The Navigator Vol 48 Issue 1

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SEPTEMBER 7

SEPTEMBER 21

Vol 48

FREE

VANCOUVER ISLAND UNIVERSITY STUDENT PRESS

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ignorant CANADIANS GO TO ‘MuRICA

ZOMBeES: TOP NEWS OF THE SUMMER

STRANGER THINGS REVIEW

“FOODIES WELCOME.”

Finally, our apocalyptic fantasies are closer to reality with this recent insect-based parasite.

Wow. Wow. Wow.

CONTENTS

NEWS

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Editorials

Parksville Qualicum Beach Tourism and VIU ask community to name their “Most Amazing Place” --Jobs at you fingertips --Funding from province puts certificate at half prices

Malaspina Theatre gets a new look

ZomBEES: Tops news of the summer

FEATURES

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Everyday Earth: Where the wild things are --Finding our own voice; BC and the CFS

Clicks out for Harambe: Confessions of a slacktivist

Dirtyin’ the Nav --Bunnies and Stairs

TBA

The success of Pokemon Go

ARTS

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Stranger Things review

Best of the Break

Ghostbusters review --Book review: Closer

Music roundup: Summer edition

SPORTS & LIFESTYLE

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The ale trail

The ale trail

Recipe: lavender lemonade --Generations Church --Alberni Outpost Adventures

TSS FC Black vs. VIU Mariners at Merle Logan Field

Comic

CONTENTS

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LETTERS

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CONTRIBUTORS Brandon Kornelson Kelly Whiteside Chantelle Spicer Sarah Packwood

THE NAVIGATOR TEAM

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

Molly Barrieau Editor-in-Chief

Jessica Pirson Graphic Designer

Avery Crosson Art Director

Zyre Hoskins Graphic Designer

Natalie Gates Associate Editor

Spenser Smith Web Editor

Brendan Barlow 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

Diana Pearson Copy Editor

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

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

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

DESIGN WORK

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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

Hate/Love

Molly Barrieau --Editor-in-Chief The Navigator

90 days.

That’s how long it took me to hate living in Vancouver.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great city full of diversity, luxury and nature, but for me and many others, it can be very daunting.

Growing up just a strait away from the metropolis led to a growing desire to be a part of the Big Smoke. I decided, without much consideration, to drop myself right into the thick of things and test out the city in the easiest way possible—a summer job.

However, I soon learned that in Van, just leaving the house seemed to cost money—luckily I was also not paying rent. Not only does it take about 45 minutes (an hour and a half for my job) to get anywhere by transit, the monthly pass can create a deep hole in a student’s pocket.

That shallow pocket can stop you from seeing the many popular sights and sounds that make the city so appealing.

There were many nights that the cost of a pint deterred my interest in stepping out on the town.

For what it’s worth, I’d suggest testing out a city if you’ve never experienced it. The term “a city never sleeps” is completely true, so if you’re also a light sleeper, invest in earplugs. There is no doubt that Vancouver has it’s perks, but this summer only proved to me how much of an Islander I have become.

Honestly, what I love most about returning to Nanaimo each time is the concept of “Island time”. The soft wave of nonchalance that washes over you (and everyone else) before stepping off the ferry: people walk slower, hold the door for you, and you’re back on the Island.

I’m happy to be back. Here’s to another great year filled with great stories, look out for our free issues on newsstands across Nanaimo (and sometimes the ferry, if I can manage it).

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Natalie Gates --Associate Editor The Navigator

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Corrupt. Biased. Annoying. Pointless. Liars. Dying out. Taking over. Creative. Storytellers. Hard workers. Truth seekers. Essential to the business and political worlds. Essential to society. Me. What comes to mind when you think about public relations (PR) people or journalists?

I spent my summer (and still am) working for a PR firm that specializes in getting entrepreneurs and startup tech businesses off the ground and into the wild world of tech media. As a journalism student, this kind of seemed like selling my soul at first.

It’s no secret that journalism jobs are becoming endangered. Knowing this, I decided to search for experience in the PR field, hoping I could apply the communication and writing skills I’d built through journalism, still enjoy what I was doing, believe what I was writing, and find that rush that comes with nailing a story. This shift has been a common occurrence among both newbie and seasoned journos; so much so that it is known to some as the Great Journalism-PR Migration.

I’ve had journalism profs wag their fingers at us in an attempt to drive home the key differences between PR and journalistic writing. As we learn the craft, sometimes the line can get a bit too blurred if authority isn’t questioned enough.

A wise man by the name of Frank once said something along the lines of, “Neither one is better than the other. But they must remain completely different.”

That said, you may know about the love-hate relationship between PR people and reporters.

Busy journalists need PR people for many things. They give reporters insider knowledge on news they might not otherwise get, help them shape stories, provide press releases for basic info, set up interviews, answer questions for busy sources directly, and more.

But journos also hate PR people sometimes.

Send too many pitches, or not enough interesting ones, and you will get ignored over and over, or receive a ticked off response to “Please just remove me from your list, Miss Gates”. Alternatively, if the PR department is too scripted or closed off, that causes a whole other array of frustration.

Often, PR people are seen as irritating bothers who will also say anything to make the business/ politician/celebrity/etc. look good.

PR people need journalists. Take the tech world, for example. They create content for audiences of thousands or millions to see­­­— real, engaging articles, because, while a PR firm can post a press release online, of course a thorough, balanced article on an accredited site will gain many more views and reactions. In the political world, reporters inform the public of developments in a way that caneasily be consumed andspreadpositivenewswhenit happens.

But PR people can get exasperated with journalists as well. Reporters can flake out on interviews last minute or suddenly stop

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responding to emails mid-conversation, costing the firm crucial time and invested money. In other scenarios, reporters are the ones seen as nosey, harassing pests.

Obviously, The Nav has a little less reach than the outlets I’ve been pitching for the firm, such as Engadget, Mashable, CNN, and Business Insider, so my experience here will greatly differ from those reporters’. Yet, through the few media relations people I have dealt with while at The Nav, I’ve seen the protective wall PR reps build around subjects. At the firm, we do the same thing for our clients when necessary.

In the end, PR and journalism both have so many different facets; it’s impossible to dub one or the other completely evil or angelic—like pretty much any profession. It’s up to you to try and stick to your morals and beliefs, whichever path you go down.

Do I believe every single word I write about every new product? Maybe not. Do I still get a rush when we snag a top tier outlet? Hell yeah.

Like any good relationship, you need balance, compromise, and healthy communication. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t fun to bitch about the other side once in a while.

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NEWS

Parksville Qualicum Beach Tourism and VIU ask community to name their “Most Amazing Place” Dane Gibson ---

Parksville Qualicum Beach Tourism and VIU are asking for residents’ and visitors’ VIU Communications support to shine a light on the incredible experiences they have within one of the most ecologically significant regions on Vancouver Island—the UNESCOdesignated Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region MABR. Thanks to funding provided by Parksville Qualicum Beach Tourism, Destination BC and support from VIU the Amazing Places project is being launched to ask the community to nominate 10 Amazing Places within the MABR that inspire them most. The nomination process is open from September 10-30 and the submission guidelines are simple: to nominate a place, you must think it is amazing, it must be publically accessible, and it must have ecological significance.

“We’re lucky in that everywhere you turn there is amazing natural beauty, no matter what time of year,” said Blain Sepos, Parksville-Qualicum Beach Tourism executive director. “With Amazing Places we are asking people to think about where they feel most connected to nature within the biosphere. The beauty is that there are so many places in the MABR that are awe-inspiring and each place impacts people in different ways. Through our efforts we hope to get people to nominate the natural spaces within the biosphere that they return to again and again, or they discover unexpectedly throughout the year.”

Amazing Places is a national UNESCO biosphere reserve project that was started four years ago by the Fundy Biosphere in New Brunswick. It has since been done at three biosphere reserves in Ontario. Amazing Places coordinator Michelle Harnett says launching the initiative on Vancouver Island makes it a truly national celebration of biospheres in Canada.

“The places that are nominated within the MABR are expected to be as diverse as the people who enjoy the biosphere,

National project Amazing Places aims to get people to share their favourite places within the Island’s MABR.

either as residents or visitors,” says Harnett. “Ten places will be chosen from the nominations we receive and each site will receive interpretive signage providing information about the special ecological value behind the amazing place. We know that all ages of people enjoy the biosphere for different reasons which is why we are excited.”

MABR coordinator Monica Shore is working with Harnett on Amazing Places. Through the nomination process she says they will be able to highlight the vast ecological differences that exist within the biosphere and inspire people to explore new places.

“While we’re focusing on ecological significance, the project will also give people a chance to learn about the culture and traditions attached to the Amazing Places that

VIU Communications

are selected. We’ll be talking about traditional territories and using Hul’qumi’num words for places and species when possible,” says Shore.

She says an amazing place can be a breathtaking natural vista, a trail that invites you to experience the beauty of the region, or simply a special place in nature that you’d like to share with others.

“I was thrilled to be able to help bring this national project to BC and that VIU could help support it. MABR works very hard to raise awareness about the biosphere and through this project we can do that in a very effective way,” says Shore.

To learn more and to nominate a place within the MABR, please go to <mabr.ca/amazingplaces>.

Jobs at your fingertips

Funding from province puts certificate at half-price

Cole Schisler ---

Molly Barrieau A one-time funding decision from the --Ministry of Advanced Education has

CareerVIU is an online joblisting site geared towards The Navigator VIU students, alumni and faculty with a range of job opportunities both part-time and full-time, on campus, in the community, across the country and all over the world.

With an average of 100-200 opportunities available—74 available right now—and over 1800 employers with active accounts, CareerVIU is one of best career-building resources available to VIU students.

“Working on campus allows my work schedule to be coordinated with my course schedule,” says Jaime Stephens, “which alleviates a lot of stress.” Stephens, who is finishing a BA in Anthropology, found her WorkOp position with Disability Services through CareerVIU. The website, accessed with your student record log-in, also has an events calendar where students, faculty, and employers can post about

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personal and professional development events happening on campus, in the community and beyond at no cost.

Before you apply, Career Development Specialists are available through the site to help students in career planning, building career skills, crafting resumes, and cover letters, and applying for jobs.

Despite the fact that CareerVIU offers an abundance of opportunities and resources that are only growing, many students are unaware of the site.

“We often hear that students didn’t even know that CareerVIU existed,” says Tawna Hoff of the MBA Internship Program.

From Teaching English in Japan to volunteering right here in Nanaimo, seeking out opportunities is much easier with all of the listings directed at students. Follow @CareerVIU on Twitter for job updates and events, and check out the listings at <career.viu.ca>.

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allowed VIU to offer the Community Health Promotion for Aboriginal Communities Certificate at around $3K instead of $6K. The program was created in part due to the concerns raised from the Island’s First Nations communities, where healthcare can be hard to come by.

Parksville-Qualicum MLA Michelle Stilwell told VIU, “Our government is listening to the healthcare challenges Aboriginal communities want to address and that’s why we have targeted funding of $83,000 towards this health program offered at VIU.” The year-long program offers students the “skills to assess community and client health education needs”, and roles such as: “Aboriginal Health Liaison Worker; Community Health Representative; Community Engagement Facilitator; Aboriginal Health Coordinator,” according to VIU. The program, which is mostly online, is developed in collaboration with the Inter Tribal Health Authority (ITHA) according to the overview page on VIU’s website. Running from September 2016 to June 2017, up to 25 students can enroll in this year’s program. The nature of the certificate allows for many students around the province to attend the courses and meetings while working at an off-campus job.

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Malaspina Theatre gets a new look Molly Barrieau Building 310, forever known as Malaspina --Theatre on campus, finally received its much

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needed facelift on Friday, September 2. After news broke about beloved professor Mike Taugher’s passing in August 2015, the Theatre Department has tirelessly spent the last year gathering donations and support for the overhaul.

“I am very proud to have the opportunity to finish what he started in the rejuvenation of the theatre,” said Leon Potter, Theatre Chair and professor.

First to go were the tired seats, replaced with bright blue theatre seats to match the new blue geometric carpet in the lobby—a continuous look that also appears in the Welcome Centre. The new seats have small built-in desktop dedications, and the dark plastic backs allow the theatre to better achieve a “full blackout” during shows, according to Potter. Bar stools and tables have been added by the windows for patrons during intermission, along with a new seating area under a large flood light where the bar used to stand.

“One of the key factors to the lobby was to open up the window corner that had been shut off for so long,” says Potter in an email.

“This building is quite often both the first and last impression students have of the university—with everything from student orientation to grads—this is why this whole renovation was so important.”

This year marks the theatre’s 40th anniversary, and with that comes it’s fall and spring shows, planned for November 9-12 and March 2-11. Along with their seasonal productions, the annual One Act Festival in January and a 24 hour playwriting competition from November 18-20 where anyone can join a team and use props provided to create a short play over the weekend.

There are talks of open auditions for the fall production of Departures and Arrivals by Carol Shields, where community members and professors are welcome to join the cast in the contemporary limbo of an airport lounge. Auditions are Sept 14 at 7 pm.

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NEWS

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1 — Floorplan.

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2 — The seats come in groups of three and are bolted to the floor of the theatre.

3 — The new seats will be used by classes, for presentations, productions and meetings. This benefits many community members who use the stage for dance.

4 — The front row, where designers sit for best sound and lighting.

5 — The corner of the lobby where the bar sat now has comfortable seating for students and patrons.

Molly Barrieau

ZomBEES: Top news of the summer Molly Barrieau It’s been a little while since you last --caught up with us here at the newspaper,

2. VIU’s prehistoric palate pleasers

4. Cozy Calico Cat Reunion

but while we were all out enjoying our break, Nanaimo was still making headlines. Here are a few of our favourites:

We all know about our fishy friends upstairs in the Hatchery (bldg. 385), but recently, word has spread about VIU’s new plan to market the unique seafood to local restaurants as a sustainable and delicious way to share the aquacultures longstanding project. According to VIU, when the tanks on campus get too full, the fish are smoked locally at St. Jean’s cannery, and sold to retail shops and restaurants like Westwood Bistro in Nanaimo and Edible Canada on Granville Island.

Let me know if you find sturgeon on the cafeteria menu.

After a three year long wait, a Nanaimo girl was finally reunited with her cat early this August. In CTV’s Sawatsky Sign-Off three minute video, hearts melted at the sight of a little girl clutching on to her feline friend as her missing cat was found. Little Claudia has been calling for her cat “half her life” because “he’s cute and adorable”, she says in her CTV interview. After months of searching to no avail and telling all of those around her to look for her “delicate little flower”, the cat was eventually picked up by the SPCA. In the video that started it all, we see the little girl being handed her Calico cat and the exclamations as she recognizes her long lost friend are sure to pull some heartstrings: “Cursor, I miss you so much!” she says tearing up. In awe, she thanks the SPCA attendee, “Thanks for giving my kitty back”. What’s not to love but a feel good story to warm up this breezy September.

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1. Beekeeper in Nanaimo finds first instance of zombie-like bees Starting off with a doozy, finally our apocalyptic fantasies are closer to reality with this recent insect-based parasite.

Sarah Wallbank, a beekeeper outside Nanaimo, reportedly heard tapping on her porch at night, and awoke to find her normally hibernating bees “smashing themselves into her porch light”.

Turns out, there is a parasitic maggot (Apopcephalis borealis) that infects the honeybees, causing abnormal zombielike habits. The bees come out at night, head for the light, fall to the ground in maddening circles, and die a few hours later.

Sounds like the makings of a sub-par screenplay, if you ask me.

The citizen science project, “Zombee Watch Program”, out of San Francisco has been tracking these happenings, if you come across any “zombees”, you are advised to “collect the dead bees, take a series of pictures, and submit them online,” according to a CBC article.

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3. “Nanaimo hole-digger” wins big Yeah, you read that right. Two weeks ago, Bill Laherty gathered up a cool $21 million from an online lottery ticket.

Laherty, who has lived in Nanaimo for most of his life, quit his job as a excavator for telephone poles as soon as he found out. One of the first purchases he made—before even cashing the oversized cheque:“I bought two BMWs. One for me and one for my friend,” according to the Vancouver Sun. Laherty is unmarried and has no children to share the winnings, but will be helping out his brothers and sisters, and their children.

Turns out, Laherty has surpassed Nanaimo’s previous largest lottery win at $7.6 million in 2010.

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5. Trufino Is it getting hot in here? No, that’s just our Prime Minister.

Spotted on vacay in our favourite spot, taking in the art, and crashing weddings. Justin Trudeau has a way of making the news in ways that would make Harper blush. After photobombing the wedding in a half-zipped wetsuit, PM JT appeared at the Tragically Hip’s final concert in Kingston, Ontario in a perfect Canadian Tuxedo.

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EVERYDAY EARTH: Where the wild things are Chantelle Spicer Every time we walk through a city or --provincial park, all we take in has been Contributor

orchestrated to enhance or hide certain things in the area. The path bends a certain way, showing us a particular view; benches are particularly placed, giving us space to relax there; pathways are lined with fallen logs or mossy rocks to make us feel as though we are not being led somewhere. We even now have apps designed to enhance these experiences, providing us with field guides, hiking maps, and reviews from other park users. Not to mention the influence of our identity as Canadians; wilderness is our history which resounds in us today—a cultural design for being surrounded by and engaged with nature.

This summer, quite a few folks came face-to-face with a side of nature that is not so designed—wildlife. Like us, wildlife is a part of nature, but they are not a part of our human-made world. They do not read signs, understand the purpose of bear bells, or follow human rules—they have their own codes to follow. So when the true wild crosses the path of slightly removed, it makes headlines. It also sometimes leaves an indelible mark on both parties. Case in point, this summer two Island residents posted a video of their encounter with a black bear on the highway between Port Alberni and Tofino.

Feeling like they needed to make a closer connection to this bit of wild, they got out of their car and began feeding rice cakes to the animal from the roadside. As a former resident of Ucluelet, I have seen this type of encounter all too often, though mostly with tourists to the area. To humans, feeding wildlife may seem like a once in a lifetime opportunity to really connect; however, to animals, this is a trespass against their nature and routine.

“Once the bear has been fed by people, it will have an association of people and food, so it can lead to further conflict,” says Deputy Chief of BC Conservation Officer Service Chris Doyle. “If they become dangerous they may have to be

destroyed.” This can also lead to bears expecting food from cars along the road, leading to traffic collisions.

A more elusive wildland creature has also made some headlines this summer—cougars. Like all wild cats, their presence is powerful. To see one makes your heart skip a beat, reminds you of your weaknesses—physically, intellectually, spiritually—and makes you feel privileged to have been in it’s presence all at the same time. One person must feel particularly lucky after his encounter involved an attack during a jog in Port Hardy, escaping with only minor injuries. Reports from locals also stated that an adult male had been stalking joggers and hikers for a two-week period, with that individual being caught and destroyed.

If a person is being stalked by a cougar, one is reasonably unlikely to even know until it is too late, which makes another local story all the more significant. In this particular incident, a man and a cougar engaged with each other for 45 minutes in a Sooke backyard. When watching the footage through Global News, one cannot help but notice how much more comfortable the cat is with this than the human. No matter where the animal is, even if it is in a neighborhood, they are in their own element. They know that under the asphalt or carefully-crafted lawn, the land exists, along with their instincts, knowledge, and identity as wild.

Humans are both drawn to and afraid of our experiences with wild relatives. People flock to zoos around the world to glimpse creatures that fill our dreams, journey to the reaches of paradise, including our Island, to view whales, bears, eagles—symbols of Canadian wilderness. We prepare our cameras and phones to capture and share these encounters.

Some even strive to own these moments with something very wild, even prehistoric. Attention to this was peaked this summer when it was found a Kelowna man shared his space with two American alligators, the largest of which was 3.5 metres long, weighing 267 kilograms. What drives us to seek

out and put ourselves at risk around these creatures? More importantly, how ethical are these types of encounters?

Ethicist Ann Peterson explains in her book, Being Animal —Beasts and Boundaries in Nature Ethics, “the first step to understanding and loving real animals, not just abstractions of them, is through emotive relationships and encounters with real animals.” This has been a key point in many conservation plans worldwide—how can we care about that which we do not know? This can lead to even more issues though, as we introduce ourselves and our arrogance into the animals’ lives, believing that we know what is right and proper for them and their roles in the environment and life cycles. Take, for instance, our sometimes lewd interest and force in the mating habits of panda bears, or the cycles of killing, then saving, then again killing wolves in Yellowstone Park. We really want to love animals on our own terms, rather than respecting their own sacred spaces. These verbs of owning and capturing, I use purposefully; our colonized culture doesn’t allow us to just be a part of or observe, creating a need for proof and objectification of the wilderness we covet.

As with most things, the ethics of our relationship with wildlife is not easy to navigate. There is certainly a place for wildlife sanctuaries and even zoos or aquariums which house wild animals. There is also an incredible need to restore wild habitats for these animals outside of cages, but that is another article altogether. I do not offer any advice or opinion on what is right (except don’t feed bears rice crackers or Timbits) when engaging with wildlife. I simply invite you to reflect your own connections and impacts on the wild world around you—as each one is as individual as we are. One thing I will impart, however, is that no matter how you connect, remember that it is not just about you, but about a whole living landscape tied up in that moment.

Finding our own voice: BC and the CFS Chantelle Spicer Membership is something we take very --seriously in our society. We love to Contributor

categorize or label ourselves to find our place in the world. Where would we be without knowing our place in a crowd? It provides us with protocols of behaviour, boundaries, and expectations. We navigate all our lives by this, identifying our alliances, potential friends and enemies through a variety of ways that signify our memberships: clothing, language, gender, secret handshake, something as simple as a button, or as grand as an official title.

Here on campus, we find ourselves in many kinds of clubs or friend groups, but we are all a part of one thing together – the Students’ Union. This membership extends beyond our university—across BC we are joined with 13 other universities and colleges through the BC Federation of Students (BCFS), and across Canada we are members of the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS).

The CFS was formed in 1981 with the BCFS as a founding member, headed by an optimistic and democratic voice hoping to make students’ lives better across the country through unity.

This coalition of unions has brought us a variety of services and campaigns under the direction of various leaders ever since, all working in the best interest of students.

Things changed in October 2014. At a CFS national general meeting, staff and student leaders of the Ontario Component took over the elections and took power of the national office.

Since Ontario has nearly half of the votes of the country, an Ontario-centric perspective has rapidly consumed the organization. More troubling, there has been an absence of

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accountability and transparency of the new leadership of the CFS over the past two years. For example, audited financial statements—confirmation that the money we pay to the organization is being used properly—have not been provided since summer 2014. Directors on the National Executive have been consistently denied access to budget documents and decisions are being made by a small circle of individuals. BC delegates at national general meetings, when demanding access to the information they have a right to, are bullied and harassed.

Students in BC are greatly impacted by being ignored by our national union. Two years ago the Harper government eliminated funding for English Second Language (ESL) programs, but since that didn’t affect most of the member schools in Ontario and Eastern Canada (it primarily affected colleges, which aren’t members out there), there was no support to fight back against this cut. Eighteen months ago the Christy Clark government eliminated funding for Adult Basic Education (ABE) programs and allowed for tuition to be charged. Yet again, we didn’t hear a peep. Students in BC have worked together through the BCFS to fight these cuts and bring public awareness to the plight of students, completely without the help of our national union.

There can be no democracy without the information needed to form judgements and cast informed votes. Without it, ignorance prevails. With the relationship between the national and provincial leadership growing, students in BC have been focusing on keeping our own unions strong.

VIUSU has been a part of this movement, this summer striking

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a committee of three Board members and two students who are not on the VIUSU Board, under the directive of the Board of Directors. After several meetings over the summer semesters, the committee has recommended to the VIUSU Board that the referendum process be initiated to allow VIU students to make their choice if they wish to continue to be members.

“After reviewing the actions of the National Executive over the past two years, we have seen a lack of financial accountability, failing services, and a lack of campaigns that affect BC students,” said Phoebe Lo Patigdas, Chairperson of the VIU Students’ Union. “As directors elected to work in the best interest of VIU students, the Board has decided that it cannot in good conscience tell students that the CFS is an organization they should be a part of.”

Finding our own voice as students is important for not only our individual selves, but for all students in the provinces —the current ones and those yet to come. The province at the time faces many hardships under the current provincial government, and students must work together to make change with the impending election in 2017. Our membership as students is powerful, made all the more so by leaders who acknowledge and contribute to it.

If you would like more information on this matter or to become involved with this action, please visit the Student’s Union office (bldg. 193) or email our Chairperson, Phoebe Patigdas at chair@viusu.ca.

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clicks out for harambe: CONFESSIONS OF A SLACKTIVIST

Spenser Smith CNN headline: “Harambe memes prompt --Cincinnati Zoo to delete Twitter accounts”.

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I couldn’t help but laugh. It finally happened. The Harambe meme had officially transcended Internet culture and become mainstream.

To be fair, it’s impossible to pinpoint the exact moment of transcendence, but there is something hilariously real about the thought of some poor Cincinnati Zoo social media manager finally admitting defeat against the non-stop barrage of Harambe tweets.

Harambe polled at five percent in a recent presidential poll, there are over 100,000 supporters of a <Change.org> “Make Harambe a Pokémon” petition, and major media outlets are writing Harambe meme stories by the minute.

If you’ve never scrolled a social media platform and haven’t heard of Harambe, he was a 17-year-old Western lowland gorilla who was shot by zookeepers after a three-year-old child entered his enclosure in late May. An observer posted a video on YouTube that showed part of the incident and it prompted a roar of online outrage and criticism. Half the internet (who suddenly became experts on emergency gorilla procedures) criticized the zoo for its decision to use bullets instead of a tranquilizer. The child’s mother was publicly shamed while #Justice4Harambe trended, and vigils and protests popped up across the globe.

This is where the beauty and effectiveness of all the images and videos that drive the Harambe meme come in.

With a mixture of outrageous tributes, ridiculous songs, and of course, the #dicksoutforharambe hashtag, the meme mocks the armchair internet activist culture that the initial hysteria about Harambe’s death sprouted from.

Remember those Eiffel Tower “Pray for Paris” images that spread rampantly after the Paris attacks in November? Or when seemingly every single person on your Facebook changed their profile picture to a rainbow hue in commemoration of the U.S. legalizing gay marriage? That’s the kind of internet activism I’m talking about it, and I’ve contributed to and been

a part of it. I filmed an Ice Bucket Challenge during the craze in 2014 and didn’t donate a cent to ALS charities. I’ve shared Black Lives Matters posts without doing a second of boots-onground, real activism for the betterment of the movement. I’m guilty. It’s not that there is anything inherently wrong with posting a image or changing your profile picture for a cause, but if the action stops there, is it really any help? The Harambe meme, with its over-the-top mourning of the gorilla’s death, is the perfect satirical rebuttal to this kind of self aggrandizing, give-yourself-a-pat-on-the-back brand of “activism.”

One of my favourite Harambe images shows a photoshopped Harambe floating in a sea of clouds with Prince, David Bowie, Mohammad Ali, and Kimbo Slice, with the caption “RIP to the legends #2016 deaths.” When each of these celebrities died, there was an onslaught of #RIP status updates and tweets.

Harambe was mourned in the same public manner, except no one knew who this gorilla was before he died, and that’s what is so funny.

Harambe was fiercely defended by many who thought his death was unjust, but of course, it didn’t take long for the next trendy cause to steal the spotlight. The droves of people who created the countless Harambe images, videos, tweets, and petitions ended up preserving the memory of this previously anonymous gorilla (albeit ironically). If the armchair activists really cared, shouldn’t it have been the other way around?

A PETA retweet and a hashtag is nice and cute and all that fluffy stuff, but in the end, its just characters on a computer screen destined to become lost in the endless scroll that is the internet.

Yes, it is tragic that Harambe had to die as the result of a three-year-old child making a mistake typical of a three-yearold child, but should the outrage so easily overshadow the demand for serious debate on issues that affect millions of human lives such as the deepening racial tensions in the US, or the refugee crisis in Syria? Well, it did, and the Harambe meme has something to say about it. #RIPHarambe

theoxypub@outlook.com

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Dirtyin' the Nav:

Sex-positivE Q & A for all your sex-related questions, concerns and curiosities

Diana Pearson ---

Despite our so-called sexually liberated society, myths and shame-filled The Navigator guidelines about sex continue to be rampant. I’m going to venture a guess that you, like many of us, have spent your share of long, anxiety-ridden nights Googling questions about sex. It can be frustrating and difficult to find thoughtful, informative, and sex-positive answers amidst all the online information available at our fingertips (pun intended).

Well my friends, if you’re starved for sex-positive, wellinformed discussions on sex and sexuality, look no further.

This year at The Navigator, I am so pleased to be hosting a Q & A sex column, so all your questions, confusions, and curiosities about sex can finally be answered.

Why? Because sex is fantastic. It can be one of life’s greatest pleasures. It can be fun, messy, hilarious, freeing, sexy, transformative, political, and consuming. There are great health benefits to having sex — providing it’s consensual, of course. And really, can it get any better than a sweaty romp in the sack?

And while wild and woolly lovin’ is most definitely worth

celebrating, there are also very important guidelines for safe sex. Without open access to information on how to practice safer sex, sexual experiences may not only be confusing but might also pose risks to the health and well-being of you and your partners.

My goal for this column is to provide you with sex-positive, LGBTQ+ inclusive answers to your questions, curiosities and concerns about sex and sexuality. Want to know more about sexualities, gender, birth control, STIs, pregnancy, abortion, pornography, kink/BDSM, sex toys, polyamory, orgasms, anatomy, communication, sex positions, masturbation? No topic is too vanilla or too taboo (although I ask that you please keep it legal).

Send your questions to column@thenav.ca and I will answer them to the best of my ability; with joyous enthusiasm as well as pleasure-focused, research-based, and historicallyand culturally-informed perspectives. The answer to your question may be published in The Navigator, but don’t worry— your name and identifying information will be kept anonymous and confidential.

Here’s a bit of background about me. My name is Diana

Pearson, and I’m a Bachelor of Arts student completing my final year as a Women’s Studies Major here at VIU. I have several years’ experience as both a sex educator and a peer support worker. My research interests lie in pleasure-based sex education, social justice, critical pedagogy (it’s badass — look it up), and feminism. As you’ve probably guessed, I’m super enthusiastic about sex and I want to encourage dialogue, dispel oppressive myths, and celebrate the wonderful diversity of sex and sexualities on campus, and in our communities.

When possible, I will include informative insights from sexual health professionals in my answers for you. And, because sex is an incredibly personal, intimate, and highly intersectional experience, I look forward to including the voices of sexual adventurers such as yourselves—be it, homo-, hetero-, bi-, demi-, pan-, a-sexual—I want to hear from you! We are all sexperts in our own vivid and highly intimate ways. It is our right to have access to honest and unabashed sex education, our responsibility to put safety first, and a joy when we are able to celebrate sex in all its dirty and delicious complexities.

I look forward to your questions: please send them my way via column@thenav.ca.

New to VIU? Check out these great on campus resources related to sexual health, wellness, gender, and sexual diversity:

VIU Health & Wellness Centre: located in building 200, the Health & Wellness Centre offers a broad spectrum of health services to students, including STI testing, birth control and family planning, gynecology services, counselling, and more. <www.viu.ca/health>

Queer Straight Alliance (QSA): the QSA is a student organisation which promotes awareness of gender identity and sexual orientation diversity. The goal of the Alliance is to provide a safe social platform for members of the LGBTQ+ community. Check them out at: <www.facebook.com/viuqsa>

Positive Space Alliance VIU (PSA): the PSA promotes awareness of gender identity and sexual orientation, supports LGBTQ+ members and aims to make the campus safer and more welcoming to all. Check out their movie nights one Wednesday every month!

Visit <www.viu.ca/positivespace> for more info and events calendar.

Bunnies and Stairs The Navigator

The more the merrier! Submit your bunnies and stairs to The Nav by emailing editor@thenav.ca or Tweet us @theNavVIU. Bunny: Something nice, funny, positive, or sweet that happened in your life.

Stair: Something mean, annoying, negative, or gross that happened in your life.

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Bunny:

For being back in class and using my brain again after 3 months off.

A shout out to Dr. Tim Goater for being the most inspirational prof at VIU. You are one cool wombat.

Stairs:

Stairs:

To the ridiculously over-priced textbooks that clearly must be made of gold.

To the VIU stairs for being so rough on the first day of school. You might have gotten a makeover but summer did not prepare me for this.

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Ignorant Canadian goes to ‘Murica "The scattering of blue ‘Make America Great Again: Vote Donald Trump’ signs didn’t really surprise me as we made our way through remote northern Washington.

This was ‘Murica Natalie Gates

Ignorant Canadian is amazed there are no advertisements in the ocean.

Natalie Gates

“FOODIES WELCOME”

The larger than life hamburger The Navigator greeted us the second we crossed the border, its meaty face staring down at us from its billboard perch. The restaurant inviting those with a passion for gourmet food? McDonald’s, of course.

This was just the beginning of a great McDonald’s journey, as each exit along the highway had one just waiting for the “foodies” to swoop in and grab a bite.

Of course, the golden arches weren’t the only things decorating the fast food freeway.

The scattering of blue “Make America Great Again: Vote Donald Trump” signs didn’t really surprise me as we made our way through remote northern Washington. This was ‘Murica after all.

As the barren highway took us past farm after farm, another huge billboard glistened in the distance that made my eyes widen. It was not a burger or Trump’s unmistakable tagline plastered on this one, but a large fetus.

“Abortion stops a beating heart 1700 times day,” it read.

“What have I got myself into?” I thought. “Venturing out of my safe little Canuck ecosystem to explore this southern, more boisterous, and slightly more frightening cousin?” The Land of Opportunity, which seemed to shut down more than it opened up—depending on who you asked.

But we trekked on, in pursuit of the ruggedly beautiful Oregon coast, sandy beaches, quaint American towns, and natural wonders.

As with any road trip, pit stops for washrooms and gas are aplenty. The first gas station looked normal, despite the cheaper gas price. Another ad peaked my interest. A camel, with the tagline, “So mild, so cool,” scrawled below it stood beside another sign for cold drinks. Camel Cigarettes with your Slurpee, anyone?

Along the barren streets of the countryside, and right off the highway, were several cannabis dispensaries, advertising “Medicinal and Recreational Marijuana”. At this, I actually felt a twinge of embarrassment for my home BC—famous for its herbilicious BC bud. Get yourself together, Canada.

It seemed that as we got deeper and deeper into Uncle Sam’s stomping grounds we were thrust deeper and deeper into a dystopian land.

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Yet, once we left Washington, Trump signs were nowhere to be seen. Surprisingly, I wouldn’t see any other boisterous campaign signs for the rest of the trip through this tiny corner of the US of A. Just a couple sullen #BernieOrBust bumper stickers mixed in among the crowd. In their place was double the amount of dispensaries.

Like Canada, countryside and coastal America have different vibes and I felt myself feeling a little more at home in the town of Cannon Beach, a place well known for its beach resorts, tourism industry, great food, and local beer. Beer.

After a long, hot drive, an ice cold beer would take the edge off and perhaps we could find solace in this foreign land. Run into one of those funky looking bars and grab a brew… but one thing stood in my way. At the age of 20, I was unable to order myself a drink. In a land where children can buy guns at 16, I still can’t sip an IPA in the confines of a licensed establishment for another year?

Thankfully, my boyfriend was legal and we opted for drinks on the beach instead. We grabbed some food and then asked our server where the nearest liquor store was.

“There’s a grocery store just around the corner,” he said with a smile.

Did he misunderstand us? Were our Canadian accents really that thick? He was awfully friendly though; I thought we Canadians were supposed to be the nice ones?

“Do they sell alcohol there?” I asked. He laughed and said, “Of course.”

Sure enough, the grocery store had rows of shelves stocked full of ice cold beer, wine, and more. Hands off until you’re 21, but here’s the wine just sitting next to the cheese, chocolate, and strawberries, tempting the crap out of you. Here’s the beer just calling to me from the frosty glass windows, making googly eyes at the frozen pizzas. What was with this madness?

The next night, in the motel room of another quaint coastal town, I decided to try my game with the news coverage. I didn’t watch much, but the six and a half minutes I saw managed to cover about six and a half different shootings.

What we did watch more of was the Rio Olympics, or at least I thought it was. There were a few instances I thought we had accidentally changed the channel to Entertainment Tonight.

Dolled-up gymnasts gathered around an interviewer who

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after all. "

flipped her golden hair and asked what they thought about Zac Efron. “That’s random,” I thought. But suddenly Efron himself entered the camera frame, arms open for hugs. The whole reunion was followed by floating photos of gymnast champ Simone Biles accompanied by tweets pinpointing her excitement at the introduction. Then—gasp—her “Rio boyfriend” tweeting at Efron to stay away ‘cause Simone was his girl.

Panning back from the segment to the anchors on the beach, one of them—who seemed suspiciously drunk—threw her hands up in “mock” jealousy that she didn’t get the chance to meet Efron.

This of course had nothing on the ravenous Today Show co-hosts who cut their interview with Pita Taufatofua (the beautiful Tonga flag bearer) short as they went in for a chance to rub coconut oil all over his muscles.

Over-sexualization of athletes aside, it was the anchor’s snide remark after India won its medal in badminton that made my brow furrow. “About time they got one, given the size of their population.”

Back out on the road, heading through forested areas, I couldn’t help but feel like something was missing.

Not unlike BC, Oregon leads its nation in timber production.

The wood products industry still accounts for about 27 percent of the jobs and income in Oregon’s manufacturing sector.

And you can tell. Unlike BC, cut blocks go right up to the edge of popular roads, including the Oregon coast highway, and stare you in the eye. The clearcutting restrictions in Canada may be the reason many Americans flock to Canada in hopes of soaking up serene, untouched wilderness—only to find that large cut blocks do indeed exist once you venture just a bit further into the forest.

In the end, once we crossed back over the border to the Great White North, I felt a cloud of confusion. Had I liked it there? There were many amazing things to see, beautiful places, and more nice people than I had expected. But, I also felt an overwhelming sense of relief, as if I had survived something small. It’s hard to pin-point.

Must have been the American Dream.

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The Success of Pokemon Go — A MOBILE GAME RELEASED THIS PAST JULY— SEEMS TO HAVE EVERYONE, YOUNG AND OLD, PLAYING TO BE “THE VERY BEST” POKÉMON TRAINER. Sarah Packwood --Contributor

Players are required to choose from three teams to play on: Instinct, Valor and Mystic, each represented by their own team colour (yellow, red, and blue, respectively). From there, players carry on to catch and evolve Pokémon, and to battle or train in gyms.

Pokémon can appear in any setting, so the game has players looking for Pokémon anywhere and everywhere. These are a few snapshots from around town of wild Pokémon and trainers pursuing them.

1 — A comprehensive map of all the Pokéstops on campus.

5 — “I got a Pidgey!” is overheard in the crowd of Pokémon trainers at the popular Departure Bay Beach Pokéstop.

2 — A Drowzee celebrates Pride in downtown Nanaimo.

6 — A little boy keeping a couple paces ahead of his dad in his eagerness to play Pokémon Go.

3 — This Pokémon trainers yellow hat clearly gives away what team she plays on.

4 — A Krabby waits for his bus home after a long day of studying at VIU.

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7 — When asked if she was playing Pokémon Go, this person replied: “I don’t even know what Pokémons are.”

8 — Father and three sons cash in on the Pokémon lure set up at the Frank Ney statue Pokéstop.

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STRANGER THINGS REVIEW When a young boy disappears, his mother, a police chief, and his friends must confront terrifying forces in order to get him back.

<theverge.com>

Brendan Barlow ---

Wow. Wow. Wow. Quick background to start things off, The Navigator Stranger Things is a Netflix-exclusive series created by Matt and Ross Duffer (collectively credited as The Duffer Brothers). This duo previously worked on a movie called Hidden in 2015, which I strongly recommend. To call this a meteoric rise would be an understatement, because they have rocketed to being the minds behind the most talked about show of 2016; this is an honour they wholly deserve.

It’s not often that a show gives us so much to get enthusiastic about. Even shows that I have a lot of love for, like Outcast, only offer so much. However, Stranger Things is the total package, as it combines elements of horror, science fiction, and even coming-of-age themes into an ’80s period piece. The show is so perfectly respectful and accurate to all of those genres and periods, and feels like something entirely unique at the same time. It’s worth saying—right off the top—that if you haven’t taken the time to watch this series, then you need to stop reading this review and go binge the series on Netflix as soon as possible.

Moving on, let’s talk about what works so well about this show. The first thing I immediately connect with was the cast; it’s hard to find child actors who not only give strong performances, but who also manage to be funny and charming at the same time. The kids in Stranger Things are some of the best young actors I’ve seen in quite some time, essentially everything that Super 8 was hoping for (and more). After a creepy and strong opening scene (and the best theme song a TV show has had in years), we are introduced to our main cast of heroes as they sit in their basement playing Dungeons & Dragons. The kids are portrayed by Noel Schnapp, who plays Will, Finn Wolfhard, Mike, Caleb McLaughlin, Lucas, and, my favourite, Gaten Matarazzo, who is a hugely funny comedic presence in the show. Will gives a great performance in this first episode, where he ultimately ends up going missing and sets the story in motion. He is absent for much of the show, being trapped in the “Upside Down,” though he is good in his brief flashback scenes.

Where the real credit needs to go is to Millie Bobby Brown, who plays Eleven, the telekinetic girl who finds her way into the ranks of the young boys as they search for their friends.

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Her character is complex, emotional, and the role is extremely demanding. Brown is absolutely stunning in the role, and there is so much coming her way in the future, I just can’t wait to see what it is. These young characters make up one of the three primary plots of the series. This plot is definitely the most engaging, tense, and stressful, with a shadowy organization on the tail of these kids, and their characters being children, who solve (or attempt to solve) problems in believable ways.

They feel like kids, not kid-actors-who-are-written-as-miniadults, which seems to be the go-to for child characters.

There are two other plots to the show (the three of them are too substantial to be considered “sub” as they essentially get equal screen time), and all three are focused on finding Will.

Even though they have this common goal, they manage to have hugely unique and interesting journeys. The first and only adult-led of the three plots features Winona Ryder (Beetlejuice) as Will’s mother Joyce, and David Harbour (Suicide Squad) as Jim. While both are great, Ryder is an absolute revelation in Stranger Things. Her character is deeply flawed, makes bizarre and poor choices, but ultimately loves her children and becomes consumed by the search. Her performance is great, and everything she does fits with her character; it’s a strong performance that I hope relaunches Ryder into more films and television.

The third and final plot features Will’s brother, Johnathan, played by Charlie Heaton, the older sister of Mike, Nancy, played by Natalia Dyer, and Nancy’s boyfriend Steve, Joe Keery.

The actors are great, and they add an interesting dynamic to the show. You have; the children being children, trying to rescue their friends, the adults, and then this middle group of teenagers. You have all ages represented, and get to experience the emotional situation, their problem-solving, and the drama that fills all of their lives. All of these characters feel real, and are expertly portrayed by the actors. They have great character arcs, even if some are a bit more… rushed than others (*ahem* Steve *ahem*).

It’s easy to say that this show is for people who love ‘80s horror, or who grew up in the ’80s, but it really is so much more inclusive than that. If you’re a horror fan, there are enough references and genuinely creepy moments here to keep you satisfied. For you sci-fi types, you’ve got enough

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alien/dimensional/government conspiracy stuff happening to keep you entertained. Even those who just like a good mystery or a good coming-of-age story will find something to latch onto in Stranger Things. It’s funny, earnest, scary, and tense. I watched the show with my partner, who doesn’t care for horror at all, and she was just as hooked as I was.

The story is simple and at times frustrating, but there’s nothing about it that detracts from the experience as a whole.

The issues I may have had with the pacing or the writing really only added to the tension and atmosphere, and only served to make the show work better somehow. It’s very clear that the writers have a strong affinity for the genres being referenced, but it never feels shoehorned or forced. The best example of this having happened before is in The House of the Devil by Ti West. That is a film that feels like it could have come out in the ’70s/’80s, and it’s not presented in a way that feels like a filmmaker who wants you to KNOW HIS HOMAGE, it’s just the way to best show this story, the homage and the references build the foundation, rather than being the whole focus. Stranger Things, too, feels like something that could have come out in the ’80s and maintained a cult following all these years later, but it also feels like a show made with love and respect, that isn’t trying to show off how many deep horror cuts it can make.

In closing, Stranger Things is absolutely one of the most fantastic television programs produced in the 2000s. It deserves the praise it’s getting, and really does demonstrate a strong understanding of what it’s trying to do, creating a beautiful balance between loving tribute to the ’80s and a high-quality show made in 2016. It does this by recognizing the things that work well in the ’80s horror and sci-fi that people love, and by working within that framework. We often forget that a LOT of bad movies came out in the ’80s—they weren’t all The Thing and Halloween, so this works with the best films of the time, giving us the exceptional experience that is presented.

Stop humming and hawing, go watch the show.

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Best of the Break Brendan Barlow | The Navigator Well, we’ve been away since April, and so you haven’t had your trusty copy of The Navigator to let you know what is awesome and what is not; as a result, your trusty arts editor has assembled this handy guide of things you might have missed (and one thing it seems NO ONE missed) to get you back on track.

GAMERS: Inside (PC) Developer Playdead, who recently brought the monochromatic nightmare that was Limbo, returned in June with Inside. The game combines the deceptive simplicity and vague story that Limbo had with visuals and mechanics that are guaranteed to make your skin crawl. This is a game that made quite an

impression on many players, and received hugely positive reviews. It also made yours truly feel deeply uncomfortable well after I had finished playing the game. If you’re a fan of Limbo, a fan of the bizarre and the unsettling, then you need to pick this up and experience it. I’ve already said too much.

Courtesy of <TrustedReviews.com>

MUSIC LOVERS: Chance the Rapper – Coloring Book Chance the Rapper gained some serious and well deserved, recognition after the release of his 2013 mix-tape Acid Raps, one of the best hip-hop mix-tapes I’ve ever heard, and has only continued to impress as the years have gone by. His most recent effort is another mix tape called Coloring Book, and it may very well join Acid Raps as one of the strongest, most interesting things to come out of hip-hop, or music in general,

in recent memory. Chance shows his range of talent from rap to gospel, and Coloring Book showcases his unique style of songwriting, and features some huge guests including: Kanye West, Young Thug, Justin Bieber, Future, and plenty more.

Even if you feel like you’re not a hip-hop fan, I urge everyone to give this a chance, it’s just phenomenal.

Courtesy of <ChanceRaps.com>

CINEPHILES: Green Room I’m cheating a little bit on this one, because it came out negligibly close to our last issue, but we finished up before I was able to cover it and, if I’m being honest, it was easily the best film that I watched all summer. Released in April, Green Room tells the story of a punk band whose members find themselves playing a Nazi bar in the middle of nowhere. All goes as well as that scenario could go, until the band witnesses a murder and must fight to survive while the Nazi group tries

to cover up the crime. It’s brutal, intense, and extremely well-made by writer/director Jeremy Saulnier (who has a near-perfect streak going with Blue Ruin and Murder Party under his belt already). Green Room also features one of the final (and strongest) performances from Anton Yelchin, who tragically passed away this summer. Not for the squeamish, or the faint of heart, but one that absolutely should not be missed.

Courtesy of <GreenRoom-Movie.com>

READERS: Kanye West Owes Me $300 (and other stories from a white rapper who almost made it) by Jensen Karp

While Jensen Karp may not be a household name, his alter ego Hot Karl very nearly was. Kanye West Owes Me $300 was released in June, and tells the true (and unbelievable) story of the author’s time as a rapper in the 1990s. The story includes everything from: a record exec bringing a briefcase of money to Karp’s mom’s home, a house party in a bad neighbourhood, to interactions with some of the biggest names in hip-hop

(and even in film and television). The story is honest, wellwritten, and deeply funny, and something that should be read by everyone. Karp even released a fun “companion” to the book on his podcast, Get Up On This, for those who are looking for some more to the story. One of the best books I’ve read all year, you need this in your life if you like to laugh.

Courtesy of <Amazon.ca>

BINGE WATCHER: Stranger Things (Netflix) It would be impossible not to include this particular gem.

There’s no denying that Stranger Things has become a bit of a phenomenon since its release in July, with fans of horror, science fiction, and even just the ’80s, singing its praises. Why is everyone so excited about this series? In short, because it is the best television show of 2016, and joins the ranks of the best shows I’ve ever seen. It combines elements of my favourite genres and also manages to do something that so few movies or

television series can muster: getting good performances from children. In particular, twelve-year-old Millie Bobby Brown is spectacular in her role as Eleven, a telekinetic young girl who escapes captivity in the beginning of the series. Stranger Things is scary, funny, sad, and entertaining, and also boasts one of the best soundtracks a television show has ever had.

If you’re not sold yet, you can read a full review of Stranger Things on Page 14.

Courtesy of <Netflix.com>

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Ghostbusters REVIEW “Following a Special invasion of Manhattan, paranormal enthusiasts Erin Gilbert and Abby Yates, nuclear engineer Jillian Holtzmann, and subway worker Patty Tolan band together to stop the otherworldly threat.” <ghostbusters.com>

RATING Brendan Barlow Well, it’s finally come. The remake that would ruin all childhoods, emasculate --The Navigator

everyone, and bring about the complete and total breakdown of society as we know it. I’ve seen rants, raves, fits, and complaints leading up to the release, but was pleased to see that critical reviews were actually pretty good.

Of course, the reviews were not without the dissenting voices and man-babies, but I went to the movie expecting to enjoy the work put forward by the cast and the director.

At the end of it all, who was right? I was.

Ghostbusters is fun, funny, and entertaining. While it isn’t a replacement for the original, it doesn’t try to be either. The film acts as a fun expansion, or torch passing even. It features the three living actors from the original film, and delivers fantastic comedic performances from a wildly talented main cast. This was one of the things that people were inexplicably so irate about, as the cast had been gender flipped, putting four women into overalls seemed to be the worst thing anyone could ever do. The titular Ghostbusters are now played by Kristen Wiig (Brides Maids), Melissa McCarthy (Spy), Kate McKinnon (Sisters), and Leslie Jones (Saturday Night Live).

While Wiig and McCarthy are consistently funny, and bring their usual game to this one, it is McKinnon and Jones who really shine. The pair are hilarious, and make me wish I was still watching Saturday Night Live. The four have good chemistry, and seem to be really enjoying themselves.

Rounding out the cast you have Chris Hemsworth (Thor) as the hilariously dim receptionist, Neil Casey (Inside Amy

Schumer) who plays the rather lackluster villain. Casey does fine in his particular character, but feels a bit hollow when compared to the original film. You’ve also got an appearance from the always wonderful Michael Kenneth Williams (The Wire) and a number of quick and funny cameos from the original Ghostbusters in the form of Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, and Annie Potts.

I mentioned that the villain seems disappointing when compared to the original, and I think this might be the problem with Ghostbusters. Not with the movie, but with the fans of the franchise. While I have seen and enjoy the 1984 film, I am not filled with a burning and irrational nostalgia for it, which seems to fuel a good portion of the hatred directed towards this version. No, this movie will not go down as an instant classic, or replace the original, but we have to stop looking at movies like this as if they are making an attempt to do either of those things. No one is coming to your house to steal your copies of the original, and no one is forcing you to see this one. Did there need to be a remake? No, there almost never does. Would it have been nice to see these actors work together on something original? Hell yes it would.

However, they did remake it, and now it exists. No amount of tantrum throwing is going to make it go away, so maybe it’s time to calm down and let those of us who enjoyed it enjoy it.

Also, if your reason for disliking it is the gender-flipping, then you need to grow up and I have nothing to say to you anyways.

There are a couple of plot and pacing issues, but none of them stood out in a way that ruined the movie. Kristen Wiig

finds herself separated from the team later on in the movie, for no real reason except to set up her heroic scene. The ending is a fun and exciting fireworks show, and makes for a fun final sequence. No, it’s not the same as the original, and that’s fine.

The story is simple, and the movie as a whole is well-directed and shot. The scenes with Slimer and Lady Slimer were stupid visual gags that didn’t add or subtract anything and I was engaged enough with the main characters not to care about that nor any of the other pieces that didn’t work.

One of the things that surprised me was how effectively creepy some of the ghosts were. The opening scene with Zach Woods (The Office) was atmospheric and, in particular, the first few, ghosts were relatively well designed. It’s not a scary movie, but then the original wasn’t either. The tone leans much further over to goofy, but I don’t have any issue with that to be totally honest. Apparently there are some who were unaware that the ’80s film was a comedy… I don’t even know how to respond to that.

All in all, Ghostbusters is a fun and entertaining ride with a good director, and some deeply funny comedians leading it. Which is exactly what it needed to be, and exactly what the original is. The ’80s version is a funny film with strong comedic actors, which happened to hit at the exact right time. Watch it if you want, you’ll probably feel exactly how you expect to feel about it. If you’re the kind of person whose nostalgia is so deeply ingrained that you feel the need to ruin it for yourselves or others, then that’s got to be a whole lot of work to maintain, and I kinda feel bad for you.

BOOK REVIEW Closer: Notes from the Orgasmic Frontier of Female Sexuality Sarah Barmak, Coach House Books − $14.95 Diana Pearson Have you ever tried, in those sweatily joyous moments after orgasm, to find the --The Navigator

right words to describe climax? Textures.

Squiggly lines. Sunbursts. Flocks of birds. Shooting junk in a sun-drenched field.

Sarah Barmak knows the struggle to describe this elusive human experience. But this is just one of the wonderful topics she covers in her summer release, Closer: Notes From the Orgasmic Frontier of Female Sexuality.

This short, sweet, sexy whirlwind tour of Western female sexuality is refreshing from start to finish. It will arouse, enrage, intrigue, shock, and leave you feeling thankful and up-to-date on sex in our society.

Barmak offers us an easy-reading and concise history of women’s sexual repression which, while lingering, had its heyday in the Victorian era (1837-1901). She refers to the medical and cultural “erasure and denial of female sexuality” as “a history of forgetting”. Take, for example, the medical marginalization of the clitoris which until the late ’70s was described as “but a small nub” and an infantile flicker to orgasm. Have you ever been confused about whether or not the G-spot really exists? How about female ejaculation (aka “squirting”)? Barmak puts all these head-spinning arguments to rest, leaving the reader in a rage about why—in a so-called sexually liberated era­—many of us remain confused about the female sexual anatomy.

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But Closer doesn’t solely focus on repression. In her intimate investigations, Barmak breaks through age-old ideals of prescriptive femininity that have served only to cage us in a sexual binary: man | woman. She explores the “wild frontier of women’s sexuality” where women seek sexual freedom in what she calls the “female sexual subculture.” Vulval massage, orgasmic meditation, group masturbation, workshops for women who have never experienced orgasm—these are just a few pro-active avenues to pleasure and healing for today’s North American women.

Interestingly, there are suggestions in Closer that some of these paths are influenced by (though “watered-down versions” of) non-Western views of eroticism. But one of the shortcomings of this book is that Barmak’s critiques are unmistakeably “Western”; while she doesn’t totally dismiss the South Asian Taoist, tantric, medieval Arab, and even North American Indigenous practices she surveys, her tone is often skeptical. Maybe we are lucky here on the West Coast to be exposed to a higher volume of open-minded approaches to spiritual and sensual entanglement.

Unfortunately, Barmak also teeters on non-productive generalizations about sex and gender. She sometimes hints that female anatomy is more complex than male, or breezily suggests that men need reassurance of their sexual prowess. These are often subtle and make my skin crawl – generalizations of this sort are unnecessary asides

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made by someone who should know better. In any instance where these generalizations are true, they are more likely the product of oppressive cultural norms and not innate biological differences. This points to the necessity of public sex-positive, systems-oriented, pleasure-based, sex education (that’s a mouthful to swallow). Sadly rare in the mainstream of North America.

Because Barmak is a journalist, not a Gender and Sexuality researcher—I don’t hold these critiques against her. And it is her journalistic flair that makes this book stand out. It is like you are with Barmak as she attends workshops, interviews researchers, reads through case studies and struggles to find supports for her qualitative inquiries. The stats and historical insights aren’t dry, they build a mosaic, a spectrum of women’s sexual experiences in the Western World. A tough topic to tackle, but she does it with accessible, light,and gripping prose.

I highly recommend reading this book with a friend, lover, or in a group. Because sexual experience is so diverse, having someone to discuss it with is fun and brings to the surface the strange and beautiful complexities of all our bodies, inclusive of all genders and sexual preferences.

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MUSIC ROUNDUP: Summer Edition

Brendan Barlow --The Navigator

Start off the school year right with this excellent selection of albums released over the last few months. Hopefully there’s a little something for everyone on this list.

Courtesy of <Amazon.com>

Courtesy of <Amazon.com>

Courtesy of <Amazon.com>

Frank Ocean – Blond

Chance The Rapper – Coloring Book

Russian Circles – Guidance

(August)

(May)

(August)

Knowing my love of “grown-up” R&B like that found in dvsn and The Weeknd, I had a pretty good idea that I was going to enjoy this new entry from Frank Ocean, and sure enough, my instincts were correct; Ocean’s album is fantastic, unique, and beautiful. It’s clear that Ocean puts a lot of himself into his music, and you are hearing a very raw part of him that gives Blond the honesty that sets it apart.

I’ll be brief here, because I’ve already talked about this album on Page 15. Suffice it to say, Coloring Book is one of the most interesting albums of 2016, and one of the best hip-hop albums I’ve ever had the pleasure of listening to. Chance the Rapper has proven himself to be something special, with a broad range of talents from hip-hop to gospel, and creating something truly unique within a genre that falls so easily into carbon copies of itself. You need to listen to this immediately.

For those of you in search for something heavy, look no further than Guidance. This is the latest release from Russian Circles, an instrumental rock band from the United States.

These guys are great musicians, and the album had an air of Deafheaven about it, without the vocals of course. The songs are intense, and create some really interesting soundscapes that are just a great listen. Definitely a well-deserved addition to this list, and something worth your time.

Courtesy of <Amazon.com>

Courtesy of <Imgur.com>

Thrice – To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere

S U R V I V E – Stranger Things Soundtrack

(May)

(August)

A bit of nostalgia for me, and surely for many of you.

Having grown up listening to Thrice’s 2003 album The Artist In The Ambulance, it’s been awhile since the band released any music that really did anything for me. To Be Everywhere reminded me of everything that I loved about the band as a teenager, while still demonstrating growth both musically and lyrically. The album is heavy, angsty, but also effectively adult in its delivery. It’s a strong rock album, and one that works much better than I had initially expected it to.

Could this be the third mention of Stranger Things in this issue of The Nav? Maybe there’s something to that. S U R V I V E have composed the perfect soundtrack for Stranger Things, creating a sound reminiscent of the early soundtracks of John Carpenter’s films. This moody and intense electronic soundtrack is well worth having readily available to listen to. Aside from the great cast, the soundtrack really sets Stranger Things apart, and that alone makes this a strong recommendation. The album is available in two volumes, and there should be a physical copy available later this September.

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SPORTS & LIFESTYLE

The Ale Trail Brendan Barlow It’s hard to overlook the --huge boom of craft beer,

The Navigator and local breweries cropping up all over the place. In Nanaimo alone you can find three breweries, one of which opened recently near Maffeo Sutton park. This is definitely a great time to be a beer drinker, however, with so many choices, and more opening all the time, how could someone possibly choose just one brewery to visit?

In the interest of treating ourselves, my partner and I embarked on a modified version of what The Growler magazine calls “The Ale Trail”.

Our version of the trail began on Salt Spring Island, and made its way to Tofino. This guide

will introduce you to some fantastic craft beer (and amazing food!) that you might not have known was there.

It’s worth noting that we by no means visited all of the breweries here on the Island, there are far too many and even more coming over the next year. If you have a favourite, please feel free to let me know, because I’m always interested in trying another one. Here’s where we went, and what we thought of each: (Note: All beers are given a rating out of five. One: hated it, three: “liked it”, and five: “Loved It”. These are our personal reactions, and are obviously influenced by our own taste preferences.)

Beer, pretzels, and wooden menu’s at Gladstone Brewing.

Brendan Barlow

SALT SPRING ISLAND Salt Spring Island Ales

We Tried:

This was the first stop on our trip, and it was admittedly a bit of a disappointment. It wasn’t the beers or the atmosphere that let us down, however—it was the fact that the brewery was closed. The location is absolutely beautiful, it’s out of the way, and set in the woods on Salt Spring Island. As a compromise, we went to a local liquor store and picked up two Salt Spring Island Ale beers (and a cheeky Phillips as well), and took them back to our campsite to have a tasting of our own.

• • •

Where we ate:

Salt Spring Island Ales Dry Porter 3.5/5 Salt Spring Island Ales Heather Ale 3/5 Philips Brewing Pucker Plucker Cherry Sour 4/5

Our only food-stop on the island was Burger Bar 537, which offered up some really excellent burgers. A great choice for anyone travelling over that way looking for a burger.

All three were delicious—the Salt Spring Island offerings went really well with our dinner, and the cherry sour is a strong recommendation to anyone who (like me) enjoys a sour beer.

NANAIMO White SaIls Brewing

We Tried:

The second brewery we visited was also one of the youngest.

Occupying what used to be the Foundry Pub, White Sails is a great space that offers a relaxed atmosphere. While they don’t serve food, they offer some snacks, provide take out orders, and board games while you wait. White Sails is a very welcoming place with friendly staff.

• • • • • •

Where We Ate:

Departure Bay Session Ale 2.5/5 Yellow Point Pale Ale 2/5 Mount Benson IPA 3/5 Brickyard Beach Red Cream Ale 3/5 Snake Island Cascadian Dark Ale 3/5 Old City Smash Ale 3/5

The offerings from White Sails were all great, and gave us both a lot of enthusiasm for seeing how the brewery continues to grow. The stand out, for both of us, was the Brickyard Beach Red Cream Ale, which was absolutely delicious, and smooth.

Wolf Brewing

We Tried:

From White Sails, to Wolf Brewing, the biggest difference is the space; Wolf is located in a more industrial area, and the outside of the building is deceptively unwelcoming. The taproom, however, is really comfortable, and the staff are great.

• • • •

Irish Red Ale 3.5/5 Cerberus Triple Dry Hopped IPA 3/5 Golden Honey Ale 2.5/5 India Pale Ale 2/5

While much of the eating we did here in Nanaimo happened at home, we did make one special trip to Wa-Ku on Bowen Rd., which offers some of the best ramen I’ve ever had the pleasure of tasting. It’s likely many of you don’t know it exists, so it seems worthy of a mention here.

It was a pretty small selection, but the both of us had some standout favourites. For myself, it was the Cerberus Triple Hopped Dry IPA, which is surprising due to my general distaste for IPAs as a whole. My partner favoured the Irish Red Ale, and really it’s worth stopping in to see these folks, and try their beer.

We Tried:

Longwood Brewing

We Tried:

Nanaimo actually book-ended our trip, and Longwood Brewing taproom on Boxwood Rd. was the final stop on our trip. That said, it makes the most sense to group them all together by city, so there you go. This is not the brew pub, but rather the actual brewery tap room. It’s a bit out of the way, but has a great selection on offer. It’s also quite small, so you want to go in at a time that it’s not too busy, because I could see it getting cramped quite easily.

•

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• • • • •

Island Time Lager 3/5 Berried Alive Raspberry Ale 4/5 The One That Got Away Unfiltered Red Wheat Ale 4/5 Steam Punk Dunkelweizer 3/5 Russian Imperial Stoutnik 3.5/5 The Big One IPA 2/5

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Longwood is a Nanaimo institution and it’s easy to see why.

All of the offerings were great but the standouts were The One That Got Away, and Berried Alive. Both are smooth and delicious, and I recommend getting your hands on The One That Got Away before it, erm, gets away.

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Brendan Barlow

COURTENAY Gladstone Brewing

We Tried:

No doubt about it, this is is one of the best breweries on Vancouver Island. The atmosphere is great, they serve some of the best pizza I’ve ever had, and, most importantly, their beer is fantastic. So, just go there. Don’t worry about the rest of this article, get in your car and go to Gladstone.

• • • • • •

Where we ate:

Pilsner – Czech Lager 3/5 Kolsch – German Style 3/5 Sterling Silngle Belgian 3.5/5 Berliner Weisse 3.5/5 3-2-1 Sour 4/5 IPA 3.5/5

All of these were great, and they had some of the best branding of any of the breweries so far, it was the first time we came across tasting glasses we wanted an entire set of.

All of the offerings were great, the standouts were the 3-2-1 Sour (because I just love sour beers, I can’t help myself), and the Kolsch – German Style, which was light and floral.

Something worth mentioning is our trip to White Whale restaurant in Courtenay. I bring it up because the experience was a genuine disappointment. The space is crowded and chaotic, the server we had didn’t seem to care, and the food is grossly over-priced. Thankfully, the pizza we had at Gladstone was stunning, so our food-experience wasn’t a wash in Courtenay.

CUMBERLAND Cumberland Brewing

We Tried:

Hands down, Cumberland Brewing was the highlight of the trip. It’s another brewery that offers food, and it’s food that is way better than it has any business being. We had local baked brie and a jam packed ploughman’s lunch which only served to make the brewery more impressive. They also have the best priced flights of all of the breweries we visited, and one of the most consistently delicious line ups of beer out there. The catch: you can only get their product directly from the brewery.

• • • • • • • •

Forest Fog Unfiltered Wheat Ale 4/5 Just a Little Bitter English Bitter 3.5/5 ABBA British Brown Ale 4/5 The Dancing Linebacker Oatmeal Stout 4/5 Red Tape Pale Ale 3/5 IWA India White Ale – White IPA 4/5 Tropical Hope ISA 3.5/5 Finally! IPA 3/5

Cumberland has one of the broadest, and strongest selections on the Island. I recognize that our tour didn’t cover the whole Island, but it’s a fair statement to make.

Add the excellent beer to the tremendous food, and you need to be making your way out to Cumberland right now.

TOFINO ToFino Brewing

We Tried:

Likely one of the more well known on our list, Tofino Brewing falls into the same industrial trap that Wolf does. While it seems a bit uninviting from the front. The taproom is comfortable and has a great atmosphere. You can smell the spent grain, and the manufacturing is present everywhere, where Wolf tries hide their manufacturing behind the scenes, Tofino owns it.

• • • •

Where we ate:

Blonde Ale 4/5 Tuff Session 3.5/5 Hoppin Cretin IPA 3/5 Kelp Stout 4/5

We grabbed a bite at Shelter Restaurant while we were in Tofino, and had some simple but delicious food. The both of us also tried, and enjoyed, a Stanley Park Sunsetter Summer Ale, which is made with peaches and makes for a really light, refreshing beer.

Tofino had a small but delicious offering, and was one of the few breweries we visited that offered a stout, which I’m always grateful for. The standouts were the Kelp Stout, made with locally harvested kelp, and the Blonde Ale, which is a really nice, refreshing beer.

I hope this guide gets you out to experience some great local beer on this Island of ours. We plan to visit Victoria in the near future, which seems to have enough breweries to warrant a guide of its own.

For more photos and writing on this Ale Trail, you can visit <overtheriverandthrough.tumblr.com>.

If you have questions, contact our arts editor at arts@thenav.ca or find @TheBarleyGuy on Instagram.

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Lavender lemonade Catherine Charlebois School is starting --and we’re all still

Generations Church •

2 cups cold water

Cole Schisler ---

Generations Church hosts Protestant worship services at 1300 Princess Royal Ave. every The Navigator Sunday morning at 10 am across from Terminal Park Mall.

Churchgoers can gather at 9:30 for a pre-service prayer hosted in the church’s prayer room. This also provides an opportunity to connect with fellow church members and enjoy a free coffee or tea before the main worship service.

Worship is kicked off with an energetic performance by the church band, then the service is led by Pastor Darcy Siggelkow.

Generations Church hosts Vertigo youth group meetings every Friday at 7 pm, starting Friday September 16. Youth and young adults in high school and university are encouraged to stop by to enjoy a service and to connect with fellow Christians in Nanaimo. For VIU students, there are similar gatherings hosted

by University Christian Ministries every Thursday at 7 pm in Bldg.

255 Rm. 170.

To kick off their new fall schedule, Generations is hosting a Fall Launch pancake breakfast at 9 am on Sunday September 11, everyone is welcome.

This article is the first in a series about the various places of worship throughout Nanaimo.

The Navigator

clinging on to that summer high, with its sun and freedom.

Before hunkering down and embracing autumn flavours of pumpkin and deep aromas of cinnamon, have yourself one last glass of summer—with added benefits too. One of the more gentle essential oils, lavender is also an effective stress and anxiety reliever. According to <collective-evolution.com>, “lavender oil possesses amazing anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antidepressant, antiseptic, antibacterial, antimicrobial, antispasmodic, analgesic, detoxifier, hypotensive, and sedative properties” and can even help lower your heart rate.

Delicious, fresh, and invigorating, this summer drink is a perfect pick-me-up for the impending autumn weather.

Courtesy of <catchingseeds.com>

Instructions 1. In a pot on the stove, heat water and add lavender. Bring the combined ingredients to a boil.

Ingredients

2. In a pitcher pour cold water.

2 cups hot water 1/2 cup of dried lavender (or 1 drop of ----lavender essential oil) • 1 cup lemon juice (or use freshly squeezed ----lemons) • 1/2 of sugar or any other sweetener

3. Strain lavender water and pour in pitcher (or add essential oil), then add lemon juice.

•

•

4. Mix together and chill. Add more water or honey to taste. For garnish, add lemon slices or a sprig of lavender.

Alberni Outpost Adventures

Canada’s Largest International University and Student Travel Expo

Cole Schisler ---

For many students arriving for the fall semester, the first glimpse of Nanaimo Contributor came from the deck of a BC Ferry approaching the terminal of Departure Bay. Along the harbour, some may have seen sea planes, sail boats, and people laughing as they splashed along in kayaks. With the help of Alberni Outpost, you could be one of those happy people.

Located at 1840 Stewart Dr., the Alberni Outpost Adventure Centre offers a variety of services such as canoe, kayak and stand up paddle board rentals, paddle board yoga, lessons on kayaking and paddle boarding, as well as paddling events throughout the day ending with a full moon paddle around Departure Bay. The Alberni Outpost also offers many kayaking tours such as a tour of nearby Newcastle Island, which includes half a day of paddling and lunch on the shore of Newcastle Island, available daily from 10 am-2 pm.

For more information on tours, lessons and equipment rentals, contact the Alberni Outpost Adventure centre at 250-754-6626 or by email at <adventures@albernioutpost.com>.

You can also find them online at: <albernioutpost.com>.

Study

Travel Work

r Voluntee

SEPT 24

VANCOUVER CONVENTION CENTRE EXPO • 1 pm - 5 pm SEMINARS • 12 noon - 5 pm

www.studyandgoabroad.com

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SPORTS & LIFESTYLE

TSS FC Black vs. VIU Mariners at Merle Logan Field 1

2

3

4

VIU won 2-0

5

1 — Mariners forward Chloe Gummer (#6) plays keep away from a defender.

2 — Mariners forward Rachel Jones (#13) advances upfield. Jones scored the Mariners’ lone first half goal.

3 — Mariners defender Zoe Grace (#19) passes to forward Brittany Harry.

4 — The team huddles up for halftime.

5 — Mariners midfielder Kaylee Dodds (#8)

gets wrapped up with her teammate and opponent. Dodds scored a second half goal to put the Mariners up 2-0.

Spenser Smith Catch the VIU Mariners’ soccer game on September 17, beginning at 1 pm and 3 pm with back-to-back women’s and men’s games at the Nanaimo turf field.

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Brandon Kornelson is a Sociology and History student. He hopes to become a journalist. Features quote from Niel deGrasse Tyson.

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SEPTEMBER

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

7

8

9

10

Island Roots Farmers Market

Roberts Hall and Ben Zyakin

Arcade Fire Tribute Night

MosaiCon

Beban Fairgrounds, 2300 Bowen Rd.

The Vault Café, 499 Wallace St.

Dinghy Dock Pub, 8 Pirates Lane

Vancouver Island Conference Centre, 101 Gordon St.

4 – 6:30 pm

Starts 8 pm

Doors 7 pm

9 am – 11 pm

FREE

FREE

$20

$20

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

148th Cowichan Exhibition

Learn How to Make Cheese: Feta

Out of Sight

VIUSU Frosh Fest Parking lot Q

Malaspina Theatre 40th Anniversary Party

Cowichan Exhibition Grounds, 7380 Trans Canada Hwy.

Gabriola Island

Nanaimo Art Gallery, 150 Commercial St.

A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur

Malaspina Theatre

1 – 3 pm

10 am – 5 pm

$65

FREE

FREE

Chemainus Theatre Festival, 9737 Chemainus Rd.

Retro to Electro: Vintage Swing Retro Revue and Dance Party

12 – 5 pm

2 or 7:30 pm

8 am – 4 pm

$47

$20

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Terry Fox Run

Shakespeare by the Sea

Strategy Board Game Night

Pioneer Waterfront Plaza, Front St.

Nanaimo Harbourfront Library, 90 Commercial St.

1:30 – 3:30 pm

5:30 – 8 pm

$29

FREE

Bowen Park, 500 Bowen Rd. Registration 9 am FREE

Starts at 6 pm FREE

Nanaimo Entertainment Centre, 46 Nicol St. 8 pm – 2 am $35

JOIN THE NAVIGATOR ONLINE

THENAV.CA /THENAVIGATORNEWSPAPER @THENAV_VIU

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CALENDAR

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theMASTHEAD THURSDAYS - 1PM-3PM 101.7 FM CHLY THURSDAYS - 1PM-3PM 101.7 FM CHLY