The Navigator Vol 48 Issue 13

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MARCH 22

APRIL 6

Vol 48

FREE

VANCOUVER ISLAND UNIVERSITY STUDENT PRESS

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12

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Creating connections with your PROFESSORS

ROGUE ONE REVIEWED

YEAR IN REVIU

Along with proving to be excellent mentors, faculty are also great people to have as connections.

Taking place between the prequel and original trilogies, it is a perfect synthesis of old and new.

Canada is taking care of me now, I want to give back to Canada through soccer.�

CONTENTS

NEWS

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05

06

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Editorials

Nature Canada launches new Youth Leadership Grant --A portal to student publishing

New VIU counselor focuses on Indigenous students --Nanaimo Volunteer Fair

News in a Nutshell --Referendum brings city council back to drawing board

FEATURES

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09

10

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Peaks and valleys

Point of VIU --Creating connections with your professors

Determinism: Is this fate?

La Fleur de Lys

A walk down Christy Lane

ARTS

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15

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Ed Sheer-damn --Rogue One: Reviewed

Political Satire: When is it too much?

--Countermeasure visits VIU

Logan: Reviewed --Young Fox Sky Beats Gold album review

2017 must reads: BC book prizes shortlist announced

SPORTS & LIFESTYLE

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19

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Making of a Rain Warrior --Squish the stress away

Mariners volleyball recap at CCAA Nationals --Crimson Coast Dance Society hosts spring break dance workshop

The year in ReVIU

The year in ReVIU cont’d

Comic / Photography

CONTENTS

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LETTERS

NAV

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CONTRIBUTORS Chris Adam Dallas Bezaire James Chumsa-Jones Emily Hingston Brandon Kornelson

Vinci Lam Jenn McGarrigle Krista Meckelborg Kris Mutafov Megan Wolfe

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

THE NAVIGATOR TEAM Molly Barrieau Editor-in-Chief

Jessica Pirson Graphic Designer

Avery Crosson Art Director

Zyre Hoskins Graphic Designer

Natalie Gates Associate Editor

Spenser Smith Web Editor

Cheryl Folland Arts Editor

Elissa Doerksen Social Media Sp.

Aislinn Cottell News Editor

Lynne Williams Bookkeeper

Cole Schisler Sports & Lifestyle Editor

Christine Franic Business Manager

Catherine Charlebois Production Manager

Sarah Torgerson Copy Editor

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

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

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

Correction: In Issue 12, The Nav miscategorized the VIUSU column as not opnion editorial. We apologize for the miscommunication.

DESIGN WORK

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Zyre Hoskins Cover

Jessica Pirson Spread

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

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

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Letters

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EDITORIALS

Appropriate appropriation?

Molly Barrieau --Editor-in-Chief The Navigator

If you can believe it, the final assignment for First Nations Studies 102 is a portfolio. Not just any portfolio, but a scrapbook narrative portfolio.

The idea is to research your family’s history, display such, and comment on your story and its connections to Canadian colonialism.

Seems easy enough, right? No essay, no rifling through dusty VIU books to find quotes, no citing.

I should be dancing. Yet, the further I dig into each side of my family, the more I am beginning to feel very un-Canadian. Turns out my superbly British side has been in Canada, Ontario mostly, for ages.

Which is great and all, but they get a little boring.

Then I looked to my father’s side. That’s where it gets interesting. For years, according to the stories, I have considered myself non-status First Nations,

specifically Mi’kmaq from New Brunswick. This has offered me many opportunities here at VIU, and I am forever grateful for the help.

However, these last few weeks, I’ve begun to second-guess it all. All of it. What if my family has been told the wrong story—as there is no proof of my direct lineage—and I am, in fact, just a mutt, a blend of English, Irish, and Scottish.

Am I less Canadian?

Am I appropriating a culture, just because my hair is dark and my dad tans well?

The more I begin to question my story, with my ancestors woefully staring at me from black and white images, the more I want confirmation.

It took my father 62 years to finally succumb to the pressure. This project has propelled his own

desires to find the truth. While I was setting up my <Ancestry.ca> free trial, I called him. “Order it,” he says.

“Really?”

“Yeah, put it on my credit card.”

We ordered a DNA test. It has yet to arrive, and we are yet to see the results, (here’s to the longest six to eight weeks of my life). Soon, my family will finally know if in 1934 my French Canadian great grandmother slept with a First Nations man.

And, if the marriage two years later to another Frenchman was, in fact, only to cover the secrets of her bastard child.

Here’s to you, Grampy. I never really knew you, but my connection to you grows each day as I learn more about you. I hope this helps you rest, knowing that your family acknowledges your story.

Let it rain

Natalie Gates --Associate Editor The Navigator

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editorials

It’s a pretty normal day for this point in the semester; you know the drill. I wake up determined to get EVERYTHING done, to take the day by storm—crank out my work hours, learn something in class, squeeze in some exercise, meals, and tackle those damn presentations like no one’s business. I’ll tie up those essays into tidy 3000-word packages in no time.

Of course, things don’t go as smoothly as expected and I spend most of the day slightly on edge, constantly telling myself, “It’s okay, it’s okay, you’ll get it all done, it’s fine, don’t worry, it’s just work, it’s just school…”

I decide to eventually do some yoga to loosen up. Stretch my mind, my muscles. I feel relieved, at peace momentarily.

I sit back down at my desk, and my work emails and texts continue to ping. Ping. Ping. Ping.

Ping. My to-do list seems to grow immediately

in front of me, stretching down the screen as if my computer has been hacked. If I get one more message…

Ping.

My boyfriend sends me a friendly “hey how was your day? :)” LET ME TELL YOU. Cue the waterworks: rivers flowing out of my eyes, sending my mascara running like black sludge. My nose runs, my breath heaves. Am I hyperventilating? I don’t know. It’s hideous.

I want to yell at my boss to stop giving me stuff to do. I want to yell at my profs and ask them, “Why, lord, why?!” I want to just watch myself cry in the mirror and get sadder as I notice every insecurity I’ve ever had and think about every other problem currently in my life, ‘cause WHY NOT? WE’RE ALREADY SAD! Then I’m embarrassed of myself for freaking out when

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I think about all the people around the world suffering much worse things than I. This makes me cry more.

Can my roommates hear me bawling?

PROBABLY. Do I care? KIND OF, BUT NOT REALLY. And then, it slows down. I take some deep breaths. It’s as if I’ve returned back to that postyoga state. I blink. My to-do list is still there, but it’s not a mile long anymore.

I look out the window; the clouds have closed in and painted the sky dark grey; suddenly, as if with a boom, they begin pouring, dumping buckets and buckets of rain to the earth with unbelievable force. It only lasts for a few seconds and then it lessens, slows down. It’s still raining, but not so hard anymore.

I take a sip of my water and get back to work, a smirk on my face, if you can believe that. Let it rain.

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NEWS

Nature Canada launches new Youth Leadership Grant

Aislinn Cottell

Aislinn Cottell ---

In celebration of Canada’s 150th anniversary, Nature Canada is launching the Young The Navigator Nature Leadership Grant. The 1K bursary will be given to a young Canadian under 30 years old who is looking to develop and implement a project inspired by the Canadian Parks Council’s The Nature Playbook, a recently published “how-to” guide for young nature conservationists. Recipients of the grant will have the opportunity to be mentored and coached on this project

by Women for Nature, a philanthropic initiative of professional women across Canada, and the donators of the grant.

“The more Canadians experience the awesome benefits of nature, the more support there will be for its conservation,” says Dawn Carr, Women of Nature member and Executive Director, Canadian Parks Council. “The Young Nature Leadership Grant,

developed collaboratively with the Council and Women for Nature, is an opportunity to nurture and empower our emerging young leaders to champion nature. By working together we can protect, and encourage new generations to connect with nature. Nature’s future, our future, depends on it.”

Interested applicants can submit either a short video or twopage essay outlining their project idea, which will be evaluated based on criteria including potential impact and benefits, reach, creativity, clarity, and effective use of grant funds. Applications can be submitted on the Women for Nature website, and are due no later than 5 pm (Eastern Time) on March 31, 2017.

“Women for Nature are Canadian women with a vision—women of influence with a passion for nature.” says Eleanor Fast, Executive Director of Nature Canada. “This new Grant is an excellent way

for them to pass their passion on to young leaders to help protect our natural heritage and connect a new generation of Canadians to nature.”

Nature Canada is a national conservation organization whose mission is to “protect and conserve wildlife habitats by engaging people and advocating on the behalf of nature.” Representing a network of 50,000 members and supporters, as well as over 360 naturalist organizations across the country, Nature Canada is the oldest national nature conservation in Canada. Over the past 75 years, Nature Canada has helped protect over 63 million acres of parks and wildlife areas, and is the founding member of the Green Budget Coalition, which seeks to present positive and viable solutions for environmental issues to the federal government.

A Portal to Student Publishing Vinci Lam Whether a creative --writing, digital media, Contributor

or business student, there is an opportunity to play a part in the creation of a magazine, before you complete a degree. Portal magazine is VIU’s very own student-published literary magazine, with 100 percent student-created content, including fiction, non-fiction, poetry, art, and book reviews. Perhaps a lesser-known fact to those outside the Creative Writing program is that the creation of the magazine is done through a yearlong process with an instructor, as course requirement for CREW 430/431 (Publishing Workshop I & II).

As a creative writing minor with interest in becoming an editor, I took the opportunity to learn more about the publishing industry and the workings of the editorial process. At this stage of the process, the magazine is completed, and

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the feeling of accomplishment is incredible. The course requires a lot of commitment but leaves you with a rewarding result. The magazine itself is an achievement, but the process of getting to that print material is just as fulfilling.

Working for Portal is like riding a bicycle with training wheels, or iceskating with a traffic cone in front of you. Students experience first-hand the autonomy to make decisions, such as what image to put on the cover, which pieces to select and reject, how a poem may be improved, and minor details like the colour theme for the launch. Students also have the opportunity to freely discover and explore new experiences and skills of their choice. At the same time, there’s the safety of knowing there is a fallback, an accomplished instructor, to act as a guide and make executive decisions if you feel like you’re losing

control. This is the perfect opportunity to make the most of the university experience and leave the comfort zone behind to explore everything and anything that crosses your mind, without the risk of failing or making a fool of yourself. You can do so before you step into the reality of the industry, practice the farfetched, and suggest the “silly” ideas you might hesitate to put forward. This is the time to test all your plans and find out the boundaries and plausibility of them in a safe space.

In Portal, students aren’t just offered a creative writing experience, they are encouraged to take up responsibilities that have nothing to do with writing or editing. All Portal team members participate in fundraising and ad sales, which are essential business components that play a part in the success of a magazine. While all students had

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shared responsibilities, each one of carried a unique role to the table.

My responsibility was social media.

I strongly encourage any kind of participation in the social media realm in this day and age. Any experience, especially in a professional setting, will be valuable and worth mentioning on a resumé, since every business is now expected to have an online presence.

During the year, I’ve learned how to work alone, with others, delegate work, and as volunteer for positions I have no experience in. Communication is key.

Everyone in the team has thier own expertise. The opportunity to learn from each other and improve together makes this experience more powerful, and improves the quality of the final product.

It’s important to remember that students don’t have to know everything about a role before they apply for it.

Prior knowledge is an advantage, but

the best thing about Portal is you can take the initiative to argue for a role you want, and learn on the way. You may realize you have skills you’ve never exercised, and opinions that others have never dreamed of.

The Portal class is one in which each student shapes their experience the way they want it, and designs their course to be useful for their specific career after graduation. Receive hands-on education and a glimpse of the real world through this enriching course. Learn the way you want, and create opportunities for your future.

Come to the Portal 2017 launch on April 6 to celebrate our hard work with us. From 6 pm to 9:30 pm, we will present the final product of our yearlong effort, and authors will perform readings of their work at the Cavallotti Lodge. For more information, keep an eye out on our Facebook page: <facebook.com/portalmag>.

NEWS

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NEWS

News In a Nutshell Aislinn Cottell | The Navigator

WHAT

WHERE

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE

On March 28, the city is holding an informational session for volunteer beta testers interested in reviewing their new website.

411 Dunsmuir St., Service and Resource Centre Boardroom 5 – 7 pm.

RSVP at <feedback@nanaimo.ca>.

Beta testing is a chance to make suggestions so the city can incorporate feedback from the public on how to make their new site as user friendly as possible.

WHAT

WHERE

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE

On March 30, the regular VIU Board of Governors meeting will be held, open to the public.

Nanaimo Campus Library, rm. 507.

Learn and contribute to discussion surrounding new policies, projects, and programs at the university.

4 – 5 pm.

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE

WHAT

WHERE

March 30, the VIU library is hosting a study-break board game night.

Nanaimo Campus Jumpin’ Java lounge 4 – 6 pm.

WHAT

WHERE

April 6, the city is holding a ceremony for the 2017 Culture & Heritage award winners, Ms. Jacqui Kaese and Ms. Gerda Hofman.

Port Theatre

Relieve some stress with a causal game of Catan, Munchkin, Hive, Sushi Go, and more. Feel free to bring your own too.

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE

Details to be announced.

Come celebrate “the best of Nanaimo’s arts and cultural volunteers and creative talent”, who contribute to a sense of cultural vitality and pride within the community.

Referendum brings city council back to drawing board Kelly Whiteside ---

After five months of rushed planning and heated debate regarding the proposed Contributor Nanaimo Event Centre, it appears that the spontaneous project has been rejected by the public. The referendum, held on March 11, resulted in 80.3 percent of votes favouring the “no” side.

Voters were asked at the referendum if they were in favour of the “Loan Authorization Bylaw 2017 No. 7237”, which would authorize city council to borrow up to $80M to build an events centre on waterfront property, with the primary function of being

home to a possible WHL team.

There was a total of 23,885 ballots cast in the referendum, adding up to 35.3 percent of registered voters–a 1.2 percent increase of voters compared to the 2014 general election.

Though the result only shows that Nanaimo citizens turned down borrowing $80M, some believe that many of the “no” votes were actually more against the council members themselves rather than their proposed project. A number of council members made apologies at their March 13 meeting for high emotions and rushed planning.

Regardless, the message was loud and clear, and councillors have returned to the drawing board.

Within the conversation regarding the event centre were many proposed ideas on alternate uses for the space at 1 Port Drive, which council will be looking at in the future. Mayor Bill McKay has announced that he will be including more public consultation, particularly with the Snuneymuxw First Nation, when making plans for the area. There are also a few other projects council will now focus on instead, including affordable housing and the Serauxmen sports fields.

theoxypub@outlook.com

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

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News

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NEWS

New VIU counselor focuses on Indigenous students Jenn McGarrigle Noelle Hanuse is on a quest—to reach --out to Indigenous students at Vancouver VIU Communications

Island University (VIU); those who may not be aware of the counselling services available at the university, or might have previously hesitated to access those services.

One of VIU’s core values is to provide a welcoming and culturally relevant environment for Indigenous students. As part of supporting this value, VIU recently hired Hanuse, who is from the Oweekeno and Klahoose First Nations, to provide individual counselling sessions for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. She is also organizing mental health-themed workshops at Shq’apthut, VIU’s Aboriginal Gathering Place.

“Some Indigenous students may be wary of the idea of counselling, and for lots of different reasons,” Hanuse said.

“For one thing, Indigenous students often come from a very community-based approach, so individualized counselling sessions might seem new to them.”

“Traditionally, Western therapy hasn’t acknowledged spirit, and that’s a foundational part of how Indigenous peoples relate to the world. Western counselling also comes from the same system that historically oppressed our people. Healing from colonialism is a major health issue and healing practices need to reflect cultural realities as well as core values. Non-Indigenous Canadians can also benefit from an Indigenous perspective of health and wellness.”

Hanuse joins four other full-time counsellors and two part-time counsellors in the department. Her role is to provide culturally sensitive individual counselling, assessment, and crisis intervention services to students with personal, emotional and mental health issues—from a perspective that respects Indigenous ways of being and knowing.

Hanuse has a Bachelor of Education through the University of British Columbia’s Indigenous Teaching Education Program; a Master of Education in Indigenous Education and Leadership from Simon Fraser University; a Master of Arts in Indigenous Community Counselling Psychology from the University of Victoria; and diplomas in Progressive Counselling, Natural Spiritual Healing and Transformation Hatha Yoga. She has many years’ of experience in supporting and counselling Indigenous youth and adults, including as a Counsellor at the Native Education College, a counsellor for School District 46, and at the Vancouver Aboriginal Child and Family Services Society.

“I’m also a residential school survivor, and many Indigenous students have parents or grandparents who are as well, so I can help them understand what’s happening in their lives because of that historic trauma, as well as make peace with the past and move forward in the way that feels right for them,” she said.

Nanaimo volunteer fair Aislinn Cottell --The Navigator

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Noelle Hanuse, who is from the Oweekeno and Klahoose First Nations, is the latest memeber of VIU’s Counselling Services team.

VIU Communications

On top of her regular counselling duties, Hanuse, who has been at VIU since mid-January, will run some events at Shq’apthut, starting off by leading workshops at Shq’apthut that draw strongly on her background in meditation. Called Honoring the Spirit: Energy Care for Indigenous Students, she is teaching students breathing techniques to help calm, balance, and ground themselves.

“This fall, VIU organized a series of events around the topic of reconciliation, which can help with understanding, but at the same time, it can open up a can of worms and [students] can feel deep, deep pain,” says Hanuse. “For some of the students, it’s the first time they’re hearing about it. This workshop is about taking care of themselves.”

Marge Huntley, VIU’s Director of Student Affairs, says Hanuse is a welcome addition to the Counselling Office at VIU’s Nanaimo campus.

“Noelle adds greater depth and breadth to the existing experience within our Counselling Department, and it ensures our team represents the diversity of our campus,” she said. “Her background and experience will also better meet the needs of our Indigenous student population.”

Hanuse’s position is made possible by the Student Services Fee, which is also supporting two other positions—a Disability Services Mental Health Access Specialist and a Mental Health

Learning Support Strategist.

The Mental Health Access Specialist will work with students with complex mental health and psychiatric issues who require academic and classroom supports, develop initiatives to help these students make the most of their educational experiences, and provide expert advice and consultation for faculty and staff. The Mental Health Learning Support Strategist will support students whose academic success is impacted by their mental health concerns by providing learning and academic management services.

VIU has also collaborated with Island Health and the Division of Family practice to bring a part-time general practitioner and a consulting psychiatrist to the Health and Wellness Centre. By the end of March, a Mental Health and Substance Use Clinician from Island Health will also be on campus. The space needed to house the new Island Health professionals was funded through the Student Services Fee. The Mental Health and Substance Use Clinician will see students with moderate to severe mental illnesses, provide brief intervention supports, and direct referrals to community mental health resources and programming.

“Being able to get an appointment with mental health practitioners directly on campus rather than having to go to a clinic or the hospital improves access to mental health services for students significantly,” says Huntley.

Want to help improve your community? Looking for some experience to bolster your resume?

On April 8, Volunteer Nanaimo (VN) is hosting the Nanaimo Volunteer Fair for 10 am – 5 pm at Woodgrove Centre. The Fair is a networking event aimed at raising awareness for local not-forprofit organizations, as well as connecting those in the community looking for volunteering opportunities to places where their help is needed. This year’s Fair was organized by three MBA students as part of a co-op, and there will be prizes available.

Volunteer Nanaimo is a multi-service volunteer centre which has been serving the Nanaimo area for almost 40 years. Working with over 800 local non-profit and community based programs, the goal of VN is to enhance the quality of life in Nanaimo by promoting volunteerism and providing leadership and resources

to local non-profit and community groups. In addition, VN helps facilitate community services such as the Community Income Tax Service, which provides tax assistance to those of low income, pensions, or disability services; the Vancouver Island Community Knitter’s Association (VICKA), which collects locally knitted clothing to donate to those in need; and the Youth Volunteer Network, which offers youth opportunities to collaborate on community projects submitted by local not-for-profits.

In honour of Canada’s 150th birthday VN is holding the 150x150 challenge: volunteer for 150 hours in 2017 to be entered into a contest to win prizes. For more information on volunteering in Nanaimo, visit the VN website at <volunteernanaimo.ca>, or call 250-758-7121.

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NEWS

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FEATURES

Peaks and valleys Molly Barrieau Disheveled hair sits forlorn above a thin --and angular face. Long fingers grip the

The Navigator seat of the chair beneath him, as the sinew and muscles seize from wrist to shoulder blade in one swift uncontrolled motion.

“I feel like a puppet, and someone else is pulling the strings,” he says, indignant.

Rarely do the edges of his mouth curl anymore, as synthetic dopamine now replaces the long dead cells, directing his tired brain. The drugs kick in and he can no longer sit.

Parkinson’s Disease affects over 100,000 Canadians, as the second most prevalent neurological disease after Alzheimer’s.

Dopamine is depleted, and the four major symptoms begin

“I was born with a steering wheel in my hands,” Rob jokes. Aside from levodopa and marijuana, Rob treats his Parkinson’s Disease by driving.

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Features

Robert and my mom on their wedding day in 1979.

Courtesy of Molly Barrieau

to appear: Bradykinesia (slowness of movement), tremors, muscle rigidity, and change in gait (walking).

His lean body, erect and hunched, pivots as his arms swing wildly with his words, loud and messy. He knows just what he wants to say to me, but his jaw has yet to loosen its grasp on the words. He trusts me to finish his sentence, not with the words he intended, but good enough.

His small frame is emphasized by the calories he burns in constant movement. “I can’t keep weight on,” he says, attempting to eat leftover apple pie from Thanksgiving. My mother shows me a photo of them from the early ‘80s, the colour has faded, but their smiles haven’t. They are attached at the hip, tall and slender, with mops of matching brown shaggy hair and concert tees. They were in their early twenties, living in Edmonton.

They had married and divorced before I came along. It wasn’t until my family moved to BC, where he was working for the Ministry of Forests, that they reconnected, and he told her about his diagnosis.

That’s when I met him. Having no prior knowledge of this man before the disease claimed his body, he became a face for Parkinson’s, a disease I also knew nothing about.

It didn’t take long to notice how intelligent he was, what information was trapped in his mind. He has since become a good friend and storyteller of my mother’s life at my age.

Parkinson’s Disease, contrary to other brain diseases, rarely affect memory. Luckily, all information that Robert learned during his university career is retained and still very much alive in his mind. Unfortunately, in 2005 he could no longer keep his job at the Ministry of Forests, knowing full well that his brain was capable but his body was creating a blockade between his independence and the Ministry’s ability to accommodate his disability.

Regrettably, escalation of the disease for Rob occurred

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when he was working at a water treatment plant, where mercury was used in large vats. Upon opening the door, mercury vapours were breathed in on a consistent basis. This dense contaminated air allowed a much different dose to accumulate in Rob’s brain, unlike the minute dose from fish.

It is not certain, but he believes this intensified the inevitable process. Receiving a diagnosis before age 40 is considered young onset, Rob was 38.

In total, Robert spent 18 years at university. He earned his PhD in Hydrology from UBC in 1995, the same year as his diagnosis. Amidst the stress to complete his thesis, Robert noticed his hands shaking.

“I couldn’t eat soup.” He says, lifting his hand and shaking the imaginary spoon. Like many others, the doctors told Robert it was a mild tremor, nothing to worry about. The first symptoms had actually appeared much earlier, when my mother was married to him. She recalls his lethargic attitude after class, blaming it on their new colour TV. Replacing it with a monochromatic version didn’t seem to help, Rob fell asleep at the drop of a hat.

Fatigue, laziness, and passivity are all symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease because the “chemical cousins” to dopamine are also affected. Noradrenalin and serotonin help regulate our mood, and the loss of these can produce a feeling of tiredness, and a swing in behaviour like erratic crying, or bursts of laughter. Studies have shown that even before physical symptoms like tremors appear, mood swings are an early signifier of dopamine loss.

Soon after his diagnosis, Robert was told by his doctor in the early stages that he may experience these changes in emotion, typically shown in sudden bouts of crying. In the middle of field work, drilling water wells, he remembers the opposite, uncontrollably laughing.

Hereditarily, Robert and Parkinson’s Disease were a predestined partnership. His mother’s father, and father’s sister and brother all suffered, leaving him with no place to hide. Genetics playing a part in Parkinson’s Disease is rare, but according to Nutan Sharma in Biographies of a Disease: Parkinson’s Disease, by studying these families, there are certain gene mutations found that cause Parkinson’s Disease.

Dopamine, the messenger that depletes in Parkinson’s Disease patients, is known to control our brain’s “reward and pleasure center”. The small gaps between our nerve cells are jumping off points for dopamine, which will attach itself through the synapse. Dopamine is electronically released when we feel pleasure. Usually associated with food, sex, and drugs, popular media regularly references dopamine as a negative chemical which allows for addiction. Increasing its level in the brain on an exponential and dangerous level can create a need for consistent unnatural dopamine.

“I was born with a steering wheel in my hands,” Rob jokes. Aside from levodopa and marijuana, Rob treats his Parkinson’s Disease by driving. Normally, someone battling tremors and muscular seizure shouldn’t drive, but Rob has found that controlling a car allows him to control his own movement. Driving provides an independence unparalleled for Rob, who depends on the care of others to get through the day. “Most of my memories are of travelling around,” he says, his family road tripped across Canada, and my mother joined him on many others throughout their marriage. These days, she worries, “I don’t know what he is able to handle, and that is difficult”.

He stands, slowly shrugging on his leather jacket, and looks at me, his tense hands holding his keys. “Can you wait with me?” He asks, “I don’t think I can drive just yet.”

The latter half of his life has been spent navigating a reinvention of self, learning to cope and adapt to a new world created for him by his brain. A man struggling with an illness that has no cure, working so hard to own the disease, not letting it drive him. Rob has learned to treat Parkinson’s Disease personally, and know the disease as it affects him personally.

He sits across from me, his hands in the air contorting as he animates how he feels. He tells me it feels like there’s an “evil person back there,” motioning to the back of his head, laughing, “flipping a switch whenever, making things worse.”

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FEATURES

HOW DO YOU MANAGE YOUR MONEY & WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE CAREER GOALS?

Cole Schisler | The Navigator

Molly

Cheryl

JerSoN

AlySoN

TriSTAN

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Creating connections with your professors Krista Meckelborg --ontri

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After listening to hours of lectures each week, it’s understandable if you choose to avoid your professors outside of classes. But doing so can prevent you from accessing one of the greatest assets you have while at university: mentors.

VIU student, Andrew Labun, and recent graduate, DJ Levy, recently began an online clothing company called Pacific Threads. Their new brand celebrates self-expression through personalized apparel. The two partners started the business from the ground up, overcoming many obstacles along the way. One of the biggest struggles they came across was finding the necessary funding to kick-start the company.

“We had to get used to hearing ‘no’,” said Labun. “We were in the mindset where, if you hear ‘no’, you go on to the next one.

We weren’t giving up.”

The Pacific Threads team finally gained funding through Futurpreneur Canada af ter attending and speak ing at Entrepeer, a networking event that took place at the Keg Steakhouse

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here in Nanaimo. One of the conditions in receiving funding from Futurpreneur required Labun and Levy to find a mentor to help guide their actions. The team chose one of VIU’s beloved marketing professors, Barbara Thomas, to lead them down the best path.

“She points us in the right direction,” said Labun as he described the type of help that Thomas provides to his team. “She steered us away from something she thought might not have worked.”

Labun particularly appreciates the way that Thomas guides them in communicating the Pacific Threads brand in the best way possible. She helps them understand how to show people who they are, not just as a company, but as individuals.

Levy and Labun work hard together. They are both internally driven to succeed, and have a lot on the line with this company. Building a business is not like working on a team project; it’s not a task forced upon you. Everyone involved has consciously and purposefully chosen to be involved.

“It’s fulfilling to do the work,” said Labun. “We are very ambitious, we set very high goals.”

But despite the commitment a nd e nt hu sia sm, st a r t i ng something brand new can be difficult without a guide. Looking back, Labun realizes that working with a mentor has been incredibly valuable to the company.

“She’s a joy to work with. It’s good to have another person to bounce ideas off of.”

Even the best can benefit greatly from mentorship. Aristotle needed Plato. Hayley Williams needed Brett Manning. LeBron James needs Tyronn Lue. A recent article by Forbes named mentorship the “key to career success.” Mentors are not meant to tell us what to do or change who we are, but rather to guide us on how we can best be ourselves.

So, where do you find these mentors? Anywhere, really. Begin by building relationships with your professors and other local professionals. Find someone who is experienced in the industry you wish to pursue. A mentor doesn’t need to be someone connected to the university, although they may be easier to connect with as a student. Those within our education system are here because

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they believe in the power of education, and empowering and enabling young adults.

This has never been more true than at VIU, where class sizes are so small that all of your professors will know your name by the end of the semester. In my experience here, professors are incredibly willing to lend their time if it means helping you pursue your professional and educational goals.

For Labun and Levy, finding a mentor through the university worked out perfectly.

“I’ve had Barbara [Thomas] for a few classes,” said Labun. “She’s one of my favourite professors here so we reached out to her and asked if she would be interested. Our company is e-commerce, and her specialty is in that field, so we thought it would be a perfect fit.”

The Pacific Threads team meets with Thomas once a week on Saturdays. They send her a list of topics for their meeting a day or two before, and give her an update on the week—what is going well, what isn’t.

I’ve had the pleasure of building relationships with professors during my time at VIU.

Along with proving to be excellent mentors, faculty are also great people to have as connections.

Professors are often some of the first to hear about local opportunities. Most of us will be heading out to the job market upon graduation. I know you’ve probably heard the cliché plenty of times before, but the honest truth is most opportunities for success will arise from relationships that are already established. It truly is about who you know.

Through these relationships, I have been able to come across many opportunities that would otherwise not have existed. From job connections, to internship opportunities, to clients, to event management roles: my professors have really helped me out along the way.

Take the time to know your professors. Whether that be through mentorship or just a connection, I promise you won’t regret it.

To see the success of Pacific Threads first hand, come visit their pop-up shop in front of the VIU Cafeteria March 29 and 30, or online at <pacificthreads.ca>.

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FEATURES

Determinism: is this fate?

Dallas Bezaire Have you ever felt as if something was --meant to happen? That your whole life ontri

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had led up to this moment? That you are fated to do or become something in life?

If that is the case, then you believe in determinism.

Determinism is the belief that the future is set in stone and every single thing that happens was meant to happen.

Stated differently, it is the belief that if you know everything about the current moment, the speed and energy and position of every single particle, then you can determine exactly what will happen 100 years from now, or any point in the future.

It’s an interesting thought, and one that pervades almost every field, including philosophy, physics, psychology, and religion. In some respects it is a very attractive idea.

If we believe that the universe obeys specific laws and principles, then it seems almost natural that the universe proceeds like a complex and intricate mechanism. Each part playing its role towards an ultimate end that was set the moment the whole thing began with the big bang.

We reject determinism on a basic and fundamental level.

We feel quite strongly that we have free will, this ability to choose our own future and our own fate. We feel that there are different paths we can take and different options available. Strangely enough, science seems to refute that.

For one, the idea that actions we take are made consciously is not quite true. In his book, Mind Time, the neuroscientist Benjamin Libet showed, in order for a stimulus to become conscious (that is, for us to become aware that we are sensing something), it takes 500 milliseconds of continuous stimulation of the cortex. If there is less than 500 milliseconds of stimulation, our brains are still able to use that information in meaningful and useful ways, but we will have no conscious experience of any sensation.

So, why does it seem as if everything is happening to us in real time? When we feel something, there is an initial pulse of neural activity that marks the time point. If stimulation of the cortex continues for over 500 milliseconds, the conscious experience is retroactively dated to that initial pulse.

This isn’t just our sensory experiences, though; this also occurs for our motor movements and actions. Our brain is getting ready to perform an action about 400 milliseconds before we ever become aware we are about to do anything.

These initial impulses to act can be stopped. In those last few hundred milliseconds before we act, the conscious mind can veto the action, and stop it before it becomes more than a cascade of neural signals.

This would almost seem to support determinism. We don’t actually choose our actions consciously; rather they are created spontaneously by unconscious processes shaped by past experience. This is easy to test. Just read a book that uses vocabulary different than what you normally read—some Shakespeare or Dumas—and watch as the vocabulary you tend to use in real life changes to match what you’ve been reading. Or, start spending time with someone new and pay attention as you pick up some of their mannerisms or sayings. There is even an entire field of psychology—behaviourism—which attempts to catalogue and understand the ways in which individuals influence and change each other.

Of course, there is still that conscious veto. The conscious process that seems to be able to say, “No, don’t do that,” or, “Yes, do that.” It must surely put the nail in the coffin of psychological determinism, right? Well, not quite.

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Even the unconscious veto process is influenced quite heavily by past experience and current circumstances, as the field of addictions research has made abundantly clear. In their paper, Liking, Wanting, and the Incentive-Sensitization Theory of Addiction, behavioural neuroscientists Kent Berridge and Terry Robinson found that the processes of “liking” something, and the process of “wanting” something are entirely different circuits operating independently.

Because of this, you can consciously dislike something, even hate it, but if the neural circuitry of “want” is strong enough, it can easily overpower those dislikes and cause you to act against your wishes, such as when you are exposed to visual cues like a pipe or bong. This process of wanting is especially sensitized after exposure to highly rewarding stimuli, such as drugs and other addictive substances, or addictive activities like sex or gambling.

While many, like the AA community, argue that these processes are altered past the point of being natural

the the stone and every single thing that happens was meant to happen. during addiction, others argue that these processes are just extreme forms of very natural learning processes. Marc Lewis, a developmental neuroscientist, says in his paper “Addiction and the Brain: Development, Not Disease,” that the changes in the brain under addiction are the same as any other learning condition, except that they are especially influential due to the quick learning cycle, the relatively short time between the initial reward, and the loss of reward.

If this is the case, then it would seem that we are not entirely in control of these veto processes. It’s as if we have some parliament in our heads voting “yes” or “no” to the options they are given, and at any time many of them will be voting along “party lines” of sorts, based on behavioral cues, motivators, and stimuli that you may not even be conscious of. When it comes to determinism, the question becomes how much can you influence those votes based on your “will” or “desires”? Unfortunately, those questions have yet to be answered. But that doesn’t mean determinism is otherwise bulletproof.

Here is where chaos theory comes in. In short, it is the idea that in a complex system, tiny changes to starting variables can result in drastically different outcomes. The more complex the system, the greater the possible differences can be. In the entire known universe there is no system more complex than the human brain. The human brain influences and is influenced by, events from the scale of molecules to the scale of populations and societies, all of which exponentially increases the level of complexity and the ways in which small changes can result in different outcomes.

Take, for example, quantum effects. The most common and widespread is Brownian motion, or the random

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movements of small particles as they bounce into each other on the tiniest of scales. In the brain, it directly influences diffusion, say, of hormones or drugs; energetics, as particles transfer energy to each other this way resulting in some being much more, or less, energetic than others; and biochemistry, as the orientation of a molecule makes the difference between it bonding and reacting with an enzyme or not, just to name a few.

However, we don’t even need to stay in the brain for quantum effects to influence our lives. That same Brownian motion is going on in the sun, as photons bounce around, sometimes for thousands of years, before finally escaping the core. When it finally does escape it can fly towards earth and, hopefully, avoid the atmospheric particles in order for it to make it all the way down to us. If it is a high enough energy photon, say, in the UV spectrum, it can potentially hit a piece of DNA causing damage. As far as we know, many parts of this process are random, and any small change in circumstances can result in failure. Perhaps the UV light hits a different cell, or is absorbed in the atmosphere, or misses you entirely.

If it does happen, the DNA damage will result in cascades of cellular mechanisms that will repair it, hopefully correctly.

If this process is messed up, perhaps the cell repaired it incorrectly, it can result in the neuron killing itself, or, if things go very badly, in things like cancer. While the death of a single neuron is, for the most part, trivial, we are dealing with an incredibly complex system. Other neurons will have to rewire and adapt to the loss of that neuron and, over time, these tiny changes can result in different things happening.

Perhaps they result in a change in behaviour that results in wildly different circumstances, say kissing the girl or not, and as a result your future is completely changed.

So, in this tiny way, determinism may be defeated.

Strangely, not through the almost natural idea of free will and conscious decisions, but rather through the randomness of the universe itself. Of course, it could turn out that the universe is less random than we think it is. It could turn out that the brain utilizes this randomness in deliberate and significant ways, or there may be some other variables that we have yet to even discover. In the end, it would seem that the question of determinism is still a question worth debating.

Now, this may all seem rather depressing, that your life is set the way it is and there is nothing you can do to change it. This is true, except that our future has yet to be determined. Maybe life is just us discovering what the universe has in store for us. Or, perhaps, we have some tiny but significant level of control over it.

Try, for a moment, to imagine the life and future that you want to have. Imagine the way in which you would act or how you would be in order to live that future. If you can imagine that, then your brain can create that; and, if you can keep that motivating future in mind, you might influence that internal “parliament” enough to create it in every moment.

As that way of being becomes habit, it will be more likely to come up as a possible action to take and easier to approve that action. This may be the secret to free will, not that we have the ability to choose our actions in the moment, but rather we have the ability to let the future influence the present. Who knows, it just might work.

This alone might make you think free will is real and that determinism has been proven false. Perhaps you are right.

Or, perhaps, you were meant to read this. You’ll have to figure that out for yourself.

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La Fleur de Lys Catherine Charlebois French Canadians a nd --anglophones have a fairly The Navigator

long history of disagreement, and though it has largely died down, small snippets of longstanding unease remain throughout society. From snide remarks in schools to gaps in service, being a francophone on Vancouver Island has its struggles.

I moved from Montreal when I was was five, and have lived in BC for the past 16 years, but I still consider myself Québecoise. Though I may have been uprooted early on, the staunch belief in the importance of my culture and language has been ingrained in me throughout the years, most adamantly by my mother. I still speak French at home, but my life is exclusively in English everywhere else, and I feel my native tongue slowly, but surely, slipping from my grasp. Talking is usually no problem, though I sometimes struggle to find specific words. Paradoxically, even though I haven’t dreamt or thought in French since I was 10, when I am tired, my brain will switch back to French, and make me search for English vocabulary, only to find their French counterparts in my mind’s eye.

I know many, including myself, who, especially in their teenage years, rebelled against their French heritage. Being in an English environment, with school, work, friends, and services almost exclusively in English, it was hard for many of us to see the point in nurturing our French. We wouldn’t need to use it in everyday life, so why put in the extra effort? Something that struck me as I was going through this phase was all the times my mother and I were approached by older ladies who overheard us at the supermarket. They would tell my mother and myself to “keep it up,” and urged my mother to make sure I didn’t abandon my roots. They showed a genuine regret at having lost their ability to speak the language and showed me how consequential the loss of one’s culture could be.

Being in the francophone school district for most of my education had its perks and disadvantages. The school district sometimes operates within non-francophone

schools, and francophone schools don’t have as many students to cater to due to their entry requirements.

To other students, we were overwhelmingly privileged.

If you compare the funds stretched for a thousand kids in an English-only school, versus the 60 that were in mine, there are bound to be some discrepancies. I wouldn’t mention being francophone to anyone until I knew them well enough, as it wasn’t unusual to hear students complain and make snide comments about the ‘fucking French kids’.

Bullying aside, as francophone students, we did get more opportunities than the other kids in our school, especially for travel. Since francophones in BC are so few and far between, the Conseil Scolaire Francophone (CSF), in conjunction with the Conseil Jeunesse Francophone de la Colombie-Britannique (JCF) tries hard to instill a sense of community in their students, offering school dances, francophone retreats in other provinces, and other events over weekends a few times a year. By graduation, most francophone students throughout the province pretty much know each other by name, especially those that have taken advantage of all the outing opportunities.

Francophones, as a minority, face opposition in BC, both political and societal. Though many anglophones usually hold a fascination with our bilingualism and, in some cases, our wacky sounding accents, there is still a divide in equity when it comes to the French language in BC. As an anglophone in BC, there is no question that services will be offered in English, yet those same services are rarely offered in French. Likewise, bad translations on product labels and even on government buildings in the local community shows discrepancy in standards held for the French language from anglophones.

The discourse in general politics has always seemed to antagonize Quebec for its adamant demands for equal representation for their language. In the past years, this pervasive shunning has seemed to leak its way into Quebec culture. Everyone wants to learn English, and it is now considered ‘cool’ to speak English in Montreal, even if it is horrific in execution. The last time I went to Montreal,

he fle r e s fo n on the e ec fl is s o for fr nco hones ever where Catherine Charlebois

I ordered some food and was replied to in English for the entire transaction, despite asking in French. It seems like the struggle lies not just in BC, but nationwide.

To this day, my French heritage still shows up in subtle ways, even though my ties to it are fairly limited. When I speak English, I will misuse expressions, or have a different way of phrasing things, a quality typical of bilingual speakers.

It shows up in my writing, the way I talk, yet it’s a quirk I would never want to change. I may not have my mother’s strong accent, a residual from her first 30 years in Quebec, but I get a small twinge of pride when people tell me they hear it in my voice.

I hope to see a future where Francophone communities hold even stronger ties, are free from prejudice, and have greater equality within society. We may not have to fight for it as boldly as our ancestors, but I know that my children will carry on my heritage, no matter what language their father speaks, and that when we visit my parents, they’ll be called Grand-Maman and Grand-Papa.

theMASTHEAD SATURDAYS 12-2 PM ON 101.7 FM CHLY

Podcasts available Sunday themastheadradio.wordpress.com #Mastheadradio

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features

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Natalie Gates As you know, the Liberal party has been --head of BC government for the past 16 he

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years. This came after 10 years straight of NDP leadership. Before this, premiers of the Conservative party dominated the mid-twentieth century.

Today, Christy Clark stands in a close campaign against the NDP and its party leader, John Horgan. The polls have been tight with both the NDP and Liberals taking turns with slight leads, but issues yet to be debated could still have a substantial impact. Meanwhile, the Greens and Conservatives trail behind with about a third of the vote of their leading counterparts.

It looks like the May 9 election will either spur another few years of the same red curtain or bring back the orange blaze of the nineties. For a walk down memory lane, we’ve created

this timeline to highlight some of the major progressions of current premier Christy Clark’s past six years in office.

Remember to make sure you are registered to vote by going to <eregister.electionsbc.gov.bc.ca>. General registration closes April 11, but you can still register when you go to vote.

Students in BC have launched a province-wide initiative, titled “Students Are Voting”, to mobilize post-secondary students to vote this May. “Students and youth turned out in record numbers in the past Federal election and helped tip a number of very close races,” said Simka Marshall, Chairperson of the British Columbia Federation of Students. “Our message to students is simple: this election will be incredibly close, every vote will count, and every vote will make a difference.”

1 — Christy Clark is sworn in as premier.

CTV News 2 — Parliament buildings in Victoria Flickr 3 — Wikipedia 4 — Christy Clark in Squamish helping announce the oo

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May 11, 2011

March 14, 2011

Clark left politics in 2005 and became the host of an afternoon radio talk show. At the time of her leadership victory, Clark was not a member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia.

She re-entered the legislature after winning a by-election on May 11, 2011, in Vancouver-Point Grey, the seat left vacant by former premier Gordon Campbell.

Clark was sworn in as premier of BC after she won leadership of the BC Liberal party on February 26, 2011. She becomes the second female premier of BC after Rita Johnson’s short time in office in 1991, and is the first female premier to carry an election in her own right.

June 2014

February 2013

The B.C. government signed an agreement with First Nations groups pledging to end violence against aboriginal women and girls. Premier Christy Clark signed a memorandum of understanding with groups including the First Nations Summit, the B.C. Assembly of First Nations, the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs and Métis Nation British Columbia.

The agreement, which was read aloud during a ceremony, does not include any specific policies or programs, but the province is pledging to work with First Nations groups to set goals and then create policies to reach them.

A 17-page document dated January 10, 2012 and called Multicultural Strategy Outreach Plan was leaked to Clark’s deputy chief of staff and to the personal email addresses of eight people, including Brian Bonney, a former government multiculturalism communications director; and former Liberal caucus official Jeff Melland.

The leaked strategy revealed plans to outflank the NDP in its approach to handling the ethnic media, with the objective to “match and then exceed the B.C. NDP’s ethnic media efforts in a place of importance equal to that of so-called mainstream media.”

July 10, 2013 March 14, 2013

A subsequent by-election in Westside Kelowna is held and Clark is re-elected to the legislature after Liberal MLA Ben Stewart stepped down on her behalf.

The Liberal Party won its fourth straight majority. Despite their victory, the Liberals had been consistently several points behind the opposition New Democrats in every public opinion poll throughout the campaign. Clark was defeated in her riding.The NDP remained the official opposition, losing two seats, and the Green Party won its first seat.

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December 2015

October 22, 2015

In December 2015, Clark expressed her disappointment over Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s plans for a non-partisan Senate, saying “appointing senators on merit will give legitimacy to an unelected, unaccountable upper house.” She also expressed disappointment over the lack of representation from British Columbia, as of the 105-seat chamber, British Columbia only has six seats.

On October 22, 2015, B.C. Privacy Commissioner Elizabeth Denham published an indicting report, entitled Access Denied, exposing a culture of so-called “triple-deletions” of emails and related cover-ups, including lies under oath, within Christy Clark’s government. The report found that the Premier’s staffers, including Christy Clark’s deputy chief of staff Michele Cadario, and her Transportation Minister Todd Stone, routinely contravened freedom of information laws by bulk deleting emails on a daily basis.

The Ministry of Advanced Education was similarly found to be in contravention of freedom of information laws, meant to protect the public’s right to hold politicians accountable for their actions.

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Clark and her party support the Greens bill that set clear guidelines for sexual assault and misconduct at all public post-secondary institutions in B.C. Clark reveals a personal experience as a reason for supporting the bill.

May 20, 2015 The B.C. government signs a development deal with Pacific NorthWest LNG in an aggressive move to spur the Malaysianled project to become the first major Canadian exporter of liquefied natural gas. B.C. Opposition NDP Leader John Horgan said the provincial government put too much on the table for industry. “My biggest concern is that we are tying the hands of future governments because a desperate government made commitments that they over promised on,” he told The Globe and Mail. “And now they want to get a deal at any cost.”

November 2016 Clark joined Woodfibre LNG executive Byng Giraud as they announced the company’s funding approval for a proposed $1.6-billion natural gas liquefaction plant in Squamish. This came after years of talking about the potential of LNG to drive B.C.’s economic future, and two years of many LNG proponents cancelling projects, delaying proposals and being caught in indecision in the middle of a supply glut that has collapsed global prices for the fuel. “This is the first of 20 projects that are in the pipeline somewhere to go forward so far, and I’m just delighted to say that LNG in British Columbia is finally becoming a reality,” Clark told the Vancouver Sun. The project has been met with substantial objections from some environmental advocates.

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January 15, 2015 In an effort to save dwindling caribou herds, the BC Liberals ordered an immediate wolf cull where wolves would be shot from planes. The plan was largely based on a predatorcontrol study in Alberta that study showed mixed results– decline of the caribou population slowed, but it was not clear predation was reduced by the cull. The researchers concluded, however, that predator control was beneficial.

In drafting its wolf-kill program, B.C. used as advisers two of the authors of the Alberta study. The cull was met with great objection from environmentalists, including celebrities like Pamela Anderson and Miley Cyrus in September of 2015. In response to Cyrus’s objections, Clark said, “If we ever need help with our twerking policy, we’ll go to [Ms. Cyrus].” Over 200 wolves have been killed in the cull so far.

March 10, 2017

August 2014 In the midst of the BC teacher’s job action, Clark called on teachers to “suspend their strike, reduce their demands, and return to the bargaining table,” wrote CBC. There was much debate surrounding Clark’s statements. “They are still demanding twice as much as other public sector workers have received,” said the premier. “The teachers union needs to come to the table with a proposal that is realistic.”

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The Globe and Mail revealed the shocking $12 million raised by the BC Liberals through lobbyists and other power broker donations. While other governments have banned “private cash-for-access events” or put caps on donations, BC has little to no rules regarding such donations. Wrote, The Globe “investigation in B.C. also found some lobbyists violating one of the few rules the province has: that donors cannot be reimbursed by clients or companies for their political contributions. Doing so means they are giving on behalf of other entities and leaving the public in the dark about the source of the money, because the contribution is listed in public records as coming from the lobbyist not the company or person that covered the cost.” On March 11, NDP leader John Horgan wrote a letter to Clark asking her to introduce legislation banning corporate and union donations to B.C. political parties.

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Ed Sheerdamn

The Divide album.

Courtesy of <independent.co.uk>

Megan Wolfe ---

I was absolutely one of those people.

As of midnight on March 3, I had Divide Contributor downloading on Apple Play. Since then, I’ve been listening to the album on repeat. The lyrics from his latest album hit me harder and closer to home than any of his previous albums or EPs. The sentiment of being ‘straight fire’ comes from many of my friends. Though Divide left a few fans wanting the old Sheeran back, missing his rawness in songs like “A-Team” and “Give Me Love”, and thought this album left something to be desired. Hearing these comments makes me wonder if they took the time to really listen to tracks like “Eraser”, “Happier”, or “Save Myself”, where a lot of personal struggle is revealed to the listener.

Listening to Sheeran sing/rap about the toll the music industry takes, between personal relationships, how being rich and famous isn’t everything, and how destructive the music industry can be, is a powerful inside look. “Eraser”, which is the first track on the album, shows that Sheeran has grown up from his busking days in London and what he grew up through is what’s fueling the fire in his songs. “Castle on the Hill”, one of the first songs released from the album, adds to his childhood and growing up musings with candor. The two songs contrast themselves, with “Eraser” being edgy and rough, while “Castle on the Hill” being mellow. I predict the latter to be what many people will sing along with in their car over the next couple months (or years, I mean, how can you not to “Thinking out Loud” from X).

Songs like “Barcelona” and “Bibia Be Ye Ye” are upbeat and punchy enough to pump you up for whatever you need to do. They’re songs about having fun and, yes, having a bit (read like a lot) to drink. They also speak to being yourself and enjoying life, because it’s the only one you’ve got. These are the songs I’ve added to my cleaning playlist (yes, I have a

playlist for cleaning) because, without fail, they make me smile and enjoy whatever I’m doing more. “Galway Girl” and “Nancy Mulligan” are real powerhouse tracks that showcase Sheeran’s Irish heritage. The Celtic rhythms and violins mingled with his classic acoustic chords make these my top played tracks, mostly because I like to pretend I know Irish step dance and these tracks break that out in me.

Ed Sheeran delivers on his ability to “make music for women to cry and eat ice cream to”, like he warned before his previous album came out. “Perfect”, “Save Myself”, and, especially, “Supermarket Flower”, definitely give my heart a squeeze. His honesty about needing to take care of himself instead of everyone else, is something anyone who struggles with self-care can relate to. The most heartbreaking realization in the album is during “Supermarket Flowers” in the last verse, when he switches from using “takes” to “took” in the last line of the chorus. The loss of his mom is heart wrenching and is something that requires ice cream to help soothe. “Perfect” is reminiscent of “Tenerife Sea”, where Sheeran serenades the world about a love for an incredible woman and why she’s admirable.

The song that seems to have captured the most attention is “Shape of You”. Initially released alongside “Castle on a Hill” to announce Sheeran’s upcoming album, it got people hooked and fans hyped. I’ve lost count of how many covers have come up on my recommended playlist. Getting inundated with covers makes me hold onto Sheeran’s version tighter. Singing out this song, cruising down some backroads, windows rolled all the way down, is probably my favourite way to enjoy this song. It has a catchy upbeat tempo, and is seriously fun to listen to.

Ed’s done it again. The album isn’t perfect, but it has an incredibly well-balanced mix of upbeat summer songs, open-mic night hits, heart breaks, and tear jerkers to keep it on loop for weeks to come.

Rogue One: Reviewed James Chumsa-Jones --Contributor

The only disappointment I had with Rogue One after seeing it in theatres, was that Jar Jar Binks never showed up in the film. As someone who has been a fan since I was a youngling, I was delighted to be brought back to a familiar galaxy far far away. I also discovered new planets, locations, and stories I never new existed in the rich universe of Star Wars. It was an exciting adventure to witness on the big screen. One I enjoyed even more the second time I saw it, making it one of my favourite Star Wars films.

Released in theatres last December and set to be sold on disc by next month, Rogue One, directed by Gareth Edwards, is a spin-off to the main Star Wars series. It takes place 19 years after the events in episode III, Revenge of the Sith (2005), and only moments before the very first Star Wars movie ever released (episode IV).

Unlike the other Star Wars movies, it focuses away from the Skywalkers, and answers one of the very first questions fans have been wondering since 1977, before they were even introduced to Princess Leia or Darth Vader: “Who were those rebel spies mentioned in the opening crawl?”

Rogue One tells the story of

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those rebel spies and how they stole the plans to the Death Star.

It also answers questions to some plot holes in the first movie, such as why the Death Star had such a fatal flaw and why the plans had to be kept on a disc.

The makers of Rogue One did a good job of keeping the continuity with the original Star Wars, now called A New Hope. Many of the original props, sets, and models from that film were used in Rogue One, while everything else was crafted in fine detail to resemble their originals, such as Darth Vader’s suit and mask.

Taking place between the prequel and original trilogies, it is a perfect synthesis of old and new.

Many older fans loathe the prequel films released in the 2000’s for being too different from the movies they grew up with, while some fans were also disappointed by episode VII of the series for having an unoriginal story too similar to the classic ones. Rogue One has a unique story that nearly all fans are able to appreciate, whether they grew up with the originals or the prequels.

Unlike much of the prequels, Rogue One had realistic looking CGI, and used numerous practical effects and set structure. There wasn’t too much talk in the story

between bureaucrats, lending boredom or confusion, like in The Phantom Menace (1999). Nor did Rouge One make it confusing for the audience to understand the political nature of the conflict in the galaxy, such as in The Force Awakens (2015), where the Resistance’s secret funding by the New Republic was not explained.

The movie also contains quite a diverse cast, such as Chinese actors Donnie Yen and Jiang Wen, Mexican actor Diego Luna, and notable stars such as Forest Whitaker and Mads Mikkelsen.

Before the movie was released, there were some critics who had negative expectations based on the casting.

Some were upset the lead role was given to “another white anorexic British girl”, while others were not happy simply because the lead role was given to a woman. Many of those critics changed their opinions once they saw the movie. One such critic, Alex Jones, a Right-winged radio show host, gave a marvellous review of Rogue One. “This is the best science fiction movie I’ve seen in decades,” Alex Jones said. He admitted this after he initially watched with the intention of writing a bad review for its “feminist propaganda”.

The “feminist propaganda” is clear in the very first trailer released last summer, which

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passes the Bechdel test. For those who don’t know, the Bechdel test is used to analyze the content of movies and shows by asking three questions: Does it contain more than one female character, and, if so, do they talk to each other, and if they do, do they talk about something other than a man. Since the trailer shows Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) and Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’ Reilly) discussing the Death Star and her new assignment, it passes the Bechdel test. A New Hope, along with the rest of the original trilogy Star Wars movies, don’t, unfortunately, as most of the time it seems like Princess Leia is the only woman in the galaxy.

A few small criticisms can be made of the movie, though. On my first viewing, the story seemed slow in a few scenes during the second act, though the pace quickly caught up by the third act. I didn’t notice this watching it for the second time though, and I found myself enjoying the movie as a whole upon seeing it again.

Darth Vader’s voice sounds noticeably different from the way it did in the original Star Wars movies. Voice actor James Earl Jones seems to have aged in the 34 years since he voiced Vader in Return of the Jedi. Despite this, Vader is still an impressive villain

and manages to wow audiences in the few scenes he shows ups in.

Imperial stormtroopers on the other hand, not so much. Like many Star Wars movies, the stormtroopers of Rogue One miss their targets frequently and are defeated quite easily—an entire armed squad gets beaten by a single man with a wooden stick.

The heroes of the movie are morally ambiguous and more grey than the good-natured Luke Skywalker most of us are familiar with. Some of them commit some questionable acts, making the audience wonder what their true intentions may be.

Overall, Rogue One is an excellent movie that can be enjoyed by all generations of Star Wars fans, boys and girls. It stands out apart from the disappointing Star Wars gimmicks that Lucasfilm and Disney have cranked out in recent years to milk more money out of the franchise.

Perhaps that was their strategy all along, lower the expectations of fans so they will be impressed by a decent movie. Rogue One is excellent the way it is and will be accepted by many fans as a part of the Star Wars canon for years to come, even if it is not a part of the main series. For those who are eager for a sequel, it will be coming out in 1977 and is called A New Hope.

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ARTS

Cheryl Folland Buzzfeed, Saturday Night Live, Last --Week Tonight with John Oliver, Facebook The Navigator

memes, and parody Twitter accounts have been pumping out satirical images and articles for years. It’s arguable that this past year contained some of the largest political scandals in recent memory, from the Black Lives Matter movement to the election of Donald Trump, there have been an abundance of hyperbolic media. One can scarcely go 24 hours without seeing a jab at President Trump, a clapback from Obama supporters, or an objectifying image of Prime Minister Trudeau.

Elahe Izadi, of The Waterloo Regional Record, raised concerns about satire in the time of fake news. Izadi discussed notable online satire publications, such as The Onion and McSweeney’s. The latter published President Trump’s Black History Month speech, verbatim, as if it were fiction.

VIU’s Creative Writing 310 class discussed how the written word can boost or detract relevancy of an issue in relationship to McSweeney’s post. One student commented, “you want this [Trump’s speech] to be satire. It’s disturbing and sad that he actually said these things.” Another student said, “Putting real words from a world leader on a satirical site says a lot about their standing, at least credibility, on an international level. It makes me wonder if Americans know how bad this situation really is.”

David Sim, of The Atlantic, discussed in his article, “The

Toothless Buffoonery of Saturday Night Live” (March 6), how relevance is a tedious line, saying it’s “far easier for viewers of all political viewpoints to dismiss” characters that are portrayed as mindless simpletons. Those in power arrived at their position through strategy, whether that strategy was ethical or not: it took planning, cunning, and support.

Representing the Trump Administration without considering all aspects can be alienating to audiences, resulting in an audible eyeroll, rather than political engagement.

Though the world seems to be apathetic towards the Trump Administration, there’s evidence to support that the international reputation of Prime Minister Trudeau is in a similar situation, but for a different reason. The Huffington Post has published articles and images focused on Trudeau’s looks, but they aren’t alone. Twitter is rife with comments on his face, tattoos, and physique—often at the neglect of vital political discourse. Is there a divide between political action and sardonic humour, or does the intensification of sarcastic articles and imagery point to a deeper issue?

In his book, Satire: Spirit and Art, George Austin Test says, “The satiric impulse, and its ritualized expressions, carry out the function of resolving social tension.” Written in 1991, are Test’s observations about hyperbolic irony still conistent with societal activity? In a cultural context of instant media shares, it’s time to re-evaluate how satire is used, more so, it’s time to motivate change rather than apathetic laughter.

Countermeasure visits VIU

Trudeau/Prince Eric.

Courtesy of <huffingtonpost.com>

fill a gap in your program

Cheryl Folland Light, fun, soulful, and engaging. Countermeasure --a cappella vocal group used their 14 voices to The Navigator

entertain around 80 guests March 14. With a mixture of originals and well-known covers, attendees were taken on a musical journey that was both touching and comedic at times.

Nanaimo was the third stop on Countermeasure’s first tour through British Columbia. In August last year, they competed in Edinburgh, Scotland—to have them on home turf was a feast for the eyes and ears. With dynamic teal costumes, choreographed numbers, and up to 14 part harmonies, it was a perfect Tuesday evening.

The show, sponsored in partnership with the Nanaimo and Ladysmith Public School District, The Port Theatre, and Malaspina Theatre, kicked off with a welcome and introduction by school trustee Bill Robinson. Earlier that day, Countermeasure treated high school and university students, and personnel, to a vocal workshop. Participants learned how to magnify their voices, embracing the group’s mandate to sing “songs that tell stories in harmony.”

Highlights from the show included, “Lovers in a Dangerous Time”

by The Barenaked Ladies, a Beatles tribute medley, and culminated in a high energy audience participation number. Three random audience members were invited on stage to perform with Countermeasure, and they danced, sang, and beatboxed. Retired school teacher Donna surprised everyone with her amateur talent for drum beats.

You can watch their most recent Youtube video here <youtu.be/AJ4Mm8alM6I>.

To find more information about tour dates, group members, and all things Countermeasure visit them at <countermeasuremusic.com>.

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Athabasca University has over 850 courses for you to choose from to meet your needs. Monthly start dates of undergraduate courses fit into your schedule so that you can work at your own pace.

Fill the gap and save a semester.

go.athabascau.ca/online-courses open. online. everywhere.

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ARTS

Logan: Reviewed

Courtesy of <trailers.apple.com>

Emily Hingston This article contains spoilers.

--I had seen no trailers and managed to Contributor

avoid the plethora of spoilers on Facebook and other social media. I am a Marvel fan but I went into this movie knowing nothing. I went in completely blind.

Logan is set in the year 2029. Mutants are all but extinct, except a few that are in hiding. James Howlett (Logan/ Wolverine) is a limo driver. He uses his money to help buy medication for Professor Xavier, who he has isolated in Mexico. As Xavier’s health deteriorates, his mind goes into seizures, debilitating all those that are nearby.

A woman contacts Logan to hire his car. She has a young girl (Laura) with her, and is running away from an evil company that is genetically creating mutants. Laura is a mutant (known as X-23). There is a safe place in Canada,

Chris Adam Young Fox was --founded in 2012.

Contributor

After two years of writing and honing their craft, the band released their Predecessors EP in July 2014. Nearly three years later, the next evolution of the band is here. March 10 marked the release of their debut full-length album Sky Beats Gold via Spartan Records. The Pittsburgh natives know how to create a catchy, yet moody, alternative rock album.

Sky Beats Gold kicks off with the song “Sometimes the Monsters Win”, beginning with a dark and groovy guitar riff. As the chorus hits, audiences get a good sense of the album, including vocalist Luke Cypher’s soaring voice. Track two, “We Move as Waves”, keeps

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called Eden, they’re trying to get to, and they hire Logan for transportation. Logan eventually accepts, but needs to deal with Xavier before they can leave. When Logan gets back to the hotel where the woman and Laura are, he finds the woman dead and Laura is nowhere to be found.

He drives back to Mexico to see Xavier, and is followed by The Reavers (a cybernetically-enhanced security force).

That is where the adventure begins.

I thoroughly enjoyed Logan. It was more violent than I was expecting, compared to some of the older X-Men movies.

This helped enforce the level of danger in this mission.

Seeing Logan weak from adamantium poisoning was hard to watch, but as always, Hugh Jackman had a compelling performance. The main cast was highly talented, it’s hard to find a fault. Patrick Stewart was outstanding. Showing

the pumping pace of the intro, and the awesome drum work by Chris Hawthorne. Haunting guitars, by ZAO member Martin Lunn, leads listeners into track three, one of the strongest pieces of Sky Beats Gold.

Ending off the song with guest vocals by the one and only Stephen Christian, formerly of Anberlin, currently of Anchor & Braille.

A couple more rockers before the album’s pace winds down a little with “Wine of Violence”, allowing some time to breathe from the quick pace of the first half. The timeout does not last long as we get into “The Desert”, featuring some more quick and tight drum work.

After two more tracks, the album climaxes with “Hearts of Men, Pt.2”. The track takes its

time and gives a fitting end to Sky Beats Gold, while demonstrating musical traits from all the tracks combined. Lyrically the songs are all well-constructed and fit with the music perfectly, though they can seem a little vague at times.

That being said, this album feels accessible, especially to those who are not listeners of rock. It’s soft enough for newcomers, but heavy enough for those who like a little more punch. Influences of the band include Smashing Pumpkins, Deftones, Nirvana, Jimmy Eat World, and Thrice.

Pick up both albums at <youngfoxband.bandcamp.com> and check out more about the band at <facebook.com/youngfoxband>.

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the deterioration of Charles, but remaining the voice of wisdom. Dafne Keen was great as Laura (x-23). This was her first film role and she rocked it. She played a vulnerable, yet kick ass young woman. The chemistry between Hugh and Dafne was great. Logan took to his newfound fatherhood reluctantly, but you could tell he still cared for her.

With twists able to move me to tears and action to keep my attention, this was by far one of my favourite Marvel films.

The one thing that I found frustrating was Spanish spoken in some scenes, without the aid of subtitles. It’s a fairly minor thing, and didn’t really affect the film’s overall success. I desired an explanation about how the Reavers came to be.

Overall, I highly recommend this film to any fan of the Marvel/X-Men universe.

Courtesy of <youngfoxband.bandcamp.com>

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ARTS

2017 must reads: BC book prizes shortlist announced

Cheryl Folland --The Navigator

With the spring semester coming to an end, it’s time for one of the best things about summer—the summer reading list. It can be difficult to know which books to add to the roster. Thankfully, the BC book prize shortlist, released earlier this month, gives readers many titles to choose from. With books ranging from non-fiction to children’s literature, there is something for every reader. Be on the lookout for these titles at libraries and bookstores near you.

Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize awarded to the author

Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize awarded to the

Sheila A. Egoff Children’s Literature Prize awarded to

of the best work of fiction:

author of the best work of poetry:

the best non-illustrated book written for children:

Joan Haggerty, The Dancehall Years (Mother Tongue Publishing)

Adèle Barclay, If I Were in a Cage I’d Reach Out for You (Nightwood Editions)

Anosh Irani, The Parcel (Knopf Canada)

Anne Fleming, poemw (Pedlar Press)

Ashley Little, Niagara Motel (Arsenal Pulp Press)

Juliane Okot Bitek, 100 Days (University of Alberta Press)

Jennifer Manuel, The Heaviness of Things That Float ...(Douglas and McIntyre) Jen Sookfong Lee, The Conjoined (ECW Press)

Rob Taylor, The News (Gaspereau Press) Richard Therrien, Sleeping in Tall Grass (University of Alberta Press)

Roderick Haig-Brown Regional Prize awarded to

Bill Duthie Booksellers’ Choice Award presented to

author(s) of works contributing most to the

the originating publisher and author(s) of the best

enjoyment and understanding of

book for overall public appeal and enjoyment:

British Columbia: Anthony Kenyon, The Recorded History of the Liard Basin ...1790-1910: Where British Columbia joins the Yukon and ...N.W.T. (Fort Nelson News) Michael Layland, A Perfect Eden: Encounters by Early ...Explorers of Vancouver Island (TouchWood Editions) David Pitt-Brooke, Crossing Home Ground: A Grassland ...Odyssey through Southern Interior British Columbia ...(Harbour Publishing) Christopher Pollon, with photos by Ben Nelms, The Peace in Peril: The Real Cost of the Site C Dam (Harbour Publishing)

.Aaron Chapman, The Last Gang in Town: The Epic Story of the Vancouver Police vs. the Clark Park Gang (Arsenal Pulp Press) Wade Davis, Wade Davis: Photographs (Douglas and McIntyre)

Kathleen Cherry, Everyday Hero (Orca Book Publishers) Iain Lawrence, The Skeleton Tree (Tundra Books) R.K. McLay, The Rahtrum Chronicles: The Dream (Fifth House Publishers) Kit Pearson, A Day of Signs and Wonders (HarperCollins Publishers) Robin Stevenson, Pride: Celebrating Diversity & Community (Orca Book Publishers)

Winners in each category will be announced at the Lieutenant Governor’s BC Book Prizes Gala on Saturday, April 29, 2017 at the Pinnacle Harbourfront Hotel in Vancouver. The Honourable Judith Guichon, OBC, British Columbia’s Lieutenant Governor, will be in attendance for the evening’s festivities. For more information, or to purchase tickets for the event, visit <bcbookprizes.ca>.

Michael Layland, A Perfect Eden: Encounters by Early ...Explorers of Vancouver Island (TouchWood Editions) Roy Henry Vickers and Robert Budd, Peace Dancer ...(Harbour Publishing) .Richard Wagamese, Embers: One Ojibway’s Meditations ...(Douglas and McIntyre)

Neil J. Sterritt, Mapping My Way Home: A Gitxsan History ...(Creekstone Press)

Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize awarded to the

Christie Harris Illustrated Children’s Literature

author of the best original non-fiction literary work:

Prize awarded for best illustrated book written

Carmen Aguirre, Mexican Hooker #1: And My Other Roles ...Since the Revolution (Random House Canada) Deborah Campbell, A Disappearance in Damascus: A .. Story of Friendship and Survival in the Shadow of War ...(Knopf Canada) Mohamed Fahmy, with Carol Shaben, The Marriott Cell: ...An Epic Journey from Cairo’s Scorpion Prison to Freedom ...(Random House Canada) Joy Kogawa, Gently to Nagasaki (Caitlin Press) Mark Leiren-Young, The Killer Whale Who Changed the World (Greystone Books)

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for children: .Monique

Gray Smith, illustrated by Julie Flett, My Heart ...Fills with Happiness (Orca Book Publishers) ..Julie

Morstad, illustrated by Julie Morstad, Today (Simply Read Books)

.Margriet

Ruurs, illustrated by Nizar Ali Badr, Stepping ...Stones: A Refugee Family’s Journey (Orca Book Publishers) .Nikki

Tate, Deep Roots: How Trees Sustain Our Planet ...(Orca Book Publishers) .Roy

Henry Vickers and Robert Budd, illustrated by Roy ...Henry Vickers, Peace Dancer (Harbour Publishing)

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SPORTS & LIFESTYLE

Making of a Rain Warrior Kris Mutafov ---

I always hated the rain. It would get my bag wet, it would get my hair wet, my feet wet, Contributor and frankly, it would dampen my spirit. So logically, I moved to Nanaimo this September.

I had heard the stories from my roommates before it began; clouds upon rain upon more rain and more clouds. Rinse and repeat, literally. But joyous September sun brought with it much rock climbing, kayaking, and fantastic late summer vibes.

I was oblivious.

Then came October. I remember opening up the seven-day weather forecast on my computer to see little blue drops coming from grey blobs, with no end in sight. There wasn’t any yellow.

I closed the laptop and the blinds.

There does come a point however when you have to adapt, and thankfully, humans are adaptable creatures. A friend told me one day that “You don’t wait for the rain to stop for activities here in Nanaimo – you just suck it up, and go out anyway.” I took that mindset to heart, and began making plans a couple weeks in advance. It didn’t matter what the weather was on that day; I would head out anyway. This was the true birth of my rain warrior.

I remember one hike where I brought my SLR camera with me, but for the full three hours I was hiking, the rain didn’t stop pouring for even a brief moment. I came back to the car, drenched, but with a smile on my face.

Embrace the rain–let it soak through all of your layers, until your feet are sloshing around in your boots and your hair resembles a wet dog. Smell the freshness, marvel at the fog as it drifts through huge Douglas Firs, and be ready to forgo any level of dryness. At the end of the day, when you step in your landing, and create a large puddle, you’ll appreciate your couch and dry clothes a whole lot more.

My recommendations for rainy day (heck, sunny day too!) excursions near Nanaimo: Pipers Lagoon – incredibly accessible beachfront walk down a narrow spit, and there’s an island that’s accessible at low tide with abandoned shacks on it, aptly named “Shack Island”.

Cable Bay Trail – from the end of Nicola Road in Cedar, this gorgeous trail winds its way through nice forest before emerging on the coastline; watch some bald eagles soar, and some seals poke their heads up in the quiet strait.

Westwood Lake – This is a perfect 6 km loop for running or walking, and it has a nice summer lake resort vibe to it. r i h s one stee section t ost fl t er ccessi e There’s a network of mountain bike trails hidden behind the Southeast side of the lake.

Kris Mutafov

Ammonite Falls.

Drumbeg Provincial Park on Gabriola Island – Okay, you’re going to need a car for this one, and taking the ferry costs $27 return, but this place is beautiful, and you’re bound to have it all to yourself. Pristine coastline, and a magical feeling as you sit on the bench and look over small rocky islands. Seals almost guaranteed. Access is left off of Stalker Rd. Ammonite Falls – One of the most popular hikes in Nanaimo, but for good reason. It’s breathtaking. When it’s raining you have the added bonus of seeing the waterfall when it s re flowin he hi e own is it convo te but just follow the signs and you’ll be good. Access is down Jameson Road. Park in the lot down Creekside Place.

nco ver s n

nt ife

Kris Mutafov

the Catherine Charlebois For many, March is a stressful --month, crammed full of exams, The Navigator

final projects, and essays. Before you let those last few weeks before summer freedom get to you, make this stress putty—I guarantee, you’ll be squishing away stress you didn’t know you had. Easy to make, and customizable, this little ball of dough is excellent to let out that extra surge of nerves.

Ingredients c flo r ½ cup salt 3 tbsp cream of tartar 1 tbsp oil (almond, canola, or coconut, whichever you prefer) ½ cup boiling water 10 - 20 drops of lavender essential oil, or your choice Glitter (optional) Instructions 1. n r e ow co ine flo r s t cre of t rt r oil. Add boiling water and stir until combined.

n

2. For glitter, add two tbsp and work your way up to ¼ cup. You may have to add more water. If not adding glitter, o h ve to ore flo r if the i t re is too stic 3. Once you’ve reached the desired consistency, add 10 drops of essential oil and stir. Add 10 more drops for stronger scent.

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sports

LIFESTYLE

<momtastic.com>

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#13

SPORTS & LIFESTYLE

Mariners volleyball recap at CCAA Nationals Cole Schisler Riding high off their performance at --the PACWEST provincials, the Mariners The Navigator

headed into the CCAA National Volleyball Championships with momentum on their side.

The women’s team placed 3rd at nationals, and returned home with bronze medals. They won their first match against the Cavaliers de Bois-de-Boulonge 3-0. In their second match against the Lakeland Rustlers, the Mariners lost 3-0. The Mariners

then defeated the Lynx d’Edouard-Montpetit 3-0 to get into the bronze medal match. The Mariners then beat the Grand Prairie Regional College Wolves 3-1 to secure their medals.

The men’s team placed 5th at nationals. The Mariners started the tournament strong, winning their first game over the Mohawk Mountaineers 3-0. Next, the Mariners took on the Red Deer Kings, and the Kings won 3-1. Unable to bounce back after their loss to the Kings, the Mariners lost in the bronze semi-final match to the

Body Talk

Vancouver-based dance group OURO Collective.

Cole Schisler Every year, the Crimson Coast Dance --Society hosts a Body Talk dance The Navigator

workshop. The week-long workshop runs from March 27 to April 1, and ends with a performance on April 2 at the Port Theatre.

“The goal of Body talk is different depending on who you talk to,” Jamie Black, Body Talk’s Community Engagement Faciliatory says. “The goal for the youth themselves is to have creative expression, and to connect with each other.

Another goal is to provide a high calibre experience of the performing arts, and have as many people experience this opportunity as possible.”

Registration is open for both the Body Talk youth workshop, for ages 13-18, and the all-ages workshop. The youth workshop runs from 10 am to 2 pm, and the all-ages workshop runs from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm. Both workshops will be held daily at Vibe Dance Studio on 1969 Boxwood Road in Nanaimo. Registration is $125.

Participants in the workshops will have the opportunity to develop their own show with Vancouver-based dance group, OURO Collective. OURO Collective will be teaching their style of contemporary lyrical dance with techniques of

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Medicine Hat Rattlers, who won the match 3-0.

While the Mariners may not have ended their season as they had hoped, the teams put in an outstanding effort throughout the regular season, and at the national stage. There will not be any more PACWEST volleyball action until next year, however Mariners from both the women’s and men’s teams will appear in articles in issue 14 of the Navigator.

hip hop dance such as breaking, and popping. The workshop will also teach participants other elements of putting on the performance, like graphic design, social media marketing, budgeting, logistics, contract writing, as well as lighting and sound.

“This year we have a partnership with the Port Theatre for training. We got a tour of the entire building, which was just incredible," Black says. "We got a very intensive workshop on lighting and sound.”

Body Talk is largely youth-focused. Black says that the best thing about Body Talk for her is watching how youth develop teamwork over the course of the week. Body talk provides a space for youth to be seen. Through having the opportunity to create and curate their own content, it gives youth the opportunity to connect with the community in a new way.

The April 2 Body Talk performance featuring OURO Collective will be held at the Port Theatre at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $5 for youth and $25 for adults. To purchase tickets. Find out more about how to register for the Body Talk workshops, visit: <crimsoncoastdance.org/bodytalkprogram>.

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SPORTS

LIFESTYLE

19

SPORTS & LIFESTYLE

Cole Schisler | The Navigator

Chloe Gummer --Forward

Hussein Behery --i fiel er

Rachel Jones --i fiel er

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sports

LIFESTYLE

In her first year as a Mariner, Chloe Gummer was named a PACWEST All-Star for her high scoring season.

Chloe was among the leading scorers in the division, finishing the season with six goals. In the Mariners’ final match at Nationals, Chloe scored a hat-trick, and was named player of the match.

“I want to continue with this success,” she says.

“I plan to work hard this summer to be at the same level by next year.”

For the off-season, Chloe is focused on her studies. She plans to go into nursing next year with an interest in pediatrics. She sees herself staying at VIU for the full five years of her PACWEST eligibility, and says her experience with the Mariners has been

overwhelmingly positive.

“It’s definitely given me more of a community,” she says. “A lot of my really good friends are from the team, it gives me more of a place that I belong.”

Chloe grew up in Comox, and has been playing soccer for most of her life. She went to Highland Secondary, where she had an interest in track and field, volleyball, and basketball. After high school, she chose to focus on soccer. She says that soccer has helped her to be more confident in her studies, and has given her a strong drive to succeed.

“I’m pretty hard on myself,” she says. “I take it personally if I don’t do well, so it motivates me to

do the best that I can, especially during games.”

Her parents have supported her every step of the way. They came to every Mariners home game, and attended some away games. Chloe says that she has a very strong family support system. She has great relationships with her parents, and her two sisters.

For her schooling, Chloe is living in Nanaimo, away from her family in Comox. Despite that, she feels she has a strong sense of support from them, and from her teammates. She encourages anyone with an interest in soccer to play at the post-secondary level.

“Focus on your goals, keep working hard toward them, and you will succeed,” she says.

Hussein Behery had a bit of a quiet year in his first season with the Mariners. Still, his skill in soccer is evident through his hard work on the field. Hussein has been playing soccer for most of his life.

Originally from Cairo, Egypt, Hussein started playing soccer at the age of five. He attended an American school in Cario, and was encouraged by his parents to join a club team. Hussein’s father had always loved soccer, and they often played together.

He told Hussein that he had a talent for the game.

After high school, Hussein went abroad to play soccer in Finland. He trained with a first division team in a professional league, but never signed with them because they had too many international players.

Hussein was with the team for a year when his visa expired, and he had to return home.

“My mom said I had to start school, so I decided to see if I could get a scholarship playing soccer,” he says. “I talked to Aly Adeeb, who’s on the team also, because we knew each other from a young age. I asked him if I could come, and he hooked me up with the head coach Bill Merriman.”

Hussein’s time in Finland helped him to learn more about soccer, and it taught him a lot about

himself as a player. He has brought those skills with him to VIU, and hopes to put them to good use in his next season with the Mariners.

“It’s been amazing here,” he says. “All the boys, we’re like a family. We had a disappointing season last year, but we’re going to turn things around next season, since we’re hosting nationals here.”

Hussein says that the team has learned a lot since their last season, and says that the time in the off-season has helped the team to develop a stronger bond. The success of the Mariners teams in volleyball and basketball has lit a fire under the feet of the soccer teams, and Hussein says that they now have something to prove.

Hussein is taking a Bachelor of Arts here at VIU. He plans to transfer to a business degree, but is currently in the process of upgrading his math. He has four more years of eligibility with Mariners, and while he is likely to stay for his full five years, Hussein says that the nature of his soccer career has been unpredictable, so he does not plan too far into the future.

“I just live it day by day. If play here for my five years that would be great, but if I don’t then it wasn’t meant to be,” he says.

Despite an uncertain future, Hussein is making

the most of his time with the Mariners. He recalls times where the team would sing “Wonderwall” at the top of their lungs while doing laps, and says he loves travelling with the team.

“We’re a bunch of jokers,” he says. “We like to make fun of each other and have a laugh. This past year we didn’t have as good a chemistry on the field, but we have a great chemistry off the field. That’s why next year I think things will turn around for us.”

Hussein is currently playing club soccer with the Nanaimo Men’s team, and he looks forward to the start of the Mariners season. He says that the team is taking shape, and the players have a good idea of what the team will look like.

Since VIU is hosting the CCAA Nationals next year, the Mariners are guaranteed a spot at Nationals. Hussein wants the Mariners to be the PACWEST Provincial Champions going in to Nationals. As the champions, the Mariners would have a higher seed, and greater momentum to win.

“We want to be provincial champions. I don’t think VIU has won in the last four years, so I think it’s about time for us to win provincials.”

Rachel Jones took the PACWEST division by storm this year, in her third season with the Mariners.

Rachel was named a PACWEST All-Star for her work.

She was also named tournament MVP at the PACWEST provincial championships.

“It feels great to get that kind of recognition,” she says. “This year, I didn’t score a lot, but did a lot of hard work in setting up goals, and defending, so it was nice to be recognized.”

Her soccer career began at the age of four. Rachel was always fast as a kid, but it wasn’t until she was 13 that she realized she had talent in soccer. Her parents encouraged her to play soccer, and told her to pursue the opportunity of playing at the post-secondary level.

They were the type of parents who would bring orange slices at half time and cheer proudly from the sidelines.

“My mom and dad were always there,” she said.

“My dad’s never missed any of my games. I was injured when we went to Medicine Hat for Nationals two years

ago, so I didn’t play, but my dad still came out and watched with me.”

Rachel has been with the Mariners for five years, but she has only used three years of her eligibility.

One year, she was injured, and took another year off; although she did practice with the Mariners that year. Rachel has two years of eligibility left, but she is unsure if she is coming back or not. She applied for a program in Toronto, and says her plans are dependent on whether she gets accepted. Rachel says that playing for the Mariners has made her university experience a lot better.

“I instantly knew a bunch of people at university, instead of coming in and not knowing anyone, or not being able to find my classrooms,” she said. “The older girls showed me everything when I was younger, and now I’m showing the younger girls."

Rachel grew up in Parksville, and had been travelling around the Island, and to Vancouver, to

play soccer for most of her life. She says that the travel has become routine for her, but she loves travelling with the team. The team usually turns into a big study group on the ferry rides to Vancouver. Rachel says it’s been helpful to learn in that environment.

The team is tight knit, and the players have a lot of fun together. Rachel reminisced with a smile about how if anybody was late for a ferry, bus, or a team meeting, they would have to loudly sing a song of the team's choosing. Rachel has never had to sing a song.

“Everyone watches and everyone cheers them on.

There’s been some embarrassing songs, I can tell you that,” she says.

Rachel has thoroughly enjoyed her experience with the Mariners. She encourages all aspiring athletes to play at the post-secondary level.

“Definitely do it if you have the opportunity. It makes your university experience a whole lot better.

It keeps you busy, it keeps you going.”

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SPORTS & LIFESTYLE

Shun Takano was named PACWEST Men’s soccer player of the year for his exceptional performance in his first year with the Mariners.

Shun came to VIU from Chiba, Japan, which is a city close to Tokyo. When he was two years old, his parents enrolled him in swimming lessons. They had hopes that he would turn out to be a competitive swimmer, but a romantic fling in kindergarten changed the trajectory of his athletic life.

“My lover said, ‘soccer boys are perfect,’ so I thought maybe I should play soccer,” Shun said.

His parents told him that he could only play soccer if he passed his next swimming test. He did pass his swimming test, and from that point on, soccer became his true love.

Shun played soccer with a club team in Chiba.

The league was small, and he felt like he needed to be playing at a higher level. His father told him to join a school team, so he did. Out of 400 kids who tried out, Shun was one of the 25 players who were chosen.

He always had dreams of playing soccer professionally, but he could not make it into the Japanese professional league, so he decided to play in a foreign

country. Shun went to Montenegro to play soccer, and had a contract signed, but the team did not have a license for international players.

From there, he went to play for a club team in Croatia. While in Croatia, Shun had a lot of trouble communicating, so he decided he wanted to learn English, and get an education. A friend recommended he pursue an education in Canada, and he chose VIU. Despite the struggles that led him to the Mariners, Shun came out with a banner year. “[The success] feels fantastic because I couldn’t speak enough with my teammates, all I could do was play soccer,” he said. “I just followed my heart, worked hard, and gave 100 percent focus to soccer.

It turned out great.”

Communicating with the team became easier over time, but it was Shun’s biggest struggle in the season.

He recognizes he needs more communication with his team too succed. He is open to constructive criticism from his team, and wants to learn with the team so that they can play better as a whole. Shun says that despite the language barrier, the team accepted him for who he was.

“They don’t care if I can or can’t speak English.

They look at my personality and say Shun is Shun.

That’s why I am so happy. I’m never embarrassed about my English. It’s amazing for me.”

Next year, the Mariners will be the host team for CCAA nationals. Shun says that he wants the Mariners to be the CCAA champions. To achieve that, he says the team needs to needs to develop a strong group mentality, play for each other, and build up good physical stamina.

Shun is looking forward to a future with the Mariners. He knows that making the pros is hard work, and he is satisfied with where he is. In the future, Shun hopes to become a coach for young Canadian soccer players.

“I want to change the Canadian soccer environment,” he says. “There is good money, great support, and stadiums, but the coaching needs work.

I want more focus on skill, being tactical, and having good communication. Canada is taking care of me now, I want a give to back to Canada through soccer.”

Shun Takano --i fiel er

Creating condoms for Canada

Cole Schisler In honour of Canada’s 150th anniversary, ONE --condoms is holding a contest for Canadians to The Navigator

design condom wrappers that best represent Canadian life, culture, and values.

10 winning designs will be chosen. Five will be chosen by popular vote, there will also be five regional winners: Northern Canada, Western Canada, Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic Canada. The winners will be chosen by a panel of judges, and by popular vote.

Each of the winners will receive a cash prize, and a year’s supply of condoms featuring their design, (supply may vary based on lifestyle choices). They will also have an artist page on <onecondoms.ca> and a donation of 10,000 condoms to their Canadian health organization or school of choice. Imagine being the artist who gives 10,000 condoms to VIU, you’d be a fucking legend, literally.

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Along with the donation of 10,000 condoms, ONE will also donate a total of 150,000 condoms to various Canadian organizations dedicated to promoting sexual health education and outreach.

“We’re very excited to launch our first-ever Canadian condom wrapper collection. For more than a decade, our condom wrapper design contests have given people a platform to express their passion for art and sexual health,” said Davin Wedel, founder and president of ONE Condoms. “We can’t wait to see the creative submissions representing and celebrating what it means to be ONE Canada,” added Wedel.

ONE was founded in 2004 with a belief that placing unique artwork on condom wrappers would help spark conversation about the use of condoms, and facilitate discussions around sexual health. Condoms remain the most effective method to

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prevent sexually transmitted infections, and pregnancies, (other than abstinence, of course.)

“We believe that colourful and relevant artwork on condom wrappers serves as a conversation starter and helps break down stigma around sexual health education and outreach. Self expression is a cornerstone at ONE, and our design contests allow artists and advocates to use their talents to start conversations about condoms,” said Jared Maraio, senior director of brand strategy, ONE Condoms.

The deadline for the ONE Canada Design Contest submissions is May 7, 2017 at midnight. Public voting will begin in May, and the winners will be announced this July. More contest information, including submission and voting details, is available at: <www.onecondoms.ca/contest>.

SPORTS

LIFESTYLE

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

Contact Brandon at <brandonkornelson@shaw.ca>.

Buttertubs Marsh is a popular place for birdwatching, especially for great blue herons.

Spenser Smith

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MARCH/APRIL

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

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Traditional Hoop Dance

Button Making with VIU Library

GEEKCON Nanaimo

Bldg 310, Malaspina Theatre

Library Commons, Nanaimo Campus

A&H Colloquium: “Beyond the Boundaries of Image and Text”

1 – 2:30 pm

1 – 2:30 pm

FREE

FREE

Bldg 310, Malaspina Theatre 10 – 11:30 am

Habourfront Library, 90 Commercial St. 10 am – 5 pm FREE

FREE

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Spring Sundays

Canada 150th: Centennial Stories

WordStorm

Strategy Board Game Night

Foraging for Wild Edibles

The Comic Strippers

Nanaimo Fiddle Festival

Harbourfront Library, 90 Commercial St.

Deep Bay Marine Station, 370 Crome Point Rd., Bowser

VIU’s Milner Gardens & Woodlands, 2179 West Island Hwy., Qualicum 11 am – 3:30 pm Students Free

Nanaimo Museum, 100 Museum Way 10 am – 5pm Students $1.75

Tandoori Junction 489 Wallace St. Starts 6:30 pm Doors $5

FREE

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4

Ukrainian Easter Bazaar

Student Art Show

Stressbusters Dog Therapy

11 am – 3 pm FREE

2 – 6:30pm $125, pre-registration required

2 St. Michael’s Ukrainian Parish Hall, 4017 Victoria Ave.

5:30 – 8 pm

Ladysmith Waterfront Art Centre Gallery, 610 Oyster Bay Dr.

The Port Theatre, 125 Front St. Starts 8 pm $39

Christ Community Church, 2221 Bowen Rd. Starts 7:30 pm $15

Library, Nanaimo Campus

Noon – 4 pm

1 – 2:30 pm

FREE

FREE

JOIN THE NAVIGATOR ONLINE

THENAV.CA /THENAVIGATORNEWSPAPER @THENAV_VIU

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theNAVIGATOR

CALENDAR

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Call for Resumes Managing Editor Supervises and organizes the overall production of the newspaper from start to finish; writes one editorial per issue; approves final pages before they go to the printer; meets with the Business Manager to keep informed of the financial situation of paper and participates in financial planning; accepts responsibility, in consultation with the business manager, for any administrative duties that may come up in the general running of The Navigator office (letters, responses to phone calls, etc.); reports to the Board of Directors on production and personnel issues, and assists in the development of policies and procedures; participates in the Hiring Committee; and reso ves conflicts th t rise in the of ce Associate Editor 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; calculates and presents an expense report to the Business Manager or Bookkeeper detailing contributor payments for each issue.

News Editor Assumes editorial responsibility for the news section; arranges for contributions, seeks out stories on campus that are timely and relevant to the student population of VIU, and edits submissions; monitors the editorial process for the news 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 weekend.

Art Director Produces, or supervises the production of, all graphics/photos/illustrations that appear in the paper; designs, in consultation with the Managing Editor, the graphic elements of the newspaper and any signage or promotional material for the newspaper; supervises the layout of all articles in the paper; and trains and supervises the graphic assistants.

Sports Editor Assumes responsibility for the sports section (four pages); arranges for contributions, writes content for section, and edits submissions; and participates in copy editing for all sections and helps enter editorial changes on production weekend.

Production Manager Oversees the process of organizing the paper for production; in case of illness of either the Managing Mditor or the Associate Editor, the Production Manager fills in; schedules, co-ordinates, and tracks copy through the editorial and proofing process; using the Chicago Manual of Style, the Canadian Press Style Book, and CP Caps and Spelling as a guide, the production manager prepares editorial style sheets that outline house preferences regarding numbering, punctuation, spelling, and other text elements; works with copy editors to edit contributorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; work during production week.

Ad Sales Representatives Sells ads and meets sales goals under direction of Business Manager; seeks out new clients; makes sure each client is on the master ad list for each paper requested with the correct size and price for invoicing; possesses excellent time management skills and is selfmotivated; contacts clients far enough in advance so deadlines can be met, and be paces themselves in order to

provide quality client service; passes on information and materials from clients concerning ads to graphics staff and directs construction of the ads; and sends proofs of the ads to the advertisers for confirmation.

Graphic Design Assistant Works with the Business Manager on the production of ads for clients and assists Art Director when required. Rotates through designing the spread and cover, and helps design the layout for each issue of the newspaper. Edits photos and creates artwork as needed.

Social Media Producer Ensures Facebook and Twitter are constantly being updated and finds related work and media from other presses to retweet and connect with; works with Web Editor to make sure related new media is being included with the articles (links, related videos); plays an avid role in connecting The Navigator with student paper resources, such as Canadian University Press (CUP), Canadian Writerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Association (CWA), and Free Media.

Online Reporter Responsible for making sure content is frequently going up online so we can have timely, relevant news content going up as it happens; reports, edits, and uploads stories from Nanaimoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s community and VIU campus as they break; stories will be short and succinct, and can cover any subject (news, sports, arts, and features); has basic editing and Wordpress skills to copy edit and upload their own stories.

Send a cover letter and resume to <editor@thenav.ca>, providing two positions of interest. Deadline is March 31. Must be a 2017-18 student to apply.