Vol XXX Issue XIII - April 3 2017

UBCO’s Student Newspaper

April 3rd 2017 | Vol 30, Issue 13

Footloose since 1989

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thephoenixnews.com |

News

News

Life

UBCO Food Exchange p.4

Recess 2017 Crowd Pleases with Zeds Dead p.7-8

Recess Fashion p.13

Opinions

Sports

Five Days for the Homeless p.3

AlterKnowledge Discussions p.5

Arts

Plant Based 101 Workshop p.11

John Hindle Drive Construction p.6

Graduation Ball p.20

Artist Feature: Tingting Niu p.18

Why Can’t You Cry, Man? p.21

TV Review: Marvel’s Iron Fist p.19

Party Culture and Rape Culture p.23

Arts Editor Paula Tran

Art Director Sarah James

Sports Editor Grayson B. Leahy

coordinating@thephoenixnews.com

University Centre 3333 University Way Kelowna, BC, Canada V1Y 5N3 Office: UNC 132B Phone: 250-807-9296

artdirector@thephoenixnews.com

Cover by David Vassiliev Masthead photo by David Vassiliev

sports@thephoenixnews.com

Production Editor Kelsi Brown

Phoenix Columnist Mark Dreger

Senior Copy Editor Francesca Gimson

Life Editor Brie Welton

Junior Copy Editor Nick Huertas

Staff Writer Frances Carruthers

Opinions Editor Tyrel Lamoureux

Staff Writer Riley Schlosser

News Editor Sarah Maryschuk

Web Editor Justin Kroeker

production@thephoenixnews.com

copy@thephoenixnews.com

thephoenixnews.com

arts@thephoenixnews.com

huertas@thephoenixnews.com

opinions@thephoenixnews.com

news@thephoenixnews.com

current.affairs@thephoenixnews.com

life@thephoenixnews.com

carruthers@thephoenixnews.com

schlosser@thephoenixnews.com

web@thephoenixnews.com

Kelowna Dessert Reviews p.14-15

Heat Student Athletes Honoured at 9th Annual Awards Banquet p.25

Annual Queer Cabaret: Pony p.17

Coordinating Editor Jacky Deng

Campus

Heat Men’s Rugby 7s Place 5th at National Tournament p.27

Photo Editor/ Video Editor Riley Petillion video@thephoenixnews.com photo@thephoenixnews.com

Visuals Editor Sarah Dowler

visuals@thephoenixnews.com

Ad Sales Alex Barberis

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Contributors Michael Flood, Dayne Patterson, Nick Vantol, David Vassiliev

The Phoenix is the UBCO students’ free press. Editorial content is separate from the University of British Columbia Student’s Union Okanagan (UBCSUO) and from the UBC institution at large.

The editorial staff encourages everyone to submit material to The Phoenix but reserves the right to withdraw submissions from publication for any reason. “Any reason” could be material deemed to be sexist, racist, homophobic, or of poor taste or quality. The Phoenix will not publish materials which condone, promote, or express actions which are illegal under current laws. This does not include articles which provide an in-depth examination of both sides of a controversial subject.

The Phoenix is published, in part, by the UBCSUO and is an active member of the Canadian University Press.

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News | thephoenixnews.com | Sarah Maryschuk - News Editor

News

Photo by Riley Petillion/ The Phoenix News

FIVE DAYS FOR THE HOMELESS, FIVE DAYS FOR HOPE OUTREACH This year’s Five Days for the Homeless campaign raised money for HOPE, a local women’s shelter and outreach

Sarah Maryschuk – News Editor

with a message of support for H.O.P.E. Outreach, a local women’s shelter and outreach group. Following the kick-off, the Five Days campaign and participants hosted two pancake breakfasts, a BB Q, and a bottle drive on campus.

Canoe Coffee spent several days on campus, donating some of the proceeds from coffee sales to the efforts as well. A final wrap-up event was also held at Dakoda’s Sports Bar downtown.

Created in 2008, by founder Angie Lohr, H.O.P.E. (Helping Out People Exploited) Outreach functions not only as an onthe-streets outreach group, but also as the House of H.O.P.E. (created in 2010).

This space was designed for exploited women and teens in need to find the help and support they need, as well as to connect these

“ Over the course of the week a total amount of just over $3300 was raised, alongside non-perishable food donations and hygiene products which will be donated to H.O.P.E.

“

This year’s Five Days for the Homeless event took place from Sunday, March 19 through Friday, March 24. The goal of the campaign was to reduce the stigmatization around homelessness and surrounding those who experience homelessness.

Each night, in addition to the five students who pledged to sleep outdoors for the entire week, five or six other students joined the group for a night or two.

Participating students slept on broken down cardboard, and huddled beneath blankets or sleeping bags.

For the entire week the core group ate only donated food, water, and hot drinks, and spent most of their time running fundraisers and awareness events to support the program.

The week began with a kick-off event in Kerr y Park,

individuals with further resources or aid. Due to financial struggles, the House of H.O.P.E. closed its doors in early 2016, and instead focused on raising the funds to hire staff to run the ever-busy and bustling home. Street outreach continued, with nightly groups heading out at dusk each and ever y day to hand out care packages to women in need, and to create relationships of trust and support between the exploited women of Kelowna and the resources they can reach out to. These outreach teams also helped facilitate a “Bad Date” reporting program, which allows women to report bad dates and help deter and decrease violence towards women and sex-trade workers.

Five Days for the Homeless chose to partner with H.O.P.E. Outreach as

they’ve worked together in the past, and due to the financial struggles the group has been going through, the team behind Five Days figured they could help out. Over the course of the week a total amount of just over $3300 was raised, alongside nonperishable food donations and hygiene products which will be donated to H.O.P.E. as well. For final fundraising details, or to get involved with H.O.P.E. Outreach, check out Five Days for the Homeless Kelowna on Facebook or H.O.P.E. Outreach online.

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Sarah Maryschuk - News Editor | thephoenixnews.com |

EXPLORING UBCO’S FOOD EXCHANGE

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Photo by Kelsi Brown/ The Phoenix News

Misconceptions and new features of UBCO’s Food Exchange program Michael Flood - News Writer

groceries and other supplies such as feminine hygiene products and even pet food!

Beyond its location, there are a number of unknowns about the food exchange.

For one, it’s more than just a shelf of food around a corner. This academic year, the exchange kicked off its ‘Food for Thought’ program and organized four separate meals (two breakfasts and two dinners) where 10-15 students convened and shared in the cooking and consuming of these ‘food-conscious’ sessions. The aim is to have students think critically about issues of food security in a university community. As Beauregard pointed out to me, “It’s a huge issue for university students because forty-percent

“ ‘It’s a huge issue for university students because forty-percent of students across Canada do experience food insecurity.’

– Molly Beauregard

“

First and foremost—where is the food exchange? This is but one of the many questions students have regarding UBCO’s Food Exchange program. The aim of this piece is to answer some of the lingering questions and myths we hold about our beloved campus food resource. I had the opportunity to sit down with Food Exchange volunteer and organizer, Molly Beauregard, who helped answer some of my (and your) questions about the program.

To answer my opening question, the exchange is located next the Health and Wellness Centre on the third floor of the UNC building.

Peek around the corner just past the counselling office and you’ll see a stocked shelf of

of students across Canada do experience food insecurity.”

This food exchange program is particularly important to her because “it is students helping students […] all funded by donations.”

Despite the need to address food insecurity, the program is not just for those who identify as food insecure, and this is a misconception the organizers hope to address. They are well aware that sometimes you just don’t have time to put a meal together, you forget to pack lunch, or your budget is running thin and a free meal would do you wonders; moral of the story, everyone is welcome to access UBCO’s Food Exchange program and donations are always welcome.

On the topic of donations, another myth is that only non-perishables are accepted—no! There is a fridge next to the shelf for perishable food donations as well. Lastly, the ‘Hamper’ program is an addition to the Food Exchange that allows you to anonymously fill out a grocery list from an extensive list of options, and pick up your ‘hamper’ when notified.

For more information on the food exchange and/or to fill out a hamper form, visit the website students.ok.ubc.ca/ campuslife/foodexchange.

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News | thephoenixnews.com | Sarah Maryschuk - News Editor

Illustration by Kelsi Brown/ The Phoenix News

ALTERKNOWLEDGE DISCUSSION SERIES HITS HOME The community-based discussions create profound dialogue that reshapes our views on a range of issues Michael Flood - News Writer

The AlterKnowledge Discussion series has been an important igniter of community conversation in this community and beyond since its inception.

The roster of talks and symposia hosted by the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies (FCCS) is as impressive as it is pertinent. It is easy enough to breeze through your university years without looking outside the box to the local and global issues at our doorstep, but this provocative series allows you to do just that.

Topics in the 2016-17 lineup have ranged from rethinking our global humanitarian framework (“Are we really helping?”) to an exploration of colonial settlement

in BC hosted by members of the Syilx Nation. Whatever the topic, the organizers have declared that the series “aims to foster community-based knowledgemaking, bringing people together to discuss, share, and (un)learn, as a practice of decolonization.”

The most recent AlterKnowledge discussion, “Told but Unheard: Racial and Cultural Barriers in Settlement and Integration,” featured a project currently underway by both UBCO students and Kelowna community members that discusses the systematic, implicit, and explicit forms of discrimination experienced by settlers in Canada. Key

mentions highlighted the significant room for growth and understanding when it comes to multiculturalism in Canada.

While often analogously painted as a beautiful mosaic, Canadian society is not always perceived as such, and some shocking statistics shed light on the adversarial views of many Canadians towards refugees and immigrants. The speakers brought up a recent Angus Reid Poll that suggested a sizeable minority, 41%, of Canadians believe we are already taking in too many refugees— however, they showed that our acceptance numbers are already quite unimpressive and even insignificant when compared

to the numbers accepted by countries like Jordan in the Middle East, and Germany in Europe.

The “Told but Unheard” project intimately educated its audience through a panel discussion where three individuals born outside of Canada shared their experiences of discrimination, acceptance, and resilience whilst adjusting to the Kelowna and Canadian community. A common theme of the night was discussed of whether ‘minorities’ should assimilate to Canadian ways of living, but the paradox in the question is that minorities are Canadian themselves. Regardless of your ethnicity, place of birth,

or background, the aim is not to assimilate to one way of being as much as it is to understand and accept one another for who we are.

The call-to-action of the AlterKnowledge series prompts the audience to ask important questions, questions much like those explored by the documentary filmmakers featured at the most recent discussion. While the roster has expired for this year, keep your ears and eyes open for the 201718 AlterKnowledge discussion series. For more information visit: fccs.ok.ubc.ca/news-events/ ongoing/alterknowledge.

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Sarah Maryschuk - News Editor | thephoenixnews.com |

News

Photo by Riley Petillion/ The Phoenix News

JOHN HINDLE DRIVE PROJECT TENDERING PROCESS STARTED John Hindle Drive extension to begin construction this summer Dayne Patterson - News Contributor

Avenue near the Creative and Critical Studies building.

The University of British Columbia has partnered with the City of Kelowna, as well as both the Provincial and Federal governments, to develop the John Hindle Drive extension. The City of Kelowna will be contributing the majority of the funding, offering $4.6 million towards the $11.6 million project, whilst the Provincial and Federal governments will be splitting the remaining $7 million at $3.5 million each.

The new road extension will improve traffic flow by diverting traffic from Highway 97 through an alternate route from Glenmore Road, allowing those in the Glenmore Valley area to travel more quickly to important destinations including UBCO and the Kelowna International Airport.

The project also holds future opportunities for the University campus.

“ University Way will be closed off to traffic at some point, and that will allow it to be a very pedestrian friendly place.

“

Kelowna’s new John Hindle Drive road extension has finally entered the construction tendering process. The new public roadway will run adjacent to UBCO’s western boundary, through UBCO’s west campus lands, and connect to Glenmore Road, improving travel time for UBCO students, staff, and faculty from different areas of the city.

The John Hindle Drive extension has two connecting projects: construction of a new public roadway, projected to begin during the summer of 2017; and a new western access road onto campus, coordinated

by UBCO for the summer of 2018.

The access road being constructed by UBCO will be timed to coincide with the completion of the John Hindle Drive extension. The west access road will connect John Hindle Drive, through parking Lot G, to Discovery

Bud Mortenson, director of UBC Okanagan University Relations, said, “John Hindle Drive will give us a loop around the edge of the campus to allow us to move around the perimeter. Then, we can close off some parts of the interior of the campus [such as University Way] to make it more pedestrian-friendly, which is a key objective in the Campus Plan.”

Mortenson continued, “The idea is that University Way [between the Fipke and University Centre buildings], will be closed off to traffic at some point, and that will allow it to be a very pedestrian-friendly place.

We may be able to hold public events right out there. What today is a street, a roadway, will become like a public plaza.”

However, Mortenson says he realizes that some people may take advantage of the new road through campus, “With a very busy highway there would be a natural

impulse for the public to drive through the campus. We don’t want that to happen. We want them to use the public road, the city’s road.” One of the ideas of the project is to divert vehicle traffic from the centre of campus to make it more pedestrian friendly rather than bringing more traffic through the middle of campus.

The John Hindle Drive extension will also include a multi-use pathway with a cycling lane separated from the main roadway.

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News | thephoenixnews.com | Sarah Maryschuk - News Editor

Illustration by Sarah Dowler/ The Phoenix News

CANADIAN PARLIAMENT PASSES ISLAMOPHOBIA MOTION Controversial M-103 motion passes Parliament, despite declining popularity Mark Dreger - Phoenix Columnist

support for this motion and I’m really looking forward to the committee taking on this study,” said Liberal MP Iqra Khalid, the woman who tabled the motion back in December.

The motion calls for the government to “condemn Islamophobia and all forms of systemic racism and religious discrimination,” “quell the increasing public climate of hate and fear,” and to have the heritage committee collect data on hate crime reports and present their findings within 8 months.

The Conservatives tabled their own motion where the

“ ‘The word ‘Islamophobia’ can be used to mean both discrimination against Muslims and criticism of Islamic doctrine or practice. It is important that we not conflate the two...’

— Conservative MP Garnett Genuis

“

After receiving wide support from the Liberals and the NDP, controversial motion M-103 passed the House with 201 votes for, and 91 against on March 23.

While nearly all the Liberal and NDP MPs voted in favour of the motion, the Conservatives and the Bloc Québécois voted against. The only Conservatives to vote for the motion were Conservative leadership candidate Michael Chong—who indicated weeks ago that he would support the motion—and MP Bruce Stanton.

“I’m really happy that the vote today has shown positive

only major difference was the exclusion of the word Islamophobia, but the Liberal majority voted it down, regardless of support from the rest of Parliament.

Despite the motion’s purpose, critics say that it could lead to a future bill that may stifle free speech in the name of Islamophobia, a word that is not defined in the motion.

“The word ‘Islamophobia’ can be used to mean both discrimination against Muslims and criticism of Islamic doctrine or practice,” said Conservative MP Garnett Genuis. “It is important that

we not conflate the two — religious people deserve legal protection, but religions do not.”

While Parliament voted in favour, the motion’s controversy has not gone unnoticed by Canadians.

According to the Angus Reid Institute, 42% of Canadians would vote against the motion while 29% would vote in favour with 29% undecided.

The Forum Poll also found that a majority of Canadians believe the motion still needs work, with only 14% believing the motion should be left as is.

CANADA CONSIDERING U.S. IN-FLIGHT ELECTRONICS BAN Canada may join US and UK with large electronics ban on flights to Middle Eastern nations Mark Dreger - Phoenix Columnist

Following recent actions by the United States and the United Kingdom, Canada is currently contemplating a ban of large in-flight electronics on direct flights to many Middle Eastern countries.

The US and UK have banned electronic devices “larger than a cellphone or smartphone” from carry-on luggage on flights to airports in several Middle Eastern countries. Devices such as laptops, tablets, cameras,

e-readers, portable DVD players, travel printers, and hand-held gaming consoles must be stowed in checked baggage on such flights. The ban will not be in place for domestic flights and will only affect flights to the airports in the countries listed.

In the US, the ban affects 8 countries and their major airports: Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the UAE. In the UK, the ban also affects airports in

Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, but also includes Tunisia.

The ban comes in place as a response to intelligence obtained in recent weeks that claims al-Qaeda affiliates have perfected a way of hiding explosives in batteries and battery compartments of large consumer electronics. In 2016, a member of the terrorist group al-Shabaab attempted to down a passenger jet in Somalia using a

laptop bomb.

The American Department of Homeland Security justified the ban because terrorists “are aggressively pursuing innovative methods to undertake their attacks, […] to include smuggling explosive devices in various consumer items.”

The US ban is scheduled to last until October, but if the threat remains, the ban will be extended for another year.

The only flight currently

affected in Canada is Royal Jordanian airlines AmmalMontreal flight plan, due to the flight’s layover in Detroit.

Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has condemned the ban, as Turkish Airlines is included in the ban. In 2016, Istanbul’s Atatürk Airport was the 14th busiest in the world by passenger traffic, a rank that may decline under the new restrictions.

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RECESS 2017 CROWD PLEASED WITH ZEDS DEAD The annual year-end party provides entertainment for over 2,500 students and community members

Fran Carruthers - Staff Writer

a rou nd 5: 3 0 p. m . Fi r s t to t he s t a ge we re O t toHu mou r, a Ke low n a-b a s e d g roup w ho a l s o pl aye d at Fro s h .

Ne x t up w a s Au s sie Tr ap/ B a s s DJ, GG M a g re e , f a me d for he r fe i s t y b a s s -f ue l le d s e t s .

St i r r i n g up e nt hu si a sm for t he n i g ht to c ome , s he k i l le d it w it h pu nc hy b e at s a nd s t ron g vo c a l s .

M a g re e i s a l s o k now n for he r c ol l a b or at ion w it h he a d l i ne r s Z e d s D e a d i n t he t r a c k “Front l i ne s .”

In pre v iou s ye a r s , he a d l i ne r s for t he e ve nt h ave i nc lud e d t he l i k e s of O m a r ion & D e or ro, Wa k a F lo c k a , a nd Jo e y B a d a $ $ .

This ye a r, re t u r n i n g he a d l i ne r s Zeds Dead,

“ Returning headliners Zeds Dead stirred the excitement of the audience and promised that the vibes were lit during the later hours of the night.

“

We we re g r a c e d w it h b e aut i f u l s u n ny s k ie s on M a rc h 31, t he d ay of U B C O’s hot l y a nt ic ip at e d a n nu a l p a r t y, Recess.

Fe at u r i n g a s t e l l a r l i ne up of Z e d s D e a d , Ke y s n K r at e s , Roy Wo o d $ a nd G G M a g re e , t h i s ye a r ’s e ve nt s aw ove r 2 , 5 0 0 s t ud e nt s a nd me mb e r s of t he pu bl ic c ome out to e njoy t he go o d mu sic a nd go o d v ib e s .

F lo c k i n g to t he gat e s i n t he e a rl y hou r s of t he e ve n i n g , c l a n s of g i rl s a nd g u y s to ok f u l l a d v a nt a ge of t he t ropic a l 10 - d e g re e w a r mt h i n t- s h i r t s a nd s hor t s . T he e ve nt , w h ic h i s or ga n i s e d by t he U B C SUO a nd B lue pr i nt Eve nt s , s aw g ue s t s t r ic k l i n g i n f rom

a n e le c t ron ic mu sic duo f rom Toronto, s t i r re d t he e xc it e me nt of t he aud ie nc e a nd prom i s e d t h at v ib e s we re l it du r i n g t he l at e r hou r s of t he n i g ht . T he i r mu sic h a s b e e n pr a i s e d for it s ge n re - d e f y i n g qu a l it ie s , c ombi n i n g aspects of g r i me , du b s t e p, e le c t ro a nd d r u m ‘n’ b a s s .

R app er a nd si nger Roy Wo o d $ p e r for m a nc e w a s f u l l of e ne r g y ; fe at u r i n g a m i x of h i s si g n at u re smo ot h vo c a l s a nd dow nt e mp o g ro ove s . H i s p e r for m a nc e pu l le d i n a l a r ge r c rowd , w it h h it s l i k e “D r a m a” a nd “Je a lou s y ” s t i r r i n g t he c rowd a nd gat he r i n g t he i r e nt hu si a sm for w h at w a s to c ome . O ne of t he p e ople

I a s k e d s a id , “Roy wo o d $ i s a n a m a z i n g a r t i s t a nd s e t t he v ib e for t he e nt i re n i g ht .”

I ga r ne re d a fe w quot e s f rom f r ie nd s a nd ne a r by aud ienc e memb er s a b out t he e ve nt . “It w a s l it ,” s a id K at e , a f i r s t-ye a r s t ud e nt .

K ay l ie , a l s o i n he r f i r s t ye a r, not e d t h at ge ne r a l l y t he re we re m a ny “sic k b a nger s ,” w h i l s t a not her g ue s t a d d e d “Ke y s n K r at e s h a d s ome b a n ge r s .”

I w a nt e d to le a r n more , s o I a s k e d Moh a m me d A z z a r, s o om-to -b e V P S e r v ic e s , a fe w que s t ion s a b out R e c e s s 2 017. Fi r s t l y, I w a s c u r iou s to k now how t he a r t i s t s a re c ho s e n a nd by w hom . “ T he Vic e pre sid e nt of

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News | thephoenixnews.com | Sarah Maryschuk - News Editor

“R e c e s s we nt pre t t y smo ot h l y. We we re a ble to k e e p e ve r y t h i n g u nd e r c ont rol w h i le k e e pi n g e ve r yone h app y a nd s a fe .

T he re we re go o d v ib e s a l l a rou nd .”

W he n a s k e d w h at h a d b e e n t he h i g h s a nd low s of or ga n i si n g t he e ve nt , he c om me nt e d , “It i s ve r y h a rd w he n it c ome s to or ga n i z i n g a n e ve nt of t h i s si z e . T he re a re a lot of h i g h s a nd low s , a lot of p e ople do not re a l i z e t h at t he re i s a lot of work t h at go e s i nto it a nd it ’s not ju s t c ho o si n g a n a r t i s t a nd doi n g a c ouple t h i n g s .

T he re a re a lot of p e r m it s a nd ot he r ne c e s sit ie s t h at we ne e d i n ord e r to h ave

“ Roy Wood$ performance was full of energy; featuring a mix of his signature smooth vocals and downtempo grooves.

“

s e r v ic e s i s t he one w ho i s i n c h a r ge of or ga n i z i n g R e c e s s a nd Fro s h ,” s a id A z z a r. “ T he U B SUO t e a m i s a lw ay s t he re he lpi n g out a nd prov id i n g s upp or t i n a re a s t h at a re ne e d e d . T he a r t i s t s e le c t ion pro c e s s i s u s u a l l y b e t we e n t he Vic e P re sid e nt of S e r v ic e s a nd B lue pr i nt . A s I prom i s e d , I w i l l b e t r y i n g to ge t s t ud e nt s i nvol ve d i n t h at pro c e s s . I w i l l b e doi n g s o by s e nd i n g out a n e m a i l to a l l t he s t ud e nt s w it h a l i s t i n ord e r to ge t fe e d b a c k .

T h i s m i g ht not h app e n for Fro s h g i ve n t he t i g ht t i me f r a me . Howe ver, hop e f u l ly we w i l l h ave it for R e c e s s .”

A s for t he ove r a l l v ib e of t he e ve nt , he not e d ,

t h i s e ve nt r u n smo ot h l y, s a fe l y a nd we l l . At t he e nd of t he d ay, I for one love b e i n g a ble to s e e s t ud e nt s h av i n g a go o d t i me w h i le a l s o e njoy i n g t he m s e l ve s .

Mu sic h a s t he p owe r to br i ng p e ople toge t her w h i le u n it i n g u s a l l a nd m a k i n g u s one .”

A f t e r t he s uc c e s s of R e c e s s , m a ny s t ud e nt a re k e en ly a nt ic ip at i ng how Fro s h m i g ht t u r n out .

“Fro s h i s goi n g b e a bi g one ,” c om me nt e d A z z a r.

“I h ave a lot of ne w id e a s t h at we a re t r y i n g to br i n g i nto pl ay. It w a s one of t he t h i n g s I s t re s s e d i n my c a mp a i g n e x p a nd i n g , a nd i n t h at re ga rd I w i l l b e c om m it t i n g to my

prom i s e s . I a l s o w a nt to b e a ble to s howc a s e t he t a le nt t h at we h ave on t h i s c a mpu s a nd a l s o prov id e opp or t u n it ie s to t ho s e w ho w a nt to he lp out .”

O ve r a l l , it i s c le a r t h at t he U B C SUO a nd B lue pr i nt e ve nt s h ave , onc e a ga i n , put on a n i mpre s si ve e ve nt for t h i s ye a r ’s s pr i n g p a r t y, a nd t he e njoy me nt of aud ie nc e s re a l l y i s t e s t a me nt to t h i s .

Photos by David Vassiliev/ The Phoenix News

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Sarah Maryschuk - News Editor | thephoenixnews.com |

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Photo provided by Margo Yacheshyn

UBC’S NEXT CENTURY IN YOUR HANDS

UBC project allows students to voice their opinions through the strategic plan: UBC’s Next Century Dayne Patterson - News Contributor

as “an opportunity for students and other members of the community to learn more about the [eight] strategic priorities and the core commitments that we have set out; and to give us feedback about the work that we’ve done so far and what they’d like to see us do next.”

Cunliffe proceeded to outline two different ways to get involved at the events on campus: “one possibility is to come and have a look at the posters, to fill out the guidebook.

The second is to sit down at a table and have a deeper conversation about [one of the strategic priorities] you feel passionately about. Both allow you to enter to win a prize!”

When asked to explain why UBC is developing a new strategic plan, substituting “Place and Promise” with UBC’s Next Century project, Cunliffe stated that “‘Place and Promise’ was brought

“ UBC has initiated a new project titled, ‘UBC’s Next Century.’

“

In 2009, UBC implemented a strategic plan titled, “Place and Promise,” designed to help the University achieve its strategic priorities. To update these priorities, UBC has initiated a new project titled, “UBC’s Next Century.”

UBC is in the planning stage of the project and a steering committee, comprised of students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members, has identified a draft set of strategies for public discussion. These priorities will guide the decisionmaking at the University of British Columbia on both the Vancouver and Okanagan campuses.

On Monday, March 20, a UBC’s Next Century event was hosted in the Fipke building with a line of posters, specialty tables, informative booklets and food.

Emma Cunliffe, Senior Advisor to President Ono, stated UBC’s goals in relation to the events on campus

into effect in 2009 and it served us really well, but the world changes quickly–we have a new president and a lot has happened since 2009.

It’s an opportunity to revisit our institutional priorities and to think about what we would like to do with our next quarter century and then into our next hundred years.”

Beyond these events, UBC is conducting online surveys until April 20 to reach out to the UBC students through e-mail. More than 1,100 have responded, but UBC hopes to hear from more.

When asked what UBC plans to do with all the information acquired from the UBC’s Next Century campus events and surveys, Cunliffe said, “we’ll analyze the responses to the survey and feedback given at the in-person events and prepare some reports that will be shared with our steering committee and the community.” It will settle

the strategic priorities and identify questions to be pursued by task forces.

Cunliffe continued, “over the summer we’ll have a series of task forces and working groups that will start to think about how we can really drive some positive transformational change in respect of the strategic priorities, and we’ll have further opportunity for community involvement along the way.”

Students are given the rare opportunity to influence UBC’s Next Century, come out to the next campus event on Thursday, March 30 from 12:00-2:00p.m. in the Fipke Building.

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Life | thephoenixnews.com | Brie Welton - Life Editor

Life

Photo provided by Emilie Berthiaume

PLANT BASED 101 WORKSHOP

Students in Support of Critical Animal Studies host a successful event about plant-based living Fran Carruthers – Staff Writer

On March 24, 2016, Students in Support of Critical Animal Studies held a “Plant Based 101” workshop.

The event was designed for students interested in becoming vegan, vegetarian, or switching to a more plantbased lifestyle, and attracted around 40 students looking to engage with the student vegan community.

The event began with an icebreaker quiz made by Rob Velzeboer, based on facts and statistics about the meat industry. Students connected to the quiz through the Kahoot website, then played along by guessing the answers on their phones. We learnt the amount of greenhouse gas emissions animal agriculture produces annually (18% of the global total, according to a UN report).

I was fortunate enough to be on the panel of five speakers selected to talk at the event.

There was a diverse selection: Brittni Mckenzie-Dale, a

masters’ student at UBCO, Rob Velzeboer, a boxer, Trystan Carter, a masters’ student at UBCO, and Rowan Holyer, a student at Okanagan College. Each panel member brought something different, as we were asked a series of questions about our vegan lifestyles, such as: why did you go vegan? What has been the hardest thing for you about maintaining a plantbased diet? Has there been a resource that made your transition easier?

Brittni offered a wealth of knowledge on health and nutrition, having been vegan since the age of just 13. Trystan spoke about how veganism had been great for digestion, pointing out how a diet high in fibre and whole foods had improved his digestive health. Rob stated that, as a boxer, his main concern about going vegan had been getting enough protein. However, he credited his change in diet with higher energy levels,

improved performance in his sport, and said that it had made him more about nutrition in general.

Rowan had done a lot of research about environmental issues, citing concerns with sustainability as his key reason for deciding to go vegan. Among this qualified group of speakers, I felt a little nervous when my turn came around. However, I was passionate to share my experiences, and told the audience about how I became vegan during Christmas break, and how this has helped me to face my friends and family’s criticism head-on. After the initial questions, the audience were able to raise their own questions to the panel, sparking some insightful discussions about health, ethics and sustainability.

One audience member brought up the issue of social divides that can sometimes arise between vegans and nonvegans. She mentioned that a

group of vegans had criticized Inuit populations for their cruelty to animals—despite the use of animal products being integral to their culture. Renata Russo, the club’s president, responded eloquently to this concern.

She stated that, in the West, we are in a position of privilege which allows us to make certain choices as consumers.

The ability to be vegan is dependent on our access to the right products and foods, and in certain cultures, this simply isn’t possible. Many agreed that being vegan is not about being perfect, or inflicting judgment on others.

One member of the audience argued that veganism exists as a spectrum rather than being a black and white issue—it is about doing the most we possibly can to reduce animal suffering, and live in the most healthy and sustainable way possible.

The discussion then subsided, and audience

members were able to connect with the speakers. There was an array of delicious vegan foods to sample: mini vegan cupcakes donated by the Naked Café, a selection of cereal and plant-based milks courtesy of Natures Fare, Sun Rype cereal bars, David’s Tea and juices. There were also many informative leaflets provided, including a handy nutrition guide which had been compiled by club member Ellen Campbell.

Renata worked hard to get a number of local companies to sponsor the event, connecting students to resources in the local community. Overall, the success of the workshop truly was a testament to the club members’ hard work and initiative, and it was effective in showing people just how simple and beneficial a plantbased lifestyle can be.

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Brie Welton - Life Editor | thephoenixnews.com |

Life

Photo by Brie Welton/ The Phoenix News

SPRING INTO SALAD SEASON Tasty tips to spruce up your salad Brie Welton – Life Editor

solid meal.

2. Tantalizing Toppings Your salad doesn’t have to be limited to watery tomatoes, cucumber and croutons: try some different toppings. Don’t limit yourself by what you think “should” go on salad. If it goes well with lettuce, it goes in the bowl. Try nuts like almonds or cashews; dried fruit like cranberries or raisins; or add a creamy component like avocados or blue cheese.

Fried plantains also work well in salad, as they bring a crunchy, sweet component to the dish. Fresh fruits like apples, strawberries and grapes also work well.

Super foods like chia seeds and hemp seeds bring a nutritional punch and even more protein. More often than not, the toppings make the salad.

3. Dress it up Dressing doesn’t have to come from a bottle, and if you’re trying to eat healthy,

“ The time has finally come to put away bulky sweaters and switch from steamy soups to fresh spring salads.

“

The sun is shining, birds are chirping, and the days are getting warmer: spring is finally around the corner.

The time has finally come to put away bulky sweaters and switch from steamy soups to fresh spring salads.

Often, salads get a bad rap: unless they’re drenched in dressing, most people aren’t interested in them. However, this particular salad-savvy food enthusiast is here with some tasty tips on sprucing up your salad.

1. Give your salad substance A common stereotype is that salads are unsatisfying —many proclaim that salads aren’t an actual meal.

However, this is not true of all salads. The secret is substance. The best method to make a salad filling and substantial is protein—and lots of it. Adding cooked sautéed chicken breast, ginger beef, fried tofu or grilled shrimp can turn a boring bowl of leaves into a

it’s best to make your own dressing from scratch. This may seem like a lot of work, but in reality, even the most kitchen-challenged individual can whisk together a vinaigrette in minutes.

Mix three parts olive oil to one part balsamic vinegar.

Looking for something sweet? Stir in melted honey to taste. To add some zest, squeeze lemon juice and grate fresh ginger into the mix. For those who prefer their salad naked (i.e. no dressing), try adding some juicy fruits like oranges or pineapple to increase flavour and coat the greens.

4. Carb component Trying to decide between a big bowl of noodles or being healthy with a salad?

Try combining the two: not all simple carbs are evil, and many of them go great in salad. For example, cook up some spiral pasta, rinse in cold water to cool and toss it into your salad. For

an Asian style salad, use stir-fry noodles, and try adding peanut soy dressing and sesame seeds. For those looking for that extra dose of nutrients, cook 1 cup of quinoa in 2 cups of lightly salted water. When the water is gone, remove the quinoa and leave it to cool before mixing it into the salad with dried cranberries, almonds and avocados with spinach.

Rice and couscous are also great in salads and easy to prepare ahead of time.

For the busy student, salads are a quick solution to the “what should I eat for dinner?” dilemma. Because they can be prepared ahead of time and stored, salads can save you some time and effort during the week. At the end of a long day of studying, having a healthy meal already prepared is often exactly what you need.

Life | thephoenixnews.com | Brie Welton - Life Editor

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RECESS FASHION

No short shorts here... just epic fashion sense Photos by Riley Petillion/ The Phoenix News

Recess happens once a year, and this event also marks the beginning of summer and festival season. This means that high waisted short shorts and converse will be making their annual debut. We managed to find two of the only girls on campus who pulled off a festival look without catering to short shorts. The guys on the other hand are another breed altogether on their own, dressing in anything from t-shirts and jeans to morphsuits.

Festival Staples: jean shorts, sun hats, converse, and flower crowns.

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Brie Welton - Life Editor | thephoenixnews.com |

Life

KELOWNA DESSERT REVIEWS Phoenix reporters satisfy their sweet tooth Brie Welton – Life Editor; Fran Carruthers – Staff Writer

Cupcasions 1917 Kent Road Taste: We tried one of the chocolate cupcakes with vanilla frosting, which was also vegan and gluten-free. The flavour was good; the cake itself was rich and chocolatey and the frosting was light and airy. It was a little on the dry side, however. We score it 3.5/5 Aesthetic: Cakes come in an array of rainbow colours and zingy flavours, from Key Lime Pie to Cookie Dough.

The store has a pretty and relatively unfussy décor, meaning that the cakes are the star of the show.

Bread Co. 363 Bernard Avenue Price: Each regular sized cupcake costs $2.99; a pack of 6 costs $16.99.

You can also buy smaller, “teaser” cupcakes for $1.99 each.

Extra Perks: Having recently moved location, the new store also has plenty of seating, so customers can enjoy their cupcakes in the café-like setting. There are a large variety of different cakes to choose from and the company also make cakes to order, for special occasions such as weddings, events and parties.

Taste: Bread Co. is a popular spot for breakfast and lunch. They serves a wide variety of soups, salads, sandwiches and of course, homemade bread!

However, their desserts rank 3/5 on our list; many of the desserts had too much cream cheese icing, and the cake had pretty good flavour, but was a bit dry.

Aesthetic: All the desserts look amazing! Some of the cheesecakes had very interesting toppings, including fresh fruit and in one case, decorative leaves. The cakes and tarts are colourful and well-decorated. All in all the case

looks very appealing.

Price: Cake rolls are only $2.95, whereas the cheesecake slices are $6 each and the fruit tarts, which are palm sized and heaped with fruit, are $4.25.

Extra Perks: Great atmosphere with lots of seating, including long tables and window bar seats overlooking Bernard.

Bread Co. also serves a large variety of specialty coffee drinks and tea. The lattes in particular rank highly on our taste scale. It is in a great location, easily accessible from Queensway station.

15

Life | thephoenixnews.com | Brie Welton - Life Editor

Sandrine 1865 Dilworth Drive Taste: We absolutely loved the desserts at Sandrine. They ranked the highest of all: 5/5 ! The cakes in particular were very well balanced in terms of flavour combination and diverse textures. The alternating layers of raspberry and chocolate mousse in the cake (pictured above) made it the best dessert of the day.

Aesthetic: All of the desserts are very delicate with a fine attention to detail.

Every drizzle of sauce, every chocolate sliver, every mini decorate macaroon was deliberately placed. It was clear that the maker of these desserts is willing to

Menchie’s 2463 Hwy 97 N put in the time to create perfection.

Price: A bit on the pricey side (but well worth the money), a dozen assorted macaroons (many different flavours!) is $22; cake slices are $5.95 and pastries (Danishes, croissants) vary from $1 to $4.

Extra Perks: Although they do not have much seating inside, you can walk in to Sandrines at any time during business hours and buy dessert – no advanced ordering necessary! Located across from the Orchard Park Mall and a few minutes walk away from the bus loop.

Taste: Pretty good. Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt was the last place we stopped on our dessert-tasting tour, so our bellies were quite full by the time we got there, but we still enjoyed it and would give it a score of 4/5 Aesthetic: Bright and bubbly interior.

The prettiness of your dessert really depends on how artistic you are – in our case, not at all. But it’s the effort that counts.

Price: It really depends how hungry you are… Most flavours at Menchie’s

Photos by Riley Petillion/ The Phoenix News

cost $0.51 per ounce, which sounds inexpensive, but it is all too easy to get carried away…

Extra Perks: It is self-service, meaning you get to choose whatever wild and wacky flavour combinations you please, and can choose the exact quantity you want. Lots of seating available and open late in the summer.

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Arts | thephoenixnews.com | Paula Tran – Arts Editor

Arts

THE ANNUAL QUEER CABARET: PONY

Photo by Paula Tran/ The Phoenix News

Sexualities, booze, music, and dance

Paula Tran - Arts Editor

content, and a dance par t y, but a lso delightf u l ly and nicely gay. From 7:0 0p.m. to 8:0 0p.m., t here was a mi x ‘n’ mingle, and a lmost ever yone was holding a red solo cup whi le wa l k ing around t he t heatre. Cook ie emceed for t he night and wore numerous raunchy, revea ling, yet a mazing outf its t hroughout, and she f lung so many explicit, gay, and hi larious jokes to t he audience. There were a lso numerous performances of many dif ferent mediums, from performers such as Erin Scott, Ting ting, Lolu, Ezra Cipes, Ben Dover, Jada Lark in, Jessie, and R hian Jack.

One of t he most explicit, yet most enter taining and poignant, performances of t he night was Ting ting’s, Erin Scott’s, and R hian Jack ’s col laborative performance.

“ I was shocked at how explicit this performance was, mostly because I have never been to a show of this caliber, but had a good time laughing and clapping along with the audience.

“

In t he hear t of t he Kelow na dow ntow n on a Saturday Night, I stumbled into t he Black Box Theatre af ter rushing from t he bus stop and getting lost mu ltiple times.

It wasn’t li ke I haven’t been to t he Kelow na Communit y Theatre before—I have, but I’ d never rea l ly been to t he sma l ler Black Box Theatre t hat was tucked away in t he rear corner of t he bui lding.

The air was colder t han I expected, but it was warm and v ibrant inside. Ever yone was ta l k ing to someone, and I quick ly acquainted myself w it h a new crowd, but a lso greeted and hugged friends from t he ca mpus.

Pony is a queer cabaret hosted by Professor Michael V. Smit h and features performances from FCCS students and professors. It was a 19+ event, f i l led w it h a lcoholic drinks, explicit

Ting ting played her iconic character, GoGo 122, who was a puppeteer “control ling” Erin and R hian. GoGo had t he t wo perform some provocative movements, w it h shir ts f ly ing and bras being torn of f. Loud, sex y music was play ing in t he background, and GoGo cou ld be heard cack ling as her puppets “made out” w it h each ot her and “ate” each ot her out. I was shocked at how explicit t his performance was, most ly because I have never been to a show of t his ca liber, but had a good time laughing and clapping a long w it h t he audience. I even star ted whist ling w it h t he people beside me, screa ming and cheering GoGo, R hian, and Erin on.

Lolu performed an emotiona l and extremely powerf u l dance piece t hat captivated me as an audience.

His facia l expressions were v iv id, por tray ing bot h sadness and ca lm.

His movements f lowed smoot hly li ke he was cutting t hrough butter. At times, I was so captivated by his performance t hat I forgot where I was physica l ly, and it was only af ter his performance t hat I remembered t hat I was at t he Kelow na Communit y Theatre.

It was Cook ie’s presence, however, t hat made t he night.

Her jokes had dept h, and even t hough some went over my head, I rea l ly enjoyed her emcee st yle and loved her brash persona lit y. Plus, her outf its were colourf u l and f un, which complimented her conf idence so wel l.

This event might not be for ever yone, but I cer tainly had a good time and lef t feeling content w it h how I spent t he night.

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Paula Tran – Arts Editor | thephoenixnews.com |

Arts

MINIMALISM: A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE IMPORTANT THINGS

Making a strong case for the power of having less, this is a must-see Fran Carruthers - Staff Writer

“So much of our life is lived in a fog of automatic, habitual behaviour.” These are the opening words of Minimalism: A Documentary about the Important Things, juxtaposed with footage of screaming shoppers crowded outside stores on Black Friday, pushing and shoving one another over commercial goods. The 2016 documentary, based on the experiences of two selfproclaimed minimalists, Joshua Fields Milburn and Ryan Nicodemus, aims to disrupt the mindless consumer culture and offer an alternative.

I came to watch this film with a mixture of excitement and apprehension. Excitement, because I was keen to know more about what exactly minimalism is, and how it can help us live in a more sustainable way.

Apprehension, because I knew that whatever a minimalist was, I was very much not one. After

watching this documentary, I hope to come a little closer.

The barrage of imagery featuring huge crowds, busy commercial streets and f loods of advertisements is effective in illustrating one of the film’s key premises: in the West, we are experiencing the highest standards of living in history, yet still we hunger for more. In a tone that is at times heartfelt, at others cringe-worthy, Joshua and Ryan unveil the ways in which minimalism has changed their lives. Both ex-corporate workers, they came to realize that their materialistic lifestyles had begun to wear them down and sought something more meaningful. Now, they live deliberately, attempting to achieve balance by having neither too little, nor too much.

Joshua shows us around his house at one point, saying, “everything that I look around at, I have to be able to justify to

myself… does this add value to my life?”

We see every extreme of minimalism: from people who have moved to “tiny houses” barely larger than RVs, to a man who culled his total possessions to just 51 objects, and a minimalist family who have transferred the mind-set to their kids. There are several similar narratives that come to feel a little cliché and repetitive, but the overall message is effective. The movement can be useful to people from all walks of life, and owning less can benefit all of us.

Through a series of experts, the key principles of minimalism are clarified in a way that make an astonishing amount of sense. Juliet Schor, Professor of Sociology at Boston College, explains the role of advertising in our culture. “We’re in a world in which material goods are so

important for their symbolic meaning—what they do to position us in a status system, based on what advertising or marketing says they’re about.”

The irony being, of course, that purchasing mass-produced goods constitutes conformity rather than individuality, yet advertisements are powerful enough to have us believe that their products can in some way convey our unique identity.

Another expert suggests we tune out of social media in order to cull this constant desire for more. “We are continually moving from one stimuli to the next” states Patrick Rhone, author of Minimal Mac, a book which explores the intersection of minimalism and technology.

According to a Nokia study, the average person checks their phone 150 times a day. Very rarely are we fully focused on one thing. Thus, it makes sense that by de-cluttering our

virtual existence, we may be able to achieve a simpler and more purposeful life.

By dissecting many different aspects of our culture, from fashion and interior design to social media and TV ads, the documentary is successful in revealing how we are in the grasp of an intensely consumerist era. The minimalists do seem to live the life they preach about, lending the film a certain authenticity and excusing the at-timescliché narrative of “discovering happiness”. The overarching message is extremely simple: “Love people, and use things.”

Minimalism is something we could all learn from, and I can think of few people who would benefit from watching this documentary. It is uplifting, thought-provoking and entirely convincing. Minimalism is available for streaming on Netf lix.

year of university, Tingting was discontent with that path and decided to switch into performance instead, and has flourished ever since. “In a way, Canada freed me to decide who I am,” Tingting said. “To this day, my family is still upset, but they saw it coming because I wanted to be an actress ever since I was a child.” She told me that when she was living in China, she took up acting gigs as a part time job.

Family still remains important to her, and Tingting uses that part of her as a basis for her performances all the time.

For now, Tingting is mainly focused on her fourth year show, but wants to develop her other passions as well. Besides theatrical performance, Tingting is also interested in fashion and music. She has her own company called Luxking through which she sells and makes jewelry.

She DJs and produces music on her own time outside of school.

She used to be a guzheng player, which is a traditional Chinese instrument that usually has 21 strings with movable bridges.

She also used to play the cello, along with a myriad of other musical instruments.

Tingting said that she is very content and happy with the process as a whole. When I asked her what she would say to her first-year self, she said that there “is no shortcut to the art world.

Art is something that you have to commit to, and the time you spend on your craft is precious and rewarding.” Tingting said that she grew up a lot since her first year in Canada, and she definitely isn’t the same person now. She loves every part of her career, and doesn’t regret her decisions and growth as a person.

A LOOK INTO GOGO 122’S CREATOR

There is more than meets the eye to this robotic Chinese girl Paula Tran – Arts Editor

old to study economics. After switching majors, Tingting is more focused on performance, and plans to pursue a career in film acting once she graduates.

Since she grew up in China, Tingting said that she loves the country and will always see herself as Chinese. However, she commented that, in a sense, she also grew up in Canada.

Her artwork and performance pieces often centre around selfidentity, and what it means to be part of two worlds at once.

Her identity is important to her because it’s an issue that she sees is “a problem for our generation, since we move around a lot and are often confused about who we actually are as people.”

Family played an important role in Tingting’s career as an artist as well. Her original plan to study economics was mostly because of familial pressure to pursue a “safe degree.”

When she entered her third

“ I was mesmerized and intrigued by GoGo 122, the robot Chinese girl that would perform any command you put in front of her, and by Tingting’s performance.

“

I first encountered Tingting’s artwork and performances during the Art Party last semester, when the whole CCS building was conquered by Creative Writing, Visual Arts, and Performance students for the night. She was in a classroom at the end of the hallway on the first floor, and even though the event had just started, a crowd had already begun to form in the room. I was mesmerized and intrigued by GoGo 122, the robot Chinese girl that would perform any command you put in front of her, and by Tingting’s performance that I wanted to know more. Three months later, we sit inside the CCS Building’s green room, bonding over art, school, and culture.

Tingting Niu is a performance student here at UBCO and is most well know for her character GoGo 122. She was born in northern China and came to Kelowna when she was 18 years

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Arts | thephoenixnews.com | Paula Tran – Arts Editor

TV REVIEW: MARVEL’S IRON FIST

Marvel’s latest property packs very little punch, but is still worth a watch Riley Schlosser – Staff Writer

The special effects seem good (not that a lot are needed outside of his glowing fist) and for the most part, the acting ranges from tolerable to quite good.

The music, cinematography, and choreography are nothing special, but they manage to not detract from the story for the most part, and every once in a while reach some level of remarkableness.

Regardless of all the critical points in the following paragraph, know that I personally did not have too hard of a time getting through the show, and definitely found myself enjoying it as I got more into it.

The show struggles in a couple of areas. Firstly, it seems to have a hard time nailing down its overall tone, with PGlevel melodrama in one scene and R-rated brutality in the next. Whilst not particularly dark in most of its themes,

“ Iron Fist falls into some of the same pitfalls that the other shows have, and a few more all of its own; however, it is by no means terrible, and the vehement onslaught of terrible reviews from critics is largely unwarranted.

“

Iron Fist is a strange animal.

So far, all of Netflix’s Marvel shows have been pretty highquality television, though none of them flawless and all of them a bit drawn out. Iron Fist falls into some of the same pitfalls that the other shows have, and a few more all of its own; however, it is by no means terrible, and the vehement onslaught of terrible reviews from critics is largely unwarranted. Without any spoilers, here are some of the pros and cons of the show.

What many liked about Iron Fist is that it takes a more focused approach to the story, without so many of the less-interesting subplots that Daredevil seemed to feature. It also features some really strong characters, such as Colleen Wing, Ward Meachum, and Claire Temple, especially once they start getting more screen time in the latter half of the season.

Iron Fist seems like it inserts needlessly dark subject matter in an attempt to stay on par with Marvel’s other Netflix properties, giving the show a real lack of cohesion. There is also the issue of the first four or five episodes dragging on and focusing on largely uninteresting questions of identity and boardroom meetings. The show really picks up about halfway through and starts exploring some of the mystical elements and conspiracies, but the fact that it takes that long to get into it is definitely problematic.

Finn Jones as Danny Rand could definitely be more likeable, and more time spent on his origins and character motivations would have vastly improved the show.

Many fans are also disgruntled concerning the martial arts in the show, as many of the actors, specifically Finn Jones, seem like they could have used a lot more

training. The problem is that, while the action is serviceable, it is far inferior to the martial arts of Daredevil, whose training should be the lesser of the two, given their backstories. So, while Iron Fist is not a terrible show, it pales in comparison to the quality that we are used to from Netflix.

Despite all these problems, proper handling of a second season could potentially mitigate many of these issues and really produce a strong show; that being said, optimism is not exactly abundant, nor does it have any right to be. If you have liked Netflix’s Marvel shows thus far, and if you are at all excited for The Defenders later on this year and want to keep up on the continuity, give Iron Fist a shot. Maybe wait until the summer when there you find yourself bored and in need of something to binge.

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Tyrel Lamoureux - Opinions Editor | thephoenixnews.com |

Opinions

Opinions

THE WELL AGE-CHECKING GETS SERIOUS The only ones complaining are underage

Nick Vantol - Contributor

Well, well, well, looks like we’re talking about… well…. The Well! The Student Union pub has recently started stepping it’s game up on checking for underage patrons. More signs are posted around mentioning that the bartenders have the right to request 2 forms of ID; the classic ‘one government issue and one other’ policy, like most other liquor serving businesses is the format being used. Any patrons who fail to present such ID will be asked to leave and can’t even stay to hangout. Not, that’s bad, I mean, it is a bar after all; you don’t see obvious underagers playing pool at O’Flannigan’s ever because that would be illegal and the business would be forced to close.

This seems pretty straightforward of an idea right? If so, you’ve probably already had your 19th birthday. There have been times where individuals come into The Well, ask for a drink, don’t have their ID and then

get mad when they’re told they can’t be in here without ID. The same applies to people who don’t even drink in the pub and just come to hangout; if you don’t have ID, you can’t be here. So people don’t have to asked for ID multiple times, the bartenders have also started stamping patrons who have shown ID. Yea this may mean that it’s a little harder to attend, and might take a little more time to get a tasty beverage.

But if you’re complaining about these steps, you’re either underage or you don’t understand why it’s important to keep underage patrons out. In my first year at UBCO I always thought I wasn’t allowed in The Well being 17, but one day a friend tells me to meet him there. To my surprise, no bouncers asked for ID, and neither did the bartender (not that I asked for a drink being that scared).

I thought it strange until I asked my friend and he said “Oh! They only really check

rules: if they kick you out it is ONLY because you can’t be there. How about this: instead of ruining The Well as a privilege for everyone, how about you stop complaining about and it just wait until you’re of age?

”

during events but during the day they don’t care”. See that’s bad for two reasons: first, that means underage kids can get sh*ttered at mid-day, and secondly, if they’re caught The Well goes bye-bye.

Yes, The Well is associated with the Student Union, but the well is run as an independent business, so that means it CAN BE SHUTDOWN FOR BREAKING THE LAW. Drinking isn’t a right for students, it’ a privilege. It’s a privilege for student’s to be able to go there with friends while they wait for class or destress after an exam and hangout. Police have come to the pub randomly and checked people, so if you’re underage, don’t come. This isn’t about social exclusion, this is the law. If an underage student comes to The Well and is caught by police for not being of age, they WILL shutdown the bar, whether they were served or not. It’s not the employees fault, they’re doing their job and following the

and a champagne glass.

The menu the attendees got had entrees like duck, mushroom caps, and roast beef.

What sounded gourmet was in reality duck in small bite like fashion, the mushroomcaps looked like Walmart frozen special and there was not enough of either. Some students reported going hungry and having to rely on the small portions of salad and potatoes that seemed to be in abundance.

The one requirement of the steak was to have a place to cut it, and once more the grads were let down.

Instead of nice tables with lots of seating where conversation

could ensue and memories shared, the graduates were greeted with 4 tables, and a couple small standing bar tables, and couches, which was not nearly enough seating to combat the large attendance. One anonymous grad mentioned that the ball turned out to be a “weird shitty lounge party” while another was upset with having to “force the memories they made.”

While some may have had low expectations for the ball, the ones that did were out more than $50 for a ticket. With a ball obviously comes a formal dress or a nice suit, starting anywhere from $200. They also arguably

wasted four hours of their evening.

The Grad Ball should be the second most celebrated ceremony the process of graduation, second only to the grad ceremony itself. This year’s Ball missed that mark by a long shot and the expectations of the Grads should be matched, if not exceeded, by the university.

The only thing that can be said about this ball, is that it can only be better next year.

“ That means underage kids can get sh*ttered at midday, and secondly, if they’re caught The Well goes byebye.

GRADUATION BALL

High expectations – low results Tyrel Lamoureux - Opinions Editor

When this year’s graduating class were going into their Grad Ball, they had expectations.

Expectations on the food they would be served, the décor and seating, and the memories they would make. The high cost of $50 per ticket would make you assume it would be well done.

The menu received in advance suggested a nice fancy dinner. It is fair to say that the hopes were high, as they should be because it is the ball representing their most prestigious education, so at the very least it should be prestigious.

How wrong they were. $50 got these graduates a poorly prepared meal, no places to sit,

“ One anonymous grad mentioned that the ball turned out to be a ‘weird shitty lounge party’ while another was upset with having to ‘force the memories they made.’

”

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Opinions | thephoenixnews.com | Tyrel Lamoureux - Opinions Editor

WHY CAN’T YOU CRY, MAN?

Photo by Nayyirah Waheed

Expectations of a brute, emotionless man do great harm to society

Michael Flood - News Writer

Let’s get the facts out of the way first. I’m a white, middle-class, heterosexual man with (3/4 of) a university degree, not exactly short on privilege by any means.

However, don’t mistake largely privileged with fully liberated.

The restrictions that are imposed on me by society – albeit less systemic than those imposed by me on women and people of color – fit into what some call the “man-box”. In light of the recent Women’s Day, and in light of every day really, I would like to shed light on what breaking these “man-box” barriers could do for all of us. There are three cultural weights I would like to lift from man’s expectedly-broad shoulders: first, the expectation of a manliness of aggression, which upholds a culture of violence (against women and minority groups) and intimidation; second, the prohibition of males’ emotion, which explains growing rates of male suicide and depression.

Lastly, I’ll touch briefly on what this means for you and your masculinity.

Being “tough” is too often described by attributes of strength, dominance, and physical resilience. While strength and/or

excellence in sport are admirable qualities, they shouldn’t be the only celebrated qualities in young men. Why are we not celebrating a boy’s ability to be emotionally fervent: caring, empathetic, and socially aware?

If feminism advocates for female empowerment, I believe men will only become better allies when ‘disempower’ ourselves. That is, we must let go of the current conception of power onto which we grasp so tightly. This means the loudest will not always lead the pack. This means aggression will no longer equal strength. Today, strength is so poorly defined and yet so valued in the man box, that skewed interpretations of it often lead disrespect and violence. Disrespect and violence towards women in an attempt to demonstrate ‘manliness’.

Disrespect and violence towards other males to prove dominance and reach a higher seat in the hierarchy of masculinity. While this aggression builds so does the nature and character of the individual. The likelihood of men to commit acts of violence and/or become violent in relationships then proceeds to soar.

We must let out the elephant

“ If opening up about who we are and an attempt at making sense of our emotions helps, I’d say we owe ourselves and those around us the dignity to try.

”

in the room and speak of our emotions. Emotions in any form or expression are generally associated with weakness, insecurity, sensitivity, and, of course, femininity – characteristics most of us men would rather not convey. What this general understanding of emotion misses, however, is how extremely powerful and useful emotional experiences truly are. Only through sharing emotion can we connect with and understand each other. Emotional intelligence (which now consists of a measurement known as your ‘EQ’) is the ability to understand, use, and handle emotions in a positive way that sparks empathy and humility. Individuals who are emotionally intelligent experience increased selfawareness, greater social skills and the incredibly potent ability to help us manage the inevitable and chemical negative emotions that cause anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues.

Unfortunately, numbers speak for themselves in this emotional tragedy. In 2009 alone, Statistics Canada reported that 2,989 males committed suicide. That is 17.9 in every 100,000 Canadian males

(versus 5.3 per 100,000 females).

These are incomprehensible numbers by any measurement. If opening up about who we are and an attempt at making sense of our emotions helps, I’d say we owe ourselves and those around us the dignity to try.

Breaking the “man-box” and speaking of emotions does not mean you should run home and sob to your roommates about relationships, school, or the feelings that blindside you on some idle Wednesday. The message I leave is that if we hide our emotions in an attempt to shadow very real and vulnerable parts of ourselves, we will miss out on many great things. By rejecting any discovery of our emotions, we will miss the fruitfulness of personal relationships, and waste our potential to experience great degrees of love and affection.

And ultimately, we will increase our susceptibility to very serious mental health struggles. There is a long list of benefits to masculinity and femininity, all of which every individual has the right to embrace. All I ask is that we work to add ‘emotionally intelligent’ to the male’s list. You know what, let’s peg it at #1.

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Tyrel Lamoureux - Opinions Editor | thephoenixnews.com |

Opinions

EDM AGAIN?

EDM once again dominates Recess

Tyrel Lamoureux - Opinions Editor

As recess is once again coming up, we are all tasked with making a decision.

Should we spend the money on a ticket to go and see noise? While this is an easy “yes” for some people, as they could dying to see the artist and 45$ for a ticket is a steal of a deal. However some may not want to attend a concert if they don’t enjoy the music.

What seems to be missed when the artist for recess is chosen is that there are some people who have no idea who ZEDS DEAD or Keys N Krates are, let alone enjoy the music. While I am not doubting their popularity, I am simply suggesting a more diverse show and not have every recess be EDM or hip hop.

The argument for EDM

“ There are four spots for artists at this year’s recess so it is possible to have a multitude of genres perform, yet we are still limited to EDM and hip-hop.

” is based on who is going to attend the show. A lot of the attendance is by first and second year students who will pay for a ticket regardless of who is playing because it’s on campus. This could be the first concert they have been to, its catchy and easy to dance too, all on

top of being very popular.

What ends up happening is Recess is an attempt to cater to the masses. That does mean upsetting some people.

Therefore cutting EDM out is off the table, but who is to say you can’t mix it up a little?

There are four spots for artists at this year’s recess so it is possible to have a multitude of genres perform, yet we are still limited to EDM and hip-hop. Again, I am not saying that these are not popular music types, as clearly they are, but what’s to stop one of those artists from playing actual instruments.

The show does not have to be split 50/50 between EDM and literally any other genre, but rather just have a couple songs. There has been countless times where a band is performing and a chunk of the audience has only come out to see the opening act.

This opening act can do much more than provide diversity, but give local bands a chance to perform in front of a larger crowd, give exposure, like our very own Lucky Monkey formerly known as String Theory.

I have no doubt that a significant number of student who would not normally buy a ticket, will buy one if their friend’s band is playing. Or even a guy from their first year econ class’s band.

So while EDM is a very popular genre of music and it isn’t going anywhere, having every recess and frosh represent specifically that genre of music limits the type of people showing up and the ability to showcase local talent. It is not a difficult request, but it is one that is never answered. Will it ever change? Probably not as it caters to the masses, it makes sure that the highest number of people show up and they make the most amount of money possible. After all it is a business.

Photo by David Vassiliev/ The Phoenix News

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Opinions | thephoenixnews.com | Tyrel Lamoureux - Opinions Editor

Image by Sarah Dowler/ The Phoenix News

PARTY CULTURE AND RAPE CULTURE: WHERE DO THEY INTERSECT? It is not just a “normal” part of a night out – we need to call out sexual assault in clubs

Fran Carruthers - Staff Writer

In 2016, rape offender Brock Turner received torrents of abuse from the global community when, in a letter to his judge he blamed “party culture” for his brutal crime.

And whilst he deserved backlash to his words, it begs the question – why do we wait for a high-profile case like Turner’s to break the silence on sexual assault? Whilst it is evident that consumption of alcohol and rape culture have come to be messily intertwined in society today, sex offenders using party culture as an excuse is always unacceptable.

What exactly is rape culture?

When you think about it, it is crazy that we live in a time that necessitates the existence of such a phrase.

As Roxane Gay states in her book Bad Feminist, rape culture, “denotes a culture where we are inundated, in different ways, by the idea that male aggression and violence

towards women is acceptable and often inevitable.” From countless stories I have heard, and from my own experiences, rape culture is alive and thriving and may encapsulate a broader range of experiences than we realise.

The other night, a group of friends and I were getting ready to go out. Trying on a cropped top and jeans I found myself asking, “Does this outfit look too slutty?”

I immediately regretted my word choice – it links to a slut-shaming narrative I never wish to perpetrate. Yet sadly, it has become all too common for us to internalize this kind of thought process. We should look good, but not too good.

Show some skin – but not too much. Oh, and don’t drink too much, you don’t want to put yourself at risk.

I wonder how many guys have tried on outfits before their friends like this. “Which

shirt is more likely to stop girls from groping my ass?

The blue one or the green one?” According to a study released by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1 in 5 college women will experience sexual assault, which it defined as “including both rape and sexual battery, such as forced kissing, touching, grabbing or fondling.” This is not to say that it does not affect men too – the same study found that 7% of men had experienced sexual assault – yet the figure is significantly lower compared to women.

In my research for this article, I asked some friends about their experiences.

Ellie, from the UK, said, “My friends and I are regularly aware of guys around us when we are in clubs and quite often they will do things like grab our butts… it sounds bad but you kind of come to expect it, which shouldn’t be the case.”

More worryingly, it seems that many of these actions are linked to a certain level of assumption surrounding what should happen afterwards.

Alice, a second-year student, said, “I’ve had experiences where I’ve been flirting with a guy, and when I’ve said I won’t go home with them they get really rude and dismissive… or try to convince you by putting their arms round your waist, grabbing your butt…”

Only one of the friends I asked had reported incidents to security. “I have asked for a few men to be kicked out of clubs because I have been groped,” she explains. “When mentioning this to girls in a talk group, none of them had ever told a bouncer and weren’t even aware it was their right to do so.” She also mentioned that, when speaking to boys about the safety measures she takes, she is not taken seriously. “This is very sad as

they clearly feel no need to take these kinds of precautions themselves, highlighting the gender differences.”

It is not party culture which creates rape culture. Partying, especially among students at university, is inevitable and there should be no attempts to change that. The real problem is that people are not fully aware of what constitutes sexual assault, to the extent that it is even regarded as a normal part of going out. The more that we can have nuanced, enlightened conversations about what does constitute sexual assault, the more likely we are to call it out in the future, and ensure clubs are safer spaces for us all.

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Tyrel Lamoureux - Opinions Editor | thephoenixnews.com |

Opinions

POLITICS’ SHORT-TERM MEMORY The once feared Conservatives are coming back Mark Dreger – Phoenix Columnist

Only a year and a half ago, the Canadian public campaigned to “Stop Harper” in an effort to defeat Prime Minister Stephen Harper in the October 2015 Federal election. With the fear of the Conservatives yet again taking advantage of a divided Left-wing, the Canadian public decided to side with the Liberal party only weeks before Election Day. After all the votes were tallied, Harper’s Conservative majority was defeated and replaced with a young Liberal majority. Many Canadians rejoiced at the nine-year Prime Minister finally ousted from his throne, as many believed Canada was back in good hands.

Well, who would have guessed that in only a year and a half the Conservative Party so many once hated is reportedly more popular

than the Liberals. According to Forum Research amongst decided and leaning voters, the Conservative support has raised to 38% with Liberal support decreasing to 36%.

While the poll is still close, Forum still predicts that if the election were held today, the federal Conservative Party would likely win a majority of seats in the House.

Much of this is likely due to recent scandals, the unpopular Liberal budget, and the focus on the Conservative leadership race, but does the public have that short of a memory? I have no unconditional loyalty to any Canadian party (usually I hate everyone), but do people not remember when the alarm bells were ringing about the Conservative party? There were signs saying “Stop Harper” because of controversial bills like the

C-51 antiterrorism bill and the C-24 revoking citizenship bill to name a few.

And it is not like the party has changed. According to the government’s records, of the 97 Conservative MPs in Parliament now, only 35% of them started their political careers in 2015, compared to 77% of rookie politicians for the Liberals. If the Conservatives increase in popularity and win the 2019 election, I do not expect the Party to be much different than the party that ruled from 2011-2015. It will have a new face sure, but it will have the same body.

A 2019 Conservative victory would be the first time many Canadians in their early-20s witness a political back-andforth. Both the Conservatives and the Liberals were in power so long during the 1990s and 2000s that many

of us are too young to have paid attention or even seen hated parties come back to power; but if current trends continue, we could see a government seen as too controlling being voted out and then voted back in only four years later. Two years ago I read posts of people saying that they will never vote Conservative, but now I see posts of people saying the same for the Liberals. It’s the back-and-forth of two parties that cover the history books of democracies; Canadians are just finally experiencing it in the 21st century.

On the night of the Canadian election on October 19, 2015, I wrote this in a personal journal: “Everyone online is praising how Harper is gone, but it will be funny to see people say the same about Trudeau in the future and possibly elect

a conservative government in his place. History repeats itself.” I expected to be right eventually, but not this quick.

I am not saying this as an alarm, but as a reminder, regardless of political affiliation. It is obviously too soon to make predictions with an election not likely to take place until October 2019, but if the polls continue, the once perceived “must stop them” conservatives could be back in power with many of the same faces save the one in charge. This is the reality of politics where the government is seen as corrupt and voted out just to be voted back in later after the new government takes its turn of being the corrupt one.

It is simply the government taking its steps: Right foot, Left foot, Right foot, Left foot.

BANNING LAPTOPS ON MIDDLE EASTERN FLIGHTS? More liberties could soon be lost in world airports Mark Dreger – Phoenix Columnist

In March, the U.S. and the U.K. decided to ban electronics “larger than a cellphone or smartphone” on direct flights to and from several Middle Eastern nations. The reasoning for this is due to new intelligence information that terrorists are “pursuing innovative methods to undertake their attacks, to include smuggling explosive devices in various consumer items.” Canada is now considering the same restrictions, but the way I see it, this is just another case of security theatre that restricts liberties just to curb one of an unlimited amount of terrorist options.

The first thing I noticed on the banned electronics list is I did not know portable DVD players were still a thing; but secondly, I feel this

new security could easily be exploited and expanded to eliminate more civil liberties due to one nutjob.

I was in Canadian and American airports in the last month and the security measures are ridiculous enough. You have to take off your coat, remove your belt, empty your pockets, take off your shoes, put down your bag, remove a laptop if you have one, go through a metal detector, and in some instances get x-rayed or patted down, all in the name of security theatre—I mean, safety.

Many of these silly measures are because of a handful of crazy people that ruined flying for the rest of us. The one 2001 shoe bomber forces us to take off our shoes; the one attempt

in 2006 bans liquids; and the underwear bomber of 2009 means we need x-rays or pat downs. But now thanks to the major publicity of what airports are doing for security, the terrorist actions of one person—that likely did not think of this idea before hearing about it—could dictate security measures for the rest of us through one action. Preventing one possible route of terrorism only limits that one while still leaving unlimited options open to be exploited; and once they are exploited, new security measures will be implemented, and then the cycle repeats. More security equals less liberties equals terrorist victories.

According to the TSA, America’s favourite groping agency, they are confident

that the ban is needed, but what if a terrorist complies on the effected flights, but then makes a laptop bomb for a domestic flight in the US or UK? Dr. Jean-Marc Rickli of King’s College said it best to The Independent: “As soon as you issue a ban like this, from a terrorist perspective you will just change your operating plan – instead of flying from Doha or Dubai you just fly from Amsterdam or Paris.” What then? Will one terrorism case from one person outside the listed countries mean everyone on Earth will have to pay the price that no large electronics will be allowed to be used on planes? If the history of airport security is consistent, it seems highly probable.

I am waiting for the day an attack happens through just

physical force and then we all need to be chained in our chairs for the sake of safety.

Airport security is a joke already. I have seen videos of people making explosives from items they bought in the airport stores AFTER they went through security.

These security measures are theatre and some can call this a slippery slope, but I would not be surprised to see another security measure affect us all in the near future because of one lone nutjob.

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Sports | thephoenixnews.com | Grayson B. Leahy – Sports Editor

Sports

HEAT STUDENT ATHLETES HONOURED AT 9TH ANNUAL AWARDS BANQUET The most recent instalment of athletic department honours were dominated by volleyball attackers on Tuesday night Grayson B. Leahy – Sports Editor

The UBC Okanagan Heat community celebrated its premier student athletes at the 9th annual Athletic Awards Banquet the evening of Tuesday, March 28. There were academic and athletic awards handed out, with a total of ten Heat players of various teams receiving honours.

There were an equal number of five awards given out to male and female Heat student athletes.

They were given out, alternating between female and male winners, starting with Rookie of the Year, Graduating Player of the Year, Student Athlete of the Year, Outstanding Athlete of the Year. It was also the first year for the dual awards of Male and Female Inspirational Rugby Athlete of the Year.

Rookies of the Year: Sara McCreary (Setter -Women’s Volleyball)

McCreary finished her first campaign in Heat uniform with 344 assists and averaged 4.53 assists per set, putting her second in each category. In the deciding third match of a Canada West quarterfinal contest against the Calgary Dinos, Sara set a record for assists in a fourset mach with 55, proving that she will be an invaluable asset to the program in the coming seasons. That number is also second-most ever by a female Heat setter in a single match.

Kyle Hinchey (Outside Hitter-Men’s Volleyball) In his first season in a Heat uniform Hinchey helped push his team to a program record of nine regular season Canada West victories. He started every match he played in the 2016/17 season, and finished third on the team in kills with 174, and third in total points with 211.5. He was

named to the Canada West All-Rookie team for those accomplishments. He set career highs in kills with 15 twice, against Saskatchewan and MacEwan.

Graduating Players of the Year: Megan Festival (Outside Hitter –Women’s Volleyball) In her five-year career with the Heat Festival played in 407 sets in 114 matches, more than any other player for the Heat. In that record number of contests she finished in the top 20 alltime for Canada West with 1018 digs and 888 kills. She was just four kills short of trying Alex Basso’s record of 892 kills, and finished 30 digs short of the record 1048, set

by Jackie Toews. Megan has set new Heat records with 1113.5 total points and 163 service aces, which is also second all-time in Canada West.

Alex Swiatlowski (Outside Hitter–Men’s Volleyball) Swiatlowski’s career with the Heat has been nothing short of exceptional. He has finished with 638 kills, 152 total blocks, and 42 service aces. Those numbers were earned in 313 sets with the Heat, the second-most by a men’s player. His 96 matches played are a program record, and in each of the past four seasons he finished with over 100 kills. He also played his best in clutch matches against his inter-institution rivals from UBC, and was a co-master of ceremonies at last year’s banquet.

Student Athletes of the Year: Siobhan Fitzpatrick (Outside Hitter – Women’s Volleyball) Siobhan, a fourth year sciences student in her third year of Heat eligibility, has earned back-to-back Academic All-Canadian

honours the past two seasons. This past season she led the Heat women with a total 256 kills, and also led in service aces with 30.

Lars Bornemann (Outside Hitter – Men’s Volleyball) A fourth year engineering student, Bornemann has earned three straight Academic All-Canadian recognitions for his classroom diligence coming into this season, and is likely to add a fourth later this year.

In his penultimate season as a member of the Heat men’s team he led them in both kills and service aces, with 290 and 22 respectively.

Outstanding Athletes of the Year: Veronica Fagan (Women’s Cross Country) Fagan was a member of this year’s cross country team which took home another CCAA National

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Championship back in November, and finished in fourth place in the individual standings for the Championship.

For her 2016 performance she was also named a CCAA All-Canadian, and was recognized as the BC Athletics Junior Women’s Cross Country Athlete of the Year: Mitch McCaw (Keeper – Men’s Soccer) After transferring from Concordia University in Portland before the 2016 season, McCaw put together a season that included five shutouts in 14 starts. He then became the first Heat soccer player to be named an All-Star, when he was placed on the Canada West First Team. He also earned a conference First Star of the Week for a pair of hometurf performances against Lethbridge and Calgary, before finishing up his inaugural Heat campaign with 66 saves, a save percentage of .805, and a 1.14 goals against average.

Grayson B. Leahy – Sports Editor | thephoenixnews.com |

Sports

Inspirational Rugby Athletes of the Year: Lauren Klassen (Forward –Women’s Rugby) Klassen is a 5’7” forward with the women’s side, and is in her fourth year of the Bachelor of Arts program.

She is the first player ever to receive this recognition, as it was introduced at the 2017 Banquet. Her commitment, leadership, and superior performance on the pitch and in the classroom were cited as earning her the award.

Nathan Brown (Back – Men’s Rugby) Brown is also the first annual recipient of the award. It is designed to honour a player of at least third year standing who embodies the commitment, leadership, and superior performance on the pitch and in the classroom, and Nathan has been recognized as the most deserving in all categories. He is a 5’4” back on the men’s side and is finishing up his Bachelor’s degree in Science in Nursing this year.

Photos provided by UBCO Heat Athletics

REAL BASEBALL IS BACK

With the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues done with for another year, we’re back on the 162-game train to October Grayson B. Leahy – Sports Editor

obsessed with. Secondly, it is the coming of spring. Baseball’s Opening Day means it’s time to go outside and play again, at least until the game’s on.

The all-too-familiar Okanagan second winter be damned.

One of the best things about the beginning of the regular season is that we get to forget the preseason. This year, I’m quite ready to go ahead and do that. The Toronto Blue Jays had a less than impressive Spring Training, posting a losing record and having to put Josh Donaldson onto a rehab schedule before their first game.

The highlight of this year’s Grapefruit League for the Jays has to be Jose Bautista.

With the departure of Edwin Encarnacion the hopes of many a Canadian baseball fan will depend on whether Bautista can stay relevant in a league dominated by players much

“ ‘Liriano says this has been the best spring training of his career.’ – Arash Madani

“

The 2017 MLB regular season is ready to drag us back into love with baseball, and it’s off to a strong start. A week before Opening Day, the MLB website released a hype video called ‘This Season on MLB’ and after an already impressive preseason, it’s the perfect way to get fans fired up for the real thing. With footage of Mike Trout tossing tractor tires around, a radar gun reading ‘DANG’ after a Clayton Kershaw pitch, the Mets rotation feasting at a New York restaurant table, and Terry Francona staring with the rage of last year’s 3-1 loss into the camera, it was more than enough to have me ready to renew my subscription to MLBTV. Baseball is two things this time of year. Firstly, it’s a return to the game that so many of us grew up playing and loving and often being completely

younger than he. The bat flip master hasn’t let us down yet, though, as he posted a batting average well above .400 and an OPS over 1.400. He won’t he playing the final few games of the preseason when the team takes on Pittsburgh in Montreal, as he will be attending his brother’s wedding.

On the other side of the ball, Francisco Liriano has been the notable piece of the Jays’ pitching staff. With 25 strikeouts in his first four starts, Liriano is proving to be an even better addition than most Jays fans expected. Along with those 25 K’s he posted an ERA of 1.88 and a WHIP of .084 in those 14.1 innings pitched.

In a report from Dunedin, Florida, the home of Blue Jays spring training, Arash Madani says “Francisco Liriano says this has been the best spring training of his career…and

ironically it comes after he threw fewer bullpens than ever before in his career, only four this winter.”

As made official by the organization early last week, Liriano will be the fourth starter in the rotation this year for the Jays. Marco Estrada will get the ball Opening Day on Monday in Baltimore, April 3, J.A. Happ will go Wednesday against the Orioles, Marcus Stroman will go Thursday against the Tampa Bay Rays, and Liriano and Aaron Sanchez will round out the rotation with their first starts of the season against the Rays on Friday and Saturday. The first home game for Toronto will be on Tuesday, April 11, with Happ scheduled to start his first home opener of his career.

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Sports | thephoenixnews.com | Grayson B. Leahy – Sports Editor

HEAT MEN’S RUGBY 7S PLACE 5TH AT NATIONAL TOURNAMENT The Knights will pull their roster together between June 17-24 with two drafts in a week Grayson B. Leahy – Sports Editor

At the National University 7s Championships in Langford, B.C. on March 17 & 18, the Heat men’s side put together a 4-2 record over the weekend to earn their best finish to date on the national stage.

The Heat’s two losses were to a pair of teams from the University of Victoria. The first loss was the Okanagan side’s tournament opener, in which the Victoria Vikes finished ahead 22-0 on Friday morning.

The two afternoon games saw the Heat bounce back, taking down first one of two University of Regina teams 24-14 and then the Mount Royal Cougars 1210. Those three Friday games constituted the group play stage of the tournament, and Saturday was the playoff stage.

The Heat’s first game on Saturday was a 40-7 morning loss to the Victoria Norsemen.

Once again though the Heat responded with a win, beating the Trent Excalibur 19-15 to earn a spot in the 5th place final.

In that game to finish atop the

consolation bracket, the Heat faced the same Regina side they’d beaten Friday afternoon.

In their second meeting with Regina, the Heat scored first and quickly, with Jamie Jenson getting them on the board just 40 seconds in. Regina’s Dmitri Hoffer answered a minute and a half later to tie it, but the Haynes brothers gave the Heat a lead again in the fourth minute, and a conversion put UBCO up 12-5 at half-time.

Sam Overton scored for the Heat early in the second half, and Dom Haynes scored his second try of the match to put them up 22-5. Regina would score with just over a minute left to make it 22-10, but they could not score again before the final whistle.

Dom Haynes’ performance in that last game of the men’s rugby season capped on an impressive individual weekend. Haynes finished top-10 in scoring at the tournament, with 17 points on three tries and a conversion.

Photo provided by UBCO Heat Athletics

MARCH REALLY IS FOR MADNESS Another year, another bracket busted Grayson B. Leahy – Sports Editor

before. Nothing made that more evident than the statistics of how many correct picks have been made in online contests this year.

In a collection of brackets from NCAA.com, Bleacher Report, CBS, ESPN, Fox Sports, and Yahoo, the last perfect bracket was busted when Iowa State lost to Purdue. That lone bracket did set a record, though, as it went 39 correct picks before its first loss. The previous record was 36 correct picks without a loss, set in 2014. In a piece written for NCAA. com by Daniel Wilco, he adds, “the odds of flipping a coin and having it land on heads 39 times in a row is 1 in 549,755,813,888.”

Through the first day of the round of 64 alone, less than one percent of brackets submitted to ESPN remained perfect. Mine was not one of them.

The emotion and importance

“ ‘The odds of flipping a coin and having it land on heads 39 times in a row is 1 in 549,755,813,888.’ – David Wilco for NCAA.com

“

The annual tradition of having hopes and dreams of college hoops prescience dashed continues. The Final Four are set as Gonzaga, Oregon, South Carolina, and North Carolina.

With the Zags finally breaking through expectations and making it to the Final Four, Oregon overcoming the loss of a star to injury, the Gamecocks defying the odds to come from a playin to the big stage, and the Tar Heels earning a last-second win over Kentucky, the road to Phoenix has been nothing short of exceptional.

Heartbreak and bruised egos aside, the 2017 NCAA tournament has been overwhelming in its excitement. Those of us who thought we knew something, or at least convinced ourselves that we did, have been proven wrong just like last year and every year

of this annual tournament was encapsulated in the Elite Eight matchup between the #1 North Carolina Tar Heels and #2 Kentucky Wildcats in the South region final. Kentucky and North Carolina are absolute powerhouses in the college basketball world, and many criticized their being seeded in the same region this year. It was without a doubt a championshiplevel game, and it certainly didn’t feel like it should have been played before the Final Four.

The UNC-UK battle came down to two shots in the final 10 seconds. Kentucky’s Malik Monk hit a Hail Mary of a three pointer with eight seconds left over two defenders to tie it up at 73-73, moving most Wildcats fans out of their seats in anticipation of overtime. That joy was quickly flipped on its head when Luke

Maye pulled up for a jumper with two seconds left on the clock, and watched it fall with 0.3 seconds left, locking up a Final Four spot for the Tar Heels.

In an enormously entertaining and possibly inevitable move after the game, Christian Laettner piled on the Kentucky faithful.

He tweeted out “Luke my son…

May the force of the #32 be with you. #uncdownsthecats #theshotlives.” Laettner and the shot he references are iconic in NCAA tournament history, and infamous among Kentucky fans, for getting Duke past the ‘Cats in the tournament 25 years ago in an eerily similar situation to what happened last weekend.

Maye and Laettner both wore the number 32 jersey for their respective teams.

I can‛t believe my tuition is going up again.

Colleges were always able to offer students small classes, close to home. Not anymore.

It‛s harder than ever for BC students to get access to post-secondary education.

How are we going to afford to send the kids to university?

I‛m drowning in student loans

The BC government is failing students and their families. Enough is enough!

On May 9, vote for a government that will invest in people.