The Navigator Vol 47 Issue 07

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Vol 47

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navigator VA NCOU V ER ISL A ND U NI V ERSIT Y ST U DEN T PR ESS

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Combating climate change in Nanaimo

A very Egyptian Christmas

Fractured Land comes to VIU

As Canada and the world meet in Paris for the 2015 UN Climate Change Conference, Nanaimo locals are advocating to raise awareness about climate change.

Back home, my family and I have always celebrated Christmas. I never asked why, but I often wondered.

The moving story of Caleb Behn, a young Dene First Nations man who is exploring the relationship between humanity and the landscapes we live on, comes to VIU.

contents

news

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08 04Ottawa with love From

08 Editorials

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05 Combating climate change in Nanaimo

VIU Services: Book buyback

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06 Hope for Adult Basic Education funding

arts 14 08 08 showstoppers grace the 04 Three local stage

15 Emotional Savepoint: A review of Alec Robbin's Lost Levels Fractured Land comes to VIU

Canada's cannabis campaign promises

Point of VIU

sports & lifestyle

16 Crafty Christmas cards

Everyday Earth: Your brain on nature

18 Online startup offers local shopping experience

19 08 04 schedule Mariners' Spice up your cider Mental Health Matters: Getting involved

20 Forward on the front line: Matt Hoover The light drizzle The Clippers are on the road

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VIU professor appointed as Interim City Manager by council

Ugly

17 VISFF disco glam fundraiser

21 A very Egyptian Christmas

Nanaimo Museum Christmas in the Golden Age of Radio exhibit

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The art of craft brewing

23 Calendar

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CON T EN TS

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letters

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CONTRIBUTORS Alison Cheung Reid Eccles Farida El Sheshingy Shanon Fenske Philip Gordon Denisa Kraus Zoe Lauckner Edward Lee

Matt Lineker Jeff Sieniewicz Chantelle Spicer Karlee Takasaki Chandler Walter (CUP)

THE NAVIGATOR WELCOMES READER CONTRIBUTIONS

THE NAVIGATOR IS Molly Barrieau Editor-in-Chief

Avery Crosson Graphic Designer

Kaytee Davis Art Director

Gabby Fleming, Ad/Sales Rep

Natalie Gates News Editor

Shaina Bolduc Ad/Sales Rep

Catherine Charlebois Sports & Lifestyle Editor

Megan Wolfe Social Media Sp.

Kelly Whiteside Production Manager

Antony Stevens Web Editor

Lori Shwydky Copy Editor

Lynne Williams Bookkeeper

Emily Johnston Graphic Designer

Christine Franic Business Manager

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

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You don’t have to be a journalist to get published in The Navigator.

We encourage creators to submit poetry, art, comics, photo essays, editorial cartoons, and coverage of events on campus.

Send any inquiries or content to <editor@thenav.ca> or visit <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. 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.

Correction: In issue five, The Navigator published an advancer by contributor Gordon Hak, a professor at VIU, on the Arts and Humanities Colloquium. The quotation marks in Hak’s title “The Rantings of a Half-Breed Girl”: Allyson Anderson to Speak in Art and Humanities Lecture Series were removed through editing.

These were words from Allyson Anderson, the speaker, and this altered the meaning, since “half-breed girl” is a derogatory term for Métis. Her use of quotations is an example of reclaiming the term.

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editorials

Molly Barrieau Editor-in-Chief

SLACKTIVISM AND THE YEAR THAT WAS Well, it looks like we got through #2K15. It has been a rollercoaster of emotions for most of us across this over-crowded, over-dry planet of ours. With Paris attacks punctuating this destructive year, we have seen, countless times, what we are capable of. From legalizing same-sex marriage in Ireland, to the discovery of liquid water on Mars by NASA, 2015 has had its ups and downs.

We now live in a time where the Oxford Dictionary, which has been around for over 130 years, decided the word of the year is an emoji. Not just any emoji, but the “most popular:” the “Face with Tears of Joy” emoji. So, if you want to sum up 2015, you should probably just go into hysterics by crying and laughing at the same time.

For someone who loves words and languages, this is bewildering. I understand that we now live in a world of convenience where we’re always looking for the fastest WiFi, the quickest route on Google Maps, and avoiding queues by online shopping, but have words become secondary to a selection of gestures and facial expressions? As technology evolves at an exponential rate, humans are reverting back to communicating like our Neanderthal relatives. Grunt.

In an Oxford Dictionaries blog post, “[The emoji] was chosen as the best ‘word’ that best reflected the ethos, mood, and preoccupations of 2015.” I guess after all of the mindless deaths that happened in Paris, Charleston, and Boko Haram, this is how we collectively feel.

So, how many online petitions did you sign this year? Did you tell Christy Clark not to cull the BC wolves, or do your best to stop Donald Trump from continuing in the 2016 presidential election? These days, if you have an opposable thumb, you can “do your part” to save our sad world with just a click, entering your email, and ignoring the “additional comments” section.

You can be on your way to telling everyone on your feed how you are changing the world.

This act of participating in a political or social cause via the internet “requiring little time or involvement” is called slacktivism. Even Microsoft Word has accepted this portmanteau of “slacker” and “activism” as a word. This idea that one can feel satisfied in their contribution from behind a screen solidifies the notion that laziness has taken precedence over speaking up. If you’d like to talk about this, please email me expressing your feelings in 10 emojis or less. K thnx bye, lol.

Or, if you’re actually the written word type, then continue on and check out our last issue of 2015. It’s chock full of holiday crafts on page 16, and an apple cider recipe on page 19. Our beloved contributor Farida El Sheshingy tells us about Christmas in Egypt, and even uses the emoji of the year in her Snapchat photo on page 21. But don’t forget to like us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, so you never miss a moment of scrolling. We promise to stay within 140 characters so you don’t get too overwhelmed.

Hold on, dear, the end is near

Kelly Whiteside Production Manager

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EDI TOR I A L S

Mental health awareness month is over, but stress continues to grow as final projects are due and final exams are creeping up on us all. But don’t worry, my friends—the semester is almost over.

A student’s stress is often underrated by those who have never attended university. Those people can include our parents, bosses, and significant others. Sometimes, though, it seems like even our professors underestimate how stressful university is.

When under as much stress as we students often are, it’s easy to lose our minds a bit and go a little crazy. Sometimes we take things out on those who are close to us and those who don’t understand why we’re so stressed. I would like to take this moment to thank everyone in my life that has dealt with my absurd mental breakdowns recently, and apologize for the rest that are to come in the following weeks leading up to Christmas. I encourage those who may also be experiencing extreme stress to do the same. Be thankful for those who are willing to support you.

First, I would like to say thank you to my parents for helping me financially. It doesn’t seem to matter how many jobs I have, how many hours I work, or how much money I make—it’s never quite enough to cover all my bills and tuition. Thank you, mom, for listening to me cry over the phone about all the money that magically disappeared, and for giving me what I need to get by, even though you can’t afford to support me like that anymore.

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Second, I would like to say thank you to all my bosses for believing in me. Not many students can manage working a full-time job, as well as two part-time jobs, while attending university full-time. Any other employers would likely have turned me down and called me crazy.

Third, I would like to say thank you to my boyfriend for putting up with me. I know you think I’m crazy for taking on all these responsibilities, I know I cry over a lot of silly things, and I know you don’t understand my level of stress, but, regardless, you’re always there to listen and support me in any way you can, and I truly appreciate that.

Finally, I would like to say thank you to all the understanding professors at VIU. I miss too many classes, and I’m late on most assignments, but somehow I’ve never failed a class (yet).

Students, please remember to take care of yourselves in the next few weeks. Your mental health and well-being is important, and they should take priority above education. Relieve your stress in a healthy manner, such as exercising. Don’t be afraid to cry, even if it’s about the silliest things (trust me, I’ve cried over dropping nachos). Take advantage of the supportive people around you—they want to help.

The end is in sight. Take a deep breath, and push through it. Enjoy the short break before another four months of stress begins.

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news

COMBATING CLIMATE CHANGE IN NANAIMO Natalie Gates

“The power of our vision must be so much stronger than the power of our fear,” said ecofuturist and founder of the BC Sustainable Energy Association Guy Dauncey when speaking as a guest at a VIU political studies class. “The challenge is huge, but it’s mostly achievable.”

As Canada and the world meet in Paris for the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21) to create a universal agreement on climate for the first time in 20 years, Nanaimo locals are also advocating to raise awareness about climate change.

On November 24, a diverse group of VIU Arts and Humanities faculty, students affiliated with VIU’s Awareness of Climate Change through Education and Research (ACER) club, and the VIU Human Rights and International Solidarity Committee performed readings of various pieces that portrayed different outlooks surrounding climate change in Scenes from the Anthropocene.

The staged reading is one of over 100 theatre events occurring worldwide to raise awareness about climate change in the days leading up to COP21.

VIU’s event was organized by Dr. Nelson Gray, a VIU writer and stage director. Dr. Gray received a $75k grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) last fall, as well as a Canada Council grant the year before to write a film opera based on his experiences as a salmon troller. For inspiration, he drew on oceanographic research from scientists at the University of Victoria and Dalhousie University, and on his own recent summer residency experience at Ocean Networks Canada.

Nineteen people sat in a semi-circle on the Malsapina Theatre’s dimly lit stage as the soothing sound of ocean waves echoed out of the theatre’s PA system. From the point of view of a mother polar bear trying to teach her cub to hunt seals in an environment where ice is constantly retreating, to documentary filmmakers debating if the Western or Eastern world is more responsible for climate change, to an illustration of the contrasting views on the issue between generations, and an ironic monologue from the view of the “average joe” speculating the legitimacy of climate change, each performance offered a thoughtful and clear message.

The performance was followed by an information session with climate change experts from VIU’s Faculty of Science and Technology, who are faculty coordinators of Awareness of Climate Change through Education and Research, which is a student-led initiative focusing on education and outreach.

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Eric Krogh, Chemistry professor and head of the Applied Environmental Research Laboratory lab on campus explained that extremely cold winters and natural disasters cause some people to question the legitimacy of global “warming.” Because of this, “Some scientists prefer to refer to global warming as ‘climate destabilization,’” he said, as these other extreme fluctuations in weather are all connected to the greater issue.

When asked about ways for people to start taking action now, Jeff Lewis, a climatologist that teaches in VIU’s Geography department, said there are many ways to begin making an impact. Reducing your consumption of meat, recycling, taking your bike or public transit, signing petitions, voting for people invested in helping the environment, and raising awareness are just some of the strategies each person can use, he said.

“There are different levels of taking action and helping,” said VIUSU Women’s Representative Connie Graham, who also spoke at the event. “There’s the high-up level where the delegates going to the UN Paris Summit are, then there are the things everyone can do in their day-to-day lives.”

There was also a Global Climate March and rally at Maffeo Sutton Park on Sunday, November 29 as a call to action. This march was part of a joint effort with communities around the world who have been setting out their demands on climate.

Faith groups, trade unions, Indigenous groups, women’s and youth organizations, environmental groups, community organizations, families, and other concerned citizens marched through the streets of downtown Nanaimo, returning to the park for speakers and music.

The speakers at the march focused on local climate initiatives and projects and promoted making positive change, said leader of the Nanaimo-Ladysmith Green Party Paul Manly, who helped organize the event.

When asked about what he would like to see Canada do at the Paris Summit, Manly said Canada should show leadership in combatting climate change. “We need to set some ambitious targets for Canada,” he said. “I think if Canada sets an ambitious target, that’ll make it easier to have an international agreement. Harper’s government wasn’t involved; it has been a stick in the mud. We’ve seen commitments from China and the US, so Canada needs to join.”

To contact or get involved with ACER, email <ACER@viu.ca>.

To learn more about Dauncey’s research and projects on global environment and climate change, you can visit his SlideShare page at <slideshare.net/GuyDauncey>.

.“THE POWER OF OUR. VISION MUST. .BE SO MUCH .STRONGER .THAN THE. POWER OF. .FEAR.”

Canada’s cannabis campaign promises Chandler Walter

Vancouver— Of the many election promises Justin Trudeau made during his marathon campaign, there was one in particular that struck a chord with some Vancouverites.

“To ensure that we keep marijuana out of the hands of children, and the profits out of the hands of criminals, we will legalize, regulate, and restrict access to marijuana,” says the Liberal website.

Justin Kokoszka, a third-year Physical Geography student at SFU, believes the promise to be a good thing for Canadians as it will increase the tax revenue. From a social standpoint, however, he doesn’t think it will have much effect on Vancouverites: “I think the novelty of it might increase, as well as the visible use of it, but it’s pretty easy to get regardless.”

This is in part due to the number of medical marijuana dispensaries around Vancouver, and the city’s overall philosophy on the subject. Vancouver is home to Mark Emery’s Cannabis Culture Headquarters, which features a head shop downstairs and a vapour lounge on the two upper floors, where Megan McRae works as a photographer and “stoner advisor.”

“I think it would be very smart to open up lounges like this all over the world,” said McRae in an interview on the second floor of Cannabis Culture’s lounge. “You’re getting [workers] who are experienced with people that are overconsuming; you get people who are excited and green out. We know how to deal with that.”

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She said the lounge exists legally due to the city of Vancouver’s leniency towards marijuana. The Liberal campaign promise has the potential to expand that beyond the west coast.

“I just hope he lives up to his promises,” she said, “and I really want to get the message out there that any activist that really believes in this should get their voices heard.”

What regulation would look like once in place has yet to be determined. Mark Haden, an adjunct professor at the UBC’s School of Population and Public Health, explained that there are two sides on Cannabis Culture Headquarters’ head shop in Vancouver. a spectrum of possibilities, based on how marijuana Chandler Walter is regulated in the US. He said it’s something of a mixed bag.

“Some of it is more commercial, some is more (Tetrahydrocannabinol) concentration on the labels.” The public health regulation,” he said. “If I had to draw that as a commercial model is more likely to have storefronts geared continuum, public health on one end and commercial on the to look appealing to consumers. other, I would say that the American model is more on the When, and if, all Canadians will see dispensaries and commercial end.” lounges pop up in their cities remains to be seen, though The difference between the two, Haden said, has to do with Kokoszka noted that in Vancouver “it’s going to stay the same. how the products and storefronts are displayed. He said that Like I said, it’s pretty easy to get anyway, and I’ve seen people in the public health model, products are categorized smoke joints on the street already.” and named by scientists.

“You don’t have Hindu Kush or Blueberry — what you have is strain one, two, three, four, or five,” he said, “and then they terpene profile the CBD (Cannabidiol) and the THC

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Hope for Adult Basic Education funding After a province-wide consultation process The Navigator this fall, the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services has endorsed students’ call for more accessible education and the restoration of funding to Adult Basic Education (ABE).

This endorsement comes from a recommendation to the government by the Liberal and NDP members of the Committee to build the budget based on what citizens have shown they want to see. “We hope to see a lot of these recommendations reflected in February when the budget is released,” said Michael Olson, Executive Director of the VIU Student’s Union (VIUSU).

ABE programs provide high school equivalent courses for citizens returning to school for retraining and upgrading, which include adult special education and basic literacy programs. ABE has been tuition

Natalie Gates

“It doesn’t matter if you graduated 10 years ago and you’re trying to upgrade.

You should have access in order to get into those programs.”

fee-free in BC since 2007 and more than 25 thousand British Columbians—about 800 at VIU­—use this program each year. However, the 2015 provincial budget eliminated funding for the program, which allowed institutions to make up for the shortfall by charging tuition fees. Fees for ABE classes are similar to that of most regular university courses, at $320 per class.

“Public ABE programs are an essential component of raising adults out of poverty,” said Simka Marshall, Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students-British Columbia (CFS-BC). “It helps people gain the knowledge and skills they need to get better jobs, support the economy, and create better

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lives for themselves and their families.”

In its report, the Committee states that ABE benefits the province, and a healthy economy, as it calls for restored funding of ABE. Since April 8, 2015, CFS-BC has been calling for this restored funding through its campaign, Don’t Close the Doors. Thousands of concerned British Columbians have signed the online petition at <dontclosethedoors.ca>, and the campaign has gained many partners, including the City of New Westminster, Victoria, and Burnaby, as well as all of the student’s unions that are part of CFS-BC, and other active non-member student’s unions, such as the University of Victoria Student Society.

“VIU has been very active with the campaign. On the Nanaimo and Cowichan campuses, we have been doing class talks to speak with people about this specific issue,” Olson said. “And not just in ABE classes— in general academic classes as well. The response has been pretty passionate and enthusiastic in support for the program. I think people just recognize that high school courses are high school courses. It doesn’t matter if you graduated 10 years ago and you’re trying to upgrade. You should have access in order to get into those programs.”

VIUSU is also in the midst of doing outreaches with the city councils of the region, including Cowichan, Powell River, Nanaimo, and Qualicum, as well as the Chambers of Commerce, in order to attain endorsements.

In 2007, when the government first eliminated ABE tuition fees and gave proper funding for those programs, it was after a province-wide consultation called Campus 20-20. The report said these programs should be accessible for all people. “The Chambers of Commerce in BC, as well as individual municipal parties were all supportive of the idea that this would be good for the workforce and good for British Columbians, which is why we are reproaching those chambers,” Olson said.

ABE Enrollment has remained steady on the Nanaimo campus, but there has been a massive decline at the Cowichan campus.

“For example, I was there a couple weeks ago, and they have a math class that has about four people in it,” Olson said.

The government has cut $7 million out of

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the ABE program and provided $1.5 million for an upgrading grant. There is a low income threshold that states if a student makes less than $22k a year, they qualify for this grant.

“The demographic here almost entirely falls below that threshold,” Olson said. “The amount of money VIU was supposed to have gotten would not have been enough. I think they had to double the amount they gave to VIU in order to provide what they promised for funding, which was only because VIU was able to push for additional funding.

The upgrades we have here for IT is costing millions of dollars just so we can have Wi-Fi properly on campus, but where is the funding coming from for that kind of stuff?”

Members of VIUSU will continue to raise awareness of the issue by doing class talks, holding information tables, and trying to get students to sign the campaign petitions. There are also actions people can take individually as well, Olson explained. “They can use Twitter and Facebook to show their support for the campaign,” Olson said. “We’re trying to encourage people to do that because we need more than just the seven people here from this office doing that. We need it to be a big show of public support.”

“A lot of people don’t know,” Olson said. “Once they do know, they understand instinctively why it is so important to not have financial barriers. It’s the first step to talking about how education more broadly needs to be accessible and not have those financial barriers. And I think people will think about their own tuition and think, ‘Wow, I can’t imagine having to pay for an upgrading class before going into my degree.’”

VIUSU will also be holding lobby meetings with MLAs from the region, where they will highlight the ABE issue. The report also recommended that the government implement a needs-based grant program and review interest rates being charged on student loans.

“We highlighted the ABE issue in the report because we think it’s the most important one,” Olson said. “The ABE issue has a far lower price tag for the government and so we’re hopeful that, by focusing on one thing, we might also win those other things.

We also don’t want to discount that BC has the lowest form of financial aid in the country.

I think that our priorities in focusing on the ABE issue will lead us to start talking about

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VIU PROFESSOR APPOINTED AS INTERIM CITY MANAGER BY COUNCIL “I’m hoping to use a collaborative approach to problem solve. Hierarchy is not how I want to do it.”

Alison Cheung

VIU professor Tracy Samra has been appointed as Nanaimo’s Interim City Manager. She is the Contributor first woman and Aboriginal person to hold the position; as such, she hopes to bring a fresh new perspective to the role.

“I’m hoping to use a collaborative approach to problem solve,” Samra said. “Hierarchy is not how I want to do it.” Samra believes that everybody should be invited. Everybody “has a role to play and can be a leader.” By meeting with staff working throughout Nanaimo and “getting to see what others do,” Samra hopes it will allow her to really take those perspectives into account. Her goal is to meet with every employee group in the city.

Samra was born in Saddle Lake Cree Nation Treaty 6 in Alberta, and grew up in Victoria. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of British Columbia, has a Masters of Law from the University of Ottawa, and a Bachelors in Law from the University of Victoria. In addition, Samra spent a year in New Zealand doing Indigenous studies. She took a particular interest in learning about the Maori people, the Indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand.

“I loved it. It was great to learn about other Indigenous cultures,” she says. Despite being a strong voice for First Nations, however, Samra emphasizes that she is “a fan of multiculturalism and diversity for everybody, not only Indigenous peoples.”

She has 19 years of experience working in the federal, provincial, and Aboriginal public sectors in the areas of governance and policy development as a senior administrator, consultant, and lawyer. She has

worked with Indigenous communities throughout Canada, including provinces such as Manitoba, the North West Territories, and BC. Samra has a “to-do list,” and it is her job to coordinate staff to accomplish those things and make sure everything is running smoothly.

“I’m a facilitator,” she said. During this interim period, Samra hopes her “direct and frank approach to leadership” will create a positive and transparent work environment. She is also a strong believer in open door policy, and says, “Anyone can give me a call at any time — even the public can.” She is eager to hear from all different local groups.

Samra’s top priorities are providing city council with the information they need to govern effectively in an open and transparent manner, and supporting ongoing relations between the city and Snuneymuxw, the Nanaimo local First Nations.

In addition to this full-time job, Samra continues to teach Natural Resources Management and Indigenous Rights at VIU. Given her connection to VIU, she hopes to aid students to voice their concerns to council by holding an “E-town Hall” on campus. “E-town Hall” is a Shaw broadcasted program “where people can send questions through Facebook and Twitter, and council will answer through social media,” she said. It is a way for students to watch the mayor and council in action on campus.

Samra’s appointment as City Manager commenced Thursday, November 19 for a period of six months. Her appointment may be renewed each month thereafter until the process of filling the permanent City Manager role is completed.

NANAIMO MUSEUM CHRISTMAS IN THE. GOLDEN AGE OF RADIO EXHIBIT Natalie Gates

You don’t need a Scrooge or ghosts to glimpse into Christmas’ past.

The Navigator

For the month of December, the Nanaimo Museum is featuring an exhibit called Christmas in the Golden Age of Radio.

The exhibit includes radios from the museum’s collection and highlights popular culture from the 1920s-1940s, including Christmas traditions. The exhibit opened on December 1 and will run until January 4.

“We have an extensive collection of radios,” said Aimee Greenaway, Interpretation Curator at the Nanaimo Museum. “Most of them came from Fletchers, a music and furniture store that was a fixture on Commercial St. for over 100 years.”

The exhibit also takes a wistful look at Nanaimo’s history in that time period—daily life and Christmas traditions. “Over the last few years we’ve been building a tradition of Christmas-themed exhibits in December,” said Greenaway. “Families are returning annually to check out a different take on Christmas and the history of Nanaimo.”

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The Christmas season is the busiest time of the year for the museum, and so this new exhibit is expected to be extremely popular. “We have 600 primary students participating in our Yesteryear Christmas school program,” said Greenaway. “They enjoy seeing the Christmas exhibit while participating in hands-on activities that teach them about the history of Nanaimo.”

Admission to the museum in the month of December is by cash donation to the Great Nanaimo Toy Drive. “The holiday season provides a great opportunity for us to support local organizations that help Nanaimo families,” said Debbie Trueman, General Manager. “Community members can visit the museum for a family Christmas experience and know they are helping people in our area.”

The museum is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. — 5 p.m., except for holiday closures listed on the website at <nanaimomuseum. com>. For more information, visit the webstite or call 250-753-1821.

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features

From Ottawa with love Denisa Kraus

“There are few things stranger than being asked for an interview from your university Contributor paper,” Mat Snowie commented on our recent talk, but maybe also on the almost surreal path he has been following for over a year and a half.

A Creative Writing major, Snowie graduated from VIU in 2013, and faced the reality of unemployment and cheerless job hunting, once interrupted by a Staples gig which he quit after four days.

Life took an unexpected turn for Snowie in May 2014 when his application for a supposed internship in Vancouver took him all the way to Ottawa.

Thanks to years of video production experience and the skills he learned out of personal interest outside school, the former director of multiple Satyr Players plays at VIU and Portal-published author became the videographer for the Liberal Party of Canada, and a member of Justin Trudeau’s staff on the 2015 election campaign.

Trudeau and Snowie enjoying the northern Canada weather in Yellowknife.

Adam Scott/Liberal Party of Canada

Denisa Kraus: Where were you on the election day of Did you ever see him act differently than how he appears can do.” But being on the inside, you gain an interest. Being October 19? in the media? around people who think they can change the world and have Mat Snowie: I was in the ballroom in the Fairmont Hotel in Montréal. That was where the Liberal Party celebration and the victory speech took place. I was bouncing around throughout the evening, filming it all.

How did you find yourself on the Liberal Party staff?

A friend of mine who is much more politically active mentioned this internship program at The Liberal Party, so I applied and sent my portfolio. I didn’t think anything of it, and two weeks later I got a phone call from my future boss, Dave, saying, “Would you like to come to Ottawa?” I think they might have missed the interview step, because that never happened.

This is what many graduates from any school could picture for themselves as their dream paths.

It is definitely a very surprising thing to have happened, and I do recognize it is not very common.

What do you think made you stand out among all the applicants?

I’ve never quite got a straight answer to that. I’ve heard from various people in the office that got my portfolio to the right people. But I think it was just that I had a video background.

They had just hired Dave a few months before, and he, as the director of creative content, took charge of the social media and digital strategies for the party. The party assumed they might need a video person, so they asked if he’d want one and I was the only one who popped out.

What was your first job assignment?

People are often surprised by this, but he actually is quite honestly portrayed. What you see publically, that really is him. He may be a little more casual, and make jokes just like anybody else if there’s a small group of us having dinner, but the positivity, friendliness, and talkativeness is very much who he is.

It sounds like he really let you in his close circle.

It’s not like you might have heard about other politicians. On the plane, for example, he had the first couple of rows with his advisors, the next section was staff and a little area of tables with snacks, and behind that was the media and other crew.

On long flights, he walked down and hung out with everybody, talked with the journalists in the back, then went and told a

“Being around people who think they can change the world and have ideas how to is very intoxicating.”

It was in June and I was sent to Toronto. I got a camera and a ticket and was asked to go to several different places to cover events. I ended up running into Trudeau and his team in a market and followed him around with the camera. Then we went to the political rally with the premier [Kathleen Wynne], story to a bunch of others. He’s a very sociable person. because she was running for re-election at the time. Then I had What was working with the rest of the team like? dinner, got on the plane, and was back in Ottawa that night.

It has been a strange progression. The first few times I went And I edited the material, which ended up being my first video. travelling with them, I met with Trudeau’s executive assistants What was your first impression of Justin Trudeau? and the photographer at the airport, or we left from Ottawa My first impression was when I was waiting in a tailor’s shop together—just the four of us. By the end of the campaign, at the market in Toronto. That was going to be his first stop on there was a team of about six RCMP, and seven or eight key the walk. So I was waiting, waiting, and waiting, and he was staff members, including the three of us that had started. The about 20 minutes late. I found out afterwards that he ran into a crowds we were seeing went from small groups of a couple group of francophones from the part of Montréal near where his hundred to literally blocks and around-the-corner lineups of riding is, and got caught up in a long conversation. But I didn’t people who came to see him. In Winnipeg, we had a lineup know that at the time, so I thought everything was running that was estimated to be a kilometre long. It took me two and behind schedule because I assumed politicians are always a half minutes to run down the line. behind schedule. But I followed him as he shook hands and You’ve said before that you weren’t very politically introduced himself and the candidate, asked people questions involved until you joined the team. and answered theirs, and did this for an hour non-stop without I remember being political when I was a kid, around 12 years getting tired or repeating himself. It was a marathon experience old. I guess that would have been the Paul Martin years. I which, looking back, I can say was a drop in the bucket in was paying attention, but I couldn’t vote, so I was trying terms of what I’ve seen him do since then. to convince my sister to vote, but she didn’t vote the way I What is your favourite thing you’ve seen him do? wanted her to. And I guess it was after Harper came to power I wasn’t there the first time when he balanced the baby on one when I lost interest in politics. So when I applied for the job, I hand. But I have seen him do that a few times now. He can vaguely knew who Justin Trudeau was, but I wasn’t particularly hold his son, Adrian, who is a year and a half now, to stand anxious to get involved. on his hand. They pull that trick, and once in a while it makes How has the experience changed you in that way? the headline. You can Google it; it’s a thing.

When I started it was very much like “I’ll do the job for what I

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ideas how to is very intoxicating. It has made me more positive thinking that small groups of crazy dedicated people can do great things. And it made me slightly more knowledgeable.

I’m more aware of actual facts and terms, like the income tax structure of the country.

Were there any skills that you had to learn on the go when you started?

French. Ten years in the BC education system hadn’t gotten me much past knowing which side of the cereal box was English.

I’ve improved an awful lot in the last year. I’m still not fluent, but I can understand most things I hear.

What was an average day on the campaign trail like for you?

It was a long campaign, so there was hardly an average day, but the days got crazier as it progressed. The first few weeks, the team of about 12 normally took a small charter plane and went to three or four places, and it usually ended in Montréal or Toronto. After that, we got on busses, and went to three or four places a day again. We almost never slept in the same place twice. Only a few times we’d wake up in, for example, Mississauga, and come back to Mississauga on the same day.

The last weekend before the election, we went to eight rallies in eight cities from Halifax to Vancouver.

You must have made sacrifices.

It wasn’t too bad. I sacrificed a lot of sleep, I suppose. The thing that made it easier was that [Trudeau’s] family was in Ottawa most of the time, so at the end of every week we almost always went back so he could spend the Saturday with his family. We usually worked six days travelling, and had that one day to be home, do the laundry, and sleep in.

When you’re filming, do you only operate the camera, or do you also interact with your subjects?

It depends on what we’re doing. My job is to record press conferences, speeches, and all those larger events, but if he’s meeting people I’ll be in there with the other camera operator, following around, filming anybody and anything.

I also do one-on-one filming with him for the Party. He likes to put out a message for Remembrance Day, for example, or to say “Sorry I couldn’t come to your meeting,” or “Happy Birthday” to so-and-so.

How much footage did you usually have to handle?

My laptop can only carry about a week’s worth of material, so I had to dump it regularly. I calculated the whole campaign was probably 1.2 TB of footage, so that’s a fairly large amount.

Did you ever mess up?

Yes. There was a technical glitch in one of our livestreams that I regret because I wasn’t using a strong enough internet signal. I could have fixed it if I worked it through. But that was a hectic day to say say the least. That’s the reality of having 25 things to do in a day and not having the actual hours for it.

How do you handle your mistakes?

The one thing I remember telling somebody when we were about to do a big event was that “the audience doesn’t notice.”

The audience, in this case, being the whole country. But if you make a small mistake, nobody really notices. When a piano player is on stage and presses the wrong note, you have to be

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a dedicated expert or paying way much more attention than you need to be to notice.

Do you dare predict the trajectory Canada is going to What kind of advice would you give to future graduates? take now?

Definitely don’t take personal relationships for granted. Being I can say things have already changed. And there will be a a friend of somebody who has the right connections can be

What were some of the memorable moments you had on significant shift happening, where the rest of the world will better than any resumé. And remembering that anybody can the campaign?

We did a rally in Winnipeg and I was on the bus with the media to arrive first and get set up, and the leader and the staff were on another bus. As we were arriving to the location, somebody pointed out the window at the lineup. And we were like, “That can’t be for the event because we’re not there yet.” But as we drove three more blocks to get to the event, we realized the lineup was for the event. It was a week before the election and it was becoming really clear that—it sounds cliché—there was a movement toward supporting him.

And then there was one event in Montréal where Paul Martin joined Trudeau in showcasing the economic talents amongst the candidates. It was the usual thing where they arrive, there’s a crowd of media, and everybody wants a photo of him as he walks into the event. As I’m trying to get around, the CBC or CTV cameraman moves into my way and I find myself walking shoulder to shoulder with Paul Martin, because everyone’s trying to get a shot of Justin. So Paul Martin was kind of shoved to the side (laughs). The same thing happened with Jean Chrétien—we were walking along and he joined the team and walked with us. It was a surprise; you just don’t expect to run into people like that. I also got to meet Peter Mansbridge, so that was a highlight.

want to start paying a bit more attention to us and he will continue to surprise everyone.

Can you give us an insider perspective on some of the campaign strategies?

The plan was to talk to as many people as possible, find out what they want, and then do that. So he spent the last three years talking to Canadians, asking what was causing them trouble, and then figuring out with experts how to fix those problems, or finding out what people would like the government to do and then writing the policies based on that.

It seems strange that that is unusual. It’s that sort of idealistic “this is what politics could do” concept that comes out of him being a person who follows through.

What kind of future did you imagine for yourself before sending the application?

be a success story is worth not burning any bridges.

Everything in the last few years was about preparing and planning...now that they’re actually the government, it’s a completely new ball game.

I imagined I’d find some kind of reasonable, minimum wage job. I didn’t really want to do retail, which I did in high school and didn’t want to go back to. I didn’t have much expectation beyond, let’s say, junior copywriter at an ad agency or a small time media production. I was applying for all sorts of places in Vancouver, but there were very few job interviews that came out of six months of hard work. So the job that I ended up And what would you advise to people who might want to Did you have to overcome any inhibitions or shyness getting was way above anything I could ever imagine. follow a similar career path? when being around such personalities?

Don’t panic. Never panic. I’ve seen people who don’t handle What did your years at VIU give you?

I’ve certainly learned how not to be starstruck. The first time stress well—not that anybody handles that kind of thing well— Collaboration and that VIU lets you have small classes. If I saw Jean Chrétien in person, it was a little daunting. In my but as long as you recognize it, you can deal with situations as you figure out what you want to do, you can do that in the head, he was the Prime Minister, the one who was always they come. My great personal success is that I can deal with right department and become friends with your professors. I Prime Minister when I was a kid. The same was with Peter the situation that I’m panicking and it always turns out for the found VIU offers those personal relationships in a way bigger Mansbridge. You don’t see people on TV and then see them better. Panicking is not productive at all. universities can’t. So I don’t regret choosing this school. in reality and not have a moment of confusion, like “what, This experience completely changed any long-term goals you’re not on TV! That’s not right.” But I’ve learned to, if not Do you still use your creative writing skills in what you I might have had and where I am. There are so many different hide it, then at least not show it. I haven’t embarrassed myself do now? opportunities than I would have had before—different contacts, in that way yet.

Yes, in different ways. Creative writing is more about teaching pathways, and skills I have. Being able to say I was the video yourself to think in broader ways, like in all the humanities. on the 2015 campaign is going to be the first line on my resumé Do you think it was easier to work for Trudeau because You learn your strengths and weaknesses. And you learn for the next 30 years (laughs). It’s not often you get to say that, he is still a relatively new figure in the political landscape communication skills. Even if I’m not writing down what I’m and it was easily the biggest, most important thing I’ve ever and, as I assume, a more approachable personality? saying, it’s applicable in all ways of communication. And done and potentially I ever will do.

Probably. I didn’t know who he was, and I was a little that’s very important in politics. starstruck the first time I saw him. But he learns your name and remembers it, and it doesn’t take a lot for him to make a personal connection. Since I’ve worked for him for a year and a half now, that relationship exists. I think he’s a different type of politician. Perhaps I’ve just been cynical for the last 10 years, but he certainly continues to catch me off-guard.

The day after the election, he went and shook hands with people down at the metro station. I’d never have thought any politician would do that.

Will you continue working for the Liberal Party?

I hope so. I’d love to. The government is still in transition right now, so things are still being worked out, but if I had the choice, I certainly would. I’d like to see it through. Everything in the last few years was about preparing and planning and putting forward the ideas, but now that they’re actually the government, it’s a completely new ball game.

Snowie at work during the 2015 election.

Adam Scott/Liberal Party of Canada

VIU SERVICES: BOOK BUYBACK Kelly Whiteside

How many thousands of dollars have you spent on textbooks for university?

The Navigator What do you do with your textbooks when you’re done with them? Do they just sit on your bookshelf forever, never to be read again? Wouldn’t it be nice to get at least some of the money back?

VIU’s bookstore offers to buy your used books. They buy books required for courses at VIU, as well as books being used at other Canadian universities. How much you receive back for your books ranges from two per cent to 50 per cent.

If the book you are returning is required at VIU for the following semester, if the VIU Bookstore has not exceeded its required supply of the book, and if the book is in good

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condition, then they will pay you 50 per cent of the current retail price. If the book is listed in their database as required at another Canadian university, then they will pay you 35 per cent of the current retail price. If the book is not being used at any Canadian universities, but is in their database as wanted by a used book wholesaler, then they will pay you between two and 30 per cent of the current retail price. However, if the book you are looking to sell does not meet any of these requirements, then it is suggested you return at a later date to try again.

Before dragging all your textbooks to campus, you can check online to see approximately how much you will get back for them. Visit <viubookstore.ca/text_buyback.asp> and

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enter the ISBN to find out. If the VIU Bookstore is not currently buying your textbooks, you can sign up for the BuyBack Alert, which will notify you by email when a school wants to buy your books. There is also a Used Book Classified where students can privately sell books to each other.

The book buyback services are available on the Nanaimo campus and Cowichan campus every Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and on the Powell River campus every Thursday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m at the VIU Bookstore. In January and September, book buyback hours are extended.

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POINT OF VIU

“WHAT WILL YOU REMEMBER MOST FROM THE 2015 FALL SEMESTER?”

JEFF SIENIEWICZ | CONTRIBUTOR .

MARY ZHOU

MOHAMMAD FAHAD

STACY DAVIDSON

HOLLY GALE

BRIANNA CULLEN

MBA

ESL

BSc Nursing

BSc Nursing

BSc Nursing

“My accounting exam. It was so difficult. I prepared a long time the night before, but still there were lots of questions I couldn’t even get to on it. It was so hard.”

“When I first came to Vancouver Island from Saudi Arabia, I knew no one here.

But the first week, people at VIU and on the streets were so friendly to me. It was great.”

“When our nursing program put on a collaborative effort with the Students’ Union outside the pub where we strived to get people out to vote. We engaged everybody who passed by and it was informative and a lot of fun.”

“For me, it was when Justin Trudeau won the election and became Prime Minister. That was special, because now the middle class will get a say. We needed change, for sure.”

“The Sweatshop Union concert that was held out in front of bldg.

200 in The Royal Bank Plaza earlier in the semester. It was a great time.”

EVERYDAY EVERYDAY EARTH: EARTH: YOUR YOUR BRAIN BRAIN ON ON NATURE NATURE Chantelle Spicer

In this time of looming deadlines, all-nighters, and Contributor end-of-term stresses, moments of psychological well-being appear to be a dream. I am here to tell you that this is possible. All it requires are things which are abundant around us—trees, waterways, scenic landscapes, and quiet spaces. Bring your own breath.

More and more studies show that time spent in the natural environment refocuses our attention, lessens stress, and encourages our bodies and minds to heal. It is even now being shown that your mind is re-mapped—new synapses are created—while you engage with natural settings. Dr. Alan Logan, researcher of naturopathic medicine focusing on environmental variables, states that your brain physically and chemically reacts to nature in particular ways, resulting in these psychological impacts. In a recent interview with David Suzuki, Logan further explained this. “Sophisticated brain-imaging techniques show that when healthy adults view nature scenes rich in vegetation, areas of the brain associated with emotional stability, empathy, and love are more active.

These same pathways are activated when a person looks at pictures of a loved one,” Logan said.

It is also proving to be effective in healing and restoring the body. Physician Robert Ulrich conducted a study in 2004 which showed that hospital patients who have a view of trees or landscape spend less time in the hospital than those of a control group. These effects are not fleeting either—they endure within us through our brain chemistry, enhancing your entire life and your community in unexpected ways.

However, we often do not need science to explain the very

Seal Bay Beach in Courtenay provides a respite from city life and travel. It is home to many species of waterbirds and, of course, seals.

Chantelle Spicer

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real feelings we have while being present in a natural setting.

Personally, these experiences in nature allow me to surrender to being present in the moment, enjoy the light shining through the tree canopies, and experience the quality of silence. These natural encounters leave me feeling refreshed, thankful, and, often times, more prepared to take on previously overwhelming activities. Here on Vancouver Island, we do not have to go far to experience this. Colliery Dam Park and Morrell Sanctuary, both near our VIU campus, is rich with wildlife, peaceful waters which reflect the tree-line, and walks under the branches of bigleaf maples dripping with moss. Bowen Park is another of these sacred green spaces within the city, playing host to one of nature’s greatest events—the salmon run. These moments in nature allow me to step outside myself, gaining perspective of the world and my place in it.

Most of us reading this have been spending more time in front of computers, in the library and classrooms, or sleeping.

And we are not alone in this disconnection. With more and more people living in cities, humans are experiencing nature deprivation. If being in nature brings on a sense of purpose and happiness, we can all imagine what depriving ourselves of that does—mood disorders and depression. It is not only computers that are to blame, as many cities around the world don’t have natural element components within their city planning. Charles Montgomery, an architect and proponent of happier cities, highlights the importance of incorporating more green spaces to create a thriving and creative atmosphere.

“We need to weave more nature into dense, disconnected urban environments, more chances to touch nature, to garden together, with parks offering a place for us to grow and learn together as a community.”

Movements such as urban forests, community food forests and gardens, as well as an increase in public parks are becoming more prevalent on a global level. Here in Nanaimo, the once overgrown and neglected area known as Cappy Yates Park is undergoing major revitalization. Coordinators of this park rejuvenation, including Douglas Wortley of the Young Professionals of Nanaimo, understood need for more urban parks, stating, “Green spaces are very important for the mental and physical health of the people that live in urban environments. Many people in downtown Nanaimo live in an apartment and do not have easy access to nature. City parks can provide a vibrant communal space for recreation

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The roots of a Cedar tree in Milner Gardens, of Qualicum Beach, showcase how connected these ecosystems are.

Chantelle Spicer

and socializing that is removed from the hazards of traffic.”

Spaces like this will allow the Nanaimo public to interact with each through nature, diversifying communities, plant life, and wildlife accessibility. By utilizing our natural spaces, whether through forests, beaches, or parks, we are enriching our individual health and the vibrancy of our communities.

This builds a sense of unity, supporting and being supported by others, and a stronger feeling of belonging all enhanced by the natural environment.

Regardless of age, culture, gender, or social background, nature has a powerful effect on our lives. While standing near the ocean, walking under fall leaves, or simply sitting in one of our beautiful campus gardens, you are enriching your life.

By encouraging our local municipality to increase or improve our existing green spaces, you are making this more available to others as well as doing something to make our city a little more sustainable. Few things in this world are win-win, but this happens to be one of them. Enjoy some much deserved time outdoors, everyone.

FIVE WAYS NATURE IMPACTS YOUR MIND

1) FIGHTS DEPRESSION

2) REDUCES STRESS

3) BOOSTS FOCUS

4) FUELS CREATIVITY

5) MAKES YOU HAPPIER

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UGLY

TRIGGER WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS EXPLICIT RECOUNTS OF SEXUAL ABUSE

Shanon Fenske

Meet Kyrsten Carlson: Musician, writer, autism paraprofessional, Contributor chef, dancer, and emcee; big hearted, quick-witted, wide smiling, and funny as hell—a confident, fun-loving spirit, pierced and tattooed, with a gorgeous smile and warm sparkling eyes.

Nine years ago, 15-year-old Kyrsten is at an all-ages music venue with trusted friends. Her closest girlfriend lures her into the washroom and away from her other friends. Kyrsten is offered a drink, which, being underaged, she accepts. A short while later, she starts to feel dizzy. The drink has been roofied with popular date-rape drug ketamine.

Four men enter, including the trusted female’s boyfriend who is believed to also be a friend of Kyrsten’s. Trusted female friend then exits the washroom and stands outside to keep guard. Kyrsten can barely move as her limbs begin to betray her. Her mind, however, is completely lucid. Following a one-sided struggle, the three men beat and rape Kyrsten so viciously she begins to hallucinate.

The trusted female’s boyfriend watches the whole time, masturbating above her.

Kyrsten’s broken body is then tossed to the floor. The three men pay in drugs. The business transaction has come to an end.

The men tell Kyrsten that if she ever speaks about the incident, she and her family will be murdered. Someone half dresses the 15-year-old girl. She has a broken rib, is bleeding from her head, and has suffered damage to her pelvis.

It’s Kyrsten’s first sexual experience.

The incident was just the beginning of a torturous struggle Kyrsten now wants to share through a book she hopes to fund through the Not Your Fault campaign on GoFundMe. The crowd-funding project is designed to help her raise enough money so she can self-publish a memoir titled Ugly.

“I want to write about what it has been like to grow up in a culture of rape,” she says.

It’s Kyrsten’s first time at VIU, as we walk around the Nanaimo campus. She stops for several long moments in front of the École Polytechnique Massacre memorial and pays her respects. The memorial is a tribute to the 14 women murdered by a lone gunman in Montreal in 1989. He killed them because he saw them as feminists. Kyrsten appears reverent.

We then walk to the theatre building where the interview officially begins.

“It wasn’t my choice to write this book,” Kyrsten says. “This book chose me.”

Kyrsten lived in Nanaimo until the age of eight and resides on Vancouver Island again now. Her family was living in Edmonton, Alberta, at the time of the assault.

Kyrsten says her response to being sold into rape was shame. Her instinct had been to hide the assault at first.

“The first person I told was a health professional. She told me it was my fault.”

Victim blaming is sometimes referred to as “the second assault.”

This is when the victim is believed to have partially consented to the attack by dressing a certain way, being intoxicated, using drugs at the time of the incident, or by having been at a vulnerable location or position in the first place. It’s a societal thing often connected to cultural or religious beliefs.

“The book will target survivors first and foremost,” Kyrsten says, “whether they’re in India or whether they’re here or anywhere. It will be a resource, because it’s not just about my story. It’s also going to be a book for people of loved ones who have experienced assault and trauma in their life­—not particularly about how to take care of them, but through my experiences showing how I would like to be treated and how we look at culture. Some things need to change.”

Kyrsten says that most people have been very supportive about her speaking out, but she has experienced opposition as well. There have been Puritan comments from friends publically stating their disapproval on Facebook. One Twitter user asked, “What’s the money for? A mattress to carry around campus?”

And there was another anonymous email warning her not to talk about the rape or there would be consequences. The email was reported to police and Kyrsten remained undeterred.

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Molly Barrieau Navigator

Kyrsten Carlson wants to speak up for those who can’t, or won’t.

Nanaimo made national news several times between 2011 and 2013 for a series of date-rape druggings involving gammaHydroxybutyric acid (GHB). In 2011, a VIU student’s assault was covered in Maclean’s magazine, while another woman reported being drugged to CTV News. In November of 2013, Nanaimo RCMP warned the community to be cautious after five 19-year-old women came forward after being being drugged in nightclubs. None of the women reported being sexually assaulted. After the warning was issued, other women came forward as well. It’s likely there were many more who never did.

“We were quite lucky that so many people came forward,” says Constable O’Brien of the Nanaimo RCMP. “It happens in any community, even the tiniest.”

Constable O’Brien says that the reports “dropped off” after 2013, adding that less than 10 per cent of sexual assaults will ever be reported to police. Instead, people often report the assault to a health care worker or hospital staff.

Police were looking at multiple “people of interest” in 2013, but no one was ever arrested or charged in connection to drugging.

It happens to men as well; men are more likely to be robbed than sexually assaulted, but that’s not always the case.

In Kyrsten’s attack, the drug administrator was a trusted female friend who had separated her away from her other friends.

Part of her message is to make us think about the ideas we already tolerate. She does this by asking questions such as: Why do we live in a culture where someone who has been attacked feels ashamed? Shouldn’t the rapist be the one shamed? Many women—and men for that matter—don’t report rape because they believe people will think less of them.

According to Canadian statistics, only six out of 100 people reported being sexually assaulted, and only one to two per cent of date-rapes were reported. Data collected also indicated that one out of every four women in North America will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime, with 60 per cent of those being under the age of 17. Eleven per cent of them will sustain physical injuries. In 80 per cent of all cases, a friend or family member will have committed the rape.

Kyrsten says there are also attitudes around drinking that allows predator behaviours to be the norm—the age-old idea being that if you get someone drunk enough they won’t be able to make sound decisions leading to sex. Then there are those willing to speed up the process by drugging their target’s drink with ketamine or GHB so they can’t even fight back. In some cases, like Kyrsten’s, there will incomprehensibly still be a violent assault.

Kyrsten’s campaign logo is a jar with her severed head inside of it. The word “Ugly” is above her and there is a UPC symbol over her mouth. “Not For Sale” is painted on her neck.

When viewed for the first time, the black and white logo is somewhat disturbing. Kyrsten says the message is symbolically powerful, “Not only because it’s a females severed head in the jar, but also because that’s what we’re doing to people when

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Brea Hodgkin-Bourgeois

we victim blame and perpetuate the violence. To me, it’s sort of the analogy of people sweeping it under the rug—except they hide it in a jar and put it on a shelf. They shut out and hide the problem instead of honouring dignity and basic human rights.”

Kyrsten’s story might not be one that people want to hear, but it’s one people really need to. Living in a society that shames rape survivors and wants them to stay silent is something that needs to be addressed, as is our socially tolerated attitudes around alcohol-facilitated rape.

Ugly will contain excerpts from Kyrsten’s private journals describing her personal struggles in the aftermath of the attack, the police report (with names of those under investigation blocked out), and act as an access guide to support available for survivors of sexual assault. Kyrsten hopes the book will be educational for “loved ones of survivors” to better understand the hardships that survivors are struggling to overcome. Kyrsten believes that by sharing her experiences she’ll be able to illustrate that the post-trauma caused by the social stigma surrounding rape and other forms of sexual assault can be just as damaging as the initial attack itself.

According to Kyrsten, the book is just the beginning of a larger campaign to raise awareness and to expose the shame culture in which rape survivors are expected to recover in.

Go to the Not Your Fault: the Ugly Campaign at <gofundme. com/notyourfault> to show your support, share, or make a donation. Kyrsten has several social media sites, including Twitter @NotYourFaultCPG and <Youtube.com/user/ bloodonyourhands11>.

Courtesy of Kyrsten Carlson

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The art of craft brewing Molly Barrieau The Navigator

As you stand in front of the shelves, your eyes glaze over the familiar labels while you look for something new to try. The craft beer section at the Cold Beer and Wine has expanded to an encompassing wall, giving you hundreds to choose from. You recognize your favourites, seeing the similar themes of each brewery. But from the corner of your eye you spot a tall bottle, the bright blue of the water, with Noah’s Ark in the background, standing out against the deep brown of the bottle. The “new” sticker next to the price pulls you in, and you know it’s a must-try.

In the last few years, an influx of craft breweries have popped up all over North America, especially in the Pacific Northwest, with over 100 in BC alone. These breweries are looking for innovative ways to share their product with new customers, attract them at first glance, and keep them coming back for the taste. In order to brand a new brew, label artwork is a crucial component to reaching the audience.

With different amounts of hops, barley, and malt, with complementary additions like raspberry, honey, or chocolate, local breweries are using flavour-inducing colours to inspire attractive labels. This growing interest in brewing techniques has now spread to the heart of Vancouver Island, where breweries are tapping into creative and eye-catching versions of the crowd-pleasing favourites like Porter, Raspberry, and India Pale Ale (IPA).

Since 2000, Longwood Brewpub in Nanaimo has been working on spreading the word about craft beers on the Island. As one of the first breweries in the area, it has an established name in Nanaimo, with a restaurant above the Brewpub, and further brewing offsite. With five seasonal and five core beers on tap in the tasting room on-site, Mike Campbell, manager of the restaurant, wants to attract craft beer enthusiasts.

“Craft beer nerds,” as Campbell calls them, tend to seek out new craft beers in specialty liquor stores, looking for the newest flavour and look.

These “nerds” are a target audience for breweries, who use art-driven labels to stand out against the others on the shelves.

“It’s not what’s in the bottle, it’s what’s on the bottle,” Campbell says.

Each of Longwood’s cans and bottles is designed to suit the flavours of Longwood’s beers.

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But before they can hit the shelves, Hired Guns Creative is called in. An Island business devoted to branding for the alcohol industry, Hired Guns uses innovative and colourful ideas to attract new and familiar customers.

“We’ll get people to try [the product] the first time,” says Leif Miltenberger, Hired Guns’ business manager. With their eye-catching designs, the beer grabs your attention, however, getting a buyer to continue drinking it is up to the beer.

In order for the designers to create a label that suits the beer, Hired Guns works with the brewer to develop a theme. The client can have a strong focus for their product, or give little-to-no direction. Miltenberger says this allows for total creative freedom on a project, and Hired Guns can sometimes even name the merchandise themselves. This allows for a wide range of products for the brewery, and the creative’s portfolio.

Driftwood Brewery in Victoria also works with Hired Guns. One of Driftwood’s most popular beers, Raised by Wolves—a name created by Hired Guns—is a favourite at the design company. The label combines bright orange and green to match the citrus flavours of the beer with graphic, inked wolves mid-stride. According to Hired Guns’ website, “this label doesn’t just stand out, it pounces off the shelf.”

“When you see a Hired Guns label, they have a very definite style,” says Kevin Ward, Wolf Brewing head brewer. Wolf Brewing, on Old Victoria Rd. in Nanaimo, follows a very different path when it comes to its labels.

Instead of hiring a designer, Wolf recently chose to showcase five different Island artists’ works on each of the bottles of the core brews.

“Rather than have one artist design one label,” Sean Enns, PR and marketing for Wolf, says, “we decided, ‘let’s see what we can get from five artists.’”

Narrowing it down from the abundance of submitted artwork, the small brewery decided to choose pieces that portrayed the beauty and lifestyle of Vancouver Island. Ward says this allows people outside of BC to get a feeling of what it’s like to live here, and see what kind of people we are. His personal favourite painting is on the IPA, a crisp, thirst-quenching brew.

The art depicts a downhill mountain biker, deep in a west coast forest,

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Places to fill your pint Longwood Brewpub and Restaurant Open for over 14 years, this trendy north Nanaimo hub has everything you need. Live music Thursdays, a pool table, and their original 10 brews, this brewery has a solid fanbase and a great location.

My pick: The Raspberry Ale (available in the summer) and the Longwood Mussels.

<beermebc.com>

Wolf Brewing Company A recent addition to Harewood, on Old Victoria Rd., Wolf is a simplistic and casual locale that offers every one of their beers on tap, with inexpensive options to fill a growler or tour the brewery with the friendly staff.

My pick: Black and Tan, for the Westfalia van on the label, and for the full-bodied blend of their honey ale and stout. Don’t forget to check out their beers as soap, made by a local artisan.

Hired Guns Creative

Molly Barrieau

suiting the sharpness of the ale.

“The Porter is a very decadent beer, a fireside beer,” says Ward. “The only thing we thought of was sunset.” The deep purple and bright orange sunset in the submitted landscape painting The Gap, by Mark Hobson, was the perfect choice to complement the dark stout.

“We don’t want to be tied down to any style,” Ward adds. “It has to reflect what’s inside the bottle.” Wolf Brewing found that it was less expensive and much more collaborative to work on the labels as a company, creating designs on their own.

“Everyone here wears a lot of hats,” Enns says, who worked on the submitted artwork labels alongside Ward.

Cerberus, a triple dry-hopped IPA, brewed by Ward, 47, since his mid20s, was an exciting addition to the brewery’s core beers. The label varies from the others, with a black and white image of the mythical three-headed dog, as the idea was imagined by Ward himself. “They let me design the label and the name. There’s a lot of me in that bottle.”

Ward, who was raised in England, believes that there is a reason why he makes five core beers—the recipes have been tried and tested for hundreds of years. “They’re bloody good beers.”

Craft brewing is a surprisingly cooperative business. In the brewing process, many beers are built on ingredients found on the Island. Wolf’s Golden Honey Ale is made with Fredrich’s Honey from Cedar, and the brewery’s barley is malted by a farmer in Nanaimo.

The interest in finding something new and locally-made, from ingredients in your own backyard, has made for many more small breweries to sprout on Vancouver Island. Just last month, The Foundry Pub across from Maffeo Sutton Park has been turned over to White Sails Brewing, a newcomer in the industry. Working together to create a product that people will enjoy, and keep picking up, is what matters to these brewers. Recipes are adapted, labels are designed, and shelves are stocked.

“There’s no end to what you can do,” Ward says.

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White Sails Brewing This brand-spanking-new brewery opened its doors this month, taking over the Foundry Pub’s location across from Maffeo Sutton Park. With a great downtown spot to attract students, the brewery is already popular with VIU students on Instagram.

My pick: According to their Instagram, they have soft pretzels made by a local bakery. If this is true, grab one of those with a flight (small glasses of every kind) and test them all out with some friends.

Matt Lineker

If beer isn’t your thing, Arbutus Distillery on Boxwood Rd. has a tasting bar where you can try their locally-made vodka, gin, and absinthe.

My pick: Obviously the Baby Yaga genuine absinthe (yes, it’s 60 per cent alcohol), with one of Hired Guns Creative’s own favourite labels, this bottle will wow with a lime-green cover, peeled to reveal a toothy “iron” grin.

NAV IGATOR

F E AT U R ES

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THREE SHOWSTOPPERS GRACE THE LOCAL STAGE Sarah Torgerson

The Nanaimo music scene has been evolving Contributor over the past few years, and Thursday’s show was a true testament to the positive changes downtown is witnessing. On November 19, The Cambie welcomed the Born Ruffians, a post-punk indie band from Midland, Ontario, who have met great success in the music industry. The band, formed in 2004, has risen from having a small online fan base in Ontario, to touring with Hot Chip and Franz Ferdinand.

The Cambie’s doors opened at 9 p.m., and I arrived around 8:50 to get a good seat. Sadly, arriving early meant waiting an hour for the first opening band, Coal Moon, to take the stage.

I found a seat up front and studied the lovely satanic carvings engraved in the wobbly, timeworn table.

When the band finished smoking and socializing on the patio, they began their performance. The crowd in front of the small stage seemed to be comprised solely of the band members’ friends—15 or so people yelling conversationally to the lead guitarist and bassist, and one comrade slamming his fists on the stage while head banging without musical accompaniment.

Coal Moon has a unique fresh sound; they weave a number of styles into their music, creating a grungy, bluesy sound, with just a hint of Neil Young-esque harmonica-playing flare. At times, their sound even borders on psychedelic with a

Luke Lalonde commands centre stage as he belts out “Needle.”

touch of folksy twang—perfect music to pair with a beer or two.

Young Rival was next to grace the stage, donning sequined apparel and fake flowers to spice up their mic stands. Though a bit showy, the Hamilton, Ontario band proved to lift spirits, playing a few hits from their new album, Interior Light. The band brought an energy to the stage that was clearly transferred to the crowd, and dancing ensued in a matter of seconds.

To imagine Young Rival’s sound, think Best Coast, the LA rock duo, with a big ol’ dose of Roy Orbison. Despite the bassist’s distracting getup, Young Rival was the perfect opener for Born Ruffians; they warmed up the crowd with their upbeat, indie music.

Finally, a few strokes past midnight, the headliners began setting up on stage. This was what the crowd had come for, and a feeling of insurmountable anticipation filled the room. As the music started, nearly everyone hit the floor, abandoning the tables they had once so cautiously guarded.

Luke Lalonde, lead singer and guitarist of Born Ruffians, is a powerhouse when it comes to vocals, but he is surprisingly quite subdued. His eyes remained closed for most of the performance, making eye contact with no one—his eyes were glued on his guitar. Mitch Derosier, the bassist, certainly brought personality to the show, killing the bass and connecting with the multitude of fans. At one point, Derosier held up $5 and asked

anyone in the crowd to run and grab him a drink.

This, of course, was met by a throng of hopeful fans holding up hands and asking what he drinks.

The only disappointment of the night was that they did not perform their hit song, “Hummingbird.”

The highlight of the evening was hearing the goosebump-raising, soul-soothing, singalong anthem, “Needle,” from their 2013 album, Birthmarks. There was such contentment in the crowd, and while everyone belted out the lyrics, synchronized swaying began and smiles stretched across each elated face.

After the announcement for last call and an encore, the lights were flicked on, and the band members left the stage, mingling with fans as happy patrons, drunk on beer and satisfaction.

Everyone slowly bundled up and made their way to the door.

Although the Cambie isn’t the most ideal venue for shows due to sound quality and, well, being a fairly scrungy place, they sure put on an unforgettable show. Showcasing local and international talent, Thursday’s show was another example of just how lucky we are to witness the ever-changing music scene here. Nanaimo is becoming a hot spot for local up-and-coming talent, as well as a host for an impressive array of critically-acclaimed, internationally admired musicians.

Sarah Torgerson

Bedazzled Young Rival attempts to convey their Interior Light.

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Sarah Torgerson

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arts

Emotional Savepoint: A review of Alec Robbins’s Lost Levels Philip Gordon

Several months after receiving it in the mail, my copy of Lost Levels is a bit torn Contributor up. The pages are falling apart and my cat threw up on the back cover and it dried there. On the inside of both covers there are screenshots of an iPhone conversation about old men in a sauna and Zelda music. This is all poetry.

In a way, I want to avoid that word, because it has so many negative connotations these days. It’s hard to say looking at the cover of Lost Levels that it’s a conventional book of poetry—or just a conventional book full stop. The cover is a hand-drawn smoothie of internet and pop-culture, and the first page I flipped to at random was the title page for the first chapter, which is a repurposed McDonald’s logo. Those who are in on the secret will tell you that, actually, poetry can involve all of those things, but another way of approaching things is to say that Lost Levels is simply a book of thoughts, words, and images. If you like the concepts and the way Alec Robbins’s brain put them together, we have no worry about what the whole experience is called.

Without falling into the trap of discussing every page of Lost Levels (which is tempting because despite its flimsy binding and

.

budget-tier glossy paper, the design is wonderful in a drunk Microsoft Paint at 1 a.m. kind of way), I want to talk about the first page, the table of contents, which is a screenshot of a notepad file overtop of an email conversation about needing the table of contents emailed. I want to like this table of contents on Instagram. The moment I saw the rawness Robbins was willing to show me on the very first page (and earlier, if we count the text message screenshots), I was prepared to encounter the musings to follow with a level of camaraderie. It also helps that all the things Lost Levels is about—video games, ‘90s kid nostalgia, and sadness—are things I can relate to, but that’s ultimately what all poetry or writing is anyway: a temporary bridge between two people.

Here are things, in the order I thought of them, which I like about Lost Levels: random Wikipedia snippets; a sad poem about Yoda; “I escaped the map once in Donkey Kong 64 / DK reverted to his swimming animations in a / black void but I couldn’t maneuvre him back.”; an ad for the Gameboy Colour; Depression; erotic King of the Hill / Digimon crossover fanfiction; an iPhone conversation: “I think a good name for a pokemon would be Bigpig / There’s one named Grumpig /

Eh… *puts hands in pockets, kicks dirt*… / …I guess I don’t understand why they can’t just have a big pig;” and the place where my cat threw up.

Cool Skull Press, the publisher of Lost Levels, has only been in existence for less than a year, but they’ve released some amazing handpicked material in a unique space between video games and human emotion. This year they put out The Mario Kart 64 Poems by August Smith (which seems to exist in a similar pop culture/sadness space to Robbins) and Goddessmode, an anthology of women and non-binary writers going H.A.A.M. on video games and gender. It sounds so cool I want to read it. Someone please buy me a copy.

If you were born between the years 1984 and 1995 you will probably like Lost Levels. You also might like it if you’ve experienced sadness or wondered why we have so many things that happen every day that we never write about. Please send me a haiku and/or tanka about your Call of Duty killcams.

Peace.

FRACTURED LAND COMES TO VIU Chantelle Spicer

On December 15, VIU will host the film Fractured Land in the Malaspina Contributor Theatre, co-sponsored by Solutions: A Sustainability Network and the Aboriginal Students’ Union. A film rich in the beauty of the BC landscape and cinematography, it won two awards at the Vancouver International Film Festival in 2015. The documentary, now on tour across the country, is the moving story of Caleb Behn, a young Dene First Nations man who is exploring the relationship between humanity and the landscapes we live on. Filmed in northeastern BC, this could be a story unravelling anywhere in Canada—industry encroaching on the traditional lands of First Nations who are struggling with how to find balance between two different world views. With BC under threat of natural gas fracking and oil pipelines running across the wild landscapes and coasts, First Nations are often put into a position of having to decide between these two perspectives.

This is the story of a Nation fighting against the status quo of progress and industry on legal, political, and social levels. Filmmakers Fiona Rayher and Damien Gillis spent four years with Behn on his journey to become a leader amongst his people. This journey sees him seek to reconcile not only

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the relationship between his Nation, industry, and the land, but also fractures within himself. Behn has many hopes for the future of the land and Dene people, stating, “I’d like to spend my life on trying to bring Indigenous laws made around natural resource development to be as strong, as recognized, as received, and as compelling as the western colonial law. I believe that within Indigenous law are very different perspectives on how we as human beings interact with the natural world.” It is these very perspectives which can give us direction as we strive to live as one with the land and realize true sustainability.

Behn is an incredibly powerful voice for his community, but is not alone in this struggle to protect the land, and, ultimately, humanity. This is not meant only for First Nations people, but for all who feel fractured from their land, within themselves, and desire to rectify this. With sweeping panoramas of the interior of BC and Behn’s voice of hope and strength, Fractured Land is a must-see film. The showing will be held December 15 at 7 p.m., and tickets will be available before the event, so stay tuned for more information. To view the trailer, please go to their website, <fracturedland.com>.

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Crafty Christmas cards It’s that time of year again: the season of obligations. You just spent the last three months breaking your metaphysical back in order to get those papers in on time, and now they expect you to spend your only free time in months Christmas shopping with your ramen-ration money. Forget that—you know how the mall gets this season. Your best bet is to throw 20 bucks into a card, sign your name, and enjoy your winter break under a blanket on your couch.

“But wait,” you say. “How am I supposed to choose between all the different fonts on the Hallmark rack at Save on Foods?

Should my card say “Seasons Greetings” in a cursive gold emboss, or “Happy Holidays”

A Navigator newspaper. (Any newspaper will do, but I figured I’d make it easy for you.)

Some buttons. (Value Village is like a block away. You could buy a $4 shirt, tear the buttons off of it, and then use the remaining fabric as wrapping paper or a scarf. Or you could just buy some buttons.)

Some glue. (Or, for you anti-drug folk, some loops of tape.)

Super sparkly star stickers.

The Navigator

sparkling in an ostentatious red and green colour scheme?”

Never fear, Navigator reader. We’re here to put the power in your hands. In the 30 minutes it would take the bus to get you downtown, or the hour you’d spend deliberating in Wal-Mart, you could be warm at home listening to that sweet new Justin Bieber album making your own cards that are sure to get prime space on your friends’ and family’s mantlepiece until they remember to take them down. You can even write your name in the space where the Hallmark logo usually goes. “Hand-crafted by [Navigator reader].” Just imagine.

•

•

•

Antony Stevens

Figure 1 a.

Here’s what you’ll need: •

•

•

Antony Stevens

Some construction paper/cardstock. (You probably have some left over from a class presentation—just use that.)

Some star-shaped stickers or little bows. (Telus probably sent you some promotional stickers in the mail at one point. Don’t use those.)

A ruler and scissors.

Antony Stevens

Here’s the plan: 1

2

Cut the construction paper into vaguely rectangular shapes—8.5” x 5.5” is recommended. If you want, you can cut some printer paper at 5” x 4” to write a little personalized message on and paste that inside the card, but your recipient is only looking inside to see how big your bank account is anyway.

Tear a page of the newspaper into little strips. I won’t be offended if you use this article, but Farida’s Christmas-themed article might be more appropriate.

3

4

Arrange the strips into the shape of a tree. The strips should be around an inch thick, with an almost rhombus shape, all at varying lengths. You can defer to figure 1.a as a guide.

Start gluing and/or taping buttons to the tree at your own discretion.

Keep in mind that the number of buttons is in direct correlation to how amazed your recipient will be to see your artistic talents.

5

6

Put your little stars or bows on the top of the tree.

Admire your work. Sign the back if you want. Maybe buy an envelope or lettermail insurance for peace of mind.

And that’s it; rinse and repeat for however many you want to make. You now have some super sweet greeting cards that may not last on the mantlepiece, but will live eternally in the heart of the holiday season. and maybe in a box in someone’s crawlspace.

A look into the dimensions.

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Antony Stevens

NAV IGATOR

If you make one of these cards, or put your own spin on the craft, tweet a picture @TheNav_VIU, or share it with us on Facebook. Happy holidays!

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arts

VISFF DISCO GLAM FUNDRAISER 1

2

3

4

5

1 — The ‘70s disco glam theme of the event inspired creative costumes.

2 — DJ Sandeep, “The Soul Survivor,” and the disco ball for the ultimate glam experience.

3 — Movie trivia required detailed knowledge of iconic ‘70s movies.

4 — The Firehouse Grill served complementary sushi and appies until the end of the gala.

5 — The fundraiser team. From left: Zachary Tannar, Denisa Kraus, Greg Brown, Karla Duarte, DJ Sandeep, and emcee Matt Carter.

Photos 1-4 Photo 5

Denisa Kraus Edward Lee

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Online startup offers local shopping experience

<nanaimo.thrivinglocally.com>

“Thriving Locally delivers right to your home.”

Catherine Charlebois

Craig Hanson’s idea for Thriving Locally, an The Navigator online marketplace with all local products, came to him in 2010 in downtown Nanaimo’s quaint, rustic Old City Organics. The store had only recently opened its doors when blond-haired, blue-eyed Hanson walked in to peruse their wares.

With the elderly shopkeeper eagerly looking on, Hanson was left to his own devices without another soul in the store.

After settling for some Busch tea, he went to the counter and paid. It is only when he went home and browsed the internet that he discovered that his delicious new purchase was made by a local Nanaimo company, hosted by a very poor and inconvenient website.

Further research only uncovered more sloppy, out-of-date websites. “The sites that I did find weren’t very well done,” he said. “They weren’t maintained, and information was scattered all over the place. Some said ‘call for pricing,’ and others said ‘we can arrange delivery on the corner.’ It’s all these little hurdles that make the most keen ‘buy local-er’ shopping online say ‘you know what, I just can’t do it.’”

Three years later, Hanson now had three other cofounders—Andrea Huhn, Will Zouzouras, and Cleary Donnelly—all armed with a concept: What if there was an online platform that could provide local stores with the means for an online presence? Not only that, but what if shopping locally was made easy, with convenient delivery?

With a background in architecture, Hanson always admired the entrepreneurial spirit.

“Ever since I was 13, I’ve had businesses on the side,” says Hanson. With side projects ranging from opening up a video arcade to a snow cone stand, Hanson proves to be a man of many trades despite his post-secondary education.

“Small business owners I feel are the people that have the courage to follow their dreams,” Hanson says. “It’s not about making a million dollars—it’s about making a life worth living.”

September 2014 saw the launch of Thriving Locally, an online marketplace for small businesses in Nanaimo. In the year since their launch, the company itself has seen many changes in its first phase. The company has now expanded to offer services on Gabriola Island and seeks to expand nationwide in phase two, which is expected to take place sometime within the next 12 months.

“At this point it’s a bit too early [to launch into phase two],” says Hanson. “We’re ironing out the

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wrinkles, making sure everything is running smoothly.”

Zouzouras and Donnelly have since moved on to other projects, and the team now boasts Tali Campbell, a former Nanaimo city council candidate as a member.

For only $10 a month, or as Hanson likes to put it, the same amount as two expensive lattés or a half day of camping, local business owners can be a part of this community. Though the company offers an online marketplace, it also offers delivery of products to its customers for a fee of $3.50 per stop.

Not only is it great for businesses, but Thriving Locally also provides shop owners with an eight-week mentorship to help them build a presence online.

“We’ve created what we call the Thrive Online Program,” explains Hanson. “We sit down with a small business owner for one hour a week, and [the program] is designed to give them homework.”

Primarily designed to provide the shop owner with assistance in “getting their shop in order,” the Thrive Online Program gives strategies to maintain an online presence by minimizing the risk of a “digital dead end,” where the consumer is presented with a desired product with no further links to direct them to its location.

Unlike monolithic, worldwide online marketplaces like Amazon, Thriving Locally doesn’t just sell items— it sells services as well.

“We are anything local,” says Hanson. “It’s not about the product, it’s about the business.”

Though Thriving Locally offers physical products, selling services and involving the restaurant industry has proven to be a tougher nut to crack. “[Services are] used to advertising online, but not necessarily selling direct, and we’re a direct selling site. You buy it now; we don’t just offer it and the consumer has to go find it,” says Hanson.

To get restaurants involved, the Thriving Locally crew has devised a Local Eats initiative, where the consumer can peruse a restaurant’s online menu on the Local Eats Facebook group, purchase a meal, and present a ticket as proof of purchase. This works especially well when it comes to specials or deals offered by the restaurant that customers don’t want to miss out on. With a few restaurants already on board, like the Lighthouse Bistro, Let’s Eat Guilt-Free, Coco Café and, more recently, Dish, this initiative looks promising. Since its launch at the end of November, the Facebook group is already gaining more attention.

“Two Chef’s Affair is also interested because they sell pre-packaged foods,” says Hanson. “Dish is also excited to get into catering as well.”

Though the feedback from businesses on board

NAV IGATOR

with Thriving Locally has been generally positive, getting local businesses to join the project is also a challenge. With the company being so new, there is a general reticence to jump on board, as expected.

Hanson uses the term “thirsty horse” when referring to small businesses getting involved with the movement.

“You can bring the horse to the water but you can’t make it drink,” he explains.

Inkyfingers Papercrafting, a card and papercraft business since 2011, has been with Thriving Locally since the very beginning. After an outreach from Hanson, owner Laura Buechler believes the business model is promising.

“It’s a really great concept,” says Buechler.

Comparing it to a “local Etsy” store, Buechler believes that if people view it this way, Thriving Locally has the potential to dominate local online shopping.

Despite previous sales on Etsy, Buechler likes Thriving Locally’s online experience.

“What’s different between one and the other is that you pay to put your ad up, you pay when you make a sale, and it’s guaranteed that you will have to pay a lot of shipping costs because its not someone who lives down the street,” says Buechler. “It’s a totally different business model, and [Etsy] isn’t always worth it. With Thriving Locally, I put [my ad] up, and it’s there until I decide to take it down. You just pay for your shop—you can have one listing, or you can have a thousand listings.”

With the Christmas season coming up, Buechler hopes to see a spike in sales, coming up with card “variety packs” for the holidays.

Hanson believes that what it really comes down to is educating the masses and finding “creative, attractive, and sustainable” ways to engage the community.

“A lot of things about buying local comes down to consumer awareness, education, and understanding the value of their dollar,” says Hanson.

Statistically, buying local has a trickle down effect, with 300 per cent of each dollar staying within the community, and local businesses tend to buy local products, like local produce for restaurants. Not only is it a greener way to do business, but the consumer also gets a special connection with the seller.

When asked about the future of Thriving Locally, Hanson is optimistic.

“What satisfies my insanity is that when you heard about Facebook, did you jump on it right away? You probably heard of it from two or three people before you figured out what it was and, four times later, actually tried it.”

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sports & lifestyle

Mariners’ schedule

(December 2 – January 13)

BASKETBALL MEN’S

WOMEN’S

VOLLEYBALL

DATE

AWAY

HOME

TIME

Dec. 18

VIU

Warner Pacific

Noon

Dec. 19

VIU

Concordia

Noon

Jan. 8

CBC

VIU

8 p.m.

Jan. 9

KPU

VIU

3 p.m.

Jan. 8

CBC

VIU

6 p.m.

Jan. 9

KPU

VIU

1 p.m.

Spice up your cider Catherine Charlebois With frost littering the

ground, exams around the corner, and mittens and scarves abounding, everyone is struggling to shake off the cold.

The winter and holiday season typically means one of two things: mint or apple. Spice up those long winter nights with a steaming mug of your own home-brewed apple cider—whether it be in the slow cooker, stove top, or in your very own coffee maker, the sweet, tangy taste of cider brings comfort in a cup.

The Navigator

Coffee maker cider Ingredients: ¼ cup brown sugar* ½ tsp whole all spice 1 tsp whole cloves 1 cinnamon stick ¼ teaspoon salt 1 pinch ground nutmeg 1 large orange, quartered (keep peel) 2L apple cider (regular apple juice works too) *Sugar measurement is optional Instructions 1. Place coffee filter in coffee basket and fill with spices and orange peel.

2. Pour cider or apple juice in coffee pot where the water usually goes.

3. Brew, serve, and enjoy.

For stove top, mix in all ingredients and heat on medium until ready. Make sure to remove all ingredients 20 minutes after start of recipe so the flavour does not become overwhelming.

MEN’S

WOMEN’S

DATE

AWAY

HOME

TIME

Jan. 8

VIU

CBC

8 p.m.

Jan. 9

VIU

CBC

3 p.m.

Jan. 8

VIU

CBC

6 p.m.

Jan. 9

VIU

CBC

1 p.m.

MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS: Getting Involved Zoe Lauckner

Last issue’s column talked about stigma—what it is, Contributor why it happens, and how it affects those who are experiencing mental health issues. The thing is, we can talk all we want about stigma and why it is damaging to individuals and society at large, but just talking about it is not going to extinguish it. The most important thing you can do to rid our society of stigma around mental health issues is getting involved. This is a common mantra for many mental health agencies, yet even for someone actively seeking ways to get involved in mental health education, the options fall short. There exists some amazing workshops that focus on specific issues, such as suicide intervention, eating disorders, and mental health first aid, but often these courses cost a lot of money. Fortunately, there are a number of ways you can get involved here in Nanaimo and further your awareness around mental health issues, free of charge.

The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) has a number of resources available to the general public on mental health education, including local mental health resources, crisis information, personal stories from people with mental illnesses, and general information regarding mental health issues. You can visit their website at <mid-island.cmha.bc.ca/ get-informed>. The website is host to a wealth of information about mental health issues, and one area you might find particularly interesting is their “public issues” section, which outlines a number of issues associated with mental health: sexual abuse, finding housing, substance abuse, violence, and employment. Reading through this information will give you a better idea of what it is like for folks who suffer from mental health issues, and, in turn, has the potential to shift some preconceived beliefs about mental illness. By reading this kind of information, you are placing yourself in a more educated stance where you’ll be better able to combat stigma head on.

Be an advocate for those suffering from mental

illness. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t experienced or don’t have a personal connection to mental illness— you can still advocate for compassion and humanity when it comes to the way society views mental health disorders. This can be done in a number of ways, and it’s important to think about an area where you can have the most impact. Consider your friend group: Do you often find your friends (or yourself) saying things like, “that’s crazy!” or, “you’re insane!”?

Confronting the use of language is one step in the right direction; turns of phrase like this might seem harmless, but to someone who lives with the stigma of mental illness, these terms work to perpetuate stigma even further and normalize it within our culture. Language matters, and unfortunately a lot of stigmatizing language has become ingrained in our culture.

I truly encourage people to get involved and share some of their time to work with folks who experience mental health-related issues. Getting to know people first hand who experience these issues is the best stigma buster there is. There are a number of volunteer opportunities available here in Nanaimo, including working with the Haven Society, the Vancouver Island Crisis Line, and the Nanaimo Family Life Association, all whom offer training free of charge. These services provide a great deal to the community and deserve all the help they can get.

Just as a little side note, VIU is hosting a workshop on December 8 entitled Childhood Anxiety – Empowering Strategies and Effective Support.

This workshop is aimed at providing parents, youth workers, and educators the information and skills necessary to support children and teens who experience anxiety. The workshop costs $45 and you can register at <julieannerichards.com/workshopcalendar/childhood-anxiety>.

Exam time is upon us and I wish you all the best.

Take care of yourselves over the holidays, and I’ll be returning to write this column come January. Stay sane(ish), VIU! Until next time…

For slow cookers, place all spices in cheesecloth, cover, and let simmer on low for three hours while stirring occasionally.

Leftovers can be reheated and served. Add a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon to make it extra festive.

Tip: Make sure to clean the coffee maker thoroughly when done.

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SPORTS & L I F EST Y L E

19

sports & lifestyle

FORWARD ON THE FRONT LINE: MATT HOOVER Reid Eccles With November fading into December, the goals are the second highest in the league. Hoover currently University, (NCAA); Hoover may be leading the Clippers next

Nanaimo Clippers are nearing the halfway mark of their 60-game season. The Clippers’ 33 points in their first 27 games earned them the top spot of the British Columbia Hockey League’s (BCHL) five-team Island Division. The Clippers currently rank fifth league-wide.

A large part of the Clippers’ success so far has been the scoring output generated by the Clippers’ first line forwards Sheldon Rempal, Devin Brosseau, and Matt Hoover. Clippers captain Brosseau and point-scoring leader Rempal are returning players who played together on the first line with last year’s captain Brendan Taylor. This time last year, Hoover was in Ontario.

A native of Brantford, Ontario, Hoover played his 2014-2015 season with the Kingston Voyageurs of the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL), totaling 24 points in 47 games and an additional 66 penalty minutes. The Voyageurs’ playoff run was spoiled in game seven of the OJHL Cup finals when the Toronto Patriots took the series 4-3. Hoover scored four goals and contributed a total seven points to the Voyageurs’ 24-game post-season.

Joining the Clippers this season meant filling Taylor’s role as the top centreman on the squad, and Hoover has stepped up to that role. So far, Hoover has tallied 36 points in 26 games as a Clipper, only drawing 34 penalty minutes in the process.

Of his 36 points, 19 are goals, and Hoover’s 11 power play Contributor

ranks fourth in league scoring—tied in points with line mate Brosseau averaging 1.3 points per game.

Hoover has been a natural fit to the Rempal-line. He has meshed well with Rempal and Brosseau, who have been line mates for three seasons, developing strong first line chemistry.

It is hard to tell Hoover has only been a Clipper for half a season.

At five foot nine, 19-year-old Hoover isn’t the biggest skater on the ice, but he isn’t afraid to play aggressively. Hoover’s stature hasn’t prevented him from grinding in the offensive zone—he has been a presence in front of the net, and has been clutch on the power play, scoring more goals than any other Clipper.

Hoover is committed to Canisius College in Buffalo, New York, to play for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 Canisius Golden Eagles.

The Clippers acquired Hoover in a trade with Kingston that included 20-year-old forwards Anthony Rinaldi and Jacob Hanlon leaving Nanaimo. The BCHL mandate allows a maximum of six 20-year-old players per team. Since Rempal and Brosseau turned 20 this year the trade panned out well for the Clippers.

With Hoover’s 20th birthday in early 2016 he will be eligible to return to the Clippers next season if he chooses to play another year in Juniors before entering the NCAA. With Rempal and Brosseau both committed to Clarkson

The light drizzle “We’ll take it easy,” my Storming the Stairs partner said. “I’m pretty tired today.”

I don’t know why I agreed to do this anyway.

When it was all said and done, though, I didn’t have any regrets—not bad for a self-professed couch potato.

The weather was cloudy and it was around that time of day when you’re not really sure if the sun is setting or if it was just the autumn skies messing with you.

I was bundled up in my thickest pair of sweatpants (in all its baggy, high school logoed glory), my favourite blue sweatshirt, and bright pink running shoes—the image of sportiness and health.

When Danielle Caron, kayaker extraordinaire, suggested I “storm the stairs” with her someday, I had imagined a hardcore, intense workout leaving me breathless and wishing for salvation. What I found was that it actually wasn’t as ridiculously demanding as it looked.

We started off by the lower cafeteria, simply

SPORTS & L I F EST Y L E

Clippers Facebook page

The Navigator

Oh,” I said as my calf muscles burst into flames. in the spring, I think it’s safe to say that my I somehow pushed through the burn and “light drizzle” will probably work itself up to made it all the way back up on my toes. As a “storm” in the near future. we parted ways back on lower campus, I felt elated. For someone who tends to avoid exercise, I will give this much: that “after workout” buzz gets pretty addictive.

“Let me know how you feel tomorrow,” said Caron with just a hint of sass. I promised I would, and the morning after I felt like I had avoided being run over by a train during the night. I had a slight pain in my thighs, but I certainly wasn’t in lactic acid hell.

After some initial research on the VIU website, it turns out I missed a Storm the Stairs relay this past October, and some of my friends had told me about a card I could get to time the climb.

I asked the girl at the VIU Gym front desk VIU’s “Storm the Strairs” card, which times your run. They can be linked up to your student for more information on this mysterious card, account for free at the VIU Gym. and in less than two minutes I had my very own. Armed with my new acquisition and the Catherine Charlebois knowledge of a Storm the Stairs race sometime

THE CLIPPERS ARE ON THE ROAD

20

Hoover gets aggressive on the forecheck.

Catherine Charlebois

walking up the steps, students passing by as I tried in vain to look in shape. We made it to the library, and by then I was starting to feel the burn. After hitting the first physics building, I decided to run all the way up to the sturgeon tanks, because why the hell not. Ultimately, it wasn’t the worst decision of my life. Me, who thinks yoga twice a week and the occasional Westwood run counts as being active.

I had not only managed to impress myself, but my running partner as well. Apparently lots of prior “stormers” hadn’t made it that far.

After taking a little time to catch our breath and explore the untold wonders of upper campus (I still can’t get over the fact that there’s not only a wood cabin building, but there’s also a museum and a fossil display), we made it back down the dozens of flights of stairs. Back at the lower cafeteria, we made a second go, but this time, faster, and climbing stairs two at a time.

“Try stepping on your tippy toes,” said Caron as we got back up to the physics building.

“What does this do? Does it make a diff…

The Clippers are on the road to start off December. Their first two home games are on Friday, December 11 against the Merritt Centennials, and then Saturday, December 12 when the West Kelowna Warriors are in town.

Tickets for Clippers games can be purchased at the box office at Frank Crane Arena starting an hour before puck drop.

Tickets are only $10 for VIU students, and a free beer is included with admission.

season. He may have to guide a new pair of wingers as they try to fill the voids on either side of him, much like the void Taylor left at centre ice that Hoover filled this season.

Hoover wears Taylor’s old #19 jersey.

The Clippers face off on the ice.

Reid Eccles

NAV IGATOR

Reid Eccles Contributor

The Clippers celebrate scoring a goal against the Trail Smoke Eaters.

Reid Eccles

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sports & lifestyle

A VERY

EGYPTIAN CHRISTMAS Farida El Sheshingy

Back home, my family and I have always celebrated Christmas. I Contributor never asked why, but I often wondered. We would buy a foldable, plastic Christmas tree and spend days decorating it with whatever we came across, along with many colourful lights. After years of storing and reusing it, we would replace the tree just to keep it looking as decent as any Christian would want it to look. Growing up as a Muslim, my parents taught me to respect others, regardless of their identity. There is a popular verse in the Qur’an in Islam that says, “You have your religion and I have mine” [109:6]. Islam teaches us tolerance through those powerful words that in essence mean, “To each his own.” This verse is something that I grew up with, and I apply it to my daily life as part of practicing my religion. That is why I never asked why I celebrate Christmas. It is also why I will always love and respect this holiday as part of who I am as a person, even though I do not feel closely connected to it as many people around me probably do.

My elementary school was owned by a Coptic Christian man, and was located in an area where there were many Christian families. Consequently, I grew up having many Christian friends. Even though the Copts in Egypt are the biggest Christian community in the Middle East, Egypt remains predominantly Muslim. In classes where we studied religion, the teacher would split us up according to Muslim and Christian faith, and each group would go to a different class and learn about their own religion. It wasn’t done in any degrading or empowering way; it was just different topics that we had to cover for class. We would finish our English class, and head on to our religion class separately. After that, we would all meet in the playground and play “boys catch girls,” or a game of tag or basketball. We never spoke a word about our religion classes to each other, simply because we knew it wasn’t any of our business. I, for one, knew that my friends were the best part of my day. Some of them were bullies, but some of them gave me candy every day. I never once pointed at the bullies and said, “That’s because you’re Christian!” or looked at the lollipop that my friend gave me and said, “It must be a Christian thing.”

By the time I graduated and moved on to university, I realized there was no point in celebrating Christmas as it wasn’t such a huge part of my life anymore—especially given the fact that we never even exchanged gifts. I reflected on that thought for a while and decided to learn more. I always loved the way Christians in my life were curious about Islam and how

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they participated in our religious celebrations and traditions, including our fast during Ramadan. Some of my friends and my mom’s friends would actually fast with us, from sunrise to sunset, just to show love and respect towards our beliefs. It was only fair for me to be as inquisitive and open as they were.

So one time I decided to call my friend, Raymonda, and ask if I could come over. I wanted to see what Christmas was all about at her house. I went over to her place for lunch, and that afternoon I saw their tree. It was the most delightful thing I had seen in a long time. It was a real tree, so vibrant and fully decorated with gifts lying all around it. Their tree took up the whole living room space, whereas mine barely reached the TV frame. I wanted to know more. “So do you actually believe in Santa Claus?” I politely asked.

“Farida, Santa is real. No, I’m just kidding. You know how your parents convinced you that the tooth fairy put money under your pillow every time you lost a tooth? That’s exactly like it,” she said.

We continued to laugh and talk about fasting and its many different rules. Raymonda promised to fast with me one day the following year, and I promised to fast with her later that year. I jokingly asked her to give praise to Prophet Mohamed, not expecting her to respond as it is not part of her religion, and she immediately replied, “Peace Be Upon Him.” It warmed my heart.

It wasn’t until I came to Canada that I actually had a taste of what it was like to celebrate Christmas. With a few weeks left before Christmas break, everybody was busy doing their own thing. Some of my teammates invited me over for dinner just a week before I went home for the holidays. I went emptyhanded, not knowing what to bring or do on such an occasion. I didn’t expect it to be a big deal at all, until I showed up to their doorstep. I knocked on the door, and one of the girls greeted me with such happiness and excitement; it instantly put me in a good mood. She didn’t wait until I took off my jacket and my scarf to tell me to have a seat and close my eyes. Before I did, I caught a glimpse of their little Christmas tree settled on a stool by the window, lighting up the place. I closed my eyes, and she grabbed something off the ground and placed it in my hands.

She gave me a present. It was the most emotional moment of my whole year. I was laughing and crying simultaneously. I felt like a five-year-old again, ripping the gift wrap off of my new blanket given to me out of sheer love. I still hold on to this moment and remember it every time I go to bed. I felt so loved, appreciated, and accepted; I fell in love with Christmas again, only this time, I could wholeheartedly call it my own.

NAV IGATOR

A Snapchat highlights a typical Christmas in Egypt.

Farida El Sheshingy

SPORTS & L I F EST Y L E

21

page 22

you looked up when you finished reading this because i’m an asshole

Philip Gordon Contributor

i’m continually baffled in a mostly passive way by the way in which ‘normal’ people have conversations. two guys sitting next to me in starbucks are talking and guy one (big ears, black leather jacket, blue shirt, scruffy black facial hair, high-ish voice) has been talking for like five minutes about basically just irrelevant things people he knows have done recently and guy two (white/grey hair, grey/green sweater, playing with his iphone in a blue case they’re both wearing blue

jeans did i mention that) is smiling and resting his chin in his hand and occasionally nodding his head. the first guy has talked about hallways and fm radio advertisements and sleeping disorder appointments and a girl he knows doing something wrong at christmas and one of them just used the word ‘disengaged’ and i think i’ll make that the title of this poem.

Karlee Takasaki

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December

SUN

6 Pop-Up Shop Art Lab, 150 Commercial St. 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

FREE

MON

7 Christmas in the Golden Age of Radio Nanaimo Museum, 100 Museum Way 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

TUE

8

14

Into the Woods

Bethlehem Walk

Malaspina Theatre, bldg. 310

Parksville Fellowship Baptist Church, 550 Pym St.

2 p.m. $10 advance, $12 at door

20

6 – 8:30 p.m.

FREE

21

Lions Free Skate

Santa’s Helper Swim

Frank Crane Arena, 2300 Bowen Rd.

Ravensong Aquatic Centre, 737 Jones St.

12 – 1:30 p.m.

FREE

THU

FRI

SAT

2

3

4

5

Traditional Turkey Lunch

Worldbridger film series: Timbuktu

Upper cafeteria

Bldg. 356, rm. 109.

11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

7 – 10 p.m.

FREE

By donation

9

10

Hand Drumming Class

Festival of Trees

614 Haliburton St. 6:30 – 8 p.m.

Nanaimo North Town Centre, 4750 Rutherford Rd.

$15

10 a.m. – 9 p.m.

By donation

13

WED

By donation

15

16

Christmas Tea by the Sea

Milner Gardens Christmas Magic

Deep Bay Marine Field Station, 370 Crome Pt. Rd.

Milner Gardens and Woodland, 2179 West Island Hwy.

11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

5 – 8:30 p.m.

$20

By donation

22 BC Forest Discovery Centre Christmas Express

1:30 – 4 p.m.

BC Forest Discovery Centre, 2892 Drinkwater Rd.

Reduced admission

4 – 9 p.m.

23 Cheese Making Course

Car smash

Nanaimo Artwalk

VIUSU, bldg. 193

Downtown Nanaimo

12 – 2 p.m.

11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

FREE

FREE

11

12

Anonymous Art Fundraiser

Annual Student Art Sale

Nanaimo Arts Council, 4 Commercial St.

The View Gallery, bldg. 330

12 – 4 p.m.

10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

FREE

FREE

17

Peter Pan Malaspina Theatre, bldg. 310 2 p.m. $10 advance, $12 at door

19

18

Dorothy Gets Scrooged

Magical Nights of Light

Hip Hops Toys for Tots

Ladysmith Theatre, 4985 Christie Rd.

North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre, 1240 Leffler Rd.

The Cambie, 63 Victoria Cres.

7:30 p.m.

5 – 8 p.m.

$20

By donation

25

24

Christmas Day

Christmas Eve

Gabriola Island

8:30 p.m. – 1 a.m. $20

26 Saturday Music at New York Style Pizza New York Style Pizza and Pasta, 499 Wallace St.

10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. $140

6 – 8 p.m.

FREE

Students $10

27

28

Hip Hop for Hunger with MADCHILD

The Emperor’s New Clothes

Harbour City Theatre, 25 Victoria Rd.

Bailey Studio, 2373 Rosstown Rd.

6:30 – 11 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

$35 advance, $50 at door

$16

29 Opera Nanaimo presents Amahl and the Night Visitors Nanaimo Ecumenical Centre, 6234 Spartan Rd. 7:30 p.m.

30

31

Merry Christmas, George Bailey!

New Years Eve Masquerade Ball

Village Theatre, 110 West 2nd Ave.

Harbour City Theatre, 25 Victoria Rd.

7:30 p.m.

9 p.m. – 2 a.m.

Students $11

$70

$25 advance, $28 at door

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C A L EN DA R

23

OPENING JANUARY 2016!

CALL FOR RESUMĂ&#x2030;S Arts & Entertainment Editor

Associate Editor

Assumes editorial responsibility for the A&E section (four pages); arranges for contributions, writes reviews and features, and edits A&E submissions; monitors the editorial process for the A&E section and approves pages; gives approved pages to managing editor for final review; participates in copy editing for all sections and helps enter editorial changes on production Sunday, and distributes newspapers on campus.

Assumes editorial responsibility for the features section (six pages); writes one editorial per issue; takes on the responsibilities of the managing editor when required; participates in copy editing for all sections and helps enter editorial changes on production weekend; participates in layout and assembly during production week; and calculates and presents an expense report to the business manager or bookkeeper detailing contributor payments for each issue.

Send your resume to <editor@thenav.ca>.