimo campus, bldg.

190 (gym) FREE

Nanaimo Legion Hall, 1630 Wellington Rd. 5 – 9 PM

7 PM

12 – 2 PM

29

$35 (including dinner and door prizes) 5:30 PM – 12:30 AM

30

01

02

Nanaimo Art Gallery Pop Up Shop

Lunchtime Yoga

Kizomba Dance Lessons

Nanaimo campus, bldg.

300, Royal Arbutus Room

The Globe, 25 Front St., no partner required

NAG ArtLab, 150 Commercial St.; VIU, bldg. 330, (also on Saturday) 11 AM – 5 PM

By donation 12 – 12:50 PM

$12 7– 9 PM

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CALENDAR 23