No 14
APR. 08
SEPT. 09
Vol 46
NAV I GATOR VANCOUVER ISLAND UNIVERSITY STUDENT PRESS
FREE
05
10
20
POLITICAL CONFERENCE OPENS CONVERSATION
A BROTHERHOOD ON FOUR WHEELS
RECAPPING THE YEAR THAT WAS: THE VIU MARINERS
The VIU Political Society had its first Student Political Conference on March 24, giving students the opportunity to voice their opinions about various issues and mingle with politicians.
Most skaters view skateboarding as more than an activity or pasttime. They view it as a way of life.
It was another successful year for the Mariners, as every Mariner team picked up a medal at the provincial level.
Contents
NEWS
04
05
06
07
Editorials
Political conference opens conversation for local politicians and students
Health and Wellness Clinic coming to Nanaimo campus
VIU’s spring jazz concert showcases student talent
Cedars donated to totem pole project
FEATURES
08
09
10
11
12
The de-evolution of James Lunney
Museum news: American Bullfrog vs. the Western Toad
A brotherhood on four wheels
Skate stills
Collective outpouring
Stone and crystal eggs for spring
Point of VIU
Nanaimo needs native plants
The long commute: Final installment
ARTS
14
15
16
17
18
The exit interview with Arlen Hogarth
Movie review: Song of the Sea
Mike Edel brings new album to Nanaimo
The Port Theatre puts youth in charge
Body Talk 2015
Gold & Shadow coming to the Port Theatre
SPORTS
19
20
21
22
Clippers prepare for League Championship
Recapping the year that was: The VIU Mariners
Five summertime sports predictions
Odds and Ends Comics
Mariners’ badminton player named Canada’s best
02 CONTENTS
THE NAVIGATOR
No 14
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 Stephanie Brown Bandit Chessor Shanon Fenske Jennifer Garceau Arlen Hogarth Tomi Lawson James MacKinnon Graydon Robb Spenser Smith Chantelle Spicer Spencer Wilson Jay Zemanek
No 14
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.
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STAFF
Leah Myers Editor-in-Chief
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Molly Barrieau Online Reporter
Lynne Williams Bookkeeper
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Ben Chessor Sports Editor
Dahlia Yuen Graphic Designer
Brendan Barlow Social Media Sp.
Christine Franic Business Manager
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Kelly Whiteside Production Manager
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Gareth Boyce Board President
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LETTERS 03
Editorials
We are the future Leah Myers Editor-in-chief The Navigator Over my university career and two years working at The Navigator, I’ve had the pleasure to study, collaborate, and work not only with the diverse community in the Creative Writing department (poets, fictionists, playwrights, journalists), but I’ve also had the chance to work with people in different departments, including Graphic Design and Media Studies. Working alongside others with such a range of creative talent is fun, and it’s fascinating comparing the similarities and differences in our creative processes. One thing that rings true for anyone in the arts is that we have an unwavering love and need for what we do, or we simply just wouldn’t put ourselves through the struggle of trying to make a living out of it. We live in an era of unpaid internships and competitive creative markets, where people will do virtually
anything to gain experience. Writers, photographers, graphic designers, and people in other creative fields are constantly being asked to work for free, but it’s important to remember that our work has value. Our skill has value. Our time has value. We’ve all heard people say that in a highly competitive creative industry you have to be the best in your business to make it. Well, sure, it pays to be good at what you do, but to succeed, I imagine you really have to be so much more than that: you have to be dedicated and you have to be innovative. I can’t count how many times I’ve been scoffed at for heading into a “dying industry.” Of course, I also can’t count how many accountants, bankers, or tellers have divulged to me how “they always wanted to write” after I tell them my major. It’s a risk you take, I guess. Albeit, do people actually believe that journalism is going to die out? It seems rather like it’s trying to rediscover its footing in the digital age. More than ever, people are seeking their news online, and print advertising, the force keeping print editions alive, is taking the blow. And I don’t think anyone really knows how to make a profit from online advertising yet. The face of journalism may inevitably be changing, but it’s up to our new generation of journalists to make sure we retain our standards in the process. Otherwise, it will just be all advertorial and buzzwords (YOU WON’T BELIEVE
what has happened to the news industry! <click here to find out>). In my humble opinion, I think we’ve done a great job during the last two volumes of The Navigator, as far as putting out an overall quality student newspaper goes. Fortunately, The Navigator still has the means to keep our print edition alive and resources to hire the staff we need to make our paper good. That said, I feel extremely privileged to have worked with our staff, as the paper wouldn’t be half of what it is if they didn’t put the time, effort, and love into what they do. This is what I feel really shows in our newspaper: hard work from a handful of dedicated students who realize they’re the future of their industry. As I’m getting closer to the end of the year and graduation, I’m realizing that it’s kind of scary to be going into the media industry right now. But being part of this newspaper for the past two years has been really fulfilling. And working alongside awesome peers makes me realize how we’re going to be the future of this in flux industry. We’re going to be the people who find a way to make this transition period, this digital revolution in media, work. We are the future. It has been an awesome two years here at the paper. A heartfelt thank you to our contributors, our readers, and everyone who was part of it. See ya later, Navigator.
To err Alexandria Stuart Associate Editor The Navigator I used to have this rectangular, six-inch long pencil eraser with the words, “To Err Is Human,” printed on the top. It was a birthday present when I was a young girl. Since then, in my career as a writer, it would have come in handy more than a few times. Writers write. When we write non-fiction in newspapers and magazines, we write what we know to be true, usually backed up by research and interviews. Writing is one thing. Publication is another thing entirely. Work that is published in print, online, via TV, or radio broadcast, will be consumed by the public. They will take in your words. It’s a heavy responsibility. What’s in print today may become the basis for someone’s dinner conversation tomorrow. Here’s where the immortal words of VIU Journalism instructor Richard Dunstan come in: “You have to hate being wrong.” In the last issue of The Navigator, issue number 13, we print-
ed some incorrect information. When this was discovered we immediately corrected the online version of the article, but the print paper is gone, it’s out there in the world. We deeply regret the error. We hate being wrong. But it happens in publications large and small. In the immortal words of my gigantic pencil eraser, “To Err Is Human.” It’s not like we reported on a non-existent political sex scandal or false financial information that hurt stock prices. The consequences of our mistake don’t reach investors or Parliament Hill, but wrong is wrong, and wrong we were. The victim of our error was the Western Toad. Some of the information in “Museum news” had the potential to undo the good work and public education around invasive amphibians. Two words largely synonymous in the outside world—toad and frog—it turns out, mean very different things in biology. They also mean very different things for the critters in question. When it comes to talk of being endangered, one amphibian roughing up another and trying to kick it out of the neighbourhood, the distinction is very important. We’re talking about the American Bullfrog and its relationship to the Western Toad. The non-native species is, in fact, the American Bullfrog, but we unfairly characterized the Western Toad as the invasive bully. The Western Toad is a perfectly lovely little native species that’s having some trouble keeping it together here. See, the American Bullfrog—an invasive species that was brought here to farm for its meaty
legs—doesn’t play well with others, particularly amphibians that prefer its chosen habitat. The Western Toad is just one of the victims of the American Bullfrog’s brash advances, wrecking the place for its own purposes and making it really hard on the native species in the area. James MacKinnon brings us a special installment of “Museum news” on page 10 in an effort to clear up the misunderstanding. No journalist wants to be confronted with an error they’re responsible for—we work really hard to be right. We’ve seen a publication misspell “Vancouver” on their cover, and a headline announcing medical procedures on dead children, in another. For us, it was a bullfrog and a toad. We take this stuff seriously; it keeps us up at night reaching for the Pepto Bismal. But it does happen; to err is human, and we are all, if nothing more, human. As writers, we put ourselves out there, releasing a part of ourselves to the world in the words we craft. With that comes risk. Our ideas can be put on trial. Or our apostrophes. This is the last issue of The Navigator of the year. I feel pretty grateful that we haven’t had to make a lot of written apologies and corrections. But our humanity prevails so we gather our strength and do it all over again. We correct our mistakes and move on, knowing that it probably isn’t the last time we’ll make a mistake in public, and hoping the next won’t be too humiliating. And today I stand, without excuses, and say to the Western Toad, “I am sorry. I will try to do better next time.”
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04 EDITORIALS
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No 14
News
Political conference opens conversation for local politicians and students
Caleb Rosenthal, Avery Bonner, and Sebastian Barkovic talk with Nanaimo mayor Bill McKay. NATALIE GATES
CONTRIBUTOR
The VIU Political Society had its first Student Political Conference on March 24, giving students the opportunity to voice their opinions about various issues and mingle with politicians. Nanaimo Mayor Bill McKay, Nanaimo councilors Wendy Pratt and Leanne Salter, NDP representative Sheila Malcolmson, Liberal representative Tim Tessier, and Green representative Paul Manly were in attendance. Question and answer periods allowed students to bring up relevant issues such as the lack of full-time jobs, voter apathy among youth, Bill C-51, and Canada’s role as an actor on the world stage. Question periods were followed by free time that allowed students to mingle with the politicians and each other. When addressing the issue surrounding a lack of fulltime work for youth in the area, the politicians agreed it was something that needs to improve. “We don’t want a community that is sterile,” said McKay. “We need affordable housing and an environment where businesses want to locate. We want to have all the desirable amenities young people want.” “We need to create tourism and attract businesses so there are clean, environmentally friendly jobs for young people,” said Pratt. “We don’t want to see young people going up north to the oil sands just for the money. It doesn’t create healthy communities, and families can fall apart very easily with those pressures.” “Corporations are giving part-time (hours) intentionally so they don’t have to pay benefits, so benefits should be paid whether you are working part-time or full-time,” said Manly. “It’s a Harper approach to economy,” said Malcolmson. She stated that the government should focus on tax cuts for small businesses, raising the federal minimum wage, supporting a national childcare program, and strengthening pensions. Discussion surrounding Canada’s role on the world stage revolved around the idea to return to peacekeeping. Canada’s military should represent peace, Tessier said. He stated that Canada holds a leadership role and has the technology and humanity to allow it to provide aid to other countries. “We are a middle power,” Manly said. “We have a history of diplomatic strength.” But Manly stated that when we look at the destruction Canadian mining companies are causing in South America or Canada’s role in the Middle East, we do not see that diplomacy.
No 14
Elissa Doerksen
Local politicians give thoughtful responses to students’ questions. “Stephen Harper said we wouldn’t recognize this country when he was done with it and now we have a black eye.” Discussion around Bill C-51 grew heated when Tessier was questioned on the Liberals’ stance. “Harper’s government is creating fear,” Tessier said. But he explained that Justin Trudeau is approaching from a non-partisan standpoint, and has claimed the Liberals are in favour of voting for the Bill once the final revised version is read. Tessier agreed that Canadian’s civil liberties would be at risk. “We need checks and balances in place,” he said. Manly stated the Green Party was clearly against Bill C-51, as it would turn Canada into a police state. Malcolmson gave a similar response, stating that the Bill is designed to create a fear-based story in the media in order to discourage voter participation.
THE NAVIGATOR
Elissa Doerksen
“We can’t protect our freedoms by undermining them,” Malcolmson said. “We will fight it as hard as we can.” When asked about voter apathy among youth, Tessier said, “We need to have focus groups with youth so they can come and tell us what they would like to see improved.” The politicians also had a variety of suggestions:
• Make sure you are registered to vote, as it is becoming increasingly difficult to do so. • Remember that proportional representation is needed to make changes; youth need to be represented proportionally so their vote can count. • Become informed about the candidates and their platforms. • Know where your polling station is. In a municipal election, you can vote at any station in your city.
NEWS 05
Health and Wellness Clinic coming to Nanaimo campus
NATALIE GATES
CONTRIBUTOR
A student health clinic will soon be opening on VIU’s Nanaimo campus. Dr. Carrie Chassels, Executive Director of Student Affairs, said the VIU Health and Wellness Clinic is expected to begin providing services the week of May 5, with a grand opening planned for a later date. The clinic will be open exclusively for all VIU students, regardless of their healthcare insurance. Primary care will be available for all students without any appointment fees. This will include international students, as well as those from out of province. “We are building a team and currently have a new nurse practitioner and medical office assistant, as well as our existing reception staff, counsellors, and advisors,” Chassels said. The nurse practitioner is an employee of Island Health. The clinic will offer a full scope of practice, with the nurse practitioner providing the primary care, including prescriptions, specimen testing, reproductive health, and more, Chassels said.
TOMI LAWSON
According to the British Columbia Nurse Practitioner Association’s website, <bcnpa.org>, “In BC, a Nurse Practitioner (NP) is a Registered Nurse with a Master’s degree, and advanced knowledge and skills who provides high quality health care.” NPs are able to diagnose, consult, order and interpret tests, prescribe, and treat health conditions. A general practitioner will also provide some care at the new VIU Health and Wellness Centre. Details on hours of operation, and whether the clinic will operate as a full walk-in clinic or as a combination of walk-ins and appointments will be announced closer to the opening date. “VIU has been wanting to provide health services on campus for many years, but momentum benefitting us now began a couple years ago from conversation with the Island Health Authority and the Nanaimo Division of Family Practice,” Chassels said. The clinic will be on the third floor of bldg. 200, where the Counselling centre currently is. Renovations are still ongoing.
CONTRIBUTOR
Cedars donated to totem pole project
Sherry McCarthy, VIUSU Chairperson, and Qwaya Sam, a member of Ahousaht First Nation and one of the carvers in the totem pole project, take part in the blessing ceremony for two cedar trees donated by Western Forest Products. Shari Bishop Bowes
06 NEWS
VIU received a donation of two cedar trees from Western Forest Products (WFP), and they will be used as part of a totem pole carving iniative. The cedar trees were harvested in the Nuu-Chah-Nulth First Nations territory. Sherry McCarthy, VIU Students’ Union Chairperson and totem pole project manager, says, “The project was created as an opportunity to further make VIU a welcoming institution for Aboriginal learners.”
THE NAVIGATOR
On March 16, the cedar trees were blessed during a traditional First Nations ceremony by members of the Nuu-Chah-Nulth people. McCarthy says, “By the end of the project there will be three poles, each one representing the nations in which VIU operates: the Coast Salish, the Kwakwaka wakw, and the Nuu-Chah-Nulth.” According to McCarthy, Noel Brown, a Snuneymuzw carver, will be carving the Coast Salish totem pole. Qwaya Sam, from Ahousaht
First Nation, will be carving the Nuu-Chah-Nulth totem pole. A carver has yet to be selected for the Kwakwaka wakw totem pole. Each totem pole will be 30 feet tall when completed. TimberWest and Island Timberlands have also donated cedar trees for this carving project. The unveiling of the first two completed totem poles is expected later this spring. Everyone is welcome to watch the totem carving outside Shq’aphut.
No 14
The VIU Jazz Ensemble rehearses for the Spring Showcase Concerts coming up April 7, 8, and 9. Student musicians (l-r) Trevor Fisher (saxophone), Chris Welch (alto saxophone), Robyn Fortunal (alto saxophone) and Josh Pare (tenor saxophone) practice an arrangement under the direction of Professor Greg Bush.
Shari Bishop Bowes
VIU’s spring jazz concerts showcase student talent SHARI BISHOP BOWES Jazz lovers are invited to enjoy three nights of great music at VIU’s Spring Showcase Concerts, coming to the Malaspina Theatre April 7, 8, and 9 at 7:30 pm. Concert admission is by donation. “The Spring Showcase is an opportunity to hear music played by our talented students and some special musical guests from the community,” said Music department chair Bryan Stovell. First up on Tuesday, April 7 is VIU’s Jazz Ensemble, directed by Greg Bush, and the Dover Bay Secondary Jazz Ensemble, directed by Michael Irving. VIU Jazz Combos take to the stage on Wednesday, April 8, under the direction of Pat Coleman and Ian Sinclair. They’re joined that evening by the Nanaimo Music Association’s (NMA) Big Band, directed by Stovell. It’s all about vocal jazz and fantastic choral music on Thursday, April 9, with the College Singers, the Vocal Jazz Ensemble, and special guest A Cappella Plus, all directed by Rosemary Lindsay. The A Cappella Plus chamber choir has been performing at community
No 14
CONTRIBUTOR events and festivals on Vancouver Island for 35 years. Stovell says music lovers will be impressed with the musical talents of both students and musical guests, and credits the strong connections between VIU and Vancouver Island’s music community for the high calibre of performance. One example is a collaboration between fourth-year Bachelor of Arts in Jazz Studies student Jesse Marshall and the NMA Big Band. “We’re going to be playing some of Jesse’s compositions and arrangements in Wednesday’s program,” Stovell says. “It’s somewhat unusual for a student to write arrangements for a big band—it’s a lot of work for him, and clearly a passion.” Jazz Studies graduates go on to pursue a variety of careers in music on a part-time or full-time basis, Stovell says, with many becoming self-employed to pursue opportunities that range from teaching, performance, orchestra positions, musical theatre, self-production and promotion of original music, and music composition for films, videos, games, and marketing.
THE NAVIGATOR
NEWS 07
Features
The de-evolution of James Lunney SEBASTIAN BARKOVIC OP-ED So a Rabbi, a Priest, and an Imam claim religious persecution. No, wait, that’s Nanaimo-Alberni MP, James Lunney. Lunney has been in the news lately, not for shaking hands or kissing babies, but for reasons related to his religion. As a student of politics, and a student of religion, this interests me quite a bit. What troubles me is that I don’t feel like Lunney shares the same academic convictions I do. His choices as of late regarding politics and religion just don’t add up. Before we go any further, let me give you some background information. A month ago he decided to denounce evolution by tweeting “jst stop calling #evolution fact! Bynd realm of current science 2 observe or reprod origins” (sic). Syntax not withstanding, that’s fair enough— it is called the theory of evolution, after all. Back to present times, and you will find that Mr. Lunney has given a notice of resignation from the Conservative Caucus in defense of his beliefs, and is sitting as an independent in Parliament. He said he resigned because there are, “deliberate attempts to suppress a Christian world-view from professional
SHANON FENSKE
CONTRIBUTOR and economic opportunity in law, medicine, and academia.” Call me crazy, but I don’t think Lunney has any ground to stand on. Here’s why. First, Lunney must have mistakenly used the words “world-view.” If this wasn’t a typo (which I really hope it was) then it’s a bigger mistake for two reasons. 1) Christians represent roughly 2.2 billion people on earth. Muslims represent 1.8 billion, and Hindus represent 1.1 billion. Christians are hardly a clear majority, especially since there are many other spiritual groups to consider. So if 31 percent is the new 100 percent (or even 51 percent), then math must have plagued young Lunney decades ago. 2) There are many schools of thought when it comes to evolution believed by Christians. One that comes to mind is “Theistic Evolution,” which is an ideology that many Christians follow. They believe in evolution as guided by the hand of God. It would seem that Lunney is claiming to be the authority on Christian belief, and that other Christians are wrong if they believe in any form of evolution. Lunney also said in his resignation letter that, “freedom of religion is foundational to democracy; if we
don’t get that right, it always leads to persecution.” Apparently Mr. Lunney doesn’t understand the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Section 2 of The Charter guarantees “freedom of religion,” both for him, and Canadians who are not him. The only reasonable conclusion is that “freedom,” in Lunney’s eyes, means freedom for his perception of Christianity, and the freedom to tell other people their religions are wrong. Mr. Lunney is entitled to his beliefs, but those rights end when they encroach on the rights of other people. Sound reasonable? As a politician, and a four-term MP, Lunney should know that we live in a rapidly growing secular society. He should also know that evolution is not new to 2015, and neither are other religions. If he thinks he is the first one to bear the cross of religious persecution, then he should peruse the history books and read about the Jews and Catholics, for example. In case you are reading this, Mr. Lunney, let me give you a brief history lesson: The Jews were given quotas limiting their attendance from ivy league schools because, as those schools put it, they didn’t want to infect their student body with the Jewish religion. The Catholics were
violently protested against in 1806 by the Protestants who claimed that there were satanic rituals taking place in their church. This is what we now refer to as Christmas Mass. So, religious prosecution—still want to lead with that, Mr. Lunney? He should note that there will be backlash no matter what he says. He’s in politics. Stephen Harper could make a knock-knock joke, and people would grab their pitchforks. Lunney should know by now that media backlash isn’t “religious persecution,” it’s people telling Mr. Lunney how they feel, just like he decided to tell them. Funny how democracy works, Lunney; one raises a point, another can raise one too. I’m sorry if that’s an inconvenience, but there are a few choices for you. 1) Get with the program that the rest of us recognize Canada as a “free country.” 2) Leave politics, and stick to conversations at church socials. I suppose you will be going with the latter. If I haven’t already made it clear that I am quite aggravated, then let me make a point of saying so. What irritates me more than his uninformed resignation letter on the grounds of religion is his resig-
nation letter in general. Mr. Lunney is a civil servant; that means he represents Nanaimo-Alberni constituents in Parliament. His resignation was selfish, and doesn’t represent that of his constituents, like he was elected to do. If you are voted into Parliament, you stay there because people took their time to vote for you; they couldn’t care less about your claims of religious prosecution. Resignations from caucus should force a by-election, but seeing as we are six months from election day it would make little difference. Lunney has chosen to remain in his seat as an Independent, so we’ll see where the cards fall in November. Anecdotally, my sister and I played Monopoly when we were younger. She was seven, I was 12. I don’t have enough fingers to count the amount of times she got angry, flipped the board, and rage-quit claiming the game was rigged. Let me say that again: my sister was seven. Lunney is a middle-aged man that quit politics on the same grounds that my sister flipped the Monopoly board on: selfishness, and bigotry. Lunney has flipped the board of Politics, and sits alone where he respectfully should be.
CONTRIBUTOR
Stone and crystal eggs for Spring Lobelia’s Lair in Nanaimo will once again sell egg-shaped stone crystals to anyone celebrating spring, fertility, and rebirth this Easter season. Stone crystals in the shapes of eggs are sold year-round at Lobelia’s Lair in Nanaimo, says storeowner Liberty Harakas. They are especially popular during the spring, when people metaphorically—and literally—plant new seeds. Fertility symbols such as the egg are recognized by many cultures around the world, especially during the weeks before and after spring equinox, Harakas says. Many different stones and colours are available, but the choice is personal. It depends on what type of energy people want to bring into their lives during this time of year, she says. Rose quartz crystals, which represent unconditional or eternal love, are the most
popular, as well as Prehnite with its light green colour embodying new growth in the fresh shoots following the winter. Everyone from little children to senior citizens can enjoy the crystal eggs, Harakas says. Anyone who wants to celebrate new beginnings or honour the arrival of spring will appreciate their natural beauty. Large stones can cost as much as $200, but average stones range from $30 - $40. Lobelia’s Lair has a hard time keeping fully stocked with crystal eggs year-round. In honour of spring, new stock is brought in to supply all types of customers and uses. Located in the Old City Quarter since 2001, Lobelia’s Lair is open seven days a week, and also sells books, tarot cards, yoga gear, incense, statues, and other items. You’ll find more information online at <lobeliaslair.com>.
STEPHANIE BROWN
The long commute:
Final installment
FEATURES 08
Lobelia’s Lair carries a large selection of stone eggs to celebrate the coming of Spring. Shanon Fenske
CONTRIBUTOR
You may hear, “The marking system is harder in other countries,” before you go to your new school. You may hear it a lot before you even decide to commit to studying abroad, which can deter some people from taking advantage of the amazing opportunity. Personally, I didn’t find the standards harder—just different. Even at this late date, the whole system over here remains a bit of a mystery. Though highest level, first-class work can be achieved with a grade of 72 percent on a paper, be prepared for the numbers to drop. But just because you suddenly drop what would be a few letter grades in Canada, it doesn’t mean the material is harder. In fact, overall I have found the material rather easy at the University of Hertfordshire. There has been a lot of group work, and very large reflective essays. I can’t speak for all foreign schools, but in general you can probably expect different schools to have a different emphasis than VIU.
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As a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the experience will probably teach you more than school itself. You will be traveling to new places, experiencing new cultures, and meeting people from all over the world. This can be where the real self-growth happens. I’m sad to see this end. This is my last column before I head out to backpack through Southeast Asia. I hope that you can benefit from some final pieces of advice: You will need more money than you think. You should also allow yourself to travel for a good chunk of time when your semester is done. After making the long journey, take advantage of seeing as much as you can, because you might not make it back that way for a long time, no matter how much you want to do it again soon. Most importantly, enjoy the journey, the whole journey. You will get so much more out of your education, and your life, and when you stand back and see it from thousands of miles away, you look at where you were and where you can go.
No 14
Museum news:
American Bullfrog vs. The Western Toad JAMES MACKINNON
The Western Toad can be identified by its bumpy skin and prominent dorsal line. J. N. Stuart In the most recent issue of The Navigator (Vol. 46 No. 13, March 25 – April 7), this column featured Vancouver Island Amphibians. Unfortunately, a certain number of errors regarding the native Western Toad and the introduced American Bullfrog made it through the editing process and into print. On the surface, such an obvious and ironic mix-up seems a little comical, but closer consideration reveals the potential, and very detrimental, repercussions that this flub could have on the struggling Western Toad. Over the past number of years, much time and effort has been dedicated to the understanding and conservation of the Western Toad and its corresponding habitat. Great minds have spent countless hours studying these toads and promoting their importance on Vancouver Island. The errors that were printed here had the potential to undo much of this amazing work. Well-meaning readers, not necessarily well-versed in local amphibians, could, with all the best intentions, come across Western
CONTRIBUTOR
Known to breed prolifically, the American Bullfrog can produce up to 20 thousand eggs at once. Andrew C. Toads and, believing them to be the invasive Bullfrog, remove them in the mistaken belief that they are helping to promote an important native species. With this in mind, we bring our “Museum news” series to a close for the year with an attempt to cultivate a better appreciation of these two species, their identifying characteristics, and the unique roles they each play in our local ecosystems. As it is the species that stands to gain and/or lose the most from this recent media attention, we’ll begin with the Western Toad, the only native toad on Vancouver Island. Much the same as other amphibians, the seasonality of the Western Toad has it overwintering on land, burrowed in forest floors or beneath logs. For much of the early spring and late summer/fall, their behaviour is poorly understood, although locally they are believed to be living and feeding in densely wooded environments. They are most visible in the early to mid-spring when they make their ways to lakes, marshes, and other wetlands to find mates and lay their eggs. This behavior changes slight-
ly year to year, and is believed to be tied to both air temperatures and day lengths, but for the most part begins in mid-March to early April on southern Vancouver Island. For the most part, eggs will have been laid and adults will have retreated back to the woods by mid- to late April. The main distinguishing factors that set the Western Toad apart from other frogs in the region are colour and skin patterns. As with many of the other amphibians, their colour scheme varies considerably with region, but generally their thick, knobbly skin ranges from dull to dark green or brown, is covered in dark or reddish glands, and has a dry appearance. Adult toads display a pronounced dorsal line, a light-coloured streak from their head down their back. Just aft of the eye is an ovular paratoid gland, and its legs are short and stalky compared to other frogs. Excluding the hind legs, the Western Toad grows to be roughly 5-15cm long. Females are larger than males, sometimes substantially so. Being one of the top consumers of various insects, the Western Toad plays an important role in many forest ecosystems. Adult toads are credited with keeping many different insects at a level that is healthy for trees and other plants. Without the toads, many plant species would endure huge stress. The second species we need to look at, and the critters that really are a cause for concern, is the American Bullfrog. Originally native to the Canadian and US east coast, the Bullfrog’s territory has steadily (through introduction and natural dispersal) extended to cover most of conti-
nental North America, including much of south-eastern Vancouver Island and the lower mainland. Because they will feed on whatever fits into their mouth—often with over-the-top aggression—it has been observed that the Bullfrog out-competes native amphibians for space and resources in many situations, making it one of the biggest threats to native amphibian populations. Bullfrogs are also vectors for different fungal infections, further stressing local amphibian populations. One easy way to identify the American Bullfrog is by its size. No other frog on Vancouver Island reaches the sizes that these creatures do; females grow longer than 20 cm (not including legs), with males slightly smaller. There are other identifying factors as well. While both exhibit similar general colours (dark-topale greens and browns), the lumpy glands found all over the Toad’s backs, heads, and legs are absent in the Bullfrog. Instead, Bullfrogs have more speckled legs, cream-coloured or yellow under- necks, and bright yellow eyes. Their skin also appears smoother and more moist than the Toads’. There is quite a bit of concern surrounding the introduction and expansion of the American Bullfrog’s range, and the effect that they are having on various local ecosystems. Ongoing research studies on Vancouver Island and elsewhere in BC are attempting to get a better idea of the distribution and abundance of the Western Toad. This information is crucial to proper management of the species. While there are certainly still unknowns about both species
and what their presence in certain areas means, there are a number of things that anyone can do to aid in the conservation of native species and to help the general understanding of these populations: • Report sightings of the American Bullfrog to local authorities or government groups, such as the BC Frog Watch Program <env.gov.bc.ca/ wld/frogwatch/>. • Whether native or introduced, all amphibians are protected by the federal wildlife act against moving, containing, and transporting. Do not ever transport frogs or toads from one region to another. People bringing the Bullfrog from place to place for pets, or as garden features, may be one of the biggest factors responsible for their rapid expansion. • Establish and maintain desirable amphibian habitats. On top of invasive species such as Bullfrogs, one of the main threats facing many of BC’s amphibians is habitat loss. Take special care around these habitats, and if there are any wetlands and riparian areas on your property containing native species, do not use any lawn or garden pesticides or chemicals. For more information on the American Bullfrog, the Western Toad, and the many other wonderful creatures that live around southern Vancouver Island, come by VIU’s Museum of Natural History. The museum is open to students and the public on Mondays from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm, Tuesdays from 1:30 to 2:30 pm, and Thursdays from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm. More information is available on their Facebook page and at <viu.ca/museum/>.
Point of VIU BEN CHESSOR / THE NAVIGATOR
What do you do during the summer?
Tanu Huff, 21, Global Studies
Annika Michaux, 19, CREW
Connor Carson, 18, ABE
James Fitzgerald, 22, Psych
Natalie Muncaster, 20, BA
“Climb trees, and really just try to find a balance by going for lots of hikes. I would love to explore all the awesome hikes around here. That’s basically where my exercise comes from.”
“I am probably going to the Pemberton Music Festival, and will do some family stuff. We always do something outdoorsy, like camping.”
“I race bikes, so I am going to travel around BC and down to the States to race my downhill bike. It’s my way of enjoying the summertime and the winter.”
“I am going to slackline (like tightrope walking). It’s kind of like a meditative experience. I use skate shoes—the flatter the better. They have to stay on; loafers don’t work.”
“I like to run, high interval training, usually down by the waterfront. Except at nighttime… it’s kind of creepy.”
No 14
THE NAVIGATOR
09 FEATURES
A brotherhood on four wheels SPENSER SMITH Jay Zemanek has been skateboarding since he was eight years old. Back in 1986 in Red Deer, Alberta, there was no such thing as a skate park. For Zemanek and his friends, skateboarding meant getting creative on bumpy driveways and rocky sidewalks. Unless you had the means to travel to Free Wheelin’ Skateboards in Calgary, skateboards were purchased at stores like Zellers and K-Mart, and they were terrible. Fast forward to today on Vancouver Island, where Zemanek has lived for 14 years. Specialty skate shops are commonplace. Expensive skate parks are being built in small communities like Cedar. Over those 14 years, Zemanek has witnessed the evolution of skateboarding on the Island. Children are now picking up skateboarding at a young age in the same way they pick up traditional sports such as baseball or soccer. In 1986, the idea of a small town in Canada ponying up the money for a shiny new skate park would seem laughable. Skateboarders
CONTRIBUTOR were still stereotyped as stoners, vandals, and drop outs. “There were the skateboarders and then there were the jocks,” says Zemanek. “These younger guys don’t know what it’s like to get chased down by a car full of jocks.” Zemanek moved to Victoria in 2001 and now lives in Nanaimo. As well as being a lifelong skateboarder, Zemanek is also the general manager of Island Riders Boardshop. The major difference between the current skate scene on Vancouver Island compared to 10 or 15 years ago is the acceptance from the general public, he says. It has helped energize skateboarding’s burst in popularity. The more people are skateboarding, the higher the demand for new skate parks. “Another big difference these days is that skate parks are promoted as youth activity parks, so it’s easier to get funding and land,” says Zemanek. He has watched the construction of new skate parks not only in Nanaimo and Victoria, but smaller communities such as Courtenay, Port Alberni, and Chemainus.
Nanaimo needs native plants
Early spring violets provide food for humans and insects, giving them a primary place in a food web. Chantelle Spicer
Roadside flowers, like this yellow hawkweed, are an important food source for native bee populations. Chantelle Spicer
FEATURES 10
Skateboarding’s new-found acceptance combined with the construction of new skate parks has produced a generation of kids who are choosing skateboarding as their sport of choice. “The jocks are now the skateboarders,” says Zemanek. Instead of learning how to skateboard on driveways and city streets where they risk fines, kids can learn to skate on pristine, $500k skate parks. “The new parks on the Island are super cool. It seems like they have been using smoother concrete for all the new parks,” says Shay Sandiford, a 17-year-old from Courtenay. Sandiford has been skating since he was six years old. Today he’s sponsored by some of the biggest names in skateboarding, like Bones Wheels, Darkstar Skateboards, Emerica, LRG clothing, and more. Most skaters view skateboarding as more than an activity or pasttime—they view it as a way of life. For Sandiford, it is also his career. “I am lucky enough to be sponsored and call skateboarding my job. It’s amazing to know how many
CHANTELLE SPICER
people support me as well as skateboarding in general. I am still in disbelief that skateboarding is the way I make money,” says Sandiford. With skateboarding’s increasing popularity, corporate skate shops such as West 49 and Zumiez have popped up all over Canada. Zemanek is adamant about the importance of supporting locally owned shops over corporately owned shops. “Here’s the difference: we’re skateboarders. We are the ones contributing to the scene and we are the ones that care about it. If skateboarding died off in popularity, they would close down. If we woke up tomorrow and the new thing was stand up paddle boards, we would still be open selling skateboards,” says Zemanek. “We are the ones getting in the fight for new skate parks. For the other shops, it is just about numbers, profit growth, and margins.” Now 37 years old, Zemanek has watched the skate scene on the Island evolve in more ways than just popularity. Zemanek has noticed another major change: “It’s the comradery between different skate
scenes on the Island which is mostly due to social media. It used to be completely segregated. There was a Port Alberni crew, a Victoria crew, Nanaimo, Campbell River, and Courtenay. Now it’s just one giant family.” Gratitude for the sport is a common theme when talking to both Sandiford and Zemanek. “Skateboarding has impacted my life in an unbelievable way. It has brought me around the world and allowed me to meet amazing people that I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to meet without skateboarding,” says Sandiford. “Skateboarding has saved my life more than once. For one, growing up it kept me out of trouble,” says Zemanek. Popular or not, skateboarding has always been unique in its ability to bring people together, says Zemanek. “It’s a brotherhood. A sisterhood. You can go anywhere in the world, meet up with a group of skateboarders, and instantly you have a place to stay and a bond that no other sport can give you,” says Zemanek.
CONTRIBUTOR
Traipsing about town, it is hard not to notice that spring has officially arrived, and with it, flowers everywhere. It is not only from domesticated gardens that these foretellers of good weather emerge from, but also in the form of native plant species along roadsides and in the shade of towering trees. It is these native species that can offer our natural world the most benefit as they offer biodiversity on the landscape, plus important food sources to many insects, including our precious bee populations. As industry and urbanization encroach on wild spaces, it is important that we recognize the value of something as simple as a flower. These early spring blooms are an impressive example of the intricate web of nature. A couple of early spring bloomers in the Nanaimo area are the blue violet (Viola adunca) and skunk cabbage (Lysichiton americanus), which attract insects such as small flies and early native bees for food and pollination. These, in turn, become a food source for birds. The birds themselves work to assist the plants, dispersing their seeds through droppings and nest-building activities. The timing of this part of the food web is perfectly synchronized, each member being intimately tied to the success of the other. So what is a native plant? The Land Conservancy of BC (TLC) says, “A native (indigenous) species is one that occurs in a particular region, ecosystem, and habitat without direct or indirect human actions.” However, it goes well beyond that, having a place not only in ecology, but also in aesthetics and a profound relationship with the human spirit. It is hard not to be moved by a landscape carpeted in spring flowers. Such an event takes place every May in what is known as the Harewood Plains, an area protected by the Nanaimo Area Land Trust (NALT). The flower that takes centrestage in this type of landscape is the Cama lily (Camassia), which has a long history of human intervention. This plant was cultivated by First Nations in this area prior to colonization, being a staple food due to its starchy root system, which tastes like a sweet potato. This plant grows only in Garry Oak ecosystems, one of the most endangered landscapes in all of Canada, appearing only on Vancouver Island and the surrounding Gulf Islands. Due to its value as a food source, it also holds incredible spiritual value to First Nations people, who honour the food chain that we are all part of.
THE NAVIGATOR
By fostering the presence of native plants on all types of landscapes—from natural forest environments to roadsides to gardens—we can continue to foster a relationship with our environment and protect the intimate exchanges they have with their own habitats. A troubling development has been the removal of species such as foxglove, wild sweet pea, and lupines from the roadsides along the E&N Trail. Every June, large machinery mows down all vegetation on the trail, including these flowers, which are an important part of the food chain. The aesthetic value of the walking trail also suffers. These plants may be regarded as weeds by the city, but they are important native species to our lands. Invasive species do require removal, but more of these unique habitat opportunities for other vegetation should be created and protected rather than eradicated. Recognizing the importance of native and organic plants on the landscape is a powerful first step toward fostering a relationship with the natural world around us. The next step is moving toward an active participation in it. To create these unique habitats in your own garden, choose flowers that will attract a variety of insects and other wildlife (trying to avoid the deer’s favourites if you can). Local plant nurseries can provide lists and advice, or visit <naturescapebc. ca/naturescape/NativePlants.pdf>. Another step towards fostering a healthy ecosystem in your own space is to eliminate your lawn, a mono-crop that requires fertilizers and pesticides to maintain its pristine appearance. Grass lawns can be changed into organic food or wildflower gardens, or replaced by plants such as clover or buttercup, which attract many bee species to their pollen-loaded flowers. These alternatives are generally low maintenance, cheaper, and require minimal water, plus they create habitat. With wild habitats disappearing at an alarming rate—not only locally, but world-wide—it is becoming more important to respect those that still exist. By bringing them into our own urbanized world we have the opportunity to create uncommon habitats and a new relationship with the fragility and beauty of that natural world. Visit NALT online at <nalt.bc.ca> for more information on native plants in this area as well as workshops and volunteer opportunities.
No 14
1
Skate stills 2
3
5 4
AS NUMBERED 1. Phil Brazil, 24, pops a waist high kickflip. Jay Zemanek 6 2. Keith Stevenson, 25, floats through the air in front of Chemainus Elementary Community School. Jay Zemanek 3. Jay Zemanek, 37, does a smooth backside crooked grind at Rotary skate park in Nanaimo. At 15 thousand square feet, it is the largest skate park in Nanaimo. Spenser Smith 4. Joel Wood, 24, does a huge 50-50 down a steep ledge as Phil Brazil films the trick. Jay Zemanek 5. Tom Jones does a nollie heelflip. Spenser Smith 6. Jaden Brown, 16, does a backside 50-50 at Cedar Skate Park. Planning for the park began in 2000 and it finally opened in February 2014. Spenser Smith
No 14
THE NAVIGATOR
11 FEATURES
Collective
=
outpouring
@onedirection
23.1M Twitter followers
1
that is
ALEXANDRIA STUART The news broke, and then came the tears. Rivers of them expressed in images and words all over social media, drenching Facebook, Twitter, Vine, and Instagram. Fans of the teen sensation band One Direction, learning of member Zayn Malik’s departure, retreated to their bedrooms and school bathrooms to mourn. With an estimated three million fans in North America and the United Kingdom alone, that’s a lot of tears. Regardless of culture, homeland, spiritual practice, socioeconomic status, and age, there are tears. Some have a clear function, like the tears that wash grit away from the eyeball after a sandstorm. Others, the ones attached to emotions, are a little more complicated; they can be controlled and manipulated, held back or left to flow. These, and the tears of boy band breakups, are also chemically different than “functional” tears.
24,400 cups
100 tears
avg. tear = .05mL
5.775 million mL of fan tears
which is enough to fill
in a tsp. (5mL)
1 large hot tub
THE NAVIGATOR A crying face is universally recognizable—we all experience emotions like amusement, anger, fear, and sadness—and it’s pervasive enough to have become enmeshed in the lexicon. Popular idioms and terms related to tears extend beyond “having a good cry,” like those poor girls mourning the death of One Direction as they knew it, as their mothers and grandmothers lamented the breakup of The Beatles decades before. Crying is perceived, by some, as a sign of weakness, so phrases like “have a good cry” can destigmatize it and maybe even help us embrace the benefits of crying. Emotional tears aid in the release of stress hormones, so when the weeping ends, we often feel less harried and in a better mood. Attaching the word “good” to “crying” creates a different category of tears; they’re different than the tears of dark depression,
the hair-pulling pain that comes from crying over a broken heart. Those hormones still do their job, but it’s hard to use the word “good” around tears that pool in the depths of despair. Being “driven to tears” implies a loss of control; a person or event does the work of “bringing on the tears,” and the crier is powerless to stop it. Sometimes they’re contagious. Being suggestible, if I see a loved one “crying their eyes out,” I can be “moved to tears” myself. In times of great sadness, I’ll be “reduced to tears” by a total stranger’s grief, like the sight of an envelope addressed to “Mummy” propped among wreaths of white flowers on a coffin. On September 6, 1997 at 1:08 am, I dissolved into tears watching Diana, Princess of Wales’ casket wind its way through the streets of London, trailed by five men, two of them altogether too young to be burying their mother.
Lady Diana didn’t wield power in the formal sense, but her unique style of celebrity and charitable influence captured the adoration of the world. She represented the Everywoman: mother, wife, sister, and friend; despite her celebrity, she was accessible and relatable. In the days after her death, billions of flower bouquets, candles, and other tributes were placed at the gates of Buckingham Palace and British Consulate buildings all over the world. Collective outpourings of grief, the shared experience of loss, bring us closer together as technology invites the world into each others’ living rooms on the radio, television, and internet. Diana’s funeral drew two thousand people to Westminster Abbey, millions into the streets of London, and 32.78 million to their television sets in Britain alone, with an estimated two billion viewers worldwide. It was one of the most watched events
in history, with an unprecedented display of collective grief. World-shaking events, the kind that shape generations, come in the form of natural or manmade tragedies. In Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963 the assassination of US President John F. Kennedy shook the world. Televisions in homes, businesses, and sales windows were simultaneously tuned in to the news from the grassy knoll. A few days later, during his funeral, strangers lining the streets cried openly for a man they knew only as a figurehead. They mourned not only their leader, but the loss of the embodiment of the American Dream as it had thrived during the “Camelot era” in the White House. Mourning together, grief can be more bearable when it’s shouldered by those around you, strangers in all ways but one. The assassinations of the Reverend Martin Luther King (1968)
and musician John Lennon (1980) were similarly witnessed in living rooms around the world, and mourned by large groups drawn together in collective pain. They grieved for their leaders and idols, and the dreams they represented. For the next generation, we’d see this type of collective outpouring with the suicide of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain in 1994. Into the 21st century, the 9/11 terror attacks on New York and Washington, DC were the first events to face the scrutiny of the 24-hour news cycle. Shocked citizens shared their grief in front of television sets and office computer screens watching, in real time, as events unfolded. Major news outlets scrambled to manage a deluge of traffic to their sites. When new developments waned, footage of the events was aired over and over again, creating indelible images in the minds of millions of viewers. Mourners
moved to public spaces to erect memorials, hold vigils, and share their collective shock and grief. Today, social media plays host to vigils and acts as a repository for public outpourings of grief. Actors Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Williams, and Leonard Nemoy recently clogged Facebook timelines and Twitter feeds with remembrances and RIP messages. Collective grief experiences in public and private spaces—physical or online—provide a venue to come together in today’s increasingly isolated world. While some, like me, are compelled to grieve alone, others feed from, and find relief in the collective catharsis that comes from crying surrounded by likeminded mourners. Even in celebration, like convocation ceremonies at the end of the school year, tears mingle with the pride of achievement and excitement of future possibilities. Graduating students find them-
selves at the end of a long journey, eager to celebrate, but tempered with anticipation and fear. They may find solace in the fact that their classmates are experiencing the same feelings. In The Navigator newspaper office, we have losses of our own. Many of us will stride across the stage at convocation, leaving only three staff members to return in September. While we’re excited for our peers and the lives that await them, we’ll miss their thoughtful contributions to the paper, humorous headlines, and bad puns. Completing production on the final issue of Volume 46 of The Navigator, we will likely experience a collective outpouring of our own, lightened by bad jokes about bodily functions. We look forward to welcoming new staff members, and new writers and editors to lend their voices to VIU’s student newspaper. And we’ll miss the old ones.
Talk about tears • Have a good cry • Tearjerker • Blood, sweat, and tears • Vale of tears • Valley of tears • Crying over spilt milk • Cry me a river • Cried a river of tears • Crying shame • Crying your eyes out • Crying your heart out • For crying out loud
• A shoulder to cry on • Moved to tears • Driven to tears • Reduced to tears • Crocodile tears • Tears of a clown • Crying wolf • It’ll end in tears • Tears of joy • Laughter through tears • Tracks of my tears
Arts
The Exit Interview with Arlen Hogarth
Denisa Kraus
DENISA KRAUS The last artist interview of the year. One-on-one with the introverted feminist behind some of the disquieting, existentialist comics in the Odds & Ends page of our paper. Navigator: How did you become a feminist? Arlen: My girlfriend became a feminist as we were dating and I picked it up really quickly. Just being with her all the time opened my eyes a lot. And also Tumblr. There are lots of social justice blogs there and I get daily reminders of how bad and unfair things are. It’s a good place for women and trans people, or anyone who’s not a white straight male, to have their opinions out there. What makes you a feminist? I use a female figure by default and want to show more people of colour. I like to share this with people and project it in my work. I think women are generally under-portrayed in the media. Do you feel there’s not enough female imagery around us? Most of the things I see are about a dude doing stuff and saving the world, and the woman’s there just for decoration to be looked at or to support the male character. There are some good female representations out there, but not enough. Do you think the landscape is shifting in any way toward a more feminist society? Probably. Very slowly and late, but I think it is. Disney’s doing really good stuff, like Maleficent. That’s
ARTS 14
THE NAVIGATOR about a relationship between two women, and the guy’s kind of a douchebag. It turns out you don’t have to be saved by a true love’s kiss; it’s between the woman and the evil witch. And in Frozen the true love is between two sisters who care about each other a lot.
going until I was 18 to keep my mom happy.
So is there a place for Prince Charming in feminism? Not exactly. He’d be a lot different than the traditional Prince Charming.
There are a lot of misperceptions about feminism. What would you say to people who associate it with, for example, militant male-haters? Educate yourself, think about what we’re trying to do before you go shutting down the whole movement. If you actually think about it, it’s fairly obvious that we’re trying to be equal, decent human beings. Take a step back and listen before forcing your view onto people.
Who would be your ideal Prince Charming? (Smirks) Well, he’d be super nice and caring, but he’s going to treat the princess as an equal. If she doesn’t want to be saved, he’ll let her figure it out, or— —Die? Well, maybe she’ll kick ass. Did you think that way before you met your girlfriend? No. I was actually pretty sexist and homophobic, and I made fun of fat people in high school— just like every other high school boy out there. It was kind of the norm, and I think it’s what society teaches boys to be like—to be entitled—and society tells girls to shut up. I’m ashamed for who I was then. It was a gradual realization that it doesn’t have to be that way. I used to go to church and then stopped after I realized the pastor took some parts of the Bible and taught us that men should be in charge and women should be subordinate—among several other things he said. I kept
Are you still religious? No. I went into a church the other day because I really had to pee. I don’t have anything against religion as long as it’s not hurting anyone.
And what would you say to extreme radical feminists? Chill out. You’re not going to get anywhere or help anything. What do you associate with the term “lungless,” which you use as your brand? I found the word online and thought it was really cool. Now I use it for all my tags and profiles on the internet. Sometimes I’m really quiet and mumble a lot, like I have no lungs. Your art pricing is astoundingly low. Why? My main audience is college kids who are already in debt, so I’m not going to sell high-price paintings, no matter what my art teachers told me to do. I’d like to become snooty and famous and sell works for $1k,
THE NAVIGATOR
but for now it feels way better to sell paintings cheap than to have a whole stack of them in the house. And I feel like I’m constantly changing and getting better, so keeping the stack means keeping works I’m not happy with anymore. What is the idea behind the recurring theme of female figures bigger than life walking through urban landscapes in many of your paintings? I wish it was like this in real life. There’s something about the big living thing looking around. I feel it’s better if it’s a woman instead of a guy. Do you conceptualize your paintings or do you improvise like with your collages? I do have to plan them out and draw thumbnails. I’ve tried just painting without a plan, and most of the time it doesn’t really work out. It’s too much time and energy to be turned into a mess. The collages are totally random. I just get a bunch of National Geographics and fashion magazines, flip through them until I find something cool, throw them on a pile, and make something. What inspires you the most? There are a bunch of comic artists you probably don’t know that I really like. I want to be as good as them. Like Ashley Wood—he has a great visual and influential visual style, mixing comic books with expressionist painting and using almost monotone, striking colours. And Mike Mignola—his was the first comics I got into besides Donald Duck. The way he draws
is unique—clear lines, and every panel is a perfect composition. I also like his writing and sense of humour. Chris Ware, a cartoonist for The NewYorker, inspired my depressive and existential stuff. His art style is clearly different than mine, though. He’s geometric and precise—he does everything by the ruler or something. And people might hate me for this, but I literally get inspiration from nowhere. I just wait around and know I’ll get inspired out of absolutely nowhere. I also get inspired by music. Sometimes I just play music really loud and get excited and start creating. What inspires you to make comics that don’t follow the traditional storyline? I like short stories and storylines and getting emotionally involved. Complicated storylines are great, but I want my comics to have emotional impact. That’s how I’ve evolved, and that’s what I like to read, too. I like when it makes you ask, “What happens with the girl?” “Is she happy?” “What kind of car is she driving?” So when the man jumps off the roof and falls into a manhole in issue 11, does he die or just exit the storyline? Everyone expects him to splatter on the ground, but he goes into the hole. Well, that’s unfortunate; you think he’s going to die, so how can it possibly get worse? Maybe he dies, maybe he continues to live. Does that really change anything? I didn’t have a plan, or an idea for what’s going to happen. I’m not going to tell readers what to think. I just want them to feel something.
No 14
I like that kind of humour where there is no punchline and nothing to laugh about. Are the short comics you publish in The Navigator your preferred style, or do you write longer pieces? I think they bring out more emotion when they’re stark, like the latest one about the lioness in issue 13. And when I said my inspiration comes out of nowhere, the zombie penguins are exactly that. But where did the lioness come from? I did research and learned about how they travel and how the families and packs hunt. Everyone says how the lion is the king of the jungle, but he sits around and doesn’t do much. The females do the hunting, and the lion guards them against other males, which is almost redundant. They help sometimes, but the lionesses are basically the core of the family, and you never hear about them. They can go for four days without eating, and when they finally get something, they stuff themselves and then don’t have to eat
for another week. How long can you go without food? I couldn’t go without it for four hours. I have to eat constantly. What are some other things that fascinate you? Cockroaches. They have a social significance. They’re a symbol of disgust, but are in fact beneficial, tough, and they live forever. They clean up and make great pets. I wish I had some. I’ve seen people with doll houses for cockroaches. What makes a cockroach a great pet? (Pauses) They’re as good as fish. You watch them move around... Ok, I guess they don’t make great pets, but they’re cool and cute. What things do you hate? I hate ginger, but only sometimes. I like ginger ale and gingersnap cookies, but otherwise ginger is gross. I hate those stupid mix chocolates with surprise fillings. When one of them is ginger I’m like ‘yuck.’ I hate misogyny and patri-
archy. I hate being depressed and having anxiety. I hate some online gamers who complain constantly. I hate how expensive it is to live in BC. I hate how racist the US is and that they keep invading countries for oil. But I don’t think I’m a hateful person. Things you like? I like feelings, bacon, drinking, and humour that’s dumb. I like cherry blossoms, sweeping, and playing video games. Also, cats are awesome. I like physical work, because you can see the results, and it’s kind of like art: you’re making something and feel accomplished after. Being active and getting endorphins makes you feel good. Does it make you feel like a good boy? Yes, I am a good boy. Arlen Hogarth’s comics are regularly published in the Odds & Ends section of The Navigator, and some have been in Portal. To view more of his work, including paintings and collages, visit <lunglessart.weebly.com>.
“Urban Giantess”
Courtesy of Arlen Hogarth
Movie review:
Song of the Sea SPENCER WILSON
CONTRIBUTOR
The Academy Awards had a grotesque amount of disappointments this year, one being being the Best Animated Feature category. The absence of The Lego Movie was irritating given it was the only 3D animated film that utilized the animation style creatively and had something to say. Big Hero 6 is not a bad film by any means, but when you think of “best animated feature,” it should be something that was not only a good film, but something that uses the medium of animation to its advantage. 3D animated films still make for great entertaining films. But, by rooting themselves to the boundaries of 3D space, there is an inherent limit on the kinds of artistic design they can take to help evoke the moods and themes of the story. Isao Takahata’s The Tale of the Princess Kaguya made excellent use of its Japanese-feudal-painting style of animation, but by far the most deserving of the nominees was Tomm Moore’s Song of the Sea. Moore opens the film like a story book, with beautiful hand-drawn images of Celtic mythology along with some lines from Irish poet William Butler Yeats’ poem “The Stolen Child.” Ben (David Rawle) is a young boy living on a lighthouse island with his ridiculously burly father, Conor (Brendan Gleeson); his mute, six-year old sister, Saoirse (pronounced seer-sha); and his lovable sheepdog, Cù (which directly translates to “dog” in Scottish Gaelic). The mother of the family, Bronagh, disappears on the day that Saoirse is born, which makes Ben resent Saoirse greatly. He does not take kindly to babysitting Saoirse during playtime, and he does not let Cù play with her. Most importantly, they are not allowed to play in the water as per their father’s orders. Ben’s grandmother (Fionnula Flanagan) visits on Saoirse’s sixth birthday and berates Conor over how the lighthouse was no place to have the children, and that it was dangerous. Later that evening, Ben scares Saoirse with a folktale his mother told him about an owl witch named Macha, and how she imprisoned her gigantic song, “Mac Lir,” as an island
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a more hand-drawn appearance, establishing his own iconic look which emphasized beautiful patterns and textures. Immediately, you are plunged head first into a sea of folk songs from Gaelic and Celtic mythology. Although some cultural references will not be recognized by a Canadian audience, it transports you, in a way that can only be compared to a Hayao Miyazaki film. The art design is full of swirls and rich mosaics evoking the ocean and Celtic art, surfaces have textures that you can feel just by looking at, and landscapes have markings that either lend a sense of history or child-like adventure—some landmarks even contain hidden signs of danger. Even some of Ben’s drawings were done by the assistant director’s son to make it look authentically childlike. Moore stated that film was both a combination of mythologies as well as his memories of growing up in Kilkenny in the 1980s, and the art style finds the perfect balance between that. Although the story revolves around Saoirse’s identity as a Selkie, we spend most of the film with Ben. He encounters a lot of strange characters on his way to helping his sister, and the story helps balance these silly moments with the more serious ones a lot better than The Secret of Kells. One of the most amazing and hilarious statements in the film is the 3D glasses that Ben wears before he does somePhoto Courtesy of <Allthecinema.com> thing he finds scary. Wearing the They soon find out that some of the stories Ben was told as glasses usually ends up in him fumbling; the only times a child may be true, and that Saoirse is the last known Sel- when he is truly brave is without them. It is hard not to see kie—a mythological race of seals that could shed their skin this as Moore taking a jab at his competitors by saying 3D in film is an unnecessary gimmick. to become human. Tomm Moore made a strong directorial entrance into the Song of the Sea does not need 3D, crisp lines, or even conanimation world with The Secret of Kells (2009), which was crete villains. The film tackles much more than that. Ben has nominated for an Oscar. Moore, who also writes the stories for to grow up a lot to appreciate his sister, and the grown-ups his films, draws heavy influence from his youth in Kilkenny, around him need to learn that bottling up their emotions Ireland, as well as a wealth of Celtic mythologies. The Secret of does not do them any favours, that every experience in life, Kells had some spellbinding moments in its animation and a whether happy or sad, should be felt in order to learn and heart-warming story, but there were unrefined moments, all grow. Moore solidifies himself as Ireland’s premier animator of which were corrected in Song of the Sea. Moore shifted his with his signature art style and compelling stories. Song of overly cubist art form, with characters that looked a little too the Sea is equal in wonder, beauty, and adventure to any of much like Samurai Jack, to something more smoothed out with Miyazaki’s films. of stone to seal up his emotions from a heartbreak. After the story, Saoirse is led down to the water by glowing lights and has an adventurous evening playing with seals. She is washed up the next morning looking pale. Conor agrees to send the children to live with their Granny in Dublin, despite Ben’s protesting. Saoirse and Ben decide to escape and head back to the lighthouse because they immediately detest living at their Granny’s place. Ben notices that Saoirse can control these magical whisps of light by playing on a sea shell given to him by his mother, which they use to find their way back home.
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15 ARTS
Mike Edel brings new album to Nanaimo JENNIFER GARCEAU
But then I said, “I’m a musician,” and she said, “What kind of music?” So to the 62-year-old bank teller I said, “It’s kind of like Bob Dylan and Paul Simon, but a little more upbeat at times.”
CONTRIBUTOR
We collect stories throughout our lifetime, adding them to our own narrative and reworking them into our own frame of reference. One of the most celebrated roles in all societies and throughout various time periods has been that of the storyteller. Mike Edel is a musician and storyteller, not just in the obvious sense with his lyrics, but the music itself plays out a tale for listeners. On April 12 at the Buzz Café, Edel will be taking the stage and sharing life as he sees it through his rootsy rock-country sound. Also upcoming is the release of his new album, India, Seattle, set to be available by April 14, 2015. India, Seattle is Edel’s sophomore LP, and when you compare it to his previous album, The Last Of Our Mountains, it’s evident that Edel’s career isn’t going to deliver the same sound over and over again. His sound has flushed out, the songs feel purposeful, and the instrumentation has grown considerably. The album is satiated with provocative percussion, an abundance of strings, and an impeccable level of restraint. With his album set to drop and a performance coming up in Nanaimo it was exciting to dig deeper into the the man behind the stories. Navigator: Whenever I read stories about musicians in various publications I always wonder whether or not the journalist is using the same music genre descriptions as the artist themselves would use. How would you describe your music to someone who is reading about you for the first time? Mike: I was at the bank cashing a big cheque yesterday and the lady said, “Oh my, is this from your employer?” and I responded with, “Well, you could say that. It’s actually for drugs,” which is a joke of course, because I’m a good prairie boy from Alberta. But then I said I’m a musician, and she said, “What kind of music?” So to the 62-year-old bank teller I said, “It’s kind of like Bob Dylan and Paul Simon, but a little more upbeat at times.” What’s the story behind your album title, India, Seattle? It’s my life wrapped up in two words. I think words and places always have specific connotations to every individual person. For me, it’s specific—specific to places and snapshots in my mind, and it’s specific to a person. It’s loving someone and losing someone and it’s about a breakup. India, Seattle is a monument for a good four-year chunk of my life, and I think those two words are both specific and universal. You introduce this album as personal and specific. Could you tell me more about this? Why was it important to you to open this project up to an audience knowing this? These songs are mostly for myself, but if I didn’t think people could get anything from them, I wouldn’t have released it. At one point I nearly threw the harddrive that had this record on it into the ocean. I’m not even joking—there’s a lot of dramatic internal stuff wrapped up in this record. How do you think you’ve grown as an artist since your last album, The Last Of Our Mountains? It’s way better. Everything is. I think you mature as an artist and then hopefully you don’t get irrelevant after you are mature. When I listen to the albums back-to-back I hear a significant growth in confidence. Your delivery is more sure; do you think you’ve become more confident in who you are as an artist and what you have to say? I just think I know what I am saying. When you play more, and music or writing is more a part of you, you don’t really care as much, or care what people think, and I think that makes you more confident.
Courtesy of Mike Edel
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The production on India, Seattle is honey-thick and lush. What was your experience working with Colin Stewart and Jason Cook like? Were you as involved production-wise as you were on your last album? I feel like I produced most of this record. I’m pretty handson with everything. Colin is like your supportive uncle who doubles as a grizzly bear, and Jason Cook works like he’s at
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NASA, engineering the next challenger mission. The song “More Than Summer” has such exuberant music with propelling percussion and hand claps, yet the lyrics talk about an apprehension for summer coming to an end. Could you tell us about this juxtaposition of themes? It’s about being 21 years old. I think most 21-year-olds are really stoked on life and have lots of energy, but are also scared shitless. For me, the story of this song spans two summers, and the upbeatness is because my memories of these moments are nostalgic. Nostalgia is often upbeat, I think. It’s called a pastoral myth in literature, where we perceive the past better than it actually was. That’s me. I read in an interview with the Calgary Herald that the public came close to not getting to know the song “Julia.” What was the story there, and how has this changed you as an artist? My first producer said, “You can’t say Calgary in the chorus— it’s awkward.” Then I forgot about the song and didn’t put it on that record, but one of my good friends said, “What about that ‘Julia’ song? It has a great chorus.” And since then Bon Iver released a song called “Calgary,” and Death Cab For Cutie talks about Calgary in one of their songs. That one will be a bit anthemic for me I think because I am from there. It’s crazy how a song takes on a new life and has so much energy, even when it’s not new. Some of the songs on India, Seattle sound like they were inspired by growing up in a small town in Alberta. How has your childhood impacted the artistic expression you share today? A couple of them are. I’ve been trying to write the song “When The Good Goes Wrong” for about 10 years. It’s about my two best friends dying in a car accident when I was 18 and about the community of the town. It meant a lot to me to get that one out. “The Closer” is also a nod to the prairies and my sporty background. This is one of my favourite songs ever, and the best song I’ve ever written in the lyrical and story sense. I still love Alberta, and I miss it, except for a few things. What parts of this album would you say are nods to your current Island roots? Has being based out of Victoria impacted the kind of music you make? Yeah, “Thought About July,” “Blue Above The Green,” “St. Columbia” definitely, and “India, Seattle.” I’d say a bulk of this album has the Island as the background. “Blue Above The Green” is the most fun when thinking of the Island. It’s actually about the tressel in Goldstream and falling in love there. You’re embarking on a pretty big national tour. What are your hopes along the way? What are the challenges you’re thinking about with such a jam-packed tour? My hopes are to come back alive and get to meet lots of people and see how good humanity is. I really like people and I’d like to spend more time with them, and less time with technology. It’s what I love about music. Have you played in Nanaimo before? Is there anything about visiting that you’re looking forward to? I’ve played in Nanaimo a couple times before, but I’m looking forward to Nanaimo surprising me. I really would love for some of my assumptions to be proved wrong. What do you think the future holds for you as an artist? What projects are you thinking about next? I’d love to put aside lots of time to write again. It has been busy lately. I would also love to produce another record or two like I did last year. But pretty much I’m hoping to play lots and get lots of people to hear this record. If you want to check out Edel’s show you can reserve a spot by going on his website, <mikeedel.com>, and clicking on the Tour tab. Tickets will be $10 at the door, and the show is open to all ages. The show starts at 7 pm on April 12 at the Buzz Café.
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DENISA KRAUS
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The Port Theatre puts youth in charge National Youth Arts Week brings a new wave of inspiration to Nanaimo’s arts and culture. On May 14, The Port Theatre Youth Initiative will present a night organized by young promoters dedicated to young audiences. Headlining the event will be Vancouver-based band The Wild Romantics, 2009 Peak Performance Project winners We Are The City, and Nanaimo’s own Gold & Shadow. The program in the lobby will include free refreshments, a photo booth, more live music, and other activities. The event was organized by a group of teens and students under the guidance of the Port Theatre’s Marketing Assistant Melanie Godel. “It’s interesting to see the age range and their dynamics,” she says, pointing to the diversity of the group, where the age ranges from 14 to 22. Some of the children are home-schooled, while others attend high school or VIU. As the group leader, Godel assigns tasks such as print advertising, writing up content for media, or sourcing the artists while the group makes collaborative decisions on each detail. “It is the first time the Port Theatre has ever done anything like this,” Godel says about the new experience. “We weren’t sure how it would turn out when we started.
We just had the idea that we wanted to bring in the youth to learn about what we do, and have them do it.” She says the professional team at the theatre provides guidance and a “safety net” for the group, and they fill in where necessary, like in the technical portion. The program will hold several workshops in April to allow the group to familiarize themselves with lighting and stage set up. Planning also involved numerous discussions on the best and most affordable acts. The Initiative consulted with professional promoters and event organizers like Andrew Roberts from Got Pop, and Vancouver Island Symphony executive director Margot Holmes. The group also coordinated with The Hub City Cinema Society to have a green screen photo booth set up in the lobby. The main objective of the program is to engage youth audiences with live and performing arts, get them excited about attending, and give them an opportunity to come together and enjoy an event with their peers. “It’s sometimes hard to engage the youth,” Godel says, pointing to the fact that there isn’t a lot of opportunities for teenagers to go to shows, either because of the liquor licensing when shows are held in bars, or the
often prohibitive prices when they happen at the Port Theatre. “We really wanted to open up the Port Theatre to young audiences who might not otherwise be able to attend events there,” she says. Godel says the program will provide the group with essential work experience and a better sense of what work in this field entails, which can help them along their career path. Lindsay (22), one of the group members, has always worked or volunteered in the field and expects her future career to revolve around event planning. “I really enjoy working on all the different aspects of it, because that’s what I want to do,” she says. “I’m going to school for it, so it’s really nice to get a headstart.” Her dream is to organize bigname festivals like Squamish and Coachella, but she also sees herself coordinating weddings, fundraisers, and galas. “Being able to put together something that connects with so many different people on so many different levels, and to be a part of something bigger than yourself is amazing.” Aislinn (20), a first-year Theatre student at VIU, enjoys learning the technical aspects of organizing and producing a theatre event. With her passion for light design and stage
Port Theatre Youth Initiative team during an event advertising workshop at CHLY. Denisa Kraus carpentry, she is looking forward to attending the workshops. “It’s a great opportunity to get to know the local artists and people in the industry,” she adds. The lobby will showcase art produced by young artists sourced from Nanaimo Arts Council, VIU’s Visual Art department, and high schools in the area. Godel says the group would also like to have a busker musician play in the lobby during the intermission to help create a casual, festival-like atmosphere. “We want it to be fun, and get everybody excited about what’s going on,” she says. On the day of the show, some group members may be involved in emceeing the event, but it will mostly be an opportunity to celebrate the eight months’ worth of work, and to “congratulate them-
selves on what they’ve come to.” Godel believes the event will have an impact on the Port Theatre’s direction in the future. “I think this really opens the door for what is possible and interesting for youth,” she says. “People are interested in what happens at the Port Theatre, there’s no question about that. So we have an excellent opportunity to showcase what we do, showcase our theatre, and use that to help the next generation of arts administrators, arts technicians, and artists themselves.” The Port Theatre Youth Initiative night is on May 14 at 7 pm. It is open to public of all ages. The $15 ticket includes entertainment, activities in the lobby, and free food. Every ticket also automatically enters the door prize draw for merchandise by the headlining bands.
Gold & Shadow coming to the Port Theatre JENNIFER GARCEAU There’s some chatter on the horizon about a night out at the Port Theatre featuring up-and-coming BC bands We Are The City, The Wild Romantics, and Gold & Shadow. We wanted to get a sneak peek at what’s in store for May 14 and sat down with Nanaimo’s own Gold & Shadow. Navigator: Do you have a good story behind getting together as a band? Dane Letourneau: We met at church. We were a bunch of church boys rehearsing in the basement. After rehearsal we would get a little wild—shirts would come off and amps would go up. Some of us really wanted to make the same kind of music as each other, atmospheric and beautiful music. Jesse Janzen: Primarily, I was really into metal, and Dane was into U2 and Radiohead. Dane introduced me to so much music. He really spearheaded the whole thing. D: What’s cool about that environment is there are so many mentors around. I would never have had the courage to get up and play the electric guitar in front of people if it weren’t for the guidance and mentorship. You have a new album, TORCH, just out. Tell us about the creative process. D: Well it’s finished, but it isn’t out yet. It will not be officially released until the fall. People in Nanaimo
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CONTRIBUTOR might have some early access to it though. J: Some of the songs are new, one is a re-recording of a single already released. Gold & Shadow is really dynamic. We write songs that aren’t as easily definable. We wait until we get songs that sound good as a package. It’s not a concept album— each song comes about naturally on its own. D: It’s hard to narrow some of our stuff down, to narrow the focus in. When our drummer Wes came into the picture, that’s when it all started to come together. Why is it called TORCH? D: TORCH has a two-fold meaning. It is the light of the world and redeeming fire. There’s a quote from Jeff Buckley that’s going to be on the jacket: “You’re just the torch to put the flame to all our guilt and shame.” A big part of our sound is influenced by Jeff Buckley. How has Jeff Buckley’s music inspired you as a band? D: He’s dynamic. He can go from whisper quiet to screaming in a
blink of an eye. We love that energy and that dynamic, that beauty.
to stories. If it affects me I want to write about it. Do you have a ritual you do before rehearsals and shows? J: Well there’s a ritual before rehearsal. We throw a recorder on and just jam. A lot of our ideas for future songs come from that. D: We’re big on hugs. Pre-show hugs happen.
Courtesy of Gold Where did you find inspiration? D: Vancouver Island. Where we live is big to us. Gold & Shadow was always very instrumental. When I started to write lyrics they were about things that were personal. A huge thing is my relationship with God, suffering. There’s a tune about the impact of a mother’s suicide on the whole family, and another one about the impact of colonialism on First Nations people—things that weigh heavily on the heart. I find I’m really drawn
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You very often pick Buzz Café as your venue. What is it about that space that attracts you so much? D: Its aesthetics, and & Shadow getting people into a space that’s positive, where people feel good. It’s an inspiring space. J: The space music is played in can lend dignity and splendour. Where you play music can make or break you as a musician, and Buzz Café definitely hosts our music well. It’s also our birth place—the basement of the original Buzz Café is where we used to rehearse in the beginning. How do you feel about performing at the Port Theatre with The Wild
Romantics and We Are The City? D: We are ecstatic. We Are The City is incredible. We feel a kinship with them musically speaking. It’s super exciting to be a part of this show. What are your wildest expectations of the show? D: Play more shows with We Are The City. In general, it’s exciting to see bands getting attention for experimental music. We hope to make a good connection that will open up more opportunities. What’s next for you? D: Along with the record we’re doing a tour in Western Canada in the fall. Our music video is coming out before the Port Theatre show. Who made your video? Tell us about that process. D: Matt Lineker, a young aspiring photographer and videographer who’s doing incredible things. His brother is our guitarist. They’re both really great artists. If you’d like to keep up-to-date with Gold & Shadow, they are active on all their social media. Check them out on their website, <goldandshadow.com>, which has links to their Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Bandcamp. Tickets for the show on May 14 are $15 and can be purchased from the Port Theatre either online or in person.
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Body Talk 2015
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Photos from the aerial dance workshop organized by The Crimson Coast Society and the youth team CRU at the Romper Room Climbing Centre during the spring break week.
Denisa Kraus 1
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AS NUMBERED 1. Workshop participants rehearse the routine to be performed at the wrap-up finale. 2. The choreography was relatively simple yet effective. 3. The routine was designed to suit both the students and the instructors. 4. The straps of the climbing harness did not always provide ultimate comfort. “It’s going to hurt,” participant Nadine Wiepning said about the final performance. 5. Julia Taffe, artistic director of Aerosia, the aerial dance company collaborating on the workshop, explains how to make rope adjustments “a part of the presentation.”
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Sports
Clippers prepare for League Championship BEN CHESSOR For the first time since 2008 the Nanaimo Clippers will compete for the Fred Page Cup and the right to be called BCHL champions. The only thing standing in the Clippers’ way are the regular season’s champions, the Penticton Vees. The Clippers advanced to the finals with a 2-0 victory in Nanaimo on Thursday, April 2 over Penticton. The Clippers opened the scoring at 14:26 of the first period on a goal by Sheldon Rhemple. Then, with the score still 1-0 and the Clippers on a powerplay midway through the third, Yanni Kaldis found the back of the net to give the Clippers some breathing room as Nanaimo hung on for the victory. Final shots in the game favoured Nanaimo 35-32. Guillaume Decelles stopped all 32 shots he faced for the shutout victory. The Clippers’ victory gave Nanaimo two wins in three games in the BCHL’s double round robin semi-finals. The Clippers’ two victories gave the team four points and ended the round robin because the Chilliwack Chiefs, who had lost their first three games of the round robin, were unable to catch Nanaimo. The Clippers opened the series with a 4-1 loss to the Vees in Penticton, but followed that up with a 7-3 win over Chilliwack and the 2-0 victory over the Vees. This will be the sixth time that
THE NAVIGATOR Nanaimo and Penticton have met in the BCHL finals. The Clippers hold a 3-2 lead all-time in the final series between these two teams. The Clippers picked up victories in 1976, 1977, and 1978. Penticton won in 1980 and the last time the Clippers went to the Fred Page Cup was in 2008. Penticton picked up the four-game sweep of the Clippers. Penticton and Nanaimo finished the regular season as the two top teams in the BCHL. Penticton finished first with a record of 44-9-32, which gave them 93 points on the season, 14 more than Nanaimo, who finished with a record of 37-16-0-5. Nanaimo finished the season first in the league in goals scored, with 235 in 58 games. The Vees finished fourth with 216. Penticton had the best defense during the regular season, allowing just 115 goals. The Clippers finished third in 167 goals against. The two teams split their two regular season meetings, with Nanaimo winning 3-2 in Nanaimo and Penticton picking up the 4-2 win at home later in the season. Penticton has outscored Nanaimo 10-7 in the four total games between the two teams this year. Offensively, the Clippers have been led during the playoffs by Nicholas Gushue; the 20-year-old defenseman has 13 points in 17
games during the playoffs, including five goals. Gushue only had 14 goals in 182 regular season games before this year’s playoff run. Meanwhile, Penticton has been led offensively by Demico Hannoun, who has 17 points in 16 games for Penticton. Hannoun is no stranger to the pressure of the playoffs, as he was a large part of the 2013 Surrey Eagles’ team, which won both the BCHL and Western Canada Cup. The BCHL finals are a best-ofseven series that gets underway on Friday, April 10 in Penticton. The Clippers’ home games will be Monday, April 13 and Tuesday, April 14 as the team plays games three and four of the series. Game six, if it’s necessary, will also be played in Nanaimo on Friday, April 17. Tickets are available now for games three and four of the finals. Tickets can be purchased at the door prior to puck drop. Tickets can also be ordered online at <nanaimoclippers.com> and are $10 for VIU students. The winner of this series will be named BCHL Champion and will compete in the Western Canada Cup against the Champions of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. The team from the host city will also compete in the Cup. This year the tournament is being held in Fort McMurray, Alberta.
The team celebrates their birth into the BCHL Championship series. Ben Chessor
Mariners’ badminton player named Canada’s best BEN CHESSOR
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Badminton might not be one of the most popular spectator sports in North America; to most it’s considered more of a recreational game—something played in the summer at family barbeques. But to VIU’s Graydon Robb, badminton is more than just a casual game. Robb just finished an extremely successful season as a member of the VIU Mariners’ badminton team. Although badminton isn’t a popular spectator sport in Canada, it is taken very seriously in other parts of the world. In fact, badminton has the second-largest worldwide participation of any sport in the world aside from soccer. But despite the sport’s worldwide popularity, Robb still finds that not everyone knows how popular the sport is. “It’s a really hidden community in Canada. But if you go anywhere else in the world it’s hugely popular. Professional badminton players are celebrities, ” he said. “But in Canada I get some
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Robb representing Alberta in the Canadian Winter Games. Courtesy of Graydon Robb weird reactions when I talk to people about it. Because here it’s considered a relaxing game.” Competitive badminton runs in the family for Robb, who has been playing badminton all his life. “My mom was Pan-American Champion, the best in North and South America,” he said. “She won the U19 games when she was only 16 years old, which was a really big accomplishment.” But despite playing badminton from such a young age, Robb insists he didn’t really take the sport that seriously until a few
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years ago. “I had fun playing every day when I was younger,” he said. “Now I take it more seriously. I want to be the best in Canada.” Robb is well on his way to being the best badminton player in Canada, and has picked up his fair share of awards along the way. Robb has won a number of championships and titles in his two years as a Mariner, including being named this year’s CCAA player of the year; he was also named last year’s VIU Mariners Athlete of the Year in 2014. Robb has also had success in doubles competitions these last two years. Last year, he was one half of the CCAA Men’s National Doubles Champions. This year, Robb and his mixed doubles partner Melissa Liuw won the Provincial gold medal and also picked up a silver medal at this year’s National Championships. He also represented Alberta in the Canada winter games, where he picked up a silver medal. Robb is training everyday, either on the court or in the gym, but he has trouble getting as much time on the court as he would like. “I get about six to eight hours of court training time a week,” he said. “I’m trying to find a warehouse or some courts to open so that I can get enough gym time.” Robb hopes to build on his success from the last two years at VIU. He hopes one day to become good enough to compete at badminton professionally overseas, a feat which is made more difficult because he is Canadian. But he feels like such high goals are within reach. “My friends who are just a little better than me are in Paris right now playing competitively. I’m almost as good as they are, so if I just train hard I can be there.” Robb has come a long way in his two years since joining the VIU Mariners, amassing an impressive list of awards and achievements. With all that he has accomplished in the last two years, it wouldn’t be shocking if he did become Canada’s most successful badminton player.
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Recapping the year that was: The VIU Mariners BEN CHESSOR The calendar has turned to April. Classes are slowly coming to an end, and exams are just around the corner. But the beginning of school’s final month also marks the end to another year of varsity athletics for the VIU Mariners. It was another successful year for the Mariners, as every Mariner team picked up a medal at the provincial level. A few teams even managed to pick up medals on the national stage. With the school year coming to a close, it’s time to recap the seasons of the VIU Mariners teams.
Men’s soccer
The men’s soccer team got off to a hot start to the PacWest regular season. The team went undefeated through their first 11 games of the season, picking up nine wins and two ties over that span. The Mariners outscored their opposition 22-7 over that span. The Mariners finished the season slowly, winning only one of their last four games of the season, but still finished as the top team heading into the Provincial Championships. In the Provincials, the Mariners advanced to the finals, but lost the gold medal game to Douglas College in penalty kicks. The silver medal in the provincials allowed Mariners to advance to the National Championships. The Mariners put on a strong showing at the Nationals, advancing all the way to the Championship game. In the National Championships, the Mariners battled back against the host Sheridan Bruins, twice tying the game in the dying moments. The game went to penalty kicks, where the Bruins came out on top, giving the Mariners the National silver medal to go along with their Provincial silver. The silver medal at Nationals marked the third time in four years the Mariners have medaled at the event.
Women’s soccer
The Mariners’ women’s soccer team had a successful campaign. The Mariners split the first four games of the season, but then caught fire, losing just one of the team’s final 11 games. The Mariners’ offense was lethal throughout the season, especially over their final 11 games when VIU outscored their opponents 25-3. The Mariners finished the regular season with a record of 11-3-1, which gave them first place heading into the Provincials. The Mariners continued their strong play at the Provincials, capturing the gold medal with a 1-0 victory over the Langara Falcons. The Mariners opened the Nationals with a 4-0 victory over the Medicine Hat Rattlers, but lost
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THE NAVIGATOR their final two games to finish outside the medals. The Mariners’ 11 wins during the regular season was one more than the previous three years combined.
Women’s volleyball
The women’s volleyball season got off to a rough start, as the Mariners were forced to forfeit the first four games of their season because of an ineligible player ruling by the league. But after a 0-5 start to the year the team started to pile up victories, winning 14 of their last 16 games. VIU finished the regular season in third place in the standings with a record of 16-8. The Mariners continued their hot play in the Provincials, picking up a stunning come-frombehind victory over the Camosun Chargers to capture the gold medal and advance to the National Championships. In the National Championships, the Mariners won the opening match against Mount St. Vincent. But the Mariners lost their semi-final game to the Cégep Garneau’s Elans in four sets before dropping their final match of the tournament to the Camosun Chargers. The Provincial gold medal for the Mariners was the team’s third in four years. The last time a VIU women’s volleyball team failed to medal in the Provincials was 1994.
with a record of 20-1. The Mariners outscored opponents by 545 points throughout the 21 games. The team broke the school record for points scored in a game twice, scoring 121 against Columbia Bible College on February 20 before breaking that record by scoring 136 the next night at Kwantlen University. VIU captured the gold medal at the Provincial Championships by defeating the Langara Falcons 82-76, who beat the Mariners in the gold medal game in each of the last two years. After winning the Provincials, VIU moved onto the National Championships, where they defeated the host Mohawk Mountaineers 92-88 in the semi-final to advance to the gold medal game. The Mariners fought hard in the gold medal game, but ultimately fell 66-60 to the Humber College Hawks. The silver medal at Nationals was the Mariners’ second National medal in three years.
Women’s basketball
The women’s basketball team entered the season with some extra pressure on their shoulders, with the National Championships set to be held in Nanaimo. The Mariners had a strong and consistent regular season, finishing second with a record of 16-5. The teams’ longest winning streak during the regular season was seven games, which included five victories on home court. The team lost their semi-final game at the Provincials to Douglas College, but captured the bronze medal with a 57-44 victory over the Camosun Chargers. The Mariners entered the National Championships as the seventh seeded team in the tournament and dropped their first tournament game in heartbreaking fashion to Holland College. The Mariners were also defeated by the Quest Kermodes in the second game of the tournament, but finished their season with a victory over the
Mount Allison Mounties to end the tournament in seventh place. The bronze medal in the Provincial Championships marked the fourth straight year the Mariners have medaled in the event. This was also the fifth straight season the Mariners finished in the top two in the standings. It was another successful season for the Mariners in team sports, with each of the six teams picking up medals. Three teams won gold medals in Provincial Championships, while five teams advanced to the National Championships, two of them capturing silver medals. It was another successful athletic year for the Mariners, who will once against capture the PacWest aggregate award for having the best overall athletic performance. With the Mariners’ proud history of athletic success it’s safe to say that the Mariners will be in contention for the aggregate award again next year.
Men’s volleyball
The men’s volleyball team had a strong season. VIU finished the season in third place in the standings with a record of 15-9. The Mariners were one of the hottest teams in the league to start the season, picking up victories in nine of their first 12 games. VIU spent most of the season on the hunt for one of the top two spots in the standings, but lost four of their last six games to finish six points behind Camosun, who picked up the second spot. In the Provincial Championships, the Mariners won their opener against the Capilano Blues, but fell to the Chargers in the semi-finals. After the loss to Camosun, the Mariners defeated the Columbia Bible College Bearcats to capture the bronze medal. The medal ended a successful season for the Mariners, in which they improved on their 10-14 record from last season and captured their third provincial medal in four years after losing in the first round last year.
Men’s basketball
The men’s basketball team dominated their opponents at times throughout the season. VIU finished the season in first place
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No 14
Five summertime sports predictions BEN CHESSOR
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Sports are extremely hard to predict. At the start of every season, no matter what the sport, experts all attempt to predict what will happen in the upcoming season, and almost always they are ridiculously wrong. So with that in mind, here are five things that I predict will unfold over the next few months.
1
The Canucks will win a playoff series
At the start of the NHL season, the Vancouver Canucks were one of the most interesting teams in the league. No one had a good idea of how the Canucks would do this season, after they seemingly self-destructed the season before. But thanks to some smart moves by new General Manager Jim Benning, the Canucks are poised to have home ice advantage at the start of the season. With the NHL’s regular season entering its final week it’s looking like Vancouver will play either the Calgary Flames or the Los Angeles Kings in the first round. Any Canucks fan will tell you that they would rather see Vancouver play Calgary in the first round, as the Canucks stand a good chance of beating the Flames. But I really don’t think that LA is as good a team as they have been in previous years. The Kings have lost some important defensemen over the last year and aren’t as deep offensively as they have been in previous years. Even though it would be preferred by many around BC if the Canucks wound up facing the Flames in the first round, I’m confident that Vancouver will be able to dispose of either opponent in the first round, although it’s hard to see the Canucks winning more than one series this year, especially if they engage in a long physical series with LA.
2
The Seattle Mariners are going to make the playoffs
It has been tough to be a fan of baseball in this part of the world for the last 22 years, since the Toronto Blue Jays won their second consecutive World Series title in 1993. Since then, the Blue Jays haven’t qualified for the playoffs once. Meanwhile, the Seattle Mariners have put together a handful of successful seasons, but for each good season the Mariners have had, they’ve had at least two poor ones. Since 2001, neither the Blues Jays nor the Mariners have qualified for the playoffs. In fact, the Blues’ Jays 22-year playoff drought is the longest in the MLB, while the Mariners’ 14-year drought is the second longest. Last year, the Mariners had a strong season, missing the playoffs by a single game. After making some key additions in the off-season, including the addition of the reigning MLB homerun king Nelson Cruz, the Mariners look poised to put an end to their playoff drought, allowing BC baseball fans to get their first taste of playoff baseball in 14 years.
3
Tiger Woods won’t win a golf tournament
The Masters tournament takes place April 9-12 in Augusta, Georgia, and Tiger Woods has announced that he will take part in this year’s tournament after taking a small hiatus
from the world of competitive golf. The four time Master Champion, who has struggled with injuries the last few years, hasn’t won on tour since 2013, and, as a result, has seen himself fall out of the top 100 in the world golf ranking for the first time since 1997. Woods has played just 47 holes of golf this year, largely due to injuries. Although it will be interesting to see how Tiger does at Augusta National this year, it’s easy to see that his ever-growing list of injuries and aliments have taken their toll on Tiger. Because of Tigers slump and these reoccurring injuries it’s hard to imagine Tiger getting his game in shape to the point where he manages to win a tournament at any point this season. Personally, I think it’s more likely that Tiger never wins another tournament again than it is that he picks up a victory this season. The mind is more than willing, but the question is, is his body still able to keep up?
4
The Tampa Bay Lightning will win the Stanley Cup
Out of all major professional sports leagues, the NHL has the highest sense of parity. An argument can be made that almost any team that qualifies for the playoffs this year has a legitimate shot of winning the Stanley Cup. But this year I think the Tampa Bay Lightning is going to be the team that comes out on top. The Lightning had a good season last year, but lost star goaltender Ben Bishop at the start of the playoffs and got swept in the first round by Montreal. This year, assuming another star player doesn’t get injured, the Lightning possess all the pieces of a serious cup contender. They have one of the league’s best pure goal scorers in Steven Stamkos, who is surrounded by a roster of underrated young forwards. Victor Hedmen is one of the best defenders in the league. With Bishop healthy and in goal, the Lightning have an all-star at every position and a good chance of being the last team standing at the end of the season.
5
The Cleveland Cavaliers will win the NBA Championship
When Lebron James decided to take his talents from South Beach back to the Cleveland Cavaliers this past off-season, a fair amount of criticism followed. James, who made it to the NBA finals all four years he played in Miami, was looked at to bring a Championship to the city of Cleveland. James and off-season trade acquisition Kevin Love joined all-star Kyrie Irving on the Cavaliers this season. Although Cleveland struggled at the start of the season, they now sit second in the NBA’s eastern conference. Now, with the playoffs just around the corner, the Cavaliers continue to get better and better. There are some really strong teams in the NBA this year, including the team ahead of Cleveland in the eastern conference, the Atlanta Hawks. But considering how much Cleveland has improved since the start of the season, I just don’t know if there is a team out there that can stop Lebron and the Cavaliers. It seems extremely likely that James will be appearing in a fifth consecutive NBA championship, with a good chance of picking up his third championship ring.
“The Seattle Mariners look poised to put an end to their playoff drought, allowing BC baseball fans to get their first taste of playoff baseball in 14 years.”
No 14
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SPORTS 21
Odds & Ends “Self-portrait of the artist having a go at doing a drawing of himself.”
“Graduation”
Comics by Arlen Hogarth
ODDS & ENDS 22
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No 14
April
SUN
MON
TUE
WED
THU
FRI
SAT
08
09
10
11
Dog Day Afternoon VIUSU Stress Buster
Happy Endings Concert and BBQ
Nanaimo Kinsmen Beer Festival
Spring Movie Sale
VIU Students’ Union, Bldg. 193
Nanaimo campus, Royal Bank Plaza
Beban Park Social Centre
Hub City Cinema Society Studio, 15 Lois Lane
FREE
FREE
$30 pre-sale
FREE
11 AM – 3 PM
11:30 AM – 2 PM
6 – 9 PM
10 AM – 5 PM
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
5 km Run/Walk to Conquer Cancer
Fringe Flicks: Timbuktu
Classical Coffee Concert Series with Sarah Hagen and Friends
Miss Caledonia VIU
Live at Longwood
Green Jelly
Gleaners: Salt Walk
Nanaimo campus, Malaspina Theatre Bldg. 310
Longwood Brew Pub, 5775 Turner Rd.
The Cambie, 63 Victoria Cres.
Nanaimo Art Gallery, 150 Commercial St.
FREE
$15
FREE
Swy-A-Lana Park
Avalon Cinemas, 6631 N. Island Hwy.
FREE
$12
The Port Theatre, 125 Front St.
10 AM
7 PM
$15 students
$15 students 7:30 PM
2 PM
8 PM
10:30 AM
19
20
21
22
23
24
Hypno Yoga For Personal Empowerment
NAC Young People’s Showcase
Early Morning Classes at OmTown Yoga
Stand-Up Comedy with Leland Klassen
Bus Stop
Moksha Yoga, 5271 Rutherford Rd.
Nanaimo Arts Council Gallery, #259–4750 Rutherford Rd.
OmTown Yoga, 43 Commercial St.
On the Dock with Eastbound Train, Robin Mills, and The Distributors
$25 4:30 – 6 PM
FREE
$15
Dinghy Dock Pub, 8 Pirates Lane
7 – 8 AM
$20 advance
The Queen’s, 39 Victoria Cres.
Bailey Studio, 2373 Rosstown Rd. $20
$15 advance $20 door
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