Vol XXIX Issue X - February 15 2016

UBCO’s Student Newspaper

February 15th, 2016 | Vol 29, Issue 10

Half price chocolate day since 1989

Who are we?

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thephoenixnews.com |

Campus

News

Life

Arts

Who Are We? Hardly an Ivory Tower p.3

The Life of a Student Yoga Teacher p.6

Social Protest in Rap and Hip Hop p.9

UBC Set to Take Stand Against Hate During OUTweek p.4

UBCO’s Worst First Dates p.7

Home is an Odd Concept p.10

Pros and Cons of Living with Your Boyfriend p.8

Tara Travis: Coffee with the Honest Comic p.11

UBCO Canvas Project Takes on Downtown Kelowna p.5

Opinions

Sports

Sex and the Male Orgasim p.12

Heat Stay Atop Canada West Rankings p.14

A (Feminist) Defence of Blowjobs p.13

Heat Basketball in Push for Playoffs p.15

#OscarsAreASham p.13

“Self-proclaimed grammatical boss ass bitch.”

“I like to lift heavy things, and my video editing background comes from homemade pornos.”

“Don’tcha wish your girlfriend could design like me?”

“I make things look pretty.”

“I’m not a doctor but I’ll inspect your colon.”

Kelsei Brown

Francesca Gimson

University Centre 3333 University Way Kelowna, BC, Canada V1Y 5N3 Office: UNC 132B Phone: 250-807-9296 thephoenixnews.com Cover by Maggie Wilson, Kelsi Brown and Sarah James

Riley Petillion

Production Assistant

Copy Editor

Video Editor

Coordinating Editor Alex Barberis coordinating@thephoenixnews.com

Sports Editor Grayson B. Leahy sports@thephoenixnews.com

Visual Editor Varenka Kim visual@thephoenixnews.com

Production Manager Sarah James artdirector@thephoenixnews.com

Current Affairs Editor Mark Dreger current.affairs@thephoenixnews.com

Production Assistant Kelsi Brown production@thephoenixnews.com

Project Manager Maranda Wilson project@thephoenixnews.com

Life Editor Amithisste Multerer-Zarda life@thephoenixnews.com

Copy Editor Francesca Gimson copy@thephoenixnews.com

Web Editor Justin Kroeker web@thephoenixnews.com

Life Reporter Tiffany Goodwein lifereporter@thephoenixnews.com

Video Editor Riley Petillion video@thephoenixnews.com

Opinions Editor Brittni MacKenzie-Dale opinions@thephoenixnews.com

Life Reporter Maria Otto lifereporter@thephoenixnews.com

News Editor Laurence Watt news@thephoenixnews.com

Staff Writer Kathryn Helmore helmore@thephoenixnews.com

Contributors G.E. McKinnon, Gordon Hamilton, Jada Larkin, Alliance Babunga, Emily MacMillin, Darlene Patrick, and Noah Hacker

Arts Editor Jacky Deng arts@thephoenixnews.com

Photo Editor Maggie Wilson photo@thephoenixnews.com

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 (e.g. legalizing marijuana).

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 | Laurence Watt - News Editor

News

UBC OKANAGAN PROFESSORS WIN KILLAM RESEARCH AWARDS

PLACE HOLDER PLACE HOLDER PLACE HOLDER

Miranda Hart and Abbas Milani pick up UBC Killam Research Fellowships Laurence Watt News Editor

WHO ARE WE? HARDLY AN IVORY TOWER

Photo by Maggie Wilson/ The Phoenix News

A brief summary of the contributions UBC Okanagan has made to the Kelowna Community Kathryn Helmore Staff Writer

Population factor: 8, 611 undergraduate and graduate students from the Okanagan, Canada and 80 other countries in conjunction with 1,041 faculty and staff members make for a total population of 9, 652. This means that 9% of Kelowna’s population is students, staff or faculty.

The Political: In the last election, 434 on campus students voted. Of these 434 votes, 269 went to Liberal Leader Steven Fuhr. If this is representative of the student population, it is safe to

say that UBC student votes were a significant proportion of the 4102 votes which ensured the victory of Steven Fuhr.

The Industrial: According to the 2015 Community Trends Report issued by the City of

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8,611 undergraduate and graduate students.

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UBC Okanagan and our lives within it might seem far removed from the Kelowna community.

It might seem that we inhabit a lonely space atop the Okanagan Valley, immersed in our academia and removed from the bustling Kelowna community. However, a quick examination of the effects UBC has had on Kelowna suggests the opposite; we are in fact a major proponent of the community.

Furthermore, this examination suggests that the effect UBC has had on her wider, off-campus community is overwhelmingly positive.

Kelowna, UBC is largely responsible for the growth of Kelowna’s Tech Sector. This sector now contributes $1.02 billion to the Okanagan economy in addition to 13% growth of the local economy. Additionally, within the Thompson Okanagan region, Kelowna is the largest tech

hub, with aprox. 334 tech-related businesses in 2014.

The Green: Since its launch in 2006, the UBC U-pass transit ridership program ,coupled with UBC’s transportation demand management strategies, has increased overall transit trips by 168% since 1997.

This increased use by students has arguably inspired increased use by the public: as of 2007 only 1.7% of Kelowna residents used transit, and as of 2013 4.8% of residents were using transit.

As of 2015, aproximately 200 students cycled to University every day. This cycling traffic, in addition to the dangerous nature of cycling in Kelowna, has placed pressure on the University and the City to create more bike routes.

The increased use of public transit and the pressure to prioritize cycle paths could explain why, despite a population increase of 7.7%, Kelowna’s GHG emissions have decreased by more than 2.4% since 2007. Especially considering that 65% of Kelowna’s community greenhouse gas emissions come from cars.

The Cultural: In the typical year, UBC hosts 200 or more public events on and off campus in Kelowna and the Okanagan region.

As of October 2015, the Irving K. Barber Learning Fund partly established the Innovation Library.

Located on the second floor of the downtown regional library, this space provides the public with access to UBC’s academic databases, including more than 2 million journals and e-books.

More than 20,000 people have attended the Distinguished Speaker Series hosted by UBC. This series has brought more than 30 speakers to the region, including CBC’s Paul Kennedy and Canadian Astronaut Chris Hadfield.

Associate Professor of Biology Miranda Hart and Associate Professor of Engineering Abbas Milani have both received top recognition from UBC by winning Killam Research Fellowships.

The Killam Research Fellowships will allow Hart and Milani to take a recognized study leave to pursue fulltime research in their areas of study.

According to Phil Barker, VicePrincipal of Research at UBC Okanagan, “these recognitions show that research at UBC’s Okanagan campus is continuing its strong upward trajectory.”

Miranda Hart, who studies soil biodiversity at UBCO, is interested in discovering more about soil microbial communities, in particular the role and applications of microbes in sustainable agriculture, viticulture, and ecological restoration.

Abbas Milani, who teaches Engineering at UBCO and has been involved with the Okanagan’s School of Engineering since 2007, is particularly interested in advanced composite materials and their manufacturing.

The Killam Research Fellowships are made possible by the The Canada Council for the Arts, Canada’s national public arts funder. In 2014-15, the council allocated $155 million towards artistic creation and innovation through grants, prizes and payments.

Among other things, the council also conducts research and works with a number of partners to advance the arts sector in communities across the country.

In 1981, the Council established the Killam Program following a donation

by Mrs. Dorothy J. Killam in memory of her husband, Izaak Walton Killam.

The Program offers an array of prizes and awards to eminent Canadian scholars and scientists actively engaged in research, whether in industry, government agencies or universities.

The Killam Research Fellowships are part of the program and, according to the council, are among Canada’s most distinguished research awards. The primary objective of the awards is to support scholars engaged in research projects of outstanding merit in the humanities, social sciences, natural natural sciences, health sciences, engineering and interdisciplinary studies. Every year, the fellowships are normally awarded to professors with an outstanding reputation in their area of research, and they enable recipients to pursue full-time research.

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Laurence Watt - News Editor | thephoenixnews.com |

News

US CAUCUSES SHOW CLINTON IS NOT A SHOOIN FOR THE PRESIDENCY Clinton wins Iowa Caucus by literal coin flips, as Sanders and Trump take New Hampshire Mark Dreger Current Affairs Editor

Photo from From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository

UBCO SET TO TAKE STAND AGAINST HATE DURING OUTWEEK UBCO Students are preparing to celebrate OUTWeek next Monday following the burning of the pride flag on the Vancouver campus Laurence Watt News Editor

concern for participants’ safety. Other activities planned for OUTWeek are reportedly going to proceed with extra security precautions.

Currently, the RCMP is conducting on-going investigations into who was involved and the motives behind the burning of the flag.

UBCSUO President Tom Macauley issued an official statement yesterday regarding the act.

“I speak for UBC Okanagan students when I say that I am deeply disappointed and shocked that an ignorant act such as this took place at UBC,” said Macauley. “It is not who we are, and it is certainly not something we will ignore.”

Macauley continued, stating, “we send our sympathies and support to our friends at The Pride Collective at

“ “I speak for UBC Okanagan students when I say that I am deeply disappointed and shocked that an ignorant act such as this took place at UBC,” said Macauley.

UBC in Vancouver and offer our most sincere resolve in commitment to ensuring that events like OUTWeek, remain and endure as a part of our campus identity and culture… Let’s drive out hate by choosing love.”

In his statement, Macauley also urged all Okanagan students to come out and celebrate the launch of OUTWeek next Monday.

Set up by the Pride Resource Centre, the event will occur from 9–10A.M. in the UBCO courtyard and feature speeches, snacks and the raising of the rainbow pride flag.

“

Last Tuesday morning, Vancouver campus officials reported that the University of British Columbia’s rainbow pride flag had been burned.

The rainbow pride flag, which had been raised last Friday as part of UBC Pride Collective’s OUTWeek, was reportedly burned on the flagpole sometime over the Family Day long weekend.

Immediately following the news, UBC issued an official written statement condemning the burning of the flag as an act of hate and as contrary to the university’s deeply held values of equality, inclusion and respect.

The Pride Collective have since announced the cancellation of a march in support of transgendered people planned for Wednesday out of

EARTHQUAKE KILLS OVER 30 IN TAIWAN A 6.4 magnitude earthquake knocks down buildings in the country’s south Mark Dreger Current Affairs Editor On February 6, a 6.4 magnitude earthquake hit Taiwan’s southern cities, bringing down buildings full of families preparing to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

Approximately 340 people were pulled from the collapsed complexes of twisted metal, with at least 34 people dead and 103 missing under the rubble

by the next day.

“The other 103 [missing] are believed to be at the lower floors of the building, and we can’t find an accessible route to those areas at the moment,” said Tainan Mayor William Lai. “It takes a few hours to complete a search for just one household and sometimes it takes two hours just to go forward 30cm,” said rescuer Su Yu-min.

Most casualties came from the collapse of a 16-storey apartment complex containing 96 apartments and 256 registered residents, but there were

more in the structure for the holiday when it collapsed. Reports say 171 people were rescued and 91 were sent to hospitals.

9 buildings collapsed in the city of Tainan with 5 buildings left tilting to the side.

Questions began to arise about the construction of the tallest building to collapse. It was built in 1989 and was not listed as a dangerous building at the time of collapse, but Taiwan’s interior minister, Chen Wei-zen, said they would investigate whether

the developer had cut corners on its construction. Officials have not yet determined if poor construction was a factor, but some believe that structural problems resulted from poor-quality reinforced steel and cement. The engineering companies responsible for the buildings are no longer in operation.

A survivor of the collapse said he told his son not to buy an apartment there because it was “suspiciously cheap.”

The Taiwan capital, Taipei, 200 miles north felt the shake, but did not report any damage.

After nearly a year of discussion around the 2016 US election, the first steps in the presidential nomination process took place in early February.

Senator Bernie Sanders and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton exchanged victories in Iowa and New Hampshire for the democratic nomination, and Ted Cruz and Donald Trump each took a state victory for the Republicans.

In Iowa, Cruz received 27.6% of the vote, with Trump coming in second with 24.3%, and Marco Rubio in third with 23.1%; but once Cruz was declared the winner, all the focus turned to the close race between Sanders and Clinton.

Clinton edged Sanders by 0.29% in what many media outlets considered a virtual tie, but in many counties it was a literal tie. According to caucus rules, the deciding factor in a tie is a coin flip, and in 6 counties a coin flip had to be initiated.

In a stroke of pure luck, Clinton won all 6 tosses, allowing her to win the caucus and stir debate over the process of America’s electoral system.

Due to a poor turnout in Iowa, Rand Paul, Mike Huckabee, and Rick Santorum all dropped out for the Republican nomination, despite Paul receiving one delegate. For the Democrats, O’Malley’s abysmal 0.6% support forced him to end his campaign, leaving the Democratic nomination to two candidates.

To political scholars, the New Hampshire Caucus was no surprise.

Sanders won a strong 60% victory in his home state, with Clinton’s best result in Rockingham County bringing in 42% versus Sanders’ 57%. Trump won with 35%, doubling second place John Kasich’s 16%, with Cruz finishing in a distant third with 12%.

Clinton’s narrow victory in Iowa, and her easy defeat in New Hampshire, not only has her supporters nervous, but the White House as well. Clinton biographer Carl Bernstein said on CNN that after speaking to people in the White House, he discovered that “they are horrified at how Hillary Clinton is blowing up her own campaign.” This would presumably include President Obama, as he has said he wants Clinton to win the presidency.

“This is not just a vast right-wing conspiracy that is causing her problems;” Bernstein said, “she has caused herself these problems.”

Her recent fall from the top is not only from her email scandal, but the attacks addressing her paid speeches to financial firms. It is said that Clinton accepted at least $1.8 million for 8 speeches in 2013 and 2014, as well as $675,000 for speeches she made to Goldman Sachs. When Anderson Cooper asked her about the scandal, she replied, “well, I don’t know.

That’s what they offered.”

Clinton was considered a shoo-in for the democratic nomination when she announced her candidacy in April 2015, but now the “unelectable” Sanders is giving her a run for her money.

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News | thephoenixnews.com | Laurence Watt - News Editor

CHINA, RUSSIA, AND IRAN PLAN EURASIAN ORDER AGAINST THE WEST After the UN lifted economic sanctions on Iran, China is wasting no time pursuing agreements with the country Mark Dreger Current Affairs Editor

Photo provided by Laurence Watt/ The Phoenix News

UBCO CANVAS PROJECT TAKES ON DOWNTOWN KELOWNA

Kelowna residents asked to answer three questions to determine whether we’re more similar than different Laurence Watt News Editor question of what they cherished and were disappointed by most. “Family” and “friends” were the most common responses for what participants cherished most, and “racism” and “conflict” were the most common responses for what participants found most disappointing.

Ultimately, although the first and second events saw different responses for where people considered home, the responses for what people cherished and were disappointed by were very similar on both occasions. According to the project organizers, this result was not only expected but also hoped for.

The difference in responses given by participants on campus and downtown highlights the evident diversity in Kelowna. However, the similarity in responses proves that, regardless of our background, we all cherish our family and friends and we are all disappointed by division and conflict.

Analyzing the canvasses following the completion of the project, student

organizers concluded that, at our core, it appears humans are more similar than different. It is not a Muslim or Christian desire to care for loved ones and it is not an African American or Caucasian desire to despise violent conflict, it is simply a human desire.

Although the project has finally concluded after 2 weeks, the six canvasses used for both events will be displayed on campus for the rest of second semester.

Before the project was launched, Sarah Chu, a fourth-year student at UBCO, painted a letter on each canvas and a tree to connect them all. When all the canvasses are put together they will form a tree and spell “family”.

The project was organized by members of the Students’ Union, International Programs & Services, Harmony, the Political Science Student Association, International Relations and the Phoenix News.

WHO DECLARES ZIKA VIRUS GLOBAL EMERGENCY

In an attempt to cease the spread of this virus, Brazil has sent 220,000 troops on mosquito eradication campaigns, with Brazil’s President, Dilma Rousseff, signing draconian laws allowing health officials to access any building, public and private,

Spread of the Zika virus in Latin America has the forced nations to take action Mark Dreger Current Affairs Editor The World Health Organization has declared the Zika virus, believed to be the cause of babies born with underdeveloped brains, an international emergency of the same category as Ebola.

The main point of the declaration is to generate funding towards research to discover if the mosquito-spread Zika virus is related to microcephaly, a disorder describing babies born with unusually small heads.

“Members of the committee agree that

the situation meets the conditions for a public health emergency of international concern,” said WHO Director Margaret Chan.

Cases of the virus have been common throughout Latin America with Brazil reporting nearly 4,000 cases of microcephaly since October, compared to only 167 cases of microcephaly in 2013. It is believed that 1.5 million Brazilians are estimated to have caught Zika since May 2015.

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“Members of the committee agree that the situation meets the conditions for a public health emergency of international concern.” -WHO director Margaret Chan

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Armed with pens, hot dogs and burgers, UBCO students amalgamated in downtown Kelowna last Saturday to launch the second installment of the Canvas Project, a thought experiment designed to answer the question of whether humans are more similar than different.

Following the same protocol as the previous on-campus event, three canvasses were set up beside the Sails with three specific questions: where do you consider home, what’s something you cherish most, and what’s something that disappoints you most?

In contrast to the first event, respondents in downtown Kelowna gave very similar responses to the question of where they considered home. “Kelowna” and “here” were by far the most common responses, whereas on the first attempt there was not a predominantly common response.

For both the first and second events, participants responded similarly to the

After lifting economic sanctions on Iran, China and Russia and are working on what some are calling the Eurasian Golden Triangle.

In late January, China’s president, Xi Jinping, was the first international leader to visit Iran after sanctions were lifted only a week prior. China acted quickly to show Iran, and the world, that they plan to remain Iran’s biggest trade partner, and to strengthen its economic ties and strategic position in the Middle East.

During the visit, Jinping and Iranian president Hassan Rouhani signed 17 agreements, including contracts in the energy, railways, mining, and tourism sectors. Iran will also cooperate with the China-led One Belt One Road initiative that includes railways and roads connecting China to Central Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. Russia has also joined in cooperation with Iran with agreements regarding aviation, energy, agriculture, and transportation.

The rising cooperation between Russia, China, and Iran appears to be a new tripartite group in Eurasia to counter the NATO coalition in the West. However, though China is working hard to develop closer economic ties with Iran, other European companies are also looking at Tehran to capitalize on the new market. This is where the Eurasian Golden Triangle comes in, and things get interesting with regards to their plans to create a gold-backed currency.

“We’re seeing the emergence of a true Eurasian Golden Triangle with China, Russia and Iran as the three key points,” said F. William Engdahl of the online magazine the New Eastern Outlook. “With the stated plan to route the Silk Road rail infrastructure to assist the mining of new gold for currency backing of the Eurasian member states, including now Iran with its significant own unexploited gold, the hyper-inflated, debt-bloated

dollar system is gaining a formidable positive alternative, one committed to peace and development.”

The plan to create a gold-backed currency has not found favour from the West. It was recently discovered in Hillary Clinton’s Secretary of State emails that the intent of NATO’s intervention in Libya in 2011 was not only oil driven, but also due to Muammar Gaddafi’s plan to create a gold-backed currency to compete against the Euro and the Dollar.

According to the emails, Gaddafi’s

to remove mosquito breeding grounds.

Officials can also request police raids of buildings if necessary.

The virus was believed to only be spreading by mosquito, but a new case in Dallas, Texas confirms that the virus can also be transmitted sexually. Since then, there have been reports of Zika virus in 13 other US states due to people travelling to Zika-active countries. This spread has led to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to announce a “Level 1” status emergency, a level that has only been used three times: Ebola in 2014, H1N1 in 2009, and Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Symptoms include fever, rash, red eyes, and joint pain, but according to Brazil’s Health Minister, Marcelo Castro, “80% of the people infected by Zika do not

develop significant symptoms.”

Rousseff ’s chief of staff said that it may take 3 to 5 years to develop a vaccine against the virus, but the US Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Anthony Fauci, said he hopes to complete trials by the end of 2016 and have a vaccine available much sooner. Obama is asking Congress for $1.8 billion to fund research for a vaccine.

The United States Olympic Committee has also told athletes planning to compete in the Rio Olympic Games this summer in Brazil to consider not attending if they are concerned for their health.

The outbreak has existed in Africa since the 1940s, but it became an epidemic once it reached Latin America.

“ “We’re seeing the emergence of a true Eurasian Golden Triangle with China, Russia and Iran as the three key points.”

- F. William Engdahl, writer for the New Eastern Outlook.

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PLACE HOLDER PLACE HOLDER PLACE HOLDER

plan to create a gold-backed currency “was one of the factors that influenced President Nicolas Sarkozy’s decision to commit France to the attack on Libya.” The 143 tons of gold Gaddafi accumulated was “intended to be used to establish a pan-African currency based on the Libyan golden Dinar,” which would have placed North Africa into higher economic independence from the French.

It remains to be seen how the West will react to a gold-backed alliance in Eurasia that, if implemented, will inevitably change the balance in the West’s global control.

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Amithisste Multerer-Zarda - Life Editor | thephoenixnews.com |

Life

Life

WINTER ACTIVITIES IN KELOWNA Who says this city is only fun during the summer?

Amithisste Multerer-Zarda Life Editor

There are many reasons people chose to live in Kelowna. Sure, the winter cannot offer beach days, boat cruises, winery crawls, or waterfall hikes, but there is so much to do during the winter that is sure to beat your seasonal blues. Say goodbye to the depression that comes with the settling winter fog, and indulge in the adventure that our area has to offer.

1.Outdoor skating at Stuart park.

You can rent skates, buy mittens, and indulge in hot chocolate, hotdogs or waffles while cozying up by the fire place. Oh, and you can skate too.

2.Big White. There is so much to do at Big White! You can ski or snowboard, but also skate or go snow tubing.

3.Indoor Farmers Market. Every Saturday morning from 9A.M. – 1P.M. mid-November to March you can purchase and taste foods and crafts from local vendors. Check online for location and date changes.

4.Hot Yoga. Although there are only a handful of yoga studios, hot yoga is a perfect way to warm up and stretch out your legs during study breaks.

Most yoga studios offer killer student discounts.

5.Ice Wine tasting. Did you know that ice wine can only be made at a certain temperature? At various wineries, ice wine tasting is free! Check online for wineries that offer ice wine.

6.Outdoor hiking. Many trails that you would enjoy hiking in the summer are still just as enjoyable in the winter. Pack your snow shoes and a picnic for extra fun!

7.Scandia. If you have not discovered the world of Scandia, you are in for a treat. Go mini-golfing in the eerie magical jungle and then play endless arcade games for a cheap price.

8.Laser Tag. You are never too old.

9.Bowling. Bowling is quite the fad in Kelowna. Maybe even join a club; you never know where your hidden talents might hide.

10.The Habitat. A hole-in-the-wall club located right beside Sapphire nightclub.

Walk past the line of freezing people and try a nightclub that offers alternative music and creative performances. It almost feels like you are in a theatre.

11.Sparkling Hill. Though it may be a bit pricey, they do offer local discounts if you feel the need to take a staycation.

Located in Vernon, Sparkling Hill Spa is a relaxing luxury spa embedded with Swarovski crystals. Ooh la la!

THE LIFE OF A STUDENT YOGA TEACHER

Photo by Kaylee Smart

Yoga teacher at Hotbox Studio, Emilie Mann, describes what it is like to be a yoga teacher and a fourth-year UBCO student Amithisste Multerer-Zarda Life Editor Emilie Mann is a fourth-year human kinetics student at UBCO who also teaches the humbling and growing practice of yoga. She has a big heart, a big smile, and a compassionate and genuine positive energy that naturally compliments her yoga teaching. She agreed to answer my questions via Facebook while skiing out in her hometown of Fernie, BC. Emilie has taught yoga for about a year and a half, and was encouraged to start yoga by her physiotherapist as therapy for issues that resulted from running long distance. She decided to pursue yoga because she loved it as more than a therapeutic practice.

She did a 200-hour teacher training course in Fernie, BC. Emilie states, “it was intense. Lots of hours and information packed into a few weeks… but the knowledge and experience was very, very worth it. I was lucky to have 3 different teachers who had so much to share about the anatomy, the history of yoga, the postures, philosophy, etc.”

Teaching yoga for Emilie is very self-rewarding and she also describes it as a practice of selfishly giving: “it is so rewarding and humbling to know that you are the one holding space and guiding and helping others to find their practice, it’s definitely a gift to see students grow and discover how life changing yoga can really be.”

Emilie has a true love for teaching and has to remind herself that she has to practice yoga for herself as well in

order to preach correctly. One of her most memorable classes was a candle lit event for charity. She describes the energy in the room as pretty darn magical, and says it is amazing that the community can come together to move, breathe, give, and receive together. She enjoys the reward of a student expressing a new breakthrough or sharing a self-righteous experience while practicing during her class.

Emilie has had no traumatizing experiences teaching yoga as of yet, and hopes to keep it that way.

The young, bubbly yogi chose Hotbox due to their style, energy, and room for creativity when compared to other yoga studios in Kelowna.

Emilie admits that Kelowna’s yoga industry is fairly competitive, and she believes in working together rather than competing, as that is the true virtue of yoga and it should reflect its business. She takes nothing personally and believes that if all your efforts are sincere, and your intentions come from the heart, whatever you choose to manifest, or hope to see change, will eventually happen.

Hotbox also provides excellent deals for students. The majority of yogis at Hotbox are in college or at the university. They understand that school and yoga are both expensive. Yoga is $199 for unlimited yoga until the end of April if you are a student, and firsttime attendees receive a deal of $49 of unlimited yoga for the first month.

Emilie grew up in a catholic family and went to church every Saturday night or Sunday. She became curious about spiritual growth while going to church, and while she may not completely agree with everything that her church has taught her, she appreciates being brought up with a belief in a higher power. She explains, “I believe it’s important to pursue your spirituality, no matter what you believe in.”

She explained that her students have told her that they are not willing to hear spiritual or religious beliefs in her class and they wish to keep yoga as a physical benefit rather then a spiritual one. “I leave space for people to take or leave whatever they really need from the class whether it’s a juicy work out, a safe place, or spiritual growth… It’s all up to them to interpret.”

Her favorite yoga poses change weekly, sometimes daily. It depends on what other physical demands her body has been under at that time, and she elaborates, “a good shoulder or heart opener is always nice during exam seasons though!”

Emilie is certainly active and when she is not studying or practicing yoga she can be found out for a run in the mountains or skiing with friends.

For yoga, she plays music that is not filled with lyrics but remains upbeat.

Currently she plays Odesza, Coldplay, Chet Faker and Oh Wonder to name a few.

The outdoors-loving yoga teacher would love to teach yoga after her degree, and would love to do so while traveling. She explains, “it would be a sweet way to see the world and connect with some beautiful people. As for a full time job… I’m tentative to have my passion become my full time job. I think it’s important to keep some things separate.”

Yoga could be described for some as a stress-reliever, a workout, and a spiritual journey. For others, it can be an attempt to do what is trendy, or rather a flexible dilemma. Yoga has certainly exploded as a worldwide phenomenon through which many are finding positive outcomes physically and spiritually. After participating in Emilie’s class, it is clear that Emilie is passionate about teaching yoga and surely does not treat is as work. Her playful, positive nature reflects in her teaching and harmonizes her lifestyle.

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Life | thephoenixnews.com | Amithisste Multerer-Zarda - Life Editor

UBCO’S WORST FIRST DATES

Photo by Antonio Guillem/ Shutterstock

Wondering why your first dates have not been going as well as you hoped? Do not worry; many UBCO students have been there Tiffany Godwein Life Reporter a group of big guys came up to my date and said to my date that this guy is looking for you and he wants to fight, and I was like, oh my god, what did I get myself in to.“ Amber, 5th year Sciences.

“When I went on my first real date with my now ex-boyfriend, he put his hand out for me to hold, and I slapped it thinking he wanted a high five.“ - Melissa, 2nd year Psychology.

“There was a girl that I really liked, so I asked her to a movie, and she said yes. So that night I get all ready. I tried to be a gentleman and buy the tickets and stand at the counter and wait for her. A couple minutes before the movie is supposed to start, she is still not there. Eventually I get fed up and I head into the movie theatre with one of my friends.

About half way through the movie we hear people talking behind us, so me being me, I turned around and told them to shut up.

When I turned around I realized that it was the girl that I was supposed to be with on a date with my best friend.”- Grayson, 5th year History.

“ After he got off the phone, I asked him who it was and he told me that it was just his girlfriend.

A PACK RAT’S GUIDE TO STAYING ORGANIZED If you have not used an object in four months, and if you cannot see yourself using it in the near future, it is time to say goodbye Tiffany Godwein - Life Reporter Historically, de-cluttering my bedroom space has always been a bit of a challenge. I always like to keep everything, and I mean everything. The sweater that I wore on my first date, the first exam that I got an A+ in, my old unfinished craft projects, and even a Ziplock filled with 6 inches of my hair.

The problem is, I develop a strange emotional attachment to things that compels me to keep them, regardless of how odd the object may be. Despite the acknowledgement of this maladaptive

behavior I still hit a crossroads with the desire to have a clean, organized space that still manages to make room for some of my collectables.

As a pack rat, it is no secret that you cherish objects. A simple, easy tip for all pack rats is to implement a storage system for your miscellany.

Implementing storage is essential in that it creates a specific place for belonging, which prevents your various bits from ending up on the floor or mixed in with other clutter.

“

First dates are universally nerve-racking and awkward. They provide the opportunity for you and your date to create a memorable first impression, and stimulate attraction further while fostering mind-numbing anxiety in the process. To see how bad some first dates have been, I took to the streets of UBCO to allow students to sound off some of their first date horror stories.

“One time a dude went to kiss me at the end of the date. He completely missed and just started going to town on my chin instead,” admits an anonymous 5th year student.

“It was my first date ever back in high school. We decided to go see a movie, but the movie that we wanted to go see was not playing. So instead we saw Happy Feet 2, it was awful, I felt like a pedophile. It was just me and her and a bunch of families with lots of kids. I even asked her how it went and she even said it was fairly bad.”- Brenden, 3rd year Management.

“My friend set me up with his cousin and we went to see this movie. After the movie,

Labelling all of your storage containers with what is supposed to belong in there, and diligently trying to stick to the label by storing what is listed on the label is another great approach.

Storage containers do not have to be those bulky Tupperware bins either.

Get creative with storing your knickknacks. Use mason jars, spice racks, shoeboxes, milk crates, or anything else you see in the moment.

I hate to break hearts, my fellow pack rats, but sometimes you do have to throw stuff away. Things will get old and broken, or sometimes they simply will not fit anywhere in your space. Clearing away clutter can be a very liberating process. You may have to close your

“I was on a date with this guy in Santa Monica. He payed a psychic lady on the pier to give me a psychic reading. The psychic told us she would hire me as a personal assistant, and that I’m not really into my date.

She was right, but I was like shut up lady!“– Amithisste, 2nd year Arts.

“I went on a Tinder date with this guy and we were watching a movie at my house and we were like kissing or whatever and then he just licks my face, legitimately licks the entire front of my face, chin to forehead. I asked him to leave because it was just too much and then he drunk texts me the next night and said that he was pretty much in love with me and I never responded.“ - Anonymous 4th year student.

“I had an absence seizure in a movie theatre, and apparently I was talking in French to a bunch of strangers. The dude didn’t know that I have Epilepsy. He just thought I was crazy and on drugs or something.” -Emily, 3rd year Arts.

“I went on a date with this guy that I worked with, and after dinner we started

getting really cozy in my room. Suddenly his phone rang and he answered it. After he got off the phone, I asked him who it was and he told me that it was just his girlfriend.

Needless to say, I showed him the door pretty quickly and working together became borderline torture.” – Anonymous 4th year student.

Bad first dates are a downer in the moment. You realize that the person that you thought would be cool to hang around with is nothing like you thought. Perhaps it was just a bad pick. Perhaps there is something going on with you that makes you a one-date wonder. But certainly, as the saying goes, “there are plenty more fish in the sea” so keep fishing, and with time and patience you might just reel in a keeper.

eyes at first as you chuck away some of your favorite memorabilia, but once you are finished you will feel lighter.

When deciding what to throw out, think about the last time you used the object. As a rule of thumb, if you have not used the object in four months, and if you cannot see yourself using it in the near future, it is time to say goodbye.

The words ‘clean’ and ‘organized’ embody very subjective definitions.

Whatever your definitions of clean and organized are, there are many reasons to head in that direction, even in just one area of your life. For those of you who struggle to focus, you may want to sort out the random knick-knacks off your desk.

According to The Journal of Neuroscience, too many things within your sphere of vision can overwhelm the visual cortex and cause increased distractibility and difficulty when concentrating on important tasks.

Moreover, de-cluttering can also reduce stress, the cloud that looms over most students. So get de-cluttering, even if you only focus on a few things to begin with. You will be doing your body and mind a favour.

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Amithisste Multerer-Zarda - Life Editor | thephoenixnews.com |

Life

AFRICAN CARIBBEAN CLUB SET TO CELEBRATE DIVERSITY AT UBCO Get ready for a week of dance, music, and celebrations from February 22 to 26 Alliance Babunga Contributor

Photo by Maggie WIlson /The Phoenix News

PROS AND CONS OF LIVING WITH YOUR BOYFRIEND If you decide to go half and half on groceries, consider the fact that you will not be eating an even 50/50 split of the contents, but rather an 80/20

Amithisste Multerer-Zarda Life Editor I got 3 bowls once. There is also going A common milestone for couples to be more carbs and meats than you in their young adult years is moving might be used to. You be doing more in together. Whether you have had of the cooking, and deciding what to experience living alone, with another get when grocery shopping, because female/male roommate or with your for some reason the part of the brain parents, the transition from living responsible for being creative in the as a single lady to living with your kitchen is nonexistent for some men. It boyfriend certainly changes your is also common to gain a few pounds lifestyle in many ways. when living with your boyfriend. They I sought out to write an article eat all the time. “Can I have a bite? Just describing my experience for eager one more?” will be your new most young lovers out there to read and commonly said phrases. consider before you make your big 4. Technology: “Who the hell is Ben step as a couple. By the way, after two Jenkins? I don’t remember adding him. years of living together you are as good Oops wrong Facebook account…” as married, legally. And for those of Notices he is still sleeping. “I’ll just you who are currently living with your go through these messages quickly…” significant other, I am sure you can Snooping is not okay. You are going to relate. I am going to break the bad news be logging into your email, Facebook, first, and then the good news. and whatever social media accounts you have on each other’s laptops, Cons: tablets, and phones, and forget to sign 1. Cleanliness: for some reason, things out. Although you may feel that you just become dirtier more quickly than have the right to know whom he is average. Maybe it is those stinky shoes talking to, that is not your business at the door that drag in more dirt. and you must trust one another. So Maybe it is the dishes that are not many arguments stem from irrational cleaned right away. Sometimes there accusations surrounding who you are is food still on dishes in the sink that both communicating with. didn’t get “noticed”. My boyfriend had 5. Privacy: make sure you are going to no idea what Clorox was until I showed feel comfortable living with this human him. being 24/7. He is going to find out 2. Laundry: clothes that are warm and everything about you, and vice versa. freshly dried got thrown on the couch Make sure you love each other wholly and left there. I have had to iron clothes before moving in together. many times. If you share a walk-in 6. The Real You: it is very important closet, you might smell things you have to still remember the person you are never smelt before. without your other half. After living 3. Food: if you decide to go half and together for a while, you may feel as half on groceries, consider the fact that though you are starting to become you will not be eating an even 50/50 the same person. Even though all you split of the contents. He will most likely want to do may be canoodling on the eat 80 percent of it and you will be left couch, watching Netflix, eating pizza with 20. I made a big pot of chili and and drinking wine together, it is so

important to have you time with your friends. It will allow you to appreciate your significant other so much more.

All those people at the bar who are making desperate attempts at pick up lines suddenly open up your eyes to realize that you have someone truly special to go home to.

Pros: 1. A Handyman: if you need help opening that jar, hanging a picture, or fixing a broken frame, he has got you covered. If something is really heavy and needs to be carried in from the car, like those ten bags of groceries, he is eager to help. It’s all about those muscle gains!

2. Food: you have someone else to cook for. Cooking is so much more fun when there is someone to enjoy your masterpiece. And 98 percent of the time he is going to love everything you made for him, even if you burn corn flakes.

3. Cheaper Rent: if you decide to share a one-bedroom apartment, you can afford to splurge and get a really nice one if you will be splitting the bill.

4. Romance: Be prepared to experience an increase in love making when living together.

5. New Details: after a few months of living together my boyfriend told me I say “mmm, yum yum” before almost everything I eat. I learned that he makes these bear noises when he is really satisfied. He does the grumbling thing when he just ate a yummy meal and is sitting on the couch watching TV and he does not even know it.

6. Overcoming Hurdles rationally: when in an argument, you will not be able to storm out of his apartment and end things via text or phone

call. You will have to come to fair conclusions and make things work. It is so important to not argue about little things, as I have come to learn that they are such a waste of time. You really learn that relationships are not easy and take work, patience and effort, but are worth the commitment.

7. Someone to Go Home to: when you are out on a weekend night, everyone else is looking for someone to go home with, you know you already have someone. On top of that, you are going home with someone you know will be there the next day, and the next day, and the next day…

8. Someone to Cheer You Up: if you have had a stressful day of school, you bombed your exam and had to work a project with someone who talks about you behind your back, you have someone to give you a warm hug and a big, fat kiss when you get home. He will want to make you feel better by taking you to your favorite frozen yogurt spot, making you some pancakes, or whatever turns your frown upside down.

You come to learn the good, the bad and the ugly in order to decide if this person is worth it in the long run. It is important to keep a balance between school, friends, and your relationship.

It might get really frustrating coming home to a pile of dishes in the sink and having to constantly make copies of keys because he always loses them, but you have someone to hold you every night, to share your signature lasagne with and above all share all of your love with.

Since beginning my studies here in 2012, UBCO has never been this vibrant, with more students than ever coming from different walks of life and backgrounds - it’s amazing.

This rich diversity overflows in the streets of Kelowna to such an extent that it now feels like one is travelling around the globe. I am convinced this is a feeling that many of my generation share too.

The African Caribbean Club is one among many student associations that add on to this mosaic and so do other cultural clubs, including but not limited to the Arab Student Association, Sikh Students Association, Persian Student Club, Asian Student Association, Bangladeshi Students, Korean Student Association, Russian Speakers Association and many more.

From February 22 to 26, join the African Caribbean Club for an array of exciting events where we’ll be celebrating AfroCaribbean culture. The events will include music, dance and a variety of performances.

The itinerary for this Culture Week is as follows: Monday, Feb 22nd Afro-Zumba!

Learn some African & Caribbean dance moves. (A fun shaking, twisting and calorie burning workout) Gym, The Hanger 9 - 9:45 pm Tues, Feb 23rd Movie Night A viewing of African/Black cinema UBCSUO Theatre (UNC 106) 6:30 - 8:30 pm

Wed, Feb 24th Afro-Expo & Vendors Market An exhibition of authentic goods Fipke Foyer, 1st floor 11:30 am - 1:30 pm Thurs, Feb 25th Taste of Afro-Caribbean A Taste of African & Caribbean cuisines EME Foyer, 1st floor 1 - 3 pm Friday, Feb 26th Afro-Caribbean Gala Night A night fête full of entertainment: food, dance, rap, spoken words & more.

UNC Ballroom (UNC 200) Door open at 6:00 pm Saturday, Feb 27th amazeballs after-party BlackOut (wear something black) Cannery Lounge Cover of $5 For more details, visit ACSC social media or come meet with the members as they sell tickets in the UNC foyer, Feb 15th to 25th from 12 - 2pm. Tickets go for: $15 #UBCOACSC, #ACCW and #ACCW16

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Arts | thephoenixnews.com | Jacky Deng - Arts Editor

Arts

SOCIAL PROTEST IN RAP AND HIP-HOP A brief summary of hip-hop artists’ transcendence of simple musical arrangements Katie Helmore, Noah Hacker and Jada Larkin Staff Writer and Contributors

As of 2012, the voices of the USA’s impoverished, black minority have been heard. As a result of the deaths of Sandra Bland, Eric Garner, Trayvon Benjamin Marti, increased income inequality and the privatization of prisons, the identity of the nation has been shaken. Is the United States truly the land of the free?

At the forefront of this social movement are hip-hop and R&B artists. These musicians inspire, inform and ignite the social movements that demand equality and impartiality. Since it is Black History Month, let us recognize these artists as individuals who have consciously chosen to utilize their talent and skill to transcend the musical arena and become a politicized voice of the repressed.

Bios of Kendrick Lemar, Vince Staples and Killer Mike: Kendrick Lamar: Dubbed by many as an artistic genius, Lamar’s music combines old school funk with hard hitting rap. The highly politicized albums Good Kid M.a.a.D City (2012) and To Pimp a Butterfly (2015) feature “Institutionalized”, “Hood Politics” and Barack Obama’s song of the year “How Much a Dollar Cost”. These tracks, amidst others, attack and condemn the racism and police brutality prevalent in contemporary America. When the relentless refrain of “We gon’ be alright”, taken from his track “Alright”, became the marching chant during a Black Lives Matter protest, Kendrick transcended the boundaries of art and became a highly politicized inspiration for a new generation of protestors. The innovation and influence of this artist and protestor should not be underestimated.

“Wouldn’t you know / We been hurt, been down before / Nigga, when our pride was low / Lookin’ at the world like, ‘Where do we go?’ / Nigga, and we hate po-po / Wanna kill us dead in the street fo sho / Nigga, I’m at the preacher’s door / My knees gettin’ weak, and my gun might blow / But we gon’ be alright” Vince Staples: Created, formed and inspired by a history engrossed with North Long Beach Californian gangs, Vince Staples captures the current state of race relations in the USA. While now removed from this landscape, Vince is unrepentant of his history, remaining distrustful of the U.S. government and social system. He stays proud, yet angry, about this system; in multiple interviews Vince has pointed out that 10 out of his 12 childhood friends are now dead. As such, Vince raps in “Hands Up”, featured on his prominent album Summertime ‘06, “they expect respect and non-violence, I refuse the right to be silent.”

Also in “Hands Up”, “And they expect respect and non-violence, I refuse the right to be silent”, “LASD, no they ain’t ‘bout shit / Ridin’ ‘round these streets givin’ out full clips”, “Deangelo Lopez and Tyler Woods / Just a couple they gunned down around the hood” From an interview: “There cannot be a solution till the problem is addressed, and that’s

the point I’m at right now… that was the point in time where I understood the power of fear.”

“I want people to feel that fear when they listen to this music. I want to people to feel the fear of being 12, 13 years old when your best friend’s dad goes to jail. He leaves guns. You go on YouTube to figure out how to use them. The fear that we understood that we had.”

Dates: June 30, 2015 Killer Mike: As the voice of the underground Atlanta rap scene for years, Killer Mike first reached prominence through collaborating with NYC producer/ rapper EL-P on Run the Jewels. This hard-hitting solo album was revolutionary in both its sonic vision and its insightful, commanding and relentless political message.

Fearlessly attacking police brutality, gun violence and Regananomics, this album perfectly captured and illustrated the turmoil of 2014. He is both an artist and an intellectual, and when not trading verses with El, Killer Mike protests alongside Black Lives Matter, tours university campuses and takes interviews on Fox News.

Lyrics include: “The Ballot or the bullet, some freedom or some bullshit / Will we ever do it big, or just keep settling for little shit?”

“They declared the war on drugs like a war on terror. But it really did was let the police terrorize whoever/ but mostly black boys” “I only have tis warning to all Americans: Whatever this country is willing to do to the least of us, it will one day do to us all” Significant Events in 2012: African Americans comprise the largest proportion of male inmates under state of federal jurisdiction despite being only 13.6% of the population.The FBI estimates that the number of murder victims in the USA was 12,664. Nearly half of these victims, 6,329 specifically, were black.

Feburary: Trayvon Benjamin Marti, a 17-yearold African American from Miami Gardens, Florida, was shoot dead by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer. On October 22, Kendrick Lamar released Good Kid M.a.a.D City.

On November 7, Barack Obama was re-elected.

“We believe in a generous America, in a compassionate America, in a tolerant America, open to the dreams of the young boy on the south side of Chicago who sees a life beyond the nearest street corner” – Obama’s re-election speech, 2012. Azealia Banks, 1991 and Fantasea Outspoken female Black rapper, calls out Iggy Azelia for cultural appropriation in addition to spreading a sex positive, feminist message.

2016

J. Cole and Kendrick?

Run the Jewels 3?

2015

June 30: Vince Staples – Summertime ‘06

July 13: Sandra Bland is found dead in her cell.

The death was classified as suicide by a county coroner. Bland had been pulled over for a minor traffic incident.

Talib Kweli – Train of Thought: Lost Lyrics, Rare Releases & Beautiful B-Sides, Vol 1 “Ain’t none of these deaths making sense / nothing is sacred when you suffering to pay your rent/ Celebrities be making money off the powerless / They silence in the face of injustice is just cowardice / I roll with a crew that ain’t never scared/ of the challenges (Whose side are you on)” December 7: Revenge of the Dreamers 2 – J. Cole “Yeah, caged bird / Freedom’s just an illusion, that’s my conclusion / And if it ain’t, the how my niggas keep on losin’ theirs? / This goes out to childhood friends that’s doin’ years / Prison tats on they backs like souvenirs”

October 24: Run the Jewels 2 August 9: Micheal Brown - Ferguson Riots October 7: Vince Staples – Hell Can Wait As of 2014, there were 100 private prisons with 62,000 inmates. The total number of inmates is 2 million.

July 2014: Eric Garner died in Staten Island, New York City after NYPD put him in chokehold for 15 to 19 seconds. Chokeholds are prohibited by the NYPD.

2013

Creation of Black Lives Matter. #BlackLivesMatter.

The share of total income earned by the top 1% of families was less than 10% in the late 1970s but exceeded 20% at the start of 2013.

Run the Jewels. Yeesuz – Kanye West. “Black Skinhead” and “New Slaves”. “You see it’s borke nigga racism/ That’s that “Don’t touch anything in the store” / Ad it’s rich nigga racism/ that’s that “come in, please buy more” – “New Slaves” Kayne is not a protest rapper, he’s an a-list celebrity. Yet, his choice to comment on racism in Yeesuz through tracks such as “Black Skinhead”, “New Slaves” and “Blood on the Leaves” is an indication of how mainstream social protest rap has become.

Graphic by Jacky Deng

2014

December 9: J. Cole –Forest Hill Drive “While silly niggas argue over who gone snatch the crown/ Look around my nigga white people have snatched the sound / This year I’ll prolly go to the awards dappered down / Watch Iggy win a Grammy as I try to crack a smile / I’m just playin’, but all good jokes contain true shit / Same rope you climb up on, they’ll hang you with.”

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Jack Deng - Arts Editor | thephoenixnews.com |

HOME IS AN ODD CONCEPT

Arts

Illustration by Varenka Kim/ The Phoenix News

Tamas Dobozy writes of war, immigration, and utopia

Darlene Patrick Contributor

more fantastical, funny and absurd, while the stories in Siege 13 are based on historical fact. The thirteen loosely linked stories in the collection are concerned with the Soviet overthrow of the Germans in Nazi-occupied Budapest at the end of World War II. Taken together, they present a powerful picture of one of the bloodiest and most violent episodes of the war. The author skillfully

“

“Contrary to the version of World War II that most North Americans know - a history of victory - Dobozy gives a voice to the people of Central Europe who suffered defeat.”

“

commingles the past and the present, describing the trauma experienced not only by those who lived through the atrocities, but also by the children and grandchildren of those survivors.

His own father, who was a child of nine during the siege, divulged how he hid in a cellar to escape the

violence.

The view of trauma continuing from one generation to another, passing over time and crossing continents is reflected in many of Dobozy’s short stories. He puts his characters in situations that lead to an epiphany, though not in the usual sense. Instead of letting them experience a sudden awakening or moment of dawning intelligence, the author removes any shroud of enlightenment from them, and as previously held assumptions fall away, they are left with nothing.

There is no “Aha!” moment, no neat closure, but rather a twist or unexpected turn in the story. The end becomes the beginning—the place where the reader realizes what the story was about all along.

Historical memory is another one of Dobozy’s main topics especially when it deals with Hungary, a country that was subjugated to foreign rule for half a millennium. Contrary to the version of World War II that most North Americans know—a history of victory—Dobozy gives a voice to the people of Central Europe who suffered defeat. Those stories are grim and all about war, starvation, rape, and political oppression. One would not expect them to be funny, and yet there are many humorous passages.

The author concedes, “I find much of what is tragic about us is also what’s funny about us.” The gallows humour does bring relief to some of his darkest stories.

In general, Dobozy believes that the purpose of art in the broadest sense is to entertain. However, when people are entertained, they may be inclined to forget. This writer does not want us to forget because in the case of Hungary, for example, their trauma did not end with the Nazi occupation.

The ripple effect of the psychological wounds suffered by exile has not gone away. So long as stories are kept alive,

“

“Whether or not we’re ultimately capable of that [utopia] is less important than that we continue to try to get there.” – Tamas Dobozy

“

Tamas Dobozy, a Canadian writer and son of Hungarian immigrants, never felt like he fit in. Even though he was born in Nanaimo, he grew up listening to stories about Hungary.

Between 1993 and 1995, when he was in his early twenties, he lived in Hungary, and it is no wonder that Hungarian themes figure so prominently into his creative work, with main topics of migration, Central European politics, historical memory and the nature of art.

Dobozy began his writing career as a poet but quickly realized that poetry could never satisfy his narrative impulse, ultimately switching to his now-preferred medium of the short story. Dobozy has published more than fifty short stories in various literary magazines as well as three book-length collections. The first, When X Equals Marylou (2002), features a weird cast of characters who inhabit rural B.C., urban Edmonton, Vancouver’s downtown East Side, St. Petersburg, and a shapeless Orwellian city of the future. Last Notes and Other Stories (2005) deals in part with the experience of immigration, and specifically with the struggles Hungarians face while living abroad.

His third and most recent collection, Siege 13 (2012), won the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize and was a finalist for the 2012 Governor General’s Literary Award for EnglishLanguage Fiction.

Dobozy’s early stories tend to be

they can either disrupt a community or bring a community together. That is the nature of art. Sometimes a character, such as in “The Miracles of Saint Marx,” tells stories to contradict the narrative being imposed on the people by the state. The father in “Rosewood Queens” makes up such

ridiculous stories about the war, leading his Canadian-born daughter to be sure they are not true. The main character in “The Beautician” goes so far as to destroy his own thesis about the Cold War because he believes it is his responsibility to bury knowledge.

Storytelling in all its manifestations is powerful, especially when crafted by Dobozy.

These days, Dobozy is focusing his research on utopianism. The reason that all post-war utopian movements have failed, he asserts, is because people embodied them in a place, a country, or a government. In his opinion, utopia can only happen with a change in human disposition. True utopia is an attitude of openness that moves in the direction of constant improvement. Like many things, what is important is the journey, not the destination: “whether or not we’re ultimately capable of that [utopia] is less important than that we continue to try to get there.” He believes that hope lies in our willingness to change.

For the human species to survive and thrive, Dobozy is convinced that individualistic competition must be replaced by mutual collective cooperation.

Tamas Dobozy will be in Kelowna for two weeks between March 7 and March 18 as the 2016 Writerin-Residence at UBC’s Okanagan campus. Do not miss the opportunity to see him!

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Arts | thephoenixnews.com | Jacky Deng - Arts Editor

Photo provided by Emily MacMillen

TARA TRAVIS: COFFEE WITH THE HONEST COMIC Emily MacMillen Contributor

Despite the grey skies and brisk afternoon chill, the salty air of Granville Island is sparking with pops of coloured raincoats and umbrellas. It is the height of the Vancouver Fringe Festival and yet I find myself on the empty patio of one of the many independent coffee shops lining the cobbled walkways.

The door to the coffee shop opens behind me and a wave of warmth, light, and chattering voices rolls out. Across from me is a shock of bright red curly hair.

“It was sort of this innate yearning in me,” says actress Tara Travis.

Tara chows down on her chicken sandwich, holding up a hand as she speaks about her first experiences with the performance world, “so at first, that was articulated in ballet.”

She describes being a tall lanky girl who wore bathing suits to ballet class, not exactly what one called “ballerina material”, who quickly realized a passion for another kind of performance: theatre.

I lick my teeth nervously, hoping that the lipstick I applied only moments before Travis arrived has not made an ugly smear across my chin. Her presence is domineering

but her eyes are bright and kind. I can’t imagine her as an awkward girl with her round belly a perfect target for strict Russian ballet teachers to smack. I laugh when she tells the story. The timbre of her voice rises and falls, punctuating her childhood tale with chuckling precision. Comedy was something I was never good at, even after four years of performance training.

However, Travis has an amazing grasp of it and believes that comedy is one of the most subtle and exact ways to convey honesty in performance.

Self-described as an “actorwriter-puppeteer-creative human”, Travis is enormously successful on the Vancouver theatre circuit.

Most recently, she landed herself a Playwright’s Theatre Centre Fringe New Play Prize for her script of The Unfortunate Ruth in 2014. She admits that it has not always been easy. Travis, fresh out of theatre school, found herself working at an arts marketing company to pay the bills while struggling through general auditions and no phone calls. Six-foot-one, redheaded women were not exactly in demand for most theatre productions at the time.

Then one day a fax came through at the office: PUPPETEER WANTED. Travis was curious and, despite never having touched a puppet in her life, faked her way through the whole audition and landed the job. It seems amazing that such an energetic and visually popping person could ever be imagined as the invisible puppeteer.

But her gesticulating fingers seem to snap the air to life and hints of the mysterious power of animating wooden dolls show through.

Puppetry opened up a whole new bag of tricks, allowing Travis to shine and sparkle onstage, “unusual size and stature” and all. While puppetry remains a regular focus for Travis, she also works with more typical stage work. The Unfortunate Ruth, which will be lighting up the University Theatre this February, is the most recent project. It features a character from Travis’ past.

“It’s ultimately a clown show.” The main clown in question is Ruth, who was developed while Travis studied theatre at Douglas College.

She emerged from observations Travis made about a woman in a food court in her hometown of Maple Ridge. The woman was plump with thick glasses, frizzy hair, and teeth that stuck out—not what you would call conventionally attractive—but she also had an animated energy and impeccable posture. Travis remembers her being constantly surrounded by people and “regaling them with stories.”

And so Ruth was born. She lived simply as a clown character from school for many years but Travis was dying to write a show for her. The opportunity never arose until Travis heard about the phenomenon fetus in fetu. Basically it is a condition where a baby is born with an undeveloped twin living inside them, having been consumed while still in the womb.

I can tell Travis is absolutely fascinated. Her eyes are wide and her voice rasps with the drama of

a black-and-white detective film.

Noir or not, The Unfortunate Ruth’s story developed into the alternate reality twins Ruth and Ruthie. Ruth is the same eccentric and confident nut; Ruthie is the in fetu twin. Ruthie is the complete opposite, obsessed with her looks and suffering from constant low self-esteem.

“The twins…are my gemini self…in an absolute extreme. It’s hilarious and it’s heartbreaking.” We both take a sip from our lukewarm coffees. Two twins, two realities; where could there possibly be any confusion?

When I ask about her thoughts on collaborating with theatre group Mind of a Snail for The Unfortunate Ruth, Travis practically leaps out of her seat in excitement and can barely contain the words tumbling out of her mouth.

“They are so innovative! I love their brains so much!” She had known them laterally through the Vancouver theatre community and had always wanted to work with them. The opportunity arose when a creative solution for showing the sonograms in the play was needed.

Mind of a Snail, puppeteers through projection, became an obvious choice for portraying the twins while in fetu. The combination has proven to delight and entrance their audiences and is sure to deliver on our own campus.

We finish our coffees and I end the interview by asking for an interesting hook for the show. She furrows her eyebrows and then speaks in a deep movie trailer voice. “Identical twins. Alternate realities…” Her comedic timing is perfect as she continues, “come see what the hell happens!”

We both laugh and she shakes her head, insisting she can come up with something better. “Identical twins. Alternate realities. Only one twin truly survives.” Ballerina or not, Tara Travis is not to be missed.

Be sure to see Tara Travis’ performances of The Unfortunate Ruth on February 19th and 20th at 8P.M. in the University Theatre (ADM 026). Tickets are available online and at the door.

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Brittni MacKenzie-Dale - Opinions Editor | thephoenixnews.com |

Opinions

Opinions

THE POLITICAL SIDE OF THE HALF-TIME SHOW YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED Gordon Hamilton Contributor

2. The iconic raised fists.

Beyoncé sang one of her newest singles, “Formation”. During the number, she and her dancer’s saluted the Black Power raised fist. They also posed for a picture, in the same pose, before the actual event. This is evocative of the black power salute by John Carlos and Tommie Smith at the ’68 Olympic Games.

3. A reference to Mario Woods.

The dancers also held a sign reading “Justice 4 Mario Woods”. This is a reference to the black man shot dead in December by police in San Francisco.

The music video for her single “Formation” is similarly unapologetic. In one scene, a black boy dances in front of lines of police at a riot, before cutting to a graffiti sign reading “Stop shooting us.” Senior Editor Jamil Smith said it best on Twitter: “So much blackness in this [Formation music video]. So, so much. And no apologies for any of it. Thank you, Beyoncé.”

SEX AND THE MALE ORGASM

“Instead of defining sex by the number of orgasms one or both of the partners enjoy, we should rethink sex entirely...”

Brittni MacKenzie-Dale Opinions Editor

It is day two of my workweek and it has already been a long one; a friend and I unwind downtown, at Fernando’s, and catch up over cheap vegan tacos and not-so-great-butnot-truly-dreadful local music. My friend, Q, is feeling similarly burnt out when she receives a text from a

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“He says we didn’t really have sex..”

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1. Her back-up dancers’ outfits.

You might have noticed Beyoncé’s backup dancers all donning the same, all-black outfit. Complete with black berets and afros, this was a nod to the way members of the Black Panther Party dressed in the 1960s.

Photo by Maggie Wilson /The Phoenix News

recent casual encounter. I can tell she is annoyed so I ask her what is going on.

“He says we didn’t really have sex,” Q says, half laughing and half sighing, “because he didn’t orgasm.”

She pauses and then says, “as though women don’t not orgasm all the

time. Have I been having fake sex all along?”

We take it as innate that sex must end with the male orgasm. It is the pinnacle of the finish line and not for wholly unfair reasons—men experience a longer refractory period, making it pretty much physically impossible for them to be able to continue on. But the problem with this framework is that we are saying the penis is the number one factor in sex; yet, we know this cannot be true.

There are plenty of sexual encounters that do not involve a penis at all.

Q pauses for a moment and then types back to inform him that, actually, what happened between them was “real” sex.

Most women cannot orgasm from vaginal penetration alone, myself included. But we are not all engaging in sex just because of the orgasms.

After all, it is always easier to DIY. Why not stay home, save money and effort, and orgasm yourself to sleep?

There are some forms of intimacy that can only be found with another person. Two recent New York Times studies covered orgasm rates of men and women in casual hookups—men got off a lot more than women. One study of 24,000 students (at twentyone colleges) found that 40% of women had an orgasm during their last hookup, while 80% of men did.

It would be myopic to suggest that this is the fault of any one person or gender, but it remains an interesting figure.

This is not to say that men are supposed to be some kind of sex god, relied upon to make both (or all) parties orgasm. It is also notoriously

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“We take it as innate that sex must end with the male orgasm.”

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Although many might agree with me when I say that this year’s Super bowl halftime show was not exactly spectacular (Coldplay—really?), I think we can all come together on one aspect: Beyoncé freaking killed it. Not only did she sing and dance amazingly, but her subtle inclusion of the Black Lives Matter movement was brilliantly timed.

However, a lot of people did not feel the same way. They thought that it was not the time or place for politics, critical thinking, or anything but pure, mindnumbing entertainment. One outraged fan organized a group, inviting new members on Eventbrite: “Are you offended as an American that Beyoncé pulled her race-baiting stunt at the Superbowl?” the invitation asks. “Do you agree that it was a slap in the face to law enforcement?”

The whole point of movements like Black Lives Matter is to disrupt the status quo, challenge oppressive ideologies, and bring their message to the mainstream—what better place than the Super Bowl? The very fact that one person, let alone a group, can argue that Beyoncé’s performance was “racebaiting” is ludicrous. Another reason that we know this type of political message is necessary is because there are still morons on my Facebook feed who comment things like: “Half-time show sucked… best part about it was Beyoncé’s hips and ass.” Rather than take her message and think about it, this guy decided it would be better to objectify her, giving all the more reason for Beyoncé to keep on radicalizing mainstream TV. Here are three political moments in Beyoncé’s performance that you may have missed:

more difficult for women to reach orgasm. But it is to say that we should reconsider what it means to be intimate and respectful in a caring relationship, no matter if that relationship is six months or three hours old. While it is true that, after orgasm, one partner may not

be physiologically invested in the current sexual episode, it is equally true that the respectful and fair thing to do is remain mentally invested.

Instead of defining sex by the number of orgasms one or both of the partners enjoy, we should rethink sex entirely, reframing it instead as an act of intimacy, pleasure, and fun. What, then, becomes the goal of sex? Is it to ensure the guy orgasms or to make sure both parties leave satisfied—as outlined by themselves? Focusing solely on orgasms can be a frustrating experience because a lot of people find it difficult to orgasm or find they have more trouble orgasming as a result of the pressure to finish.

Besides, there are other fantastic, rich reasons to engage in sex than orgasm. The only way to remedy this narrow framework—that it is the man’s orgasm that decides when sex is over—is to have open and honest conversations about what is working and what is not.

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Opinions | thephoenixnews.com | Brittni MacKenzie-Dale - Opinions Editor

#OSCARSAREASHAM

Do YOU have proof that the Oscars are real?

G.E. McKinnon Contributor

Photo by Maggie Wilson /The Phoenix News

A (FEMINIST) DEFENSE OF BLOWJOBS Internalized slut stigma and the denial of desire Brittni MacKenzie-Dale Opinions Editor It is not difficult to see why many people—feminists included—see giving oral sex as demeaning.

Just look around on the Internet or listen to popular language. I am sure most of us have heard a variation of the idea that “women are only good for two things: sucking and blowing.” Instagram sensation @feminist_tinder has many examples on her profile of men making snide remarks like “can you be a feminist and still give blowjobs?” But it is not only men or traditional thinkers who think this way; I have heard many feminists share a similar sentiment, contending that blowjobs are degrading and selfish.

Yet it is not altogether shocking that many people, including feminists, consider blowjobs to be belittling. There is, after all, the cringe-inducing holiday (can we call it that?) known as Steak and Blowjob Day. If you are not familiar, let me ruin your lucky streak by informing you this brilliantly awful day is supposed to take place exactly one month after Valentine’s Day (March 14th—please forget to write this on your calendars.)

This reaffirms a gross dichotomy: that feminine people are the emotional, romantic ones, and masculine people the sexual ones. And if men are forced to put up with Valentine’s Day, well, women had better return the favour. Steak and BJ Day also reinforces the concept that men are the receivers of sexual acts, and women the givers.

I had a friend get her wisdom

teeth out and, through a mouthful of blood and cotton balls, say, “there is a bonus to this pain: I don’t have to give my boyfriend a blowjob for at least a month.” Others have shared similar opinions, complaining about sore knees, jaws, and pride. The latter is usually a result of unreciprocated oral sex, but is this view too reductive?

What is really happening here? Are other people shaming feminists for oral sex? Are we doing this to ourselves and denying our own desires? It is a little of both, really. Blowjobs get an unfair rep.

Blowjobs are not unique in this regard.

I have had friends admit in hushed tones—and over copious amounts of alcohol—how much they enjoy anal sex.

It always starts with a game of Truth or Dare or Never Have I Ever, and someone muttering that yes they have had anal, but of course, it was their boyfriend who wanted to do it. And, like a game of sexual dominoes, others in the group pipe up that they have partaken in anal once or twice or fourteen times, and you know, it actually did feel pretty good.

And then it becomes “don’t tell anyone this please, Shelby, but maybe it was me who actually initiated it.”

A lot of this is internalized slut stigma.

There are certain sexual acts that society has deemed taboo; there are specific sexualities that women are not supposed to express. We lie to ourselves and to our friends and partners, tacitly forbidden to enjoy things “good girls” are not

supposed to like. Have you ever noticed that some women are considered sluts, while others can enjoy casual sex without carrying such a nonsensical stigma?

Unfortunately, a woman’s sexual value is thought to be interchangeable with her social value, power and influence.

This means that many women who enjoy a higher socio-economical status are less likely to be damned by the status of “slut.” A slut, after all, is always someone who is (morally, economically, socially, physically, etc.) inferior to you.

It is important to constantly challenge this conceit. Author Melissa Gira Grant explains that “challenging slut stigma might look something more like dismantling sexual privilege, as the researchers termed it, to expand opportunities for sexual experience that are disconnected from social mobility or status.”

I am a feminist. And I love giving blowjobs. I have never felt less disempowered in my sexual life when giving one. It is not just inane or semantic to argue about whether giving blowjobs is empowering or disempowering, but oddly paternalistic and invasive. Is it not up to the individual to decide if that particular sexual activity makes them feel good or not? Let’s stop categorizing ourselves into good girls and bad girls and remember that there is no such thing as a slut.

It is a simple allegation, really.

Stanley Kubrick, at just under 1 year old, faked the very first Academy Awards in 1929 and continued to fake them until his death in 1998, taking only 1969 off in order to fake the moon landing (Mel Brooks was interim faker of the Oscars).

The Academy Awards. Oscar. 1929.

A baby Stanley Kubrick. 88 years of lies. Revelation.

Question 1: who is Oscar?

Fact: there is no Oscar. In fact, the name “Oscar” was invented by the academy on May 16th, 1929. Before this date, nobody had ever been named Oscar.

Question 2: who has won an Oscar before?

Fact: Nobody has ever won an Oscar. Confused yet? Despite numerous, false articles in newspapers and online, there is no physical, documented proof of anyone ever winning or receiving an Oscar.

Question 3: how do you know this?

Fact: I have dedicated my life to uncovering the sham that is the Academy Awards (AKA the Oscars) and have sacrificed careers, education, and personal relationships to do so.

I have Stanley Kubrick at the helm from 1929 until 1968, at which point he takes the next year off to fake the moon landing—which, due to his perfectionism, had to be filmed on location on the moon.

At the 1969 Oscars, Mel Brooks wins best Original Screenplay for The Producers—a nod to the fact that Brooks was producing that year’s award show in lieu of Kubrick who was, again, busy with the moon landing. Kubrick, in turn, is nominated for Best Director, Best Writing Specifically for the Screen, and Best Special Effects for 2001: A Space Odyssey. He wins the Oscar for Best Special Effects but is not there in person to accept it (due to the moon).

In 1999, just before his 71st Academy Awards, and his 71st birthday, Kubrick passes away—yet the Oscars go off without a hitch.

Did Kubrick know he was dying? Did he personally select his replacement ahead of time, or was one chosen by the Academy as a whole? Was it a coup d’état? Who could they possibly trust with such a task? Terrence Malick is who.

Malick was nominated in 1999, just after Kubrick died, for Best Director (The Thin Red Line), a hint similar to Mel Brooks’ in 1969. Just as Kubrick never won for Best Director, Malick did not win, because he could not win. To win would be a slap in

the face for those watching at home and a clue too big to ignore. Malick’s long-time friend and collaborator, cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, has been nominated and won multiple times—a favouritism Malick cannot help but give into. His creativity, his reclusive tendencies, his directive control, and the dots finally connected.

The only year Malick takes off is 2006, when he is gravely ill and Werner Herzog fills in, nearly destroying the carefully crafted illusion of- the Awards by having Crash win the Oscar for Best Picture over Brokeback Mountain, Capote, and Munich. Additionally March of the Penguins won for best documentary that year, and Herzog was working on his own penguinheavy documentary at the time.

There are hints everywhere if you know how to read them.

I did not discover all of this on my own, though. Legendary film critic Melbert Snoper came to me just before his death and encouraged my search, helping me make the Herzog connection. A young up-and-coming actor named Lou Panda (who looks an awful lot like Paul Dano in Groucho Marx glasses) met with me for coffee and explained the pressure actors are under to keep this secret— he was threatened by Lew-Landiis Daye, an Oscar winning leading man.

And finally, a brave human named Deep Vote, dressed in a nondescript hoodie and a Darth Vader helmet connected all the dots for me with the reveal of Terrence Malick. Their fate is unknown.

However, as of late, there have been fervent whispers as to Malick’s replacement. I have got a lead on someone who grew up with Alejandro González Iñárritu and says he is trying to overthrow Terrence Malick as Supreme Director. If it is true, if Iñárritu is coming for Malick, I guess we will find out at the 88th Academy Awards.

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Sports

HEAT STAY ATOP CANADA WEST RANKINGS The Heat women’s volleyball team has clinched a playoff spot, with two weeks left before the Canada West quarter-finals Grayson B. Leahy Sports Editor Coming into this weekend, Heat women’s volleyball held a record of 18-2. That record was enough to have them at #2 in the CIS Top Ten as announced last Tuesday, behind by only a single vote-decided point, and holding a share of the top spot in the Canada West rankings.

The team that sit above them in the CIS Top Ten, and alongside them in the Canada West conference rankings, are the Trinity Western Spartans.

That Top Ten list is the product of a coaches’ poll; the teams are ranked in order of how many votes they receive from the collective of coaches in their sport. As of last Tuesday, when

the most recent poll was released, the Spartans received 58.5 points, and the Heat received 57.5 points just days after the two top teams faced off.

On February 5 & 6, UBC Okanagan travelled to Trinity Western to play the Spartans, a team with whom, at the time, they shared the top of the CIS Top Ten. The teams split the weekend in two exceptionally close five-set matches, with the Spartans taking the Friday night match and the Heat earning the win on Saturday night. After their only weekend match-up this regular season, the Heat and Spartans held identical records of 18-2, with 58 sets won and 15 sets lost by each team.

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

Sports

Photos by Greystoke Photography

Despite suffering the second defeat of their season against the Spartans, the Heat have been on a roll heading into the last few weeks before the playoffs. Prior to their loss on February 5, the Heat had won 12 matches in a row, dating back to Hallowe’en, when they lost their first match of the season against Winnipeg. During that stretch, they had earned weekend sweeps of Calgary, Thompson Rivers, Alberta, and UBC, with all teams competing for a playoff spot late in the season.

During that winning streak, there were a number of individual accomplishments on top of the team’s success. UBCO women’s volleyball players been named to Canada West’s Three Stars of the Week three times already in the new year. After the weekend of January 15-16, Megan Festival was named the conference’s Second Star. Two weeks later, after the weekend of January 2930, Brianna Beamish was named the conference’s Third Star. Then, after February 5-6, Festival was on the list again, being named the conference’s Third Star in the most recent release from Canada West.

“I am very happy to receive this recognition from CWUAA,” said Festival of her two recent appearances on the list, “we’ve had a tough second semester so it means a lot to me. But it doesn’t change too much with me or my

“ “We enjoy our success but realize we need to keep looking forward to the next game.”

”

team, our main strength is how deep we are and how everyone takes turns stepping up. We are a very competitive team, so we enjoy our success but realize we need to keep looking forward to the next game.”

Coming into their two matches against the Heat, MacEwan hold a record of 7-13, and are unlikely to make an appearance in the

post-season this year. The Heat’s second exhibition match of the season came against MacEwan on September 17, and the teams also met over the winter break during the exhibition and training series hosted by UBC Okanagan.

The Heat will play their final matches of the regular season against Mount Royal, on February 19 & 20 in the UBC Okanagan gym, The Furnace. As they have already clinched a playoff spot, the Heat will then go on to play either in the Quarterfinals (February 26-28) if they finish below Trinity Western in the final season rankings, or will receive a bye through those matches to play in the Canada West SemiFinals (March 4-6) if they finish the 2015-16 regular season in first place.

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

HEAT BASKETBALL IN A PUSH FOR THE PLAYOFFS Two weeks away from the post-season, both Heat basketball teams sit in the last qualifying spot of the Explorer Division Grayson B. Leahy Sports Editor

Heading into the weekend against the MacEwan Griffins, both UBC Okanagan basketball teams are in playoff positions. While the top 7 teams make the playoffs from the Pioneer Division of Canada West basketball, only the top 3 go from the Explorer Division. Prior to their weekend hosting MacEwan, both Heat basketball teams sit in third place in the Explorer Division.

As of February 11, the Heat women’s basketball team hold a record of 10-6, coming up against a MacEwan team that sits in first place in the division with 13-3.

The Heat are also looking to break a three-game losing streak, while the Griffins have won their last 4 games. The Heat own a home record of 5-2, while the Griffins are 7-1 on the road this season.

After suffering 2 losses last weekend against the University of the Fraser Valley, Heat women’s Head Coach Claire Paterson was determined to keep the team focused, and to regain the form that earned them 7 straight wins earlier in the season. “We’re focusing on Grant MacEwan,” said Paterson after her team’s second loss of the weekend on Saturday night.

She continued, “it’s evident after watching these last two games that we have to spend some time on our defence, which is too bad, because that’s what we pride ourselves on.”

If the Heat can get back to playing the level of defense that had them shutting down some of the better teams in Canada West, they should be able to hold on to their playoff spot. The weekend will see the Heat women’s playoffs hopes decided at UBC Okanagan.

As for the men’s matchup this weekend, the Heat come into their meetings against MacEwan sitting in third place, with an 8-8 record, while the Griffins hold a 7-9 record and sit in fourth place. Both teams come into the weekend having broken losing streaks in their last game.

Looking at the numbers, the weekend is shaping up to be close.

The Heat hold a better record at home (5-3) while the Griffins play better on the road (4-4). In the major statistical categories, there

is little room between the teams this season. The Heat are shooting 40.2% (32.4 3PT%), and the Griffins are shooting 40.8% (32.7 3PT%); the Heat pull down 34.8 rebounds a game, and the Griffins average 36.5; UBC Okanagan averages 11.2 assists, and MacEwan averages 14.4 per game. The largest statistical advantage is in free throw percentage, where the Heat sit at 72.8%, ahead of the Griffins’ 67.4%.

Both of the Heat basketball teams can take a huge step towards earning playoff spots if they are able to beat the Griffins, and they will head to Kamloops next weekend

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Both Heat Basketball teams sit in third place in the Explorer Division.

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PLACE HOLDER PLACE HOLDER PLACE HOLDER

to take on the Thompson Rivers WolfPack, whose men’s team sits in first place with a record of 14-2 and women’s team holds a share of first place in their division, with the same record as the MacEwan women, 13-3.