Vol. 25, Issue 11

BATTLE OF THE UBCs

Thunderbirds versus Heat Page 15

UBCO’s Student Newspaper

February 4th, 2013 | Vol. 24 Issue 11

Penniless since 1989

Windmills plugs in

The Okanagan’s biggest one-man band on his new EP, his distinctive live show, and accidentally becoming a teen heartthrob

Page 12

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The Phoenix |

In this issue

February 4th, 2013

Room 109, University Center 3333 University Way Kelowna, BC Canada V1Y 5N3 Phone: 250-807-9296 Fax: 250-807-8431 thephoenixnews.com

Editor-in-chief: Cameron Welch

editorinchief@thephoenixnews.com

Art Director: Nadine Bradshaw artdirector@thephoenixnews.com Creative Director: Aidan Whiteley creativedirector@thephoenixnews.com Photo Editor: Hanss Lujan

OUT WEEK UBCO Feb 4 - 8

Happy out Week!

We rainbowify our masthead in honour of OutWeek

News

Joint Panel Review makes Kelowna a center of activism (for one weekend) -Page 4 Justin Trudeau at UBCO -Page 6

Arts

Bottega art retreat and alpaca farm profile -Page 8 Natural beauty is back -Page 10

photo@thephoenixnews.com

Copy Editor: Gavin Gamache copy@thephoenixnews.com

News Editor: David Nixon

news@thephoenixnews.com

Features Editor: Rumnique Nannar features@thephoenixnews.com

Feature

Windmills: The man, the hair, the legend -Page 12

Arts Editor: Janelle Sheppard arts@thephoenixnews.com

Events Editor: Laura Sciarpelletti events@thephoenixnews.com

Sports Editor: Jesse Shopa

sports@thephoenixnews.com

Sports

Thunderbirds take inter-UBC battle -Page 17 Men’s b-ball final minute drama -Page 16

Opinions Editor: Matt Lauzon

opinions@thephoenixnews.com

Staff Writer: Brandon Taylor

writer@thephoenixnews.com

Ad Sales Rep: Brendan Savage ads@thephoenixnews.com

Managing Editor: Alex Eastman

managingeditor@thephoenixnews.com

Staff Illustrator: Asher Klassen Contributors: Kale Greenfield, Kevin Ilomin, Cover image by Hanss Lujan

The Phoenix is the UBC-O students’ free press. Editorial content is separate from the Student’s Governing Body (UBCSUO) and from the 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. legalising marijuana).

We welcome letters: Letters should be typed, doublespaced, under 300 words, and either left with or mailed to the Phoenix office. Your name and phone number must be included. Anonymity may be granted at the discretion of the editorial staff of the Phoenix.

Electronic Submissions:

Submissions on disk should

include a hard copy. We ask that you save contributions on disk in “Text Only” or “RTF” formats, or attach documents to an email.

The Phoenix is published, in part by: The University of British Columbia Students’ Union Okanagan (UBCSUO) and is an active member of the Canadian University Press

www.ubcsuo.ca

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Opinions

UBCO Confessions and other campus facebook pages -Page 19 CRTC adds more “free” TV -Page 20

NEWS

Dave Nixon

News@thephoenixnews.com

N

Campus Pulse Dave Nixon News Editor

Justin Trudeau, Martha Hall Findlay visit UBCO

Nominations are open for UBCSUO elections

UBCO continues to attract candidates for the leadership of the National Liberal Party.

On January 21, Findlay visited and spoke to a group of students in EME 1202. She impressed liberals as an “intelligent, ground shaking lawyer with poential for creating great change.” You can see the article written

by Sally Casey regarding Martha’s online at thephoenixnews.com Justin Trudeau was greeted by a much larger crowd on January 22 in the UNC ballroom, as one would expect from the fame his name attracts. The ballroom was full with overflow watching on video outside. Trudeau spoke to the great need to address environmental issues and re-engage Canadians,something he feels he is uniquely qualified to do. See page 6 of this issue for our coverage from an interview with Trudeau and from his speech at the event itself.

Nominations opened officially on Friday February 1 for the 2013/2014 UBCSUO term.

UBCO student wins “Most Valuable External Delegate” in the Queen’s Conference for International Business (QCIB)

Candidates locked in for Management Student Association Elections

“The experience of QCIB was amazing!

The energy of the delegates and their passion [for] learning more about international business was infectious,” said Scott Courtney, the business student of UBCO’s Management Faculty who recently won the “Most Valuable External Delegate” on January 19 while in Ontario at Queens University. QCIB is a conference to bring together busines students, large corporations and inspiring leaders for a weekend focused on international business.

The award is decided by a vote of the QCIB executive committee.

Any students attending national conferences such as this one are representing UBCO as a whole, not just the Management Faculty, and an award like this one helps to improve our young school’s reputation.

On February 13, 2013, the Management Student Associaion (MSA) will host its elections in EME 050. The first information session was held and saw the following candidates run for the below positions: President: Scott Courtney VP Academics: Cynthia Mennear, Kareen Chen VP Events: Haley Parrent, Alexandra Colia, Kurt Ostermann VP Corporate Relations: Claire Gontard VP Marketing: Daniel Ballingall VP Finance: Simon Bullock VP Student Relations: Max Wilford, Sonja Nordman

UBCO engineer begins own business

Friday, February 15: Candidate meeting (UNC 105, board room) Monday, February 25: Campaigning begins Wednesday, March 6: Campaigning is cut off Thursday, March 7: Elections begin, end on the 8th.

The Phoenix will be covering the elections with online content including interviews, candidate bios and platforms, so that students can have all the details on candidates when they go to vote.

The candidate meeting is supposed to have prizes/food for those there, though the specifics on that are unconfirmed.

The elections are historic because this is the first year that slates are not permitted.

That means that candidates can only run individually for each position. No news available yet on what the landscape of nominations will look like.

Positions with only one cadidate listed are running unopposed. The Phoenix will be covering the elections with candidate interviews and information online. On February 13 the candidates will each give short speeches to Management students about their platforms before students will have the chance to vote.

Got the scoop?

We need you as a Phoenix News Reporter!

Contact us to send us your tips or stories, or just ask how you can get started: news@thephoenixnews.com

Lincoln Johnson, second year engineering student

Photo by Hanss Lujan

Laura Sciarpelletti Events Editor

Second year UBCO engineering student Lincoln Johnson is in an entrepreneurial frame of mind. Heading towards an education in mechanical engineering next year, Johnson is now the Canadian distributor for a foldable pocket white board product. The product is ideal for students who need the use of a whiteboard but do not have instant access to them.

Johnson got started distributing these handy items because, for engineering students, a lot of the rooms in the EME building, as well as others that can be booked as study rooms, do not have any whiteboards available.

“When you’re trying to draw circuits or design something, it can be a real pain,” says Johnson. “And a whiteboard is a really useful thing to have.” The innovative student initially found the product on www.reddit.com.

“My friends thought it was a great idea, so I got in contact with the guy who developed these in the States—he lives in Virginia—and I wrote up an agreement with him to be his Canadian distributor,” says Johnson.

Johnson has been distributing the noteboards for two weeks now, and has already sold around forty at $10 a piece. The noteboards, which have been featured on sites such as TechCrunch, Huffington Post, Gizmodo, and Entrepreneur, are fully- functional and dry-erasable; they can fold up from 28” x 16” to 5” x 3” and are printed with a squareinch and square-centimeter grid on one side, and blank white on the other side. Right now, knowledge of the product is spread through word of mouth and his website www.insubstantial.net. When asked what is next for him, Johnson, whose schedule is quite packed al-

ready, says that the mini whiteboards are all that is on his radar for the moment. However, if something were to present itself to him that he considers to be a good and marketable idea, and that he could “not lose [his] shirt on,” he would consider it.

“It’s a really simple product and a simple concept,” says Johnson. “So it’s pretty easy to sell. It takes a certain personality type [to do this], and it takes time and disposable income.

If you’re willing to sacrifice your beer money for a few months and you’ve found a great idea that you think will actually work out, give it a shot.”

The noteboards include a machine-washable microfiber pouch that can also function as an eraser for large areas, as well as a dry-erase marker with an attached eraser. The product is water-resistant and eco-friendly, and can be used as a drawing board for children as well.

“I’m someone who is willing to push through when things aren’t necessarily going as well and as fast as [I] like, says Johnson. “If you’re the kind of person who gets easily distracted and discouraged, don’t get into your own business. Work for someone else.”

Johnson has an advantage as he has run his own web development firm before. This provided him with the backup knowledge to promote and sell his new product. He is interested in both spreading the word about the noteboards, as well as inspiring others to take on a similar task if they have the time.

“You have to have an idea or help with another,” says Johnson. “You need a product or service. It is possible; sure there are hurdles, but if it’s possible, go for it.”

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The Phoenix |

News

February 4th, 2013

People’s Summit panel speaks on topic of Indigenous rights and environmental concerns

News

February 4th, 2013

Kelowna says no to Enbridge at public hearing Dave Nixon

News Editor

| The Phoenix

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30 speakers signed up for oral statements in Kelowna with ten minutes each to present their case. So what did Kelowna tell the panel? They told them no.

Speaker after speaker presented, and not one voiced any support for the Northern Gateway Pipeline.

Among the speakers was Andrew Barton of UBCO, who we have interviewed before regarding his research into the socio-economic implications of the Northern Gateway Pipeline. Some other speakers included Ron Wilton, who has worked 25 years in oil and 20 in gas; Dr. Warren Bell, a family physician for 36 years in rural BC and a co-founder of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. Many others spoke, some with professional experience, and many more with anecdotal testimony about what a pristine BC environment means to those living here.

The final report from the JRP is due on December 31, 2013. This recommendation used to be a final say on the project, but Bill C-38 allocated that decision making power to Cabinet instead, making the JRP’s decision a recommendation.

Kelowna residents protesting outside the Sandman Hotel, where the Joint Review Panel was being held Photo by Hanss Lujan From left to right: Damien Gillis, Rob Fleming, Elizabeth May, Joan Phillip, Grand Chief Stewart Phillip

Photo by Hanss Lujan

Dave Nixon News Editor

On Saturday, January 2, residents of Kelowna packed the First United Church to listen to a discussion on BC’s environmental concerns, with a focus on the Northern Gateway Pipeline. The speaker’s panel consisted of some big names: Elizabeth May of the Green Party, Rob Fleming of the NDP, Damien Gillis a documentary filmmaker, and Grand Chief Stewart Phillip (see bios on right for descriptions).

The crowd of almost 400 was very receptive. Applause and spoken affirmations punctuated many of the speaker’s strongest points.

Damien Gillis says BC cannot have it both way The focus of the event was on the Northern Gateway Pipeline due to its relevance and the upcoming Joint Review Panel hearing, but the speakers used that focus to expand to the greater concerns for BC and for Canada.

“We have a 14 billion dollar tourism industry, based on the brand of British Columbia…Vancouver is called the world’s greenest city,” said Gillis, “I don’t think, based on the history, the science and the prevalence of spills, no matter how good the technology, that we can be both of those things at the same time: Have a wild salmon economy, have a tourism economy, sell ourselves to the world as the greatest place on earth, and turn ourselves into… the ‘Carbon Corridor’.”

Gillis’s concern is not limited to just the Enbridge pipeline: he is also referring to the six natural gas plants proposed for BC, the fracking that occurs in North Eastern BC, and the Keystone proposals for similar pipelines. These are issues that he has examined in depth in his documentary Fractured Land.

NDP Opposition

Fleming brought a more politically charged message, as one would expect of an NDP MLA and BC’s Opposition Critic for Environment.

He discussed something called The Equivalency Agreement, signed by the current BC Government. Fleming says that through it, “British Columbia agrees to give up our rights to make our own determination as a province, to exercise our constitutional jurisdiction over so many things that this pipeline affects: our constitutional right as a province over clean water, clean air, human health impacts, over wildlife management.”

Fleming painted a bleak picture of the agreement, but that is not the whole story. Clause five states that any projects under the agreement “must still obtain all applicable British Columbia provincial permits or authorizations.” There are around 60 of these permits, and there are many ways the BC Government could still block the pipeline if the Federal Government tried to push it through, which Christy Clark has pointed out as well. Fleming also stated that the agreement could be canceled with seven day’s notice, but Clause six of the states that 30 days written notice is required. Regardless, the NDP has promised to cancel this agreement if they are elected.

The facts are stacking up against Enbridge May began by asking the crowd to consider the larger picture of Canada’s image globally, and the need to address climate change on a National level. She referred to a $60 billion dollar Canadian economic sector by 2020 in CleanTech. This quote was from the group Analytica Advisors, which published a 2013 report showing that Canada’s industry is outpacing the global market by 8% in Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR). The Global

market is growing by 11% annually, while the Canadian market is growing by 19%. The Global Market is predicted to be worth $3 trillion by 2020.

May is a lawyer, though, so her focus on Enbridge has a legal context. “From a legal perspective, has Enbridge made the case? No they haven’t. They have failed miserably at putting together even the most fundamental pieces of a case… it is certainly not in Canada’s interests, it’s not in BC’s interests, but they’ve failed to put together a case. For instance not one piece of evidence about what a spill could do from a pipeline or from a tanker in Enbridge’s submission to the JRP deals with the product they plan to move... They just did everything based on what happens with conventional crude. They didn’t write their proposals or their evidence around bitumen, diluent mixed.”

May also referred to a report by the US Department of Transportation and Safety that investigated the Kalamazoo spill in Michigan. May referred to a culture of ‘negligence’ spoken about in the report, though that is not entirely accurate. The report talks of a ‘culture of deviance’ developing at Enbridge, which made it feel acceptable to the employees to wait rather than act when the system warned them of a problem, which ended up meaning the Kalamazoo River spill was much worse than it had to be. This is merely semantics though, as this report makes it evident that there was negligent behavior at Enbridge.

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip thinks we are at a crucial moment in Canadian history Phillip and his wife Joan brought the emotion and passion of a couple who has been facing these issues directly for

“From a legal perspective, has Enbridge made the case? No, they haven’t.

They have failed miserably at putting together even the most fundamental pieces of a case”

Big names drawn to Kelowna for panel; kicks off a weekend of community spirity and activism all over Kelowna before the Enbridge hearing

Dave Nixon News Editor

Elizabeth May, Green Party MP a long time, and they were both grateful for the support shown by Kelowna citizens. Phillip says the Harper Government it “thumbing their nose at constitutional and legal obligations”, but he does not limit it to Native rights. He is part of the legal action challenging the CanadaChina FIPPA agreement. And he believes that this movement shows a shift, where people from all walks of life will come together and only two groups will be left: “One group [will] know and understand the need to defend Mother Earth, and the other group will seek to exploit Mother Earth for profit…That’s why this dynamic movement is sweeping across the world.”

Fleming echoed this sentiment when he lauded the First Nations who have been involved in the various social movements. “The reason we have an informed debate and strong discourse is almost solely due to the role and the courage shown by First Nations. First Nation’s people, up and down the pipeline route, stood their ground, raised their voices and, I think, gave all Canadians the political space to get to the place where we are, where 7 in 10 British Columbians oppose the project.”

Enbridge Public Hearing no longer public; unspecific safety concerns cited

Photo by Wendy Wright

Elizabeth May is a lawyer, environmentalist, writer, and activist. She made history in 2011 by becoming the first Green Party candidate to be elected to the House of Commons, representing the riding of Saanich-Gulf Islands. Her resume of environmental work and activism is long and profiled in many documentaries; she was named “one of the world’s most influential women” by Newsweek in November, 2010.

Photo from BC NDP

Photo from ubcic.bc.ca

Rob Fleming holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from UVIC, where he spearheaded the creation of BC’s first universal bus pass program for Victoria students. He worked in research and communications prior to his political career, which began as a two term City Councilor before he was elected to legislature. He is currently the opposition critic for environment, and has worked as the critic for post-secondary as well.

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip is currently the President of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs. He chairs the Okanagan Nation Alliance and formerly served four consecutive terms as the Penticton Indian Band Chief for 14 years. He also used to serve as an elected Band Councilor for ten years. His title of Grand Chief is an honor bestowed upon him in recognition of his “lifetime commitment to the defense of Indigenous Peoples’ title and rights.”

Damien Gillis is a documentary filmmaker based out of Vancouver, focusing on environmental and social justice issues. He cofounded the online publication The Common Sense Canadian, and is currently working on a new docu-

mentary: Fractured Land. Gillis film began about fracking in North Eastern BC, but he soon realized there was much more going on, and the film expanded its focus.

Photo from tedxgeorgiastrait.com.

The last weekend in January 2013 played host to a flurry of activism in anticipation of the public hearing that came to Kelowna on Monday, January 28. The organizers of these events were outraged to hear announced on the Friday before the hearing that it would no longer be open to the public. The following is the statement released by the JRP: “Due to recent information concerning public safety associated with the Kelowna oral statement hearing on 28 January, the Joint Review Panel has changed the format.The Panel has become aware of information regarding safety concerns if the hearing continues as originally planned. As a result, the Panel is restricting the hearing room to oral statement presenters, their guest and the media…”

There was a live audio stream on the panel’s website, and the Holiday Inn Express hosted an audio broadcast of the oral statements. The hearing itself happened at the Sandman Inn, and the unspecific nature of these safety concerns has frustrated locals. Grumblings were common at the People’s Summit, where NDP MLA Rob Fleming accused the BC Liberal Government as refusing to stand up for its peoples’ rights to observe and scrutinize the proceedings.

About 200 people showed up outside the Sandman Inn to protest the closure of the public hearings.

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The Phoenix |

News

February 4th, 2013

Trudeau says his ability to connect with Canadians, not Liberals is what the Liberal Party needs

Dave Nixon News Editor

Trudeau says his ability to connect with Canadians, not Liberals, is what the Liberal Party needs “I was the only one on stage on Saturday who actually talked about reaching out to Canadians, and not reaching out to liberals,” said Trudeau, in reference to the recent Liberal leadership debate, after he descended from the stage in the UNC ballroom on Tuesday, January 24.

The numbers support Trudeau’s self-assessment. He easily filled the ballroom with approximately 300 people, even leaving a small group of people to watch the live feed on a screen outside. The next largest group generated by a Liberal leadership candidate was 40, the day before, with Martha Hall Findlay. Deborah Coyne, George Takach and Alex Burton, who has since dropped out of the race, had visited UBCO as well, all facing much smaller crowds.

It is obvious that Trudeau’s political fame would be an advantage for the fading National Liberal Party. But critics have cast Trudeau as riding on the coattails of his father: a boy without enough experience to lead effectively. Why then, does Jean Chrétien say he is a “good candidate”?

Why does Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncan say that Trudeau has what it takes to lead the Liberals?

It is because he has a solid record, albeit short. Trudeau was previously a school teacher, but has twice been elected Liberal MP in Papineau, a riding that is no cakewalk. The Globe and Mail performed some reference checks in an article on Trudeau,

and found that he is known in his riding for his work ethic and practical solutions.

This background, however, is often overshadowed in the media by what his name means. Whatever he does, that name and any meaning Canadians have attached to it will follow him everywhere.

When asked what he learned about “what to do and what not to do in politics“ from growing up in the Trudeau family, he spoke about seeing the diversity of Canada from extensive travel, and the strength it gives our country. This also speaks to an early experience connecting with people.

He did not mention any of his public comments that have caused him controversy here, but he later addressed it: “You may have seen [that] I’m someone who speaks my mind even if it gets me [into] trouble, and I will continue to do so because I trust my values.”

This brings up another clear differentiation that Trudeau illustrated during his speech: strong values. He accuses both Mr. Harper and Mr. Mulclair of tightening their grip on MPs in a grab for power.

“MPs are no longer representatives for their ridings in Ottawa; they are spokespeople for the Prime Minister’s office in their ridings,” said Trudeau to a round of applause. “…what’s coming at us from the left, unfortunately, is the almost flip side of that.”

Trudeau says he would reverse this through reaching out to find good citizens to run as Liberal representatives, who first show respect to the people in their ridings

and work to connect with them instead of coming into the role with an expectation of that respect and connection from and with their people.

“The Liberal Party is where it is today because for too long it was thinking about ‘us’ the Liberal Party and not ‘us’ the Canadians,” Trudeau said in summary. “I understand the position the Liberal party is in; we have to rebuild a connection and a trust with Canadians that we have lost over the past years. This leader is not suddenly instantly going to become Prime Minister and enact policies. This leader is going to be someone who needs to reach out and win and earn back the trust; and that’s what I’ve been able to do through three tough contests, a contested nomination, and two very difficult elections that saw all of my nearest contenders struggle if not outright lose. I know how to win on the ground; that’s what I do here, that’s what I connect with, and that’s what the Liberal party needs.”

Trudeau has created an argument that captures him in a good light: experience with policy is secondary to being able to connect with Canadians and hear what they want from their representatives.

And he is right. These candidates are not running for Prime Minister yet, they are running for leadership of the National Liberal Party. A party that still has to deal with its steep decline to 35 seats in the House of Commons today, from 170 in the year 2000.

Pictures below are by Alexa Geddes of the UBCO Liberals; students credited individually

Curtis Tse, left; Tim Krupa, right

Liam Fitzpatrick

Rylee Hunter, left; Pia Flamand, right

ARTS

Janelle Sheppard

features@thephoenixnews.com

A

Art Features triple bill!

Creative farm community enhances arts and culture in Kelowna

We look beyond Windmills’ hair swoop

Pages 8-9

Pages 12-13

Events Editor Laura Sciarpelletti explores the natural beauty trend and its impact on female identity Pages 10-11

buried film ▼

DIY ▼

Reckless (1984) Laura Sciarpelletti Events Editor

I have had a long lasting love affair with films made in the 1980s. Raised on John Hughes and 7 p.m. showings of Remington Steele, I am constantly on the lookout for hidden eighties gems. Reckless, starring Aiden Quinn and Daryl Hannah, is your typical bad-boy-from-the-wrong-side-ofthe-tracks-falls-for-the-pretty-popular- girl teenage film. Quinn plays teen outcast and motorcycle rebel Johnny Rourke. When he falls for the classic blond-haired tall cheerleader beauty Tracey Prescott, played

by Hannah, their two worlds collide in a dramatic high school love story. One of the best scenes in the film features Quinn dancing like a sexy flailing lunatic to Romeo Void’s “Never Say Never” (“I might like you better if we slept together!”). This song has been a favorite party song of mine ever since I first saw the film in my second year of university. Reckless is filled with full-frontal nudity, which undoubtedly was a big selling factor for the film in the eighties. The film symbolizes teen sexual freedom and featured prominent musical hits like “Kids in America” by Kim Wilde.

Despite the script being mediocre, Reckless is enjoyable because it captures the spirit of being a teen in a small town and depicts sexuality as a positive experience for teens, rather than demonizing it. As Rourke deals with his alcoholic father and his struggles with the dismal future of a life lived in his small hometown, Tracy struggles with the prospect of leaving her long-term boyfriend (played by Firefly’s Adam Baldwin) for the uncertainty of a romantic relationship with Rourke. Reckless marked the very first on-screen appearances by Quinn and Dirty Dancing actress Jennifer Grey, and can be regarded as a kickoff for six more years of brilliant eighties teen films.

Valentine tin can-dles

Laura Sciarpelletti Events Editor

Put those old tomato sauce cans to use It is common knowledge that handmade gifts are heartfelt and thoughtful ones. I was making pasta the other night, and realized that I never use tins cans in my DIY projects. As many of us have dismal bank accounts, this easy Valentine craft is ideal for February gift giving.

You will need: • a tin can (vegetable, bean, or tomato sauce cans work best) • acrylic paint (white and the color of your choice) • thread or twine • a large needle • a hammer and a large nail

First, soak the tin can in warm water in order to remove the label and any glue. Scrub the can with steel wool in order to make the can completely ready; fill the can with water and freeze it, so that the can does not change shape. After the water is frozen, draw a heart on the can with a marker and hammer holes into the shape using the large nail. After this is finished, soak the can in hot water to remove the ice, and then dry. Paint the can with a white base and then let it dry. After, paint the can the color of your choice, and paint the heart a different color. Once this has dried, stitch the thread or twine into the outlined holes of the heart. Place a candle in the can, and you have a nifty Valentine gift.

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The Phoenix |

February 4th, 2013

Cultivating an arts

Arts

Arts

February 4th, 2013

| The Phoenix

9

community on the farm

Bottega and Tribe House: encouraging Kelowna’s arts culture It is often asserted by many of the townsfolk in Kelowna that it is a city without culture. This, of course, is a load of hogwash.

Culture is inevitable. Whether the culture of Kelowna is one that is anything to be proud of, however, is a question worth asking. The face of Kelowna’s scene may seem to be masked in a cheap Halloween Snooki costume, but hidden behind bookshelves on another layer of Kelowna’a personality onion, is a tightly-knit community working towards enhancing the arts. The past few years have seen subtle yet influential changes sprouting like dandelions in the crusted desert of Okanagan culture. 2008 witnessed the opening of Streaming Café, whose remarkable innovation in live streaming shows had given it ample success. In 2012, Milkcrate Records opened a store on Ellis St. downtown, and began hosting shows and producing events. Fernando’s Pub moved locations to a more convenient and accessible place in the summer of 2012. All of these changes have affected Kelowna’s art scene, and made that aspect of the city’s culture more prevalent. And one of the driving forces behind these changes is now responsble for new and refreshing arts venue called Bottega.

Bottega opened in the late fall of 2011 in the southeast end of Kelowna. It’s a retreat

[boh-tey-guh] the studio of a master artist, in which other artists, apprentices, or students learn by participating in the work www.bo.ttega.com venue located on farmland in a quiet area of town, which offers a beautiful atmosphere for creation and artistic getaway. The innovative center is situated on nearly 13 acres of land amongst orchards, farms, and forest. It may not be a central location, but the atmosphere achieved in such an area can’t be replicated downtown. Fresh air, clear, starry skies and an earthy silence are a few of the benefits of a location only 10 minutes from downtown.

I went to the location to chat with Graham Ord of Tribe House and Dustin Sargent, spokesperson for Davara Enterprises, the organization behind the creation of Bottega.

The family business, owned by Dave and Donara Krysko, is also responsible for other established cultural landmarks in Kelowna

such as Streaming Café and Little Church Organics. Dave Krysko, one of the founding partners of Club Penguin, has actively put his “Disney fortune” to use in the cultural scene of Kelowna. The word Bottega refers to “the studio of a master artist, in which other artists, apprentices, or students learn by participating in the work.” This description outlines some of the intent behind the creation of this venue. The vision of Davara projects is evident and effective around the city. Streaming Café has had a significant influence on events and culture, and Bottega is set to have a similar effect.

Bottega is equipped with ten hotel-style guest rooms for group or individual retreat purposes. They host everything from weddings to family reunions to public events to individuals or families who are looking for a quiet place to getaway, record an album, or find some inspiration. Bottega also provides catering options, accommodated through a commercial kitchen, which visiting caterers are invited to use.

Because they do not have their own chefs on staff, Bottega has partnered with many restaurants in Kelowna. “We never aspire to own any one part of this community or to get competitive with anybody,” says Sargent explaining the purpose for the kitchens construction. Using a facility, rather than

Janelle Sheppard Arts Editor

cooking out of the back of a truck, looks good for both the catering company, as well as Bottega. Bottega is also partnered with an organic farm just down the street, which provides food for the catering services.

Bottega has multiple components designed with retreats, art, and events in mind. The Great Room is used as the main venue for events. It is equipped with a Steinway grand piano, and local art including sound baffles made from alpaca fur. In the summer months, an entire wall of glass panels folds away to open up the space to the outdoors. The guest rooms and a library are located above the magnificent Great Room and cozy lounge area.

Through the glass hallway across from that building is the café, kitchen and a boardroom for business and corporate purposes.

Apart from the main buildings is an outdoor stage, which was created for the Lille Gard festival and has many other exciting possible uses, and a recording studio, which has the dreamed intent of partnering with filmmakers to be involved in film scoring. The recording studio is also wired directly to the Great Room to easily record shows and the grand piano.

The most prevalent use for the Bottega farm is as an arts event venue. Several big events have happened successfully at the

venue including Lille Garde Festival, and the Christmas Market. “We do have weddings out here, but we’ve also beaten them off with a stick,” explains Sargent. Bottega limits their wedding bookings to two per month.

Though they could generate sufficient revenue by hosting more, Bottega organizers have decided to reserve this space for other purposes. “We’re working on that together, as a community as to what the shape of this thing will be,” says Sargent, and it would seem that events are mainly arts-focused.

Lille Gard Festival as well as TEN TEN TEN both featured an array of artistic expression from visual art to poetry to musical performances. It would seem that Bottega’s intent is to have a less defined purpose for the space in order to encourage community involvement, and construction.

“Music is a big part of the Bottega space,” says Sargent as he opens up conversation to Graham Ord to discuss Tribe House’s involvement at Bottega. Tribe House did not have an official home until Bottega.

The artist collective is now a preferred partner of the venue, and many of Tribe House’s events are hosted on the farm. The Lille Gard festival was organized by Tribe House, as well as the TEN TEN TEN event featuring “ten different artists, for ten minutes each, for ten bucks.” Each of these events has had success in both turnout, as well as fulfilling an artistic purpose. “We try to make a place where creative people can be mutually supported together, and encouraged with the idea that if you do things together it’s stronger than if you just try and do things on your own,” Graham explained. The organization focuses on exploring three elements: faith, art, and social justice. “Art really has a connection with social justice issues, and things that are going to benefit the community,” says

Ord. Tribe House was initially started by mainly musical artists, but is open to artists of all types. They meet in the Streaming Café with a group called Katalyst for creative people to gather and hear from artists of different disciplines. “I think it is instrumental for this community that these guys are starting something like this,” inputs Sargent, who himself is involved with many collectives around Kelowna including Festivals Kelowna, and others like Tribe House. Together, these collectives are working to network and collaborate in order to enhance the arts in Kelowna.

Bottega certainly has a fresh and earthy atmosphere that is conducive to the arts. The farm’s location gives it an ‘away from the world’ type of feeling. I obviously visited the location mid winter, and had to imagine some of the serene summer ambiance, but the stillness and purity of the location was evident. It is a natural place that seems to be almost untouched by elements of the ‘real’ world. My favourite attribute of the farm was the alpacas roaming the field near the entrance. I had never been so close to an alpaca, and didn’t realize how adorable and friendly they are. I could have spent hours in that field basking in their calm existence, staring into their dark orb eyes, and feeding them handfuls of hay. Their fleece was used to create the wall of very cuddle worthy artwork in the Great Room. The next project for the alpaca fur is to make socks, which I am keen to get my toes on!

Sargent explained that the purpose of the alpacas is to contribute to the farm atmosphere. They do have a very calm nature, and a more sustainable use than the cattle that the farm hosted previously. Plus, one look into the shiny, bulbous eyes of those mini fluff-camels and

anyone would fall in love.

Much like the roaming pack of darling alpacas, Bottega is a part of an attractive community in Kelowna. The contributors behind the creation and application of Bottega have been instrumental in forwarding the arts. By creating a space for artists to host community and events, action is being stirred in the creative community. It was built, and they have started coming. Upcoming events at Bottega include a Valentine’s Day benefit dinner, the return of TEN TEN TEN in March, and the reoccurrence of the Lille Gard Festival in early summer.

Bottega and Tribe House are organizations highly worth checking into and getting involved in for the cultivation of arts culture in Kelowna.

Left: Three of the nine alpacas.

Above: The Great Room.

Below: The friendliest alpaca.

Photos by Janelle Sheppard

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The Phoenix |

Arts

February 4th, 2013

Arts

February 4th, 2013

| The Phoenix

11

TUBBY LOVE Nicole Harris Correspondent

The natural beauty trend We look at the significance of fashion’s return to thick eyebrows and minimal makeup

Laura Sciarpelletti Events Editor

Artwork by Asher Klassen

Since the 1960s, fashion has been a thin woman’s world. And it very much still is today. Throughout the past sixty years, we have seen many changes in style as well as the rebirth of past trends. Even though North American and European style has experienced oddball trends and moments of unconventional beauty, there has never been a permanent change. However, modern style movements are capable of having lasting effects on consumers. For instance, the infamously thin model Twiggy inspired multiple waves of crash dieting and eating disorders. Instances like this are the reason some media and groups depict the world of fashion as negative. However, a new wave of more down-to-earth fashion trends has appeared, mostly in the name of natural and fresh-faced beauty. But is this pull towards barely-there makeup, bushy eyebrows and untamed hair just a fad? The eyebrows of the 1990s were thin and practically drawn on.

Still, other down-to-earth trends have emerged such as granny chic and frumpy styles. What has become quite noticeable is that these current trends are easily accessible for anyone. Past trends that may not work for the public as a whole have been ones like skinny jeans, excessive amounts of black eyeliner, and belly shirts, and these sometimes do not work for the full-bodied or fair-skinned female. Patterns in contemporary fashion, particularly in the last decade, suggest the return of classic styles.

Fifties and sixties retro style has been on the rise in a big way, especially with celebrities like Zooey Deschanel and Dita Von Teese making waves among vintage fashion and hipster followers We are seeing the triumphant return of high-rise jeans and beehive and bang hairstyles, which are flattering on a large majority of females. Now, renowned designers like Calvin Klein have been throwing fashion shows with models showing off full, bushy, dark, and

deep brows. Even Vera Wang’s Princess perfume campaign featured a model with large and heavily brunette eyebrows. This seems simple, but is actually making large waves in the fashion world as it frames the face differently. Now, girls who tend to ignore tweezers are suddenly in style.

The eyebrows take over The look seemingly officially arrived back in March of last year when models participating in the Chanel Fall and Winter 2012 show in Paris appeared on the runway sporting bushy crystal-encrusted brows.

Meanwhile, the media obsession with the royal family is still in full force, as it was in the days of Princess Diana. Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, is a consistent trend-setter in the fashion world, and her own bushy eyebrows have influenced many women with their style. She is often featured in magazines like Vanity Fair and Vogue, where beauty and design critics discuss her elegant but simple style with positive remarks. Middleton has become a sort of role model figure, with modest fashion and respectable behavior. And the trend is on a roll, with women now using their tweezers less and less and darkening their eyebrows more in order to make them fuller and deeper, a technique that draws attention to facial features such as cheekbones. Models use Vaseline to add a subtle shine below the brow line and on the cheekbones while often also using powder color to create extra depth in the brows.

“Eyebrows frame the face, frame the eyes,” makeup artist Ramy Gafni told www. today.com. “These trends are meant to trickle down in a diluted form to the public.”

And the public is indeed witness to these

changes, as Teen Vogue and Seventeen magazines are putting women with wild hair and large brows such as Mary-Kate Olsen on their ‘best makeup and hair’ lists.

“Customers who once came in every three weeks are now coming in every other month and that leads to a bushier eyebrow,” says Gafni, who, according to today.com, blames the trend on the dire state of the economy.

While people in the middle-class are feeling these financial pressures, the trends are evident in the high fashion and high pay world.

What do we think?

Many female UBCO students have become aware of these simple trends.

Comments from them ranged from simply whether they liked the looks being modeled, to thoughtful musings on the changes. Anastasia Fox is in the Fine Arts program, and specializes in photography and digital media. She has discovered that her regular choice of simple mascara and lip balm now makes the cut for this season’s ‘in look.’

“I really do see this as a positive thing, despite the models still being thin,” says Fox. “Fashion has always been a constant cycle and its nice to know that there is this push for a more natural look. This focus allows for women to embrace their natural self without the harsh display of vibrant hues.”

These contemporary fashion movements do not require the woman to spend as much time in front of the mirror, or as much time to touch up. According to the Daily Mail, the average woman spends five days a year in front of a mirror; that is a lot of time spent trying to make oneself

‘beautiful.’ Needless to say, the less-ismore trend seems to be a turn in the right direction for body image views. Promoting a positive push to natural beauty and strong features, these ‘in looks’ pull people away from the mirror, at least a little.

“I think [this change] is positive because they’re showcasing natural beauty, and young girls need to realize they don’t need to look ‘perfect’ to be beautiful,” says Wendy McLeod, host of AM1150’s news program Live at Noon. “It could also help to push for acceptance of all body types in the fashion world.”

We are seeing positive evolution in fashion, with surprise appearances by old favorite trends; however, body image is still a serious problem.

“Issues with body image have always been prevalent in our culture,” says Fox. “However, I do think it has gotten tougher not only for teen girls, but for women of all ages, to maintain a positive body image. Everywhere we look, there is this ‘ideal beauty’ continuously shoved in our faces, but unfortunately this ideal beauty is just one extreme. It’s an unattainable fantasy composed of underweight and photoshopped bodies.”

We are moving towards more realistic ideas of beauty through minimalistic makeup usage. However, as usual body size is a difficult thing to change in the model world and will require a substantial fashion revolution.

“I see [these new trends] as a move towards a more androgynous form of beauty,” says Creative Writing graduate student Kristen Burns. “So it’s a good thing in that it leaves it open to more body types. But the models still being skinny is still an issue.”

Is healthy the new skinny?

We are still seeing an overkill of thin models in magazines and on the runways.

It is possible that with this slow emersion of natural face trends and frumpy-like retro and vintage clothing, the next step is more full-figured and natural-looking women in fashion media. Within the past thirty years, women’s style has become more about female empowerment, breaking away from restricting dresses and other forms of clothing. The health movement cannot be ignored, and this change in the acknowledgement of beauty may directly influence the future of high fashion and designer creations.

“Women are never exposed to what is natural, healthy beauty since we don’t have examples of that in the media,” says Fox. “Women and girls don’t have anyone to show them that it’s okay to be healthy and happy, and that they don’t have to conform to this so-called norm that really isn’t the norm at all.”

2013 fashion weeks, such as recent one in Paris, indicate little change in the natural trend. ‘Bag-lady’ clothing sale booms and the recent intensified vintage craze suggest that the worlds of high fashion and middle class style are moving closer and closer together. These trends suggest movement away from over-sexualized styles, hinting at a leveling of the playing field. Women do not need to cover their skin with products in order to be in style, and masculine clothing and features are on the rise with models and fashionistas.

Through observing fashion norms on our own campus, we can see the influence being actively demonstrated by the female population. These positive garment and beauty statements are pushing our society towards a more equality-sensitive frame of mind. Not bad for some bushy eyebrows and minimal makeup.

Tubby Love may appear to be a scruffy white kid from Georgia, but don’t let his roots fool you. A progressive reggae-fusion artist, Tubby Love has been known to play reggae music on bluegrass and string instruments; he reinvented Bob Marley’s “Could You Be Loved” using fiddle, mandolin, and banjo. A first-time listen to Tubby Love feels like a trip, like sight doesn’t match sound.

Tubby Love, born Andrew Terrett, has been an extraordinary musical talent since childhood. In elementary school he landed the lead role in several musical theatre productions, and went on to learn guitar by age eleven and alto saxophone by fourteen. His music exploration continued with participating in many choirs, including the sizeable All State Choir in 2006, and studying theatre at Savannah Arts Academy. His move to songwriting came with the epiphany that it could improve his repute with the opposite sex, and so by age sixteen he’d officially become “Tubby Love.”

Tubby Love began university studies in classical voice and music business at Georgia State University and progressed to an intensive study in songwriting and guitar at the illustrious Berklee College of Music on a full-ride scholarship.

While seemingly nothing that Tubby Love does could be considered lackluster, it is no surprise that he thought outside the lines when it came time to release his first “official” record.

Taking to the independent artist’s crowd-funding lifeline, Kickstarter, Tubby Love made an honest plea to ‘Tubby Lovers’ worldwide to help finance the first-ever “Three-Part Album MEGAZORD.” Yes, Megazord. In Power Rangers, a Megazord was a massive combination of many different robots into one impressive fighting machine – a description that fits nicely with this creative recording project.

Seeking $11, 111.11 in record-making cash monies, Tubby Love laid out his music-making dreams for the kindness of strangers to donate toward: The Three Part Album Megazord Part 1 - Record a serious Tubby Love EP Part 2 - Record a Tubby Love Acoustic Sessions EP with a live string band Part 3 - The Tubby Love Feature Presentation, with some of Tubby’s favorite bands/artists together on one album

People far and wide dug deep into their pockets and granted Tubby Love his wish: a successful Kickstarter campaign ($11, 183.00 total) that showed their faith in his abilities as a musician and communicator.

Tubby retreated to Steelgrass Recording Studio, a unique studio tucked amongst acres of cacao farmland in the hills above Kauai, Hawaii, and the Megazord was born.

Just like the Kickstarter description promised, the first-part release of the Megazord is a 5-song EP comprised of unique tunes and a surprising amount of talent that brings together each of the very different tracks into one unified listening experience.

The first track, “Miracle”, is an ode to the mysteries of the universal existence, with honest lead vocals in alongside a layer of dream-like panned backup vocals, and packed with reggae-staple organ fills.

Title track “The Real Thing”, has an organ-heavy rhythm provide the lover’s groove to this proclamation tune about being ready for serious love. The hidden gem of this track is the background vocal repetition riffs that give a nod to the legendary Marvin Gaye and Tami Terrell “Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing” duet.

The middle of the EP takes a turn to the serious, with the political/social statement “Simple City” in what could be considered the most reggae-true song on the record.

Suitably titled “Afro” hits like the happiest wake-up call of your life. It’s an instrumental African-groove tune complete with a ripping horn section and merry vocal yelps, all held together by a rhythm section that would make even an Amish kid wiggle.

The culmination of the entire EP is a soothing and vulnerable ballad about realizing the need to move on from a lover who never truly loved him. A brief yet technical Hammond organ solo emphasizes the strife and heartbreak in the soul of this tune.

All of this is intelligent, progressive, emotionally valuable music, and it’s only the first of THREE parts. Overall, Megazord is an encouraging example of a talented artist driven by passion, working independently to create new and clever music in a unique package. From genre-bending tunes to inventive career development, this is anything but your typical touring musician.

Tubby Love, you had me at Megazord.

12

The Phoenix |

Arts

February 4th, 2013

Arts

February 4th, 2013

| The Phoenix

13

500 albums sold. A concert every week. Fans in Japan, Iran, and Germany.

The man. The hair. The legend.

Windmills is the Okanagan’s hottest musician Cameron Welch Editor-in-chief

It’s October 24 2011, the first freezing day of fall, and Cory Myraas and I are performing in the wind and rain for a dozen people at “Vernon Rivers Day.” Half the audience is either the other performers – a sociallyawkward piano prodigy who played a spirited rendition of “Great Balls of Fire” and a cute singer-songwriter girl who turned out to be, uh, fifteen – or their parents.

A year later, Myraas was playing in front of a sold-out crowd of 750 people.

When I first met Cory, better-known as Vernon-based loop artist Windmills, he wore red glsses all the time and was the lead singer of local indie-rock quarter Poor Little Rich Girl. After the band broke up in late 2012 and the rest of the guys formed bar-rock mainstay Paperboy, Cory started experimenting with his loop machine and playing solo shows as one-man band Windmills. He doesn’t sound like anyone else around here -Jeff-Buckley is perhaps the closest comaprison- and he doesn’t perform like anyone else around here either, building songs in front of the audience on his loop pedal.

In eary 2012 Cory released his first album, Keep Moving, and a Twilight-soundtrackesque video for the first single, and then things took off. He picked up a FACTOR grant to fund another record and then he started finding his way onto the bill for half the shows in the Okanagan, playing thirty shows in six months. In October, he opened twice for fellow Vernon boy Andrew Allen, (basically Jack Johnson but with the letter “A”). Windmills sold fifty-eight copies of Keep Moving in fifteen minutes during the second show’s intermission. He may not be in the big leagues yet, sure, but in terms of the Okanagan scene Windmills is having a golden-glove season.

All last fall, when he wasn’t performing at these concerts or finishing his BA here at UBCO, Cory was recording his new EP, Tilting. The title refers to Don Quixote famously “tilting at windmills”, raising hisl ance to charge down imaginary giants, and the EP’s themes revolve around the similar self-deluding efforts that fill everyday life.

The front cover is an old picture of Cory’s father with the distinctive Windmills haircut, and tree of the five song titles involve classic literary in a shameless attempt to justify blowing four years on an English degree. More instrumental and more abstract, the EP doesn’t feature any of the reverses and double-time effects that characterized both the first album and Windmills shows.

“I have a fuller understanding of the pedal now,” he explained, “[and] I didn’t want the effects to be a gimmick.”

But the looping itself is anything but a gimmick in Windmills songs, each of which has to be written with the equipment in mind. “For me the loop becomes something that’s essential. Because of the limitations

the pedal gives me and because I only have the set amount of time and I don’t have the option of taking something out and bringing it back in, it forces me to get past just filling it out because I can, and I don’t want to add something that isn’t crucial to the song.”

Instead of sitting down with a pen and an acoustic guitar, Cory’s songs begin with a few distinctive notes and grow on the pedal. “I’ll spend probably an afternoon on it and record thirty little videos on my iphone of just looping it and then trying this vocal tape and [going] back and seeing what will work. It’s so much different that when I was with other bands because you’ve got that feedback element instantly […] whereas with what I’m doing I don’t get that feedback until I’m with an audience.”

When he’s in front of an audience, the process he uses to create his songs becomes part of the performance: the crowd sees and hears every song being built on the sample machine out of drums and guitar riffs and hand claps. This access to the process is a huge part of the Windmills experience and the Windmills appeal; for the audience it’s like those sushi bars where you can watch the chefs working.

Where most live or acoustic covers just strip a song down, Cory is able to build it back up with his onstage machinery.

“I can bring in elements that aren’t in the original and make something different,” he explains. “[The audience] might not know the song at first but then once everything is looped and the vocals start and it clicks with them that it’s like ‘oh shit, this is that song. It’s a lot more interesting [seeing] their reactions than just coming out with a band and going one, two, three, four, and then okay everybody knows the song.”

For Cory, the Windmills project isn’t just a stage name, it’s a performance in itself.

“From the get-go I didn’t want to go out there as Cory Myraas. Mostly because I thought it didn’t have a very nice ring to it, [but also] what I was doing wasn’t just a singer-songwriter with a guitar; with the looping elements, so it made it a little bit more of a persona.”

One of the main components of that Windmills persona is stage banter that revolves around his being bad at stage banter. “The awkward stuff that I do, it helps, ‘cause it’s like I’m not afraid to look like an idiot on stage with my songs. I played a show where I talked about pyjama pants and ‘Elf on a Shelf’ for a good 10 minutes in between songs and I think everyone was like ‘what, where is this going?’”

“Sometimes you’ll say something that you think is so funny and there’s just no response. And then other times, like, I played ‘Hallelujah’and I said ‘this is an old Leonard Cohen song. Shrek made it popular.’

And the whole auditorium was just bent over just loving it for some reason.”

Being a one-man band who uses a live loop, ‘keep moving’ is more than the title of his debut album, it’s the philosophy behind all Windmills perfromances.

“In situations like that, I’m not gonna panic and be like ‘oh fuck, there’s no one else to talk, what do I do, uuuuuh’ and lay down and scream and cry. I know I’ve gotta keep moving, and if I don’t keep moving then what’s the point?”

The Tilting EP release is February 9th at Streaming Cafe. The show starts at 7:00 pm and tickets are $10.

Check out page 22 for our dreamy Valentine’s Day poster of Windmills.

Photos by Hanss Lujan

Testimonials

“Cory’s magical locks mesmerize the crowd almost as much as his singing. End Quote.”

- Amy Forsythe, our classmate “Cory’s music lingers long after the last loop has died down. …It’s like your ears are a pocket and Myraas’ songs are the peanut butter you’ll never get out.”

- Brandon Fletcher, Keep Moving album designer “Can we hear it again for Windmills? The one-man-band extravaganza! Ladies, he is soooo single” - bassist Matt Rennehan, opening Van Damsel’s Ecotone set “He told me about how he still jams in their old band room, and just sits there by himself and works on a song and drinks some beers, and I said ‘that just sounds depressing’.”

- Van Damsel’s Richard Bregoliss “Windmills would be way hotter if he cut his stupid hair.” - my sister

Like father, like son Cory explains why a picture of Birger Myraas as a teenager is the cover of the new EP. “Well the running story was always my hair. My dad would kind of scoff at it and be like – his phrase for it was ‘weeds on a rock’. And I remember finding [the picture] and it was like a moment of extreme clarity, a revelation, like ‘the tables have turned now, what’s up now, Birger?’”

“I saw that picture and I was like “this could‘ve been me at 15, and then this hair was matching mine. I remember seeing this picture and thinking that if I do another album I would love this to be an album cover.”

“My dad got on a ship at the age of 15 and just went to New York and worked and has all these bizarre stories of being in New York in the late 50s early 60s and all this wacky stuff and I mean he worked for like ages on cruise ships all over the world.

And anyone who knows my dad knows him as Birger the crazy Norweigan. When I got my tattoos on my arm he got [the same] two, a ship and an anchor, in secret, didn’t tell anybody that he was getting them.”

“I think now he’s just really excited about the EP too… for every parent it might be a fear, your son [saying] ‘oh I want to be a musician’. [But] now, he’s so invested in it, he’s so excited that I’m coming out with a CD. I showed him the test copy and he just laughed and he’s skyping his friends in Norway just sitting there yelling in Norweigan ‘look at this article’ and he’ll show the article and then ‘look at this’ and he’ll slide up the page and there’s his picture.”

On the online version of the Vernon Morning Star article about Windmills, the first facebook comment is from Birger A. Myraas: “That’s my boy.”

Teen girl fan club “My friend wants to go to Ecotone just because Windmills is there,” our Features Editor Rumnique explains, rolling her eyes, “There’s a whole group of her and these 19-year-old girls who can’t get enough of him and are always ‘ohhhh, Windmills, Windmills…’”

One thing about Cory Myraas, which you might have discovered from looking at our cover, is that he’s a handsome young man. I try to keep it in check by making fun of him on the interent when he does things like mentioning that someone told him he looked like a cross between Leo Dicaprio and Johnny Depp, but there’s not much I can do.

A girl in our class once texted me after one of his shows confessing her undying love for him and asking me to let him know how she felt. At clubs, unfamiliar women who’ve met Cory at a show or in class materialize out of nowhere and spend the rest of their nights watching him dance awkwardly and shouting into his ear over the music.

Windmills is a one-man band, sure – and that band is One Direction. The ladies just love them some Windmills. And Cory gerally has no idea how to deal with it. Take, for instance, the packed Andrew Allen shows, which he recapped in our interview: Cory: “I sold 58 CDs in 15 minutes… it was crazy. I had people going ‘can I get a picture? Can you sign this?’ It’s really weird… I signed my album, I signed Andrew Allen t-shirts, programs, tickets to the show, the backs of iphones, cell phones, camera cases, the weirdest things, and I’m saying ‘this is a sharpie, it’s gonna rub off as soon as you put this in your bag’ and they’re just “I don’t really care!’”

“I signed some girl’s ipod and she came to another show and she’s like ‘can you sign it again? It came off.’ and I was like oh, what a shock.”

“They were the ones that showed up with ‘Windmills’ written down their arms in sharpie too.”

Me: “Did they? Oh boy.”

Cory: “And sat there filming the show.”

Me: “How old were these girls?”

“Aah, average age was probably 14.”

Me; “You have a teen girl fan club. And an our-age girl fan club, actually.”

Cory: “And at the Christmas concert I played I had an older woman who said – and I don’t think she meant it like this – that my version of Hallelujah made her ‘hot’.”

(I start laughing) Cory: “So bless her heart. She also said she’s gonna send my stuff off to CBC’s Q, so that’s nice.”

Me: “Dear Jian, this song made me hot.”

SPORTS

Jesse Shopa

sports@thephoenixnews.com

By the Numbers ▼

Athletes of the week ▼

621 862

Total number of assists so far this season by rookie setter Emily Oxland. With 621, Oxland currently sits at second in the entire nation in terms of assist total; quite the feat in only her first year of play. She is making a quiet push for not only Canada West Rookie of the Year, but CIS Rookie of the Year as well.

All-time leading scoring record for the UBC Okanagan women’s basketball program, set by Jenna Kantz during her five year tenure with the Heat.

7 860

Number of games that the men’s basketball team has kept opponents under 60 points, including a four game stretch from a Dec. 2 match at Winnipeg through a Jan. 11 date with Calgary at home.

Current career point total of Roslyn Huber after a 15 point weekend versus UFV. With three games remaining, Huber is expected to surpass Kantz and become the Heat women’s basketball all-time leading scorer.

16 2.90

Points-per-game average of rookie guard Mitch Goodwin. Since January 19th versus Saskatchewan, the first-year has been pouring it on in extended minutes, providing a much-needed scoring touch for the Heat.

Digs-per-set average so far this season for Heat men’s volleyball libero Jeremy Fostvelt. With 2.90 D/S, Fostvelt sits at 3rd in the nation, proving to be one of the best in the country in only his second in the Heat backcourt.

8.8 1

Kills-per-game average of second-year outside hitter Brianna Beamish over her past five games. After succumbing to injury issues in the early part of the season, the young hitter has started to come on as of late, providing a new spark on the offense behind the likes of Schon and Basso.

S

Playoff spot clinched by the Heat women’s volleyball team. With a win over the Winnipeg Wesmen, coupled with a Calgary Dinos loss, the Heat have clinched a berth in the CanadaWest postseason, with the distinct possibility of hosting a home playoff series as well.

Mitch Goodwin (Men’s Basketball)

Brianna Beamish (Women’s Volleyball)

What a weekend it was for the one many are calling “Boy Wonder”.

Mitch Goodwin had a phenomenal weekend and was instrumental in the Heat’s upset bid vs. the UBC Thunerbirds on January 25th.

Over the two games vs. UBC, Goodwin had a combined 33 points, while remaining a perfect 6-6 from the charity stripes. His calming back-court presence was crucial in keeping the Heat in both games vs. the second-ranked team in the nation.

It’s hard to believe he’s only in his firstyear. The rookie has shown tremendous upside in only a handful of games so far this year.

For his efforts on January 25th, Mitch was awarded Player of Game; undoubtedly the first of many for this talented guard.

Mitch will look to continue his assualt on Canada West this weekend, as the team travels to Trinity Western University.

Welcome back Brianna Beamish.

After struggling with injury issues for the majority of the season, some wondered if Brianna Beamish would return to the form that made her such a sought-after prospect coming out of Surrey, BC. She was thrust into duty January 18th vs.

Calgary, and has not looked back since.

Her “electric arm”, as head coach Steve Manuel has put it, has vaulted her back into the fold for the Heat.

Over the past four games, Brianna has tallied a total of 28 kills and 20 digs for the Heat, filling the void in a Heat offense that has been struggling as of late. Beamish will no doubt be an integral part of this Heat team down the stretch, especially with injury issues surrounding Katy Klomps.

She looks to continue her dominating play this weekend vs. Brandon in the final league games of the season.

Soundbites ▼

“We continue to improve as a program with such young, bright talent.”

Heat women’s volleyball head coach on the plethora of young talent present on the Heat.

“If he can take a bunch of scrubs like us and lead us to that kind of record, who knows what else he can do?”

Heat men’s basketball head coach Peter Guarasci commenting on Steve Nash’s impact in the 2000 Olympics, and the impact Nash is sure to have as the General Manager of Team Canada Basketball.

“We talked about intention and purpose again, and not letting circumstances affect what you want to do. Just play and do what you want to do so that at the end of the game you felt like you gave it your all, and that you felt good about how you played.”

Heat women’s basketball head coach Heather Semeniuk imparts some wise words to her team following the Heat’s 62-55 loss to UBC.

Sports

Heat doused at UBC Jesse Shopa Sports Editor

Artwork by Asher Klassen

Thunderbirds sweep UBC-vs-UBCO volleyball showdown

Heat women unable to slow best offense in the nation; lose Klomps Rarely do we talk about the game of volleyball in terms of individuals, but the Heat may now have to face the reality of how important one of their individual players are. On the first point of the first set on January 25th, middle Katy Klomps (2nd year, Surrey, BC) suffered a left-ankle injury and would sit out the remainder of the weekend for precautionary reasons. Without arguably the best defensive middle in Canada, the Heat were left exposed to the number one offense in the nation in UBC. The inter-university rivalry left much to be desired, as the Heat were unable to keep up, losing 3-0 (25-18, 25-20, 25-17) and 3-0 3-0 (25-12, 25-19, 25-19).

As soon as Klomps hit the floor in pain in the first game, you could almost see the energy dissipate from the Heat side of the court. What was touted as a battle of defensive prowess vs. offensive might turned south in a hurry for the Heat.

“It didn’t take long to know that it was going to be one of those tough nights,” commented head coach Steve Manuel following the game.

Although Katie Wuttunee (2nd year,

North Vancouver, BC) and the rest of the front court played valiantly, the Heat were unable to solve the T-Bird attack. UBC would finish with a .262 kill percentage, but more importantly, the Heat were only able to manage 33 digs and 4 blocks.

“It’s never easy playing against the top offense in the country, especially after losing the leading blocker in Canada West,” added Manuel.

On the bright side, Brianna Beamish (2nd year, Surrey, BC) continued her strong play as of late. The outside-hitter came off the bench in relief to collect 6 kills on 14 attempts for a solid .286 kill percentage.

The following game was much of the same for UBC Okanagan. Faced with the task of solving the T-Bird attack without his top middle, head coach Steve Manuel elected to give the majority of his players considerable court time. Of the 12 active Heat players, all touched the court at least once over the course of the contest.

Megan Festival (1st year, Calgary, AB), in extended action off the bench, provided the majority of the Heat kills, tallying 8 while adding 11 digs. Kaitlynn Given (1st year, Kelowna, BC) added 3 kills on 6 at-

tempts as well for the Heat.

“Megan Festival and Kaitlynn Given were fearless out there,” commented Manuel. “We just continue to improve as a program with such young, bright talent.”

Speaking of young talent, Emily Oxland (1st year, North Vancouver, BC) continues to play like anything but a rookie.

The young setter has played outstanding for the Heat this season. She received high praise from her coach following the game.

“Emily has been so solid all season,” said Manuel. “It’s hard to tell she’s a rookie. She made some big plays tonight again.”

The Heat played very close with UBC over the evening, but the Thunderbirds made the right plays late in sets to pull away from the Heat.

“For the better part of the match we stayed right with our opponents,” added Manuel. “We pushed them, even with four newcomers in the lineup.”

The Heat will return home on February 8th and 9th to face the University of Brandon in the final regular season games of the 2012/2013 Canada West season.

February 4th, 2013

| The Phoenix

15

Men unable to bring down ‘Birds It was just another one of those weekends for the Heat, who continue to suffer the growing pains characteristic of all young teams. The Heat showed flashes of maturity and growth, but ultimately made crucial mistakes at inopportune junctures over the course of the two games versus UBC. Happy to oblige, the Thunderbirds doused the Heat in a weekend sweep 3-0 (25-17, 26-24, 26-24) and 3-0 (25-19, 25-20, 25-21).

After a forgettable first set in the first game between both teams, the Heat had UBC right where they wanted them in the second set at 23-24. However, kills by Jarrid Ireland and attack errors from the Heat pushed the set in favour of UBC 26-24; a huge missed opportunity for the Heat.

The third set was a back-and-forth affair as well, with the Heat pulling away late at 17-20. However, UBC once again battled back, and at 24-24 Jarrid Ireland put his team ahead with a kill and a service ace to push the set and match in the Thunderbirds’ favour.

“We made some costly errors after the 16th point, and let UBC build,” commented Heat head coach Greg Poitras after the game. “Credit to them for their toughness.”

Second-year middle Leo Schober (Kelowna, BC) had a solid game by any standard. The former KSS Owl had 6 kills on 9 attempts for an unheard-of .667 kill percentage. Second-year hybrid outside hitter/setter Jon Russo (Lake Country, BC) also had a strong game, posting 7 kills on 13 attempts after coming off the bench in relief.

Looking for a better result, the Heat returned to War Memorial Gymnasium the following evening, looking for vengeance against their UBC counterparts. However, the Heat just could not find their rhythm over the course of the match. No player eclipsed seven kills, as Greg Niemantsverdriet (4th year, Vernon, BC) and Brett Uniat (5th year, Cochrane, AB) had seven kills, while Jon Russo (2nd year, Lake Country, BC) and Riley McFarland (5th year, Surrey, BC) could only manage six.

As a team, the Heat managed a measly .125 kill percentage.

On a positive note, first-year setter Kristof Schlagintweit (Abbottsford, BC) put in a strong showing. The rookie collected 27 assists on the night as he continues to quarterback a veteran Heat offense.

Meanwhile, on the UBC side, former Heat middle Chris Howe put in a solid game against his former squad. The middle from Salt Spring Island, BC notched 6 kills on 11 attempts, while adding 3 block assists in the win for UBC. With the loss, the Heat fall to 2-16 on the season, while UBC improves to 12-6.

The Heat will return to UBC Okanagan for the final weekend series of the season, as they host the University of Brandon on February 8th and 9th,

16

The Phoenix |

Sports

February 4th, 2013

Thunderbirds’ buzzer beater sinks Heat Men go shot-for-shot with the second-ranked team in the nation

Kevin Ilomin

Sports Contributor

A David Wagner put back at the buzzer stunned a UBC Okanagan crowd who believed their team was about to pull off a major upset over the second ranked UBC Thunderbirds. The Heat men’s basketball team allowed the T’Birds to slip away with a 63-61 victory Friday night in Kelowna.

An energized crowd fueled the Heat in a close fourth quarter, willing them to stay focused and not let the Thunderbirds pull away as players were making clutch plays and free throws left and right, including a tip-pass from third-year guard Anwar Faza (Ottawa, ON) that found rookie Mitch Goodwin (Kelowna, BC) open for a jumper that reclaimed a lead in the dying minutes of play. With the score tied 61-61 and the Heat looking for an overtime period or a chance at a final possession, Wagner’s shocker silenced the crowd and punctured the Heat’s emotional balloon.

“I’ve never had to complain this year about my team’s focus,” Heat head coach Pete Guarasci said postgame. “As far as how they come into practice and how they listen during walkthrough or shootaround, they’ve always been very focused in timeouts … everything. I’ve never had to complain and you saw that tonight.”

Defensive pressure kept the Vancouver squad on edge all game long, holding them to 21 points below their season average.

What coach Guarasci called a “defensive show” resulted in twenty-two turnovers

for the Thunderbirds, whose backcourt was continuously pestered while the frontcourt was denied entry passes and kept off the boards. The Heat outrebounded the larger Birds’ squad 37-31 and held their opponent to only five offensive boards and seven total second chance points.

“Really I think we just did a good job of guarding the ball tonight,” Guarasci said postgame. “We stayed in front of them and made it tough, and did a good job in the post making it difficult.”

“I think our guys just put on a defensive show. From our point guard to our five man, everyone was moving their feet. We were hustling and we were battling. They were just so focused defensively. It was awesome for me to watch.”

Goodwin was named the Heat Player of the Game after netting a team-high tying 13 points while grabbing three rebounds and picking away two steals. Fourth-year guard Yassine Ghomari (Vancouver, BC) also put up 13 points while grabbing two boards and steals each.

Neither team had more than six assists, though the Heat still utilized great ball movement and dribble penetration to find their offensive touches. The home team got quality shots for most of the game and netted at a 33.3% clip. Scoring by committee, they had three players in double digits and four others with five or more points.

Dave Mackay was called for a questionable travel call late in the contest vs. UBC, allowing the Thunderbirds to come back and steal the game Photo by Dale Abbey

Heated last minute vs TBirds 0:36 remaining Inbound makes its way to David Wagner, who converts the lay-up to tie the game at 61-61

6 10 0:01 remaining David Wagner grabs the rebound after a missed shot and puts back the layup to win the game for UBC 61-63

1

0:13 remaining Dave Mackay is turns the ball over after a controversial traveling call. Still 61-61 0:52 remaining O’Brien Wallace makes one of two free-throws to tie the game at 59-59

8

0:50 remaining Dave Mackay makes both free-throws to put the Heat ahead by two 61-59

3

4

0:50 remaining Dave Mackay is fouled, sending him to the line 59-59

0:13 remaining 0:50 remaining Isaiah Solomon Isaiah Solomon inbound inbound

9

5

0:36 remaining Inbound by Yassine Ghomari

7

2

0:52 remaining Inbound by Yassine Ghomari

Sports

February 4th, 2013

| The Phoenix

17

No one asked me but...

Kevin Ilomin

Sports Contributor

Does a season’s record translate into longer term futility?

Records of (5-12) for the women and (215) for the men may indicate mediocrity, but there is reason for high hopes for fans in The Furnace on the weekends that the basketball teams stay home.

The lady Heat have only three fifth-year players who will not return next year, followed by a slew of rookies and sophomores who, under coach Heather Semeniuk’s tutoring and mentoring, have shown great amounts of improvement that should project into at least a few more years of cohesive play together.

Currently, Emily Kanester (guard, second-year), Sarah Allison (guard, secondyear) and Angela White (guard, third-year) are regular starters for the team, and rookies Jessica Jazdarehee (guard) and Kayla McFadden (post) log 13.2 and 12.7 minutes per game, respectively. In those limited time, Jessica has put up numbers like 3.6 ppg and 2.5 rpg, and while Kayla records 2.7 ppg and 2.1 rpg.

Last season, Emily was already had started 16 of a total 18 games played, and recorded season averages of 7.9 ppg and 3.1 rpg, while shooting 32.8% from the field and 69% from the free-throw line.

This season her numbers are (at the time this article was written) up to 11.0 ppg and 4.8 rpg, and though her shooting has dipped slightly to 31% from the field, her free-throw shooting is up to 79.6%.

Similarly, Angela’s numbers are up from 4.6 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 31.8 FG% and 76.2 FT% last season to 5.8, 4.2, and 34.4 FG%, and her free-throws hover closely by at 75.7%.

Combine developing skills with the team’s ability to attract high quality players such as Sarah (a transfer from the University of Calgary averaging a team-high 14.2 ppg, 1.5 apg and 1.6 steals while shooting a team-high 86.7% for free-throws), and the women’s team looks to be heading in the right direction.

The Heat men, on the other hand, already appear to have a good assemblage of talent (other than another quality big to

help forward Dave Mackay with the dirty work down low) and are simply learning the tight squeeze that a minute margin of error has in Canada West.

Two weekends ago they proved how much they really belong in their new conference when they took the top ranked team in the conference and then No.2 team in the nation in the UBC Thunderbirds down to the wire in back-to-back outings.

Defense was the primary ingredient in keeping them in the mix down the stretch of an eventual 63-61 loss on January 25th¸ a mindset engendered by first-year head coach Pete Guarasci and his coaching staff.

More than that, however, this squad could be seriously laying eyes on its first Canada West playoff berth as soon as next season. The team boasts one of the top rookies this year in guard Mitch Goodwin, who (at time of writing) is leading all rookies in scoring at 13.5 ppg, which is also tops for his team. He and fellow rookie Greet Gill both fulfill starter duties and Gill is currently averaging 8.7 ppg and 6.2 rpg while Goodwin also pitches in 4.4 rebounds himself.

The backcourt duo of Goodwin and fourth-year guard Yassine Ghomari is a formidable scoring and defensive combination, as both bring a tenacity and energy on the defensive end that keeps UBC Okanagan always a full-court threat and a danger in passing lanes while the two also combine to score 24.3 ppg (Ghomari averages 10.8 in an injury-shortened 8 of 17 games this season).

With not a single player graduating this year, this squad has the chance to come back next year with a full season of chemistry under its belt, along with the physical and skill development that will be necessary for what looks to be a very possible playoff push next season.

In sum, a mix of young, talented and athletic rosters with the promise of attracting the final couple of pieces gives hope that experience, direction and a work ethic will teach these young players from both teams how to win together in the coming years.

The future is bright for both Heat basketball teams. It’s just a matter of time before these young teams begin to become a true force in Canada West Photo by Dale Abbey

CIS before considering any drastic moves regarding mixing the CIS and NCAA. He did however paid homage to the fact that several athletes have enjoyed success on both sides of the border.

MacPherson said during the conference that he thought, “Gord [Grace] and Pierre [Lafontaine] will make a heck of a tandem.” Both Grace and Lafontaine will take over an organization with fifty-four members in four different conferences from coast-to-coast.

Lafontaine brought up the role of parasport and the contribution made by the CIS to the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Committee. He re-iterated that he wanted to, ”Create this pride that we haven’t seen everywhere.” He brought up the potential

of including para-sport within the CIS program for students with disabilities in university but said that such decision would come as soon as tomorrow and was in its early stages.

Gord Grace, who also serves as the current Athletic Director commented during the conference that, “It is a new era moving forward [for the CIS].”

This isn’t the first time Swimming Canada and the CIS have come together on a mutually beneficial relationship. Olympic bronze medalist and World Champion Brent Hayden is an alumni of the University of British Columbia, where he competed for many years. Richard Weinberger, a long distance swimmer who claimed bronze as well in London is a current student at the

Pierre Lafontaine named new CEO of CIS

Robert Murray CUP Sports Editor

SACKVILLE (CUP) — Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) made a big splash by naming Swimming Canada’s CEO and national coach Pierre Lafontaine their new CEO. Alongside current CIS president Leo MacPherson and president-elect Gord Grace, Lafontaine introduced himself to members of the media and university sports fans across Canada.

“We need to be better at the CIS,” said Lafontaine at the press conference in Toronto on Jan. 31.

In recent months the debate has grown over what role the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and CIS play in competition. Lafontaine noted the importance of building the brand of the

University of Victoria and member of the Vikes swimming team. On the other Canadian coast, Dalhousie swimming team member and Canada Games Gold medalist David Sharpe made his Olympic debut in London.

Lafontaine was a driving force behind getting Canadian swimmers more involved at the Summer Universiade in the early 2000s.

After a large quantity of podium finishes since then, and the next edition of the Summer Universiade taking place in Kazan, Russia this summer, Lafontaine will look to spread this success to other sports in the CIS program in the years to come.

OPINIONS Press your coffee not your wallet Matt Lauzon

opinions@thephoenixnews.com

O

Kale Greenfield Contributor

French Press: $20 (glass) to $80 (stainless steel)

Pound of whole beans: $10-$20

Let’s face it, if you’re not addicted to coffee yourself, you probably know someone who is in a big way.

Caffeine culture has become a pervasive aspect of the modern student life.

Whether it’s an espresso shot to keep the studying going at three a.m., or an opulent Starbucks monstrosity to make that earlymorning class easier to bear, nearly everyone partakes in a cup of Joe now and then.

But the thing is, the cost of that cup adds up surprisingly quickly.

I propose a different tack: make your coffee at home. While this option, at first, seems to cost even more, it can actually be an investment that pays off surprisingly quickly.

Let’s take two coffee drinkers: Alice, our casual, cup-for-a-pick-me-up coffee drinker, and Tom, our heavy addict. Alice goes to the Tim Horton’s on campus two, three times a week for a medium double-double, while Tom hits the Starbucks every morning for his caramel macchiato. Now, Alice spends, on average, $6 a week on coffee and Tom spends $20. Even Alice’s seemingly-innocuous habit will, over the

course of a semester, run her almost $100, while Tom will be spending over $300 for his coffee habit.

Now, let’s look at the cost of making your own coffee. The simplest and most cost-effective se tup for making coffee is most likely a French press. A French press is a simple carafe in which both the coffee grounds and boiling water are poured. Attached to the lid is a metal mesh, which is depressed to strain out the grounds when the coffee is adequately steeped for one’s tastes. All this requires is an electric kettle, a press and a bean grinder. An electric kettle with an automatic shut-off (for the prevention of kitchen fires) costs around $20, as will the bean grinder, while the press itself will cost somewhere in the $20-$40 range (all prices from amazon.ca.)

Now, the only thing left is to buy the coffee beans. While a discussion on the quality of different coffee beans can go on for days in certain circles, in the end it comes down to personal preference. A variety of fantastic Canadian roasteries, such as Invermere’s Kicking Horse and Vernon’s Voets­—­­not to mention larger chains like

Starbucks and Second Cup—sell unground coffee (an important detail, as pre-ground coffee requires much more coffee-per-cup for the same flavor). For around $20 per pound, a quantity of coffee that can last the average drinker several months.

Even those people who prefer the sweeter coffee drinks are in luck, as Torani, the company that supplies the flavored syrups used in Starbucks and Second Cup, sell entire bottles of those syrups for under $20 as well (amazon.ca).

Now, totaling the cost of starting from scratch in making your own coffee comes to, assuming you buy a semester’s worth of beans (2 pounds) and a bottle of flavored syrup, around the area of $120-140.

If you’ll notice, this is barely more than what our light coffee drinker spends in one semester. In subsequent semesters, with the equipment already bought, this cost drops below fifty dollars a semester!

So, while it may seem easier to simply stand in line with the rest for your morning fix, why not make your own coffee, to your own standards, in the comfort of your own home?

Coffee cost comparison for 1 semester: based upon 2 16 oz cups per day, 5 days per week

Coffee cup: Cheap as free

Green Bean: 2.35 (including tax) x 10 per week x 13 weeks =

$305.50

French Press: 20-80 bodem + cheap as free cup + 20 grinder + (10-20 per pound/30 servings per bag) x 10 servings per week / 2 servings per press x 13 weeks =

$62 - $143

Opinions

February 4th, 2013

| The Phoenix

Where is the love?

The Internet is so much more than kittens; a shameless cesspool of hatred.

Dominique Gelineau Contributor

On Sunday I went on Facebook and decided to look at everyone’s favourite “anonymous” UBCO pages.

Wow. It was very enlightening to see some of the posts and comments that were being made, specifically on the UBCO Confessions page. As I understand, this page was meant to be for people to send in their secrets relating to our community without their identity being revealed. Normally, these posts are relatively tame:

While these kinds of posts can be funny, others make you wonder why someone would post them:

Because it was a Sunday, and I’d had a busy weekend, I thought the page would have some much-needed comic relief. I found it was the exact opposite.

At the time, the most recent posts all revolved around RA’s. Being an RA, I was enticed to read the posts and their respective comments. Some of the things I saw were constructive criticisms, while others bordered on cyber-bullying. There were even other comments that were admissions to breaking the residence contract and/or provincial and federal laws.

At this point, I took a step back and looked at it from a non-RA perspective. I could see how some of these ideas were valid, and students were expressing their sentiments of wanting to be individuals, without an overarching set of rules.

Regardless of the poster’s point-of-view, several students who took the time to comment also took the time to think through their response. Unfortunately, a good portion of the comments on this page’s more recent posts still fell under the “negative” category.

The value of this UBCO Confessions page was lost when people started treating each other with disrespect, and in some cases, hatred. I understand that people can get frustrated; however, Facebook is not the forum for venting, regardless of whether it’s your own Timeline or through an “anonymous” page. At the end of the day we’re all humans, and we should know to treat others with respect. We’re not perfect, but we need to be aware of what we’re saying to others.

I considered de-friending the UBCO Confession page, but after seeing what many posted in the last 24 hours, expressing how upset they were, I realized just how wrong I was. I’m going to stick to the happier pages for now, where students can mention the cute girl in their Psych Stats class, or the hot guy in the ASC. In the time leading up to Valentine’s Day, there’s a lot of love going around campus; however, the UBCO Confession page doesn’t reflect this campus feeling. Social media is a digital extension of us, and reflects all students on campus. Stick to UBCO Crushes and LAL for your flirtations, use UBCO Compliments for recognizing those altruistic students.

At this time, I want to recognize a couple groups on the UBCO Confession page: To those who posted movie videos and quotes: thanks for trying to diffuse the tension on the page. As I was read the posts, I felt like I was watching the scene in Mean Girls where they go wild like jungle animals.

To whomever runs the UBCO Confession page: if you’re going to run an “anonymous” page, you need to do a better job moderating comments. People in the real world can actually get hurt from what’s being posted.

Don’t get me wrong: I’m a strong advocate of social media. However, I know it requires a high level of responsibility, and this wasn’t shown this weekend. We can do better, UBC Okanagan.

Dominique Gelineau (@dgelineau) is a 4th -year Arts student and RA

Student pricing For just $29.95, walk in with your taxes, walk out with your refund. Instantly. You’ll also get a free SPC Card to save big at your favourite retailers.*

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The Phoenix |

Opinions

February 4th, 2013

The CRTC decides to

...that is neither a

“give”

gift

us more

nor

“free”

free

TV...

Matthew Lauzon Concerned Viewer

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (otherwise known as the CRTC, or “those assholes responsible for our bad cable, internet, and cell phone services”) recently announced that it will consider whether or not to have cable and satellite companies add up to twenty-four channels to be included in their basic television service packages.

What does this mean? Anyone and everyone who subscribes to a television service that is governed by the CRTC (all of them) will soon be getting twenty-four more channels added to their subscription! Yay! Let’s see how people are reacting to this great news.

Jean Pierre Blais, the new chairman of the CRTC in 2012, said that the Commission’s purpose was to “put Canadians at

Illustration by Aidan Whiteley

the centre of their communications system.” He’s doing that isn’t he? We’re getting more stuff as part of a basic package; we’re getting more privilege.

Michael Geist, a columnist for The Toronto Star said that “the mandatory distribution rules do the opposite.” Wait, what?

Michael you seem to get it; surely this isn’t what the CRTC is going for. They’re turning themselves around; they’re giving us free stuff!

“The rules place broadcasters at the centre of the communications system...” said Geist. “...by offering up the prospect of millions in revenue without regard for what consumers actually want.” We’re paying for these channels whether or not we want to because they become part of the basic package? Say it isn’t so, Geist.

“The policy represents a near-complete elimination of consumer choice for the channels at issue,” said Geist. “Rather than convincing millions of Canadian consumers that their services are worth buying, the broadcasters need only convince a handful of CRTC commissioners.”

God damnit.

I was really happy to see Jean Pierre Blais seat the chair of the CRTC. My favourite part was when he said his goal was to “put Canadians at the centre of their communications system,” but actually meant to say “our goal is to decide what you want to watch; we’re also going to make you pay for it.”

But in all seriousness, this is a good thing! I have over 100 channels; and yet, there’s never anything on. I suppose I can

pay a few more dollars a month so I can actually use the TV. Where better to catch up on the inspiring “Idle No More” movement, whose brilliant mission and action plan I’ve still yet to decipher, than the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network?

Where better can I get the weather than The Weather Network? My phone, computer, and perception of the outdoors have been terrible thus far.

Geist, you’re a smart man, I won’t deny that. But you’ve got it all wrong! This is a good thing! The only way this would be bad is if the cable companies put ads on the channels. It’s not as though cable companies would let other corporations show advertisement on a service we’re already paying for, right? Right?

Gettin’ bitter on Twitter We come to UBCO to learn? I thought we came to promote our personal brand and maximize our #swag. #Followmeontwitter

The funny thing about Kelowna’s glorious transit system is that your can remove the pm, replace it with am, and the sentence still holds true.

Alas, that would be something to look into. On the other hand, if we bring hot dog, nachos, popcorn, and beer vendors to the stands like at an actual baseball game, maybe people would go to the Furnace in the first place.

No problem, bro. We’re always looking for more ways to improve customer service. Would you be interested in attending a seminar on our business practices, and how we’re maximizing profit through monopoly?

-MGMT

EVENTS & GAMES

Laura Sciarpelletti

features@thephoenixnews.com

E

FEBruary 4 to 23 Translation workshop with Erín Moure Feb 4 & 6, 4 PM & 2 PM UBCO Campus, FIP 121 Participants have the chance to speak with the award winning poet about translating poetry.

OutWeek film screening: Out at Work Feb 5, 12 PM UBCO Campus, UNC 334 This Sundance film speaks on the benefits for gay and lesbian workers..

Party Like a Rockstar ft. The PartyWrekkers Feb 8, 10 PM Level Nightclub Not going to lie...this sounds horrible.

Men’s and Women’s Volleyball Feb 8 & 9, 6 & 8 PM, 5 & 7 PM UBCO Gymnasium The Heat faces off against Brandon University. Come cheer our team on.

FCCS Visiting Author Series: Erín Moure Feb 12, 7 PM Downtown Kelowna Library The UBCO Writer in Residence reads her work.

The Wild w/ Devon Coyote Feb 15 The Habitat This night will be a fusion of southern twang, rock, blues, folk and country.

Career Fair 2013 Feb 7, 9:30 AM UBCO Campus, EME Foyer Come meet representatives from fields like health care, tech, banking, education, government and more.

Theatre26: The Tragicomic Destiny of Tubby and Nottubby Feb 7, 8 PM Rotary Centre for the Arts Burlesleque theatre from Paris!

El Jimador & Sapphire present. Nurses Night Out Feb 9, 9:30 PM Sapphire Nightclub I’m sure you’ve noticed by now that I’m anti-clubs. I’d rather stand on my head.

Windmills EP Release with Special Guest James Roy Feb 9, 7 PM Streaming Cafe $8 tickets and a good time?

Sounds fine and dandy to me.

FCCS Grad Student 15/15 Seminar with Shannon Lester & John McGregor Feb 12, 5 PM Platypus House MFA Studios In association with the FCCS.

Men’s and Women’s Basketball Feb 16, 5 & 7 PM UBCO Gymnasium Thompson Rivers University is the Heat’s next victim.

Fields of Green EP Release Feb 21, 8 PM Kelowna Community Theatre Tickets for the up-and-coming band are available at Milkcrate Records and online.

J.F.Killah w/ Eradik Feb 23, 10:30 PM The Habitat This talented female artist has recently embraced dubstep in her work. Check it out!

Open Mic Well Wednesday Feb 6, 7 PM The Well Pub All performers are welcome and cheap beer will definitely be a thing. P.S. NO COVER.

On February 2, Kelowna celebrated community, visual, performance, and installation art; music and permaculture at

Ecotone

Clockwise from top left: Kinshira spin fire. Scott Mendonca as The Red Bastard. Lucas Glenn’s interactive type writer installation.

Little Jungles. Vanessa Eides Tribe.

All photos by Aidan Whiteley

ubcsuo pages UBCSUO ELECTION What is the UBCSUO? The UBC Students Union of the Okanagan is made up of EVERY SINGLE STUDENT on our campus.

Its purpose is to combine the resources of every student to make those resources get more for each student than any student could have gotten alone.

Resources include money, talent and expertise, and especially the voices and concerns of the student body.

--

Who decides how to use those resources?

Decisions about how to use student resources (especially money) are made by the Board of Directors The Board of Directors is made up of 13 people in a number of different positions who are all elected student representatives.

--

The positions include: Internal Coordinator: Responsible for advocating on behalf of the student

body to the Institution (UBC-O) and our Union. This role includes taking student complaints about internal issues, keeping the Board of Directors up to date on the activities of the Institution, assisting students with grade appeals and other disciplinary committees, and ensuring that the student voice is heard by both the board and the Institution. **

External Coordinator: Responsible for advocating on behalf of the student body to bodies outside of campus including all level of government, community partners, and external affiliates. This role includes taking student complaints about external issues, keeping the Board of Directors up to date on the activities of municipal, provincial, and federal government as they relate to students, addressing students needs with regard to eternal bodies like transit or loans, and to build relationships that benefit students with external organization (through sponsorship, or partnership on projects, etc..). ** Services Coordinator: Responsible for addressing student’s needs that cannot be met by internal or external bodies and must be provided through a Student Union Service. This role includes coordinating events, assessing and improving current services, overseeing Clubs and Course Unions and working on their development and success, and developing new services to address unmet needs.**

Director at Large: Tasked with assisting the Services coordinator with projects

and events. Their duties include managing projects and events that are delegated to them, assisting in the execution of all UBCSUO projects and events, developing projects and events to address student’s needs, and a wide variety of miscellaneous task for the Union.** There are 4 Director at large positions.

Grad Representative: Tasked with advocating for the interests of graduate

Students on our campus and working on projects and events to address their needs. (I have little to say about this position because it is frequently unfilled, a rather unfortunate circumstance for our graduate students. If you’re not hearing it I’m begging for a Grad Rep to run.)

These 8 positions make up the rest of the voting members of the Board of Directors.

Each of these positions requires 5 hours of work on Union business per week (and, again, it is almost always more than that). There is no cap on course load, but interested people should consider that this is still a major commitment and responsibility.

If elected, the student body has decided that you are the person they would like to have represent them and you owe it to the students to do your best to represent them well. Advocacy Representatives and Directors at Large are compensated a maximum of $155/month in honoraria (that means that they can ask for a lesser portion and the other executives vote to decide if that portion is fair).

** These descriptions are not precisely what is in our constitution (which can be found online). Rather they are my interpretation of what the roles are intended to cover. I strongly suggest that anyone who votes looks at the constitution and talks to other students on the board of directors or involved with the student union to get a clearer idea.

-All of these positions have one vote in the Board of Directors. Any major decisions involving the Union are made by a vote of the board of directors. This is also an opportunity for members of the union (meaning any student at all) to come and make presentations or ask questions of the board on record.

-And lastly we have the...

Meeting Chair: Responsible for chairing all Board of Directors meetings (what a surprise!). Their duties include collecting agenda items, drafting agendas, establishing meeting times, and preside over Board of directors meetings.

The meeting chair also receives an honorarium, but is a non-voting member of the Board of Directors except in the case of a tie breaking vote Come to the Students’ Union Okanagan to learn more about how to run!

Financial Coordinator: Responsible for overseeing all financial matters of the Student Union. This role includes drafting the budget for their term, maintaining that budget throughout the year, oversee the financial operations of our services, develop strategies and practices to most efficiently use student’s money, and work with the internal and external coordinator to develop partnerships o share costs. ** These four positions make up The Executive of the Board of directors. Each of these positions requires a minimum of 25hours of work on Student Union Business per week (and it’s almost always more than that). It also requires a cap on course load of 3 classes per semester. Executives are compensated a maximum of $1350/month in honoraria (that means that they can ask for a lesser portion and the other executives vote to decide if that portion is fair).

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Happy Valentine’s Day from all of our hearts. Here, have a dreamy photo of Windmills.

Advocacy Representative: Members who are tasked with ensuring that

all student voices are heard. Their duties include working with the resource centers, developing projects to address the needs of minority groups, soliciting the input and feedback from students about our student community, assisting the internal coordinator, and receiving and addressing student concerns. ** There are 3 Advocacy representative positions.

24

The Phoenix |

February 4th, 2013

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