Vol. 25, Issue 2

KELOHA MUSIC FEST PAGE 11

Photos and Interviews - Page 12

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UBCO’s Student Newspaper

September 17, 2012 | Vol. 25 Issue 2

...believing in the heart of the cards since 1989

NEWS: Minister Yamamoto demoted - Page 4 FEATURES: US Presidential election feature - Page 8 ARTS: Memphis Blues restaurant review - Page 10 SPORTS: UBCO Heat soccer roundup - Page 16 OPINIONS: Parking unfair to those with student loans - Page 20 » Page 10

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September 17, 2012

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Contributors for this issue:

Dave Nixon, Amy Stetzl, Michael Kiss, Gordon Hawkes, Margaret MacDonald Correction: The Phoenix forgot to list Danielle Thornton on its list of conributors for Issue 1. We regret the error.

About the cover: The Well Student Pub held its grand opening on September 5th to critical acclaim - by which we mean shouting and headnodding.

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This does not include articles which provide an in-depth examination of both sides of a controversial subject (e.g. legalising marijuana).

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Meet the Phoenix

September 17, 2012

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Cameron Welch, Editor-in-chief Alex Eastman, Managing Editor Nadine Bradshaw, Art Director Hanss Lujan, Photo Editor Gavin Gamache, Copy Editor Tom Macauley, News Editor Janelle Sheppard, Arts Editor Rumnique Nannar, Features Editor Jesse Shopa, Sports Editor Matt Lauzon, Opinions Editor Laura Sciarpelletti, Events Editor

News

Tom Macauley

news@thephoenixnews.com

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Tragedy on the heels of the Quebec election Violence overshadows political event Dave Nixon Contributor

A senseless act of violence on last Tuesday’s election night in Montreal, Quebec has left Canada shocked and a family mourning a lost loved one. Denis Blanchette, a 48-year-old lighting technician, was shot outside the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, while a second victim, stagehand David Courage, survived after being rushed to hospital care in critical condition.

The tragedy occurred during during a speech by Parti Québécois leader Pauline Maroisa at a victory rally inside the Centre celebrating her election as Quebec’s first female premier.

The shooter, Richard Henry Bain, 62, faces first-degree and attempted-murder charges in connection with the shooting. Before attempting to enter the building, the man set fire to the back door,

and was apprehended minutes later. He was heard yelling “The English are waking up” as he was being led away by Police.

He spoke French with an English accent. It is not certain whether or not his intended target was Marois herself.

Pauline Marois has responded passionately, stating that “Never, never will I accept that Quebec is associated with violence; it is

an isolated event and it does not represent who we are [...] Quebec is not a violent society. One act of folly cannot change this."

In the aftermath of this tragic event, Marois’s victory in this election means a minority Government for the Parti Québécois, won by a thin margin of four seats over the Liberal Party. A foundation of their platform is an independent Quebec, some-

thing that Marois has stood by throughout.

However, after two failed referendums, public opinion is adverse to another attempt, and Harper has been firm that “there is no mandate to pursue sovereignty” and has assured Canadians that Premier Marois’s priorities align with his: the Canadian economy, the creation of jobs, and long-term economic growth.

Yamademoted Advanced Education Minister Naomi Yamamoto moved to Minister of State for Small Business Dave Nixon Contributor

Christy Clark, gearing up to lead the B.C. Liberals into the looming election, has recently sworn in a new cabinet. Many changes have been made, but most relevant to students are the changes to the office of the Minister of Advanced Education. The Honorable Naomi Yamamoto has been demoted from Minister of Advanced Education to Minister of State for Small Business. You may remember Yamamoto from the controversial statement her ministry made online last year stating that the cost for tuition increases could be covered if students purchased one less coffee a day over the year. She publicly

apologized for this statement in response to the outrage it incited all over B.C. campuses. Yamamoto had also responded to the issue of lowering interest rates on student loans by stating that students should “have some skin in the game” in order to encourage them to complete their education, further solidifying her unpopularity on campuses across the province.

Stepping in to take her place is the Honorable John Yap. The role has been extended to “Minister of Advanced Education, Innovation and Technology”. Mr. Yap’s experience includes serving as the Parliamentary Secretary for

Clean Technology to the Minister of Energy and Mines, the Minister of State for Climate Action, and as the chair of the Government Caucus. He has also served as a member of the Treasury Board, the Legislative Review Cabinet Committee, the Select Standing Committees of Public Accounts Crown Corporations and Finance and Government Services, the Special Committee on Sustainable Aquaculture, as well as the Finance and Government Services Committee.

The Federation of Post-Secondary Educators of BC wasted no time in putting pressure on the newly appointed Minister.

“This is our new top priority,” says Katie Marocchi, BC Chair of the Canadian Federation of Students. A letter was sent, signed

by Marocchi and Educational Presidents across BC on behalf of faculty, staff, and students in BC’s public post-secondary education system, urging Minister Yap to meet with them to discuss how to resolve the threat to BC’s future represented by the underfunding of post-secondary education. The letter’s main points are not new to BC’s students: funding has not kept up with inflation and higher student enrollment, resulting in tuition more than doubling over the

Naomi Yamamoto (right) likely won’t be interacting with students as often, due to her re-assignment within the cabinet.

last decade. This has two effects: dragging current students deeper into debt and increasing the resolute barrier for entry to other prospective students.

Christy Clark’s government has declined previous requests for funding, forcing post-secondary institutions to ‘do more with less’. The presidents strongly disagree with this minimalist philosophy, as they claim it is leading to faculty layoffs, program cuts, fewer course options, and overall reduced value to students.

It remains to be seen whether this cabinet shuffle before the election will lead to any positive changes for students.

Photo by BC Gov Photos (flickr)

News

September 17, 2012

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New Deputy Vice Chancellor at UBCO Deborah Buszard replaces Doug Owram Tom Macauley News Editor

The UBC Board of Governors approved the appointment of Professor Deborah Buszard to lead UBC’s Okanagan campus as Deputy Vice Chancellor and Principal over the summer.

She began her five-year term on July 1st, 2012.

Buszard was previously Professor of Environmental Science at Dalhousie University, and has held a variety of academic and leadership positions at Dalhousie University and McGill University. In her new role, she will be the senior leader at UBC’s Okanagan campus and a core member of the University’s executive leadership team.

“We are very pleased to welcome Dr. Buszard to UBC,” said Prof. Stephen Toope, President and Vice Chancellor. “She is a distinguished scholar and an effective leader who will provide strong support and guidance to this extraordinary campus.”

Buszard succeeds Doug Owram, who has held the position since July 1st, 2006. A historian who held senior leadership roles at the University of Alberta before coming to UBC in 2006, Owram helped establish and grow the new campus over his six-year term. In that time, the student population at the Okanagan campus has doubled to more than

8,307 and reached full capacity.

“I am thrilled with the opportunity to join UBC in this role,” said Buszard. “There is something special happening at UBC’s Okanagan campus and I feel it has exceptional potential. I look forward to the chance to serve this dynamic learning and research campus in this beautiful community.”

At Dalhousie University, Buszard served as Director of Environmental Programs and has been a driving force behind the creation of Canada’s first College of Sustainability. Prior to joining Dalhousie in 2006, she was Professor of Plant Science at McGill University and served as Dean of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and Associate Vice-Principal of the Macdonald Campus from 1996-2005.

Buszard was born in the U.K. and received her Ph.D from the University of London. She has published research on plant physiology, strawberry breeding, and horticultural crop management. She has been an active member in her community, including serving as Chair of the Board of Vanier College and President of the Canadian Society for Horticultural Science.

Photo from ubc.ca

Kelowna out for blood against Prince George Blood donations, that is Tom Macauley News Editor

Mayor Walter Gray made a passionate plea on Monday in council for Kelowna residents to participate in a blood donation challenge against Prince George.

The 15th Annual Interior Drive for Life continues until Oct. 18, with the city collecting the greatest number of blood donations declared the winner. The reward for the winner is having the mayor of the opposing city wear the winning city’s WHL hockey team jersey at a council meeting.

“This is the gift of life—donating blood will keep someone having a medical procedure alive or save their lives in an emergency,” said Mayor Gray.

Canadian Blood Services has challenged itself to find Kelowna residents who are not regular blood donors.

“This year, Canadian Blood

Services must recruit 1,119 new donors in Kelowna—and 14,409 across B.C.—to help keep the blood system strong and sustainable,” said Erin Kavanagh of Canadian Blood Services in Kelowna.

The Canadian Blood Services office is 103-1865 Dilworth Dr., across from the Sears store at Orchard Park Shopping Centre.

Clinic hours in Kelowna are Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 11 AM to 7 PM, and from 9 AM to 5 PM on alternating Saturdays (next Saturday clinic is Sept. 22).

“I’m urging everyone to plan some time to make that donation, especially if you’ve never before donated,” said Mayor Gray. “It doesn’t take a lot of time, and the payoff is literally life-changing for those who receive your gift of life.”

Giving blood could help save a life.

Photo by ec-jpr(flickr)

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News

September 17, 2012

Peachland comes close to disaster September 9th fire leads to evacuation of 1,500 residents Dave Nixon

Contributor

On Spetember 9th a sudden and fast-growing fire gave the Kelowna area recieved a disconcerting reminder of the destruction and turmoil caused by past summer fires.

“It was truly terrifying,” as local resident Amanda Pich describes. “Black clouds of smoke would cover the sky and phone lines were breaking.” She witnessed the Peachland fire from her home as she worked to help her parents get their horses out of harm’s way, as so many ranches rushed to do during the evacuation. She related the experience to the surrealism of being in a video game. This is a feeling many share, struck with the shock of a real fire spreading towards their homes.

All fires have humble beginnings. This particular blaze began as a small ditch fire on Sunday afternoon near Trepanier Creek Greenway Regional Park. What set it apart was the wind. Gusts of 50 to 60 kilometres per hour quickly fueled the fire and sent it roaring towards Peachland. By 9pm that night it was sea of flame covering 200 hectares.

Three homes and one abandoned house were destroyed.

Fifteen hundred residents were

evacuated over the course of the crisis. Fortunately no one was injured or killed. It is a tragedy for those who lost their homes, but many more were narrowly saved by the efforts of firefighters in life threatening circumstances. Seventeen trucks, five unit crews, six helicopters, tankers, and sixty-five firefighters in total worked diligently to save lives and homes. Twenty-one firefighters from Prince George were sent to assist local units as well, demonstrating the organization and teamwork employed by fire centers all over the area to deal with these disasters. There is no doubt after so many disastrous forest fires in the last decade that the Okanagan is home to some of the most dedicated and crisishardened fire fighters.

For residents of the Okanagan, fires are a very real danger, no matter where one lives. West Kelowna resident Peter Paulsen remembers the 2009 West Kelowna fire vividly. He had just moved to a new home in Canyon Ride, Gellatly road, above the Cove Restaurant. Spending a day at Grand Forks, he and his wife Caprice heard of the fire near their home and drove back immediately. Authorities told them they could not return to

their house, so they were forced to spend three days in limbo.

Upon returning they were met with scorched hillsides above and below covered by the grim skeletons of dead trees. “We were very lucky,” he expressed, remembering how it felt. The fire appeared to have jumped the residential area. No landscaping had been completed at this point in the construction of the complex; if there had been more to burn, things may have been much worse. Paulsen found burn marks on their one small cedar bush out in front of the home, and an ember hole on their balcony umbrella out back.

He still keeps it to this day, reminding him of how close their home had come to going up in flames.

The last of Peachland’s evacuees are now safely returned home as of 5pm Wednesday, according to a news release from the Regional District of Central Okanagan. Authorities warn of the post-fire dangers: brittle trees known to fall silently, and burning root systems turning ground unstable that could collapse underfoot. Investigation continues as to how the fire started, but nothing conclusive has been determined.

City Council approves motion regarding housing access Tom Macauley News Editor

says Mayor Walter Gray. “No new infrastructure is required because the secondary suites are contained within existing single-family homes.”

The new process requires a Building Permit application concurrent with a Business Licence application, both of which are reviewed by City staff to ensure a dwelling can support the inclusion of a secondary suite.

A Business Licence is required to legalize any existing or new

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“This change will help provide more affordable housing stock in Kelowna with minimal impact to neighbourhoods,”

Photo by Peachland Joe (flickr)

secondary suites within a single-family dwelling. A 30-day grace period now begins for owners of unregistered suites to conform to the new process before bylaw enforcement is initiated. This change applies only to secondary suites being created within an existing single-family dwelling. Secondary suites in accessory buildings, now known as Carriage Houses, will continue to have a separate approval process.

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News

September 17, 2012

Amanda Schellenberg, winner of the $10,000 contest put on by Credit Unions of BC.

| The Phoenix

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Photo by Hanss Lujan (The Phoenix)

UBCO student wins $10,000 to pursue social work Cameron Welch Editor-in-chief

Kelowna’s Amanda Schellenberg is $10,000 closer to her dreams after winning the Credit Unions of BC “Pocketbook Rehab” contest this summer. The 3rd-year Social Work student received the most votes in the online contest and won the draw, receiving a $10,000 cheque and financial advising sessions from Interior Savings on how to manage it. Schellenberg’s goal is to combine social work and media but she has not yet settled on how exactly she’ll spend the money, preferring to wait until after she completes her degree and can use what she’s learned to identify the best way to use her funding and skills.

“I know that I’ll have that a-ha moment where it all clicks as I learn more about social work and about media and will know what want to do,” she said.

“My boss started her business out of her basement and it took her five years to be able to get out of the basement and into a space where she could hire support workers and get them working

with clients that were referred to them from the ministry. I feel kind of blessed to have the funds to go into that right when I get out of school.”

Schellenberg plans to branch out over the course of her degree, but has so far worked mainly with youth. Since 2009 she has worked as a Recreational Behavioral Therapist for a teenage boy with severe autism, and this summer she worked as a Youth Summer Camp Coordinator creating and running a camp for young people with behaviour and developmental disabilities.

With her summer position over, she will continue to work with “It’s All About You... Quality of Life Services” as a community support worker.

In addition to her social work, Schellenberg has modeled and acted for several years, and being in those environments led her to consider how she could find a way to use media to help social programs.

“With the way our social programs are going in Canada, a lot

of cutbacks are being made and not a lot of money from the government is being used to support social programs,” she explained, “so I feel like if [media can generate] enough input to finance these social programs, you could … create change that way.”

“Media creates so many stereotypes that we are aware of and some that we’re unaware of,” she continued, “and I think if we can shape perceptions and change the negative ones then we could definitely evoke a lot of change, especially in the younger generation.”

Schellenberg also hopes to change cultural perceptions of charity and social assistance so that charities will be more a part of everyday life in Canada and their marketing will not be as predicated on guilt as the campaigns she’s seen growing up.

“When I was living in England it seemed like charities were so much more popular than in Canada. Everywhere you’d go there would be a sign promoting the Prince’s Trust or United Way

or any kind of non-profit and it would be so easy to give to them ­— you could just text [a] number on a phone to give five pounds.

People were more aware of social programs and charities to donate to.”

Schellenberg hoping to learn how to create this awareness and bring viewers into the worlds she works in. “Some of the things that come out of people you work with are the most profound and most inspiring and most beautiful things. I think it’s those stories that really speak to people, [and] highlighting those ‘moments of honesty’ can change perceptions in the media realm.”

The topic of communicating with and inspiring the public came up again when Schellenberg discussed practicum ideas with associate professor Mary Ann Murphy, who won the UBC President’s Award for Public Education Through the Media in 2009. “She told me that Social Work is all about the marketing of ideas,” Amanda recalled.

“How do you capture a targeted audience and inspire a path to wellness and self-determination? How do we motivate?”

In addition to her more mediafocused ideas, Schellenberg has also thought about someday founding an organization more like those she’s used to being a part of. One of her ideas is to create an centre similar to those she works at, but with an attached café run by the clients and workers that would generate money for the center’s social services.

She’ll have the rest of her degree to figure out which path to take, as she won the contest based not on an essay or pitch but on the votes of confidence from friends and acquaintances who knew her ideas, drive, and desire to help others.

“If you have that focus and you’re passionate and you’re driven to get there, then people will believe you and [help you],” she concluded. “You don’t need this money to do that; use the resources that you have and maximize those.”

The price of learning High tuition inhibiting post-secondary access for low and mid-incomes Tom Macauley News Editor

A new study by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) shows that public post-secondary education has become dramatically less affordable for low- and middleincome families over the last two decades.

“Record high tuition fees in

BC make getting a post-secondary education a debt sentence,” said Katie Marocchi, Chairperson of the CFS-BC. “The provincial government needs to take immediate action to make our public universities and colleges more affordable.”

The report, titled “Eduflation

and the High Cost of Learning”, compares tuition fees levels with median family incomes for every province as well as the federal Low-Income Cut Off (LICO), creating an index for what families pay for out-of-pocket. The CCPA found that the Cost of Learning In-

dex in BC increased nearly 50% since 1990 for average families, and the Index has doubled for low-income households.

“BC’s Cost of Learning Index used to be the best in the country, but a decade of tuition fee increases have eroded that achievement and thousands of

BC’s families have five-figure student debt loads to show for it,” said Marocchi.

Today’s report comes on the heels of an open letter written by students, staff, and faculty calling on the BC government to restore funding to universities and colleges.

Features

Rumnique Nannar

features@thephoenixnews.com

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The Democratic & Republican National Conventions launch a polarizing election season Rumnique Nannar, Brandon Taylor Features Editor, Staff Writer

The Democratic and Republican National conventions are, essentially, the start of the political race for the White House.

After months of political rhetoric, TV interviews, public comments, gaffes, editorials, and a fair share of insight, it all boils down to two men and their respective platforms.

The conventions broadcast directly to the American people represented by 30 million viewers across the United States. All of these active citizens are facing a pivotal decision. Not only for their economy, but the very future of the America’s ruling paradigm.

The Democratic and Republican conventions were created to sell their candidate. There were typical promises that both Romney and Obama would be like no other candidate before. With testimonials from their running mates, wives, celebrities, and fellow senators, their portraits were painted. They praised them, they loved them, and they emphatically highlighted how improved American lives would be after they return to office or win the presidency. It is here we find Mitt, a tough and resourceful businessman, and Barack, a passionate and humble president.

Obama and Romney both had big speeches to follow. Clint Eastwood’s pitiable improvised ramblings to a chair dwarfed much of Romney’s workmanlike speech. Obama had to contend with the rousing 48-minute address by Bill Clinton the previous night. If Romney and Obama fell short of offering actual policy or highlighting their strengths, they more than surely fell back on the bogeyman rhetoric of their opponent’s vision. We had Mitt Romney attacking Obama’s involved government that seeks to crush businesses both large and small, and Obama tallying up Romney’s gaffes as a corporate businessman threatening to take away healthcare for the elderly. The big/small government is back at the centre of this election campaign and it is apparent in their differing stances on the economy. These two conventions leave the American people with an extremely polarizing choice—two remarkably different visions for the future between which Obama stressed, “you will face the clearest choice of any time in a generation.”

The Bogeyman Rhetoric Conventions are not the most compelling events. It is typically the campaign trails, university speeches, and debates that garner the real deciding votes. The divisive campaigns are more scathing this year because of the enormous economic crash that quickly required Obama to

Barack Obama makes a surprise visit on Day 2 of the DNC. Photo by Kris Krug (flickr)

After all, you don’t call Russia our number one enemy – and not al Qaeda – unless you’re still stuck in a Cold War time warp.

You might not be ready for diplomacy with Beijing if you can’t visit the Olympics without insulting our closest ally.”

Barack Obama, US President prove himself as both a politician and a ruthless economist. The financial crisis had been building up since the Bush administration with the housing market slowly imploding just as Obama inherited the banking system in ruins. In essence, the Republican Party favours a smaller government that urges Americans to become self-reliant without too much interference.

As Romney has positioned it, he will repeal the Obamacare act, and offer a voucher program to cover the costs for healthcare. In contrast, the Democratic Party has favoured more government infrastructure for healthcare reforms, student loans, and financial stimulus to fix the erratic economy. Obama’s platform has essentially shifted the usual centre-right motto into a centre-left and more liberal position,

which is threatening to the Republicans’ stated policies. Due to this shift, the parties have emphasized each other’s failings and painstakingly illustrated the drastically different visions that they see for the future of America.

With the two conventions, it was revealed that the campaigns were both fueled by an overarching sense of doom and contempt for each other. Both parties reminded their audiences and viewers what a complete disaster it would be if the other side were running the country.

The general ‘us vs. them’ is typically the backbone of every elections debate, but it has been amplified by the crisis-like situation facing the country. It has definitively come to the fore now, because the change of 2008, which felt so palpable and readily attainable, was beset by economic problems that Obama inherited. It just did not come fast enough, according to Romney and his delegates two weeks ago. The speeches of the two candidates were ones that worked in furthering this ideological battle between the two parties. Obama made only a few deliberate mentions of Romney’s speech, also serving to take a dig at his stolid thinking: “After all, you don’t call Russia our number one enemy— and not al Qaeda—unless you’re still stuck in a Cold War time warp. You might not be ready for diplomacy with Beijing if you can’t visit the Olympics without insulting our closest ally.” This debate marks a different attack strategy than used before.

Obama urged Americans against his opponent due to his corporate and naysay-

ing mentality. Romney has not attacked Obama in a personal way, as he did with his fellow competitors, calling Rick Santorum “unhinged.” Romney rather, has been taking issue with his Medicare and fiscal responsibilities.

If the ideological battle was stoked by the conventions, then it was clear that both Obama and Romney were not only appealing to the general population but squarely at those undecided voters who could make all the difference in the polls and swing vote states. These voters may not follow the campaigns as avidly, which accounted for the barrage of supporters that came on to lobby for their candidates. At the RNC, Chris Christie and Marco Rubio offered rousing speeches that largely seemed to offer their 2016 candidacy. Christie ventured that his candidate would “make the hard choices, cut federal spending and fundamentally reduce the size of this government,” while the Democrats would “believe the American people need to be coddled by big government.”

Rubio admitted that Obama was not a bad man, but a bad president who needed replacing. Both men spent most of their speeches explaining their family lives and hardworking stories to successes, which is typical and necessary for the Republican mentality. They believe that hard work, commitment, and liberty are the fixtures of America’s success.

It was unusual that most speakers at the RNC made only fleeting assertions about Romney as the suitable candidate.

They spoke on Obama’s failings in his economic bailout, his “European” style of healthcare, and smaller changes that just weren’t felt. Much of the political battle was in firing up the delegates to choose Romney because change and hope were hard to find in Obama’s apparent weaknesses. Obama’s administration was transformed into the bogeyman for Americans, because their government interference was construed as making Americans dependant on handouts and bailouts. It simply stunted their growth as hardworking and self-sufficient Americans. The big government threatened self-reliance at the RNC, while the small government took away from the shared goals that made them “citizens” at the DNC. As Bill Clinton put it, “this Republican narrative, this alternative universe says that [...] every one of us in this room who amounts to anything, we’re all completely self-made. One of the greatest chairmen the Democratic Party ever had, Bob Strauss, used to say that every politician wants every voter to believe he was born in a log cabin he built himself.”

This was quite the rejoinder to the “We Built It” slogan featured at the RNC.

September 17, 2012

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Twitter Responses to Clint Eastwood’s schtick @tombrokaw Clint Eastwood became a huge star as a man of few words As a suprise guest on the Tampa stage he had too many words (i say as a friend) @ebertchicage Clint, my hero, is coming across as sad and pathetic.

He didn’t need to this to himself. It’s unworthy of him. @chrisrock Clint Eastwood on the phone with Obama now: “It all went according to plan, sir” #RNC #GOP2012 @MoRocca Wow. Clint Eastwood laid one Gran Turdito on stage last night. #RNC @HalSparks I was just about to make an #eastwooding and one of my kitchen stools told me to Go F*ck Myself...Touche!

The president’s twitter account responded to the Clint debacle with the caption “This seat’s taken” Photo by Barack Obama (Twitter )

Selling the Candidate Obama was anticipated to follow the inspiring trial speech by Bill Clinton who expertly mixed the rah-rah enthusiasm, humour, and a detailed defense of Obama’s successes. He powerfully defended Obama’s failure to foster bipartisanship with a belligerent house, his economic policies that emphasized community and his revival of the auto industry. He noted that, “No president, no president—not me, not any of my predecessors—no one could have fully repaired all the damage that he found in just four years. Now he has laid the foundations for a new, modern, successful economy of shared prosperity. And if you will renew the president’s contract, you will feel it.” Clinton emphatically defended Obama as a dedicated man whose opponents brought down all the prosperity promised with their contrarian attitude.

When Obama came to the stage, he gave a sobering speech in which he acknowledged his failings, and quoted Lincoln in that he had been driven to his knees many times “by the overwhelming conviction that I had no place else to go.”

Unlike the defensive speech by Clinton and a heartfelt one by his wife, Obama delivered a speech that attacked his competitor and highlighted his own realistic approach. This was a tamer Obama who made more modest policy predictions for the future: the creation of a million new manufacturing jobs by 2016, halving oil imports by 2020, hiring 100,000 new math and science teachers by 2022, and reducing the deficit by a cumulative $4 trillion over the next decade. He instead sold his main strengths: the auto bailout, student loans, foreign policy, and eliminating bin Laden.

Overall, he needed to convince the masses to stick with him as they repair the nation together, lest it fall in the hands of his opponent. One of the strongest moments of his speech was when he described what he would not allow: “I refuse to ask middle class families to give up their deductions for owning a home or raising their kids just to pay for another millionaire’s tax cut. I refuse to ask students to pay more for college; or kick children out of Head Start programs, to eliminate health insurance for millions of Americans who are poor, and elderly, or disabled, all so those with the most can pay less.”

Alternatively, Romney’s speech was equally as focused on selling his conservative values and experience as a businessman. He has been close in the polls with Obama, offering a beacon of hope for the voters that are fed up with the Obama administration. However, the RNC was geared around selling Mitt Romney as a reliable man, one that could appeal to the working-class and middle class voters.

Ann Romney made a great effort in humanizing her husband as the “boy I fell in love with.” Yet more than that, she was there to rally up his weakest supporters— women—to come out and vote for her lovable and dependable husband. Paul Ryan tried to show us an older man, saying, “We are a full generation apart, Governor Romney and I. And in some ways, we are different. There are the songs in his iPod, which I have heard on the campaign bus— and I have heard it on many hotel elevators.” Here was a candidate who was too busy analyzing business reports than picking out good music. He was the boy Ann fell for, and who was endearingly so like a clueless dad. It was these small nuances in their speeches that made Mitt partly a suc-

cess with the delegates and viewers when he came on stage. With these two rousing speeches, the Republican party ensured that whether you were voting for Romney or Ryan, that Americans were better off choosing the Republican ticket above all else.

Romney was ultimately overshadowed

by Clint Eastwood’s rambling tirade to an invisible Obama, played in absentia by an empty chair. He delivered a vaguely policy-free speech that forecasted a disaster if Obama receives a second term.

With the testimonials indicating his business savvy, his leadership, and his experience, Romney had half the job done. He was the businessman who could possibly

“This Republican narrative, this alternative universe says that […] every one of us in this room who amounts to anything, we’re all completely self-made.

One of the greatest chairmen the Democratic Party ever had, Bob Strauss, used to say that every politician wants every voter to believe he was born in a log cabin he built himself.”

Bill Clinton Keynote Speaker

solve some of the financial problems, because he had dealt with this before. Much of his speech was taken up in explaining Obama’s faults, as he mentioned, “He took office without the basic qualification that most Americans have, and one that was essential to his task. He had almost no experience working in a business. Jobs to him are about government. I learned the real lessons from how America works from experience.” He proved himself as a worthy candidate in these sections, by capitalizing on that visceral reaction to Obama’s entry and stoking it for a more hopeful Romney era. He was a great deal more confident than on most campaign trails, outlining that it was “you” that had to make the change to see a better America. Romney did not outline any major policy reforms, yet he painted a portrait of a failing America that was hindered by heavy government involvement. He was speaking to the immigrant populations, undecided voters, and women to rally them to his cause.

There is a long road ahead until November 6, 2012. At both of these conventions, Obama and Romney were firmly pitted against each other in one of the most polarizing election races ever. Both have strikingly different visions, which they emphatically portrayed at their conventions. With a bump in the Gallup polls, Obama has a lead, but he has the difficult task of keeping his weary voters with him, while Romney has not come up with a concrete budget plan to attract the masses and the undecided, despite his allegiances with the Paul Ryan’s staunch fiscal conservatism. Both parties have firmly staked their claim with the American people and it is now up to those in the middle to decide where America is headed. That is, until 2016.

Arts

Janelle Sheppard

arts@thephoenixnews.com

| 10

Gotye’s Vancouver concert brings out the true fans “Somebody I Used to Know” singer delivers fantastic performance at the Orpheum Theatre Laura Sciarpelletti Events editor

On Friday August 31st I found myself on the bus from UBC to downtown Vancouver. Back in April during final exams I discovered Gotye, the Australian singer whose single “Somebody I Used to Know” took over the airwaves.

I had heard the song plenty of times, but it was his performance of “Eyes Wide Open” on Saturday Night Live that made me a true fan. His album was my studying soundtrack and a perfect one at that. When my friends and I found out he was to perform at Deer Lake Park in Burnaby at the end of August, we immediately bought our tickets.

The venue was changed to the Orpheum Theatre just over a week before the concert was set to take place. The doors were set to open at 6:30 PM, and my friends and I thought arriving an hour before that would be perfect. However, the line was already extensive with over 250 fans lined up all down the street.

When the doors finally opened, we took our seats at orchestra level and waited anxiously for the concert to begin. The first act was Jonti, an electric arranger from Australia. While his music was certainly enjoyable, his lonely onstage presence threw some members of the audience off. Still, Jonti rocked out despite the lackluster audience participation with a big smile on his face and his curly hair bouncing up and down. He was most enjoyable when he sang, and his sampling and harmony switch ups were creatively original.

Chairlift, a synthpop band from New York, was up next. I knew about them from their hit “I Tried

to do Handstands for You,” but nothing much else. The group immediately dove into their set and I was struck by the lead singer Caroline Polachek’s presence. She is tall and willowy with long blond hair and reminded me of Joni Mitchell and Stevie Nicks as she has a very Woodstock-like presence. She danced around the stage gracefully, waving her arms and belting out Chairlift’s catchy songs with a clear and captivating voice. At one point, the band performed the song “I Belong In Your Arms” in Japanese due to a twitter request.

The audience was impressed with each song and the musical range that each member appeared to have. Gotye could not have had a more perfect band open for him.

After a forty-minute wait, the audience was very impatient for the final act. When the lights finally lowered, the excitement from the crowd was phenomenal, and my friend sitting to my right grabbed hold of my arm in anticipation. Wouter “Wally” De Backer, or Gotye, appeared behind one of five drum set-ups as the room lit up. He immediately began the show, pounding on drums and belting out his songs with the voice that critics have been comparing to Phil Collins and Sting.

The band stood in front of a fortyfoot screen that played animated videos synced to the music. The performance was a perfect blend of vocal and visual entertainment.

I was very impressed with Gotye’s percussion skills, which had him running around stage and hitting everything in sight. “State of the Art,” a personal favorite of mine, was extremely well received and

fun for the entire audience. Many were on their feet at the beginning, and most were by the end of the show.

When I told people that I was going to a Gotye concert they asked if he had any songs other than “Somebody I Used to Know,” but the audience sang along to each and every song with enthusiasm. When Gotye finally played his biggest hit, the audience sang Kimbra’s part without even being asked. Even if a performance is exceptional, without a lot of audience participation the show may not be as fun. This audience was so involved and that made the singer’s performance even more phenomenal. Worthy song mentions include Gotye’s haunting performance of one of his lesser-known songs “Bronte,” and his peppy encore song “I Feel Better.”

Gotye’s album Making Mirrors was in my opinion certianly one of the greatest albums of 2011, and is much, much more than just “Somebody I Used to Know.” The August 31st Vancouver performance has given me a deep appreciation for Chairlift, a band that deserves more attention, and has caused me to listen to Gotye’s album even more than I did before.

It is a great feeling to be even more impressed than you originally thought you would be, and Gotye impressed the audience—myself included—immensely.

The feeling was apparently mutual, as Gotye took to Twitter and Facebook directly after the concert to voice his appreciation, saying “Vancouver, you were seriously brilliant.

Thank you!”

Gotye in concert.

Photo by i_miss_my_sky (flickr)

Actor Michael Clarke Duncan dies of heart attack Sepember 3rd Laura Sciarpelletti Events Editor

On September 3rd, 2012 the world lost beloved supporting actor Michael Clarke Duncan at age 54. The actor, whose portrayal of John Coffey in The Green Mile earned him numerous award nominations including an Academy Award nomination, suffered a heart attack on July 13. Duncan appeared in many films and television shows over the years, usually as a bodyguard or a threatening bouncer-type figure due to his large size. The 6’5” Duncan, who was almost always seen smiling, was

a celebrity bodyguard before he broke into acting. He is also well known for his roles in hits like Sin City and Armageddon, as well as his extensive vocal work in sfamily films such as Brother Bear, Kung Fu Panda, and Cats and Dogs.

Duncan was very much loved by the people he worked with and the people he met. He has been described by many as a “gentle giant” and someone who simply wanted everyone to laugh.

“Just to see such a pure heart and pure kindness, and to see it

taken so early,” said comedian Jay Leno of his late friend. “There are no sadder words than ‘what might have been’.”

A nearly four-hour-long memorial service was held for Duncan at Forest Lawn Memorial-Park and Mortuaries in Los Angeles on Monday, September 10. According to the Press Association, Leno, Tom Hanks, Holly Robinson Peete, Loretta Devine and Stevie Wonder were among those who came or conferenced in to show their respects with speeches, fond memories, and

songs. Stephen King, author of The Green Mile, sent a letter that was read at the memorial.

“No one has ever done a character I wrote more justice,” wrote King.

Duncan is survived by his reality television star fiancé Reverend Omarosa O. Manigault. According to the UK Sun, the couple had planned to secretly marry in January 2013. State Assemblyman Mike Davis and Los Angeles City Council President Herb Wesson and the rest of the council also attended the funeral along with

numerous celebrities and family members, and declared, according to the Associated Press, that Monday, September 10 to be “Michael Clarke Duncan Day”.

Duncan’s last two film projects, Into the Hive and The Challenger, will be released posthumously in late 2012 and early 2013. His long list of work is sure to be revisited over and over again by fans and friends. The memorial’s emotional and impressive turnout proves that the ever-smiling and kind actor will never be forgotten.

Arts

September 17, 2012

Hey Ocean! performed at UBCO on the 8th of September in front of a rocking crowd.

| The Phoenix

11

Photo by John Bielher (flickr)

Hey Ocean! brings out the best in UBCO concert-goers

Laura Sciarpelletti Events Editor

“We love playing here!” said lead singer Ashleigh Ball of Canadian indie band Hey Ocean! “There’s just something about UBCO.” The band played on Saturday, September 8th in an outdoor concert at the UBCO campus to a modest but enthusiastic crowd of students. The show dragged out many first-years, and even a fair amount of older students. Hey Ocean! was in Kelowna in July

for the Kelola Music Festival and seemed thrilled to be back. The band, which consists primarily of Ball, David Beckham, and David Vertesi, had a fun and danceable set which included some of their most popular songs like “Make a New Dance Up,” “Fish,” and “Big Blue Waves.” They had the audience interacting with “sparkle fingers” and making their own dances up, as Ball enthusiastical-

ly suggested. The band kept the audience on their toes with drum solos and flute interludes.

Hey Ocean!’s set reminded me a lot of the Ra Ra Riot show I went to last year at Doc Willoughby’s in that they oozed energy, were very precise in their vocals, and truly seemed to feed off of the enjoyment and excitement of the audience. By this point UBCO was coming to the end of the first

full week of university life, and you could definitely sense that, especially when standing in the middle of it. Chants of “U-B-C-O! U-B-C-O!” rose from the crowd on many occasions. We definitely do not lack school spirit and the band certainly didn’t mind.

“Yeah!” said Ball. “UBCO! We love you guys!”

By the end of the show she was blowing her blond hair out

of her eyes and chugging down water with a big smile on her face. “Be My Baby” was a familiar tune and the audience ate it up shouting the lyrics along with the band. Hey Ocean! ended the night by encouraging the audience to stand in a giant circle and hold hands, as UBCO has done in the past. It was a unifying event and fantastic way to end the first week of university.

12

The Phoenix |

Arts

September 17, 2012

Restaurant review: Memphis Blues Classic Coke bottles, barbeque sauce, and cornbread excite the senses Amy Stetzl Contributor

When you think of barbeque and the sultry sauce that generally accompanies it, you think of the smooth warmth of sweet and the addictive tangy coming together for a unique mixture of flavours that can only be used on the bestcooked of meats, unless you are a fan of the hot stuff. In either case, if you are looking for a barbeque joint as your home-away-fromhome this school year, look no further than the downtown core’s Memphis Blues.

The franchise opened in January of 1999 when two friends discovered a passion for the flavours in Memphis and decided to recreate it for those a little farther north who didn’t have such easy access to the hearty food of the South.

The Kelowna location has become a must-visit when you are downtown with prices to fit any budget, whether you’re splurging for the full rack of ribs, keeping your wallet safe with the pulled pork sandwich, or just getting a pick-me-up of cornbread or apple pie.

Personally I am a big fan of the pulled pork and cornbread (can’t get enough of that barbeque

sauce) but the atmosphere is another force to be reckoned with.

You know when you go into a restaurant and the server or someone else comes around every five minutes pestering you about your experience and not letting you swallow a bite? Memphis Blues isn’t like that because you are essentially your own server. Walk in, pick a seat, pick your stomach’s desire, and go up and order it yourself! When it’s ready, which is fairly quickly, someone brings it to your table. That’s it. No one asking every few minutes if you need anything, or whether or not you want more, or refills, but when your plate is empty they will take it away! No unnecessary interruptions, giving you plenty of time to hold that conversation with your dining partner(s) or finishing up that homework or even just admiring the all of the decoration from the south.

This open-faced restaurant is covered in signed pictures from famous guests, posters from events and shows, and licence plates from Tennessee and Texas to name a few. It may seem like a lot to

take in at first but when the smell of barbeque washes over you any overwhelming feelings you may have had is washed away with the excitement of what is about to meet your stomach. Of course being a place from the south they also have their fair share of bourbons, whiskeys, and beer—but it’s the barbecue that is really the star of the show called Memphis Blues.

And did I mention the bottled coke?

You don’t just get a refillable glass that is paper or plastic. You get a tall, old fashioned, good lookin’ glass bottle of Coke that looks like it stepped out of a time worth remembering. There is something about bottled Coke that just tastes better than its partner in aluminum cans…probably the aluminum but feeling reminiscent probably helps its case as well.

Nevertheless, if you are feeling up for the old fashioned bottles, or just some good down-to-earth barbeque, Memphis Blues on Bernard is definitely the place to check out the next time you have a craving for something other than what your food plan card can get you.

Ribs, fries, cornbread, coleslaw, BBQ sauce, and beans.

Photo by Amy Setezl

30%

Big ‘rigged’ Brother

said they did it on the couch.

Soap opera label questions the reality show’s legitimacy Logan Saunders Contributor

terference, but is certainly nothing new to the Big Brother franchise.

Rumour has it that prior to season eight, executive producer Alison Grodner won a battle in which Big Brother USA was awarded the legal rights to be labelled as a nonscripted soap opera rather than as a gaming competition that is seen in The Amazing Race and Survivor.

So what does this mean?

It means that there really is no such thing as legally defined “cheating” in the Big Brother game. Production is free to do whatever they want and will not have to face any repercussions. Unlike Survivor or The Amazing Race, third-party governing bodies are not present at all times to ensure the game is fair and regulated. Production writes up the contracts to give them plenty of room to slant the table, although they can’t feasibly to manipulate everything exactly how they want it.

The rigging has upset many fans.

Alison Grodner has favoured some of the least-popular players over the past several seasons rather than actual favourites due to her own biased perception of who would

be interesting to keep around, unlike the first seven seasons where Grodner saw some of her personal favourites bite the dust too early.

Some fel that changing the game back to an actual competition would help the ratings that have been dramatically dropping for the past few seasons.

Further pressure has been put on Grodner all summer as ABC debuted the much more unique, creative, and unbiased Glass House.

This unusual challenger to Big Brother paved way for a courtroom battle in which CBS accused ABC of being too similar. However CBS dropped the lawsuit after Glass House ended its season after abysmal ratings.

So as Grodner leads America’s Big Brother franchise in the opposite direction of what it needs to be, what is the best solution for us Canadian viewers?

Slice has picked up on Grodner’s faltering ways and is creating their own version of the show called Big Brother Canada. Maybe it will restore the credibility that the show once had.

Do it your way.

Enrol anytime, complete your course where and when you want and transfer credits back to your on-campus program.

www.truopen.ca/yourway

MC116858

It’s that time of year. When crappy and brand new reality shows end as the regular and reliable staples are revived for the autumn time TV schedule. Glass House, Flipped Off, and a bunch of other shows made their debuts and will fade from memory. My personal favourite was on Flipped Off when the main character is fake arrested by a fake cop and put into a fake cop car but then released on a fake promise to be on his best fake behaviour for the only real thing in the whole scene—the camera.

Speaking of fake, this leads us to Big Brother 14. And I’m not talking about (season 14 contestant) Janelle’s chest. Throughout the season there’s been audio footage on the live feeds as contestants discuss how the producers told them who to nominate, others who spoke about cheating in the competitions, and another incident where a player was told by a producer to save another player because it would be “to their advantage”.

This has been perhaps the most blatant evidence given to the audience that supports production in-

Flexible • Credible • Online and distance

Arts

September 17, 2012

| The Phoenix

13

Summer game show roundup I watched these awful shows so you don’t have to Cameron Welch Editor-in-chief

TV networks always put out game shows in the summer because apparently watching notvery-famous people be annoying while lights flash is more appealing when it’s really nice outside.

These shows are cheap to make and it doesn’t matter if anyone watches them. To be clear, all of the programs I’m listing are terrible. But which is least terrible?

Oh Sit!

It’s musical chairs combined with Wipeout. That’s it. That’s the whole show. For commentary on people slipping on foam obstacles, Oh Sit! brings in former Hills Aftershow / MTV Live cohost Jessi Cruikshank and terminally corny, thoroughly irrelevant actor-comedian Jamie Kennedy.

Cruikshank does what’s asked of her and deserves better, while Kennedy is at his least obnoxious in years (not saying much), but there’s only so much they can do to redeem the same thing happening a dozen times set to the music of Kevin Rudolph. I’m not

kidding—Kevin Rudolph was the musical guest. The main idea had potential, but it’s completely squandered. A bunch of people in green shirts running through a circle of obstacles is barely entertaining the first time, let alone the tenth. There’s just straight-up no way this show should be an hour long. Maybe with a better course or better music it could be okay for 30 minutes, but Oh Sit!’s creators blew most of their budget and ideas on the DNA-shaped bridge and then still had to fill a full time slot.

The Choice

Somewhere an exec was in a rush to come up with a show and said, “you know The Voice?

Okay, that but with dating? We could call it The Choice.” Unlike the other summer game shows, The Choice actually had decent star power (The Situation, Pauly D, Joe Jonas, and presenter Cat Deeley) but even seeing those famous faces isn’t enough to convince you anything actually

engaging is going on. The problem with The Choice isn’t that it’s dumb, which it is, or sleazy, which it is. It’s that it’s one hundred percent pointless. The contestants are supposed to “blindly” choose what lady they’ll date based on what she says while they’re turned around. But every girl is the exact kind of chick these guys would be dating anyway, and they almost always turn their chairs at the first indication of that (e.g “I’m a cocktail waitress”, “I’m from Vegas”). The Choice just sets up these famous men with the exact women they find in real life. The show accomplishes nothing that couldn’t just be done by putting all the contestants in whatever bar they’d normally go to. Filming people doing what they always do can be entertaining, sure, but The Choice sets itself up with a clear presence (famous people pick someone to date based on actually learning about them) and then spends the next hour completely failing to stick to and execute that premise.

Take Me Out

Thirty women are stationed at Jeopardy-like booths, and one guy walks out and shows two videos of himself from which the ladies decide whether or not to remain as suitors or drop out by hitting their light. The format is straightforward but unlike the similar Choice, Take Me Out actually succeeds in carrying out its own premise without becoming stagnant or completely grating. Because of the setup, and because it’s women choosing, what a person says about themselves actually matters. As well, again unlike The Choice, Take Me Out’s daters and datees are normal people and don’t all fall into an obvious type— there’s a decent range of occupations, appearances, and personalities.

Overall, though, the main reason that Take Me Out is the least terrible of these three shows is that it doesn’t become as monotonous and pointless as the other two do. There are dozens of people to go to for honest re-

actions or saucy one-liners, each guy is only on stage for five minutes, and cutting to the videos helps disguise the repetitive formula. Everyone actually seems like they’re having fun, which isn’t the case with the faceless, focused competitors of Oh Sit! or the supposed-to-be-suave-butactually-just-douchey celebrity pickup lines of The Choice. With host George Lopez’s cheesiness (“Single man, reveal yourself!”) and the contestants’ unexplained choreographed dance moves, the vibe is complete foolishness, making Take Me Out the only show here that knows and enjoys how dumb it is.

If you only have time to watch one game show this summer, then make it none of these, honestly, but if you really have to pick one then Take Me Out is at least sort of watchable. But seriously, the summer’s over and there’s real TV on now that you can and should watch instead of these whenever possible

14

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September 17, 2012

UBCO students participated in an emergency response practice exercise simulating a plane crash on September 13th.

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Arts

September 17, 2012

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Summer life of a Fine Arts student Scouring trash piles, a ‘badass lobster’, and experimenting with materials Michael Kiss Contributor

Hauling 50 pounds of steel from Action Metals, it’s 25°C and a two-kilometre walk to the bus stop. This describes a typical scenario for me, a first year Fine Arts student at UBCO. I regularly scour the two scrap yards in Kelowna, hunt down discarded wood pallets and the latest tree stumps from Precision Tree Service, and search for the perfect piece of wood from Reimer Hardwood to gather for my current or future art projects, all done without a shop or a vehicle! I will add, that I do all of this searching willingly to create pieces of three dimensional art out of metal, wood, and stone.

Growing up on a farm just outside of a small town in eastern Saskatchewan I had lots of space—70 acres of it, more or less—and amazing, supportive teachers like Dean Prince, Dennis Muzyka, and Sharon Roach. Now I can really appreciate the access to tools and shop space and even the beat-up 1992 Isuzu truck with no heating. My decision to come to Kelowna to pursue an education in Fine Arts stemmed from childhood camping trips to Fintry Provincial Park and numerous visits to the University. I fell in love with the Okanagan Valley.

My first year at the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus was a great success; I was able to not only experiment with new mediums, but also make contacts in the valley. My first year courses were broad and there was a course for everything offered in the program but I quickly realized that I was spending a lot more time on my 3D projects than work for my other classes.

As I learned more from my classes it further fuelled my desire to experiment with other forms of sculpture. Having taken

shop classes in high school, I especially wanted to learn more about working with metal, which led me to researching bronze sculpture, which eventually led me to contact Jock Hildebrand.

My meeting with Jock at his studio/foundry led to a lot of questions about his work and process, and to his disbelief that I had not learned how to make molds!

I also met local Lake Country sculptor Chris Malmkvist and he encouraged me to just dig in and try stone sculpting.

The welding shop at UBCO has a spectacular workspace, and technician Don Lyons, but just not enough access for me. For my first 3D class I was lucky enough to have Byron Johnston as a professor, who helped me by refining ideas, providing feedback, giving me extra working time, and simply being a spectacular person.

For the second project of our 3D class we were to create a piece that could be created from any material and medium but had to fit inside of a cage and be within half an inch without touching ten rods inserted into the cage at various locations. The “Rods of Truth” was Byron’s test to see what we could produce and for this I made a “badass lobster”, as dubbed by the class. I had made a steel rose already as my first attempt at working with metal, but the lobster project was my real introduction to blacksmithing. This “Monster” was created with mild steel and copper using a hammer and oxy-acetylene system. During this project I dedicated all my spare time while balancing my other classes and having to work around the other classes that took place in the welding lab.

The lessons from this project showed that even with limited shop time I could still create some great projects. A chair project in

second semester consumed my life as I passionately spent the last 48 hours solid working on the project in order to finish it. From this I was able to conclude that my interest in 3D form was definitely growing but I felt that the restrictions placed on students to the shop was holding back my creative growth. The best example of this was for the summer 2D class I recently took. I wanted to expand the process and incorporate metal and wood in my final piece. This brings me back to my opening description of hauling an I-beam from Action Metals to a bus stop nearly two kilometers away. During the winter term I experimented with inlaying other metals into steel, and found that inlaying copper into steel makes great line qualities.

During the summer I had hoped to experiment with stone and metal as media, since there is so little time during the academic year to accomplish everything.

During the winter term I had made great contacts during projects by either finding materials or through learning how to make a project work. One of these connections is Jock Hildebrand who has offered me the opportunity to work at his workshop to use his tools to experiment with harder stones such as granite and marble. It is because of Jock that I will be able to continue working on projects that challenge my skills and to learn from a truly skilled man who listened to my stories and understood my situation as a student who just wants to do work.

Despite the hurdles of being a Fine Arts student, the best part of being a student is to learn, often the hard way. But through my struggles my passion for creating has never wavered; it’s only made me dig in and persevere.

3D Art by Michael Kiss.

Photos provided by Michael Kiss

Sports

Jesse Shopa

sports@thephoenixnews.com

| 16

Coaches cornered Heat soccer coaches give their takes on the upcoming season Jesse Shopa Sports Editor

Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down with women’s soccer head coach Claire Paterson and men’s soccer head coach Dante Zanatta. Here is an excerpt of our conversation about what happened last season, and what to expect for this season.

Dante Zanatta Q: What do you feel is the most important thing you learned from your first year as the head coach of the Heat?

DZ: The balance between student life and football. Where I’m from, football is the first priority, but here it is important to find that balance between training and school.

Q: Did you feel satisfied with the team’s finish following last season?

DZ: Yes, I think anytime you come into a program and medal in your first year is a big achievement for the players who put the time and effort in. You always want to win gold and go to the next level, but I think where the program was a year previously, to qualify for provincials and medal was a great accomplishment.

Q: What areas, if any, do you feel the team needs to improve on for this season?

DZ: We’re always looking to improve every area. We’ve taken great strides in understanding the game of football itself. Overall, technical skill and learning to manage the game better always needs improvement regardless of what team you’re coaching.

Q: What do you feel is the team’s greatest strength this season?

DZ: Depth. We were able to recruit some players in the off-

season that have given us more options as coaches.

Q: Who do you expect to step up this year and be an impact player on the pitch for the Heat?

DZ: I think it will be a bit more by committee. We are expecting great things out of Dylan Abbott, Harrison Shrimpton, and Manny Straith. Everyone has taken steps forward which is the encouraging this as a coach.

Q: If there is one player who may come to the forefront this season and surprise the PACWEST and Heat fans, who will this be and why?

DZ: No one really knows about David Yesaya yet; a very talented recruit. Jordan Leib and Nick Kmet will surprise a lot of people as well. They’re not flashy players, but they are extremely solid in their positions.

Q: What are your predictions and aspirations in regards to the 2012-2013 season?

DZ: Prediction? The game is too funny to predict. We want to play well, and we want to continue to improve. Playoffs, nationals, improvement. If I get two out of three, I’ll be happy.

Claire Paterson Q: How would you personally characterize last season’s silver medal finish?

CP: It was disappointing to fall short of our ultimate goal but we showed great determination pushing the match into extra time. I know the players left everything on the field and I am very proud of them for that.

Q: What do you feel the Heat need to improve on heading into the 2012-2013 season?

CP: Consistently playing at high level throughout the season. We raised the bar with our strong performance in pre-season. Now, we need to focus on maintaining that level of quick, composed, skillful play.

Q: What would you say is the major strength of the Heat this season?

CP: It is a true team. They are prepared to work extremely hard for each other and push one another to be the best. We are deeper in our roster this year, and have a fantastic group of returning players.

Q: How important is Sabrina Gasparac regarding the success of the team?

CP:Sabrina is a key figure in our program and has been instrumental in our success over the past 4 years. Not only is she a fantastic goalkeeper but she has been a wonderful leader and representative.

Q: Do you believe the new regular season format will have any effect on the outcome of the regular season for the Heat?

CP: The new format is going to be tough, but I think it is going to be beneficial to see every team in the conference twice. There is a bit more travel to deal with which could potentially be a bit more taxing on players, but this year the players have come into camp the fittest they have ever been. I believe we are prepared for that demand.

Q: What are your expectations for this season?

CP: Expectations for the season are to play consistently at a high level game in and game out, regardless of which group of athletes is on the field.

Coaches Paterson and Zanatta.

Photo by UBC Athletics

Successful first weekend for Heat golfers Women finish first, men fourth at The Dunes Jesse Shopa Sports Editor

The Heat came out swinging in their first tournament of 2012, with the men securing a fourth place finish and the women taking the team title at Dunes Golf Course in Kamloops, BC. Jen Woods took first overall for the women with a two-day total of 159. Cody Bell was the top male golfer for the Heat, with a two-day total of 143.

Both Heat teams dominated the links in the first day. The men and women sat atop the leaderboards with scores of 294 and 165 respectively.

However, windy conditions on the second day seemed to affect the men, as three of the five male golfers added 5-7 strokes to their second day total.

“[On] day one we had three very good scores a pretty good one and an average one, while on day two, three of the players added strokes,” explained coach Mike Darnbrough. “Will Deck shot another 74 and Talon Moore shot another 78. We did not play poorly, but it was very windy, which affected a few of our players.”

The wind did not seem to affect the women, as Jen Woods and Alana Kent shot better rounds (78, 80) on Sunday than they did Saturday. The duo was able to battle the elements and capture the first tournament of the season for the women. This victory at The Dunes is the seventh tournament title of Woods’ career.

“Jen played very solid golf on day two after a tougher first day.

She settled right down and was able to handle the conditions.

Her focused approach certainly paid off.”

The golf season continues on September 22nd, when the Heat travel to Nanaimo Golf Course for VIU’s home tournament.

Sports

September 17, 2012

| The Phoenix

17

Women finish strong in first weekend of soccer

Lose to Kwantlen College, dismantle Douglas College Jesse Shopa Sports Editor

Taylor Sarchet takes a penalty kick versus Douglas College.

The first game of the PACWEST season did not go the way of the Heat, as the Kwantlen College Eagles came to Nonis Field and defeated the Heat 2-0 on Saturday, September 8th.

The Heat were unable to generate much offense throughout the match. The only serious goal scoring opportunity came in the 45th minute, but third-year forward Lindsey Briggs was unable

Photo by Jesse Shopa

to convert a tough try on goal.

“We came out flat and underperformed today,” said Heat Coach Claire Paterson. “Kwantlen did a good job at winning the ball, moving the ball quickly,

and we just seemed to lose the battles there.”

With the score 1-0 for the Eagles, Dominique Lang of Kwantlen found herself with an open net after a scramble that left Heat goalkeeper Sabrina Gasparac out of position. The ball squirted out to Lang who buried the shot from five yards out, and the Heat were unable to recover from that point onward.

Following the loss to Kwantlen, the Heat were determined to have a better showing against the Douglas College Royals.

Their determination translated to success on the field, as UBC Okanagan dismantled the Royal defense, resulting in a 3-0 win for the Heat.

"We played stronger today," noted Paterson. "We played to our strengths a bit more. We moved the ball around which helped us to be successful."

Second-year forward Kirsten Dodds opened up the scoring in the first half, scoring off a scramble in front of the Royal goal in the

31st minute. Lana Findley netted the second goal for the Heat early into the second half, off a great cross by Kirsten Dodds. Firstyear forward Taylor Candelario put the game out of reach when she chipped in the third goal of the game late in thesecond half.

"We had some great performances from our first year players," added Paterson. “We had some good spark [from our] younger players."

Douglas College played the majority of the game in their own half, and were unable to test third-year Heat goalkeeper Christine Tallon.

This game marked the first time since September 20th, 2009, that the Heat have started a player other than Sabrina Gasparac in net.

The UBC Okanagan Heat will be back on their home pitch, the Nonis Sports Field, Sunday, September 30 at 1:00 p.m. when they host the Thompson Rivers WolfPack in a rematch of last year’s provincial final.

Men’s soccer team still seaching for first win Heat unable to protect leads against Kwantlen and Douglas College Jesse Shopa Sports Editor

The men from UBC Okanagan opened up the PACWEST season against Kwantlen College without a win, but also without a loss, as the Heat tied the Eagles 1-1.

It took a while for both teams to settle into the match, with the first goal of the game coming in the 50th minute off the boot of second-year forward Andrew Pinguelo. An inadvertent hand-ball in the box by first-year defender David Yesaya led to an unfortunate reward for the Kwantlen Eagles. Second-year forward Murtada Almatrood converted the penalty kick for the Eagles in the 64th minute to tie the game at one apiece.

“Today was a learning process in how to run a game,” commented Head Coach Dante Zanatta.

“They were playing a high line and we had to work on bringing our forwards back,” Zanatta said in reference to the 13 offsides that were called on the Heat, hurting the team’s offensive rhythm.

However, the Heat were fortunate to escape with a tie.

Kwantlen pressed hard offensively in the second half, hitting the crossbar on one of many at-

tempts in the last eight minutes.

"At times we were running without the thought process and forcing the game," added Zanatta. "We just need to be a little more smart.”

The following game was no better for the Heat, as the Douglas College Royals came to Nonis Field to face UBCO. The game started extremely well for the Heat, as Austin Jones and Jorden Lieb notched two first-half goals in the 15th and 38th minutes, respectively. With a two-goal lead in place, the game took a more physical turn; initiated by a frustrated Royal squad. When the dust settled, seven yellow cards were handed out between both teams, and two red cards were given to Royal players. The more physical game played into the hands of the older Royals, who overtook the Heat in the middle of the second half. The end result: 4-2 for visiting Douglas College.

Despite the loss, head coach Zanatta drew some positives from the match.

“We took on one of the best teams in the league without really any stress. It was very en-

Heat celebrate Austin Jones’ goal against Douglas College.

Photo by Jesse Shopa

You never want to drop points at home, but if we can take this lesson and learn from it, then it’s okay.”

The Heat return to their home turf on September 29th to take on their valley rivals, the Thompson Rivers WolfPack.

couraging” said Zanatta. “It’s not a bad time to have this learning experience. It’s better now than late in the season.

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The Phoenix |

Sports

September 17, 2012

NHL Lockout: What happens now?

Impact of a work stoppage on the seven Canadian teams Alex Eastman

Gary Bettman hater #458904

I would never have thought I’d be able to sit behind this keyboard and predict with near-perfect clarity that the Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks would finish in the same spot in the standings, but alas, here I am.

Even stranger? The fact that I can do so disgusts me. Such is the result of the NHL owners’ and NHLPA’s bargaining efforts, which have fallen short of the September 15th deadline for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement for the league. The owners, lead by Commissioner Gary Bettman, have made it clear that the NHL will not go forward if a new CBA is not put into effect.

The owners and players have not publicly disclosed much about the state of the game or its competitive nature; the disagreements are instead focused on the economics of the situation. The players currently receive 57% of revenues, the league operating itself using the 43% of those same revenues to cover costs. The owners want the players’ share to decrease, essentially, as a lowered

percent, closer to fifty-fifty. The players, having taken a pay cut from 75% to 57% back in the last lockout in 2004-2005, have couner-proposed a deal based off of a guaranteed dollar value, using percentages to predict the growth rate of the NHL. The owners have refused this offer, insisting that the numbers the Players’ Union used to arrive at their projections for league revenues going forward are not accurate, and the guaranteed dollar value would actually amount to a neglible change in how much money the players and owners are given from revenues to deal with.

So whose fault is this? Blame tends to fall on either side. On one end of the spectrum, the average annual salary for an NHL player has risen from about $1.5 million to about $2.5 million, with additional costs added to the bills of the teams an by the owners. Mega-contracts have been created to try and circumvent the salary cap introduced in 2005, most recently Nashville Predators defenseman Shea Weber (an ex-Kelowna

Rocket) reached restricted free agency and was offered a contract from the Philadelphia Flyers that would pay him an average value of about $8 million, making that how much his salary was worth against the salary cap. Weber, however, would be due to receive $13 million both this summer and next, regardless of whether or not he plays. Nashville, a team that only makes $26 million in ticket sales every year, matched the offer, and now faces significant financial hardship if there is no NHL and the Preds lose a great deal of their fanbase as a result.

In Canada, the situation is obviously a massive bummer. Toronto Maple Leaf fans were looking forward to the Winter Classic outdoor game held between the Leafs and the Red Wings in Detroit. There is some hope that the season will be only shortened, not lost completely, as is what happened in the NBA. Obviouslly, every team is hurt financially by the lockut, but here’s a look at how a full-season lockout would affect the seven Canadian NHL teams.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.

prise. However, taking a year off almost guarantees that the Flames will have to begin the agonizing process of tearing down their current roster and restocking their depth chart with young players high on potential, or draft picks.

The biggest figure in the Flames’ future is Iginla. The face of the

franchise could seek a trade similar to the one fellow high-profile power forward Rick Nash sought near the end of last season, and the Flames could certainly earn a huge return on Iginla. However, the team’s captain has been in Calgary his entire career, and the desire to win the cup there is no

doubt tempting, improbable as it may be. Notable minor league players who will get extra time down there this year include forward Lance Bouma, formerly of our local WHL team the Kelowna Rockets, and prospect goaltender Leland Irving, who could assume the role of AHL starter.

tracts for the upcoming season. If Edmonton loses that last season, expect them to shift the gears forward. Edmonton has had the embarassing distinction of choosing first overall in the last three entry drafts, which hurts their chances if the 2013 entry draft works out like the 2005 one. Edmonton is

one of the teams who would benefit from a shortened season, letting them see what they have in some of their high draft picks such as 2012 first overall pick Nail Yakupov and up and coming goaltender Devon Dubnyk.

Dubnyk in particular is under pressure to take over the starting

role behind a star-studded offensive team that lacks consistent defense. New coach Ralph Krueger will no doubt be monitoring the progress of the team’s young stars as they tear apart the junior leagues and the AHL next season.

Good news for Edmonton fans’ egos: they likely won’t pick first

in their playoff series as the Kings captured the Stanley Cup. Vancouver is one of many teams who would relly benefit from a shortened season rather than no season at all, shortening the grind to the playoffs. A lot of Canucks players will probably play overseas this season in Sweden, Finland, Rus-

sia, or Switzerland’s elite leagues.

Two of those players to watch are unquestionably Cory Schnieder and Roberto Luongo. Luongo, the franchise’s most successful starting goaltender, was supplanted

by Schnieder in the playoffs last year after Schnieds had a statistically superior regular season.

While Luongo cannot be faulted for the loss to the Kings, his stock is lower than Vancouver’d like, and perhaps waiting a season (One in which Luongo shines in Europe) may change the outlook of the trade negotiations and whether or not Vancouver decides to part ways with Luongo,

Photo by morgen (flickr)

Calgary Flames The Flames arguably sit in the worst spot of all seven Canadian clubs. With an aged group of core players in Jarome Iginla, Mikka Kiprusoff, Mike Cammaleri, Dennis Wideman, and Jay Bouwmeester, Calgary would have been hard-pressed just to make the playoffs without a big sur-

Edmonton Oilers The Oilers are in a curious position depending on how the new CBA is structured. Having signed young stars Jordan Eberle and Taylor Hall to long-term contract extensions each in the six million dollar area, the Oil would no doubt have loved to have those players play on their rookie con-

Vancouver Canucks A lockout presents the Canucks with a mix of positives and negatives. They are a team built to win now, with several players in or just exiting their prime years.

They are favourites to contend for the Cup every year, and were the only team to really make the LA Kings sweat during every game

Sports

September 17, 2012

| The Phoenix

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Ottawa Senators Ottawa has a glut of young players on their roster, so a lockout may not be such a bad thing.

The Sens figure to be the most financially shaky team of the seven Canadian clubs, but they should be fine. Up and coming superstar and Norris trophy winner Erik Karlsson will likely return to either the AHL or Sweden, where

he figures to be a dominating force, and can develop his defensive game even further. The goaltending duel for backup and future of the franchise is on between Ben Bishop and Robin Lehner, the latter likely returning to his native Sweden while the former backstops the AHL team in Binghamton. That team is only one

season removed from being AHL champions, and the return of many players who contributed to those wins from the Senators will boost that team into a contender for certain. Despite all of the optimism, there is some cause for concern in Ottawa. Craig Anderson was a horse of a starting goaltender, playing in a ton of games,

but he’s certainly not getting any younger, which is also true for vet defenseman Sergei Gonchar. Most damaging would be the loss of Captain Daniel Alfredsson, who contemplated retirement after the 2011-2012 season and has to be seriously considering it now that the season that could have been his last has likely been cancelled.

ways with project forwards that may not be in future plans such as Matthew Lombardi, Tim Connolly, Tyler Bozak, David Steckel, Joffrey Lupul, and Clarke MacArthur. Of the six, only Lupul is a lock to be re-signed, leaving holes in the forward lines for prospect

forwards Matt Frattin, Nazem Kadri, Joe Colbourne and Carter Ashton to make an impact. Toronto would also be able to observe progress from goaltender James Reimer and figure out whether they need to trade for help in net.

The Leafs also have a very strong

AHL team, which lost in the championship final last season.

Getting some young players from the Leafs like Jake Gardiner, who was sensational last year for the Leafs as a rookie, and Ben Scrivens, who carried the AHL team last season, will help even more.

lack of developed star power up front started to become glaringly obvious over the course of last season. Giving talented young players like Evander Kane, Ondrej Pavelec, and Zach Bogosian a chance to dominate games playing in other leagues may be the secret formula to get these kids

to take the next step and become the high-end talent that could power the Jets into playoff contetion. Pavelec in particular had an off-season full of distractions, in which the goalie was arrested in his native Czech Republic, signed for a big-money contract for the Jets after rumours surfaced

around him leaving the NHL for much more lucrative offers, not to mention questions abounding surrounding his consistency. Oddly enough, Pavelec could very well head for the KHL this year—and him stealing games for a team in that league has changed from being a terrible fear to a good sign.

Armstrong and Brandon Prust to bargain contracts. This is all irrelevant now, unfortunately, as new coach Michel Therien will not be able to put the lines together and build chemistry for a Habs team with a lot of new faces. Montreal can take refuge in the fact

that their best players are either young enough to have plenty of good years ahead or busted up to the point where having a year off to get back into game shape could lead to surprising results.

In particular, team leaders Brian Gionta and Andrei Markov need

to get healthy for the Canadiens to flourish, and forward Scott Gomez recovering his scoring touch somewhere where he isn’t under the microscope certainly wouldn’t hurt Montreal’s playoff aspirations, either, as he scored only twice last season.

Toronto Maple Leafs Aside from the Winter Classic, which would have been a blast for Leaf fans, Toronto is in the cynically enjoyable position of being the team who could benefit the most from a lockout. If player contracts have one year burned off of them, Toronto will be able to part

Winnipeg Jets Their first season in the NHL was a wild party full of crazy scores and dramatic finishes, so Jets fans figure to be pretty bummed about the lockout. However, Winnipeg may have been setting itself up for a disappointing 2012-2013 season, and have dodged a bit of a bullet as their

Montreal Canadiens Montreal built up a lot of excitement heading into this season. New General Manager Marc Bergevin made some impressivelooking moves, re-signing Franchise goaltender Carey Price and upgrading team toughness by signing gritty forwards Colby

A lockout gives the Vancouver Canucks time to see if they really want to trade star goaltender Roberto Luongo.

Photo by Mafue (flickr)

Opinions

Matt Lauzon

opinions@thephoenixnews.com

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Some are more equal than others Judge’s decision causes discrimination in assisted suicides Gordon Hawkes Contributor

On June 15, in a landmark decision, the BC Supreme Court struck down a law prohibiting assisted suicide as unconstitutional. One of the plaintiffs in the case, Gloria Taylor, a West Kelowna woman with ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, was granted the legal freedom to obtain an assisted suicide. The decision has since been appealed by the federal government and it looks likely that the case will end up being decided in the Supreme Court of Canada. The government was right to appeal the decision, however, if only because the reasoning behind it was so flawed.

Justice Lynn Smith claimed the ban on assisted suicide was discriminatory. This is simply false, and a moment’s reflection reveals it to be. The ban applied to everyone equally regardless of age, sex, race, and, most significantly, physical ability. Under the law, no one, without exception, could legally get assistance in killing themselves. The law was

the same for everyone.

More specifically, Justice Smith argued that, since suicide is not illegal, and disabled people are incapable of killing themselves, they are denied their equal rights under the law. This reasoning just doesn’t work. Justice Smith’s argument is equivalent to saying, “Jogging is not illegal, but Gloria Taylor is incapable of running.

Therefore, she is denied her equal rights.” Ms. Taylor is no more denied her (so-called) right to kill herself than she is denied her right to run a marathon. Rather, she simply lacks the capacity to do either.

Ironically, Justice Smith has proposed a new law that does discriminate: under her proposed law, only the terminally ill or those in intolerable pain would be eligible for physician assisted suicide. In other words, her law would blatantly discriminate based on physical ability. The irony is made clearer by the fact that she cited Section 15 of the Char-

ter, which guarantees “equality before and under law and equal protection and benefit of law,” in support of her decision. If she has her way, the terminally ill will have a right under the law that no able-bodied Canadian has ever had—namely, the right to have a doctor kill them. At the moment, if a Canadian wishes to kill himself, he must slit his wrists, or jump off a bridge, or shoot himself. He doesn’t have the right to go to a doctor for a lethal prescription of pills.

Clearly, the BC Supreme Court ruling is deeply discriminatory.

But the discrimination is aimed, not against the able-bodied, but against the disabled, the sick, and the dying.

Imagine a university student who is considering taking her life. In her confusion, she calls in to a suicide hotline and is told, “This is a courageous step you’re considering. You have a right to die with dignity, on your own terms, when and how you

want. No one should be forced to live with the suffering you’re going through. The ethical thing is for us to help put you out of your misery.”

This sounds like a sick and twisted joke. Suicide is a tragic act we try to prevent, not support, isn’t it? (why else do we have suicide hotlines?) Yet this is precisely the rhetoric used to support assisted suicide for the disabled and terminally ill. Why the double standard? Why would we do whatever we can to stop the student from killing herself, but go so far as to offer active help in killing someone who is sick and disabled?

The answer is that we’ve adopted a view of life which devalues those whose quality of life is not as high as our own. The traditional view of human life is that each human is valuable simply in virtue of what they are. Human value is intrinsic, or inherent.

Human life is an end in itself. As a consequence, all human life is

equally valuable.

The new view that we’ve substituted for it, however, holds that human life is valuable only insofar as it can get us something else—whether that’s “happiness” or “quality of life” or “self-fulfillment.” Human value is instrumental. Human life is only a means to an end. This means that lives which achieve the end (e.g. quality of life) better than others are more valuable.

A young, healthy athlete’s life is more valuable than an elderly Alzheimer’s patient’s life; the university student’s life is more valuable than Gloria Taylor’s life.

As George Orwell put it, “Some are more equal than others.”

If we really cared about a “right to die,” we’d allow everyone the right to have a doctor kill them.

By legalizing assisted suicide only for the terminally ill and disabled, we’re sending a strong, clear message to Gloria Taylor and others like her: You’re not as valuable as we are.

First come, first served How parking administration discriminates against students on loans.

Margaret MacDonald Contributor

UBCO breeds a different kind of competition. One not defined by academics but by available funds. One thing is clear—if you have money, you have an unspoken advantage. On the other hand, if you are student that relies on government funding you are being unfairly denied access to a campus education.

Students that rely on government loans do not receive their funding until September begins.

While this means little in the grand scheme of things regarding tuition, the problem lies in the fact that parking passes go on sale on August 1st--sold weeks before many students even receive their funding. Students waiting to receive funding are denied even the opportunity to purchase one.

If you can't afford to park then you must find and alternative method which can include walking, busing, biking, or carpooling—a fair alternative, as cited

by UBCO's website.

Unfortunately walking is not an option due to the inconvenient and illogical location of the campus on the outskirts of Kelowna.

Busing—while convenient—remains largely inefficient, considering the schedule inconsistency, inadequate routes, and limited capacity for students— not to mention the maximum of 2 bicycles per bus rack. Bike paths to UBCO do not exist and attempting to ride along the treacherous highway means putting your life on the line. Carpooling is very limited and UBCO only allows a fraction of its stalls to be designated for such use. Finding other students to car pool with, considering the distance of the campus, for example, is an even harder task: students off campus live along all lengths of the Highway 97.

UBCO's website claims that there were 7914 enrolments for the 2011/2012 school year. This

year, enrolment is expected to be over 8400. With only a few hundred parking stalls, a vast majority of students are denied parking passes.

Getting caught parking on campus without a pass results in an injurious $60, along with your school registration put on hold until the fine is paid--potentially making a parking issue, a graduation issue. It is ridiculous to allow even one parking fine to take precedence over the hard work and attendance that spans years.

As a single mom putting myself through school, funding is very limited; I managed to save barely enough money over the summer—while attending fulltime classes—to purchase a parking pass. The UBCO website confirms that passes have long been sold out for the 2012/2013 school year. After speaking with parking administration, professors, as well as academic advisors, I am

first scolded for not purchasing a pass in August and then told that there is no chance of getting a pass, even on compassionate grounds. There is no other choice than to drive my daughter to daycare, drive home, bicycle from home to the bus depot, and then bus to school, and then back again in the afternoon.

With no ample time to get morning errands done, the only choice is to drop out of morning and late-afternoon classes, leaving me with very limited course options. In my case and in many other’s, these courses are unavailable to my schedule and are required for graduation. If I cannot attend the required courses, another year gets added onto my degree as well as additional student loan debt.

Parking administration ought to account for students that don’t receive funding until September.

One would think that the City of Kelowna and the University

would immediately begin working towards realistic transportation alternatives. Instead of perhaps building a parkade, creating a safe bicycle route to campus, providing more buses, increasing bus routes, or mounting more bicycle racks to city buses, UBCO hired additional parking enforcers to dole out tickets, boots, and towing—a severe and disproportioned misallocation of funds.

Unless you have an immediately available cash reserve, your access to a campus education is deliberately blocked. The suggested transportation alternatives are not only nonsensical, but unrealistic. Purchasing parking passes is a first come first serve basis designed to accommodate financially secure students and staff. This is discriminatory and unfair. While promises of improved conditions in the future are well and good, the students of now require attention.

Opinions

September 17, 2012

| The Phoenix

21

Use brain; get smart Using the proper memory technique can lead to effortless learning Matthew Lauzon Opinions Editor

After reading a delightful little book by Joshua Foer entitled “Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything,” I was adamant to try the techniques he used to remember a deck of 52 cards in 1 minute, 40 seconds at the U.S.A Memory Championship. To my surprise and pleasure, I could recite my day’s to-do list, Steven King’s full list of novels, and every ride and attraction at Canada’s Wonderland in Toronto—all within about 10 minutes of reading them. Terrible conversation starters—actually I’m sure it would end one—they proved to have little value; however, the process by which to remember them is very efficient and can be applied to remember nearly anything.

Psychology students may or may not be familiar with Simonides of Ceos, the first to have taught the ‘method of loci’ after barely escaping a collapsing building and proceeding to identify the disfigured corpses

by simply remembering their seating arrangements around the table. Simonides spoke of mentally walking through the building and ‘seeing’ the guests seated around the table--before their demise, of course.

The whole concept sounds ridiculous­—mentally walking through familiar places, envisaging sensual cues tied to the information you want to remember throughout them, and later re-walking through, seeing your sensual cues—but after hearing how a man by the name of Ben Pridmore memorized a deck of 52 cards in 24 seconds by using this technique, it must work.

In any post-secondary institution, it seems that memory is always the key to doing well on exams, so it goes without saying that something like this is in good interest. Take for instance a passage from Foer’s “Moonwalking With Einstein”: “Without looking back and rereading it, try to repeat the first three words of this sentence to yourself.”

Without looking back.

Easy enough. Now, without looking back, try to repeat the first three words of the sentence before that. If you find that quite a bit harder, it’s because that sentence has already been dropped by your working memory.

In fact, Foer tells the reader the three words they are asked to remember three times! It goes to show that this little test not only proves how inattentive the average reader is, but how much we overestimate our memory. While I’m sure some will have remembered those three words without looking back, many will fail like this writer did as he read them for the first time.

We are taught elementary mnemonics throughout school: rhyming, songs, little sets of words to remember various bits of information (Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge!), they’re all neat tricks to help you get by. But what happens later? The transition from elementary school to high-school and beyond give us

an ever-increasing amount of information to remember, but less ways to remember them.

Given the amount that teachers hold their students’ hands to get them that passing grade; the insurmountable odds of failing a course as principals and superintendents chase higher passing rates in schools; the subtle encouragement of being legally obligated to not deduct marks on overdue projects--even up until the day before final exams (at least in Ontario); teachers give students as much slack as possible to get the passing mark, yet do little in the facilitation of successful knowledge retention. Consider that many of our parents attended school at a time when ‘memory’ was an actual course in the curriculum, and the class consisted of rote memorization of bible verses, Shakespearean passages, and even high amounts of numbers in pi. While the course of memory sounds counter-intuitive, and largely useless in today’s decreasing scholarly fund-

ing, it is easy to point out that a simple class on teaching proper study and memory techniques will greatly benefit students, and lead to a higher passing rate.

So what does this go to show?

You need your memory. Four years of learning is nothing compared to the decades of application of these skills, and of the many more years of learning you’ll go through. You’ll want to retain a whole lot of it. Make your time count here, find your own learning techniques (check this method of loci though, it’s daunting and laughably stupid at first, but invaluable when harnessed), and make the most out of your time.

If you’re really good, you can be like Lukas, as mentioned in this excerpt from Foer’s book: “Lukas had partied until dawn the night before [his] biggest exam of the year, and only stumbled home just before sunrise.

[He] woke up at noon, learned everything for the exam in a memory blitz, and passed it.”

A simple to-do list--one of the millions of things (among course notes) that can be rememered with the right memory technique.

Photo by anselm23 (flickr)

Health and Dental opt-out date is September 20th! Get your forms at the UBCSUO front desk!

ubcsuo pages

The Well Grand Opening & Step and Repeat!

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September 17, 2012

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