HOW TO DO DRAG MAKEUP P6
ELECTIONS POSTER REVIEW P12
UBCO’s Student Newspaper
MEN”S VOLLEYBALL WILL LOSE ITS STAR - NOW WHAT? P18
March 4th, 2013 | Vol. 25 Issue 13
...in Carsoca since 1989
4 uncontested positions 7 jobs with no applicants 8 dropouts
THE
Y H T A P A T UDEN
ST
M O R F G N I M O IS C
E D I INS THE N O I T C E EL
Witness the horror on page 14
FEATURES
CoVER
9 Our candidate evaluations and endorsements
it was 1979 cult horror film When A Stranger Calls that first introduced the catchphrase “the call is coming from inside the house!” Since then the “X is coming from inside the Y” format has been riffed on countless times (“the cheese is coming from inside the crust!”). But what better way is there to communicate the horror of discovering that despite all the talk of “student apathy” when it comes to voting, the real apathy this year has been in the election race itself. With key positions uncontested, numerous dropouts, nobody at election tables, vague platforms, and candidates who didn’t bother to show up and debate, these are dark tiems for student democracy at UBCO. Photo by Dave Nixon Cover model: Emma Partridge
12 Poster analysis 14 An apathetic election
LIFE
ARTS
6 How-to: Drag Makeup 7 Travel: New Zealand
20 Seth Meyers vs Jimmy Fallon 22 Artist Profile: Michael Kiss
OPINIONS
SPORTS
16 Editorial: Gula come back 16 Overheard on campus
18 A look forward into next season for Heat Men’s Volleyball
Corrections -Last issue we got Shaman Mclean’s bio delivered to us late, and we messed up trying to replace the template bio, David Xu’s, with his. -In the Life section, the list of African Awareness Week events should have been accompanied by a write-up explaining the week. We regret the errors.
Editor-in-chief
Room 109 University Center 3333 University Way Kelowna, BC Canada V1Y 5N3 Phone: 250-807-9296 Fax: 250-807-8431 thephoenixnews.com Cover images by Hanss Lujan
Arts Editor
Dave Nixon eic@thephoenixnews.com
Laura Scarpelletti arts@thephoenixnews.com
Managing Editor
Life Editors
Alex Eastman ads@thephoenixnews.com
Creative Director
Cameron Welch creative@thephoenixnews.com Photo Editor Kelsi Barkved photo@thephoenixnews.com
Copy Editors
Lauren Wintle copy@thephoenixnews.com
Interim News Editor
David Nixon news@thephoenixnews.com
Maranda Wilson & Sasha Curry life@thephoenixnews.com curry@thephoenixnews.com
Sports Editor
Kaeleigh Phillips sports@thephoenixnews.com
Opinions Editor
Kayti Barkved opinions@thephoenixnews.com
Features Editor
Matt Lauzon features@thephoenixnews.com
Events Editor
Hanss Sheppard events@thephoenixnews.com
Staff Writer
The Phoenix is the UBCO students’ free
Brianna Ferguson
press. Editorial content is separate from
Staff Illustrator
Union Okanagan (UBCSUO) and from the
Asher Klassen
Staff Photographers Ali Young
Staff Reporters
Emma Partridge Alexandra Barberis
Contributors Mirella Cullen Emmy Chahal Lynette Oon Sarah VP
Production Assistants Lindsay Smith
the University of British Columbia Students’ UBC institution at large. The editorial staff encourages everyone to submit material to the Phoenix but reserves the right to withdraw submissions from publication for any reason. “Any reason” could be material deemed to be sexist, racist, homophobic, or of poor taste or quality. The Phoenix will not publish materials which condone, promote, or express actions which are illegal under current laws. This does not include articles which provide an in-depth examination of both sides of a controversial subject (e.g. legalising marijuana). The Phoenix is published, in part, by the UBCSUO and is an active member of the Canadian University Press
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LIFE
UPCOMING March 5 World Community Film Festival Kelowna 12:00 - 2:00 p.m./ UNC Theatre
Documentary films from around the world. Film topics include environmental, social justice, and human rights issues. Free Admission, donations accepted and support the festival and the Ki-low-na Friendship Centre, and Inn from the Cold.
March 5 3 Minute Thesis Finals 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. / UNC 106
Faculty, staff and students are invited to watch the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) final; a showcase of research at UBC’s Campus.
UBCO hosts first Model United Nations Conference UBCOMUN hosted UBCO’s first ever Model United Conference on the weekend of February 28th to March 2nd, bringing in delegates from across Kelowna and the surrounding area. Originally founded two years ago, UBCOMUN has expanded from a niche campsu club ot one with 350 members, and has gone from driving to Vancouver for Model UN conferences to hosting its own here on campus. The three-day was opened on Firday by UBCO Political Science professor Barrie McCullough, who specializes in Canadian international law. From there, the conference delgates assumed the roles of countries from around the worl and replicated the structure of the UN by convening, debating, and passing motions. Conference co-organizer Blake Edwards brought us this update while the conference was underway: “On the eve of February 28th, UBCOMUN entered into their first committee session (World Health Organization, Security Council, and Disarmament and International Security). Within the first twenty-five minutes, UBCOMUN entered into a ‘World Crisis’. H9N5 had broken out in Shanghai, China, and killed a total of 114 people. The epidemic quickly spread into Europe and, within no time at all, was a threat to the worldwide community. Countries were closing borders, trade, and strategically pooling resources in order to come up with a vaccine to cure this outbreak. The delegates, representing countries around the world, are participating in heavy debate in order to resolve this crisis. Well into the second day, the joint crisis committee continues to attempt a resolution to this catastrophe.” The UBCOMUN conference was funded through the Tuum Est Student Initiative Fund, as well as sponsorship from local business Kal Tire. Students interested in joining UBCOMUN can find out more about the club by contacting info@ubcomun.org.
March 5 Women in Science and Engineering Panel Discussion 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. / SCI 106
Professional women draw from a variety of fields will discuss the job application and interview process, including the delicate topic of salary negotiation. $5 fee includes dinner. Register with janet.elliot@ubc.ca
March 6 Hispanic Film Series: Tambien La Lluvia
6:30 8:00 p.m. / OC Theatre The Spanish Program and the Latin American & Iberian Studies present a screening of the Bolivian film, Tambien La Lluvia (2010) on March 6 at 6:30 p.m.
March 7 Mary Walsh
7:30 9:30 p.m. / Rotary Centre for the Arts
You’ve seen her on This Hour has 22 Minutes, now see her live in Kelowna. Join Mary Walsh and her alterego, the indomitable princess warrior Marg Delahunty, on her hilarious cross-country quest for truth and justice. $45 admission
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CAMPUS
LAFFS STUDENT DISCOVERS THERE IS A STUDENT GOVERNMENT Last month, a UBC Van student made a disconcerting discovery From
The Syrup Trap
VANCOUVER (The News Desk) — University of British Columbia student Geoff Chu was surprised and disturbed today when he discovered that a small group of people that he has never heard of represent him in some sort of student government. “I was walking through the SUB, worried that I was late for class, when this guy approached me and asked whether I was ‘aware of the upcoming elections,’” recounted Chu. “‘Elections?’ I replied, after which he launched into a two-minute monologue about his campaign — something involving an internal vice-president or something — and why I should vote for him. It made me late for class.” Chu said that he learned a whole range of unsettling facts about the student union at UBC, otherwise known as the Alma Mater Society, or “AMS.” “Get this: the whole thing is run by students,” said Chu. ”That’s insane.” The fourth-year science student was even more disturbed when he visited the AMS’s website, where he was taken aback by the sheer scale of this thing. “They don’t just offer services, they run businesses. Entire small businesses. All of this run by students — irresponsible university students with shitty attitudes, some of them with resumes that still mention their high school GPA.” Chu said he believes that something should be done about the AMS, and is now considering voting in the upcoming elections. “Did you know their budget is over $12 million? That’s insane. Someone should really look into that.”
African Awareness Week Gala Photos by Lynnette Oon Africa Awareness Week (AAW) was a weeklong event from February 24th to 28th, hosted by the African Student Club (ASC). with a purpose of promoting Africa as a continent and of its diverse cultures, within the 55 different countries. It also serves as a platform for students and the campus as a whole to learn and understand the Africa that is beyond what the media portrays. This year, the ASC choe the the theme of “55 Shades of Africa” to represent all the countries in Africa and give all the countries equal spotlight rather than focusing on the few that are already well known to the public. The week was broken down with different each day showcasing the different aspects and many components of the African cultures. The weeks events included an Intercontinental Soccer Tournament, Afrozumba, Debate and Discussion on the Socio Economic Affairs of the African Continent, a screening of 12 Years a Slave, a night at The Well featuring Basement clothing and music from DJ Yaw, and an African Gala closing the week on Saturday.
201314 project close to its goal of 1,314 photos
Women’s Resource Center to host Int’l Women’s Day gala
The 201314 project began on Chinese New Year with the goal of collecting 1,314 photos of students and others on campus making a heart symbol with their hands. After tabling in several buildings in February, the team has collected just over 1,000 photos and hopes to get the rest next week. 201314 will be set up in Fipke to take pictures on March 6th from 11am to 3:30pm. Students can also submit photos of themselves making the heart gesture to ubco201314@ hotmail.com or to the “Love Forever 201314” Facebook page.
For International Womens Day on March 8th, The Women’s Resource Center is hosting a dinner and celebration event at the Coast Capri hotel. The club will be flying in spoken word artist Jenna Ten-Yuk to be the evening’s keynote speaker For the theme of her performance, Tenn-yuk will be speaking about how to not only be yourself, but more specifically how to be a woman without fearing how others will judge you. “A lot of women come into the Women’s Resource Center with self-esteem issues, and we want to make sure to highlight that (issue) this year “ explained Kaitlyn.The theme of this eyar’s this year will be about inspiring change. Tickets are $20
IGS Conference seeking submissions Matt Husain
IGS Program Coordinator
When thinking about ‘sustainability,’ it is common to assume a connection to environmental discourse and practice, rather than consideration of sustainability itself as a framework of maintenance, legacy, and change. But what exactly is ‘sustainability’? This conference seeks to expand what it means to think about sustainability, and to think sustainably. As such, we seek work that approaches sustainability in the affirmative, but also, conversely, work that interrogates the very idea of sustainability. We invite work from across disciplines. Abstracts should be max. 250 words and received by March 14, 2014. Please include 100-word bio with abstract. Send submissions to igsconference2014@gmail.com or learn more at www.igsconference2014.wordpress.com
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CAMPUS CLUB OF THE WEEK
The Urban Dance Club What:
The UBCO Urban Dance Club started two years ago after the merging of the Hip Hop Club with the Beat Boys Club. Club Director Matthew Leung told me that it took him approximately one month of hard work to obtain approval for instructors and a studio, establishing his club officially.
Who:
Ceilidh
Approximately 11 instructors run the UBCO urban dance club teaching classes of breaking, hip hop, and contemporary. The head members include Winston Lin, Matthew Leung, and Tony Chen.
On Saturday March 1st, the UNC Ballroom hosted Celidh, aka a “Fancy Pantsy Scottish Dancy”. Photos by Lynnette Oon.
Studio 1 in the Hangar Gym. Classes cost $15.00 per semester, and drop-ins are $4.00. “Every single dollar –plus more– goes to our renting our studio,” Lin said, expalining the costs of running the club.
Where:
How to Join: Stop by one of their classes to try it our and sign up. If you’re unsure about committing, do some drop-ins to try it out, Leung encourages aspiring dancers. “Every level of dancer has something to take away from our classes,” explains Leung, “We’re trying to build a community, not intimidate anyone.” For more information on class times, or to watch some of their classes through YouTube, check out their Facebook page: UBCOurbandanceclub. They also have a year-end show at 6:00 p.m., March 21 in the ADM theatre. Tickets are $5 at the door.
your voice is a powerful force for equality Visit vpstudents.ubc.ca to provide feedback on preliminary recommendations addressing gender-based violence and Aboriginal stereotypes at UBC.
FASHION From Emma Partridge to Emma Fierce H O W D R A G M A K E U P T R A N S F O R M S E V E R Y D AY P E O P L E I N T O S U P E R S TA R S Maranda Wilson Life Editor with photos by Kelsi Barkved When most people think of drag queens, they either think of RuPaul’s Drag Race or the drag scene in major cities, such as on Davie Street in downtown Vancouver. Most would not see Kelowna as having much, if any, of a drag scene at all; however, recent successful shows such as “Embodiment” at The Well in January 2013 and shows at Habitat, prove otherwise. The personalities in these shows are not only making a name for themselves, but are working to create and expand the drag scene in Kelowna. Curtis Volkle, whose fierce alter ego is Angel Di Avolo, is a UBCO student who is doing all that. With a documentary in the works on the drag scene in the Okanagan, we contacted Curtis for a look into what makes drag queens so iconic: their makeup. Although drag queens are typically male, we felt a female model would be best in order to highlight the details and exaggeration of drag makeup. The purpose of drag makeup is to feminize an otherwise masculine face, and by using an already feminine facial structure, we could best display the artistry of the techniques used. We asked The Phoenix’s own news reporter, Emma Partridge, to be our model.
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6. Use the same matte bronzer to contour the nose. Start from the curve at the bridge of the nose, and draw a straight line down to the tip. “If your nose contour isn’t straight then your face is just… no. Stay home,” laughs Curtis.
3. Next step would be to define the brows. If you are working with no brows or covered brows, like many drag queens, there are “no constraints”, says Curtis. “I like to do all funky shapes depending on my mood”. However, for most of us with eyebrows, Curtis says to follow the brows. TIP: Use foundation to trace around the brows after filling them in to make them pop. Focus more on the ends of the brows to create sharp lines. This trick also extends time between brow appointments because it covers any fine hairs.
2 2. Begin with the eyes to prevent eyeshadow fallout from sticking to the foundation. Curtis uses a dark brown eyeshadow gel to superimpose a new eye shape. “Pay attention to the three-dimensional structure of the face, but pretend it’s two-dimensional”. Curtis creates the look of a deeper eye crease by drawing almost up to the brow bone. To finish, add overthe-top fake eyelashes to really add drama to the eyes.
10 10. “Over draw on the top lip, but not on the sides unless you want to be a clown” says Curtis. Unless that is the look you are going for, focusing on the center of the lips makes the lips look fuller and more realistic. Using a black kohl eyeliner pencil, trace the newly-created lip shape to define the lips using an ombré effect. Trace around the lips with foundation to erase smudges. Finally, dab champagne coloured shimmer on the centre of the lips. This again adds to the 3-D illusion by bringing the centre forward.
7 7. Contour the cheeks using the same foundation used for the forehead. Work your way out from the sides of the nose, to under the eyes, to the high points of the cheekbones. Then use the matte bronzer to draw a line under the highlighted cheekbones. The goal is to make the cheeks pop - not statuesque, using shadow. Blend, blend, blend, to prevent harsh lines.
11 11. Highlight with shimmer. Curtis says that this step is the most important, as it pulls together the shapes created. Using a fluffy round brush, highlight the high points of the face: the forehead, tip of the nose, chin, and tops of the cheekbones.
4 4. Highlight your forehead to bring it forward. Use a foundation a shade or two lighter than your skin tone, and focus on the high areas of the forehead.
1. Start with a fresh, clean face. Prime and moisturize to smooth the skin and provide a base for the makeup.
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5 5. Contour the forehead. Since Emma already has a feminine facial structure, she required less contouring than typical drag queens would. The purpose of this step is to create a slimmer face shape. To do this, use a matte bronzer and apply product to where the line of the forehead starts (the bone next to the temples of the forehead). The key is to create a 3-D illusion, otherwise it won’t look real.
8 8. A hot pink blush will give the cheeks a rosy glow. Although hot pink blush is a shade most people avoid, drag makeup is meant to be exaggerated and over the top. The bright shade looks great on stage.
9 9. Blend the blush into the highlight. Curtis says he focuses on different segments of the face at a time. Consider the face to be a “paint by number” layout.
About Curtis Volkle
“Since I was able to do so, I’ve loved getting dressed up in costumes and adopting a persona to entertain my friends and family. My dad would take me and my brother to techno-festivals as pre-teens, where we would don elaborate raver-alien costumes and people loved it. They would line up to take pictures of us and I learned that looking fabulous was something I really enjoyed. I was first inspired to do female impersonation and makeup by the show Rupaul’s Drag Race. The makeup art of Mathu Andersen, Miss Fame, Manila Luzon, and Milk Queen have been hugely influential to me.” Search “Angel Di Avolo” on Facebook for more of Curtis’s looks.
TRAVEL
Photos by Emmy Chahal
HOW NEW ZEALAND OPENED MY EYES A student’s experience witnessing the effects of the Christchurch earthquake, the beauty of New Zealand, and the kindness of New Zealanders Emmy Chahal
Contributor
I sat on the edge of the plane struggling to breathe. The freezing air whipped my face and the sheer terror of what I was about to do finally began to sink in. Then I was falling, hurtling through space with my eyes wide open. I could see the cerulean Ocean, majestic mountains, patches of farms and blue lakes. When I sent in my application for Go Global I never anticipated seeing the world from such a unique perspective. My exchange to New Zealand opened my eyes. I was drawn to the two little islands at the bottom of the Earth because of the outdoor opportunities, the kiwi accent, and an intangible voice that reached into my heart and insisted, “Pick me!” I chose to live in Christchurch, the largest urban centre on the South Island because it was centrally located for travel-
ling and because I was interested in how the city was recovering from two massive earthquakes. I was intrigued by stories of resilience.
The earthquake On February 22, 2011 at 12:51pm a magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Christchurch. Over 180 people died and much of the city’s infrastructure was destroyed. During my first week in New Zealand I visited Sumner, an oceanfront suburb of Christchurch severely affected by the earthquake. On top of the cliffs I could see houses ripped in half, rooms and furniture taken down with the crumbling hills. While exploring the city centre I could feel an eerie silence filling empty lots of demolished buildings. Shipping containers held up buildings that were still collapsing. In the residential red zone, remnants of family life lay scattered across ten thousand empty houses. Despite the destruction, the peo-
ple of Christchurch demonstrated courage and resourcefulness. The University of Canterbury (where I studied abroad) is home to the world-famous Student Volunteer Army, which mobilized thousands of students after the earthquakes to contribute to non-life threatening relief work. A call centre was set up and students shoveled tons of silt caused by liquefaction. I took an inspiring class at UC called Christchurch 101, based around service learning. We learned what kind of service is helpful, and our end of term project was establishing a community garden in a local neighbourhood.
The community Living in Christchurch taught me that a sense of community could be found in the most unlikely of places. While attending a world music choir concert, I was spontaneously invited to a poetry slam. In the sleepy sub-
urb of New Brighton, everything was closed on a Saturday night except for a café teeming with 80 ukulele players jamming to old classics. One evening, after chatting with me for half an hour, a lovely older couple invited me to see their baby goats in the spring. I am moved by the generosity and kindness pervasive in New Zealand. This country is probably one of the last places on Earth where you can hitchhike. The airport loudspeaker warns you to not let your children play on the escalator. So many people I met expressed a reverence for the outdoors and an environmental consciousness.
The landscape I spent the last two months of my trip travelling around both islands. It was during this time that I decided to go skydiving. I found myself continually stunned by magnificent
landscapes. I hiked in an active volcano zone. I jumped into frigid cold waterfalls. I went eel fishing. But despite all of these adventures, the lessons of community and resilience I learned while living in Christchurch continued to resonate. Living in a city struggling to find its pulse was difficult at times, but it taught me about myself and about life. The impacts of Go Global are farreaching - I value certain things in Canada more, I want to travel more, my concept of education widened, and I developed strong friendships. Whether you are contemplating travelling to a new country for a while, or sitting on the edge of a plane, I hope you keep your eyes open as you leap head first into a new adventure.
NEWS
UPCOMING March 6 Becoming Part of the State: The National Council of Indigenous Peoples in Mexico, 1970 - 1984 2:30 - 4:00 p.m. / ART 106
Maria Muñoz, assistant professor of history from Susquehanna University, will be on campus to give a talk for the irving K. Barber School of Arts and SciencesThe talk will look at the Mexican National Council of Indigenous Peoples in mexico from 1970 to 1984.
March 6 Katelyn Fujii, Lauren Ruttle-Soon, and Rocky Kim at the February 28th debate where Kim’s comments were made. Photo by Dave Nixon
Presidential candidate Rocky Kim’s campaign ban lifted Dave Nixon
Editor-in-Chief
On Saturday March 1, presidential candidate Rocky Kim was successful in his appeal to overturn his campaign ban. Kim was not exonerated completely, but the appeals committee ruled that no further punishment would be enacted. “The committee found no clear evidence of slating as per UBCSUO election policy,” said UBCSUO General Manager Bob Drunkemolle, who had been appointed Chair of the committee. Slating was banned at the 2012 UBCSUO Annual General Meeting. A slate is a type of political party, where students would band together under the same platform.
According to UBCSUO election policy 5c, candidates endorsing each other’s campaigns constitutes slating. In the February 27 debate, all three presidential candidates were asked “How would you affect change for students in residence for international and domestic students?” In this question and others, Kim lauded fellow candidates’ platforms, including a “guarantee” that VP Services candidate Layne Richardson would throw the best frosh ever seen at UBCO. Katelyn Fujii and Lauren Ruttle-Soon avoided speaking positively of other candidates’ platforms throughout the debate. Kim claimed that he had “stated facts, not endorsements, about specific candidates,” according to the
DEAN OF EDUCATION RESIGNS
appeals report, and that he had been tricked into saying what he said. “[The moderator] told us to make reference to other people’s platforms. That’s what I thought I was doing,” said Kim, in an interview with The Phoenix soon after hearing about his campaign ban from the Chief Returning Officer (CRO). His appeal had already been filed when we spoke to him. Kim had already been penalized for slating once, for making his Facebook header the same location and pose as other candidates, at the start of the election period, and the CRO said that the campaign ban was made given the repeat offence. The appeals committee acknowledges Kim’s transgression by ruling that his “time had already been served.”
They reference the fact that Kim had been unable to put up his posters for days due to a mistake with the approval of campaign materials, which had negatively affected his campaign. Kim will now be permitted to continue campaigning until the campaign cutoff on March 5. He was also able to participate in the second Presidential debate on Monday March 3rd. The appeals committee consisted of four students: Sara Wahedi, Mark Heinmiller, Felicity Johnson, and Sujitha Shivajothi. Kim’s campaign ban was the seventh campaign violation the CRO has ruled on as of Sunday March 2nd.
Lynn Bosetti recently resigned her position as Dean of the Faculty of Education, January 21, 2014. Dr. Gordon Binsted has been appointed interim Dean. Bosetti is still listed as Dean on the website for the Faculty of Education, but it’s not a temporary departure. “For personal reasons I resigned from my position,” said Bosetti. “During my administrative leave I will pursue my research interests and complete my book on Understanding School Choice in Canada.” Bosetti will return to her tenured academic position of professor in 2015.
Town Hall: Proposed tuition increase 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. / FIP 121
As part of the 2014-2015 Tuition Proposal, there will be a Town Hall event for students to have their say on the proposed changes. Ian Cull, associate vice-president sudents, and Michael Shakespeare, associate vicepresident finance and operations, will be present to provide information on the proposal and take questions from the audience.
March 6 Little Orange Man by SNAFU Dance Theatre Company 8:00 - 9:00 p.m. / Rotary Centre for the Arts
Prepare yourself for Kitt the Kinder-Whisperer, a highoctane Danish girl who fires up homade technology to extract and reenact the audience’s dreams. Tickets $15 for students.
March 6-7 UBCSUO, Senate, and BOG elections
9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. / UNC
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The Phoenix |
August 29th, 2013
Katelyn Fujii President Fujii has been heavily involved in SU politics over the last couple of years. Rocky Kim has more experience as an executive, but Fujii has more general UBCSUO experience, and she has seen it from the perspective of a volunteer, director, chair, and student senator. There was a lot of tension in board meetings when Fujii was Chair, and she walked out on the job. This has been used as a knock against her, but we feel that it actually speaks well for her candidacy as President. The tension was most often created by Fujii doing things that a President would, such as ruling that something had to be reviewed by a committee before she would let it be voted on. As a result, she was accused of holding the meeting hostage, and she stepped down. Fujii’s attention to detail and proper process is exactly what is needed in a President at an SU where the primary problems have been disorganization and failure to follow proper procedures. Fujii lacks platform points, but she speaks well to the issues at hand, understands them, and has chosen to speak only to efficiency, which is what the President’s role was created for. Our only reservation is that Fujii will have to drop any grudges in order to work well with all executives, such as Shaman McLean if he’s elected. She has stayed quite professional in her campaign which has given us confidence, but she hasn’t always demonstrated that level of professionalism.
Verdict: An endorsement of Fujii by a close margin Of the three Presidential candidates, Fujii’s strengths and vision best suit the role we see the President taking on next year. The UBCSUO’s greatest weakness over the last year has been confusion and disorganization, and she would be the best candidate to right that ship.
CANDIDATE EVALUATIONS
Rocky Kim President Kim is a strong candidate, and probably seems like the best option to any student who hears him speak. He’s a persuasive public speaker. And he has the only experience as an executive out of the three presidential candidates. Kim has also come to the candidacy with the most platform points. He has used his role in advocating for food services and the library as talking points, but nothing has happened on those fronts this year, and all any candidate can say about those issues is that they will continue to work on them. Kim likes to rush things to get them done, and meeting minutes show that he trips over policy or the need for due diligence in reporting. His two campaign violations are a recent example of this. The President will be representing the entire Student’s Union as the spokesperson, and a great deal of care is needed. Kim is an excellent speaker, far beyond the other candidates, but has been shown to be more careless with what he says, which could be problematic were he to be the sole spokesperson. The President needs to have the strongest understanding of policy and procedure out of all the executives. Kim is a strong candidate but with a higher level of organization needed we feel Fujii is better suited to that job.
Verdict: Close, but no endorsement Rocky is an ambitious, likeable, and bombastic candidate, but overambitious goals can lead to overextending the organization, and what the SU needs right now is to slow down and focus on doing everything right. There are also reservations to be had over Kim’s ability to follow the rules, both in his dealings with the board of directors and in the recent elections. He had been warned once about slating, and demonstrated a lack of care by continuing to push the boundaries, which sends up red flags about making him the whole organization’s spokesperson. That said, Kim has a lot of specific idea and is a close 2nd choice to Fujii.
Lauren RuttleSoon President Ruttle-Soon has the least experience of all candidates in this race. She has tried to use that as an advantage by differentiating herself and appealing to the average student who may be fed up with the controversy in the SU. Bit of a bold strategy to use inexperience as a selling point - and it might have been more effective if she hadn’t failed to come to the election with any concrete platform points. While Fujii didn’t have many solid platform points either, her experience in the union and her responses to questions gives us confidence she understands the important issues, which is something Ruttle-Soon lacks.
Verdict: No endorsement Ruttle-Soon has not managed to prove to us that she’s a strong candidate. She seems like an organized, efficient person, which may be a good fit for President, but in contrast to Kim who clearly shows his grasp of the issues and Fujii who is also a very organized person (which we’ve seen proven in board meetings), she doesn’t stand out.
Jagmeet Khabra VP Internal
Sam Chang VP Finance and Operations
Initially we thought Khabra had a half-decent platform. He is seeking to establish a committee for equity and inclusion, which we thought had merit.
Chang was the most impressive candidate for a VP position. He didn’t let the lack of an opposing candidate stop him from developing a strong platform and communicating it effectively.
The only problem with that is once we asked him about it in his interview, Khabra demonstrated a lack of depth to his ideas. He failed to elaborate and give us confidence that there was any substance to his pitch – and he had no idea about the Equity and Inclusion reports which are key to understanding the state of equity and inclusion at UBCO, which has been in a state of flux ever since they closed the office down in 2013. Khabra has some experience, having been appointed as a Director-at-Large in December. We still like his equity and inclusion committee, and his mandate for fostering diversity, but we’re not wowed. He’s also proposed a club orientation package, something that current Services Coordinator Nick Dodds had hoped to work on. It’s a good idea – though the portfolio of VP Internal doesn’t currently include clubs so it’s odd that he’s putting it as a core part of his platform. Verdict: Endorsement with reservations. Khabra is unopposed, so an endorsement here is mainly to say that we haven’t found any evidence he would be worse than voting no and going without a VP Internal until a byelection. While he isn’t a standout candidate, there is no indication that he would not be able to do the job.. It’s possible that running unopposed has made him work less to show us (and you) that he’s a good candidate – overall there is a lot of uncertainty for us here.
His departmental budgets are an idea worth exploring, as is his proposed legal aid fund. He’s also proposed an online model for the used bookstore. Overall, he has the most concrete platforms of any VP candidate. Chang has a lot of experience at the UBCSUO from serving a term as External Coordinator in 2012/2013. This, and his strong platform, give us confidence for the direction this portfolio will go in 2014/2015.
Verdict: The Phoenix endorses Chang for VP Operations and Finances Chang’s experience and well thought-out platform make him a strong candidate, which we were happy to see as there is a tendency for unopposed candidates to coast more than those in contested positions.
CANDIDATE EVALUATIONS
Layne Richardson VP Services Richardson left us wanting a bit more. He has been involved heavily this year with events at the UBCSUO as a Director-at-Large, so he’s got a grasp on the kind of events the UBCSUO hosts and what kinds of parties have been successful or fell short. But when pressed, Richardson is vague on the details. His platform consists of a lot of “make things better” proposals, but he’s missing most of the how. In his interview he demonstrated that he’d put at least some thought into his ideas, although it didn’t seem that he had looked at the feasibility of the items compared to previous years’ attempts.
Layne has promised to sit down with the Resource Centres as soon as he begins and work with them over the summer (the new bylaws put Services in charge of the centres instead of Internal). He has also appealed to a lot of clubs by promising to bring back the early club day, which was a source of controversy for the current Services Coordinator, Nick Dodds, who had pushed it back.
Verdict: Endorsement with reservations. We expect that Richardson will get into the job and be quickly overwhelmed due to the lack of attention to feasibility in his platform. His strength and experience is in parties; we’re unsure of his suitability to the other core jobs like fostering resource centres and organizing clubs. He seems genuinely excited for the role, however, and as long as he avoids neglecting certain parts of his portfolio that he may be less excited for, he may do just fine.
Shaman McLean VP External
David Xu VP External
McLean has made his central talking points about defederation from the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS).
Xu has failed to convince us that he would make a strong candidate for VP External. He seems to be in the race for the right reasons, but from his debate performance and our interview with him, we feel that he would not be a strong candidate to lobby to different levels of government as his job would require.
As an incumbent of the UBCSUO, there is more expectation to address concrete issues. The fact that McLean uses only this ideological shift of the students’ union as his platform, when he also used it in his previous campaign, doesn’t speak too well for him. The other concern we have with McLean is how he handled the difficulties with the Women’s Resource Centre. McLean wanted to cut the funding to the Centre this year as a result of poor leadership. While he was right that the funds weren’t being used, he used a punitive approach instead of a pro-active approach to improving the WRC. The lesson he seems to have taken away from the bad publicity is to wash his hands of the issue and discount it as personal problems, rather than learning from it and adapting his approach as a whole. This is one example of an immature reaction, which he also demonstrated when he loudly swore at his critic, Curtis Tse, in the UNC in front of multiple witnesses. We don’t expect McLean to act that way with the political bodies he will represent the UBCSUO to, but it still sends up red flags.
Verdict: Endorsement with strong reservations. McLean is the best of the two candidates running, though it’s more because of the lack of experience of his fellow candidate, rather than his strength as one. He is the youngest of the executives, so we hope this explains some of his mistakes and that he will learn from them in his first term in office if he is re-elected. Also keep in mind that a vote for McLean is a vote for pursuing CFS defederation. Shaman can’t defederate on his own, of course, but voters should still read up on the CFS so they know what they’re voting for.
| The Phoenix
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McLean, in contrast, at least has the level of political professionalism needed to do that.
Verdict: No endorsement. Xu may be a good candidate for smaller roles within the UBCSUO, but he is in over his head in the race for VP. We do not feel he would be able to successfully serve as the SU’s external rep.
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In fairness, a fun candidate with hopes for parties is par for the course with Services -the issue is that because he’s unopposed it’s just difficult to predict much about how effective he’ll be. Even if there is a learning curve, he’ll have 13 months to build toward his main new idea: a year-end party similar to UBC Van’s.
August 29th, 2013
Learn more at www.okanagan.bc.ca/distance
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The Phoenix |
August 29th, 2013
CANDIDATE EVALUATIONS
Directors at Large: Kelly Panchyshyn, Beau Loomer, Arsalan Khan, Leo Tan, Ryan Singh Kalia There are five candidates competing for four Director at Large positions. The at large positions this year have taken over the role of representation that was previously the job of Advocacy Representatives. Panchyshyn stood out as the strongest candidate of the five with her experience organizing student life events like Week of Welcome. Leo Tan’s platform is strong as well, and it’s clear he’s familiar with the ins and outs of the current issues. These two stood head and shoulders above other candidates. After that Beau Loomer seems like a good addition as someone who’s been involved in organizing successful events through the DJ club. Kalia’s platform point about health and working on trail initiatives raised him just high enough above the last candidate, Arsalan Khan, to get an endorsement.
Verdict: Strong endorsemnt of Kelly Panchyshyn and Leo Tan Endorsement of Beau Loomer and Ryan Singh Kalia Khan is the odd one out here, which came down to his lack of strong platform points. His promise to “solidify the bridge between the student union and its students” is simply one of the things any candidate would seek to do, and he doesn’t talk about how to do it. Comparable candidates fail to talk about how to do that as well, but Khan’s lack of experience tipped the scales.
Faculty Rep Sciences: Felisha Truong, Raziya Merani, Harveer Singh Dhupar This year the new Faculty Representative positions were a big let down. Only the Faculty of Sciences Representative position had anyone apply for it, and all three of these candidates missed the debate. Two of the candidates, Truong and Merani, just paraphrased the job description of a Faculty Representative in their platforms/bios, while the third brought stronger points but ones that were academic in nature and were therefore better suited to a Senate position.Faculty rep positions are intended to reflect the faculty’s perspective, not advance its agende, so we wouldn’t expect these candidates to have specific campaign promises. But we would have liked them to show more knowledge of specific Sciences student concerns and experiences. Dhupar didn’t make any effort to poster, while the other two did. A Faculty Representative will have a vote on all issues of the UBCSUO, so they should be able to demonstrate knowledge of the organization in addition to those of their faculty. The new policy clearly makes it less of an ‘advocacy’ role and more for consultation so that the board can get insight into the unique issues of each faculty and make decisions accordingly.
Verdict: No endorsements. While we’re glad that this position had candidates running for it, unlike the other Faculty Representative positions, none of the candidates has convinced us that they are a betetr choice than the 0427 RPGP RN Prevention - Aboriginal Focused AD -Individualized - Janice Murphy - 10.44in Wide x 6in High other two. (Includes the printing of black boarder) - 02 Final Press Ready PDF
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THE PHOENIX ELECTION POSTER ROUNDUP
Our ratings scale up to 2 pts for info up to 4 pts for personal brand up to 4 pts for name memorability ratings by Cam and Dave
7
41 0.5 3 3.5
Effectively establishing both the candidate and the position, Beau’s branding looms large over the field of candidates, although his posters don’t communicate any reason to vote for him or link to a site with more information.
7.5 1 3 3.5
2.5 0.5
Arsalan incorporates text and dramatic lighting in a poster that resembles the FCCS/ Theatre 26 posters already seen around campus. But his lengthy meassage is ambiguous and generic, and his name is tiny.
A strong McDonanlds-inspired colour scheme.
61 4 1
Pachyshyn’s are possibly the most appealing posters. The only downside we can see is that some voters might not trust anyone who looks that good in a picture. But the fatal flaw in Kelly Pachyshyn’s poster campaign is that her name, written in dark maroon on a black background, is barely even visible.
61 2 3
Prominent name but branded similarly to many others.
8 0.5 4 3.5
5
0.5 1 3.5
Raziya’s poster blatantly guns for special interest groups by courting the dolphin vote, and shows savvy social media skills byKalia’s wall of posters wins points for memorabildouble-hashtagging a real physical object rather than merely an ity, but his lazy execution of the “Victoria’s Secret: she votes for Ryan Kalia” weakens an already online post. cheesy concept.
8 o.5
3.5 4
Robyn brands her campaign with a commitment to the colour purple that rivals even that of Justin Bieber. Not only is Giffen’s poster covered in purple, but she has worn purple on all week so that students know exactly who she is, transforming her very person into a living, walking poster.
6 .5 2.5 2.5 infinity inf inf inf
2 3 1.5
Jag is one of the few candidates to include platform points on the poster, although his name – the name to vote for – is relegated to small text at the bottom. The design is very clean but not unique.
5.5 0.5
2 3
Thsese were up early in the campaign period, making them more memorable than they otherwise would‘ve been. The photo captures Natalie in an everyday moment as she leans casually on the end of the railing and gets in the way of everyone who wants to use the stairs.
80
1.5 2.5 2.5
The colour is strong, the name is prominent, and Xu links to multiple ways to find more info. His poster for Internal is weaker, with a bunch of colours flying everywhere.
8.5 4 4
On Poster 1, Lina Gomez smartly leads with her strongest credentials: her appearance at the 2012 White House Press Conference. Poster 2, which was one of the first to be posted, used colour and location ingeniously to offer students a free drink from the water stop. Gomez’s name is right in front of students for 30 seconds whiel they do nothing but press a button. Lina would have scored infinity for this poster if the water stop hadn’t broken down by the start of the weekend.
4.5
0.5 3 1
Shira’s CMYK colour scheme is stark, but her pitch “talk to Shira” is too small. Although she does look approachable, there’s no link to online content and so students’ chance to learn more about Shira’s platform hinges on them actually seeing her in person.
0.5 3 3.5
Shaman’s effort is clean, clearly branded, and looks like it could even be a real political poster in an election for grownups (i.e. municipal, provincial, etc). That said, the poster feature little additional information and also drives some viewers to tear it off the wall whenever they see it.
8
6.5
6.5
7
5 1.5
infinity infinity infinity
Layne’s two standard posters are well done but just that –standard. Layne’s alternate poster, though, which shows him next to his flipped car and asks of students “turn down for what,” is the greatest poster ever posted at UBCO. For an unopposed candidate to not downplay the fact that they refuse to turn down even when driving on a snowy hill, and to instead campaign based on it, is one of the boldest moves a human can make. Rather than following the standard route and competing with other candidates on the scale of professionalism and competence, Layne veers off the road into uncharted territory and overturns the scale completely, as if it were a silver Toyota Matrix.
2.5 1
Ruttle-Soon’s piece looks like a course union info poster you’d see in the Science building hallway, which makes snese given that shes president of the Biology Course Union. The colours and shapes are distinctive, and the L.R.S. slogan is clever, but there is too much information and it isn’t effectively organized.
7
0.5 3 3.5
The image of Fujii loks like it was cut out with a hand saw, but the whitespace makes the poster distinctive. Fujii’s name is readily identifiable, although the election dates seem unnecessary given how extensively the CRO has promoted voting.
2 3 1.5
Clean and professional, with name, platform points, and directions to further info. The background is generic but unintrusive. Many applicants attempted this type of poster; Jeff was the most successful.
4
0 1 3
Suresh’s name is large but could be better placed, and his collection of random adjectives doesn’t stand out much from the amber and brown background. Overall, Kumar’s poster has the raw materials of a polished and mature effort but the final result is kind of a mess – a situation we at The Phoenix are all too familiar with.
1.5 0 1.5 0 The key to poster design –any design, really– is having a hierarchy of information. By making her name no bigger than less-important information, Lakdawala fails to establish herself to the viewer.
Really, half-assed tie-ins to memes from 2011 might be the most fitting poster campaign for UBCO to have. Kelowna is infamous for being culturally a few years behind, but that can be easy to forget when you aren’t surrounded by hundreds of posters showing it to you. The posters aren’t a bummer because they show someone still uses “Keep Calm” in two thousand fort teen, they’re a bummer because they’re intended to enagge as many students as possible. So the posters don’t show what the elections campaign team likes - they show what the team believes everyone else at this school likes. We feel like it’s safe to go ahead and predict the 2016 election posters: “What does the fox say? Vote-vote-vote vo vote vo-vote vo-vote”
The Rob Ford poster, though, gets a pass on Halloween Rules: if the reference is from the past 12 months, it’s allowed.
EXECS & BOG
DROPPED OUT BEFORE WE TOOK HIS PHOTO
UNOPPOSED
UNOPPOSED
UNOPPOSED
UNOPPOSED
THE APATHY IS COMING FROM In any student election, someone inevitably brings up “student apathy.” Because of student apathy, the story goes, not enough people vote in elections, not enough people know how the student government works, not enough students care how their money is being spent, and so on and so on. The blame always comes back to the student body in general, framing it as some vague mass of youth and indifference. But this year at UBCO, it’s the crowd of student leaders who are the apathtic ones. With too few applicants, too many early dropouts, and too much coasting, this year’s election has done little to offer students a strong field of options to decide from. With the resignation of Alex Gula from the Board of Governors race, only two of the six key student governmental positions in this election are contested. For four key positions, students only have one option.
The other positions aren’t great either: Of the eight faculty rep positions, only one even has applicants. The lower interest in UBCSUO positions is clear when you compare it to the Senate – that race is well contested. Why the difference? well, the UBCSUO is the most appealing place to be these days. The difference is in part due to the two impeachment attempts over the last two years – it’s made the jobs at the UBCSUO seem even more intimidating. Students look at the board and see a toxic, confusing environment with a largely thankless job, and then they look at Senate and see a more prestigious position for their resume, with a presumption of much less work (they may be surprised to find out that’s not always the case now that there’s a Student Senate Caucus established). Really, why would a student plan to drop courses, or stay an extra year, just to do a difficult job they might get kicked out of in four
An editorial by Dave Nixon
Editor-in-chief
Cam Welch
Creative Director
“You deserve representatives who stand for something and know your concerns.”
months? Why would a student take two weeks during midterm season to try to promote themselves if all they have to look forward to is a half-empty board and no job security? The game is harder now than it was just a few years ago. Without slates, weaker candidates can’t be propped up by stronger ones, and yes-men and yes-women can’t be ushered in to reinforce those currently in power. Every student has to stand for themselves, which was supposed to end voter apathy by producing a strong crop of candidates who had to fight to prove their worth. But the pendulum has now swung too far in the opposite direction: it’s now so intimidating to apply for an exec position that too few peopel do, and so students are again faced with not much of a choice during the time of year when their voices are supposed to be heard. Plus the structure changes every year, so plenty of students don’t know exactly what positions are
available. It’s going to take good work by this next year’s candidates to remove that toxic culture from the students’ union, and to reverse the reputation it now has..
Debate no-shows But apathy is not limited to the students who weren’t willing to run. It seems to have spread to current candidates as well. At the February 27 debate, five candidates didn’t show up. They either couldn’t be bothered to, or they figured that their grasp of the issues wasn’t strong enough to be put on display; so not showing up would be better than ignorance on record. We had to watch the only large group of students in attendance leave when no one showed up to start the debate. Those students now believe that student politicians don’t care about them. Candidates tabling also seems like a lost cause. If it weren’t for the posters, you’d hardly know elec-
FACULTY REPS
NO APPLICANTS FOR FCCS FACULTY REP
NO APPLICANTS FOR GRADUATE FACULTY REP
NO APPLICANTS FOR HEALTH FACULTY REP
NO APPLICANTS FOR APPLIED SCIENCE FACULTY REP
NO APPLICANTS FOR ARTS FACULTY REP
NO APPLICANTS FOR MANAGEMENT FACULTY REP
SKIPPED THE DEBATE
Plenty of posters, but nobody at the campaign tables
SKIPPED THE DEBATE
NO APPLICANTS FOR EDUCATION FACULTY REP
SKIPPED THE DEBATE
Left to right: Faculty Science Rep candidates at the debate
INSIDE THE ELECTION tions were happening. Maybe this will change with the last three days of campaigning: (March 3, 4 and 5,) but not much has happened so far.
Empty platforms Admittedly, some of the new structures encourage vagueness. The new faculty rep jobs require reps to reflect but not necessarily actually adovcate for their faculty’s students, so we can’t be too harsh on those candidates’ platforms. But we can’t see why, with the merger of Advocacy Reps and Directors at Large, folks would come to the Director race without any real platform points. While some applicants (Leo Tan) bring concrete plans, and some (Kelly Panchyshyn) bring extensive experience, others are campaigning on next to nothing. Arsalan Khan proposes to “solidify the bridge between the student union and its students” and “implement in the favor of the students not on
a micro but a macro level towards a larger goal” - two promises that are both so generic and unspecific that they’re essentially meaningless. And although his DJ Club experience indicates his aptitude, Beau Loomer also manages to have a platform that is basically his job description: he argues.that because he will listen to students, “you are electing yourself!” by electing him. This catchphrase makes a good case for the merits of representative democracy as a concept, but it tells us little about Beau Loomer. While Sam Chang and several others come with strong and tangible points, the executive positions also feature vague and self-evident platforms. Presidential candidate Lauren Ruttle-Soon goes so far as to spin her unfamiliarity with the union into a virtue. She out-Loomers Loomer by claiming in her bio that “together, our 8,500 students can come up with far better ideas than I can by myself”. Ruttle-Soon further argues that
as an outsider, she a) can explain the SU to students as she herself learns it, and b) isn’t caught up in the drama and dysfunction that has plagued the SU over the past year. This seems like a compelling argument until you remember how much of that drama and dysfunction was directly caused by board members’ inexperience and unfamiliarity with rules and policies.
UBCO deserves a better student election The problem isn’t just that candidates are able to campaign without actually promising anything tangible. The problem is that they aren’t proving that they are any different than the thousands of other students here. And so it’s almost impossible to tell how good of a choice many of these candidates would be. The things they’re saying are what anyone could and would say if they woke up tomorrow and found themselves transformed like Gregor Samsa into an election candidate.
Claiming you will address student needs while in office is literally just saying you will do your job. Saying you will listen to students is literally just saying you will do your job. In fact these promises mainly just show that folks who want to be leaders haven’t talked to students enough prior to running for this election. If your platform can’t state one specific thing that students want to see, then you haven’t led and you haven’t listened. If you don’t plan to start looking for student concerns until after you’re elected, then you’re not about that student outreach life. These are tough demands, and the people who try to meet them deserve respect and acknowledgement. We applaud anyone who puts their name on the ballot. And we also respect those who came to the difficult decision that they wouldn’t be able to successfully serve next year and withdrew their name While we’ve been critical in this article, we recognize how chal-
lenging it is to run an election campaign (let alone a student union) and we don’t intend to just throw people under the bus here. But the bottom line is that UBCO deserves better than an election where over half the executives in the SU are running unopposed, and you deserve representatives who stand for something and actually know some of your concerns. I mean if this is all you have to do to get elected for something, then ladies and gentlemen you might be reading the words of your future Prime Minister right now. “If you elect me, I promise I will lead the country and listen to the people of Canada.”
OPINIONS
Come back, Alex Gula We need how stoked you are on student life Alex Eastman
Alex Eastman Managing Editor
Alex Gula recently withdrew his BOG rep candidacy.
Photo by Kelsi Barkved
Kayti Barkved
Illustration by
Full disclosure: The Phoenix has been pretty critical of Alex Gula over the last year. In our defense, it’s pretty hard to get good press in the media when there’s an impeachment motion hanging over your head. But although we’ve critiqued his effectiveness in the specific role of External Coordinator, we’ve always really liked Alex Gula as a person and as a student leader. After hearing last week that he had dropped out of the race for Board of Governors Representative, I couldn’t help but have a kind of Gula retrospective flash through my mind. I’ve been involved with student politicians at The Phoenix for four years now, and I’ve known Gula for three of them. Never have I seen someone from the UBCSUO with a higher approval rating from the average student. Gula brings a kind of energy, enthusiasm, and charisma to his interactions with UBCO students that other Board members ought to aspire to. He’s been involved in some great student initiatives, such as the Karma Bowl. Hell, without his help, it would have been nearly impossible for us to get that awesome Frosh week cover photo that we did for Issue 2. Just from talking to him, it is clear that Gula is stoked on student life and it’s that kind of passion that will get other people involved with the UBCSUO as well. Robyn Giffen is a fantastic candidate for BOG rep and I’m sure she’s going to do us proud representing students to the UBC Board of Governors. But it would be a shame if this were the last the UBCSUO saw of Alex Gula. While he’s had his share of struggles in an executive role (and honestly, who hasn’t this year?), his perspective is refreshing in that he’s clearly not in this for politics, or power. In an environment so densely populated by 18-25 year-olds, the UBCSUO needs more spokespeople for the student experience, and less people trying to take themselves so seriously as student politicians. The UBCSUO needs more people like Alex Gula. (Psst, hey Alex, what faculty are you in? I bet the faculty rep position is open, just saying...)
“No homo”
OVERHEARD ON CAMPUS
Lindsay Smith
Managing Editor
Opinions Editor
Let’s look at what “no homo” really sounds like. It sounds startlingly like homophobia, it sounds a lot like heteronormativity, and it sounds like the bolstering of the gender binary. By attaching a quick “no homo”, a speaker can reinforce their heterosexuality and hide behind rigid gender norms that bar homosexual or nonheteronormative folk from existing as non-deviant. Let’s look at a rather formulaic example: two straight men have a particularly emotional conversation about their feelings. Perhaps in the midst of the conversation, or most likely near the end, suddenly a switch flips, and heterosexuality MUST assert itself at the cost of manliness. “Uh...no homo” one will comment awkwardly, while they both laugh. Phew, heterosexuality restored, no one will be any the wiser that emo-
tions were had! This scenario is so common by now that it’s basically a sitcom trope come to life. You know what though? This attitude is extremely harmful and problematic - not comedic. When you quip “no homo”, it assumes that a man cannot inherently be a man while simultaneously having emotions: it attributes homosexuality to femininity (read: weak, lesser, and Other) and this is extremely alienating for both women and men (gay or otherwise). It’s a remark that is meant to degrade a person with feminine qualities, and further, it implies an unbridgeable gap between male and female. But the larger issue at work here is that when the words “no homo” pop out of your mouth, you are choosing to disassociate yourself from a quality that, even in 2014, is culturally devalued and socially unacceptable. Someone’s sexual preference
shouldn’t be the punch line to a joke ,or a statement at the end of sentence. They are not just jokes, they are not just words, they are tools you get to actively use to reassert yourself in a social hierarchy in which heterosexuality is more valued than anyone who identifies as otherwise. There are teenagers who would rather commit suicide than come out as gay, there are hate crimes and homicides committed against gay people on a daily basis, and same sex marriages aren’t legal in parts of the world and are even still frowned upon in our own country. So reinforcing your innate heterosexuality by putting down homosexuality with phrases like “no homo” is oppressive, and frankly, it is disturbing that at a university, a place of higher education, I’m still overhearing phrases that are reminiscent of playground ignorance.
Winter is awful: just accept it
Brianna Ferguson Illustration by
Contributor
Kayti Barkved
There are people that look for the beauty in every day; great piles of people that try to wriggle through the routine and find beauty in stretches of time that might otherwise be seen as nothing more than unfortunate filler. Stretches of time like January and February for instance. Some people try to Carpe Diem their way through the greyest, bleakest mornings when the sun just won’t rise and they’re ten minutes late for school and their car’s covered in snow that they weren’t expecting and their coffee’s frozen by the time they get to class. These people (try to) see beauty in these horrible moments. I, however, am not one of them. I don’t rise with the clouds and the darkness and sing to the birds that aren’t there. I don’t rub my eyes at 6am and spring out of bed like I’ve got a dinner date with Daniel Craig to look forward to. Not in the winter. But there’s a reason for that. In the winter, I accept that each day is going to be a copy of the day before. I accept that sickness is going to plug my nose and keep me up all night with a fever that could melt my bed frame. I accept that the six hours of muted daylight I’m about to experience will be seen through the windows of my classroom and be gone completely by the time I head out to scrape my car all over again. The thing is, we must all accept that this as a necessary part of living. Winter knocks us down and makes us yearn for the simple things like walking outside or listening to the wind in the trees without freezing to death in a light breeze. Winter is nature’s way of bringing us low, so the high of spring is that much better. If we try every day to fake that high when the world is so obviously awful, we’ll be spent by spring. Faking happiness when the wind’s blowing and your clothes are snotty tissue for all the good they’re doing only cheats you out of authentic happiness when it comes around. So give in to these crappy months. Accept that winter feels like sandpaper to the soul, admit your defeat for now, and spring will feel all the more glorious.
DEAR READER
TALK TO US ON THEPHOENIXNEWS.COM BY PLUGGING YOUR MESSAGES INTO OUR NEW SUBMISSION BAR ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE HOMEPAGE. Or , as always, you can send us your thoughts by emailing opinions@thephoenixnews.com
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February 24th, 2014
SPORTS
Speijer finished the season by taking the crown for most kills in Canada West with 371, beating out eventual CanWest MVP Brad Gunther (TRU)
SPORTS | Kaeleigh Phillips
Despite having the most kills in CanWest, Nate Speijer was not named an All-Star, likely due to the Heat’s record Speijer runs in to attack the ball and makes a kill, one of many by Nate in his five years of phenomenal play for the Heat . Photo by UBCO Heat
MVB IS ABOUT TO LOSE ITS MVP... As star player Nate Speijer departs, a challenging offseason approaches Mirella Cullen
Contributor
The loss of integral senior players this year will be felt by many of the Heat varsity teams, but the Men’s Volleyball (MVB) team may be the ones hit hardest. The 2013-2014 season proved to be one with great improvements for the men, but it also marked the end of captain Nate Speijer’s university career. Gearing up for next season, it will be crucial for head coach Greg Poitras to direct his team to a winning record, without the help of one of the best players to ever take the court for the Heat. There is no denying how much the Heat have relied on Speijer for offensive production, with him being responsible for 32% of the Heat’s total points this season. Clearly a prominent role on the attack, Poitras’ game strategies combined with Speijer’s powerhouse
strength saw the rest of the team depend on their captain alone to carry them, more often than not. Looking ahead, Poitras will have to restructure his approach to the Heat’s attack, as one player will no longer be enough to even attempt to carry the team.
The Heat’s outside hitter of the future Despite finishing up the year with only four wins, this very young team has shown plenty of potential to grow in Canada West. Most notably, Lars Bornemann has had a standout season in his first year of play with the Heat. A presence both on the court and the scoresheet, he has made critical contributions to the team, according to Poitras. “He competes like a warrior,” recognizes the head coach, “He earned the right to play in every match this year.”
Bornemann trailed Speijer in the majority of offensive statistics this season. Bornemann played in all 22 matches for the Heat, missing only one set. Coming in second for both kills (148) and points per set (2.2), his skill is not limited to offense, something quite typical amongst outside hitters. Contributing 127 digs, putting him third on the team, he is someone that the opposition has to look out for on both fronts. Room for improvement can be seen in Bornemann’s hitting percentage, which sits at .126 after the season. Trying to be a more consistent hitter for his team will prove beneficial as his ability to read the game will only increase, enabling more well advised shot selection. This young hitter has plenty to look forward to in the years to come, especially with the potential to become a critical offensive player for the Heat.
A major accomplishment came his way the past week as he was named to the Canada West All Rookie Team. Conversely, Speijer was not named to the Canada West All Star team after recording the most kills in the CIS West this season with 371. An “out with the old, in with the new” direction could have been at the foundation of the CIS’ selection of All Stars; giving preference to those in their playing prime. The Heat will have to take a similar approach as well into the offseason, entertaining the reality that Bornemann has what it takes to be a leading outside hitter on the team.
A more balanced attack Bornemann’s outstanding performance this season has pointed him in the direction of starting outside hitter, but replacing one great
“The biggest thing I want to leave to them is to practice like they would play on the court, because they get away with shit in practice that won’t work in a game” - NATE SPEIJER
SPORTS| sports@thephoenixnews.com
Scoring by Speijer
VOLLEYBALL
7
W
W
Scoring by rest of team
W
February 24th, 2014
Win W
W
20 1 Ga 3/20 m e 2 14 2
14 /20 1 3 1 20 ame G
...NOW WHAT? The Heat will need a new strategy player with another is not what the team should be focusing on. Instead, strategies must be devised to have a more inclusive style of play that sees various players receiving multiple attempts. Not only does this take an immense amount of pressure off of people like Speijer and Bornemann’s shoulders, but also creates more depth to the offense; making it that much harder for the opposition defence to navigate. It will be no easy task to redefine the focal point for the Heat, but the team has the skills if they step up to the plate and play together as a team. They are losing their starhitter but they will have an unusual advantage in the start of their next season as competitors will not know which offensive players to focus their blocking strategy on. According to Speijer himself, one of the strategies that the Heat could
employ to prepare for the next season is to “make sure practices go efficiently. The biggest thing I want to leave to them is that even if I got angry at my teammates sometimes, it was only because they get away with shit in practice that won’t work in a game. Practice need to be harder than games”. Down a captain and their leading scorer, the upcoming 2014-2015 season will be significant in establishing a new strategy for the Heat’s future if they desire to be serious contenders in Canada West. With files from Kaeleigh Phillips
PLAYERS TO WATCH NEXT SEASON CANADA WEST ALL-ROOKIE:
FUTURE LEADER FOR MVB HEAT:
Lars Bornemann
Kristof Schlagintweit
* * * * * * * * * * * * ARTS * * * * * * * ** * * * * ** ** * * * * * * * ***** * * * ** * * * * * * * ** August 29th, 2013
| The Phoenix
AN EARLY LOOK AT LATE NIGHT
Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers impress with their premieres Laura Sciarpelletti Arts Editor
Two weeks ago, former Late Night host Jimmy Fallon officially took over The Tonight Show from Jay Leno. The program was relocated from Burbank, California to New York for the first time since 1972, as Fallon is well known for being a New Yorker. Fallon’s show brought in a record amount of viewers by the end of its first week, NBC’s largest audience for the program since Johnny Carson left in 1992. Fresh off of his Saturday Night Live run, comedian Seth Meyers’ first show brought in 3.417 million viewers,
which no doubt was aided by Fallon’s move to The Tonight Show and their past on SNL together. Fallon hosted the 2013 Christmas episode of SNL—one of Meyers’ last episodes before his move to Late Night—and had a special moment on Weekend Update with the new host, handing the show over. The beginning of The Tonight Show premiere was a little too sentimental, with Fallon thanking everyone profusely and reflecting on his journey. Luckily this did not last the entire episode, as viewers don’t have patience for that sort of nonsense. Meyers started the first week of Late Night off with old friend and former co-cast member Amy Poehler, as well as Vice President
Joe Biden. Meyers’ first week was a success because of guests like Girls’ Lena Dunham and Kanye West, not because of his charm. But viewers can’t expect him to perform like a seasoned host right off the bat. Fallon’s initial episodes of Late Night were certainly painful to watch, and he laughed at his jokes more than the audience did. Fallon is certainly the more fun out of the two, and Meyers’ audience will not have the same longterm stamina as Fallon’s. Meyers is less likely to dance with his guests or poke fun at himself, and that’s how successful hosts like Conan O’Brien keep their viewers. Meyers is a strong monologue writer—having been the head writer at SNL— but whether he can keep his audiences coming back for more will depend on his ability to step out of his comfort zone; that comfort zone being the chair behind the Weekend Update desk. At the moment, his jokes are a little too short, but it appears that NBC is attempting to pitch him to viewers as an edgier, less “college-bro-like” Fallon. In a crowded field, the onus is on Meyers to distinguish himself. However, an important point to note is that Meyers is playing with
the format of late night television. He seems to be aware that—being the newest in a long line of funny men in suits—something new has to be brought to the table. So, a-la SNL monologue style, Meyers had a sketch featuring “hecklers” in the audience. They turned out to be actors, but using the audience setting more in the show was a nice change from typical late night format. If Meyers continues to do this and more, viewers will catch on and stick with him.
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The Phoenix |
August 29th, 2013
CAMPUS
WHY ISN ’T THERE
A FINE ARTS
COMMISSION BOARD?
Asher Klassen and Cale Shannon talk about a commissions platform for visual arts students
Contributor
Jeff Bulmer
Film Review
ROBOCOP
The Fine Arts program is home to a multitude of talented students ready and willing to take on artistic challenges, and at least as many unique skillsets. Unfortunately, the current process for the outside community to utilize that talent is lacking at best. Currently, there is no dedicated platform for commissions; all requests are either made directly to the artist, or go through the VACU. It is certainly not impossible to commission art from a UBCO student, but without a dedicated platform, too few among the potential clientele realize the possibilities. When asked why a commissions platform isn’t already in place, 3rdyear Print & Sculpture student Cale Shannon noted that students may
be equally unaware of demand. “[The Fine Arts Students] are focussed on their studies, they’re not aware that there might be people out there that want this [i.e. commissions],” said Shannon. Additionally, there may just be a lack of interest among Fine Arts students. “Art seems to be a very separate thing,” Shannon continued, “I would like to see more [UBCO] artists more involved with the community. It’s important for artists to be working with different areas, especially in a university [setting].” Since getting artists involved with the community is the mission statement of the Visual Arts Course Union, I met with Asher Klassen, 4th-year Visual Arts major and
by Jeff Bulmer Contributor Photo by
Lindsay Smith
VACU president. Klassen stated that the VACU has promoted interaction with the community recently through exhibitions, such as Art on the Line (now in its twelfth year), as well as artist visits and helping students to fund trips. However, Klassen couldn’t recall a meeting in which a platform for commissions was mentioned. “We’re sticking to what we know, which is how to throw an art show,” Klassen said of the current situation of the VACU, “we’ve tweaked it here and there … but we haven’t moved beyond that.” When I brought up a commissions platform, Klassen welcomed the idea. “There are bulletin boards in this building [the UNC] for job … and
housing postings,” he remarked, “I don’t see why we couldn’t also set up a physical bulletin board for art commissions. An artist could print up a one-page profile with a photo and link to their website and maybe someone willing to pay for art sees it, which would be great.” Both Klassen and Shannon agreed that a platform for arts commissions could be beneficial on several levels, but neither could discount the potential risks. Shannon was doubtful that a commissions board could work at all, stating that “people would be willing to spend less than what a personal artisan is worth.” Though he didn’t see it as a deal-breaker, Klassen echoed that sentiment as well. “A lot of people don’t value art as
Robocop, Hollywood’s latest ‘80s movie reboot, is a mess of clichés and inconsistent plotting. In the remake, Joel Kinnaman plays Alex Murphy, a tough-as-nails, streetwise detective and part-time family man, who is rebuilt as a cyborg after becoming the victim of a car-bomb explosion in retaliation for an investigation into Detroit’s underground arms trade. As a cyborg, he resumes his job as a police officer, now so efficient as to become a national sensation. However, his brand of justice is merciless, being perfectly summed up during a scene in which Murphy blows up a drug lab while a monitoring scientist proclaims his extravagant act to be “completely justifiable.” Furthermore, he must balance his new position as 24-hour law enforcement with his desire to be with his family.
highly as we would like them to,” he said, “if someone comes to you with a sculpture commission that’s going to take 50 hours and [wants to pay] $10, that’s not even half of minimum wage” Additionally, Klassen pointed out that the location of a bulletin board could potentially cause issues. “None of us have the money to commission our fellow students for artwork,” said Klassen. “Ideally, we’d want a bulletin board where it’s going to attract attention from traffic other than our own.” With both the potential benefits and risks on the table, I asked Klassen if he thought the idea would work. “I don’t know,” he said, “it’d be a great experiment.”
The point of all this is to illustrate that humanity is lost in a mechanical world, but all efforts by the filmmakers to show this are contrived, at best. One particularly perplexing scene has a group of terrorists attacking police-bots in Tehran during a live broadcast in an attempt to show that robot law-enforcement is wrong. Unfortunately, the fact that the robots take out an entire terrorist cell within minutes, with almost no loss of civilian life, is very difficult to see in a negative light. The robots do kill an innocent boy who poses no threat –and had no business being anywhere near the robots in the first place– but his inclusion in the scene comes across primarily as a ham-fisted grab at the audience’s emotions.
ARTS
“Nautilus”
ARTIST PROFILE
MICHAEL KISS: INSPIRED BY THE WORLD AROUND US “Each material is unique… depending on what kind of material it is and where it’s from. These connotations will relate to the sculpture; they’ll have a large meaning.” -MICHAEL KISS
Jeff Bulmer
Contributor
A prolific sculptor of stone and wood, 3rd year sculpting student Michael Kiss makes the most of his time at UBCO. Kiss has been featured in five local exhibitions in 2013, and has been commissioned for pieces, like the 15 teaching awards for the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies last year. This was all done in addition to his regular class work. Recently, Michael Kiss moved to Edinburgh, Scotland as part of UBC’s Go Global Program. When I interviewed him over Skype, Kiss admitted that the move has been a
big change, but in a positive way. “In Canada … wood and metals are very easy to get, whereas [in Scotland] it’s a little challenging [for me] to get materials that I’m familiar with, so [I’m] trying different things,” said Kiss, who is currently working on five different projects that use clay and 3D printing, both new to him.
Art that influences itself While the change is significant, it allows Kiss to focus on his primary interest in new ways. “I’m interested in materials,” he told me, noting Edinburgh’s bronze foundries, as well as Scotland’s me-
dieval stonework. “Each material is unique … depending on what kind of material it is and where it’s from. These connotations will relate to the sculpture, they’ll have a large meaning.” To illustrate this, he showed me a sculpture made from materials gathered during a stay in Hawaii, which served as a memento of the trip. Kiss points to materials like this as a primary influence on his work, alongside nature and ancient art. His sculptures can also wind up quite different from what he set out to make, as new possibilities arise during the process that he may not have even considered before.
Drawn to sculpture Although Kiss is now heavily immersed in UBCO’s Sculpture program, he originally came to Kelowna with different plans. A frequent doodler throughout his school years, Kiss enrolled in UBCO intending to pursue drawing as the main focus of his studies. That all changed the summer after Kiss’s first year, when he met Jock Hildebrand, a local sculptor from Westbank. When Kiss mentioned to Hildebrand that he was interested in sculpture, the artist offered to let Kiss work at his studio. Kiss seized the opportunity, and worked along-
Campus UPCOMING March 4 Celebration of FCCS Authors and Books
4 PM / University Theatre
Celebrate this year’s publication of five books by five faculty authors and translators, as well as the new book publications by graduate students and alumni.
Kiss at work sculpting.
Photo by Sarah VP
Draw by Night Kelowna
6 PM / Alternator Centre The Alternator Centre is happy to host the first ever Draw by Night session. Come armed with your favorite drawing utensil or just bring yourself. Materials and food provided for your inspiration. Photos by Kelsi Barkved
“Balaena”
March 6 Little Orange Man by SNAFU Dance Theatre Company 8 PM/ Rotary Centre for the Arts
Prepare yourself for Kitt the Kinder-Whisperer, a highoctane Danish girl who fires up home-made technology to extract and reenact the audience’s dreams. Tickets $15 for students.
“Andromeda”
A box Bulmer comissioned from Michael Kiss
3rd year Fine Arts student Michael Kiss explores nature through sculpture “In Canada, wood and materials are easy to get, whereas [in Scotland] it’s a little more challenging to get materials that I’m familiar with, so [I’m] trying different things” -MICHAEL KISS
side Hildebrand until last summer when Hildebrand moved to the island. Kiss says his interest in stone sculpture may never have surfaced had he not met Hildebrand and he calls his time with the local sculptor one of the highlights of his time in the Okanagan. In addition to his time with Hildebrand, Kiss has frequently interacted with Al Sieradski, a sculptor from Oregon; and Deborah Wilson, a jade sculptor based in Vernon. Kiss stressed the importance of interacting with other artists. “Getting out and talking to artists is [just as] important as being in university and working,” he said.
Sculpting the future Kiss has no shortage of ideas for his future plans. He will continue in his 4th year with a series inspired by ocean imagery, which began with a sculpture titled “Nautilus.” He will also recreate at least one of his projects in Scotland, he mentioned a 1,200 lb piece of marble given to him by Jock Hildebrand which he plans to sculpt. Following 4th year, he anticipates focusing on welding and trade professions for a while, whilst simultaneously building his reputation as an artist. Eventually, he hopes to one day make a living off his art.
The five projects he’s working on in Scotland will undoubtedly be posted along with the rest of his work on his website, www.michaelkissfineart. wix.com/-art.
UBCO Spoken Word Night 7 PM / The Well Pub
Are you a writer? Come share your work! Up to ten minutes of stage time is yours. The Well is a great place to practice the invaluable skill of reading your work aloud, take advantage of it.
March 7 The Written Years Album Release Party 9 PM / Fernando’s Pub
Come celebrate the Kelowna band’s first album. Opening act Cloud Merchants.
your voice is a powerful force for equality Visit vpstudents.ubc.ca to provide feedback on preliminary recommendations addressing gender-based violence and Aboriginal stereotypes at UBC.