NEWS
MOVEMBER: FOR FUN OR FOR CHARITY? p6
ART AND CONTROVERSY AT UBCO p8
THEDave FRANCHIZE p15 Nixon
News@thephoenixnews.com
UBCO’s Student Newspaper
November 18, 2013 | Vol. 25 Issue 7
...very news, wow since 1989
THE
Travel ISSUE
We journey to PERU, TANZANIA, BIRMINGHAM, PARIS, THE NETHERLANDS, TOFINO, AUSTRALIA, and all around BC
pages 16-29
N
NEWS
FEATURES
Who let the dogs out? p5 Students work to resurrect the Arts and Sciences Co-op p5
UBCO’s Go Global program, experiencing Peru as a local-turned-tourist, and visiting Tanzania p16
LIFE
ARTS
The ideal care package from home p10 Reasons to learn a 2nd langauge p13
Art and Controversey: Jonathan Hobin visits UBCO p8 M.I.A album review p7
OPINIONS
SPORTS
Movember roundtable p6
Meet “Eddiefranchize” p15 Heat did not do well last weekend (except for women’s volleyball) p14
ON The cover NEWS
MOVEMBER: FOR FUN OR FOR CHARITY? p6
ART AND CONTROVERSY AT UBCO p8
THEDave FRANCHIZE p15 Nixon
News@thephoenixnews.com
UBCO’s Student Newspaper
November 18, 2013 | Vol. 25 Issue 7
N
...very news, wow since 1989
THE
Travel ISSUE
We journey to PERU, TANZANIA, BIRMINGHAM, PARIS, THE NETHERLANDS, TOFINO, AUSTRALIA, and all around BC
pages 16-29
Qulla Dancers gather to make their way down and pay homage to the Qoyllur Rit’i sanctuary, Ocongate Cusco, Peru. After deliberating extensively, we chose this Peru photo over the other 4 candidates shown below.
Editor-in-chief
Room 109 University Center 3333 University Way Kelowna, BC Canada V1Y 5N3 Phone: 250-807-9296 Fax: 250-807-8431 thephoenixnews.com Cover image by Hanss Lujan
Interim News Editor
Photo Editor
Dave Nixon eic@thephoenixnews.com
David Nixon news@thephoenixnews.com
Kelsi Barkved photo@thephoenixnews.com
The Phoenix is the UBCO students’ free
Managing Editor
Arts Editor
Staff Writers
Union Okanagan (UBCSUO) and from the
Alex Eastman ads@thephoenixnews.com
Laura Scarpelletti arts@thephoenixnews.com
Creative Director
Life Editor
Torin McLachlan & Emma Partridge & Sasha Curry & Matt Husain
Cameron Welch creative@thephoenixnews.com
Maranda Wilson life@thephoenixnews.com
Staff Illustrator
Interim Art Directors Cameron Welch Darcie Rudyk artdirector@thephoenixnews.com
Interim Sports Editor
Staff Photographers
Copy Editor
Matt Lauzon opinions@thephoenixnews.com
Lauren Wintle copy@thephoenixnews.com
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Asher Klassen
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Sean Willett, Cherri Reagh, Curtis Schafer, Katie Jones
Events Editor
Hanss Lujan events@thephoenixnews.com
Columnists
Contributors
Kaeleigh Phillips, Jake Sherman, Savannah Hallworth, Keaton Murphy, VOCO, Rumnique Nannar, Christina Van
press. Editorial content is separate from the University of British Columbia Students’ UBC institution at large. The editorial staff encourages everyone to submit material to the Phoenix but reserves the right to withdraw submissions from publication for any reason. “Any reason” could be material deemed to be sexist, racist, homophobic, or of poor taste or quality. The Phoenix will not publish materials which condone, promote, or express actions which are illegal under current laws. This does not include articles which provide an in-depth examination of both sides of a controversial subject (e.g. legalising marijuana). The Phoenix is published, in part, by the UBCSUO and is an active member of the Canadian University Press
NEWS briefs
School holds candlelight vigil in memory of Claire Jones
The 2013-2014 AGM has come and gone, and the only news is that there wasn’t much news. After the impeachment motion dropped it seems as if student interest paralleled it. The UBCSUO struggled to get enough people to meet quorum and host the meeting. This year’s budget was passed without much difficulty. The only take-away is that the UBCSUO is now looking for a new auditor.
ASpire is starting up to collect student feedback via graffiti walls. Student volunteers will be at the walls asking questions including:
photo by David
The candlelight vigil on November 16, held in memory of Claire Jones. David Nixon
Editor-in-chief
The university held a candlelight vigil on November 16, for Claire Jones, a second-year human kinetics student who died last week before she could return to UBCO from Hinton Alberta where her family lives. A crowd of at least 50 people gathered, and shared stories of Claire and comforted each other in their mourning. Melissa Fedderson, Special Projects Coordinator with Health and Wellness, opened things up by talking about how moments like this make her reflect on what’s really important in life. She then asked
anyone to take the stage and share a story, allowing moments of silence and reflection in between speakers. One of Claire’s roommates from the quad she lived in laughed about how Claire would drive them crazy with her post it note reminders of chores, but that “she immediately brought us together as a family after move-in”, through her energy and outgoing nature. “I was lucky to have met her for the short time I did,” said another girl who been in a group project with Claire at the time of her death. “Claire loved quotes”, said Fedderson. She’d had them plastered
“she immediately brought us together as a family after move-in.” all over her room. Fedderson said her favorite one was from a Chris Daughtry song: “All I’m after is a life full of laughter.” Near the end of the vigil they played that song for her. One girl who hadn’t known Claire took the mic at the song’s end and said
Nixon
she’d heard that song for the first time in a while that same morning and had belted it out, though she wasn’t sure what inspired her to do so. “It’s funny how life makes these connections,” she told the crowd. A memory book was set up to the side so Claire’s friends could write in it for her family. Her family is holding the funeral on Monday, November 18 in Hinton, but friends here can still post their condolences at mountainrose.ca. UBCO lowered its flags in memory of Claire on November 18. “She’ll always be with us,” concluded the last student speaker.
The university and UBCSUO are making progress in discussions around the library expansion.
Someday, Simba, this could all be yours...
ON THE WEB
The Student Leadership Conference hosted by UBCO seems to have been a success.
thephoenixnews.com
The Okanagan Car Share Co-op is trying to get spots up at campus for their cars. It offers a viable alternative to using Kelowna transit or your own car.
NEWS EDITOR
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Submit resume, cover letter, and work sample to eic@thephoenixnews.com
1. What should be unique about our UBC campus learning experience? 2. How should research define our UBC campus? 3. What could our UBC campus do in the community to make you proud? Walls will be up: Nov 18: 12-1 p.m. Reichwald Health Sciences Centre Nov. 19: 11:30 -1 p.m. UNC Foyer; 4-5 p.m. Gymnaisum Nov. 20: 11:15-12:45 p.m. Arts Foyer; 12:30-1:30 p.m. CCS Foyer Nov. 21: 10:30 - 12:30 p.m. EME Foyer; 11:45 - 1 p.m. Fipke Foyer
UBCO students now have the opportunity to enjoy a weekly free lunch and all they have to do is bring their own utensils and bowl. The newly assembled Karma Bowl has had extremely successful turnouts so far. It was born from the UBCO Environment and Sustainability Society and the UBCSUO to focus on providing a local, vegan and sustainable meal each week on Thursday.
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November 18th, 2013
UPCOMING
CAMPUS Student daycare not student-friendly, claim parents
Nov. 19 Formatting the thesis 2 - 3 p.m./ LIB 111
Find out how to format your thesis or dissertation. Grad students and grad school wannabes interested should register at csc.okanagan@ubc.ca
Nov. 21 Understanding copyright 1 - 2 p.m. / LIB 111
Come find out about the current state of Canadian copyright law from expert Laura Thorne.
Nov. 22 Last chance to drop a course and get a W 12:00 a.m. / Interwebs
We’re lookin’ at you, guy/ girl who hasn’t been to class all year. Drop it now before you get a fail on your transcript!
Alterknowledge: Discussion Series
7-8:30 p.m. / Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art
Facilitated by Allison Hargreaves, this discussion will explore the concept and practice of reconciliation in relation to ecology, as well as healthful relationships to land and place.
Nov 27 National Day Against Violence 11 a.m. / EME Bottom Floor
The day marks not only the anniversary of a terrible massacre of women on December 6 1989, but also reminds us of acts of gender-based violence against women in Canada and around the world. As a day of action, it prompts us to take steps to end violence against women.
Photo by Kelsi Barkved
Above: $20k turf that was installed outside the daycare
Emma Partridge Writer
Staff
Miscommunications about the daycare’s new artificial turf have alienated some student parents at UBCO’s daycare. Issues with the daycare’s newly installed artificial turf, which cost $20,000, caused concerns about the health risks of the turf as well as its necessity, have led to a bigger problem with its practices and communication overall. “[The turf] did seem very odd,” says Kaeleigh Phillips, a client at the daycare who’s daughter is currently in the infant and toddler division, “and when I thought about it more I was like, okay, this is a little silly.” Phillips and others conveyed concern to us about the necessity of such a large purchase, and the fact that artificial turf has chemicals in it that could cause health concerns, such as MRSA. Dianna Forbes, daycare staff, believes the health concerns are misinformed. “MRSA is a non-issue,” she said in an interview, addressing the concern. “It’s a form of a staph infection, we have never in all the years I’ve been in child care had a staph infection. MRSA is in buildings such as prisons, or group homes. It affects people who have a weakened immune system.” UBCO’s campus daycare has regular check-ups by Interior Health, and is a licensed non-profit organization. The Board of Directors who implemented the artificial sod is made up of parents. “We are parents. We’d never do
something to the center that we wouldn’t do for our own children,” said the Board’s President, Jennifer Eberle. The issue that remains, then, is communication. “I wish they had at least talked to us about it, instead of just going ahead,” said Kathryn Holden, another mother. Phillips also feels disconnected with the decision making process. Unlike Holden’s daughter, Phillips’s is not in the three and fiveyear-old division, which would be the age groups that would use the new terrain. “[The playground] is a really high traffic area. We could have potentially twenty plus kids running around on this area all the time,” said Eberle. There was also concern around whether the $20k would be put on parent’s backs, but Eberle says that “in no way have we ever said that a parent has to contribute”. They told parents they could donate. UBC is backing 30% of the project, and they currently have had enough to cover 600sqft of the existing area at a cost of $8,000. They will need another $12,000 if they hope to finish the project. Even so, Phillips claimed to “feel pressure to play by their rules. UBCO is a very isolated campus, and I don’t want to have my daughter that far away from me, just in case there is an emergency. So I really do feel like the daycare is the only option.” According to the Board’s Vice President, Keelin O’Riley, parents can take the initiative to find out
$20k Cost of the artificial turf.
$8k
Total paid out of the $20k so far.
35
approximate number of families who use the daycare.
“the daycare doesn’t really exercise a community orientated approach. They’re extremely business-like.” -Kaeleigh phillips, student parent
information that they are lacking in by becoming members of the Board. Similarly, the meeting minutes from Board meetings are recorded and parents who are too busy to attend the monthly gathering, can obtain a copy if they ask. Holden still feels that the requests for money is a crucial point though. “[The daycare] is always asking us for stuff ” she said. “Dianna [Forbes] explained a few things…they have to fundraise for something in order to get government funding. At least then I feel more compassionate, but I wasn’t like, oh, I really want to fundraise for fake grass.” Like Holden, Phillips is a student parent, and was made somewhat uneasy about the decision to install the pricey turf, stating that it wasn’t “a very democratic or inclusive decision. Which indicates the daycare doesn’t really exercise a community orientated approach. They’re extremely business-like.” To illustrate her point, Phillips explained that last week she missed the 11:30 a.m. cut off for when her daughter was supposed to be at the daycare, arriving – after calling ahead – at 11:36, at which point Phillips claimed she and her daughter were turned away. “I’m very convinced it’s not a student friendly daycare…they distance themselves very much, and I realized that when they turned my daughter away, because she wasn’t a child, she was a commodity. And that was a horrible feeling.”
November 18th, 2013
CAMPUS
Get it? Cause co-op has a hyphen. And chicks are in a co--oh nevermind.
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Photo-illustration by David Nixon
Students work to bring back the Arts & Science co-op program David Nixon
Editor-in-chief
Arts and Science students are still without a co-op program, and the reasons seem purely to do with lack of funding. The program, designed to help connect students with jobs and professional experience, was suspended over a year ago due to high expenses, lack of interest, and lack of qualified people to run it, according to administration. But it’s beginning to seem like funding may be the only real problem. “I certainly believe that the issues with the co-op program came from a lack of awareness,” said Lauren Ruttle-Soon, President of the Biology Course Union (BCU). “We have not had any negative responses from students,” continued Ruttle-Soon, “I find it interesting that many of our students started attend-
ing classes at UBCO prior to the suspension (before 2011) but were not aware of the program.” Carl Horak, a political science stu-
The problem is two-fold: lack of awareness and lack of appropriate job prospects dent who did a co-op with Disney at Club Penguin also conveyed a similar sentiment. “From my standpoint, I don’t think that lack of interest was the issue there,” said Horak. The problems reached a climax when the Management faculty began their own independent co-op pro-
B.A.R.K. study lets the dogs out
Ellie, the parapalegic husky
Photo by Kelsi Barkved
gram, and took the program’s organizer, Jamie Basran, with them. “When [Jamie Basran] left to focus on Management, it almost seemed like they didn’t have the resources for all of it. It just didn’t seem managed in the same way,” said Horak. In 2005 all the co-op programs were centrally managed by enrolment services or by the portfolio of students. Basran ran that program, until Management split. Ruttle-Soon hopes to prove that the program does not have a lack of interest through a petition that she recently began to circulate. The petition came about at the encouragement of Patricia Lasserre, Associate Dean of. Since then they have heard a lot of feedback from students. “We have talked to a number of students who say they certainly would have applied for it had they been able to and
Ellie, a parapalegic husky rescued from the puppy mill, was the sweetest, calmest, dog in the room when we arrived at the B.A.R.K. drop-in. Ellie’s not alone; the study currently uses 34 trained dogs from the community to study their effects on stress, and to allow students to drop-in weekly to spend time with the dogs. “It’s really targeting these kids who are from far away...living on residence and feeling disconnected,” said Dr. Ty Binfet, the leader of the program, “it provides a sense of grounding.” The most common feedback has been that it “feels like home.” Binfet says they’ve tried to establish a really warm environment for the drop-
other students who believe it is an asset to our school in general, though they may or may not have applied for it,” said Ruttle-Soon.“ They sent it to other course unions as well, but have only heard back from the Freshwater Science Course Union so far. It always comes back to funding though, despite other reasons that administration has cited. “To run the program we need $100,000 a year,” said Lasserre, “we discussed it, we looked at the number of students, and we decided it wasn’t reasonable to maintain it.” Horak also indicated that the program seemed geared towards management jobs under Basran. So the problem was two-fold: lack of awareness and lack of appropriate job prospects being developped. Currently the program is at the
ins. Treats are provided, and the dogs are always ready to show love. “The dogs give this unconditional positive regard that does wonders for ones well-being.” The program is now in year two, and provided Binfet continues to get funding he would like to continue the study and drop-in. The current funding is from Ian Cull at the AVP of Students office. “Its really unique and special,” said Binfet, “Other campuses will mess around with this kind of stuff but they do episodic things where they bring dogs in just at exame time. As far as we know we are the only incorporated programs on an ongoing basis.” The dogs come from the commu-
desk of the Provost, Dr. Cynthia Mathieson. It has been there for a long time and may stay there for a while more since Mathieson only took over the office three months ago after the previous Provost, Wesley Pue, resigned last year. “We are aware that the changes required to reinstate our co-op program will take time to implement.,” said Ruttle Soon. “We hope that our petition will show that students are interested and do want this program, and that it may be the first step in pushing for proper funding and organization. The co-op program provides a huge advantage to Arts and Science students in terms of networking, experience, and being aware of the types of jobs available.” Check thephoenixnews.com for the first story on the Arts co-op suspension.
nity and the B.A.R.K. study certifies them independently. “These are people in the community who want to connect with students and do something good - so these are household dogs.” They currently have 34 different dogs in the program. The drop-in is in EME 1123 from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m Friday., and the study runs four and a half hours per week, but it’s already full and students are signing on to be on the waitlist. “This is progressive work,” said Binfet, who laughed at imagining some pretty reluctant responses if a professor were to want to bring 34 dogs on campus. “We’re in a place where creative and different research is welcome, and students should know that.”
Dog breeds vary from chihuahuas to great Danes. Learn more about the program at barkubc.ca
B.A.R.K. stands for “Building Academic Retention through K9s.”
OPINIONS
Movember: for fun or for charity?
David Nixon, Torin McLachlan, Matt Lauzon, Alex Eastman, Cam Welch, Asher Klassen Phoenix Staff
Illustration by
Asher: I’ve done this unofficially for three years, just doing the No-Shave-November. Last year during November somebody sent me a link to the website and I discovered that it was actually an organized thing. I didn’t know beforehand, so, I’ve created a profile on the website and am fundraising.” As per the website, rules are as follows: 1. Each Mo Bro, as opposed to Mo Sista, MUST begin the first of November with a clean face (that’s right if you prepared your mo you’re cheating). 2. Each Mo Bro must grow a mo. 3. Mo cannot be connected to sideburns. Matt: Wait, how would they ever enforce these rules? Do they have some guy with the awful job of checking Mo Bro photos everyday to ensure there is separation from sideburns from moustache? Or, in Cam’s words: Call the mo patrol! Each Mo Bro must grow a mo to show! Do not show the mo and the bro must go! By Dr. Seuss. So where’s the bar for participating, and where did the campaign come from?
Alex: It seems like it’s a low bar. Cam: Is the fundraising incidental? Was it tied into it or was it an add-on to justify the fact that it’s going on and direct that energy some way? Alex: I think No-Shave-November was a historical predecessor to Movember. Cam: Activism awareness charity stuff was added on after this thing was already going on with No-Shave-November… some clever guys found a way to channel that energy into a productive outlet. Dave: The nice thing about slacktivism and the low bar, though, is people that would otherwise not contribute may actually help since it’s so easy to doing it Asher: What’s the difference between Movember and other cancer fundraisers like Terry Fox? Cam: Terry Fox was founded FOR cancer research. Dave: Also for Terry Fox you have to run for a distance, which is hard. To grow a moustache you just have to not do something for a while, something that a lot of
guys complain about doing in the first place. But are you missing the whole point if you grow a moustache without raising money? Alex: They’re doing a very small service. It takes a little more effort than changing a facebook profile picture, like in other slacktivism. Cam: I feel its not really a situation where you can say they’re
“we get a false sense of security that this problem is getting dealt with, but do we actually know that?” -Cam welch not doing their part if they’re not raising money because it was already a thing before money raising became added to it. So it’s a complicated situation Movember, compared to other pop activism campaigns. My concern with it is people who maybe raise $20 or nothing at all, or “raise aware-
ness” whatever that qualifies as, we get a false sense of security that this problem is getting dealt with ... but do we actually know that? It may have had a substantial result, but I don’t think the average person knows the mission is accomplished. Dave: People who are on the periphery often get pulled in too – I know plenty who grew moustaches for a year or two and then said “well maybe I should actually do something with my moustache” and they began raising money. What about the intent of the campaign? Does everyone participating realize that it’s for prostate cancer awareness, cancer research, and getting yourself checked? Torin: the problem Cam has brought up before is with pop activism, the funds, how the funds are used, what research exactly is being supported? The link to those results is being obscured. It does run into a reassertion of masculinity among peers that distracts from the actual goal. Dave: I feel like it’s so detached from the feeling that “oh I need to get checked.”Has this become
Asher Klassen
another tradition that we forget the original meaning of? Or is that just because it was already a tradition before the charity aspect was added, as Cam has said. Cam: I’m 22, I’m never going to die. Well actually I get scared of ways I’m going to die every day. But the mentality is that this is a future thing, like our dads are supposed to worry about this. That’s why it’s so conceptual to us, it’s still worth money for research and making people aware of the issue, but I don’t know if it’s one of those campaigns where getting people to get checked is super productive for the age cohort that’s doing it. Torin: I’ve heard recommendations that you should go in younger, in your 20s None of us concluded the campaign was bad, but the consensus was that the education component and link to men’s health seemed lacking. This roundtable has been edited for length, full version is online. If you’d like to propose a topic for discussion or join in on a Phoenix roundtable, email us at opinions@thephoenixnews.com
UPCOMING
ARTS
Nov 19 Play Reading: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
7pm / Pulp Fiction Coffee
Grab some coffee and enjoy as New Vintage Theatre performs a reading of this classic Tennessee Williams gem.
Nov 20 DEJA VU
8pm / Minstrel Cafe & Bar Father-son duo belting out country, blues, & classic rock hits
Album review: M.I.A.’s “Matangi” Rumnique Nanaar
Book Launch: Anatomy of a Girl Gang by Ashley Little
Awesome Phoenix Alumnus
7pm / Streaming Cafe
Ever wanted to join an all-girl teen gang in the streets of Vancouver? Come support the author and vicariously live your dream through this novel.
Nov 22 ART Party 2013
7pm /Fine Arts Building The Theatre Course Union as they takes over the CCS building with music, performance, & art
Nov 28 OPEN•HEART•DANCE
7pm / German Canadian Hall (1696 Cary Rd) Move how you feel in this freeform intuitive dance space. Drop in $15, Students $10. Twerking not encouraged.
M.I.A’s Matangi crashes into stores a year late amidst disputes with her record company Universal, but the results show a wickedly inventive and eccentric fourth album. I was one of those minor few that were completely blown away by 2010’s Maya, which explored Internet politics, rabble-rousing revolution, and her troubled personal life. It unfortunately made a paltry sum compared to her previous album Kala, in spite of being acutely prophetic about the recent NSA wire-tapping in her opening track “The Message,” “iPhone connected to the internet/connected to the Google/ connected to the government.”
Matangi is a stunning realization of the themes M.I.A has been building on for the past years from female sexuality, othering, and taking issue with the male-dominated industry. While these topics are muddled and integrated throughout the album, her lyrics retain that satirical and snappy edge of being that wisecracking kid at the back of the class that we fell in love with in 2005. She raps about her frustration on “Boom (Skit)” with barbed oneliners like “Brown girl, brown girl/ Turn you shit down/America don’t wanna hear your sound.” It’s these moments of self-awareness in voicing her dissatisfaction with her outsider status in the music industry as a South Asian trailblazer. The album is also a marked divergence from Maya and her mixtape Vicki Leekx with its return to that
enthusiastic hybridity in sounds from Bollywood kitsch, kuthu beats mixed with dubstep, trap, and even dancehall reggae. It’s this interesting brew of sounds that makes the album infinitely more danceable and accessible to those turned off by the industrial noise and cacophony of its predecessors. The album features stompers like “Bring the Noize,” a pulsating number in which M.I.A. takes a killer melody from the discordant electronic sounds and showcases her spitfire skills, calling herself the “female Slick Rick.” M.I.A. gives her own spiritual stamp on “Y.A.L.A (You Always Live Again),” sending up Drake’s YOLO motto and even imitating his laconic style during the finale. The weaker songs tend to be the mushier tracks like “Lights” and “Know It Ain’t Right” which are bogged down by
average lyrics and muddled beats. However, when she does go for slower numbers like “Exodus” there’s the fabulous The Weeknd to create that moody landscape. The album is also an absolute stunner in terms of production values, since M.I.A. teams up with sidekick Faith, Britney Spears-collaborator Danja, and HitBoy, who made Kanye and Jay Z’s “N****s In Paris,” Kendrick Lamar’s “Backseat Freestyle” and A$AP Rocky’s “Goldie.” The tracks are often gonzo experiments that turn out completely killer, and M.I.A is channeling her inner goddess and namesake Mathangi, the deity of music, on the album in such a fresh and naturally divisive way. You’ll be serving your ears some good to be taken away to M.I.A’s chaotic and eccentric soundscape.
Hollerado and The Zolas visit the Habitat Kelowna concert-goers got a pick-meup Nov 13 with bands Hollerado and The Zolas putting on a sold-out show at the Habitat. The Zolas opened the night, giving a great musical performance, but were less energetic than they were at this summer’s Keloha festival. Hollerado, who were hand selected by Jack White to open for his band The Dead Weather in the past, picked up the slack with their usual fun guitar pop style. While the Habitat was sold out, the audience energy was seriously lacking. For a night filled with footstomping beats, there was an unfortunate lack of actual foot stomping. For the full article, visit www.thephoenixnews.com.
Above: Hollerado. Right: The Zolas.
Photos by Laura Sciarpelletti
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November 18th, 2013
CAMPUS
Right: “The Twins” from Jonathan Hobin’s “In The Playroom” series. Below: other works from that series. Images provided by Jonathan Hobin
“A Boo Grave”
Laura Sciarpelletti Arts Editor
“The Saints”
“GOT HIM!”
“Acid Washed”
“Holy Smoke”
A T N R D A
UBCO hosts controversal artist Jonathan Hobin and opens up discussion Acclaimed Canadian photographer Jonathan Hobin visited UBCO Monday, November 4th, as part of the Art and Controversy event on campus. This was a Tuum Est Student Initiative Fund event organized by Fine Arts student Kelsie Balehowsky. Hobin’s work has been deemed controversial by many, as it centers on taking photos of children acting out traumatic news stories such as the 9/11 twin tower attacks and the murder of JonBenet Ramsey. The event was a response to the controversy surrounding some artwork on display around campus last year by the UBC Public Art Collection. The Art and Controversy exhibition at the Fine Arts gallery ran all week long and featured some of this controversial work by artists including recent UBC
Fine Arts graduate Kassey Davis, as well as a slide presentation of work by Hobin. The intention of this event was to create a conversation between viewers and artists in order to determine what is tasteful, what is not, and how we as a society go about discussing serious issues through art. Hobin gave a public lecture, met one-on-one with student artists, and finally joined associate professor Dr. Robert Belton and UBCO alumnus Tonya Freake on a panel at the end of the night. Freake’s art research paper from last year, which mentioned Hobin’s work, was the reason the Canadian artist was invited to UBCO for the event. The discussion panel was moderated by FCCS Dean Wisdom Tettey. “Art is not always aesthetically pleasing or comfortable,” said Tettey. “It can also be about the uncomfortable, the bizarre, the grotesque, the troubling or the unpalatable. Art allows us to access where we need to be based on an assessment of our current reality.” According to the artists and professor featured on the panel, critique generates change, and art helps to capture notions of who we
are. Dr. Belton of the FCCS faculty gave the audience an art history lesson for the first portion of the evening, showing examples of artwork from the past that displayed similar controversial qualities but was accepted as art by the public. Davis, whose series of photographs “Pageant” was taken out of the EME building last year due to complaints, had her work called child pornography. Hobin has had similar reactions, but argues that he often finds childhood to be dark, and mentioned physical illness, racial stereotyping, sex abuse, and situations of children being forced to be soldiers, brides, and prostitutes as reasons for this. By having children act out news stories in his photos, he is using the act of “playing” to educate people on what is wrong with our society. “Who are these people thinking that childhood is a time of innocence?” said Hobin. “If anything it’s a time to be taken advantage of, and really vulnerable. So I guess that strengthened my approach of going forward.” Many of the people protesting Hobin’s work dislike the idea of bringing about conversation
through children. He believes this is because childhood is romanticized. But by using children as models—with the permission and supervision of their parents—Hobin is showing the world’s problems in a simplistic, raw, and honest form. “It’s not my job to solve the world’s problems or answer the world’s questions. It’s my job to start asking them,” said Hobin. “Science suggests that play is the tool that kids use to understand the world.” The panel had a great turnout, with audience members being on both sides of the argument. Hobin, whose own childhood was difficult, creates the images that he wishes to see, and hopes to keep pushing his work farther and farther in order to encourage the same passionate conversation he has evoked in the past. “I’m not letting the fear of the reaction dictate what I feel compelled to make,” said Hobin. “I’m being extra cautious not to edit myself in the process to make other people happy. [If you] make your work to try to please people, it’ll fall flat. I’m not going to be paralyzed through life because I think there’s risk.”
“Art is not always aesthetically pleasing or comfortable. It can also be about the uncomfortable, the bizarre, the grotesque, the troubling, or the unpalatable” -WISDOM TETTEY
Tettey, Freake, Hobin ,and Belton at the panel discussion Photo by Laura Sciarpelletti
November 18th, 2013
CAMPUS
9
Left: Kassy Davis’s controversal piece “Pageant” in the FINA gallery. Photo by Laura Sciarpelletti
Below: A self-portrait from UBCO alumnus Cory Dixon’s pantsless series “Discus(t): Conversations on the Male Body”. Dixon’s work generated contention in Kelowna when his work was displayed in a downtown real estate & art venue and he subsequently appeared semi-nude on the cover of local paper The Capital News.
V E R O S R T Y N O
C
From censorship to discussion
Organizers Kelsie Balehowsky and Fern Helfand speak on the process of bringing Hobin to UBCO
Laura Sciarpelletti Editor
Arts
Last year, after many meetings and discussions, “Pageant” by Kassey Davis was removed from the EME building. The photos— which showed toddlers dressed up in adult pageant clothing and hair, with digitally touched up features—made many people feel uncomfortable. While certain art enthusiasts read this work as a comment on the sexualization of children and pressure for young people to act and look adult, many viewed Davis’ work as inappropriate and exploitative. “This is a trend happening a lot in universities,” said UBCO Fine Arts student Kelsie Balehowsky. “Academic freedom dictates we
should have the freedom to discuss things, whether they be repugnant and abhorrent. [We should] be able to critically engage and discuss artwork.” Susan Belton, curator of the UBCO Public Art Collection, shared her frustration over the removal of “Pageant” and other controversial art pieces with Fine Arts professor Fern Helfand. “[It was] so surprising to me because some [of the pieces] were done in my class and I thought they were fantastic,” said Helfand. “So we had a discussion with the Dean last spring and he said it needed to be discussed.” After discussing the topic with Balehowsky, the idea of engaging
and educating people to think critically about artwork emerged. After hearing about Tonya Freake’s essay on children in photography, Balehowsky and Helfand decided to bring Hobin to UBCO. “We thought that he would be perfect, [as he’s] Canadian, and some will love his work and some won’t,” said Balehowsky. “He was keen to come and gave us his honorarium. [The event] was everything
I was hoping for. People came away both upset and really happy, which is what I wanted. And people are still talking about it after a week.” Given the traumatic themes of the photos and the protectiveness of adults towards children, there were mixed reactions from audience members. “I was disappointed with some of the reactions,” said Balehowsky. “When people start to react emo-
tionally instead of critically then I get disappointed because that’s exactly why we’re trying to have this conversation. It’s good to recognize your emotions, but not run off with them.” Art and Controversy allowed UBCO students and faculty, as well as the Kelowna community to discuss issues of censorship, academic freedom and child pornography accusations openly and critically. The FCCS hopes events like this will continue in the future. “I’m hoping this has brought to light how attainable and realistic this is to do,” said Balehowsky. “Anybody can apply for this fund, bring an artist in, and make something like this happen.”
Visual artists Anastasia Fox and Erika Edgecombe discuss perception and controversy
Laura Sciarpelletti
Arts Editor
As Hobin mentioned in his lectures and on the panel, art is all about perception. We spoke with fourth-year Fine Arts students Anastasia Fox and Erika Edgecombe about their own artwork, experiences with Hobin’s work, and their thoughts on audience perceptions of an artist’s work. Fox is currently working on a series of photos showing models with nylon stockings pulled over their heads, and has been struggling with distractions from her artistic purpose due to viewer comments on her work.
Fox: “[Hobin’s] work is really interesting, and he doesn’t necessarily see his work as controversial. It’s all about the audience. To art students it’s fascinating, but in the discussion there were some parents that had a different view, which was nice to see. They were more concerned with the models being kids.” Edgecombe: “He wants to bring up the idea of a problem, so that people can talk about it. But he doesn’t feel comfortable posing a solution. A lot of people are uncomfortable with that. I think some
of the parents took it personally, as if they were being attacked. For me he’s not very controversial.” Fox: “Its so basic what I’m doing [with my photography]. But people have been calling it fetishist, and that’s not what I’m trying to do. Hobin is a realist. So there’s no sugar coating. He told us that you’re not in it for the money, and you’re dealing with all kinds of people. You have to build a thick skin.” Edgecombe: “Some people accused Hobin’s photos of being sexual works because the children were looking at the photographer.
They took the eye contact with the viewer as being sexual. It speaks more about the person that says the comment, rather than the actual artist. Because what you get from it is from your own experience.” Fox: “I did a photo shoot that was a gender swap, and the models had bare shoulders. People thought it was a gay or lesbian artist that did it. And I was very interested in that. It makes me think, what direction am I going in? I took a toddler’s dress and burnt it in a field, and that brought up a lot of things that I didn’t mean to. You don’t in-
tentionally think of these things, but once people tell you what they think, it helps develop your perception of your work.” Edgecombe: “It’s like, okay you got that, I don’t know how, but I think differently.” Fox: “I listen and think this is what my work is about. And that’s not good. Don’t ask for opinions. Get your artist statement out first. But it does help to get a little feedback.” Edgecombe: “You have to take comments as perceptions.”
LIFE
UPCOMING
You’ve got mail
Nov 20
What to include in the ideal care package
Me & my Degree Finding the Fit
(1st Year Students) 4-5pm / UNC 207
Alcohol / Condoms: Party on.
Gum: Chewing mint gum while studying will help your memorization.
Novelty Item: Something small to make you feel like a kid again.
Time to evaluate your lives kids. If you are questioning your degree check out this event! Space limited so RSVP in advance!
Nov 22 A Talk by Bhante Rahula 7pm / Kelowna Yoga House
Connect your body with your mind and get enlightened by this Novice Buddhist monk.
School supplies: You’re here to study... right?
YOU’VE GOt Mail Must have items in the ideal care package
Last chance to drop a course and get a W 12:00 am / UBC SSC website
This is your last chance to save yourself from completely failing. If you skipped class for more than a month you should probably make the effort to drop.
Nov 26 Visiting Speaker Series: “How the Internet affects who we are” 7pm / Rotary Centre
Cold Medicine/Tylenol/Cough Drops/NeoCitran: Stress, cold weather, and lack of sleep inevitably leads to illness Photo by Kelsi Barkved
Toiletries: Because things like toothbrushes and body wash just show up in cabinets back at home.
Visiting speaker Dr. Russ Belk’s presentation examines how our sense of self and sense of possessions changes in the digital age
Nov 28 Go Global Round 1 Deadline 12am / online
Get your application in for US, Iceland, Katholieke, and Japan
Introduction to Prezi 1-2:30pm / SCI 331
Learn how to snazz up your dumb powerpoint presentations and impress (imprez?) your professor. Come with a laptop and a pre-existing prezi account.
Mom’s baked goods: You can’t go wrong with mom’s famous chocolate chip cookies. Nothing like a little taste of home.
Cold Medicine / Tylenol / Cough Drops / NeoCitran: Stress, cold weather, and lack of sleep inevitably leads to illness.
Giftcards: Next best thing to money.
Socks: Because receiving socks isn’t a bad thing anymore.
Maranda Wilson Life Editor
The term “Care Package” comes from a method of aid distributed by an organization by the name of CARE (Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere). Originally a program used to send food relief to Europe during World War II, it has since been adopted as a term to describe food or supplies sent for comfort purposes. Source: www.care.org
The November long weekend meant many students living on campus went home, and a very quiet campus as a result. A time for home-cooked meals, catching up with friends, and sleeping in your own bed, meant the promise of finishing five chapters of reading plus a research paper was undoubtedly scrapped. Using the long weekend to “catch up” on school work soon turned into “I will stay up all night to finish it after the break”. Reality quickly kicked in when you realized the long weekend was already over and you were hauling your suitcase back up the hill to Cassiar. The weeks following the long weekend are filled with last minute papers and finals, as the Christmas decor popping up everywhere
serves as a tormenting reminder of how much studying is left before you can finally go home and fully embrace the winter holidays. This period between the November long weekend and end of term is what I would like to call the “motivational lull”. That little taste of home in November and the excitement surrounding Christmas and the end of the term, makes for a very tough five weeks sandwiched in between. You’re tired, most likely sick, and completely drained. In need of a boost? We’ve compiled a list of items we thought would be found in the ultimate care package. (Psst... cutting this page out and sending it to your parents wouldn’t be a terrible idea.)
Mom’s baked goods: You can’t go wrong with mom’s famous chocolate chip cookies. Nothing like a little taste of home.
According a survey conducted by The Canadian Association of College & University Student Services, “89 per cent of students said they were overwhelmed by all they had to do; nearly 54 per cent reported being hopeless and 64 per cent lonely sometime in the past 12 months; 86.9 per cent said they were exhausted, 56 per cent felt overwhelming anxiety, and nearly 10 per cent had seriously considered suicide”.
HEALTH
RAISING HEALTH
November 18th, 2013
11
A WHOLESOME HUNGER
Single-serving blueberry muffin Katie Jones Columnist
This recipe makes one muffin, Single-Lady style!
How to:
Heart-healthy nutrition Beauty from the inside out
Curtis Schafer & Cherri Reagh
4th-year Nursing students with Dr. Sally Willis-Stewart, PhD Illustration by
Darcie Rudyk
Cardiovascular (CV) Disease remains one of the leading causes of death and hospitalization in Canada, according to The Public Health Agency of Canada. There are many factors for CV disease but some of the key ones are heavy consumption of saturated fats, trans fats, and sugar. Consuming saturated and trans-fats contributes to the development of atherosclerosis, which is the abnormal accumulation of bad lipids and fibrous tissue on arterial walls. That accumulation triggers an inflammatory response, which causes the accumulation of hard, fatty plaque on vessel walls. This plaque buildup causes narrowing arteries and impedes blood flow. That plaque can completely block the artery over time, which causes a heart attack. A stroke or pulmonary embolism can also result if a piece of the plaque breaks off and heads to the brain or lungs. The bad lipids are low-density lipoproteins (LDLs), but there are good lipids called high-density lipoproteins (HDLs) that bind to the dangerous LDLs and transport them to the liver, where they can be biodegraded and excreted out of the body. The best and only way to increase HDLs is by exercising. Excessive glucose (sugar) intake is also very harmful to the cardiovascular system, as it increases the risk of obesity and type-2 diabetes. Diabetes causes damage to the vessels throughout the body, which can lead to the development of peripheral vascular disease, which increases the risk of heart attack. High sugar beverages, such as soft drinks, contribute to increasing the risk for developing obesity and type 2 diabetes. Diabetes isn’t just internal though - it can affect your skin. Evidence suggests that due to its acidity and irritating properties, sugar also breaks down the collagen in our skin cells. The loss of collagen combined with the deterioration of the skin’s capillaries can result in the formation of premature wrinkles. So, less sugar equals better skin.
How to create a heart-healthy diet Dietary fat is part of a healthy diet, we just need to pay attention to how much, and what type, of fat we choose. The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada recommends the following: low-fat dairy products and lean cuts of meat, such as chicken and turkey breast; lean cuts of red meat no more than two-three times per week, and avoiding trans fats found in many packaged baked products with hydrogenated fats in the ingredients.
Additionally, soluble fiber helps reduce LDL accumulation, and it can be found in oats, whole grains, citrus fruits, and vegetables.
Whole grain bread products are recommended over white processed flour breads as they raise blood glucose levels more slowly.
Replace sugar-sweetened beverages with water, milk, or herbal teas.
Try to use sources of unsaturated fats when cooking, such as olive and canola oil.
It is also important to incorporate other sources of heart-healthy unsaturated fats in your diet such as: salmon, soybean oil, omega 3 eggs, flax seeds, flax seed oil, sunflower seeds, walnuts, almonds, pistachios, pecans, olives, and avocados.
Increase your consumption of fruits and veggies!
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Mix dry ingredients, then add wet. Mix until just combined and try not to over mix. Bake the muffin for 17 minutes or so. Baking time will vary, depending on the flour and oil you choose to use.
What you’ll need: - 3 T spelt flour (or whole wheat, white, or Bob’s gluten-free) - 1/4 tsp baking powder - 1/16 tsp salt - 1-2 T blueberries (fresh or frozen) -1/2 tsp vanilla pure extract - 1 T unrefined coconut oil (You can substitute with a different oil (safflower, canola oil); however the coconut oil gives it a rich flavor, OR use applesauce for a fat-free version) - 2 Tbsp plus 1 tsp nondairy milk - 1 Tbsp brown or white sugar
12
November 18th, 2013
UNIVERSITY
DINOSAURS
People of UBCO
What does the hadrosaur say? Images by Laura Reyerse
Jaeda MacPherson
and the Kelowna Help trip to Kenya
Jaeda is currently in her fifth year at UBCO as a Psychology Honors student. Although she plans to attend graduate school next year, she is making the trip of a lifetime upon graduating this June. Jaeda has the opportunity to go with the Kelowna Help team to Kitale, Kenya. She always had a desire to travel, as well as change the lives of others, and this trip allows for both. Currently working as a psychometrician, Jaeda is fundraising for the next six months for a medical clinic. At this time, the clinic serves about 35-65 patients a day, but is only open once a week for two hours. Lack of funding is to blame for the inadequate services. However, Jaeda hopes to bring two full suitcases of medical supplies, as well as donate a minimum of $5000 dollars, in order to have the clinic be open every two days. The goal of the fundraiser is not to “just go in, then leave”, as Jaeda explains it, but rather to provide communities the tools to be sustainable and self-sufficient. Jaeda will be in Kitale for three months, but definitely hopes to take time off from her graduate studies to make reoccurring visits. Her hope is to raise awareness for this small community so they can treat the community’s serious diseases such as jungle rot, tropical ulcers, Malaria, Typhoid, and jiggers. “It’s amazing how much one dollar can make a difference”, she says. “Even though we are students, we really have so much power within us to make a change”. To donate, Jaeda has set up a donation box outide her office at Arts 280L. To learn more about her cause, visit www.gofundme.com/BuildingBorders
Duck-billed dynasty Why I love hadrosaurs
Sean Willett Production Editor at The Gauntlet (U of C)
Penguins Penguins are able to identify each other using their cries, which helps parents returning with food find their mate and chick.
Parrots Some parrot species are able to use their highly versatile voices to coordinate with other parrots and work together to solve puzzles.
Geese Geese use sound to keep track of their flock while migrating, and will use hissing sounds to fend off perceived threats to their young.
Everyone has a favourite kind of dinosaur. For some it’s the gargantuan longnecked sauropods, for others it may be the bone-crushing tyrannosaurs or the horned ceratopsians. But for me, nothing has captured the imagination quite like the hadrosaurs — the large, often crested, duck-billed herbivores that flourished towards the end of the age of dinosaurs. This may seem like an odd choice, since at first glance hadrosaurs seem to be the most boring dinosaurs imaginable. Many have unfavourably described them as the “cows of the Cretaceous,” and they are often only portrayed in media as the hapless prey of more popular dinosaurs. So why, then, are hadrosaurs so interesting? The answer lies not in how hadrosaurs interacted with other dinosaurs, but in how they interacted with members of their own species. A subfamily of hadrosaurs — known as the lambeosaurines — sported elaborate crests on their heads, such as the tube-like extrusion of Parasaurolophus or the hatchet-shaped adornment of Lambeosaurus. These crests housed a complicated array of internal nasal passages, and would have allowed lambeosaurines to produce booming, low-frequency sounds. The noncrested hadrosaurs — the saurolophines — may have been able to produce similar sounds using their unusually long nasal openings. Hadrosaurs almost certainly used sound the same way we do: to communicate. Fossil evidence points to hadrosaurs living and nesting in massive groups, so communication would have been an important part of
the lives of these animals. The bellowing of hadrosaurs could have been used to attract mates, alert the herd to danger, scare off potential predators, and keep track of their young. While not all dinosaurs could be considered good parents — sauropods almost certainly abandoned their eggs after laying them — fossilized nesting sites point towards hadrosaurs being attentive and devoted guardians. Baby hadrosaurs were born with poorly developed legs, and would have been unable to leave their nests and find food on their own. This means that their parents would have had to guard their nests and bring food to their young, much like many modern birds. Yet while hadrosaur behaviour seems very similar to that of some birds, the two groups evolved completely separately. The ancestors of birds and hadrosaurs split at the beginning of the dinosaur evolutionary tree, but hadrosaurs still developed behaviours that are startlingly similar to birds like geese, parrots, and penguins — they communicate extensively using sound, they take close care of their young, and they live in large groups. Some mammals, such as elephants, wolves, bats and apes, have also evolved these behaviours completely separately from dinosaurs. This is why I love hadrosaurs. They were bus-sized, bipedal megaherbivores that could run as fast as a horse yet, due to convergent evolution, many of their behaviours are shared by modern animals. Hadrosaurs are the perfect example of what makes dinosaurs so fascinating — they are at the same time both strangely familiar and unknowably alien, treading the line in our minds between flesh-and-blood animals and impossible monsters. So while they still aren’t as intrinsically awesome as many of their contemporaries, hadrosaurs were at least more than the prehistoric punching-bags many make them out to be.
November 18th, 2013
WATCHING LANGUAGE
UNIVERSITY
13
CLUB OF THE WEEK
Weekly tea sale booth in the UNC
Photo by UBCO Teaholic
Teaholic Club Flex that multilingual six-pack Why you should learn another language
To promote the benefits of tea, as well as explore the history and customs associated with tea in different countries.
Robyn Giffen & David Lacho Anthropology grad students with Christine Schreyer Anthropology professor
If you’re reading this article, you can clearly understand English. So you might be wondering if I already speak English, which is one of the mostly commonly spoken languages in the world, why would I need to learn a second language? If you travel outside of Canada, you can pretty much guarantee that you’ll be able to get by with English, but that doesn’t mean you should remain a monolingual English speaker. Here are some good reasons to learn a second, or even third, language. Traveling will be more enjoyable Have you ever gone on a trip to another country, where English is not the main language spoken, and felt completely lost, unable to read the signage or ask for directions? Aside from helping with logistics, learning the local language may even make your trip more enjoyable because you will have a better understanding of the culture and the place you are visiting. Even picking up some simple phrases such as “where is the bathroom?”, “please” and “thank you” or even, “do you speak English?” could save you some stress. Learning a language is learning a culture Learning more than one language opens your mind to a whole different way of thinking. Anthropologists often refer to “linguistic relativity”, based on the idea that your language shapes the way that you think about the world. Following simple logic, knowing more than one language also means that you will necessarily know more than one way of looking at the world. Pretty cool, n’est-ce pas? Other people argue that you don’t appreciate the culture fully until you learn the language. A second language will help you in your career Can learning another language help you get a job? In countries with official bilingual or multilingual policies it may be necessary to speak multiple languages to hold certain jobs. In Canada, for instance, speaking both French and English is required for many jobs in the public sector, such as government and law. Outside of the public sector, however, there is still demand for bilingual and multilingual employees, particularly for
jobs that require a high-level of customer interaction such as banking and the airline industry. As well, many businesses which cater to tourists such as hotels and attractions consider language skills an asset, which might help you land the job over a monolingual applicant.
UN official languages
Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish Info from UN.org
Your business will thrive Because different languages are spoken by different people all around the world, accessing global markets necessarily involves speaking another language. It’s taken a while for the technology industry to catch on, but startups are beginning to take a multilingual approach to marketing their products, so that they can have the upper hand over competitors and spread their brand to more people. Your brain will stay with you when you’re old Multilingualism can ward off dementia. Studies have shown learning a second language is your best bet when it comes to holding on to all your wits. Although the studies haven’t assessed whether or not the age of language acquisition matters, it is still beneficial in learning overall. It’s also worth noting that knowing a second language can help you in your studies overall, and multilingualism is tied to higher academic achievement.
Top ten most spoken languages in the world (2013) 1 Mandarin (1 billion+) 2 Spanish (406 million) 3 English (335 million) 4 Hindi (260 million) 5 Arabic (223 million) 6 Portuguese (202 million) 7 Bengali (193 million) 8 Russian (162 million) 9 Japanese (122 million) 10 Javanese (83.4 million)
You’ll be a hot tamale Info from ethnologue.com
Ever meet a guy or girl with a certain je ne sais quoi? A recent study of 270 dating sites found that 97% of the sites asked customers if they were multilingual, and the most common reason was because learning another language is considered sexy. Also, because most of us have an idea that learning a second language is really hard, when someone speaks a second language, we sometimes think that they must have put in a lot of time and effort reading books and taking classes to master that skill. Hit up the mental gym, boys and girls - multilingualism is the new six pack. Stay tuned next week for Part 2 of this article on new apps and websites to learn languages.
When: Established at the end of September this year. How: Membership fee: $10 for 2 semesters Benefits of becoming a member: -Join tea workshops/classes for free -Discounts on tea (Members: $4 Non Members: $5) -Receive a “Buy 10 get 1 free” card -Preorder/reserve any Teaholic food or beverage at future sales Members: 40 members and 5 executives (Currently recruiting executives!) Successes: Despite the club being fairly new, the club proves to be quite popular with 40 members and counting. The club also holds a weekly tea sale where a variety of bubble tea is sold. Troubles: Since Kelowna does not have the required machinery to make bubble tea, the equipment is rented from Vancouver. To own the bubble tea machine would cost the club around $1000, therefore, renting is their only option. There has been some controversy surrounding the frequency of the club’s tea sales and whether their club was running as a business to make profit. The Teaholic President, Grace, assures that the profit from the tea sales is put towards the costs of running the club and hosting tea sales/events. Upcoming Event: Alcoholic Tea: January 31 A 19+ event at The Well where classic teas mixed with liquor will be served.
UPCOMING
SPORTS
Briefs
Nov 20
Kelowna Rockets host Victoria 7:05 PM Start Prospera Place
Pogo told me “Everyone go see the Rockets”. So go see the Rockets ravage the Royals. Wordplay!
Nov 22 Heat Men’s Volleyball vs Winnnipeg 8:00 pm The Furnace(UBCO gym)
Come watch the next home game for the UBCO Heat Men’s Volleyball team!
James Lum and the Heat played strong defense against the Vikes.
Heat Men can’t strike Vikes Kevin Ilomin Heat Writer
Nov 22 Heat Women’s Volleyball vs Winnipeg 6:00 PM UBCO gym
The ladies continue their CIS campaign hoping to build on last year’s success.
Nov 29
Heat Women’s Basketball vs UNBC 6:00 PM UBCO Gym
Come cheer on the Heat as they try to burn up the court vs UNBC.
Nov 29 Heat Men’s Basketball vs UNBC 8:00 PM UBCO Gym
UNBC eh? Meh...we got this. It’s not like Heat teams have ever had problems with teams named after wolves. Oh, wait...
Emily Kanester takes a shot against the Vikes. Photos provided by UBCO Heat
Vikes hike all over Heat Kevin Ilomin Heat Writer
UBCO Heat 46, Victoria Vikes 62
UBCO Heat 75, Victoria Vikes 89
Still searching for their first win of the 2013-14 season, the UBC Okanagan had a tough task ahead of them against the No. 4 Vikes at home. Despite heroic defensive efforts in the first half, a lack of firepower on the offense in the second allowed the Vikes to pull out to a 62-46 win on November 15th, keeping the Heat searching for their elusive first victory. Still, the Heat had an impressive defensive showing against the top offense in the league, holding the Vikes 12 points below their season scoring average. “I think defensively we worked hard,” said Heat bench boss Pete Guarasci. “We weren’t always smart, but I think we worked hard.” Poor shooting was what marred the Heat’s chances as they could never muster more than 15 points in a quarter at a 32.1% clip. Meanwhile, the Vikes found fire in the second half, shooting 52.2%, up from the 33.3% in the first half. Fifth-year man Landry Ndayitwayeko was the only Heat player in double-digit scoring with 10, also grabbing five rebounds although he missed several babyhooks on the inside, going 3-12 on the night. Second-year guard Greet Gill battled with the Vikes’ bigs to win the battle of the boards to clean up a gameleading ten off the glass. The Heat outrebounded the Vikes 39-34, and even in the offensive board category 15-8, but even the second chances would often not go as the Heat continued to struggle to find the bottom of the net. “I can’t say enough about our effort,” Guarasci said, quick to acknowledge the work his team did. “Our effort defensively and on the boards is fantastic. Honestly, tonight we just needed to score more, and I don’t think we necessarily had poor looks at the basket. I think we just didn’t finish and we didn’t knock them down. .” The Vikes’ senior forward Terrell Evans was held to a modest 11 points but grabbed eight rebounds. The Heat remain winless at 0-5 for the season, while the Vikes stay perfect at 5-0 as of press time.
A Jessica Jazdarehee lay-up rimmed out at the buzzer of the fourth quarter and that would tell the story of the matchup as the visiting Victoria Vikes took away an 89-75 win off the UBC Okanagan Heat women’s basketball team Friday night at the UBC Okanagan gymnasium. The biggest thorn in the Heat’s side, however, would be the backcourt play of Jessica Renfrew and Jenna Bugiardini, who combined for 37 points and used pin-point passing on the break for easy buckets. Renfrew netted a game-high tying 19 while Bugiardini chipped in 18. The Heat were overwhelmed in the paint, losing the rebound margin 53-25. Victoria would convert on 49% of their attempts from the floor, most of which would come within five feet of the basket. “I think we didn’t box out well and rebound well,” said Heat head coach Pete Guarasci. “We just need to get the defensive stops. We gave them way too many offensive boards.” Indeed, the Vikes would grab 14 offensive rebounds off the glass for the night. The Heat did an excellent job containing the Victoria bigs for most of the first quarter, but forward Sarah Semeniuk would eventually eat up the Heat down in the post, gobbling up rebounds and converting her touches at the basket. Semeniuk would wind up with 14 points and seven rebounds. Down the stretch of the game the Heat applied a full-court pressure defense that succeed in forcing crucial turnovers to try and recover from a twenty-plus point deficit during the third quarter. UBC Okanagan forced 23 turnovers and only coughed the ball up 10 times for the game; it wasn’t enough to erase the 20 point deficit however. Third-year guard Emily Kanester (Vernon, BC) led the charge by the Heat tonight with 19 points and five rebounds in 30 minutes of floor-time. Kanester was 6-9 from the field including 3-4 from the three-point line. The Heat’s record slides to 1-4 while the Vikes improve to 2-3 for the season as of press time.
The NHL’s Pacific Division is proving to be a California dream, as last year’s Pacific teams have pushed the Canadian teams out of the playoffs as of press time. Edmonton, in particular, is off to its worst start in franchise history, and Vancouver finds itself out of playoff contention thus far after winning the Northwest Division almost every year for a decade.
CIS has approved a new format for play in the Canada West conference next season, and it doesn’t sit pretty with everyone. With two divisions that sort teams based on their tenure in the conference, the re-alignment has its problems, particularly where the six-team “Explorer” division is concerned. For more coverage of this issue and what it means for UBCO and CIS, check out the next issue of The Phoenix. Canada West illustration by Stewart Seymour from The Cascade (University of Fraser Valley) Getzlaf photo by slidingsideways(flickr)
November 18th, 2013
15
Volleyball
Megan Festival led the charge for the Heat against the Huskies.
Coach Greg Poitras watches the Heat battle the Photos provided by UBCO Heat Huskies.
Heat Women Heat Men bitten sweep Huskies by Huskies Kevin Ilomin Heat Writer
Kevin Ilomin Heat Writer Alex Eastman Sports Editor
UBCO Heat 3, Saskatchewan Huskies 0
UBCO Heat 0, Saskatchewan Huskies 3
It was a quick night for the UBC Okanagan Heat, who swept their host in the Saskatchewan Huskies 3-0 on the 15th (26-24, 25-12, 25-18). The momentum built from a tight first set and carried over into heavily onesided second and third outings for the No. 7 Heat. “Winning that first set was key,” coach Steve Manuel said. “We were down 22-24 and fought back to win it 26-24. We never looked back from there and other than the first few rallies of the third set we played very well and led all the way.” The Huskies clamoured back from a 13-8 deficit in the first set to take a 24-22 lead, on the cusp of taking a match lead. Instead, a service error by Saskatchewan returned the ball to the Heat, who would secure the set victory behind points from third-year Brianna Beamish and second-years Megan Festival and Kaitlynn Given. The second set was all Heat as they ran out to a 10-2 lead, continuing their pace to the 25-12 battering of the deflated Huskies. Saskatchewan would lead the third set until an attack error tied it up at nine. An attack by third-year middle Katy Klomps (Surrey, BC) would give the Heat a lead they would then maintain through the 25-18 victory. “We saw a solid and steady performance by our young players tonight,” said Manuel of his squad. “We did a good job of winning the long rallies, which is a part of the game that Saskatchewan is very good at.” Festival and Beamish played outstanding all-around games, recording 14 kills and 10 digs, and 11 kills and 13 digs, respectively. For the Huskies, Kayla Tycholiz and Emmalyn Copping led in kills throughout the match at six apiece. Jennifer Hueser added 12 digs. With the win the No. 7 Heat improve to 5-2, bouncing back from an 0-2 weekend in Brandon to get back to their winning ways. The Huskies, meanwhile, drop to 2-5 as of press time.
The University of Saskatchewan Huskies turned away a slumping UBC Okanagan Heat men’s volleyball squad in straight sets Friday night in Saskatoon (25-14, 25-23, 25-14). Fifth-year outside-hitter Nate Speijer (Penticton, BC) led the match with 16 kills. The Huskies quickly took control of the match riding an 18-12 lead into the first set to a 25-14 victory. The Heat looked like they found a stride in the second set holding onto a lead until a 22-22 tie on UBC Okanagan service error. Bryan Fraser and Paul Thomson powered Saskatchewan to take the comeback 2523 win on three straight attacks the Heat couldn’t dig. Matching point-for-point in the third set Saskatchewan pulled away after a tie at 11. From there, the Huskies cruised to the 25-14 win. Jordan Nowakowski led the Huskies with 12 kills in the match, while Fraser added another 10. Thomson recorded a match high 10 digs. Alongside Speijer’s 16 kills on a .333 rate, Jim Bell and Kyle Pankratz added another five kills apiece for UBC Okanagan. With the win Saskatchewan improves to 2-5, while the UBC Okanagan Heat drop to 1-6 as of press time. The Heat return to UBC Okanagan to take on Winnipeg on the 22nd of November, hosting them for back to back games before they head to Calgary to close out the 2013 portion of this CIS season. The Heat currrently sit second-last in the Canada West conference, ahead of Regina. There are some reasons to be hopeful for the Heat, however - their only victory of the season thus far has come against Mount Royal, the 2nd place team in Canada West. They’ve a tough road ahead, however, as three of their next four opponents are among the top five in the current Canada West standings: Calgary, Trinity Western, and of course, the rival UBC Vancouver Thunderbirds.
CAPTION CONTEST: What is “Eddiefranchize” thinking? Email sports@thephoenixnews.com.
Athlete Profile: Ed Dane Medi Kaeleigh Phillips Contributor
Eddie, or has he prefers to be known, “Eddiefranchize,” is the longest-tenured Heat player on the Men’s Basketball team with a five year streak (2009-Present) and he is still going hard. Eddie also happens to be one of the most entertaining and lovable players on the team, always having a smile and a laugh for the people around him. I asked him about some of his antics on and off the court: Pre-game Rituals: Eddie gave me a very thorough run-through of his pre-game rituals which include cooking (yes ladies, this man is an amazing chef, and not “Chef Boyardee”), a pre-game shower (which includes singing at the top of his lungs to pump himself up), and he always arrives to the game wearing headphones to get his focus on for the game ahead. Interestingly, Eddie also has a mildly hilarious dressing ritual for each game; he must wear “a white sock on his left foot and a black sock on his right”. I say, hey my friend, whatever helps you on the court! The Dating Game: Alright ladies, come and get him! This dashing young man hails from Italy, and beneath his playful demeanor, he has the heart of true blue Italian romantic. He shared with me that he loves the ladies that are nice but not kind to the extent of taking your laundry home with them to wash and press. When pressed, he also shared with me his fondness for a nice bum, alas what man does not enjoy this feature of the female physique! The Basketball Game: On a more serious note, Medi is in ninth place in CIS for ball control and is known as the “hustler” on the court. He has strong defensive skills and brings high energy to the game. His skills with the ball are in part accounted for by his training in Italy as they “focus more on footwork than physical strength in their training programs”. Ed brings an international flavor to the team and a remarkably stylistic defensive strategy. He also shared a tip for players hoping to pump up the volume on their defensive tactics, “practice with other people, learning to hustle on the court isn’t something that is easy to learn on your own”. Off the court: “Eddiefranchize” LOVES food. I readily gobbled up the extensive description of his love for cooking an “Italian-African Fusion” and he even comically referred to himself as “Blamsay” (the black Gordon Ramsay). When asked what he has in his fridge if I were to look at that moment, he responded with the momapproved health palate of “Milk, veggies and chicken breasts, cuz you gotta have breasts”. I also learned that Eddie has escaped most injuries that plague many university-level athletes, yet does have a fascinating looking pointer finger that he sprained and sadly, “couldn’t go to parties for a week”. Overall, Ed Dane Medi loves being a senior as he feels more confident on the court, understands what the coach expects, and enjoys helping the first year players get the moves. UBCO will miss Eddie when he moves on next year, but it is awesome to see him on the court this season.
GLOBAL MOVEMENT
Tofino: p19
Tanzania: p18
Paris and Birmingham: p20
Peru: p21
Travel diets/Australia: p28
Best places in BC: p29
In this week’s feature, we look at UBCO’s Go Global program and student travel in general. Students share their exchange experiences, while out Events Editor Hanss Lujan details his trip back to Peru after 14 years away.
UBCO’s Go Global program the United States. Sound too good to be true? Yeah, it kind of is: Go Global does all the heavy lifting and gets you on the fast track to living a whole new life. All it takes is the will to try something scary. “It’s stressful getting there, but once you get there the troubles all go away-you forget that last week you were crying,” says Davidson. “You get an emotional connection to that place and want to show it off as though it’s your home.” Travel provides a great opportunity to learn, why NOT combine that with your actual education? Go Global offers students an opportunity that will last a lifetime. Learning abroad let’s you learn more about the world, your culture, and to also “challenge yourself academically,” says Davidson. “It’s not just about travelling, it’s about going further with your education, and taking advantage of opportunities that aren’t available to you here.” It’s one thing to learn out of a textbook, but something else entirely to be at the places where ideas were developed, and being able to explore the areas you are learning about. What better time to take a risk and take the trip of a lifetime? “A lot of students say ‘well I’ll travel later.’ But you graduate and you have to get a job, and only have 2 weeks vacation,” says Davidson. “You’ll never be able to do it again. As a student you have student loans, don’t worry about it. This is the time to do it.“
Australia Austria Belgium Brazil Canada Chile China Costa Rica Czech Rep. Denmark Finland France Germany Hong Kong Iceland India Ireland Israel Italy Japan Korea, South Malaysia Mexico Netherlands New Zealand Norway Philippines Poland Singapore Slovenia South Africa Spain Sweden Switzerland Taiwan Thailand Turkey U.K. United States
Countries that UBCO’s Go Global sends students to are in white outlined by black Countries not available for Go Global are in black outlined by white
41 42 3rd RD 140 41%
Number of countries in UBCO’s Go Global program. (See the full list on the righthand side of the page)
Number of Management students doing Go Global this year. Management students can only do Go Global during their 4th year
The best year for Arts students to do Go Global. By 3rd year you’ve declared your major and will have your 4th year to come back and finish what you need.
Total number of students currently going global.
Percent increase in Go Global participants from the 2009/2010 school year to the 2013/2014 school year (see bar graph at right)
NUMBER OF STUDENTS ON EXCHANGE
Travelling sounds like a daunting experience to many: it’s not cheap, it’s a hassle to get organized, and it can be downright scary being away from home. But for anyone who has travelled, they’ll tell you that there is nothing like being out of your element, and that it can be the best decision you can make. University students in particular are going through a lot: we’re living away from home for probably the first time, learning about things that will affect us for the rest of our lives, and we’re meeting a whole new sort of people, learning many new things about ourselves. It’s almost like visiting a foreign country. For UBCO’s Go Global Advisor Jessica Davidson, travel and education are inextricably linked and provide a rewarding experience to any student who is brave enough to do both. “Being able to take marine life in Australia where you take field trips to the Great Barrier Reef, or Iceland where you go to the volcanoes and hot springs, New Zealand where you hike the Southern Alps connects you with what you’re learning. It’s incredibly powerful and incredibly valuable,” she says. “You can’t get that learning it in a classroom over here.” Go Global, which started in 2005 when Go Global Coordinator Dana Lowton was interested in UBC Vancouver’s program, has been sending UBCO students abroad on exchange to over 180 partner schools in an effort to give students as great a university experience as possible, while earning regular UBC credits. On top of regular UBCO tuition, students simply have to pay for housing, flights over, visas, and the program application fee. After a few forms filled out and decisions made, students can find themselves jetting across to places such as France, Iceland, or New Zealand. Students with an exceptionally strong desire for change and embrace culture shock with open arms can even go south to
Countries available for Go Global exchanges
140 123 99
98
106
The most popular places to travel to through Go Global are Australia, South Africa, the UK - especially Ireland (Dublin) and Scotland (Edinborough)- and most of Europe in general.
09/10
10/11 11/12 12/13
13/14
Some underrated and underutilized destinations are, according to Go Global: Iceland, Mexico, (South) Korea, and Turkey. Turkey’s Koc University (pronounced “coach”) in particular is highly recommended.
TANZANIA MY TRIP TO MOSHI
Moshi, Tanzania
Population: 184,300 (city) 48.8 million (country) Visited by: Ali Young
Photos by Ali Young Trip quick-hits: -Worked to help build the foundation for another classroom at the Msassani Secondary School in Moshi -Socialized and played games with students at the secondary and elementary school -Visited an orphanage -Climbed Mt. Meru (three days), located directly across from Mt. Kilimanjaro -Went on a three-day safari
March break community service trip (14 days), 2010 (grade 12) with Dunbarton High School (from Pickering, ON). This trip, along with two other international high school excursions I participated in (Europe and Costa Rica), definitely fueled my passion for travel and doing volunteer work with a humanitarian focus. If I did not participate in this trip, I don’t think I would have had the interest in attending university out of province. The volunteer aspect of these initiatives also fostered my interest in continuing this type of involvement within my university experience. I’ll explain my amazing experiences from my trip to Africa in the online part of the travel feature, but in sum, I would classify the two weeks as some of the most valuable and transformatory in my life thus far.
Making the Grade
In Paris, marking is out of 20. 12,13 is considered really good. In England: A pass is 40, above 70 is called a first (honours) Nobody gets above a 70, because all levels of post-secondary are marked on the same scale - meaning that scores above 70 are reserved for work at the grad and PhD level.
Above: Ellen at Cadbury World, Birmingham. RIght: Marleen in Amsterdam. Photos Courtesy of: Go Global
Talking Global Birmingham, UK
Population: 1.1 million (city) 63.2 million (country) Visited by: Ellen Sierakowski
Paris, France
Population: 2.1 million (city) 12 million (metropolitan area) Visited by: Marleen Dorrestijn
The Netherlands
Population: 16.8 million Visited by: Marleen Dorrestijn
Marleen Dorrestijn, a 4th year International Relations Major travelled to Paris with Go Global and studied at Sciences Po this past summer. Ellen Sierakowski, a 4th-year PPE major went to the University of Birmingham, UK. I sat down with both of them to recount some of their experiences, and how travel impacted their education. “I feel like I actually live there,” says Dorrestijn. “Here feels like a vacation.”
odology of writing papers and presenting. There’s a high emphasis on presentations. There was one presentation per class that complemented the lecture. Essay writing is completely different as well. It is all about finding paradoxes: you’re given an issue, you find the paradox, explore both sides of it, and at the end come to your thesis. They taught how to do it so it wasn’t as though we had to adapt to a different system.
What brought you to Paris? It was my 3rd choice, honestly, and I really wasn’t expecting to go there. For international relations, though there are huge opportunities AND it’s Paris!
What is the Paris experience? Wasn’t expecting anything when I got there. It’s such a beautiful city, with so many landmarks. It’s always interesting no matter where you go, and very easy to get lost (in a good way). I biked past the Notre Dam everyday, and drank cheap wine.
Did you end up learning French? I didn’t speak french before, but I now understand a whole lot more than I did, despite not a big increase of speaking ability. What kind of cultural differences were there? The culture encourages a faster pace of life. It is way busier, and less friendly. It’s everyone for themselves, mostly because it’s so busy, you have to look mean and push and shove. I once pushed an old lady out of the way to get onto the metro. At that point I realized I was no longer Canadian—what have I become!? It just became second nature. I have to get on this metro and you’re in my way. How does the curriculum in France differ from here? A lot less class time, there’s different meth-
Every Tuesday some friends and I would always go to market, buy fresh vegetables and fruit, have breakfast, and go to class together. Nice summer nights we’d go to the banks of the Seine, have a bottle of wine, grab a baguette, sit on the banks and chat and eat and drink and mingle. Before you know it its midnight. It never gets boring and the amount of people you meet is insane.
What value did learning in Paris add to your education? Learning international relations, getting the European perspective on issues and getting the non-North American view is great. [Sciences Po] is one of the most recognized social sciences universities in the world. It
has amazing profs, and there’s a great history of the school. 30 of the top French politicians all came from the school.
Ellen Sierahowski in Birmingham, UK Was there any culture shock in going? Not at all, haha. It was neat to being in the Mothership, though, having grown up in the colonies. I attempted to master the English accent but it’s still lacking. How did the locals take to you? People would always comment on the American accent. Some noticed it was a Canadian accent somehow. Why did you go? I wanted to go there because—England being the birth place of the program—there is no better place to learn PPE. I also have family. I got to see my grandmother. How does the classroom differ from here? British curriculum is different. Here it is very catered to the student. You’ll have midterms, essay final. There it is more independent research. 40% paper, 60% final. It’s a lot more focused on self-directed studies with fewer opportunities to do the things you would do here, such as study groups. Did your travels spark any new interests? I’m not a history major but being there def-
initely sparked an interest. I went to Hampton Court Palace. I had watched the Tudors before I went, but to be in King Henry VIII’s Palace is incredible. I also went to the British Museum multiple times. There’s a big Greek and Roman exhibit. There’s so much history and culture. How did your travels relate to your program? Being in Birmingham really related back to my program. Reading of these political philosophers is one thing, but doesn’t even compare to actually being there. There’s something tangible you can relate to and say “this is where it all happened.” Plus I went to the Cadbury chocolate factory. All the chocolate I’ve ever wanted. I learned a lot about chocolate. What was the most defining experience in your travels? I traveled to Ireland and Scotland. It was defining because it was my first trip travelling on my own. It was great to gain independence and do it on my own. You’re given a chance to prove to yourself that you’re able to do this. Discover what you want, not what your parents, friends, school wants you to do. It’s discovering what you want. How important is travel when it comes to learning? Studying academia and travelling all go hand in hand, I don’t see them apart now. They’re very interrelated.
Tofino CORN ROWS, SURFING, BON FIRES, and the best/worst road trip ever. Ali Young
Photographer/Surfer
I’d never been to Tofino, BC. When I found out about the Remembrance Day Weekend trip there, organized by UBCO students Alex Gula, Aaron McKinney, and Aiden Docherty, I jumped at the chance. Everyone I talked to said that Tofino is amazing, and I knew I had to check it off my bucket list, but I wasn’t sure if all the hype was accurate. The first step: getting there. That task proved tricky when there were about 80 students travelling in car loads to the island. There was one vehicle involved in an accident around Port Alberni, but luckily everyone was okay. Our own vehicle, Shiela as we called her, had some issues of her own. A three hour delay in Vancouver, five auto repair shops, and one missed ferry later, we finally made it to Nanaimo. I stayed awake in the car long enough to see the giant trees surrounding the curving roads, some “skeleton trees”, and (fortunately) passed out just in time to miss the sketchy winding roads in the pouring rain closer to Tofino. The weekend was wonderful; it wasn’t nearly as cold as I expected, but my rain boots were a lifesaver. Every day students surfed in groups at various beaches. I have never been surfing before, but I managed to stand on the board the first day a couple of times, did a few face plants, had a giant board smack me in the back of the head... the usual newbie experience I think! I loved every second of it though--the feel of salt water up my nose as I laughed underwater was particularly thrilling. The nights also got pretty rambunctious. I can sum up our four night stay as follows: bon fires, running on the beach, dancing in the pouring rain, corn rows (I will come back to this later), Tofino brewery growlers, jam sessions, greasy food, bears, and senior citizens doing keg stands. First, the corn rows. On our last night, Meaghan Kimball was doing corn rows in the hair of those who were eager to commemorate their island time with an island hairdo. As I was sitting with Justin Sawatzky (corn-rowed) and Auzzy Hunter, the following conversation ensued about the best/worst part of their trip: Auzzy Hunter: Tofino is the greatest place to meet people from UBCO, because everyone gets included on the West Coast, for 4 days, and surfs, and has a very good time, including kegs and stuff. Justin Sawatzky: I’m inspired. AY: Yup, I’m never going back.… Justin, what was your rose and your thorn ? JS: I don’t know about that. AH: My corn was the one bit of surfing I got to do was amazing, I had so much fun, I met so many people… and then my rows were exploring the nature in the rain forest. AY: K, but you can’t just say two dope things, you need a thorn. JS: Oh ok ok, my thorn was today actually with my wet feet on our hike. My rose, right now, sitting here talking to you guys. AY: That’s beautiful. AH: I’m inspired, cheers to that. Ali what is your corn and your rows? AY: It’s not a corn! *giggle* AH: It is a corn. AY: THORN! AH: OH, your thorn and your rose… I thought you were talking in the context of Justin’s corn rows! AY: No! Oh my god! Haha. It’s supposed to be thorn, and rose, like every rose has its thorn. So like, the worst part of your trip, and the best part of your trip. But, now it’s just going to be your corn and your rows; you only say good things now. AH: There’s nothing bad to say about this place . I think that last line wraps up my feelings about the trip. So yes, Tofino is worth all of the hype. Read about the rest of the trip online at thephoenixnews.com!
PERU
Peru is a country with over 5000 years of history. It is one of the most diverse nations on the planet. Peruvian culture is primarily rooted in Amerindian and Spanish traditions. The diversity of Peru’s people and cultures is reflected in a rich tradition of festivals, dance and music.Cusco is a place I call home. For the past two years I’ve been able to make my way back and re-discover my cultural roots.
Photos and words by Hanss Lujan
# O C
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A guide to Cusco
September 9th, 2013
Some DOs and DON’Ts while traveling through the navel of the world
Travel to: CUSCO Hanss Lujan
Hanss Lujan Events Editor
June consists of nothing but parades around the plaza, everyone from kindgergartens to NGO workers don their biest clothing and pay their homage to the city of Cusco
Ideally, summer break is designed for you to make some extra money to balance out your student loan, and sure, you could take that extra course that will ease out your load next year, or you could take advantage of this particular time in your life and run away to Cusco. Most ‘twenty-something’ students I know travel to Cusco for two reasons, Machu Picchu and Ayahuasca, but Cusco is much more than that. The Incan Empire structures juxtaposed with the colonial architecture blended with colorful Quechua culture make Cusco the ideal site for a dose of culture. Not only that, but summer break perfectly aligns with Cusco’s cultural calendar. From June-August, Cusco offers amazing festivals, ceremonies and excursions for young student tourists. Here are some tips and tricks to make your trip to Cusco an unforgettable experience for all the right reasons.
PACK:
A good pair of boots and/or running shoes Some comfortable clothes Camera Do: Pack for all seasons. A typical weather day in Cusco consists of cold mornings, hot and dry mid days and cold nights. Don’t be fooled by the sun, you want to have a light jacket with you throughout the day. Don’t: Stuff your bag full. Unless you plan on paying for extra luggage on your way back, leave some space for all the things you will be bringing back. Keep in mind, that novelty poncho you say you’re not going to buy will take plenty of room.
Each region has its own traditiional costuming and dance.
SHOP:
The Artisan Markets This is your time to load up on fall and winter attire. Peru offers high quality baby alpaca wool and textiles. If you want to know what heaven feels like, stop by one of the stores along the Plaza de Armas and max out your visa on a vicuña sweater. A better option is to buy your gifts and things from the local artisan markets. After visiting every single artisan fair and market in the Cusco region (twice), I can attest that the San Pedro market is most likely to have everything you are looking for with the best price. If you have a chronic shopping addiction, you should hit up the town of Pisac. Chances are you’ll be making a 30-minute stop there whilst you tour the Sacred Valley. This little town 30 minutes from Cusco hosts the biggest artisan market in the region, and offers everything you see everywhere else at very reasonable prices. Do: Barter with everything you are interested in buying. Chances are they raised the price of the product based on how innocent and naïve you look. With that said, don’t low blow the merchants, they do have to make a living. And always ask for a receipt, or ‘boleta’. Don’t: Don’t buy things that are illegal here. Remember you have to go through customs, especially if you have a layover in the States.
SEE:
Machu Picchu This is a no brainer. The Seventh wonder of the world is waiting for you. Do: book your trip in advance, especially if you want to climb to the very top of the mountain, called ‘Wayna Picchu’. Speaking of which, you must notify your travel agent in advance and let them know you want to do it. There is an extra charge, but entrance up there is very limited, and in a couple more years, entrance will not be permitted. So do it while you can. Don’t: Think you’re gonna be adventurous and hike up to the ruins, take the bus up from Aguas Calientes. You want to save your energy to explore the ruins themselves, trust me, you’ll be doing all the climbing you want once you get there. And if you really want to experience the jungles of Peru, hike back down afterwards, if you’re not exhausted already. Note: Yes there are great Inca trails and trekking tours that lead to Machu Picchu, but keep in mind it’s winter time in Peru; you want to make sure you don’t get sick and miss out on your other plans, especially if you’re there for 2 weeks or less.
September 9th, 2013
15
Chiriuchu is a traditional meal specific to the Corpus Christi celebration. The plate is a sample platter of different kinds of meats and flavors, including guinnea pig. Best served cold.
Machu Picchu
Shamans gather around Sacsayhuaman and prepare the payment to the Earth: The Pachamama.
The artisan market in Pisac is the ideal place to find all your souverirs.
SEE:
Inti Raymi The most important ceremony celebrated in Cusco is the Inti Raymi. It’s the ancient festival of the sun on the Peruvian winter solstice (typically around June24). This event is a colorful pageant of traditional costumes and music. The first ceremony begins around 10 a.m. in the Qoricancha temple. Here is where the entire cast of around 800 dancers and performers come out to greet the sun. After this all of the performers parade over to the Plaza de Armas to greet the city of Cusco. Here the Inca Pachacutec presents the mayor of Cusco with a traditional quipu and asks him to govern with knowledge. Then the entre group heads up to the ruins of Sacsayhuaman for the full re-enactment of the solstice celebration. Do: Go early in the morning and find a spot to watch the greeting of the sun ceremony at the Qoricancha temple. Make sure you bring a hat, layer clothes and have some snacks because chances are you’ll be standing there preserving your space for a while, but it’s worth it. Don’t: Worry if you don’t get a ticket to see the afternoon ceremony up in Sacsayhuaman. Unless you speak fluent Quechua and don’t mind sitting down for four hours then you won’t miss out on much. They stream the entire ceremony live with subtitles.
Inca Pachacutec parades around the Plaza de Armas.
EAT:
Everything Peru has over 100 traditional dishes and over 4000 types of potatoes. The smaller towns outside of Cusco all have their own specialty dish that they prepare. If you want some ‘Chicharron’ try the town of Saylla, and for the best ‘Lechon’ go to Warocondo. Chances are your stomach may not be as adventurous as your appetite, so start slow, ease your way into the foods. Of course, be smart and stay away from street meat because you never know where it comes from. Do: Eat. The. Guinea. Pig. Forget about your first childhood friend and try it out. Its meat is good for you and you want to say you did it, right? Don’t: Be close-minded. Remember you are in someone else’s country, and the things they eat and drink are not ‘weird’ or ‘gross’, they are just different than what you are used to. So be respectful.
The greeting of the sun at the Qoricancha temple.
EXPERIENCE
Find yourself Chances are you traveled to Peru because you are looking for some form of spiritual guidance to pull you out of that quarter life crisis everyone seems to be suffering from, and Peru is perfect for that. Just be smart about it. The most well known form of healing is Ayahuasca; a hallucinogen tea that’s supposed to give you visions in which you battle your deepest problems. This isn’t for everyone, so be careful with it. P.S. You will more than likely poop your pants. There are plenty of options that don’t require a diaper, like a coca leaf reading, a flourishing bath or a payment to the earth. Look into these safer routes first for your spiritual fix. Do: Find a Shaman that you trust. Look for real testimonials and qualifications. You don’t want to be wasting your time and money on someone who doesn’t know what they are doing. Don’t: for whatever reason, take your clothes off. You can still ‘glisten in the moonbeams’ without removing your top. Also, don’t jump in the waters; they are probably dirty. If you experience one of these you are in big trouble.
Finally, you are in the most beautiful, and culturally rich city in the world. Do enjoy your stay and don’t be ‘that guy’ who asks where the Mayan Pyramids are. Research the history of the places you are visiting.
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September 9th, 2013
Qoyllur Rit’i
Spiritual replenishment in the Andes The festival of Qoyllur Rit’i, hosted in the Sinakara Valley, located 4,800 m high in the region of Cusco in the Andes Mountains of Peru. The end of May and the beginning of June mark the annual festival of the Señor de Qoyllur Rit’i, a cultural spectacle of Andean spirituality. Consisting of ceremonial dances, indigenous rituals, and its renowned Christian pilgrimage, Qoyllur Rit’i is a gathering of different ideals and beliefs working together to replenish the spirit. In the Peruvian winter of 2012 I was fortunate enough to attend this festival. At the time I had a rough idea of what it comprised, but as soon as I began the pilgrimage I was amazed by the magnitude of devotion there. This was more than a saintly festival. It was a metaphysical experience.
“This was more than a saintly festival. It was a metaphysical experience.” More than 10,000 people pilgrimage to the Qoyllur Rit’i Sanctuary to pay homage to the holy saint, hiking 9km uphill from the small village of Mahuayani up to the holy Sanctuary in the Sinakara valley. I was told to start
my hike up the very narrow path at 3 a.m. because doing it in the morning means facing a mix of the scorching sun and the high altitude. There are new families bringing their children on the pilgrimage so as to bless their futures, there are rural women who make the hike in their sandals and skirts to thank their lord for blessing their year, and I even saw a man in a wheelchair make his way up the narrow icy path to pray for healing. This pilgrimage ritual, which is meant to be a personal reflective act, is actually a collective congregation. When hiking up the trail, if someone slipped on the ice or stumbled, the surrounding people halt until the person gets back up. This is because those doing the pilgrimage are part of an ayllu. An ayllu is a term used by the Quechua to describe an interconnected local group of beings composed of humans, non-humans, nature, and deities. The Andean world is a symbiosis in which the life of everyone depends on the life of all the rest. Everything has a spirit, everyone is important, and everything belongs to an ayllu. Qoyllur Rit’i is a group of indigenous communities gathering together to honor the mountains that protect their crops, animals, and folk. They put on their most colorful clothing and send their best dancers and musicians to the Sinakara Valley to celebrate their deities. The offering is one of reciproc-
ity: when they pay their respects, they are rewarded in-kind. There is also the modern Qoyllur Rit’i festival which has been adapted to Roman Catholicism, the dominant religion in modern-
“If found with alcohol or caught causing mischief, you face a punishment of losing all your clothes and being thrown into the nearby rivers.” day Peru. The Señor de Qoyllur Rit’i festival, currently celebrates the legendary appearance of a Christ-like image on a rock. Outside the bus boarding from Cusco to Mahuayani, merchants sold devotional prayer cards, candles, and booklets depicting this saintly appearance. The mestizo pilgrim then goes up to the sanctuary to pray to the image of Christ on a rock, the Señor de Qoyllur Rit’i.
During the event, hundreds of dancers pour down the mountains with their customary, spirit-nurturing dances. They dance their way from their entrance into the valley all the way down to the sanctuary to pay their respects to the huaca, Señor de Qoyllur Rit’i. Its most important character, the Ukuku, embodies the dualities of Qoyllur Rit’i. In Andean ideology, the Ukuku is half-man and half-bear; he personifies mediation between the underworld and the present world. The Ukuku commands and maintains the order of the valley. Pilgrims are not permitted to wear hats within the sacred sanctuary. This is a sign of disrespect. The Ukukus will warn you once with a light whip to the chest, but if you don’t remove it then a full whipping is given. The Ukukus take their role seriously. There is a zero tolerance for alcohol or mischief during the pilgrimage as well while in the sanctuary. If found with alcohol or caught causing mischief, you face a punishment of losing all your clothes and being thrown into the nearby rivers. The current festival of Qoyllur Rit’i is a mix of the pre-Incan, Roman Catholic, and contemporary indigenous practices. Although they are informed by different world-views, the spiritual energy that is created by the festival is ultimately directed to the well being of the Andean communities.
September 9th, 2013
The Ch’unchu tribes of the Selva region of Cusco.
Regions outside Cusco come to pay their respects to the Apu Qoyllur Rit’i.
Ukukus carry the Peruvian flag with pride.
The Brotherhood of Qoyllur Rit’i from the Anta - Pucyura Nation.
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Women in skirts and sandals dance to keep warm from the freezing temperatures.
Alexa Creelman International Rela-
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Post Grad in Peru
September 9th, 2013
There and back again a tourist in my own home Hanss Lujan
Events Editor
After 16 hours of travel it felt good to get out of the plane, but those 16 hours were nothing compared to the 14 years I spent away from home. In the summer of 2012 I made my way back to the city of Cusco, Peru, where I was born and raised. I have a strong recollection of my life back then. I moved at the age of eight and at that age the change of scenery from Peru to Canada was so drastic that it seemed to solidify my memories of life in Peru. Now, at the age of 21, on that plane ride back, I realized I had been away from the place I call home for over half my life. The time spent away represented my transition from local to tourist. I wasn’t the same boy I’d been; I was someone completely different. And the city I remembered was different than the city I arrived in. Some of my fondest memories were of my trips to the Inca ruins. I remember playing soccer up in Sacsayhuaman and having a small picnic atop the biggest rocks. These spaces were our backyard. While revisiting my old soccer fields, I found barriers and closed-off areas. The ease of life back then was gone. I tried to situate myself. Was I an
outsider looking in or an insider looking out? Several experiences made me question my perspective. For example, the train station that was once the cheapest mode of transportation is now a luxury taken over by tourist companies. I am still able to purchase a ticket, yet now I do so
“I blended in with the locals, however I found that my role changed depending on who I was with.” with my Canadian passport rather than my local ID. I blended in with the locals, however I found that my role changed depending on who I was with. The local artisans have a trained eye when it comes to spotting tourists. Tourists like to browse, and
because of the change in currency, they don’t know what to ask for. Locals know exactly what they want, and would expect nothing less than the minimum price for their purchase. It all comes down to the accent and approach. When shopping on my own I found pricing varied depending on how little I talked. Turns out the series of the tacky telenovelas I watched with my mom had influenced my Spanish accent, which led people to confuse me for someone from Lima or Mexico – but if I kept my talking to a minimum I passed for a local. I enjoyed being perceived as a local. It gave me a sense of belonging; more so than my birth certificate. I was convinced this was the ideal place for me until I found the hidden entrance to the only Starbucks in Cusco. My sudden burst of bliss turned to guilt after realizing just how tourist I had become. My tourist complex reached its peak at 7,970 feet in the lost ruins of Macchu Picchu. Attracting over 2,500 visitors a day, this seventh wonder of the world is the mecca of tourist attractions. Here, I was an active participant. Although I was a veteran of the ruins around Cusco, this was my first time going up to Machu Picchu. This gave
me a sense of separation from my own culture. I understood my position. Here I was an active participant in tourism. I looked around to see if anyone was in the train station and realized I wasn’t the only one. A group of girls from a school nearby were looking for their hotel; it was their first time visiting too. I had another realization: Cusco is a city of tourists, both international and local. The sites to see are so grand that even the oldest local is seeing something new every time they go. I understood my position now, I was a hybrid of both cultures, but so was Cusco.
Hanss in Machu Picchu
A picnic in the temple of the sun, atop the wall of six monolinths in Ollantaytambo.
September 9th, 2013
The inca ñusta is carried in procession during Inti Raymi
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Living the dream in Peru Alex Creelman, a recent UBCO grad, had no idea where to go after school. She ended up in Peru on an internship, and couldn’t be happier. Alexa Creelman
Tourists of all kinds visit the ruins of Machu Picchu.
The Sanctuary of Qoyllur Rit’i.
Earlier this year I was a fourth year International Relations student at UBCO who was equally excited and terrified at the prospect of graduation. When confronted with the question of “What’s next?” I felt like I was floundering. What DO I want to be when I grow up anyways? I had the drive, the passion, and soon the degree, but in all honesty I didn’t have a concrete idea of where that was going to take me. Little did I know it would land me in Peru. I am now living and interning in Peru for an agricultural co-operative called Norandino. Norandino empowers over 7,000 small farmers in Northern Peru in their pursuit of creating high quality, organic, and fair trade products. Ever had a Camino chocolate bar? That cocoa came from Norandino’s member farmers. My position as a Gender and Youth Community Outreach Officer was made possible through the wonderful support of the Canadian Cooperative Association (CCA). The CCA believes in har-
Contributor
nessing the co-operative model and principles as a strategy for international development. It is really quite amazing and I am so proud to be a part of their intern team this year! The CCA and its partner organizations provide support to co-operatives all over the world -- this year alone the CCA offered internships to Mongolia, Malawi, Ghana, Rwanda, Uganda, the Philippines, and Peru. I focused my efforts on applying for the position in Peru to achieve my goal of improving my Spanish and to work in the field of gender and international development. My job description involves promoting gender equity and equality within the co-operative framework and encouraging shared participation from both genders to steer the direction of the cooperative. I am also here to assist in any capacity where I may be useful. I am teaching English classes three times a week to Norandino employees, assisting with translations, assisting with marketing and (my favourite part) tagging along on field trips
to the countryside to get to know the co-operative and its members better. Peru is a richly diverse country to visit. I live in Piura, a city on the edge of a sand dune desert, but only a short drive away you come across beautiful beaches, or in the other direction green countryside in the mountains. It offers unique experiences like the hike up to the archeological wonder that is Machu Picchu, or a boat ride through the Amazon to watch pink dolphins and fish for piranhas. During my placement I hope to be able to experience all of the wonders of Peru. My four years at UBCO prepared me, my opportunity through the CCA and Norandino enabled me, and now I am living a dream. I am immersed in a new culture, working in a foreign country, and gaining invaluable experience to lead me forward in life! If you’re interested in Alexa’s stories along the way she blogs at http://alexainperu.wordpress. com/
Above: High above Kyrgyzstan. Right: Tasty Chickpea and Pesto Pasta Photos by: Savannah Hallworth
TRAVELING WITH DIETARY RESTRICTIONS Savannah Hallworth
Conributor
Travelling with dietary restrictions is no walk in the park. Anyone who has to deal with this on a daily basis knows it never is. However, with the right preparations, travelling can be made a lot easier for those who do need a special diet! Do your research: Before you go anywhere, do your research. Find out if anyone else has ever been there and dealt with the same restrictions. Blogs are a great place to check! Find out what some of the local cuisine is – can you eat it? Can you modify it
slightly to suit your needs? All this will help once you arrive Come prepared: Pack as much as you can. If there are certain things you need on a daily basis, bring them along (if your research has shown they are not easily accessible). You may find alternatives when you get there but until you suss out the situation, better to know you will be fed well! Snacks are often the hardest to find so granola bars are always a safe bet. Learn some of the local language: Learn
basic greetings and the words to describe your particular restriction. Sometimes people carry a card translated into the particular language to bring with them and show to people – these are easily accessible on the internet. Again, being prepared is key. Talk to locals: Once you arrive, talk to people and find out what they know. In many countries around the world, Google is only going to get you so far. Knowing where to go is the key. Ask around if there is a local health food store that carries what you need. Do any of the stores have a special
“American” corner that may have what you are looking for? A local may even be able to come with you and translate if required! Be adventurous: Depending on your restriction, there may be alternatives you’d never thought to try. Be ready to try out what is locally available! It may be better than you think and provide an easy meal. Do what works: You know yourself better than anyone. Think about what kinds of foods you eat and make a plan. Follow your plan and you should be okay!
Keaton & bros on the Australian beach. Photos provided by Keaton Murphy
Adventures down under
Australia
Population: 22.7 (city) Visited by: Keaton Murphy
Photos by: Keaton Nothing really prepares you for the shock of traveling by yourself in a completely new country. Although some people pick a best friend, partner in crime, or a travel buddy to join them--I travelled solo. I figured that the experience of building some worldly experience all while meeting new friends was the best way get the most out of my semester in Australia. Although I experienced plenty of new culture, found some amazing surf spots, and even enjoyed the classes I chose, the friendships I made have proven to be, by far, the greatest aspect of Go Global that I came home with. That being said, the moments I shared out in the ocean, with dolphins swimming up close and personal under my
surfboard, finding sleepy koala bears in my backyard, and partying in Surfer’s Paradise definitely brought the adventure to its peak. My trip included a five day “lay-over” in the Fijian islands with one of my closest friends, traveling up the east coast to the Whitsunday Islands, and spending a serious amount of time on the Gold Coast. The Gold Coast is one of the meccas for partying and surfing, where it seemed most Aussies based their life around one or the other. Although the culture is very close to our Canadian way of life, the Australian vocabulary has a few extra synonyms to take time getting used to. Overall it was the welcoming people I met along the way through towns
Murphy
like The Town Of 1770, where James Cook first landed on the continent, to the laid back stoners/hippies of Byron Bay who seem to always recruit more far-off travellers into their beachside lifestyle. It really created the best experience abroad. As well as the many other students from Canada, I met others from Norway, Denmark, Sweden, the USA, and many more. In a country that is its very own continent, Australia has plenty to see and do; if you’re thinking of Go Global and enjoy the sunshine and good looking people, definitely go Down Under. Main travels: Traveling north in a camper van may not be for everyone, but it is a once-in-a-lifetime ex-
perience that allows for everyone to view the incredible diversity of Australia’s ecosystems. We travelled north along the eastern seaboard to visit the lush beach city at Noosa Heads, to do some surfing, hiking, and beaching. Traveling to the smaller and super laid back Town Of 1770, there is a place called Cool Bananas where Greg will show you one hell of a hostel. Travelling even further north to Airlie Beach, which is the gateway to the Whitsunday Islands, a world heritage site and the tail end of the Great Barrier Reef. Sailing the Whitsundays is a huge tourist attraction but worth every penny; snorkeling and scuba diving with sharks, eels, and turtles is pretty hard to beat.
BC’s BEST OUTDOOR DESTINATIONS
handpicked by the Varsity Outdoor Course Union Rogers Pass Nakusp Squamish
All photos provided byVOCO
Rogers Pass
Squamish
Squamish is arguably the greatest outdoor centre in all of BC: whether you are into rock climbing, kite boarding, mountain biking, ski touring, river rafting, or just plain hiking, Squamish has it all in spades. Located just 1 hour north of Vancouver (about 5 hours from Kelowna), Squamish is a wonderland of sweeping granite walls, turquoise ocean waters, and gorgeous rivers. On the rock-climbing front, Squamish has something to offer for all disciplines and all skill levels, from the Grand Wall Boulders to the single pitch Smoke Bluffs to the multi-pitch walls of the Stawamus Chief. Regardless of your interests, make sure to get on top of the Stawamus Chief, either by climbing the front face or by hiking up the backside. Both options provide killer views of Howe Sound, Mt Garibaldi, and the Tantalus Range. Even if you are not into any of these outdoor adventures, Squamish also hosts a fantastic music festival every year over August long weekend, which makes a road trip worthwhile. Also make sure to hit up the local brewpub (Howe Sound Brewing Co.) for a great postadventure meal and a cold microbrew.
Rogers Pass Nakusp Squamish
Kelowna (start here)
Nakusp Area Hot Springs Unknown to most students, hot-springing is really the most universally-accessible outdoor activity. You really don’t need any technical equipment or experience to participate - even a swimsuit is considered optional. And through the nasty shoulder season of no biking, climbing, or skiing, hot-springing offers the perfect solution. VOCO’s favourite natural hot springs are St. Leon, and Halfway Hot Springs. Both are located in the West Kootenays just north of Nakusp, about 4 hours from Kelowna depending on the route. The trip includes scenic mountain views, a ferry ride across Upper Arrow Lake, and the quirky village of Nakusp. The hot springs are a great place to soak up some heat and just relax; they pair well with beverages and great company. VOCO organizes several trips to the hot-springs each year and we would love to have you on the next one – or we just pass you the details of how to get there so you can go on your own.
Rogers Pass is nestled high in the Selkirk Mountains and offers a fantastic mix of deep powder and gnarly big-mountain lines. Located in Glacier National Park, around 45 minutes from Revelstoke (3 hours from Kelowna), Rogers Pass is a backcountry skier’s wet dream. In this national park, you must earn your turns with the help of an Alpine Touring or Splitboard setup, making each descent so much sweeter. A few amazing areas to check out are Balu Pass and the Asulkan Drainage, both of which offer a great selection of lines for most avalanche conditions. You’ll find plenty of VOCO members making the pilgrimage to the pass both for deep powder after a storm front, and when avalanche conditions cool down, in order to snag those intimidating lines. Rogers Pass is also spectacular in the summer months for hiking and alpine rock climbing, but our minds are currently full of powder dreams. Please keep in mind that Roger Pass is a complex mountain environment requiring knowledge and experience in Avalanche Safety Training and proper backcountry equipment.
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November 18th, 2013
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