Vol. 25, Issue 5

UBCO’s Student Newspaper

October 29th, 2012 | Vol. 25 Issue 5

... putting our parking tickets to good use since 1989

Opening Doors

After a year in limbo, local band JoyfulDoor gets in on the Kelowna music scene

e v i g o t e v o l u o y t Wouldn’ 6 e g a p ? t o o b e h t g parkin

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The Phoenix |

October 29, 2012

Staff Bios — We’re The Phoenix!

Rumnique Nannar - Features Editor So yes, I have the best nickname (Rum) in the history of the world. I’m a Cultural Studies Major with a penchant for overanalyzing films, anting on politics, and all things under the sun. As expected, my title as Features Editor will be an eclectic mix of what’s in my busy head.

Jesse Shopa - Sports Editor I’m your typical sports fan; obnoxious, loud, opinionated. Somehow I got a position at the Phoenix, and now I get to put my opinion in print. So come find me on game day, I’ll be in the stands contributing to what is shaping up to be a great sports culture at UBC Okanagan.

Matt Lauzon - Opinions Editor We tried to contact Matt for a bio, but we found him holed up in a corner of the library, softly sobbing as he sorted through throes upon throes of internet memes and InDesign tutorials. He couldn’t communicate more than two sentences in a row without breaking down. At press time he is on his way to making a full recovery.

October 29, 2012

Dave Nixon - News Editor 4th year Management Student. Began my first year in 2007. Might be in the running for the longest time taken to graduate at UBCO. I’m really tall and sometimes I hit my head on things. I firmly believe that any movie or show with Marky Mark in it is amazing, no exceptions.

Janelle Sheppard - Arts Editor Janelle enjoys music, writing, moose, and wearing autumn colours all year round. She wears fake glasses, and needs to make an optometrist appointment. According to a recent poll in the UBCO beer gardens, her best features are her eyes and her headband.

Laura Sciarpelletti - Events Editor Laura has seemingly never-ending new girl syndrome. She is a Creative Writing major stuck in a Virgin Suicides and Smiths frame of mind and an extensive journal collection, which she doesn’t consider to be a bad thing. Laura wants to be a journalist and will probably end up living at the top of a mountain with five cats writing about her lost youth and eating tree bark.

Gavin Gamache - Copy Editor I’m usually the odd one out at the office for four independent reasons: I’m a science student, I go to Okanagan College, I’m hopelessly out-of-date on popular culture, and I’m actually an old man. Things generally work out because I am so funny and modest. What the hell do you even write in a bio?

Hanss Lujan - Photo Editor Hanss was hatched from an egg, found at the highest peak of the Andes Mountains.

He is a local photographer and Visual Arts student here at UBCO. If you wave at him and he doesn’t respond, it is probably because you are looking at his evil twin, Scones.

Alex Eastman - Managing Editor You’re Alex Eastman. You do the paperwork for the paper. If someone wants something, they ask you. This does not make you a genie, however. You often talk faster than you can think.

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Welcome to the new Phoenix Dear reader, let me holla at you for a minute.

I’m Cam Welch, this year’s Editor-in-chief. The rest of the staff members are introduced over on Page 2. We make the newspaper you’re reading, and we haven’t gotten a chance yet this semester to properly introduce it, so here goes.

Welcome to The Phoenix. We’re UBCO’s student newspaper and media source. The Phoenix is here to provide student readers with interesting and informative content and to provide student writers, photographers, and artists with a place to show their work. (If you’re not a student and you’re reading this, that’s more than alright. We’re happy to have you too.) We’re your primary source for articles on what UBC, the UBCSUO, the Heat, and everyone else on campus have been doing. We also write about whatever interests us and whatever we think will interest you – from movies to social issues to local, provincial, and national news.

We’ve released a few issues already this year, but this this time we’re officially presenting you with the new paper. Consider this the Grand Opening of the 2012-2013 Phoenix. Starting this issue, we’ve made some changes

from the old format: new art design, a new online presence, and new content. Beginning on October 31st we’ll be doing video stories about on-campus events and posting fresh articles to the website regularly (Editor’s note: I meant “fresh” as in “new”, not as in “cool” or “dope”, but don’t get it twisted — they will be cool and dope as well, and possible even rad and/or trill). thephoenixnews.com is where to go for regular information on what’s happening on campus and in town; we’ll have recaps of every Heat game and post any breaking stories we come across (like that car catching on fire in the EME parking lot).

In the paper itself we’re going to lean more towards long-form stories and less time-sensitive content. We hope to really take you right to the bottom of an issue when you sit down to read a page. In our main sections we’ll be introducing new types of articles: roundtable discussions, point-counterpoints, capsule reviews, news wires, infographics, comics, and many more. We also created these two staff pages at the front for stuff that doesn’t fit into the main sections.

We work to bring you content like this every two weeks, but the

paper isn’t just ours — it’s yours too. If you have ideas for articles, events you want us to list, topics you think should be covered, or just anything that relates to the paper, let us know. If you want to film videos, record podcasts, or cover things happening in the city, let us know. If you’re looking for experience in writing, editing, interviewing art design, or journalism in general, let us know.

If you saw a great movie over the weekend, write a review. If you’re riled up about something, shoot us a letter to the editor. If you want to inform other students about ongoing issues, write a News, Features, or Opinions article on it. If there are things you want to read, write them and we’ll publish them. We’re at the end of the hall under the stairs in the UNC building and can always be reached at the e-mail addresses listed on the masthead page, so hit us up anytime. Every single corny UBC speech ends with the speaker saying “Tuum Est — It’s Yours”. What I’m saying here (hopefully without the corniness) is pretty much the same thing. The paper is yours to read, yours to write for, and yours to shape.

Thanks for checking us out, and I hope you enjoy the read.

Cameron Welch Editor-in-chief

What we’re thinking about this issue: Dislikes ▼ In the past, The Phoenix has done a list every issue of things we like that week. This issue, we decided to flip it around (record scratch noise) to dislikes and ask the staff members what annoyed them in October.

When people hold the door open for a lot of people Jesse

The water stop videos Cam

“Man, the new water stop is full of improvements! Not only is it in a 100% less-convenient location, it also features an endless 2002-era 3D animation of squirrels fighting or something. It’s like if someone read five pages of Redwall and then watched five minutes of Ice Age and then got the two mixed up in a kafkaesque fever dream. For real, why does

the giant bunny hate the squirrel things? And what happens after he catapults the fat mouse? It just says ‘to be continued…’ but then it never continues! Come on man, I want to know. WHAT HAPPENS TO THE FAT MOUSE???”

The Walking Dead Laura

“Everyone dies and eats each other, and I can only handle so much cannibalism.”

Tim Hortons Dave

“When Tim Hortons asks me if I ‘want breakfast’ with my coffee.

Who impulsivelybuys an entire breakfast?! ‘Well I was going to skip that meal today, but since you offered…’ ALL I WANT IS A COFFEE.”

Gadgets in pockets Matt

“Having to fit my phone, keys, iPod, and wallet into my pockets.

As much as I like wearing layer on top of layer, I can’t be bothered to navigate countless belts and zippers for a single slip of paper. When will fanny packs come back into style?”

When the paper towel dispenser is empty Gavin

“So you’re like done your thing and you decide to be a good citizen and wash your hands so you scrub away all vaguely proud of yourself, give your hands a couple flicks into the sink, and turn around to pump the lever for some towel. The roll spins emptily, and now your head’s full of thoughts of all the gnarly bacteria which might be just clinging to life on that escape hatch to the

outside world. You’re gonna give a solid twenty thousand or so of those bacteria a new lease on life with your wonderfully moist hands now. But it’s not like you have any options, so you grab that handle and try not to think about it.”

Youtube.com Cam

“Youtube, it was fine when you wanted to throw some ads in the mix. You’re giving us unlimited videos and we understand that you gotta make money somehow.

But yeasterday there was an ad before literally every video I tried to watch. What about my all-Nelly playlist I was trying to do? I can’t just have four Samsung Galaxy S3 commercials sprinkled in there. It’s an ALL NELLY playlist.

Samsung isn’t Nelly! I don’t want to hear how ‘the next big thing is already here’, I want to hear ‘Hot in Herre’.”

Earthquakes Alex

“Seriously nature, the last thing I need is you making me feel guilty for not phoning home enough by making my house shake. Hope everyone out by Kitimat, Masset, and other nearby areas are okay.”

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The Phoenix |

In this issue

October 29, 2012

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

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Features

Arts

Editor-in-chief: Cameron Welch

editorinchief@thephoenixnews.com

Art Director: Nadine Bradshaw artdirector@thephoenixnews.com

News

Photo Editor: Hanss Lujan

photo@thephoenixnews.com

Copy Editor: Gavin Gamache

• Lib. candidate Burton interview • Cover Story: UBCO’s parking

News Editor: David Nixon

• Guide to UBCSUO structure

copy@thephoenixnews.com

issues investigated

news@thephoenixnews.com

Features Editor: Rumnique Nannar features@thephoenixnews.com

Arts Editor: Janelle Sheppard arts@thephoenixnews.com

• We break down the key issues •

leading into the U.S. election Plus: could Marco Rubio lead the Republicans after Romney?

• What is Theatre 26?

• Aidan Knight concert review • Our editors discuss the Perks of

being a Wallflower film adaptation

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Sports

Opinions

UBCSUO

Events Editor: Laura Sciarpelletti events@thephoenixnews.com

Sports Editor: Jesse Shopa

sports@thephoenixnews.com

Opinions Editor: Matt Lauzon

opinions@thephoenixnews.com

Staff Writer: Brandon Taylor writer@thephoenixnews.com Online Editor: Amber Choo online@thephoenixnews.com Ad Sales Rep: Brendan Savage ads@thephoenixnews.com

Managing Editor: Alex Eastman

managingeditor@thephoenixnews.com

• Heat Women’s Golf win nationals • Heat Volleyball opener recap • Inside the Furnace is back

• Why memes are terrible • Donkey Love bad, but gore okay?

• In defense of going to movies alone

• Explanation of executive pay increase

Contributors: Ali Young, Jeff Stychin, Ryan Ennis, Brianna Ferguson, Amy Stezl, TP Mazembe, Jason Chan, Lucas Glenn Cover Photo by Hanss Lujan (The Phoenix).

Corrections: Last issue we credited the

Windmills concert photo to “Valaura”, when it should have been “Valaura Vedan of WelcometoKelowna.com”

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

The editorial staff encourages everyone to submit material to the Phoenix but reserves the right to withdraw submissions from publication for any reason. “Any reason” could be material deemed to be sexist, racist, homophobic, or of poor taste or quality.

The Phoenix

will not publish materials which condone, promote, or express actions which are illegal under current laws.

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

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

Electronic Submissions:

Submissions on disk should

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

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

www.ubcsuo.ca

www.cup.ca

Students take part in an underwear run to raise cancer awareness on campus.

Photos by Ali Young

NEWS

Dave Nixon

News@thephoenixnews.com

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Dave Nixon News Editor

Blood: in you to give

SU Mud Run

New fund for students

Relief for the 97 route?

Nursing students will be running blood donation information booths throughout November. Specific times include November 6th from 10am-2pm, and November 19th from 9am12pm. They will also offer the opportunity for students to discover their blood type. Approximately every minute of every day, someone in Canada needs blood. According to a recent poll, 52% of Canadians say that they, or a family member, have needed blood or blood products for surgery or medical treatment. It takes up to fifty units of blood to save an automobile accident victim. In just one hour, your donation has the ability to save a life.

The nursing students will also make things easier for you to donate by offering you the ability to book appointments at the Kelowna Donation Clinic.

Last Saturday the SU hosted its annual Mud Run: a spin off of the “Tough Mudder” event occurring all over the world. The event is a difficult one to set up, but competitors had a good time and said it was well organized. The Students Union said it was a success and encourages even more teams to sign up for next year’s event.

The Associate Vice President, Student’s Portfolio of UBCO has established a new fund for undergraduate students leading initiatives addressing the issues of “student success, program connection, and campus affinity”.

Any application is reviewed by the Approval Committee, which is made up of faculty, staff, undergraduate, and graduate students. You may also apply to be a volunteer member of this committee. They will determine funding amount, disbursement method, and reporting requirements differently for each case presented.

Students applying for the fund need to be sponsored by a mentor who is a faculty member, grad student, or approved staff member.

The Mayor of West Kelowna recently announced they are planning to add an express route from West Kelowna to the UBC Okanagan campus. As students are aware, the 97 Express has been shouldering the weight of the extra route since the beginning of the school year. With the 97’s reported timing issues, it is hoped that this addition will alleviate some of the problems.

Underwear Run Friday October 26 was UBCO’s first “Underwear Run” to raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society, and promote having a “Game Plan” for cancer prevention - an initiative being promoted by the Society to encourage people to take health into their own hands. The event’s goal was to raise $250, and it exceeded that with $425 in donations.

Defend Our Coast Day

Student VOICE The central question to the year long Student VOICE research project is: “What makes a healthy university community?” Their research at Kelowna involves collecting images, facts, figures, and student testimony over the course of the year. Go online to take their survey and participate in making UBCO’s campus a healthier place for students, staff and faculty.

The Opportunity Agenda for BC The Presidents of BC’s six research universities have now began a public debate on the key role played by BC’s post secondary education in the province’s long term social and economic health. The plan states that making heavy investment in the province’s post secondary institutions will ensure the future competitiveness of our economy.

The plan draws attention to data that supports an assertion that BC is experiencing a growing skills gap, which will only continue to widen with the cuts being made to investment in post secondary education. The plan calls for immediate intervention in order to provide a space in post secondary education for every qualified BC student, guarantee financial support for students in need, and job creation through research investment.

UBCO student organizes successful protest against Enbridge.

Dave Nixon News Editor

The October 26th “Defend Our Coast Day” protest outside Steve Thompson’s MLA office in downtown Kelowna.

The proposed Enbridge pipeline has lately become more of a hot topic on campus, thanks to the efforts of students passionately raising awareness throughout the community. 75 people turned out to local MLA Steve Thompson’s office to protest, linking arms against putting BC’s coasts and communities at risk. A smaller group also created a presence on campus in the courtyard.

Thompson - Minister of Forest, Lands, and Natural Resoure Operations - would have liked to be there to talk with them, but he was engaged in meetings with visitors from Vancouver at the time of the

protest. “I appreciated the expression of interest they provided on the [topic],” he told The Phoenix.

Thompson also expressed appreciation at the respectful, peaceful manner in which the protest was conducted, and referred back to the Province’s 5 conditions that must be met before the pipeline will be considered to demonstrate that the government shares many of their concerns: 1) Completing the environmental review process. This will mean a recommendation by the National Energy Board Joint Review Panel.

2) Deploying world-leading practices for land oil-spill re-

sponse, prevention, and recovery systems for BC’s coastline and ocean to manage and mitigate the risks and costs of heavy oil pipelines and shipments.

3) Using world-leading practices for land oil-spill prevention, response and recovery systems to manage and mitigate the risks and costs of heavy oil pipelines.

4) Addressing legal requirements regarding aboriginal and treaty rights, and ensuring First Nations are provided with the opportunities, information, and resources necessary to participate in and benefit from a heavy-oil project.

5) Ensuring British Columbia receives a fair share of the fiscal and economic benefits of a proposed heavy oil project that reflects the level, degree, and nature of the risk borne by the province, the environment, and taxpayers.

One of UBCO’s own is taking a central role in raising awareness and organizing these events around the community. Danielle Prins is a Human Kinetics student, and her passion has been instrumental in spreading awareness.

She has been setting up information booths around campus, hosting presentations and open discussions on the topic,

Photo by Andrew Barton

as well as spearheading the Kelowna portion of Defend Our Coast Day. Over 6200 people are estimated to have participated in almost 70 different community actions all over BC, where participants linked arms to show a united image of opposition to both Enbridge’s Northern Gateway Pipeline, as well as the Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion plan.

Next issue, we will be taking an in depth look at all issues surrounding the pipeline to establish a current holistic view of the plan’s status.

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The Phoenix |

News

October 29, 2012

News

October 29, 2012

Parking: the most talked-about issue on campus Lack of available space and adequate transit leave students frustrated

Dave Nixon and Laura Sciarpelletti News Editor, Events Editor

Parking at UBCO is a serious concern among students. On any given day, up to 4768 people from off-campus must find a way to the school without a vehicle. Many of them catch a ride or carpool, but many more must use transit. Parking and transit are intertwined issues, and it is important to differentiate which facets of them are unavoidable facts of student life, and which are failures of the respective systems.

Many students have found the transit system unreliable this year despite its new additions. Jada McDermott is a Creative Writing student at UBCO and, disappointed with the transit system and its waiting periods, recently bought a car to make her daily trips to and from school quicker and easier.

“I [got] a car and then I needed a pass for the parking lot because the school doesn’t take enough money from me in tuition, books, gym fees and bus fees,” McDermott wrote. “Now I have to wait until November when the second semester parking [passes] will be out. Instead of in high school where everyone is trying to get you to stay college is trying to take as much as possible from you until you think you can’t do it anymore.

[Then you] get sucked in again by student loans.”

Photo by Hanss Lujan

The price paid is determined by the lot’s distance from the school. This can range anywhere from $25/month in the H lot to $40/month for the closer spots.

“This perception turns parking into a zero sum game, where students can justify trying to beat the system, and parking officials then try even harder to catch infractions” “We have one of the lowest parking rates across the country,” said Paul Marck, Media Relations Coordinator for UBC’s Okanagan campus, speaking on behalf of the Parking Office.

He added that many schools do not stagger their ticket prices to provide savings on parking further from the buildings. To put this in perspective, students at UBCO pay from $200 to $360 per school year (8 months). A study by Macleans in 2011 reported Ryerson as having the most expensive parking in the country, at $1,017 per year. Another big-city campus, McGill,

follows closely with $990 per year, but UVIC (a city-outskirts campus like ours) comes in third with $828.

Acadia University students pay $110 per year and they are ranked 8th cheapest across the country. UBC Vancouver is 6th most expensive, charging approximately $640 for a school year of parking. Our campus falls more or less in the middle of the national spectrum. Generally, larger universities are among the most expensive, while small universities are the cheapest. Many factors go into these prices, however, and it is difficult to compare institutions straight across the board. The three issues of parking, housing, and transit are all connected and vital to understand each individual campus’ circumstances.

UBC’s Vancouver and Okanagan locations are two very different campuses. Twenty percent of UBCO students live on campus.

There are 3.3 people to 1 parking spot. UBC Vancouver has 29% of students living on campus, and 6 people per parking spot (includes staff and faculty as commuters). However, UBC Vancouver has been slashing parking by the thousands and constructing residences with a goal of 50% on-campus students in order to minimize commuting. UBC Okanagan does not

appear to have the infrastructure to reach a comparable goal, and our transit system is much less extensive than Vancouver’s.

Many students also find it much less useful. McDermott’s classmate, Ryan Ennis, has expressed concerns about how well transit and parking systems work together. “I didn’t buy a pass this year because it was just too expensive to justify,” said Ennis. “So I pay once a week for a day pass and ride my motorcycle on the other days.

The parking is pretty ridiculous, considering the bus system is so inefficient in Kelowna.” Ennis is not alone in this observation. Every commuting student we have spoken to is concerned about the transit system. The 97 Express is heavily relied upon, but this year it has often been late (partly due to the West Kelowna extension), especially at peak hours, and fills up to the point that it cannot pick up additional commuters and must pass them by. It is a mandate of the university to increase transit use and carpooling. But when students try to support the University’s mandate (or simply reject UBCO’s parking system), they are met with further frustration from the current unreliability of Kelowna’s transit system.

The city is aware of the problem, and works closely with the

“Basically as a student I don’t feel like I’m being provided for”

The meter was paid for until 1 PM.

Photo by Ryan Ennis

Jada McDermott, 4th year CRWR student University to meet students’ needs. The transportation system now has over 100 buses arriving on campus on weekdays, but more are needed. The Mayor of West Kelowna recently announced an upcoming Westbank-UBCO express line, which will relieve some of the pressure on the 97 Express. “It’s a moving target for everybody.

By and large, [they] are doing a good job of being responsive to the [changing] demand,” said Marck. He pointed out that the City is closely monitoring need and will make changes in order to ease the crunch, though the slow pace of making changes in the middle of a budget cycle limits them.

Parking enforcement is a significant issue as well. UBC does not have a great reputation when it comes to parking fines: in 2009 Mr. Justice Goepel of the BC Supreme Court held that UBC did not have the legal authority to

Yeah...no space.

Photo by Hanss Lujan

issue and collect parking fines, and ruled that UBC had to pay back $4M in parking fines, towing fees, and administrative charges related to parking. The fines were never paid back, as UBC successfully appealed the case. It was controversial due to the case hinging on a retroactive law passed after the class action lawsuit succeeded. This new law enabled UBC to treat parking enforcement as it saw fit.

Human Kinetics major Sam Carroll recently parked his truck, only to return to a $30 ticket issued because the size of his vehicle left the back sticking out farther than others.

“I didn’t know what to do, so I just paid the fine,” said Carroll.

“When I bought the pass I had to enter what kind of vehicle I had, so they knew. If they don’t want big trucks parked in certain spots they should have small car parking signs.” Other students have ended up receiving tickets only a couple moments after their parking expired, as shown in the photo (page 7). Incidents like these are why students get a negative perception of UBC parking as an authoritarian

organization out to get them the moment they slip up. This perception turns parking into a zero sum game where students can justify trying to beat the system, and parking officials then try even harder to catch infractions. “I really can’t emphasize enough that the space we have is being wasted,” said McDermott. “I counted more than five spaces in “pass designated” spots. If we are going to take advantage of dispenser parking, we should have more options than just a day or three-hour pass. Especially if parking sales run out by the second month of school and there’s still a lot of students clamoring for more.

Where are [they] going to park then? I had a parking security office member say Parkinson Rec Center. Why am I parking there? That’s the reason I got the car, so that I don’t have to wait for buses and deal with the [reckless] driving and timing.”

Students use their car primarily to ensure they can keep to their own schedule and avoid being inconvenienced by the bus system. If they must park first and then catch the bus they

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are losing the advantage that the high cost of driving gives. While the “park-and-ride” approach allows students to avoid the less-frequent non-central bus routes, and does result in fewer cars on the road, it essentially makes student parking someone else’s problem by moving it off-campus.

Our parking rates aren’t particularly bad when compared to those of other campuses across Canada. The Kelowna transit system has improved, but still has a ways to go to fully serve student needs. Additionally, enforcement appears very quick to take advantage of minor infractions, which is perpetuating a zero sum game. Many students struggle financially just to make it to the end of the year, and some feel that the way parking is handled makes it more difficult to attend their school.

“Basically as a student I don’t feel like I’m being provided for,” wrote McDermott. “I’m the customer here; I paid for this, I’m actually paying for a lot of stuff here but a great need of mine isn’t being met.”

Breakdown of UBCSUO positions Dave Nixon News Editor

Graphic by Nadine Bradshaw

There are four of our peers that play an enormous role in our university experience. You pay $129.89 in fees each semester that they control the allocation of, and they hold significant influence around many of the other fees you see on your financial summary.

The executive is governed by a set of democratically determined rules and regulations, which you can read about online at their website. In short, the four executives each have a distinct role, but they are equally responsible for all decision making, as no single executive holds veto.

There are nine other students on the student council, but the executives are the main four with distinct and extensive jobs within the UBCSUO. The executives meet once a week in the UBCSUO offices.

The full council has board meetings every second Monday at 4pm which are held in UNC 105.

Both the informal exec meetinga nd the official council meetings are open to the student body.

The UBCSUO employs a staff of eight managers to run the businesses on campus, and are overseen by a Board of Directors.

Any decisions for values exceeding $10,000 must be voted on by the Board.

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The Phoenix |

News

October 29, 2012

Liberal leadership spotlight

Alex Burton: Vancouver lawyer starts his campaign

Jesse Baxter’s open letter to students

Dave Nixon News Editor

We spoke with the National Liberal Party leadership candidate, Alex Burton, as he passed through the Okanagan on a 42 day grassroots campaign to connect with all Canadians. He is not just paying that term lip service. His bus will take him across Canada, stopping at small rural centers as well as larger cities in order to hear opinions from and connect with those Canadians who don’t always get the chance to meet their politicians. Alex is coming into this race as an underdog: he doesn’t have the media coverage other candidates like Trudeau are favored with, and he is an outsider to the political machine of Ottawa. But he is passionate about reinventing the Liberals with new ideas, new energy, and new credibility.

On his motivation to run: “When Bob Ray announced he was not going to run[…] I looked around and said[…] who’s that person that’s going to step up and do the things that I want to see done. Who is going to make the argument for liberalism in Canada. I looked around, and frankly, [there’s] a lot of very bright people, a lot of very capable people, but I didn’t see that person who was going to articulate the values and ideas that I wanted to see the party advancing. At that point I realized that if I wanted the party to do what I believe it needs to do, if I wanted to see the country move in the direction that I believe it needs to, I would have to step up. So I did.”

On the Liberal Party: “Canadians sent the Liberal party a message in the last election[...]

You can’t just say, ‘we’re the Liberal party; vote for us’.” Burton stressed jobs and the economy as a centerpiece from which all the other issues will follow. “We need a Liberal party that has credibility to talk about jobs and the economy in a responsible way. Everything flows from that.”

What distinguishes him from the other candidates: “It’s not ideological for me. It’s not [just] ‘we have to get down the debt and the deficit’. I do believe the government can make a difference, it can step up and help, but if it’s shackled with debt and deficit it can’t do it.

SU Services Coordinator resigns

produce better educated, better prepared students for a world that’s changing rapidly. Are we thinking 10 to 20 years down the road?

“The federal government has an important role to play in higher education. But the role of a national government should be to make sure that no matter where you grow up in Canada, no matter where you pursue [education], there is a minimum standard.”

On international relations:

Alex Burton Photo from Wikimedia Commons

Vital Stats Birthdate: February 24, 1955 Education: BA of Political Sciences from Dalhousie University.

Graduated Law School from the University of Victoria.

Work: Crown Prosecutor for the BC Ministry of the Attorney General in the organized crime unit and was previously an Assistant District Attorney in Manhattan working in Special Narcotics and the Money Laundering and Tax Crimes unit. President of the Vancouver Kingsway EDA for the Liberal Party of Canada.

Home: Vancouver Family: Married to Christie Ford, a law teacher at UBC Vancouver. They have two young children of ages 14 and 6.

The current government: “The thing that I’m really passionate about, is that they [have closed] off the committee system, the very system that is designed to allow Canadians to communicate with politicians. I don’t care what party you’re from, shouldn’t you want to find the best solutions?”

On education: “It hits quite close to home for me. My wife is a professor at UBC, at the law school.

And we talk around the dinner table about these issues, about student access to education etc.

“Those are all things that are near and dear to me in my home world, and the federal government needs to be engaged in. Not dictating, but having the conversation to

“I was one of those kids, I traveled the world with a Canadian flag in my backpack[…]It gives you a different perspective on your own country. A lot of the things we think of as Canadian are more fragile than we think. It’s easy to take for granted some of the things: the incredible opportunities, civic structure, peaceful society, [and] democratic values...

Having traveled[…]to countries with dictators[…]when I was young, it really affected how I saw my own country. In terms of our place in the world, I agree, we need to get back to being that moral, social, economic leader. We are not a superpower, but we can be so much better, do so much better; it actually matters. Some people think foreign policy, how we interact with other countries, it doesn’t matter, well it does.”

Alex Burton is on the outside of this race. He’s not a status quo politician who has been aiming at Party Leadership most of his life.

But the same thing that seems like a disadvantage to him may become an advantage. “Something like 4 out of 10 Canadians voted in recent federal elections. There’s a lot of cynicism about politicians in general and the politicians have the responsibility to wear that.

There’s a reason for that view, it’s not just random. Our governments, our politicians, have the responsibility to step up and have honest conversations and not just say ‘well here’s what you want to hear, and then go and do something else.” If Canadians are disenchanted with political rhetoric, a challenger from theoutside of Ottawa’s political machine may be an attractive option for the Federal Liberal Party in order to rebuild themselves from third place.

Jesse Baxter

Photo from www.ubcsuo.com

In an unfortunate turn of events, Jesse Baxter, the Student’s Union Services Coordinator, has officially resigned under circumstances outside of his control. His unedited letter is below, explaining the circumstances.

Dear Students of UBC’s Okanagan Campus, During the past six months at the Students’ Union of UBC Okanagan, it has been an honor to be able to serve as your Services Coordinator. The incredible passion of the Students’ of UBC Okanagan that I have been able to engage with has been truly inspirational. The Students’ Union has offered me opportunity to grow and I am grateful that students elected me to represent them as their Services Coordinator of the UBC Students’ Union Okanagan.

However at this point in time, it is with great regret that I must resign from my position as the Services Coordinator for the UBC Students’ Union Okanagan. While it has been difficult to serve as an executive on the Board of Directors with my academics on the side, my passion for student services has made each day as exciting and enjoyable as the next.

Recently I have run into hardships with my personal health in the form of a broken foot. With six courses and this injury I will not be able to perform my duties to the best of my abilities or serve the Students of UBCO to a level that they deserve. I appreciate the opportunity and apologize for any hardships or disappointments that result from this.

During this time of transition I will ensure that I make myself available to the best of my abilities in order to assist the board of directors and the new Services Coordinator for the UBC Students Union Okanagan. I am incredibly grateful to you, the students, of UBC’s Okanagan Campus for allowing me the opportunity to represent you within the Students’ Union. Thank you and my sincerest apologies.

Regards, Jesse Baxter Jesse’s resignation was quickly filled through a process of nominations.

Nick Dodds, a firner member of Students 4 Students who ran against Students in Action in the last election, was the only nomination. Current Internal Coordinator Sabrina Tikhomiroff commented that they are excited to work with Nick, and that there is no political rivalry from the elections last year.

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October 29, 2012

| The Phoenix

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FE ATURES

Rumnique Nannar

features@thephoenixnews.com

10

October 29, 2012

Features Editor, Staff Writer, News Editor

Predicting the Future

By Rumnique Nannar As election season draws to a close, Mitt Romney and Barack Obama are mired by a general feeling of cynicism and indecision. Voters are faced with an extremely tough choice that has largely been shaped by a media in overdrive, and the bogeyman rhetoric positioned by both candidates. Coupled with our own prophecies of this election race, the two candidates have a hard fight to win over the public. Healthcare and the economy are the key issues that divide the undecided and disillusioned masses. Amidst the attack ads, debates, and speeches, the hope and change of 2008 has been replaced with disillusionment and the blame-game.

As much as we want Barack Obama or Mitt Romney in the Oval Office, we tend to be amazed at election outcomes as if they were fated and predetermine the aftermaths of the winner and loser. If Obama loses, then his presidency may be likened to Jimmy Carter’s – a nice guy, but a feeble leader. Although he inherited the worst economic recession in recent times, the media and our minds will likely jump to that conclusion that he was doomed by fatal follies since the beginning. His aloof persona, his failure at bipartisanship, his false rhetoric of hope and change will be likened to Carter and Lincoln who battled a stubborn house. In spite of these selffulfilling prophecies, there is the chance that Obama will manage to clinch a win by a minority. He might then be likened to Lincoln, a weary fighter who was able to keep his restraint and win over a disenchanted public. Yet, should Mitt Romney scrape through, we may become merciless at his glib persona and notoriety as

First Debate: Obama 49%, Romney 45% Romney pivoted to the center after being a severe conservative in the primaries. He went on the offensive, and Obama did little to stop him.

As Obama and Romney square off, we look at the gaffes, the debates, and our predictions.

an-over privileged businessman.

Our prophesies are neither fair nor balanced, yet it is sign of our preference for stories rather than the uncertainties of chance.

With the bogeyman rhetoric that comes through in their visions for Americav, Romney and Obama are feeding into this predestined narrative that we prefer. If we side with either one, voters are choosing an involved government of the Democrats or the smaller government of the Republicans. While the unemployment level is currently at 8%, the two candidates have offered vague and unrefined objectives to rid the country of its $16 trillion debt. Romney’s fivestep plan has promised to create 12million jobs and cut taxes for businesses. Yet that budget plan crafted by Romney and his running mate Paul Ryan lacks detail and concrete objectives that match up with facts. The candidates are almost neck in the polls, with the Gallup poll this week predicting a Romney if the election was held that day. Obama’s economic plan is also aiming to rebuild the middle classes, and raising taxes for millionaires and families with higher incomes.

His policies appear to be quite moderate and keeping with his pragmatic attitude towards the future. Obama has constantly reminded voters that it was not going to be an easy job to rectify the problems he inherited. This line of rhetoric has worked in swingvote states like Florida and Michigan, where he was able to revive the auto-industry and intervene during hurricane season.

Dependant on who is voted in as president, then Medicare is the next objective on the agenda that needs to be vastly improved.

Based on Obama’s economic plan, Obamacare would force many citizens to purchase health insurance or pay a penalty fee for their claims. While the idea of universal healthcare should be a fundamental right for the citizen, the two candidates have been clashing over this issue. It all boils down to the invasiveness of the government in the lives of their citizen’s health. Romney and Ryan have offered to repeal much of the benefits in the Medicare agreement, and use a voucher program to cover the costs

for healthcare. Yet for decades, the Medicare debate has come down to a complete split. Republicans accuse the Democrats of fear mongering and too much involvement, while Democrats accuse Republivcans of trying to cut the program and of not caring enough. This election season, Romney has been criticized for continuing the “for-profit” sys-

tem of healthcare that keeps the gaping disparity of costs for the middle to working classes. Vicepresidential nominee Paul Ryan pitched his plan of Medicare that aimed to privatize it completely.

Yet both candidates have outlined plans to balance the budget and debt in a way that combats the sky-high costs from insurance companies and hospitals. What remains is how the future president attempts to restore some faith into a social healthcare system that works with American individualist ideals.

Although the prophesies are shaped by outcomes of previous elections and the rampant media overkill, it all comes down to

Nov 6th, a chanced event.

The Media Coverage

By Brandon Taylor The American media landscape is a veritable melting pot of differing views intermingled with the bizarre notion of info-

tainment. The current 2012 Presidential election cycle is indicative of this downward and reductive trend. President Barack Obama and Republican candidate Mitt Romney are under the microscope of a media group that is fascinated with semantics, body language, and completely ignorant of substance-driven work.

It is a self-reducing process that has since grown worse in light of President Barack Obama’s idealistic 2008 Presidential election coverage that, despite its implication, was not as successful or groundbreaking as most would have hoped. This seems to have guided the national attention towards dismantling the

mythos of the presidency and politics, which has driven public discourse to focus on negativity rather than progress.

Cynicism again appears to be the driving force of media coverage. During Mitt Romney’s Republican primary run, the focus was almost entirely on the minute details of his speeches and gaffes. Entire articles were written about his February 24th, 2012 address in Detroit, where he said his wife “drives a couple of Cadillacs”, and Michigan’s trees are “the right height”, which reinforced the narrative of Romney’s cluelessness and lack of touch with reality. In light of the national dialogue shifting, after the Occupy movement, classism became a lucrative selling point for media outlets to pursue. Romney represented the perfect poster boy for an embodiment of all the evils of wealth and ignorance.

On the other hand, analysis of President Barack Obama’s administration and choices, leading up to the election, included a litany of coverage on his nonliberal policies. Despite being the representative force for hope and change in 2008, the President’s strategies on militarized drone strikes appears to have been even more aggressive than former President George W. Bush’s.

The New York Times, May 29th, 2012, article notes, “Mr. Obama is the liberal law professor who campaigned against the Iraq war and torture, and then insisted on approving every new name on an expanding “kill list,” poring over terrorist suspects’ biographies on what one official calls the macabre “baseball cards” of an unconventional war.” Almost as if the President had betrayed his initial promises by utilizing drones, rather than soldiers, fighting a small-scale tactical war with an unprecedented ideological enemy.

As Romney won the Republican ticket and mulled over his running mate, the media made wild speculations on who would ultimately be selected as the Republican VP. He finally decided upon Paul Ryan and, within days, media coverage on the young Wisconsin Representative exploded. Instead of covering his controversial “Path to Prosperity” budget plan or assessing his

11

Gallup Daily Poll numbers and Debate Briefs:

ELECTIONS 2012: Barack vs Mitt Thunderdome style!

Rumnique Nannar, Brandon Taylor, Dave Nixon

| The Phoenix

Second Debate: Obama 47%, Romney 47% The two went at it in a flurry of attacks, finger pointing, and debate agreement infractions. Palpable dislike showed between the candidates. Obama seemed to be in firmer control of the topics.

Third Debate: Romney 48%, Obama 47% Strategy: Romney knew he had gained and wanted to hold his lead. His finger pointing attacks were gone; he maintained a smile while Obama aggressively challenged him on every issue.

Romney and Obama squaring off during their second debate - they weren’t supposed to even get out of their chairs. from BostonGlobe.com political history, news outlets decided to examine his workout regimen. On August 13th, 2012, Time Magazine’s Alexandra Sifferlin wrote, “A former personal trainer, Ryan, who stands 6 feet, 2 inches, and weighs 163 pounds with 6%-8% body fat, works out like a warrior and leads fellow Hill staffers in daily morning sessions of the popular 90-day, body-sculpting program called P90X.” This was clearly pertinent information for voters who would probably be more interested in Ryan budget plan which, over the course of the next 40 years, would gut almost all public spending in what President Obama referred to as “social Darwinism.” In response to Paul Ryan’s plan, The Atlantic’s Derek Thompson wrote, “It’s not just the next decade, where Ryan would cut 40 percent from transportation, 40 percent from education and training, 30 percent from “income security” programs for the poor, and 24 percent from veterans . . . his long-term budget, if you project forward defense spending, would cut 91 percent from these and all other non-defense programs.”

The averseness to fact checking appears to have come to a head in the recent debate cycle. When the second Presidential debate moderator Candy Crowley interrupted Mitt Romney as he harped on about President Obama’s apparent fourteen-day reluctance to admit the attacks in Benghazi were terrorist in nature. Crowley, rightly, corrected Romney on the spot. That drew immense criticism from pundits, specifically when Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson stated, “[Moderator Candy Crowley’s] many friends in the press will claim otherwise, but honestly when was the last time you saw someone do a worse job moderating a debate.” It would appear

that journalists and representatives of the news have lost touch with the nature of fact checking over punditry.

The two should not exist within a complex dichotomy. The job of a journalist involves a direct adherence to facts and truth seeking. Carl Bernstein stated, in a 2006 interview on Frontline, “if you look at the rest of the field . . . real news based on the best obtainable version of the truth [is] becoming less and less a commodity, less and less a real part of our journalistic institutions.” The election is on November 6th, 2012, if our sources correct.

The Debates That (Don’t) Matter

By Dave Nixon Say what you will about Romney, he played a smart campaign. In the first debate, Romney came at a sluggish Obama right out of the gate and the polls welcome his performance with leaps of joy. Historically, Presidents do worse in the first debate since they are not used to being challenged, but this debate was even more significant in making it obvious that Romney was a serious opponent. President Obama is still paying for his slip. Even after Obama has had strong performances in the following debates, Romney has shifted polls the most in his favor overall.

The second debate was a boxer’s match.

Romney tried to keep his momentum from the first debate, while Obama replaced the morphine drip to his bloodstream with straight caffeine, much to the relief of his supporters. The town hall format is designed to limit the amount that the candidates attack each other’s points, but

no one told that to the President and the Governor. They played pin the tail on the donkey, where Obama tried to pin Romney to comments made in the past during the primaries, and Romney tried to pin a badge of failure to Obama by comparing his previous campaign’s promises with the results of his Presidency. To many, it become difficult to know who was telling the truth on any one point, as they each had ‘facts’ to back up every point. Obama won this debate on style, but Romney succeeded in continuing to question the President’s success in the economy and job creation, which is the most important topic.

As a result, Romney marginally increased his lead in the polls.

Romney knew he was ahead and played it safe in the final foreign policy debate; he stepped back from going slap for slap with Obama. Romney’s strategy was to hold his ground and play a simple game of “Anything you can do, I can do better,” as it often felt like the President was looking in a mirror on many issues of foreign policy. Obama was relentless though. There are two ways to look at this: either Obama came across as petty and overly critical for going after Romney on almost every issue, or you saw the Commander in Chief controlling the floor. It would be expected, however, that if you related to the first position, you must have felt that way about Romney in the first debate, since this was a plain role reversal. Even in body language, Obama stared at Romney while the Governor eyed the ground, a mirror image of what happened back on October third.

Throughout the debates, Romney has made many statements that make it difficult to understand his policies. He has called Syria Iran’s route to the sea, but Iran borders the sea, showing a confusion of

geography. He has gradually shifted his position on troop withdrawal from refusing to say that they would be completely out in 2014, to in the last debate, when he stated with certainty that 2014 would be the final date. His plan to cut the deficit seems largely unrealistic. There are many more examples, but this does not mean that Obama is a shining pariah of accuracy. He got Romney’s record as Governor wrong when it comes to education. He is being hung by his inability to lower unemployment and the deficit as much as he had previously promised.

Both competitors have flung daggers at each other: Obama has focused on the fact errors and contradiction that Romney has made, while Romney has focused on the failure of Obama’s administration to deliver on the promises they made in 2008. Romney’s plan seems to have been successful, as his campaign has remained ahead in the polls. Most in the Political spectrum agree that the debates do little to affect the overall election, but the first debate on the economy has had a surprisingly significant effect through the contrast of the President appearing weak while Romney controlled the floor. This year the debates may have made the difference, though it remains to be seen on the actual election date of November 6th.

FE ATURES

Rumnique Nannar

features@thephoenixnews.com

Will Florida Senator Marco Rubio be Mr. President

12

in 2016?

The charismatic Republican from a workingclass family stands back for the time being as Romney and Obama duke it out.

Laura Sciarpelletti Events Editor

though, has been consistent in his speeches, and Rubio vehemently denies any manipulation.

“To suggest my family’s story is embellished for political gain is outrageous,” Rubio said in reply to the allegations. “The dates I have given regarding my family’s history have always been based on my parents’ recollections of events that occurred over 55 years ago and which were relayed to me by them more than two decades after they happened. I was not made aware of the exact dates until very recently. What’s important is that the essential facts of my family’s story are completely accurate…

They were exiled from the home country they tried to return to because they did not want to live under communism. That is an undisputed fact and to suggest otherwise is outrageous.”

T

Marco Rubio rallies supporters at CPAC 2012.

Photo by Gage Skidmore (flickr)

As

a young student in a world of conflicting beliefs and prominent controversial issues, I can never seem to pinpoint which political side I am on. The result is a Heinz 57 mishmash of what and whom I agree with. Today a lot of politicians don’t exactly stand out; they usually tend to blend in with other please-thepeople types or dull rich guys.

But Marco Rubio, the current senator of Florida, had my attention immediately when I stumbled upon one of his speeches last year on Youtube. Ironically, I was trying to avoid my political science homework, having read more than what I thought I could handle on Libya. His easy way of speaking, friendly demeanor, and good looks made me want to find out more about him. The forty-one-year-old Rubio is easily accessible as he regularly uses social media networks to connect with his supporters and those who want to know more about him and his policies. I particularly enjoy his regular Youtube mailbox videos, where he reads and answers letters, tweets, comments, and emails.

Rubio is a true rags to riches story, as his parents emigrated from Cuba to the United States and were unable to return after

communist leader Fidel Castro came to power. Rubio’s father worked mainly as a bartender, and his mother worked as a maid and in retail.

His family’s history is a great source of pride to Rubio, and he attributes his love of America and beliefs in its opportunities to growing up in a household with hard-working parents.

“Regardless of where we lived,” says Rubio on his website, “it was what I saw within the walls of our home that shaped my life. I saw two hard-working parents devote themselves to ensure that my siblings and I had opportunities they never had.

It was America’s commitment to limited government and free enterprise that opened doors for me. And it’s this same free enterprise system that’s under assault today.”

However, there have been allegations made that he embellished his family’s story. According to the Miami Herald, Rubio has been misleading the public about his family history, often insinuating that they were forced to flee communist “thug” Castro. Rubio uses this story to sell himself as an everyman buy often mixes up the dates of his family’s immigration to the United States. The main story,

here was a point in the 2012 presidential election when Mitt Romney was considering making up-and-comer Rubio his vice presidential choice. However, the senator is heading towards something bigger, the presidency in 2016. As a Republican, Rubio possesses a lot of views that are too conservative for many and distance him from young left-wing voters. However, what draws people, both Republican and Democratic supporters, to him are his charisma, his humble beginnings, and his focus on the financial future of the United States.

He appears to possess the qualities of a rational and decisive leader, and if Rubio’s history has shown anything, it’s that he knows how to run a convincing campaign. In 2009, Republican Senator Mel Martinez resigned from the Florida office, and Republican Governor Charlie Crist entered the race to fill the senator position. According to 2016election.com (an unofficial website that discusses possible contenders), Rubio announced that he would run for the position as well despite being extremely far behind in the polls. He picked up momentum and support so quickly that Crist dropped out as a Republican canidate to run as an independent. Rubio essentially crushed the competition proving himself to be a true traditional Republican while still promoting his young image.

With his new role as Flori-

da senator came new issues, or rather older ones. Ken Auletta wrote a story for The New Yorker on Rubio in January discussing his stance on immigration and controversy with Univision, the number one Hispanic television network. The network discovered that Rubio’s brother-in-law, Orlando Cicilia, was found guilty in 1989 of possessing large amounts of cocaine and marijuana. He had traveled to numerous states to distribute and sell the drugs and was sentenced to twenty-five years in prison. Rubio was in high school at the time and claimed that the story was tabloid news.

However, Univision persisted, going so far as to propose that if Rubio agreed to an interview they might not have to run the story. The El Nuevo Herald wrote that Univision tried to blackmail Rubio.

“If Rubio appeared on Al Punto Univision’s national television show, where the topic of immigration would likely be discussed,” they wrote, “then the story of his brother-in-law’s troubles would be softened or might not run at all, according to Univision insiders and the Republican senator’s staff.

They say the offer was made by Univision’s president of news, Isaac Lee.” Rubio did not agree to the interview, and the topic of immigration continues to be a difficult one for him. His family arrived

“What’s important is that the essential facts of my family’s story are completely accurate…They were exiled from the home country they tried to return to because they did not want to live under communism.”

Marco Rubio, Junior U.S. Senator(Florida)

in the country legally, which distances him from the subject of illegal immigrants.

“As long as unemployment is high,” wrote Auletta, “[Rubio] would not relax immigration restrictions. But, if it dropped, he would like to ease immigration laws for highly educated immigrants, political refugees, and agricultural workers.”

Rubio has also been involved with a version of the DREAM Act (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors). According to The Miami Herald, his goal has been to craft a bill that gives legal residency to immigrant minors who were brought to America illegally by their parents. Rubio has run into some obstacles with the Obama administration, which has its own similar act. Rubio is completely against amnesty for illegal immigrants, but believes that minors deserve a chance at making a life in the United States. This is tricky, as Rubio does not support amnesty for the parents.

However, Obama is also focusing on stopping the deportation of young illegal immigrants.

While the two politicians’ individual policies differ, it is against the law to offer amnestly to illegal immigrants, and those who were adults when they came to the country will not receive it in the foreseeable future from either party.

October 29, 2012

have yet to acquire full rights for their gay population, and having a conservative heavy-hitter like Rubio in office may significantly slow down the process. What it will come down to if Obama wins the election in November and he does decide to run in the 2016 election, is whether or not left-wing Americans will be able to separate his controversial beliefs from his ability to lead people in an efficient and rational matter and keep the country economically stable.

One of Rubio’s biggest platforms is controlling the United States’ long-term spending problem and working together with job creators to provide greater opportunities. His mission statement can be found on his website, and clearly states his financial and medical care goals. A big reason for his popularity is his commitment to ultimately adding a strong and stable Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution, and to “CutCap-and-Balance” the budget.

What Rubio wants is a long-term spending plan, which in the current economy is strongly needed.

He approves of job-creating free trade agreements, and if he decides to run for office in 2016, we

can undoubtedly expect comprehensive spending plan proposals. Rubio believes that raising taxes to control long-term debt is a serious problem, and that creating new jobs is the answer.

All of this is intertwined with the immigration issue. If more jobs are created and unemployment rates decline, immigration rights and freedoms can be addressed on a larger level.

R

ubio may regard these next four years as a training period before the 2016 election. He will undoubtedly continue to be a strong influence in the Repub-

“Regardless of where we lived... it was what I saw within the walls of our home that shaped my life. .”

Marco Rubio, Junior U.S. Senator(Florida)

lican Party, as he is currently endorsing Romney and has become a Tea Party favorite. Not running for office in 2012 was a smart and strategical move on his part as his popularity will only grow and Americans will see and hear him more and more often.

“I’m not going to be the VicePresidential nominee,” Rubio told Fox News before Paul Ryan was brought in. “It’s important that I have that attitude too because I won’t be able to do this job well.”

This self-awareness can only help him as he gains supporters.

It will be interesting to see how he uses the next four years. But will America ultimately accept Rubio if he does run? At this point in time the names Obama and Romney are everywhere.

Rubio is waiting patiently for his moment and will have a lot of potential voters to win over in the meantime. Many of his controversial views are considered outdated by young people and Democrats as well as many open-minded conservatives, but there is still an extremely large Republican population in the states that agrees with him 100%, and he knows it.

Rubio is obviously still very

young. His policies, like many Republicans’ before him, may change over time. His image as a Spanish-speaking CubanAmerican will certainly be an asset in the future, as it has been in his political career so far. Rubio often speaks in both Spanish and English during his speeches and has become somewhat of a spokesperson for the Hispanic demographic; he is also using his pull with Spanish speakers right now to promote Romney.

“The polls are showing that we are closing that gap,” said Colorado Hispanic Republicans member Pauline Olvera to the Colorado Statesman Newspaper. “What we’re doing is taking the message out that Republican principles align much more directly with our Hispanic community values, and our Hispanic community values are in direct conflict with Democrat platform ideals. When they hear our message, it connects.”

Many Hispanic voters are Catholic and socially conservative. If Rubio is able to satisfy this demographic on immigration issues, he could be a serious threat to win over a lot of former

Marco Rubio is speaking at the CPAC Conference and rallying some more support

| The Phoenix

13

Democratic voters. According to Olvera, family, hard work, and faith are extremely important to Hispanic voters. Rubio represents all three with his image as a self-made family man and his policies. Also, the celebrity factor is such a huge part of politics today and Rubio’s youthful image has contributed to his growing recognition. If Republicans are making progress with Hispanic voters right now with Romney as the candidate, Rubio himself will have major support in the coming years, epecially since he is the very popular and wellliked senator of Florida, a highly Hispanic-populated state.

Rubio’s past issues with Univision and his brother-in-law’s criminal past may affect him in the upcoming years. Rubio, who comes off as charming, boyish and strategic, will definitely be a challenge to beat if the presidency is what he is after. I apologize for the overused figure of speech, but only time will tell.

These next four years will be crucial, and Rubio has a lot of work and wooing to accomplish. We can most likely look forward to changes to Rubio’s immigration stance and a concrete financial plan that will propose new jobs.

photo from tbo.com

F

or Rubio to be a serious contender in the 2016 elections — or 2020 if Romney wins — he must also find a way to appeal to the young vote. So let’s discuss his fundamental beliefs, which will undoubtedly be the major factors standing in the way of his election success. Rubio is anti-abortion, which despite his oftentouted good looks will certainly lose him female votes (among others.) At the beginning of his political career, Rubio was conservative, but not nearly as extreme right-winged as he is now.

He is against stem-cell research, cap and trade and Obama’s stimulus package. One of the biggest and most controversial issues is his view on gay rights.

Rubio, like most Republicans, opposes gay marriage. He is also for banning gays in the military, a platform that will steal a lot of younger votes from him. These are very hot topics; Americans

Marco Rubio steps aside to endorse his friend Mitt Romney at a Pennsylvania rally.

Photo by tbo.com (flickr)

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ha, try saying that ten times really fast

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fuck yourself.

EVENTS & GAMES

Laura Sciarpelletti

features@thephoenixnews.com

E lucas glenn

OCT. 29th - nov.12Th

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Danny Michel Trio Nov 2, 7:30 PM Rotary Centre for the Arts With multiple Juno nominations and you eight solo albums under his but have belt,huge Michel this knot is not to be missed. that’s just in your back my corner Dan Mangan Nov 8, 8 PM Kelowna Community Theatre Read Ethan Foster’s interview with the man himself in the Arts section of this issue!

Well Wednesday Halloween Superhero vs. Villain Burlesqueby lucas glenn Oct 31, 9 PM Oct 31, 8 PM The Well The Habitat An entertaining and sexy way to $5 cover and prizes for best cosspend your Halloween evening. tume. There will be a DJ and plenthanks for ty of spooky fun to be had.

Let’s see those thefishnets! back massage it’s no problem Theatre26 Grand Opening UBC Thrive Kick Off - Free PanNov 3-4, 8 PM cake Breakfast The University Theatre Nov 5, 8 AM Monster Theatre Presents Till Upper Courtyard Death: The Six Wives of Henry the No cost, but you are encouraged Eighth. $20 Reg. $10 Students. to bring a donation for the Student Food Bank.

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The Zolas Nov 2, 8 PM The Habitat This band has quite a cult status across Canada thanks to its relation to the group Lotus Child.

House Band Series 2 Nov 9, 8 PM The University Theatre Theatre26 is once again hosting a visiting band. Musical act to be announced.

Heat Volleyball Games Nov 3, 5 & 7 PM UBCO Gym Both the men’s and women’s teams face off with The University of Saskatchewan. gross.

Heat Basketball Games Nov 9-10, 6 & 8 PM, 5 & 7 PM UBCO Gym Watch the men’s and women’s teams go head to head with Mount Royal University two lucas glenn days in a row!

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lucas glenn

“Discovery” Photography by Tanatswa Pfende Mazembe

ARTS

Janelle Sheppard

features@thephoenixnews.com

A

Dan Mangan’s name may sound funny, but his music doesn’t Canadian musician-poet tours the country while growing a fine beard, just in time for a November show in Kelowna

Ethan Foster Contributor

Dan Mangan is currently writing Canadian music history. The accolades that the indie-folk artist from Smithers, BC has received in recent years make his story one to watch. What makes Mangan such an easy guy to write about is that his heartfelt style and lyrical genius have already placed him above and beyond so many that have come before him, guitar in hand. There is mystery and there is substance. What excites me when I listen to Dan Mangan’s music is that I instantly recognize why he has received this attention. I’m just glad the world is listening.

Oh Fortune was released in 2011 and is currently spinning on my record player as I try to think of questions to ask him.

Mangan and I were planning on renting a pear-shaped hot air balloon this Monday, but the drop in air pressure and heavy stratus cloud cover kept our interview more ground-based. Here are my ten questions with The Man. EF: Alright Dan, I really appreciate you taking the time to answer a few questions. Super excited for your upcoming show at the Kelowna Community Theater, Nov 8th. Tell me a bit of where along your Canadian tour you are.

DM: Just got in to Halifax.

About to do a show with Symphony Nova Scotia which should be pretty wild.

EF: You’ve toured all over before—anything special about this tour?

DM: We haven’t toured with RAA before, and they’re great.

That should be really fun. I’ve got a great band with me for the tour and we’ll likely play a few new songs along the way.

EF: So as I recall, you played here at Keloha in the summer.

What was special about that weekend? Would you come back next year?

DM: Yeah we’d come back whenever they’d have us—we had a blast. It was hot.

EF: You’ve toured internationally before, and you’ll be heading over the pond again soon—do you find it a rich experience playing in Europe? I’m curious, is the audi-

ence energy different at all over there, or is it not possible to generalize that?

DM: Europe generally has a deeper appreciation of how culture is a crucial part of life, and there’s a really beautiful special attentiveness to hospitality over there. It’s not that North America doesn’t have amazing cultural scenes, but it’s tougher living for artists here.

EF: What is a venue you played that especially stood out, in terms of a unique space or perhaps a backstage lounge?

DM: Most of the time, the most memorable venues are the ones with the most penises drawn in

Photo by Jonathan Taggart (Arts-crafts.ca)

the green room.

EF: Alright, quickly, give me a beard growing tip… please.

DM: Rome wasn’t built in a day.

EF: What Happens Next comes out October 22nd. It’s a CBC documentary about you and your band’s experience with playing the Orpheum—a venue that symbolically is significant. Did the filming of the doc help you in any way to answer that question, what is next?

DM: Probably. But nobody ever truly knows what’s next.

EF: You’ve had some success already that’s for sure. I think that for many, there is an instant connection with your musical and

“Live inside your work. Don’t recite it. Get vulnerable to it.”

Dan Mangan, Musician-poet

Dan’s magnificent beard.

Photo by Derek Branscombe(Arts-cratfs.ca)

lyrical spaces. When you first remember creating a musical space that inspired you or gave you a really fresh new excitement, where were you?

DM: I remember grooving pretty hard as a kid to Abbey Road. I was upside down on the couch, probably rocking some serious dance moves.

EF: Awards. So you’ve been given tons this year. In the spring

you received “Solo artist of the year,” “Alternative Album of The Year,” “New Artist of the Year,” as well as “Video of the Year.”

Those are some gestures that carry some meaning. So I wanted to ask you, how do you feel about these awards now?

DM: Gotta appreciate ‘em and then forget ‘em. It’s amazing to get recognized for your work, but accolades can’t be the goal.

EF: In “Sold,” a song off of your 2009 album Nice, Nice, Very Nice, there are some strong themes about real food. In a grocery store you are comically threatened by an array of processed foods, but find your way to the “Old Fashioned Apples—as made by the earth since... forever” the unaltered natural food. What do you think one problem is that faces consumers today when they go into a grocery store?

DM: The illusion of choice. Centralized control of food industries.

EF: Finishing up with some advice for aspiring musicians. When you have an idea, interpretation, or feeling that you want to make into a musical space—what’s something that helps you develop that idea into the art that you end up expressing?

DM: Live inside your work.

Don’t recite it. Get vulnerable to it, and know that you can always be better than you are.

EF: Good luck on your tour.

Really excited for The Kelowna Community Theatre on November 8th. Cheers Dan.

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Arts

October 29, 2012

CONCERTS▼

The Young Empires experience Interview with guitarist Aaron Ellingson about the band’s journey Laura Sciarpelletti Events Editor

In the last issue I reviewed a Dragonette concert, which had featured opening band Young Empires. While I was waiting for the Dragonette set to begin, wondering how exactly my beer had disappeared and whether my feet were ever going to recover from being stomped on by slews of intoxicated sweaty students, I ran into Empires guitarist Aaron Ellingson who enthusiastically agreed to give me an interview. His group, a world beat rock band that also includes lead singer Matthew Vlahovich, bassist Jacob Palahnuk and drummer Taylor Hill, is on the rise and will undoubtedly blow up in the near future. The band captured my attention with their performances of “Let You Sleep Tonight” and “White Doves”, and it was a real treat to see them before they catch on and gain mainstream success. I stayed in contact with Aaron as the band continued on the tour through to Rochester, New York and got to learn a little more about their experiences in the music circuit.

Aidan Knight returns Cameron Welch Editor-in-chief

With files and photos

by Jeff Stychin

LS: I’m sure that [Kamloops venue] Cactus Jack’s is a little smaller than what you’re used to.

How do you think that affected your performance and was it a positive experience?

AE: It was a very positive experience! We’re mid-way on the tour and I’d honestly say it was one of the most memorable shows of the tour so far. The crowd in Kamloops was very responsive and energetic, and as a band you feed off of that energy. And I think that ties into the first part of your question, in that playing a smaller venue like Cactus Jack’s allows for that exchange and interaction between us on stage in the band and the people in the crowd.

LS: I know that you’ve opened for bands like Foster the People (a personal favorite of mine), Jamiroquai, and Vampire Weekend.

What has it been like working with such big names and have they influenced your band at all?

AE: We were very lucky in the early stages of Young Empires to share the stage with some amazing and talented bands, and ones that were operating on a large professional level. I think we really took the time to observe the way they did things and how they handled themselves and learned a lot from them in that way. It was

On October 18th, Victoria’s Aidan Knight returned to Kelowna in support of his new album Small Reveal, bringing his Friendly Friends backing band and Montreal’s Leif Vollebekk with him.

A year and a half ago Knight’s concert with We Are The City and Kingdom Cloud packed the Community Theatre, but this visit was split between an all-ages performance at Milkcrate Records and a 19+ show at Habitat.

As a result, the Habitat audience of about 70 didn’t provide the same energy as that 2011 concert and brought out a different, more reserved Aidan than the one we saw last time. The teenyboppers love them some Aidan Knight, so the intimacy of the Milkcrate show worked well, but the 19+ show felt more like an average Habitat concert rather than the triumphant return of one of the city’s favourite musicians.

Knight’s always-stellar stage presence kept the show engaging, but the crowd didn’t seem to have either the earnest enthusiasm of an intimate show or the furor of a big show.

That said, the concert wasn’t necessarily intended to be a big event — the performers seemed

great to hear so many good bands play live, but more than change the music we made, it really taught us how professional touring bands handle the business side of things in terms of equipment, scheduling, logistics and some of the less glamorous side of things.

LS: What were some initial inspirations and how did you arrive at the sound you have today?

AE: One of my favorite things about the inception of Young Empires is that we never actually talked about music or what each other liked or wanted to make. I think a lot of bands start out knowing their band’s name, and what their logo is going to look like and how they are going to dress, but then haven’t written a single song. [At first] we talked more about places we had traveled and the food and art and fashion that we liked. Then when we knew we got along as people, we got in a room, made noise, and embraced the fact that we all like very different types of music, and bring different influences into the band. We just trusted and respected each other, and when we found a sound or song that all of us liked, we knew that was Young Empires.

LS: When did your history with Dragonette begin, and what is it

fine with simply providing a pleasant and honest evening of music for some folks nice enough to stop by. As opener, Vollebekk delivered a solid, earnest singersongwriter set that was reminiscent of Ray Lamontagne with echoes of Kevin Drew and even Michael Kiwanuka.

In his set, Knight didn’t bust out the lengthy banter of the KCT show, but his charisma shone through in smaller doses: a story about spilling enchiladas on his pants and his bandmate’s shoes falling apart ended in “so yeah, how hard are YOU partying??”

About two-thirds through the set, Knight asked the audience to get completely quiet so he could sing unplugged, and after a good minute of whispering in the back (“shh” “shhhhh” “shhhh” “fuck you, you shhh” “no fuck you”) everyone settled down enough for Knight to deliver a stirring, piercing performance of “Margaret Downe. That performance, with green and purple lights glowing in the background, cut through the dark venue and lukewarm crowd, bringing most of the audience in to the stage for the rest of the show. From there, the concert became intimate in the way the earlier Milkcrate per-

like to share the stage with them?

Is there a sense of Canadian comraderie between your bands?

AE: Our history with Dragonette goes back to the early days of Young Empires. We were fortunate enough to have one of our first shows outside of Toronto to be opening for them at a sold-out show at Bowery Ballroom in New York, which is an amazing venue in Manhattan.

We hit it off there and played a few shows here and there with them over the next years. There aren’t a lot of Canadian bands doing the mix of dance/electro kind of thing, but still with solid pop songs and a bit of rock and roll edge to it. We respect them and what they do like crazy, and feel lucky to share the stage with them. Love them as people and as a band.

LS: What is your favorite part about touring, and what do you dislike most about it?

AE: My favorite part about touring is the 45 minutes on stage every night. Getting to play music and do something you love and share that with a new group of people who chose to come and see you in an amazing thing. I feel truly lucky every night I get t do that, and try to remember to always appreciate how lucky I am to do what I do.

formance had been.

“Margaret Downe” is the highlight of the new disc, blending quiet earnestness and sweeping passion in the characteristic Aidan Knight way. Knight’s live show has been fleshed out almost along the lines of Bon Iver’s: the more singer-songwritery album tracks, all written in Knight’s bedroom on his acoustic guitar, are fleshed out with multi-instrumental jams and atmospherics in the live performance. While the strength of Knight‘s live band has always come across, this time they seemed more focused on jamming out and setting a mood than straightforwardly pumping up the delivery of the song. Knight is a pro at managing a show’s pacing and his own stage presence, and like fellow B.C balladeer Dan Mangan the strength of his music lies in connecting with the listener in a way that feels both intimate and sweeping. Despite a smaller and less lively crowd than he’s had here in the past, Aidan Knight himself delivered by cutting through to individual people.

In a tepid room, Knight’s music didn’t struggle to find its way — it brought listeners into its own world.

Arts

October 29, 2012

| The Phoenix

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The Perks of Being a Wallflower roundtable discussion Beloved Charlie and his friends have been adapted for the screen. What do we think?

Janelle Sheppard, Laura Sciarpelltti, Rumnique Nannar Phoenix Editors

It was first rumoured that Perks of Being a Wallflower was not to be screened in Kelowna.

Janelle Sheppard, Laura Sciarpelletti, and Rumnique Nannar, the three artsy editors of The Phoenix, were delighted to find those rumours false, and all rushed to enjoy the nostalgia of Chbosky’s 90’s high school world, adapted to film, hoping that it would appeal to their esoteric tastes.

Here, we discuss the success of the film’s adaptation, as we carefully protect our own interpretations of Charlie and his high school experience.

As there is a risk in watching a movie based on any beloved book, how do you think the movie lined up with the book?

JS: I was satisfied with the movie. I feel that it really captured the delightful characters created by Chbosky. Also, because the movie was directed by the author, it held a lot of the essential themes and feel that was intended in the novel. I did lament the loss of the poem that Charlie mentioned in the book, but the story did not suffer because of it.

LS: There is always a risk of losing a part of what you love when a book is made into a film and you watch it. I had this happen to me with films like Blood and Chocolate and The Scarlet Letter. So I was certainly worried going into the theatre, despite my delight over Chbosky direct-

RN: It felt like one of the most honest and authentic films in such a long time.

LS: I think it is a necessity to read the book. There is so much more depth to Charlie and his past that cannot be shown in film format, so reading the book allows you to appreciate the film more than you would otherwise.

I think that Perks is a fantastic example of a high school-themed film as it explores the complicated relationships between students, parents, and teachers. We get a good look at the politics of a student body and how a small group is able to break apart from the norm and be happy as their true selves, doing what they want with the people that actually accept and love them. Sam, Charlie, and Patrick’s group of

friends really is beautiful. As far as contemporary high school films go, this has been my favorite since Charlie Bartlett. I think it is important for anyone to watch, and inspiring at that.

JS: The film really related to my own high school experience, maybe because the first time I read the book was in high school.

Trying to find where one belongs is a common theme amongst high school students for sure.

The film does well at portraying the feeling of belonging found in a group of diverse individuals, despite the alienating feeling that high school can provide.

When I saw it the audience was a small, sparse group of people about my age. I like to believe that they were all devoted Charlie fans who had read the book as teenagers, and were hastily coming to see if the movie would disappoint. However, I have heard from people who watched the movie without having read the book first, and it still had a poignant and influential message for them. One friend called me the day after he had watched it with a life crisis, sparked by the themes of the film. Though he had never read the book, the feelings he was describing were similar to the vibes that I felt after reading the book for the first time. I think that whether you have read the book or not, it is a great film, but I would recommend that everyone read the book. It is my favourite.

Janelle, Laura and Rumnique do their best Perks poster impression.

Photo by Hanss Lujan (The Phoenix)

ing and writing the script. I was not disappointed, thankfully, although Emma Watson’s acting, particularly at the beginning, was a little off and overdone. But I loved how the soundtrack and the novels Charlie reads provide a tone for the film, as they do in the book. The constant presence of The Smiths, for example, helps to put you in the same dreamy and discovering mood as Charlie.

I think it is so important for tones to transfer from literature to the film, and Chbosky succeeded in doing that, to my delight. I felt that the personalities of characters like Charlie and Patrick really transferred to the film.

RN: For me, I was definitely apprehensive about how the book would be handled since the promos gave off the “indie typical hipster” teen film vibe, and the fact that it was distributed by Summit, the kids who gave us Twilight, made me doubly nervous as fuck that they’d mess it all up. But it really didn’t fall into those high school tropes that we’ve seen so many times before, because it was so faithful to the book. I think most authors should definitely try and adapt their own work like Chbosky did, as the film had so much authenticity due to that.

If I had my way, the film would be two-hours-and-a-bit just to fit every little iota in there, but for a 103-minute movie, it really encompassed a lot of the introductory background of Charlie being

a wallflower and slowly coming out of his shell. While I do think that as an English person, I could hear so much of Emma Watson’s British accent, which hampered her performance as she seemed to be enunciating most monologues and words so that she had that American twang. Overall what surprised the most was Logan Lerman as Charlie, as that guy has always come off as a goofy and kiddish actor who was perhaps too popular a choice for it, but he was definitely amazing. He handled the breadth of that mammoth role with such aplomb. I’m really looking forward to seeing more dramatic roles from him.

Do you think the traumatic events within the book were handled well in the film? Did Chbosky succeed in showing the subtle repressive events and discoveries of Charlie as well as he did in the book?

LS: I think the climax was handled well and eloquently. It was tasteful, yet gut wrenching.

Before I saw the film, I was especially worried as to how the climax would be handled as it is a very fragile topic. But I was not disappointed and Logan Lerman handled the character very well.

RN: It was tasteful and not too overwhelming and triggering which was brilliant, and so heartrending. I do love that actress Melanie Lynskey as she gave

Helen a bit of depth and verve instead of being there for just that moment. The climax was eloquently done, as it wasn’t too overdone and wallowy, which some teen films do. I liked a bit of that addendum in the hospital as it brought home all that sadness and ughh the final scene so beautiful!

JS: I agree that the climax was handled very well. The gradual approach of that final information had a subtle, punching effect. I heard audible gasps in the theatre when it was revealed.

How did you find this ranks in the high school film canon?

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October 29, 2012

Just kids...

A photo essay Hanss Lujan Photo Editor

About a year ago, Cam wrote a feature called “The kids aren’t alright” where he looked at everything wrong with teens these days, and I got two of my younger friends to model for the cover. Even though we got them to act like what was bad about kids today, in real life Quinn Bates (18) and Nikki Wilkinson (17) are two teenagers doing it right.

They have hopes and dreams and they work hard to make them happen, and even in boring old Kelowna they manage to always be doing interesting things. I tagged along on their hectic weekend to get a glimpse on their lives, follwing them to their voice rehearsals to the acting studio to their halloween party to everything in between.

These kids are alright.

Arts

Arts

October 29, 2012

| The Phoenix

19

Two Autumn film reviews Rumnique Nannar Features Editor

Argo brings out the best in Affleck Awards season is around the corner and Ben Affleck’s tense and taut thriller Argo already looks like it will net Best Picture and Best Director nods. Argo is that rare breed of a film that is tremendous fun while touching on a political nerve. Affleck emerges as a skillfully adept director when outside of his native Boston by capturing the nailbiting suspense, the off-kilter humour, and rapid pace of the Iranian hostage crisis of 1979-1980.

The improbable story centres on six American officials who flee the US embassy and take shelter with the Canadian ambassador Ken Taylor (Victor Garber). The CIA decides they cannot stay there for much longer—if the Iranian revolutionaries find out, all the Americans and the Canadian ambassador will be executed in the streets. CIA operative Tony Mendez has the zaniest idea to get them out of there: they will pose as a Canadian production team scouring locations for their pulpy film Argo (named for the planet on which their fake sci-fi film is set). With their fake identities, they are able to walk the streets and catch their flight to safety right under the eyes of the Revolutionary Guard.

To pull off this escape, and authenticate this mission for his CIA bosses, Mendez heads to Hollywood to craft Argo as a “sciencefiction adventure” with legendary makeup artist John Chambers (John Goodman) and fading producer Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin).

They take out full page ads in Variety, create a fake office, draw up storyboards, and buy a script.

The movie feels like a heady concoction of nervous laughter and genuine suspense throughout, and Affleck balances these elements well to give it that ‘70s vibe. It’s in the Hollywood section of the film that Arkin and Goodman trade barbs and zingers like “If I’m doing a fake movie, it’s going to be a fake hit!” which relieve some of the tension happening back in the cloistered rooms of the ambassador’s house in Iran and the CIA offices. The film sometimes feels like an Ocean’s Eleven crossed with a Three Days of Condor. The film is sensational in the way it

balances the caper with the hard-edged political strains that shroud the film; these aspects constantly reinforce and heighten the film’s zippy energy.

Affleck emerges as a livewire director skilled at handling the explosive potential of this dark chapter in America’s history.

Thirty years after the crisis, Affleck highlights the tensions and shocks with the hindsight that these Iranian—American problems haven’t gone away. That said, Affleck does attempt to balance the portraits of the Americans and Iranians in the film, as the opening credits explain a lot of the background of the Iranian hostility. There are some great roles for Iranians like Farshad Farahat as a Revolutionary checkpoint guard, who exemplifies that mistrust of Americans that has built up over decades, or Shiela Vand as the maid who cottons on to the overstaying houseguests in the ambassador’s house. While Canadians might feel affronted by the lack of time given to their countryman’s efforts, the film does attempt to convey the turmoil that Taylor and his wife went through to harbour these Americans. Affleck has assembled an ensemble cast that make their marks in their limited roles, with particular attention to detail on the six evacuees Tate Donovan, Clea Duvall, Scoot McNairy, Kerry Bishe, Christopher Denham, and Rory Cochrane; all of whom look very similar to their reallife counterparts. Bryan Cranston is a study in controlled fury as Mendez’s director, with Arkin and Goodman taking all the best zingers and lightening up the mood.

Each actor gets their money scene, and Affleck in the central role is subtle and seems to have fun with shaggy hair and beige threads. With the end credits, which reveal photos of events that were expertly recreated in the movie, we can see Affleck’s attention to detail, recalling the period films of George Clooney and Robert Redford.

Argo is one of the most energetic and important films of the year that is a shoo-in for awards season, but it’s also a history lesson with its own zany charm. Do watch this!

Seven Psychopaths Martin McDonagh’s Seven Psychopaths may draw comparisons to Quentin Tarantino with its lineup of brilliant actors and zippy dialogue, but if you look closely, this film operates in a much different universe!

What movie fan can resist the chance to see such pranksters like Christopher Walken, Sam Rockwell, Tom Waits, Woody Harrelson, and Colin Farrell unleash their completely zany characterizations of these nutters?!

McDonagh, a celebrated playwright turned director, is coming off the cult hit In Bruges with Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell pondering life, dwarves, and other ponderous topics of inanity. Seven Pyschopaths recently won the Midnight Madness award at the Toronto Film Festival, which already certifies this movie as one that will continue to polarize and invite multiple rewatches. McDonagh transforms that eternal problem of writer’s block into a deliciously meta movie that takes you on a bumpy ride of crazy wordplay and interruptions in the usual filmic language. We meet Marty (Colin Farrell—a McDonagh muse), a boozy struggling screenwriter unable to write a screenplay beyond its title of Seven Psychopaths. He tags along with his friend Billy Bickle (Sam Rockwell) and his business partner Hans (Christopher Walken) as they kidnap dogs from their wealthy owners and hold them ransom.

Their one hitch is nabbing Bonny, a ShihTzu that is the only living thng to inspire fuzzy feelings in Costello (Woody Harrelson), a sadistic gangster with penchant for violence against anyone non-canine!

With a brilliant cast assembled, McDonagh gives them room to improvise and act hammy to the hilt, given the outrageous and goofy dialogue that is so characteristically McDonagh. Walken and Rockwell are brilliant, enunciating any throwaway lines

and making them so much funnier. Farrell knows that he’s sharing scenes with showboaters and reliably plays the straight man to the hilt. Harrelson is particularly great— fawning and crying over his missing pet— as he seems to conjure up that anarchic spirit reminiscent of his Mickey in Natural Born Killers. Yet it’s the film’s structure and meta spirit that work best. The many interludes of Walken and Rockwell’s visions for the script include a Buddhist monk and a brilliant set piece about the proper techniques for a final shootout. McDonagh is not above critiqueing his own style when looking at the lack of women in his film, with Olga Kurylenko and Abbie Cornish popping up for minor roles. One does get the sense that this film is some kind of catharsis for the director, who keeps the film loose and endlessly fun. It’s as if the film and the actors know that they’re film so they just go with the flow and have fun with all that meta-ness. The interludes involving the writing of Marty’s script allow for some great cameos from Michael Pitt and Michael Stuhlbarg (or as I was screeching inwardly “Woah that’s Jimmy Darmody and Arnold Rothstein!) as they talk self-consciously about gangsters, and shooting eyeballs, before Psycho #1 offs them. Alternatively, there is the inventive and zany section where Tom Waits and his wife fall in love by killing other serial killers in vicious fashion.

Seven Psychopaths is an anarchic film where heads explode, film grammar is pondered, and we get a chance to hear Christopher Walken enunciate “Nuuoow”. Martin McDonagh’s film highlights his calibre as a fine wordsmith much like Preston Sturges or Billy Wilder with its zippy and rata-tat-tat dialogue and wildly different performances from all the actors.

It’s a filmy experiment worth savouring!

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Arts

October 29, 2012

Food ▼

Restaurant review: Pearson’s European Deli and Marble Slab

Get both dinner and dessert by stopping at these two delicious dining dives Amy Stetzl Contributor

Restaurant Review Double Whammy: Pearson’s European Deli and Marble Slab So you like the food downtown but don’t always want to go all the way from campus. Fair enough; the travel is sometimes boring and the busses are sometimes stuffy and full of people. I’ve got a great pair of stops right next to the 97 Express for you: Pearson’s European Deli and their neighbor Marble Slab Creamery.

Today I went for a nice lunch, and this gem just behind the Cooper station was worth the stop. I know it may be tempting because all of the fast food places come before it but trust me that you will feel fuller than having a hamburger, and less sick afterwards.

Pearson’s European Deli has some tables outside but with the weather heading in the negative direction you will be happy to note that there is a plethora of seating inside as well. There is a bar at the window, your typical table and chairs, and some sofas and booths down below. The entire building is extremely well laid out. First you are greeted by the daily specials, then the friendly people at the counter where all the food and menu options are available, and then a ton of seating to choose from.

When the food is hot they bring

it to you! They also have Snapple which made me quite pleased, as well as a number of other cold and hot drinks that café type deals would not normally have.

For our late lunch we had the grilled chicken cranberry panini with creamy broccoli soup, and a tuna melt with tomatoes, and a side of greek pasta salad. Arguably it was not the best pasta salad I have ever had, but chances are it had been from that morning, and again, it was a late lunch. The tuna melt was amazing. This is food that you could be making in your dorm room, but why bother when you can pay $5 to have it made for you—and not the stuff in the cafeteria. The panini was nice and hot with gooey cheese on the inside, and the soup was creamy and rolled off the tongue. And for dessert! Of course they offer their own fresh homemade cakes, but there is always Marble Slab Creamery next door if you feel like splurging.

I know what you’re thinking.

No, Marble Slab is not a local business, it is a franchise, but it is situated in the perfect location and you can grab some ice cream while waiting for the next bus back to campus. Every time I walk into the bright situation that is their location I am overwhelmed with sweet possibility. Despite the fact that I al-

most always go with Sweet Cream and Milk Chocolate with raspberries and walnuts, there are so many options. The combinations that the people ahead of me or the people I am with always surprise me. Last time it was Green Tea and Black Walnut ice cream with cookie dough and gummy bears. Strange but delicious nonetheless, and you can make the best mess and eat it too. It really is a double whammy, and the best bet is you can go to the mall afterwards or just easily swing back to campus since you are not all the way downtown. Brilliant, but don’t check in on Four Square too often—you wouldn’t want to steal the mayorship from me.

Broccolli Soup and Grilled Chicken Cranberry Panini from Pearson’s Eurpean Deli (left) and some Marble Slab delicacies including Sweet Cream and Milk Chocolate icecream wiht Raspberries and Walnuts (above).

Photos by Amy Stetzl

lifestyle ▼

DIY: Pinecone owl

A cute and cuddly fall decoration for the student on a buget

Laura Sciarpelletti Events Editor

Let’s face it, we’re students and are therefore poor. I’ve walked down numerous Halloween and fall aisles at Walmart and Superstore, cringing at the prices that are apparently “Amazing Deals,” and patting my wallet protectively. I am a cheapskate and don’t mind saying so. I am also, however, very much in love with holidays: any kind. Thanksgiving and Halloween are especially fun as I slip into a Practical Magic coma and sew whatever costume I am working on... which will ultimately be a big disaster. So if you are like me, you will need some ideas on how to decorate your place cheaply and creatively.

You Will Need: -construction paper -a pom pom -a pinecone -two leaves -two wiggle eyes

hoot hooooot hoot.

Photo by hlkljgk (flickr)

Go for a walk in a park or in a neighborhood collecting leaves and pine cones. If you cannot find the latter, go to any dollar store, Michaels or Walmart craft section and pick some up for under two dollars. Glue a large brown pom pom to the top of the pinecone for the head, and use two of the leaves as wings, gluing them to the back of the pinecone. Cut the beak and ears out of construction paper and glue them on along with the wiggly eyes. To make the beak, fold yellow construction paper in half and cut a diamond shape.

The ears can be just brown triangles. Use a hot glue gun for the best and most permanent results. Last year I made about ten of these and put them all around my apartment. The great thing about this short DIY project is that it takes up almost no time and money, and you can experiment with colors. For a real autumn look, try buying orange, red, yellow and brown pom poms.

Arts

October 29, 2012

| The Phoenix

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“[Theatre 26] is sort of kicking off the next step in educating and cultivating a theatre culture on campus.”

Lecture theatre ADM 026 is now a space for live perfomance

Kevin Jesuino, Theatre26, Marketing

Janelle Sheppard Arts Editor

This year marks a significant increase in the presence of the Interdisciplinary Performance program at UBCO. The past five years each have featured a final performance from a devised theatre course each year as the main event, as well an increasing number of flash mobs, installations, and involvement in events such as World Water Week and the Eco Art Project. Though the program had been growing in attendance and constantly introducing new projects to the community, it lacked an avenue for specific UBCO-branded theatre — until now.

This year, a group of students from Interdisciplinary Performance’s first graduating class and profs from the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies (FCCS) are heading up the initiative to get more live performances on campus. Branded with the name Theatre 26, this collective is working to both encourage performance art from the campus as well as bring in live art from sources outside of Kelowna.

Kevin Jesiuno, fourth-year

Int. Perf. student and marketing manager of Theatre 26, told us that “[Theatre 26] is sort of kicking off the next step in educating and cultivating a theatre culture on campus.” Jesuino, who manages the social media for the group, told us that”. Already Theatre 26 is being talked about in the city, so people are starting to associate UBCO with a theatre practise.”

“The theatre [is] now getting a facelift,” Kevin said as he broke down the plans for modifications. “It’s going to become a real theatre, not just a lecture hall.” What was once known simply as the ADM 026 lecture theatre has now been rebranded as the University’s official theatre.

The alterations to the room include new black curtains, a paint job, new lighting, and a new sound system.

The theatre will still hold lectures, but it will primarily be a performance space, as Theatre 26 has scheduling preference from Thursday evening to Monday morning. So far, the theatre has

Marketing Managerm Kevin Jesuino (left) and FCCS director Neil Cadger (right).

Photo by Jason Chan (Theatre26)

hosted several small events as a soft opening this semester.

Comedy on Campus featuring local comedians and hosted by Theatre 26’s Tristan Mackinlay, was particularly successful. Between the uncomfortable chuckles at racy jokes gone too far and the delighted chortles at witty capers, the audience was certainly entertained during this event.

More recently, the House Band Series featured an intimate performance atmosphere with local bands Windmills and JoyfulDoor interacting with the small audience and debuting new material.

Upcoming events are causing a stir in the community as well, as Theatre 26 prepares for its official opening on November 3rd and 4th. FCCS has provided funding to bring in shows and production companies from out of town. One such company is Monster Theatre from Vancouver, which is bringing their show ‘Till Death Do We Part: The Six Wives of Henry VIII for the November opening.

Aside from bringing in performances, the theatre will also

function as a workspace and opportunity for creative people to test their work. On Friday October 19th the faculty members of Theatre 26 hosted an event called FCCS Forum where students and faculty were encouraged to bring their performance proposals for feedback. These forums are open to all students at UBCO with any sort of performance ideas.

Events like this will continue throughout the year, and more events will be announced as they come up. “Not only are we encouraging more viewership in the Interdisciplinary Performance and Fine Arts students that we have here, but we are also cultivating the theatre on campus, and in the community,” says Kevin.

Theatre 26 hopes to eventually accomplish what UBC Vancouver’s on-campus theatre has.

“There is an audience base that goes to the theatre on that campus, and so long-term it would be awesome to see some sort of subscription base that brings in people to Theatre 26,” Jesuino said.

The six students from the

Joyful Door(left) and Windmills(right) perform at House Band Night in The University Theatre.

Photo by Janelle Sheppard (The Phoenix)

Theatre 26 collective are: Kevin Jesuino, marketing manager, Jason Chan, video and photo marketing, Tristan Mackinlay, programming manager, Natalia Hautala, roving tech, Shimshon Obadia, technical manager, and Emily MacMillan, finance and box office. Two faculty members are also a part of the collective: Lean Hershler, guest sessional, and Neil Cadger, head of FCCS. The combined passion and innovation of this team promises fascinating performance events to attract a wide range of viewers from both the campus and the community.

Theatre 26 shows range in price from 5-10 dollars — a small price to pay for a professional theatre show, and less than most music events in town. Theatre 26 is not keeping all that money either: much of the admission price goes back to the artists the Theatre has brought in. The Grand Opening on November 3rd and 4th will cost $10 for students or $20 regular admission for the two-day event.

Local comedian Kevin Hartford performs at Comedy on Campus.

Photo by Jason Chan (Theatre26)

SPORTS

Jessie Shopa

sports@thephoenixnews.com

S

Inside the Furnace: Action in The Furnace about to heat up!

itt

Kevin Ilomin

Heat Sports Analyst

Inside the Furnace is back and hotter than ever! The Heat soccer teams have wrapped up their regular seasons out on the turf, with the women headed again to the PACWEST championships. But The Furnace is heating up as CIS basketball and volleyball at UBC’s Okanagan campus returns to the courts.

By now, volleyball will have seen league action in the gym,

and will again this weekend versus the Unviversity of Saskatchewan Huskies. Basketball doesn’t make an appearance at home until Friday November 9th versus Canada West newcomers Mount Royal University. Below I detail three things that I can’t wait for this upcoming winter season!

1) I can’t wait ... to see Nate Speijer on home hardwood again. Last season Big

Nate was third overall on the Canada West leaderboard in kills for the season, averaging 3.98 per set (255 overall) and sixth in service aces (19 overall).

He was a Canada West All-Star in his first CIS campaign and is serving his last tour of duty for Heat volleyball. He will go out guns blazing.

2) I can’t wait ... to see how Pete Guarasci fits all of his pieces together. The new suit

on the bench for men’s basketball was actually a previous assistant coach under former coach Darren Semeniuk a few seasons back. Coincidentally, several faces from Heat teams past are back alongside last season’s core, with a few new faces in the mix as well. The roster is full of quick and feisty guards and athletic wings, however Center Ben Hindson did not return this season, and

so they lack a lot of height and strength in the paint outside of Julian Asselstine. Then again, didn’t the professional team with the same name recently prove to the world that you could win more than a few ballgames without a true big?

3) I can’t wait ... to hear the sweet, sweet roars of “U-BC-WHAT?” “U-B-C-O!” back in The Furnace.

Athletes of the week ▼ Liz Babcock (Women’s Soccer)

Dustin Luck (Men’s Soccer)

Liz Babcock is one of two graduating veterans for the Women’s Soccer team, and was honored at Seniors’ Day following the October 21st match versus Capilano alongside keeper Sabrina Gasparac. Babcock has been an integral part of the Heat’s rise to dominance in the PACWEST (formerly BCCAA) standings, having played in forty-six games over her four-year career. Her coach, Claire Paterson, had the pleasure of being there to watch Babcock develop both as a player and person when Claire herself was only on her inaugural tour of duty with the Heat during Liz’s rookie season.

Speaking of both her seniors, Paterson said that they “have a special place in my heart. They started the same year I started, so these are the final two that are leaving [from the original team].

They’ve been a huge part of this program, and it’s been an absolute pleasure working with them.

It is bittersweet seeing them move on”.

Luck is one of three graduating athletes from the Men’s Soccer team this season. He has had an illustrious five-year career with the Heat that includes captaining the team for the last four years, several awards for academic excellence as a student athlete and the Coaches’ Award for Consistent Hard Work & Dedication in the 2011/12 year.

Despite his and his teammates’ efforts over the years, the farthest Luck ever got was the Bronze Medal in last season’s PACWEST Provincial Championships, which UBCO hosted on the Nonis turf. The team failed to make the playoffs this season.

In his final game on October 21st he netted a goal to add to the many that he has scored over a sixty-five game career with the Heat—second most games played in school history.

“It’s been a really good experience,” said Luck of his time in a Heat uniform after the game versus Capilano. “I couldn’t ask for much more.”

New faces like Lakeland College transfer Landry Ndayitwayeko make the Men’s basketball squad a must-see this season.

Photo by Emma Woo

They said it ▼ “We have come close a couple of times before so it feels great to finally win. We didn’t know we had won until they posted the numbers on the scoreboard. It was a pretty amazing feeling.”

Jen Woods on the closeness of the national title and the anticipation preceding their crowning.

“I don’t think anyone can say we didn’t give our best effort throughout the season. In that regard I think it’s a winning season because we’ve changed the mentality of UBC Okanagan soccer. We’re heading in the right direction and we will continue to do things to improve.”

Men’s soccer coach Dante Zanatta, following the team’s last regular season game, reflecting on the season and the team’s trajectory.

“I thought the weekend was a success and a step forward for us as a team. We played tough and showed what we are capable of as a group.”

Liz Babcock (left) and Dustin Luck (right) play in their last regular season games in Heat uniform.

Photos by Dale Abbey

2nd year guard Sarah Allison of the women’s basketball squad. Allison scored a combined 63 points at the Cougar Classic at Mount Royal University, and looks to be a promising young athlete for a Heat squad seeking relevance in Canada West

By the numbers ▼ 501—Total result from the Women’s Golf team’s efforts at the CCAA championships, good for the Gold and only one stroke less than second place Holland College Hurricanes (501).

44—Number of days since the start of the NHL lockout, assuming it hasn’t ended by press time (here’s to hoping it does).

12—Days until the Heat men’s basketball team makes its home league debut versus CIS newcomers Mount Royal University—can’t wait to see the newlook Heat under new head coach Pete Guarasci.

5 – Number of women’s soccer players who scored two or more goals this season, second only to first ranked TRU’s six.

0.40—Christine Tallon’s average as Goalkeeper for the women’s soccer team, tops in the league. She split the ten game season five games apiece with Sabrina Gasparac during the regular season and also recorded three shutouts along with her only two goals against.

Sports

October 29, 2012

| The Phoenix

23

A storybook ending to a storybook career

Jen Woods captures the elusive CCAA National Championship banner in her final season Jesse Shopa Sports Editor

Jen Woods (third from left) goes out on top, while Cody Bell (bottom right) finished in the top ten at Nationals.

After being the bridesmaid in two of the last three years, the UBCO Heat Women’s golf squad earn their first national title Friday at the 2012 PING CCAA Golf National Championship hosted by Durham College at the Oshawa Golf and Curling Club.

The UBCO team of Jennifer Woods, Jessica Kozak and Alana Kent captured the women’s title with a 1-stroke victory over the Holland College Hurricanes, finishing at 501 for the championship.

“We have come close a couple of times before so it feels great to finally win,” said Woods. “We didn’t know we had won until they posted the numbers on the scoreboard. It was a pretty amazing feeling.”

The Heat had a sizable lead going into the final round and needed every stroke as their Friday score of 174 was their highest in the three days. Holland College shot well on the third day with a 167 to cut the Heat’s lead to one.

Mike Darnbrough, the Heat golf coach, was glad to have a lead heading into the final day: “It was nice to have established a bit of a cushion over the first

two days,” explains the coach on the win, but overall, “the girls are thrilled, it was very close today.”

Jen Woods, based on her fourth place finish, made the tournament All Star team again.

This is her third finish in the top five at the national championships in her career golfing for UBCO. “She is very excited to go out a national champion,” comments Darnbrough on Woods’ final time at the CCAA national championships. “Jen was an outstanding leader in this tournament and throughout the season.”

The two Heat male golfers, Cody Bell and Will Deck, competing as individuals had quality third rounds. After the three day championships Deck finished at 221 (74-74-73), just five strokes behind the leader and tied for seventh. Cody Bell over the championship was just one stroke higher than Deck at 222 (74-73-75) good enough for a top ten finish.

“I'm happy with my play,” Bell comments from Oshawa. “My goal was to do better than I did in P.E.I. [at the 2011 CCAA Championships] where I was tied for tenth. I had the same result this

year, so although it could've been better, I'm happy with my result.”

In the individual competition for the women, the Oshawa Golf and Curling Club course record was shattered by Valerie Tanguay of Champlain-St. Lawrence, who carded a 5-under 67 to win the national championship by five strokes. Tanguay had five birdies and an eagle in her final round enroute to the CCAA national title.

Jen Woods finished in fourth place to round out the CCAA AllTournament team, her three day score was 240 (79-78-83). Kozak and Kent finished 13th and 14th respectively, Kozak was 264 (8390-91) and Kent 269 (88-87-94).

The men’s team title was once again won by the Humber Hawks, their fourth in a row, the Hawks posted a three-day total of 15-over 879 to win their tenth overall national title.

The Camosun Chargers won the silver medal with a three-day total of 897 while Durham earned the bronze medal with a team total of 901. Georgian’s Coltan Kalkanis captured the men’s individual title, beating Niagara’s Robert Ellis by one stroke.

Photo by UBC Athletics

24

The Phoenix |

Sports

October 29, 2012

Graduating Heat goaltender Sabrina Gasparac was one of the players honoured in the graduating ceremony held at Nonis Field.

Photo by UBCOHEAT(flickr)

Heat women head into playoffs on a high note

Place second in the PACWEST Jesse Shopa Sports Editor

In the final weekend of the regular season, the Heat women’s soccer team maintained their second place position in the PACWEST standings and head into the playoffs on a high note after defeating Vancouver Island University and playing to a draw with Capilano University.

The Heat came out to a hot start on a cold Kelowna afternoon in their first game versus Capilano. Midfielder Jennifer Kidd (Richmond, BC) got the Heat on the boardearly, scoring in the second minute of play. Michelle Smith (Vernon, BC) added an insurance goal in the 65th minute from her midfielder position, ensuring the victory for UBCO. “We had moments of brilliance today,” commented head coach Claire Paterson.

Third-year goalkeeper Christine Tallon (Kamloops, BC) collected a clean-sheet for her dominating effort in net. This is her fifth clean-sheet in just seven starts

this season.

The following game versus Capilano was not only the final game of the regular season, but Seniors Day as well at Nonis Field.

Graduating players Sabrina Gasparac (Langley, BC) and Elisabeth Babcock (Calgary, AB) were honoured before the game for their contributions over the past five seasons to the Heat soccer program.

Despite the emotions, the Heat were unable to secure a victory for their graduating players as they played the Blues to a 1-1 draw. The Heat controlled possession for the majority of the game, playing the majority of the match in the Capilano half of the field. However, the Heat gave up a bad breakway in the 77th minute, and forward Demmi Skierka (North Vancouver, BC) of Capilano got the Blues on the board first.

The Heat were not to be outdone in their

final home game of the season, and battled back to tie the score at 1-1. A scramble in front of the Blues’ net saw the ball make its way to the boot of second-year forward Lana Finley (Kelowna, BC), who buried the pointblank shot to even the score.

“Tough conditions to play in,” remarked head coach Claire Paterson. “It was looking like it was going to be a 0-0 draw, with the opportunities that we were creating and not finishing and they weren't getting many chances. We had to fight harder and we clawed back.”

With the tie, the Heat cemented their second place finish in the PACWEST league standings with a record of 7W 6D 1L. The Heat will meet Quest University in the first round of the PACWEST playoffs.

“Looking back over the past five years, it’s been amazing” said Gasparac. “This teamhas meant so much to me and Liz. It’s been great

to be apart of it. I couldn’t be moreproud to be a Heat athlete and a part of the women’s soccer team”.

“I’ve absolutely loved my time here,” reflected Babcock. “Claire's been amazing, I've learned so much about soccer and I couldn't have asked to do it with a better group of girls.”

An emotional time for both players, they were greeted with flowers and hugs from their family and friends following the game.

“The two graduating players have a pretty special place in my heart,” said Paterson.

“They started the same year I started, so these are the final two that are leaving [from the original team]. They’ve been a huge part of this program, and it’s been an absolute pleasure working with them. It is bittersweet seeing them move on”.

Lackluster season ends for Heat men’s soccer

Miss the mark of provincial qualifying Jesse Shopa Sports Editor

A season that began with high hopes and dreams of provincial glory ended Sunday, October 21st. After making it all the way to the semi-finals last season, the men’s soccer team was confident that they could continue to build on last season’s success in 2012. However, a frustrating season left the Heat out of a playoff position. The Heat’s last weekend saw the team take on Vancouver Island University and Capilano University.

The Heat’s first game of the weekend pitted the the team against the secondplace VIU Mariners. The Heat played the Mariners tough all game, as the game went back-and-forth between the two squads.

The Mariners opened the scoring in the 25th minute, and it seemed like another loss was imminent for the Heat, until Sean

Causier (Port Moody, BC), playing in his final weekend of soccer, scored in the 90th minute to tie the game at one apiece and ending the game in a draw.

If there is anything the Heat can build on heading into next season, it was Saturday’s game versus Capilano. The Heat offense finally found their groove in a 4-1 drumming of the Blues.

Opening up the scoring for the Heat was junior Austin Jones (Vernon, BC) with a shot deflected into the Blues net off a defender. A short time later, midfielder Tanner Brydges (1st year, Drayton Valley, AB) capitalized on a Blues defensive error, breaking away for a one-on-one with the keeper and chipping the ball past to go up 2-1.

Graduating defender Dustin Luck

(Kelowna, BC) scored off of a scramble in front of the Capilano net, and Dylan Abbott (Salmon Arm, BC) wrapped up the scoring for the Heat with seven minutes to go in the match.

"Going down 1-0 at the half was tough but we fought back," noted an ecstatic Luck. "All the goals were nice. Mine was only the third of my [university] career and really good to get in my last game."

This game marked the final match in the university careers of Zach Donaldson-Hall, Dustin Luck, and Sean Causier, who were honoured before the game for their contributions to the men’s soccer program at UBC Okanagan over the past five seasons.

"It's been a great time," said DonaldsonHall. "We all stayed positive through the season, worked through, and started hav-

ing fun. That was the biggest part for us."

"I've enjoyed my time here," reflected midfielder Sean Causier. "Obviously a bit unfortunate this year. [It’s] tough to go out without making the playoffs.”

The Heat finish the season with a record of 2W 5D 7L, good for sixth in the PACWEST standings.

"It's always disappointing when you don't achieve the goals you set out at the beginning of the year," finished coach Zanatta. "The goal was to win provincials, but I am proud of my team. They came in, worked week in and week out in training.

In that regard I think it’s a winning season because we’ve changed the mentality of UBC Okanagan soccer. We’re heading in the right direction and we will continue to do things to improve."

Sports

October 29, 2012

| The Phoenix

25

Heat ready to ball so hard Men and women put the finishing touches on a promising preseason

Jesse Shopa Sports Editor

Melissa Irish looks to lead the Heat women’s basketball team in 2012-2013

Women The UBCO women’s basketball team enjoyed a successful weekend, winning two of three games at the Cougar Classic tournament hosted by Mount Royal University (Oct. 19-21).

The Heat first met fellow Canada West members the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns, winning in close fashion 91-88.

The following night the Heat took on SAIT and absolutely

Men A 4-2 preseason record had the Heat feeling confident heading into their matchup versus the visiting York Lions on October 18th. What was billed as a relatively even matchup between both teams ended in an unlikely result, as the Heat fell to the Lions in a tight game 81-79.

The Heat came out strong and built a sizeable lead early, opening up the first quarter with a

Photo by Steve Shulhan

took it to the Trojans, cruising to an easy 90-54 victory. The Heat were looking for a tournament sweep when they met Laurentian University in the final game of the weekend, but fell in a close contest 70-66.

2nd-year guard Sarah Allison (Surrey, BC), had a whopping 20 points in both the first two games, while adding 23 points against Laurentian University. Veteran post Roslyn Huber (5th year, Kelowna, BC) led the

team with 26 points in the game against the Pronghorns, and 2nd year guard Emily Kanester (Vernon, BC) put up 22 points, 15 of those points coming from outside the arc, in the game versus Lethbridge University.

“I thought the weekend was a success and a step forward for us as a team,” commented Sarah Allison. “We played tough and showed what we are capable of as a group.”

In the game against SAIT the

Heat picked up their defense, getting 23 steals and 28 points off of turnovers. The entire team contributed to the team’s offensive effort with 49 bench points.

“Defense was very good and team play on offense continues to improve,” reflected head coach Heather Semeniuk on the team’s overall play at the tournament in Calgary.

“We're hungry this year and couldn't be more excited to get the season underway in Victo-

ria,” added Allison.

With the preseason completed the Heat now wait in anticipation for their Canada West league opener against the University of Victoria Vikes on Friday, November 2nd on the Ken and Kathy Shields Court in Victoria, BC. The game is set to tipoff at 6 p.m.

The home opener for the Heat hoopsters will be on Friday, Nov 9th at 6 p.m. as the Mount Royal Cougars visits the gym on UBC’s Okanagan campus.

35-point explosion. York clawed back in the second quarter, but the Heat remained in charge of the game with a 49-37 lead.

Adjustments made at halftime proved to be the difference in the game, as York implemented their zone defense to slow the Heat attack. UBCO struggled to break the zone, shooting 30% from the field and 30% from beyond the arc. It took the Lions until 4:11 in the fourth quarter to make the first lead change of the game, but the Li-

ons held on from there on out to earn the victory 81-79. 6-foot-7 Nick Tufegdzich proved to be a tough matchup for the Heat, as he led the Lions with 18 points, on 8-13 shooting, while adding 10 rebounds.

Fourth-year guard Landry Ndayitwayeko finished with a game high of 18 points. Ottawa native Anwar Faza added 13 points and six assists, while forward Dave Mackay (Vancouver, BC) hauled in nine boards to lead UBCO.

“I’m happy with how we pushed the ball and transitioned in the first quarter,” commented head coach Pete Guarasci. “I am happy with our progress so far [this year] but we still have some things to work on as a team.”

Another big reason for the Heat collapse came from turnovers and early foul trouble.

The Heat turned the ball over 29 times and got into foul trouble early in the second half, hurting the Heat game plan.

“We got a little sloppy on our defense and were not moving our feet like we should have.

It led us into foul trouble,” noted Guarasci.

The Heat will open the 2012/2013 Canada West regular season on the road, travelling to Victoria to face the Vikings on November 2nd and 3rd at McKinnon Gym. The Heat will then return home on November 9th to face the Mount Royal Cougars at UBCO. Game time is set for 8:00 PM.

Heat earn sweep over the weekend

Women’s volleyball team begins the season with two straight-set victories Jesse Shopa Sports Editor

UBCO opened up the 2012-2013 Canada West volleyball season in dominating fashion over the weekend, earning two straight set victories over the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack.

The Heat began the season on the road friday night, travelling to Kamloops to take on the WolfPack. The game was never in doubt for the Heat, who cruised to the victory 3-0 (25-15, 25-09, 25-

18). Alex Basso (5th year, Kelowna, BC) led the Heat attack with nine kills.

Both teams then made the journey down Highway 97 to play in Kelowna on Saturday night. The

Heat once again cruised to a 3-0 victory (25-17, 25-14, 25-12). A balanced attack saw seven Heat players tally three or more kills.

The Heat will look to continue their early season winning ways

next weekend, hosting the University of Saskatchewan on Nov. 2nd and 3rd.

Check out thephoenixnews.com for updates on how the men’s volleyball team did in their matches.

OPINIONS

A MEMES TO AN END How internet memes became the most popular and most annoying thing online, and why they need to stop Matthew Lauzon Opinions Editor featuring Cameron Welch Editor-in-chief

Memes are bad. Really bad. And they’re everywhere. Originally, plenty of internet memes were dumb inside jokes, but some were at least interesting ways to reference popular culture and communicate relatable observations. But now they’ve become self-referential pop culture icons that let even the most boring people feel like they’re part of some clever internet culture and are making smart, relevant jokes.

The word “meme” was coined by evolutionary biologist Sir Richard Dawkins in his book The Selfish Gene to refer to “an idea, behavior or style that spreads from person to person within a culture”. In the context I’m using it, “meme” means “internet meme”: one of a group of images or catchphrases that developed on discussion forums and internet-bro websites like 4chan and Reddit.

Some memes are referential sentences like “All your base are belong to us” or “This is Sparta!” that formed a kind of internet jargon. Others, like the Dos Equis Guy, Futurama Fry, and Advice Animals, are image macros with associated setup-punchline text. Then there are Demotivational Posters that caption a photo, and Rage Comics that tell everyday stories using cartoon faces to indicate certain emotions or types of people.

Many older memes were the jargony references and in-jokes, and they mostly stayed in niche internet communities; you had to know the lingo and be a part of the

group. Many were just used as standard responses to say how dumb a thread and its creator were—not to emulate hilarity and try to create new content. The newer, more popular memes, on the other hand, don’t require exclusivity (or anymore, at least).

Once you know the basics, these kind of memes are intentionally easy to understand. They don’t serve more of a purpose than to show the user’s sense of humour, relying purely on their accessibility and pre-established popularity.

With the overwhelming amount of time people spend on the internet these days, we start to see these jokes crop up everywhere, especially Facebook. Like any social gathering function, the more time you spend somewhere, the more you want to be in the know of its inside jokes. More people gained access to internet memes once they expanded from “internet culture” websites to more popular ones (and as “internet culture” website became more popular themselves).

Thanks to “Know Your Meme”, new people can learn the backstory of a meme instantly.

This gives people the sense of being completely in on a joke even if they’ve only known it existed for (literally) 10 minutes.

With nearly 2 billion hits per month and 100,000 unique visitors per month, Reddit is obviously one of the more influential websites on the internet. Its most popular subreddit is entitled “fffffffuuuuuuuuuuuu” and deals exclusively in the production and sharing of rage comics. It supplies the tools to allow anyone and their grandmother to make their own picture in seconds and up-

Matt Lauzon

opinions@thephoenixnews.com

O

October 29, 2012

| The Phoenix

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STOP Photo(shop) by BlittleMcNilsen (deviantart)

“Memes don’t add anything to culture anymore, they dumb everything down to two sentences and a picture.

The point isn’t do to things with memes—it’s just to do memes.”

THIS

load it to the internet for everyone to see regardless of its quality or message. This is where we start to see the loss of quality in the meme world. Everyone can do it—and so everyone does. Whether they’re any good or not. There’s been a huge increase in the quantity of memes, and a corresponding decrease in quality, so we see worse content than we did, say, two years ago.

“LOOK, ME TOO!” When people see these jokes, and they see how much fun they are having, they want to be able to say, “I can do this too! I get this!” They feel like they are part of a community that has its own subtleties and in-jokes.

With continual encouragement from subreddits like “f7u12,” or 9gag, we keep seeing this loss of quality as more and more people discover these old jokes and beat them like a dead horse. Remember when Skyrim was released? When Skyrim’s sub-reddit got a hold of one particular phrase, every top comment on Youtube was an arrow to the knee joke, regardless of whether the poster had actually played the game.

Every. Top. Comment.

The internet just moves too quickly. It used to take, say, a month for an internet meme or pop cultural reference to run its course, be abused to no end, and be discarded. Now, the same amount of people can hear about it

and make as many jokes about it in less that a week. But the meme still sticks around for a month, long past the “expiry date” where nothing original is being said about it. Viral hit Gagnam Style was fun, but should only have lasted for two weeks. There were one or two notable derivatives, but people are still—to this day—remaking themselves in the video solely for the sake of taking part in the movement, and not actually making any contribution. It’s all just “look, Gangam Style!” We’re way past the point of diminishing returns, and are only seeing more content pop up because it’s easy to recognize.

Tons of popular memes are just scribbledout pictures, or vectorized stills from movies. They’re easy to recognize. People want to be able to recognize what they think is funny, and oftentimes need to be explicitly told why it’s funny. It’s the recognition of the brand—not the content itself—that makes it funny. It has rage faces—it must be le funny joke!

LIKE A BAD SITCOM Recognizable symbols that were originally used to create a “common language” to communicate funny stories have now become thought of as funny in and of themselves (which they aren’t). I like to compare rage comics to bad sitcoms, like Family Guy, newer seasons of The Simp-

sons, and The Big Bang Theory. They started out alright, but over the years they’ve become repetitive, formulaic, and more about the “brand” of the show than the actual content.

The Simpsons was an amazing interpretation of the modern nuclear family that highlighted troubles nearly every family went through. In the later years, though, the show completely lost its touch and continues to rely on pre-established jokes between characters instead of original humour. In early episodes, the show would explore, Homer trying something new, getting into a shenanigan, learning from his mistakea, and in the end coming out stronger, (not quite) smarter, and a better person. The show asked “what would Homer in this scenario?”

Today, however, episodes are centered more on the idea of “what would Homer do in this scenario?”

The shows now focuses on and fetishize the characters themselves, rather than using the characters to explore situations and relationships. This makes the characters caricatures of their former selves—a dried-up set of characteristics that follow a set reaction to different situations. And this is what has become of memes: they rely on themselves for substance, not the imagination of the author.

Stewie Griffin started out as an aspiring world-conqueror who hated his mother and loved his dog—now, however, he’s a shameless, homoerotic pop-culture reference whose only purpose in the show is to be a recycled punch-line of snarly comments, physical violence, and observational humour. Similarly, memes are just simplistic caricatures that pop up to say a punchline.

Rage faces and memes once had actual content that approached relatable issues, and used the faces sparingly. They were frameworks to communicate. Now what we have is “this is my mediocre story that has little to no value to it... with rage faces.”

The comics are caricatures of themselves

that are only “funny” because they’re recognizable. Rage Comics and Family Guy both rely on the same “hey, do you remember this?” joke approach.

I’m probably giving older memes a bit too much credit. Their jokes were crude, often the same, and downright stupid. The difference, though, is that back then they were either intentionally dumb and repetitive or fueled creation of newer jokes. New memes would pop up, old ones would change or die out, and memes could be recombined with other pop culture to do new things. And they were in a subculture that cycled through content. But now, everyone and their dog just piles in on the same jokes and never lets go, and thinks they’re clever and internet-y for liking memes.

“I’M SUCH A NERD” This is where The Big Bang Theory comes back in. It’s among the most popular of TV shows despite focusing on socially unpopular people.

There’s two possible reasons for this: 1) The majority of the population are highly qualified in the sciences, or, 2) the “high-brow,” “smart” humour that the show claims to produce is actually a clever guise to hide poorly written, everyone-gets-it jokes sandwiched between fancy sciencewords. Hint: it’s number 2.

The show talks about science things to make the viewer feel smart, but makes the smart characters act stupidly so that nobody feels inadequate for not actually being a super-smart scientist. It’s a completely mainstream show, but the viewer gets to feel “nerdy” and “clever” for watching it.

These shows don’t pander specifically to intellectuals or popular people. They pander to “you”. You, the individual with developed taste and preference. By taking part in these things, you get to identify yourself

as part of its apparent target audience. It’s part of the reason Starbucks or Apple are popular: they look like they appeal to individuals. They look trendy, fashionable, and smart. They look less mainstream than they are. It’s why some people go to Starbucks and others go to Tim Hortons. The two companies have very different atmospheres, but when you boil down the pretty displays and remove the soft indie music, all you’re left with is a quick coffee fix and some chairs.

Boiling away the rage faces and meme pictures leaves either a weak story or a commonly made observation.

Think of the popularity of Foster the People and Adele—they lie just outside the norm enough to give off an air of unique taste, but are close enough to the mainstream to be accessible by everyone. They give their listeners reason to say “I’m better/cooler than the mainstream”. Internet memes maintain popularity similarly: no matter how popular they get, fans still think of them as “alternative” and “nerdy” (because they’re clearly Internet Stuff).

Look at how many people are self-described nerds. A decade or two ago, a nerd was someone who: had few friends, played video games, worked on computers, wore glasses, liked fantasy/sci-fi, etc. But now tons of people are like that (except the few friends part). We all go online and have played video games. Even the most mainstream, popular things around—Harry Potter, Star Wars, video games, superheros— are somehow still considered nerdy. Big Bang presents people with many popular things they like but reinforces those things as “nerdy” by attaching them to obviously nerdy characters. “Nerd” used to mean a socially-ostracized person who became obsessed with certain things. Now anyone can be a “nerd” just by liking those same things, without the inconvenient social awkwardness and wedgies.

We’re not becoming nerds, we’re using the term to justify ourselves: “I like superheroes—I’m so quirky and nerdy, not like those boring mainstream jerkoffs. But it’s

not like I read all the comics or anything— that’s nerd stuff lol.”

DUMB IT DOWN I’m not trying to just shout “stop liking things that I don’t like!” I’m fine with people liking things I don’t.

I just don’t enjoy seeing content that was considered old and re-hashed in 2007 touted as being new and original today.

People are discovering so many thing online, and this is great. Having so many people online and in the know of what’s popular makes it much easier and more fun to engage in culture. It’s the over-appreciation of mediocre content that sucks. Generally, most people can be creative on their own; making memes is like grabbing McDonalds instead of making dinner. It’s easier, quicker, and you don’t have to think about it, but it’s not exactly good stuff and it gets pretty unhealthy if you have it all the time. If a picture is worth a thousand words, slapping it with text or surrounding it with a “demotivation” border makes it worth ten.

What started out as a way for everyone to add to a joke ended up just being everyone repeating the same jokes. Memes don’t add anything to culture anymore, they dumb everything down to two sentences and a picture. The point isn’t do to things with memes—it’s just to do memes.

When given the tools to make something on our own organically, and unconstrained by budget, the result is still the same: we want more of the same stuff. It’s too bad memes took off the way they did. They had potential to quickly and easily convey real things and new jokes—instead they’ve become a self-referential mess of overdone pseudo-jokes that reject innovation and rely on themselves to drive the humour. They’re memes for the sake of memes, not memes to make content; a memes to an end.

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Opinions

October 29, 2012

Violent Pornography

The banning of Donkey Love once again shows our unfair treatment of sex compared to gore Matthew Lauzon Opinions Editor

With the addition of Donkey Love to the Okanagan Film Festival, there’s been a lot of uproar about the documentary’s content that led to the festival being shut down, and even death threats to the festival’s organizer. Donkey Love is a documentary that covers remote South American islands whose inhabitants celebrate the ‘Festival Del Burro,’ a local festival that celebrates having sex with donkeys.

Zoophilia is a disgusting act by itself—and should never be encouraged—but the fact of the matter is, having sex with donkeys is a key part of tradition and culture in the small village of San Antero. I understand people don’t want to see people having sex with animals, but to go insofar as to threaten to kill the organizer of the Okanagan Film Festival and get the festival shut down is beyond ridiculous. The trailer for the film can be viewed online for free, and contains the most graphic of scenes; there is absolutely no nudity shown (except, maybe, for a few donkeys stripped down to their bare fur.

How repulsive!). The reviews of Donkey Love laud the piece

of work, as it does exactly what a documentary sets out to do: cover the extraordinary intricacies of life. So why do people over-react at the prospect of such a documentary?

There’s a huge discrepancy over the treatment of mature content in media, and whom the appropriate audience is. Western civilization is just abhorred by the idea of sexuality, that it will do anything to repress the idea. We see parents challenging the school system for trying to explain safe sex to children because, apparently, the idea of sex leads to sex itself. When we see violence in the media, though— other than in news related incidents—it’s mostly regarded as harmless fun.

How many parents bought the newest iteration of Call of Duty for their kids because of the “17 and up” label that prevents the youngsters from getting the game themselves? “It’s just a game,” they say, “Connor down the road has it.” So Mom, being the amazing woman she is, buys the game for little Jimmy—ignoring the warning by the salesman who says it’s meant for adults, in

We’re technically allowed to show this donkey’s guts.

the process—and let’s him have fun saving the world from terrorism and World War III as any great citizen would.

I wonder how she would react if she were explicitly told that her child would soon be walking through an airport terminal armed to the teeth with a fullyautomatic rifle, and be shooting hapless, everyday citizens by the hundreds (maybe it’s because you’re killing evil Russians that justifies the scene. God forbid we kill any Americans). How would the mother react if told—when buying the next version of the game—that her child would bear witness to the death of a little girl by way of an explosion through the eyes of her father?

It’s this passive approach to violence that causes the discrepancies which idealize sex being repulsive that give it such a bad wrap. We’re so surrounded by violence that it becomes second nature; with constant reminders of the death-toll in the middleeast, and the ever-increasing creation of violence in media, we’re becoming more and more insensitive to the violent pornography that occupies the airwaves.

Why can we openly watch people as they get their organs torn apart, or eyes stabbed out, or limbs being dismembered, yet feel so uncomfortable seeing partial nudity? We see ourselves naked everyday without being horrified (provided you change your clothes), yet there are tons of people that, at the sight of blood, start heaving and feeling woozy.

I’d like to remind the reader of Corey Dixon, the Okanagan artist who received a significant negative public reaction after the premiere of his art project, Discust: conversation on the male body. He ironically poked fun at the media’s shameless portrayal of topless men in most forms of entertainment by reversing the image and showing men naked from below the waist while wearing full shirts or sweaters.

Despite some vocal public disapproval not unlike the Donkey Love controversey, the show went on and garnered success. Without going too far in-depth on the subject, it’s interesting to note that an art exhibition centered on the revelation of the male body was allowed to go on, when a film that inquires and explores the

lives of a different culture can be banned wholly on the basis of its crude content while actually possessing no nudity.

Sex has always been viewed as a disgusting act meant only for the purpose of procreation, and not for the sake of connecting with a partner. For hundreds of years, the act has been considered vile. Violence, on another hand, is one of the most glorified pastimes of humanity. From the Roman Colosseum to the countless wars and crusades, millions have been killed by the sword or by firearm, all for the sake of a greater good.

If there’s two things humanity excels at, it’s killin’ and makin’ babies. The repression of sex that encourages this over-justification of killing causes these discrepancies that unfairly treat art forms and individuals alike. When given a legitimate piece of work that sets out to inform the public and learn of other culture, rather than appreciate the study and hard work, Kelowna would rather plug their ears, close their eyes, and threaten anyone who evenmentions the concept of sex with an animal.

Graphic by Nadine Bradshaw.

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Opinions

October 29, 2012

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The perks of being a loner

Why can’t we enjoy nice things on our own anymore?

Brianna Ferguson Contributor

Earlier this week, I attended a viewing of the much anticipated The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

Everyone I knew was busy that night, and I’d been waiting for a while for it to be released in Kelowna, being that it was a limited North American release.

Limited release movies have a strange tendency to arrive rather unannounced in our fair town, and they tend to disappear just as quickly after about a week, so I figured there would be no better time for me to get out and enjoy what I had hoped would be an earth-shattering cinematic event.

The theatre was very nearly empty, and I had no trouble securing for myself a seat in front of a small posse of opinionated twenty-somethings, eager to make their voices heard in the general silence of the theatre. I propped my feet up on the chair in front of me as per my usual theatre-going habits, tuned into the over-loud opening music and was immediately immersed in the story of several upper-middle class white high school students with more than enough contrived issues and one or two genuine ones.

Later that night, I regaled a friend of mine with the thrilling tale of my evening, and when she asked who I went with, I earnestly replied with, “no one, I went alone.” Her eyes widened at this revelation as if I had just admitted to hitting a pedestrian on my drive home. I laughed and asked her what the problem was. She promptly informed me that I was a weirdo, and said she couldn’t imagine going to the movies alone. Hearing this, I laughed and thought nothing more of it until then next day at school when I related the evening to yet another friend, who responded in the same way after I told her I’d gone alone to the theatre. I asked her what the big deal was, and she replied that she just couldn’t imagine doing something like that.

I find it hard to believe that in this day of sub-stratosphere solo sky-diving, that something as commonplace as driving to a building in a first world country, and sitting in air conditioned comfort for two hours is worthy of alarm. I also find it difficult to believe that it is something to be

ashamed of, or to struggle to do when one wants to do it.

A movie is a work of art, meant to be experienced in a dark, silent room, leaving an impression on its viewer. There are signs to this effect, such as an automatic dimming of the theatre lights when the event is about to begin, and several on-screen reminders to silence one’s phone and be considerate of others. Why then, must such an event be enjoyed in the company of others? You can’t talk to them—you can hardly even see them.

I certainly understand as well as anyone the joys of sharing something I admire with another, but this does not necessarily mean that they need be with me when I first enjoy them. I enjoy feeling safe and desirable within a group, but I am more than capable of enjoying some things on my own, and formulating my own opinion on their subject matter without the buffer of peer approval.So what is it then that causes such anxiety in those who contemplate seeing a movie on their own?

Personally, I believe it to be a subconscious fear of straying beyond the norm and feeling lonely, if even for a running time of 120 minutes. God forbid the entire social networking world be oblivious to our private lives for such an exorbitant stretch of time. I will be the first to admit, that things experienced alone are far more potent than those enjoyed in the presence of others.

When I stood before Big Ben in London this spring, completely alone in a crowd of foreigners, I felt as if my heart might explode from the catharsis of many years’ desire. When I watched The Perks of Being a Wallflower, admittedly, a few of the ending scenes hit me so hard, I ended up hyperventilating in my car. Now I can’t know for sure, but I’ll bet that such a moment of emotional outpouring would not have happened were I in the company of others, and I would have never driven away afterwards feeling refreshed and renewed as I did. I would have muttered a few lines with my friends about the movie, allowed my opinions to shift ever so slightly as I listened to

This viewer knows what’s up. Movies can draw you in, evoke emotion, and are best viewed alone.

their critiques, and I would have gone home, unresolved.

There’s nothing wrong of course with social networking and traveling in packs. We are as a species, naturally inclined towards companionship. But why must our every moves be documented for others to know? Why must every experience be shared with those closest to us? Could it not be argued that to take a moment here and there to embark on something as grand as seeing a movie alone from time to time, without seeking the approval of others, is just one valuable step on the path to self discovery?

I could have gone to the movies that night with friends, and it would have been perfectly pleasant. Though, in comparison to so many nights in the company of others which I can no longer remember, I would choose the potency of my night over the benumbing camaraderie of others, hands down. I have nothing against either pursuit, just a healthy respect for the benefits of both mutual and solitary enjoyment.

Photo by Hanss Lujan

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SAFE SEX IN THE CITY

PRESS RELEASE October 23, 2012

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On September 24, 2012, the Board of Directors of the UBC Students’ Union voted to increase the monthly honorarium of the Executive Council.

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According to the Students’ Union Constitution, the Executive Council is expected to work a minimum of 25 hours per week. During the summer months, each Executive member worked on average 40 hours per week and, as a consequence, did not have the time to pursue an additional job. Since it would be very difficult for these Executives to support themselves with a monthly honorarium of $950; the Board of Directors has increased this amount to $1,350 per month. The Board took this action upon a recommendation of the Policy Committee who reviewed and deemed it necessary for the Executive Council to focus on the job at hand and with sufficient income to support themselves.

The Board of Directors voted unanimously in favor of this motion with the Executive Council abstaining from the vote. The Board of Directors have also made clear they expect to see the Executive Council in the office more frequently. Shortly after the motion was carried, the Executive Council spoke of creating log sheets and adding the estimated office hours to their executive reports.

The Board of Directors wish to assure the student population the increase to the Executives’ pay comes with increased responsibility. The Executives agree they will do everything in their power to work as diligently as possible for all students. The Executives also wish to point out the monthly honorarium is not always paid in full but rather on the appropriate percentage of work done by the Executives that month.

Should you have any questions or concerns, please drop by the UBCSUO office or schedule a meeting with a member of the Board of Directors. They would love to hear what you think!

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