UBCO’s Student Newspaper
February 23rd, 2015 | Vol 27, Issue 9
...dying of heat since 1989
WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER GRADUATION
UBCSUO’S REPORT CARD PAGE 4 HISTORY OF SLATING PAGE 6
UBCO CRIBS DORM ROOM EDITION PAGE 8
ART ON THE LINE COVERAGE PAGE 14 RAPPER IMMACULATE INTERVIEW PAGE 16
HISTORIC SEASON FOR THE HEAT WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL PAGE 18
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thephoenixnews.com
IN THIS ISSUE
For our fourth years, graduation is right around the corner and many are feeling the pressures of what comes after this milestone. In this issue’s feature, we asked some recent grads from all areas of study about what it’s like out there in the real world and how their time spent at UBCO has prepared them for it... Page 12
NEWS
LIFE
ARTS
Take a look at how the UBCO cribs in residence Art on the Line coverage UBCSUO execs measPage 8 Page 14 & 15 ured up in this years report card A chat with the admins of Vernon rapper, ImmacuPage 4 & 5 UBCO Snaps late interview Page 9 Page 16 A quick and dirty version on the history of slating Dorm room fashions with at UBCO Shanna Page 6 & 7 Page 11
University Centre 3333 University Way Kelowna, BC, Canada V1Y 5N3 Office: UNC 132B Phone: 250-807-9296 thephoenixnews.com Cover and Feature images by Sarah James
SPORTS
OPINIONS
Heat women’s v-ball has historic season but fall 4 points short of Nationals Page 18
No horror at the Oscars Page 20
Two Heat players named to conference All-Star team Page 18
News Editor Alex Barberis
Opinions Editor Brittni MacKenzie-Dale
Web Editor Justin Kroeker
Life Editor Maranda Wilson
Creative Director Cameron Welch
Current Affairs Editor Alex Sadlowski
Features Editor Sasha Curry
Art Director Sarah James
Copy Editor Reba Ouimet
Arts Editor Jeff Bulmer
Contributors
news@thephoenixnews.com
life@thephoenixnews.com
features@thephoenixnews.com
Interim Sports Editor Cameron Welch
sports@thephoenixnews.com
opinions@thephoenixnews.com
creative@thephoenixnews.com
artdirector@thephoenixnews.com
arts@thephoenixnews.com
web@thephoenixnews.com
current.affairs@thephoenixnews.com
copy@thephoenixnews.com Shanna Albrecht, Romeena Sidhu, Jon Snow, Randall Munroe, Varenka Kim, Darci Ritchey
Tearing down social norms Page 21 Nonhuman animals in experiments Page 23 The Phoenix is the UBCO students’ free press. Editorial content is separate from the University of British Columbia Student’s Union Okanagan (UBCSUO) and from the 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. legalizing marijuana). The Phoenix is published, in part, by the UBCSUO and is an active member of the Canadian University Press.
#RUNUBCO VOTING DAYS ARE MARCH 12TH & MARCH 13TH
LOCATION: UNC BUILDING / CAMPUS FOR MORE DETAILS VISIT: UBCSUOELECTIONS.ORG
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News Editor: Alexandra Barberis|news@thephoenixnews.com | The Phoenix | February 23rd 2015
NEWS
HISTORY OF SLATING AT UBCO - THE QUICK AND DIRTY VERSION
Alex Barberis News Editor
only about stats, but it’s too late; you’re the only one left in Fipke. “Hi, my name Joe Blow and I’m running for President on the slate, Determined Intellectuals Committed to Kelowna.” You slowly close your textbook, wishing he would shut up already. If you wanted to know about Joe Blow’s D.I.C.K., you know you could read The Phoenix. Here’s our quick review on the history of slating at UBCO and what it means for students.
You’re tired, you’ve had maybe four hours of sleep, and you don’t know what day it is. All you know is that you have two assignments, a stack of books to read that you haven’t opened yet, and you think you’re on your fourth cup of coffee. Then you see them. You try not to make direct eye contact because then you know it’s game over. You look intently at your book like it’s the most interesting thing you’ve read in your entire degree, even though it’s
What is slating? A slate is a group of candidates who run in a multi-seat or multi-position election on a common platform. Slates are often a controversial feature of student politics, with many student associations wavering between full recognition of them and outright bans. In bigger student unions where slates are tolerated, it is not uncommon to see these slates—which are ostensibly dis-
Slates have dominated SU elections since UBCO was OUC Students and executives remain on either side of the fence about slates effectiveness at UBCO
NEWS BRIEFS Alex Sadlowski
Current Affairs Editor
solved after each election—take on party-like features as the same slates return year after year. There is no policy in the current UBCSUO bylaws that state anything about slating, but that hasn’t always been the case. The SU has had a previous turbulent history with slating that is important for students to be cognizant of going into the 2015 elections period. The history of S4S from 2010 to present Student Union elections in 2010 saw the competition between the slates Students for Students (S4S) and United Students for Success (USS) get interesting. The S4S slate (running for what are currently known as executive positions), and its counterpart S4U slate (running for senate and board of governors positions) won all but two seats in the 2010 election! It gets better—the
“The SU has had a previously turbulent history with slating that students should be cognizant of going into the 2015 elections period.”
Interplanetary
Mars One group announces mission to Mars Mars One, a not-for-profit group based in the Netherlands, has announced the remaining 100 candidates hoping to become the first humans on Mars. On February 16th, Mars One issued a press release revealing 50 men and 50 women selected from the original 202,586 applicants hoping to establish a colony on Mars by 2025. These 100 will be further narrowed down to 24 people, who will be organized into six crews of four that Mars One hopes to launch to Mars every two years following 2024. Of the remaining 100 potential astronauts, only six originate from Canada. Photo Credit: Creative Commons
margin of votes between the two slates was as wide as 633 votes and as narrow as 313 votes in general positions. Which, when you stack it up beside the 2014 election where slating was abolished, is so much more ridiculous. Let’s take the position of External Coordinator—S4S candidate Kirk Chavarie won the position with 859 votes against Kyle Harms of USS with 226 votes allowing for a 79% majority. This is compared to Shaman McLean who won the position against David Xu 469 to 333, giving McLean a 58% majority. Slates named Students4Students had won council majorities in eight straight years at the UBCO campus going as far back as the OUC days. So where do we stand? At this point S4S had created a perpetual motion machine where they trained volunteers throughout the year, then ran them under the S4S name. No other legitimate
Local
Queensway transit loop delayed again; completion now expected by April The main component of the Queensway bus renovation has been delayed again, but it will be open in time for spring transit changes, according to Kelowna Transit’s Community Engagement Advisor Kelly Kay. The spring schedule is typically released at the end of April / start of May. This puts the new projected end date for the project three months later than the February date announced last fall.
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February 23rd 2015 | The Phoenix |news@thephoenixnews.com | News Editor: Alexandra Barberis an opinion about UBCO * Have history of slating? We want to
hear it. Send us your thoughts.
you have any interesting * Ifpeople you’d like to see us interview, let us know!
you have any interesting stories or events * Iffrom campus, send us an email at news@thephoenixnews.com!
Events February 23
Last Day for SU Elections Nominations All Day
February 25
Distinguished Speakers Series: Jay Ingram
7:00 PM-8:00 PM/FREE/Kelowna Community Theatre Alzeihmers: Where did it come from? Why weren’t we talking about it even fifty years ago? Do we understand what really is going on in the disease?
February 26
SU Elections Campaigning Begins
All Day
February 27
Illustrations by Varenka Kim
slate appeared other than what were essentially anti-S4S protest slates attempting to abolish the dynasty. Elections essentially became little more than job interviews, and those job interviews were undermined by candidates not actually having to promise any initiatives and by a requirement to follow the party line during the year. 2012 Here’s where things get REALLY interesting. You know that S4S slate that I just finished talking about? They lost, and here’s how it happened. S4S held a big event for the CFS’s National Day of Action campaign, and alienated many students with its mix of political rhetoric and blatant pandering (bouncy castles, etc). One student wrote an open letter criticizing them that was shared widely. There was dissent within council as well; one of the standing SU
members, Curtis Tse, began organizing a counter slate. The slate was deliberately composed of students from various corners of UBCO involvement (rather than just picked volunteers as S4S slates usually were) to ensure candidates who would be qualified, well–known, and stand together because of issues rather than personal associations. Students in Action hit the ground running with physical and Internet campaigns, producing content and gaining online student endorsement more quickly and more substantially than S4S. With a platform of increasing focus on campus-specific issues and moving away from CFS campaigns, Action defeated the incumbents in a landslide, winning every seat. That election garnered a 25% voter turnout—the largest in UBCO history.
2012-2013 In November 2012 at the Annual General Meeting, Tim Krupa, who had run with Students for Action, unexpectedly proposed a movement to ban slates in student politics at UBCO, which passed at the AGM. The new policy stated that no candidate may be permitted to campaign in slates; i.e. two or more candidates merging campaign finances, materials, slogans, designs, social media, campaigning booths, and any object tangible or intangible to be used for the purpose of promoting. SU members were divided on the abolishment of slates and it was the students attending the AGM who voted and ultimately passed this proposal. 2013-2014 The following year saw the revising of the SU bylaws in their entirety for clarity and for updating given the new
presidential structure that was passed later in the year. In the election’s policy section of the new bylaws—there was little–to–no mention of the rules and regulations of slating, resulting in slating being once again allowed in this year’s election. In essence, slating is a lot like an old condom you still have in your wallet. You’re pretty sure it’s going to work, but you don’t know if you’re going to get screwed over by D.I.C.K. in nine months. That slating love child could either be the best or worst thing that ever happened to you. Will history repeat itself? It’s more than likely there will be another referendum held next year that will put slating into question. So if there’s a date to remember this elections period, remember Friday, March 13th.
AlterKnowledge: Creative Resistance: Art and Social Justice Activism
7:00- 8:00 PM/Free/Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art If all social movements are characterized by unequal access to land, political power, and cultural resources, what is the range of activist interventions to political crisis through contemporary art and media? The discussion will be facilitated by Ruthann Lee, UBCO.
February 27 Her Story
6:00 PM/$5/Well Pub Support the Kelowna Women’s Shelter and Just Children Foundation in a night of spoken word poetry, discussion with the UBCO Debate Club, a photo booth and bubble tea by donation!
March 4
Transit Survey
11:00 AM-3:00 PM/FREE/Bus Loop Have thoughts about Kelowna Transit? Join the UBCSUO in completing a transit survey and make your opinion known!
March 4
Campus
UBCO launches BARK2GO The immensely popular BARK program was started three years ago and hass more than 40 community volunteers and certified therapy dogs that help out with the program. BARK allows students who are feeling homesick or stressed to spend some time with trained therapy dogs. On February 17th the program expanded with a BARK2GO program for UBCO students. BARK2GO will station volunteers and therapy dogs in three campus locations—the Fipke Centre, the EME building, and the Library—every Wednesday from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. Photo Credit: Bruce Fingerhood/Creative Commons
Presidential Debate
2:00 PM-3:00 PM/FREE/UNC Theatre
March 5
Vice-Presidential Debate
2:00 PM-3:00 PM/FREE/UNC Theatre
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News Editor: Alexandra Barberis|news@thephoenixnews.com | The Phoenix | February 23rd 2015 to write for The Phoenix? Send a writing * Want sample and what topics you’re interested in writing about to news@thphoenixnews.com
2015 STUDENT’S UNION REPORT CARD With Student’s Union Elections just around the corner, it’s time for The Phoenix’s annual SU Presidential and Vice Presidential Report Card. We did a general evaluation of each of the SU executives throughout the year, based off of the main initiatives that they campaigned on, and what they produced during the year. Keep in mind, this is not a comprehensive list of projects that the Student’s Union has completed during the year—only the highlights—and all evaluations were made based off The Phoenix’s general impressions. While the grades themselves are our take, the main point here is to give you the information on what the folks you voted for have done in their 10 months in office.
VP SERVICES LAYNE RICHARDSON
VP Services is expected to: oversee, coordinate, and liase with the Student Associations, coordinate the provision of services to the members of the union and is responsible for all matters related to events, initiatives, or projects of the Student’s Union. Evaluation: Layne Richardson began his term as a relatively unknown name in the SU. However, Richardson managed to show Herculean initiative when it came to planning his first big concert—last year’s Recess. The event was one of the largest outdoor concerts UBCO has ever held and was one of its most successful events. This effort was demonstrated throughout #Frosh2014 and hopefully will continue on to Recess 2015. It’s easy to equate Richardson’s success with his connection to Blueprint Productions, but we’re not complaining. Minor misgivings for Richardson’s portfolio amount to limited advertising on Well events. Given the job description of VP Services, Layne does what he does best—throw parties. To ask any more of him would be detrimental to the SU and the student body. Recommendations: Layne is highly encouraged to run for VP Services again…because we’re not Waka Flock-ing done with you.
VP FINANCE SAM CHANG
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VP Finance is expected to: oversee and coordinate the finances of the Student’s Union, maintain all financial records, prepare financial statements and reports, and oversee the annual budget of the Student’s Union. Evaluation: Chang’s work may not be as outwardly noted as the rest of the executives, but it should not go undervalued. His giddy enthusiasm towards fiscally restructuring the SU was a refreshing reassurance for our finance position. Countless times we’ve left The Phoenix office and have seen Sam alone in the boardroom working on the budget—10/10 would vote again. Not only is Chang’s commitment reassuring, he managed to successfully keep the rest of his overzealous VP spenders at bay, which will probably result in a budget only slightly in the red. Not to mention the fact that he managed to corral $130,000 in club and course union funding requests with a $50,000 budget, all the while keeping the clubs and course unions relatively happy. We’re impressed by his commitment to funding a student legal fee, graduate student committee, and residential tenancy committee, but we haven’t really seen the use of them yet. Maybe it’s his previous experience in a SU position, but Chang nailed it. Recommendations: Can we keep you? Please?
NEWS BRIEFS Alex Sadlowski
Current Affairs Editor
National Two Calgary men found guilty of running largest Ponzi scheme in history On Saturday, February 14th, a Calgary jury found two men guilty of fraud and theft resulting from their operation of the largest Ponzi scheme in Canadian history. Milowe Brost, 61, and Gary Sorenson, 71, were both convicted of two counts of fraud and two counts of theft, with Brost also being found
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guilty of one count of money laundering. The Ponzi scheme scammed more than 2,000 investors out of their money for a total amount ranging anywhere from $100 million to $400 million. Prosecutors claim that they are unlikely to ever find the majority of the stolen money, as it is likely already hidden offshore with both Brost and Sorenson claiming bankruptcy. Photo Credit: JoshNV/Creative Commons
February 23rd 2015| The Phoenix |news@thephoenixnews.com | News Editor: Alexandra Barberis have any interest* Ifingyoustories or events from
campus, send us an email at news@thephoenixnews.com!
VP INTERNAL JAG KHABRA
VP Internal is expected to: deal with most things related to governance and membership, chair the Policy Commitee and receive complaints and comments related to the SU, the university, or any other concerns of members. Khabra made waves in his role as VP Internal at the beginning of the year with the movement of the three existing resource centers into the old Phoenix office. While we don’t necessarily agree with the reallocation of space, the issue was more so that the communication between Resource Center executives and Khabra was poorly executed and left many in the dark. Khabra has since stepped up his game, taking a lead on the upcoming Transit Survey and ultimately seeing the successful completion of the CFS referendum—tasks that are not part of his job description and cover up the shortcomings of fellow VP, Shaman McLean. Recommendations: Hey Jag, you’re a genuinely nice guy and, you may be doing a lot of things for the SU, but you’re in the shadow of the other VPs. Try to make your efforts a little more known around campus.
VP EXTERNAL SHAMAN MCLEAN
VP External is expected to: liase with external institutions, oversee and coordinate external advocacy activites, and liase and develop relationships with external organizations (such as municipal, provincial, and federal governments), develop external policies, coordinate relations between the Student’s Union and the University. McLean’s history with the SU has been a bit of a turbulent one, and this year is no exception. McLean’s main initiative to separate from the CFS (national & provincial) has been at the top of his priority list this year. McLean spearheaded the project— which has been a priority for him for years—and was able to amass several hundred signatures. By January, however, he had passed the project off to VP internal Jag Khabra. Simply put, McLean hasn’t been able to see to fruition the project he campaigned for and attached his name to. From what we’ve seen, he’s done mediocre work liaising with external institutions (Christy Clark). I mean, students shelled out for the library and Rocky did a majority of the liaising with UBC and with the provincial government branch of this project. Recommendations: “I’m Glad That Our Distance Makes Us Witness Ourselves From A Different Entrance - @OfficialJaden.” Seriously though, don’t leave, Shaman. The SU won’t be nearly as entertaining without you.
PRESIDENT ROCKY KIM
President is expected to: chair the board of directors meetings, ensure the directives of the board of directors are properly implemented, liase with the Student’s Union and the General Manager, act as the spokesperson for the SU, maintain responsibiliy for the public relations of the Student’s Union. The President of the SU exists to focus on macro-projects, organize the team, and be the face of the SU. With his supporting role promoting Well events with Blueprint Productions and the SU’s new corporate partnerships (Taco Del Mar), Kim has done just that. Filling the role of President was a bit of an ominous task, but Kim has set a precedent for future Presidents. He did a fantastic job campaigning for the referendum and convincing students to pay for a library their kids might end up using. Tangential to his job as SU President, Rocky’s engaged in a lot of pre-campaign planning with presidential candidates for the upcoming election, as evident all over Facebook and Twitter. While there are no actual rules against this behaviour (AHEM, Rocky received penalties for slating last election, then removed said slating laws, and is now pre-slating), using the current elected position of President to pre-campaign for a specific newcomer to take over his job is super shady. Regardless, despite our fears that you would burn the university down like the Stanley Cup riots, you’ve actually exceeded our expectations. Recommendations: Focus on your own job instead of setting someone up to take it. You’ve had your run kid; finish your degree, graduate, get rich, and fund our library.
International Egypt’s airstrike against ISIS is the country’s first foreign strike in 24 years For the first time since the Gulf War in 1991, Egypt has launched foreign strikes. The Egyptian-Libyan military recently carried out airstrikes on various ISIS locations, with 64 ISIS agents confirmed dead in the attack. The attacks follow a released ISIS video depicting the beheading of 21 Egyptian
Coptic Christians who had been abducted and taken into Libya. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has stated that Egypt had every right to respond to the video’s release, and Egyptian government officials claim that the airstrikes are the first of several to come targeting the terrorist group. Photo Credit: Creative Commons
B+ C+ A-
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Life Editor: Maranda Wilson | life@thephoenixnews.com | The Phoenix | February 23rd 2015
LIFE
specs: Studio apartment, one bathroom, *Room queen bed.
Images by Maranda Wilson
UBCO CRIBS: HIMAINI’S MONASHEE SUITE From athletes to student leaders, we check out the cribs of UBCO. Maranda Wilson Life Editor You might know Himaini from her comments on UBCO’s Facebook pages or just for her really cool name that sounds a lot like “Hermione.” When she’s not busy on FB or mixing potions (well, she is a Biochem major—I’m not too far off), Himaini juggles her time between being the President of the International Student Club and Horror Movie Club, a Wellness Assistant at Health and Wellness on campus, Vice President of the Debate Club, managing the UBCO Books Buy and Sell, and Lost and Found Facebook groups, and being a Research Assistant at the Southern Medical Program. Phew, now that was a mouthful.
Facts from her dorm Did you know...
Prized possession: Laptop. “It’s my life”, says Himaini. She says her Kindle is second because she doesn’t have much space for a bookshelf in her small studio.
Thriftiest find: Bedside table purchased online from Walmart (she’s an online shopping addict). It was originally 100 bucks, but Himaini snagged it for only 20.
Describe your room in one word: Mismatched. “I’m really into punk rock so I have all these posters...but my bedspread really
Favourite way to pass the time: Reading on her bed or being on Facebook.
isn’t that.”
Himaini’s bear is named “Bae.” She received Bae for Christmas from her friend who would feature Bae eating dinner with him in his Snapchats.
Top three fridge must haves: Blackberries, Frank’s Red Hot sauce, and Sriracha. Self-evaluation of cleanliness: 6.9/10
Describe your best memory: “It wasn’t a good memory, but it was memorable...” Himaini stayed in her studio apartment over the winter break. During this time, she noticed her toilet would not stop running. Soon after, water began flooding into her doorway. She was forced to use her bath towels to mop up the water. Thankfully, the toilet shortly fixed itself, but Himaini was unable to call maintenance because of the holidays.
An avid tea drinker, Himaini displays her stash of favourite teas which include Tetley, Yogi, and Twinings.
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February 23rd 2015 | The Phoenix | life@thphoenixnews.com | Life Editor: Maranda Wilson
you know of a person or group doing interesting *Do things on campus? Let us know about them via email
and they may be featured right here in Life next issue
TOP 10 SNAPS 1. First Year Engineer Terry 2. UBC signage 3. How The Well cuts pizzas 4. Lectures: Paul Davies and Kanye 5. Snaps about being lonely or hungry 6. Double rainbow 7. The Tim Horton’s line-up 8. Red Camaro 9. Going up Academy Hill 10. The Phoenix speling mistaks Image by Maranda Wilson
SIT DOWN WITH: UBCO SNAPS UBCO Snaps is the latest social media page to surface on FB. I sat down with them for a quick chat to find out more. Maranda Wilson Life Editor UBCO Snaps is one of the latest UBCO social media pages to pop up on Facebook. Currently sitting at 1,319 likes, this page is always buzzing with activity. I had a chance to sit down with three admins, Akshay, Gabriella, and Susheel, to “chat” about Snapchat. How did you guys start: [Akshay]: There was a confession on the UBCO Confessions page saying that someone should start a UBCO Snaps page. I saw the post and responded with
The Phoenix’s Favourite Snaps When we aren’t busy making spelling mistakes...
a link to the new page, and people started liking it. What’s your system like?: [Akshay]: In the beginning, we had this schedule where we rotated weeks. Each week someone would manage the page, and then the next week would be someone else. [Gabby]: But then the problem became “Oh, I’m busy,” and that resulted in people not being able to manage the page for their week. The system soon changed to be whoever was free to manage the page.
“There was this nude photo of a guy running down the halls in residence.”
cide which ones I’m going to post. We all do things a little differently. [Akshay]: But we did get this one post that got us in a little trouble… [Gabby]: There was this nude photo of a guy running down the halls in residence. You couldn’t really see anything, so we discussed with one another and decided to put it up. Next thing we know, we all got locked out of Facebook. [Akshay]: After that, we all became really cautious about photos that could be offensive. What’s it like seeing into the lives of UBCO students?: [Gabby]: I’ve managed to piece together who some of these people are based off of what they send me [laughs]. [Akshay]: I’m pretty sure most of our Snaps are from first years. Oh well, we’ve all been there [laughs].
Okay, so once you’re on the account, then what?: [Gabby]: We screenshot everything we receive. Well, at least I do. I know other members don’t screenshot everything, and they’re more selective and cautious about what they choose to save. I like to keep everything, then go back and de-
Serious #firstworldproblems. C’mon, pizza is pizza. I think we should all know how to cut one by now...
On average, how many Snaps do you get in a day?: [Gabby]: Last semester, we got about 20 a day. It has calmed down a lot since. There is no more red Camaro. On that note, how many people do your Snaps reach out to?: [Akshay]: About 2000-3000 people on the Facebook page. We have about 400500 friends on Snapchat. Have you guys gotten people who are really upset with what you post?: [Akshay]: We have had a lot of people message us about taking down a post. [Gabby]: There was this one girl who got really upset about her friend’s picture being put up. I don’t remember the picture, I just remember her being super upset about it. I was like, “you don’t need to make a huge deal out of it. You just need to ask nicely to take it down.” We aren’t scary people!
“Only way to get through a paper.” It’s the only way we get through producing a paper.
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Life Editor: Maranda Wilson | life@thephoenixnews.com | The Phoenix | February 23rd 2015 us your #selfie on Instagram. * Show Tag us @ubcophoenix
How to take a good #selfie: ANGLES
Take the photo from higher up. It prevents double chins and makes you look thinner.
LIGHTING
Natural lighting is the most flattering.
BACK CAMERA
Use it. It takes higher resolution photos than the front camera.
“BUT FIRST, LET ME TAKE A SELFIE” Dont’t deny it, you’ve taken a selfie. Romeena looks into the history of ‘selfies’ to understand why we do it. Romeena Sidhu Contributor From self-portraits to the #selfie, selfie culture has been around longer than you think. The original selfie was actually an art form...that’s right, your #nofilter selfie has historical roots. Self-portraiture started when artists would examine themselves in a mirror and then proceed to paint themselves, often as a representation of the way they wanted to be seen by others. Many artists including Rembrandt, Frida Kahlo, and Francisco de Goya painted many portraits of them-
Life Hacks
Avoid hackers: Justin Kroeker Web Editor
selves. Artists would have to spend quite a bit of time just looking at themselves, and sometimes these portraits could take anywhere from months to years to complete. Fast-forward to the 21st century, smart phones and digital photography have transformed selfies into an entire culture of their own. With social media platforms like Instagram and Snapchat, selfies have become a cultural norm. It has become a rapidly expanding pop culture trend with celebrities getting some serious selfie action, like Ellen DeGeneres’ Oscars selfie “breaking” Twitter and Kim Kardashian set to release a 352 page book composed entirely of selfies, appropriately titled “Selfish.” Despite how much selfies have changed and expanded into what they have become today, selfie culture still very much has its
“The original selfie was actually an art form...that’s right, your #nofilter selfie has historical roots.”
Composite Image by Sarah James
roots in the 1600s with the self-portrait. The way that artists had to look at themselves for prolonged periods and study themselves has translated into the idea that selfies are narcissistic and vain. The fact that this art took so long to produce translates to the modern day, because let’s be real, you didn’t just take one selfie, you had to take at least 50. Then you go through the process of applying filters that are all the same but slightly different (because we all know that #nofilter means you chose the most natural looking filter). These paintings were what the artists would put out as a representation of themselves, and honestly this hasn’t changed much. Selfies and selfie culture have a negative connotation sometimes, but really selfies are just a way for us to show the world who we are and the way we want to be seen by oth-
Most of us who spend a large amount of time on the Internet have been exposed to the basic rules of passwords in one form or another: make sure that they are unique for every site you visit, and make sure they are long and somewhat randomized. This still stands as the best practical advice, but we do not often heed it. Here are a few strategies for creating relatively strong passwords:
ers. So yes, in a way your selfies are actually justified and not as narcissistic or vain as they may seem. Maybe just leave the duck-faced selfies to the privacy of your own home.
Compound sentences (with uncommon vocabulary) Think of two or more complete sentences, related or not. Using song lyrics or popular quotations verbatim is not the best idea, but partial snippets strung together in some pattern that you understand can be a good starting point. The key here is to make the password both long, and sensible enough for you to remember.
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February 23rd 2015 | The Phoenix | life@thphoenixnews.com | Life Editor: Maranda Wilson you know of a person or group doing interesting * Do things on campus? Let us know about them via email
and they may be featured right here in Life next issue
Images by Brittany Spankie
DORM ROOM FASHION WITH SHANNA It’s all about staying comfy when it comes to studying or lounging. Let Shanna help you look cute... even when you’re not feeling so cute. Shanna Albrecht Contributor Hello Phoenix readers! With midterms distracting most of us and impeding final exams (okay, they’re still far away but the sunshine is making me think it’s already April), I thought I would talk about dorm room/study fashion. Have you ever looked at a pyjama catalogue and thought…“okay, they look unrealistic! No one looks like THAT while wearing PJs”. I blame Gossip Girl
for distorting my idea of fashion. Blair and Serena were always in the most adorable outfits while at home…but obviously it’s unrealistic to drink gin martinis and wear silk rompers while studying for midterms. More often than not, it’s baggy sweats and a fun-bun. Since starting university, I took it upon myself to develop a personalized at-home cozy style. It consists of many pairs of socks (wool, knee-high, thigh-high, etc.) and many patterned pants. On The Bachelor, my favourite episode is the morning after the first rose ceremony—all the girls have their hair up, glasses on, and no make-up (in some cases just as much make-up), but you get to really see what these women look on a day-to-day basis. I understand that most students do not care to look “cute” while studying. However, when I feel good in my clothes and I’m comfy, it makes my studying
“Since starting university, I took it upon myself to develop a personalized at-home cozy style.”
experience that much better. I am all about the over-sized sweaters and being encircled in warmth and comfort, but if you’re going to wear an oversized sweater, there’s no need to also wear oversized sweatpants. It’s unnecessary to drown yourself in cotton and fleece. My comfy clothing rule is to have only one baggy piece. Everything else should be fitted. Wear your boyfriend’s hoodie with some patterned leggings and wool socks or pair those fleece sweatpants with your fitted-Henley long-sleeve, and remember, cotton leggings are not pants! The wonderful invention of workout leggings incorporates spandex and lycra, but cotton just sags. Keep those cotton leggings confined to your home. No one needs a saggy bum. Happy studying! xx Shanna
The Roman Room technique
A password manager (and its generator)
Sit in or imagine a room that you are very familiar with (like a bedroom), and observe key objects in that room and their location. Pick three and think of some associations that come to mind. Combine this technique with other techniques or patterns to build a strong password.
Unless you have an excellent memory or are keeping a book of passwords around somewhere, remembering all of your passwords (and their patterns) is going to be a difficult task. This is where I recommend the use of a password manager app such as LastPass or 1Password. Such apps will store all of your passwords—whatever their purpose—locked away behind one master password that you remember. The most important bonus of using such a tool is that many will also allow you to generate long and random strings of numbers and symbols for making new passwords. If you have multiple devices, many also include the ability to sync your passwords, though this carries a charge in one form or another.
Top right: top: American Apparel, sweatpants: Off the Wall, slippers: Walmart. Left: top and wool shorts: American Eagle Outfitters, socks and bralette: American Apparel. Bottom right: tank and bralette: American Apparel, fun pants: RVCA via. Blonde, toque: Gifted Like what you see? Check out Shanna’s fashion blog for more: www.peppermintteastyle.com
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The editorial internship at NYLON Magazine. It was a scary move, but definitely a step in the right direction for the kind of career I want. Having worked primarily with newspapers for the past five years, work experience in the magazine industry is a great asset to me, and the references and connections I made there are extremely valuable. My work with NYLON is a major help to my freelancing credit. How directly does your degree relate to your present job/ future career aspirations? Creative Writing and English studies gave me the necessary training to write with professional grammar and language techniques that are necessary for journalism. It also gave me important research skills that I use everyday. Poetry (which was my focus in CW) is something I hope to continue to pursue with my doctorate in the future, but the program kept me motivated and provided me with the stamina to write three to ten articles per week. The more I wrote for school, the easier it became to produce quality articles for The Phoenix. Through CW I became extremely involved with spoken word and ended up hosting SpoWo nights at Pulp Fiction once a month and became president of the Creative Writing Course Union. The public speaking skills that I acquired through this have improved my interviewing skills immensely. Joel Krupa, Bachelor of Arts Brief summary of your post-grad experience up to date: I graduated after three years of intense snowboarding studying, and with my UBC degree in hand at the age of 21, I proceeded to spend a lot of quality time down in California. Although the bulk of this period was spent brushing up on gangster-rap lyrics and strolling around various parks, it wasn’t a complete write-off as I ended up interning in the Office of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. After that, I picked up a pair of degrees from Oxford University and the University of London’s London School of Economics before settling down and working in a couple positions (one public sector and one private sector). I also wrote several academic pieces that the majority of the population would find incredibly dull, and traveled to a healthy mix of tourist-choked and very sketchy countries. Currently, I’m completing a Ph.D. at the University of Toronto focusing on
WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING A FUTURE..
WE INTERVIEW STEFAN MESAROS, MICHAEL LEACH, NEETU GARCHA, LAURA SCIARPELLETTI, JOEL KRUPA, AND TIM KRUPA, ALL UBCO GRADUATES ABOUT HOW THEY ARE COPING IN THE REAL WORLD AND IF THEY HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR CURRENT STUDENTS AND SOON TO BE GRADUATES Graduation day: you receive a diploma and it’s as if your four
Stefan Mesaros, Bachelor of Management
renewable energy financing innovations. your routine changes, and if you fail, there is no re-take. The best way to deal with this is to look forward, work towards your goal(s)
Tim, Bachelor of Science
and not be afraid of change. If you find that something doesn’t work
Brief summary of your post-grad experience up to date:
the way you expected, do not waste your time — change it. Whether
I abstained from entering the real world by pursuing an MA in
it’s your location, your focus, your expectations… You are young and
Political Science at UBC’s Vancouver campus. I finished the course-
you can still change it fairly easily.
work and plan to defend a thesis on sub-national carbon pricing policies soon. For the past 10 months, I’ve been living in Ottawa and
Michael Leach, Bachelor of Management
working in the Office of the Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada.
Brief summary of your post-grad experience up to date: Worked as an accounting associate, travelled, started financial plan-
How do you deal with the required three-five years of experience
ning practice in Calgary, AB, co-Founded SPINCO — Spin Studio in
necessary for most jobs?
Kelowna, BC
Co-ops, internships, or short-term contracts can offer opportunities to get your foot in the door and prove yourself. I started off in
How directly does your degree relate to your present job/ future
the office as a paid, full-time intern, which gave me a real chance to
career aspirations?
Spent half a year working at Enterprise-Rent-a-Car, but I also did
contribute to the team. I worked exceptionally hard and focused on
I use everything from my first year psychology course to my fourth
The congratulatory grad parties come to an end and student loans
freelancing with my own company on the side starting in my fourth
tasks I was assigned. I also made a conscious effort to avoid overstep-
year advanced tax & financial/managerial accounting courses.
loom overheadwhat now? So you slump down onto the couch in
year. I was shooting promotional videos and coding websites. Then
ping, maintain composure, and be coachable because I have so much
your parents’ basement, realizing that the bubble that once contained
I moved to Toronto, where I got a job offer to work as a Marketing
Laura Sciarpelletti, Bachelor of Arts: Major in Creative Writing,
a busy, academic, driven socialite has finally burst, releasing this
Coordinator for a company that makes custom LED lighting systems
Minor in English
former self. Your community of supportive peers and roommates has
for various applications such as bridges, skyscrapers, shopping malls,
Brief summary of your post-grad experience up to date:
scattered and now you’re left alone to start the life that you’ve spent
airports, and more.
I began an internship at NYLON Magazine in New York City in
(five…maybe six?) year undergrad life instantaneously crumbles
Brief summary of your post-grad experience up to date:
under a cap and gown as your grandma’s camera runs out of film.
years training for.
to learn from colleagues and mentors.
September. After completing my position in December, I relocated
This pressure to start life causes many grads to wander about the job
How did your perception of your post-grad life differ from what
market in confusion, unsure of which step to take next. Inevitably,
actually happened?
if left anxious and uninspired long enough, new grads can find
I tried to stay realistic and I knew that my post-grad life wouldn’t be
portfolio for at least the next year. At the moment, I am writing one
themselves falling into a sort of lonely post-grad funk. In an attempt
just roses. I knew there would be a lot of changes in my life. It was
to two paid articles for NYLON per issue.
to provide those approaching the funk with some support and guid-
more than I expected and it happened all at once. People tell you
ance, The Phoenix profiled (six) recent UBCO alumni who are doing
about how life is different after graduation, what to prepare for, what
What was the first step that you took post-graduation? (i.e. a
big things to fill the void of the student life. Here’s what they have to
to avoid etc. and that is exactly what I am doing here, but I never
move, a job, a vacation etc.)
say:
really got it until it happened. Your friends move to different places,
to Vancouver and have begun freelancing. I do not plan to end my education with my BA, but have decided to work on expanding my
world works. I remember some science students stressing out over Joel, Tim, Laura, and Stefan give their thoughts on the current job
which major to pursue. Of course career prospects and economic
market.
realities should factor into which degree you choose, but once you’re honing in on a specific major within arts or science, consider taking
Joel, “It is pretty tight, but there are still tons of opportunities if
courses that fascinate and intrigue you.”
you are a bit cunning. Unfortunately, it should be noted that all fields do not have equal numbers of jobs. If you study computer
Stefan, “Completely related —I took all marketing courses and I
science, you can get a job tomorrow (potentially with an enormous
work in marketing today. Having a relevant degree was a decisive
signing bonus, which you can share with me when you follow this
factor for my employer.”
advice). Other subject areas? Well, you may need to wait a while for something to materialize, and you’ll definitely need to really lever-
Neetu Garcha, Bachelor of Management/Marketing
age those contacts and networks that I mentioned in the previous
“Since I went to school for journalism after graduating from UBCO
question. Also, try not to be too specific on where you live. Thunder
and now work full-time as a journalist, my degree from UBCO
Bay, Fort Mac, or Eastern Canada may not sound that appealing,
doesn’t relate too much directly to my current job. However, it has
but they beat being unemployed or (even worse!) being employed in
helped tremendously with the start-up not-for-profit that I am
something that will dull your zest for life.”
involved with. From creating a business plan, coming up with marketing and social media strategies to thinking about how to attract
Stefan, “In one word —depressing. The fact that the supply of ap-
investors and donors, what I learnt while getting my management
plicants exceeds demand by a lot results in 300+ applications for
degree from UBCO has come in very handy.”
a single job, not hearing back from HR, or taking too long to hear back, and of course, being rejected. None of these motivate you to
And if there’s any advice that they would like tos share for those
move forward and work harder. You have to treat job-hunting as
approaching the post-grad funk.
a day job you are not paid for. You will probably write many cover letters that no-one will read and they will all start to look alike after a
Michael, “In my last year of university, final exams and job hunting
while. You have to suck it up, set a routine, and send certain number
took up the majority of my thoughts throughout the day. Unfortu-
of applications every day. Consistency and patience will eventually
nately, the stress of failing exams and inability to find a job made
pay off.”
these thoughts mostly negative. My one note would to be think positively in everything you are going through right now. Positivity
Tim, “I think it’s tougher for youth and recent graduates than
is truly contagious and I owe most of my success in business and life
governments tend to admit. That means the ball’s in our court to
for having the ability to think positively. If you are in a funk or feel-
seek out (or create) opportunities that may or may not yet exist. I’m
ing uninspired surround yourself with positive people and find a job
hardly an expert so search “Statistics Canada jobs data” for a real
that you are going to enjoy and get fulfillment out of. Life is what you
answer to this question.”
make it so make it a good one.”
Laura, “The writing job market is extremely competitive. There is
Laura, “Find a spinoff of your desired career that will support your
a lot of work out there, but you have to want it and deal with a ton
career on your resume and pursue it. Keep busy! For instance, I have
rejection. The best way to confront the market is to take every paid
dabbled in promotional work for bands and music production com-
writing gig you can get your hands on. Be choosy but not overly
panies. This looks good on my resume, is fun, and keeps me in the
sparing with the unpaid writing you do. Just make sure this work
scene with an ear to the ground for other opportunities. Love what
will help you accumulate paid jobs in the future.”
you do, and let it work for you.”
We also asked these grads how their degrees relate to their current
Neetu, “Odds are you are already or you will soon feel discouraged.
jobs.
The world outside of student life can be really scary, sometimes de-
Tim, “Most people assume that I somehow regret studying biology
pressing, and just not as fulfilling as university was. It’s important to
and chemistry because I’m working in politics. I don’t regret it at
really sit down, decide why you spent thousands of dollars and years
all because science rules and I want to understand how our natural
of your life going to university and translate that into tangible goals. Look at those goals and think about them regularly. The only way to accomplish them is to ensure the decisions you make will take you closer and closer to them.” Before post-grad becomes a reality, getting involved and immersing yourself on (and off) campus with anything that interests you is one way to avoid the future blues. Leaving university with the padding of as many connections as possible ensures you’ll have brains to pick, and opportunities to reach out to —regardless of their direct connection to your degree. Article by Sasha Curry. Main image by The University of Denver, Flickr. Photos left to right, top to bottom provided by interviewees; Laura, Tim, Michael, Joel, Stefan, and Neetu.
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Arts Editor: Jeff Bulmer| arts@thephoenixnews.com | The Phoenix | February 23rd 2015
ARTS
you at Art on the Line? Tell us * Were all about it!
Some of the artwork on display at Art on the Line before the raffle
13TH ART ON THE LINE A SUCCESS FOR ARTISTS AND ART ENTHUSIASTS ALIKE VACU’s Fundraiser and Gala event boasts high-quality artwork and high attendance Additional tickets needed to accommodate high demand at first ever AotL hosted by Sheri-D Wilson Alex Sadlowski Current Affairs Editor On Saturday, February 7th, UBCO’s Visual Arts Course Union hosted the 13th Annual Art on the Line auction,
making use of both floors of the Fipke building. While tickets to view donated art were $10, purchasers of the $190 tickets were able to submit their names for a raffle in which they get to leave with a piece of art of their choosing. Although selling all 100 raffle tickets is nothing new for Art on the Line, this year’s event did even better. “There were [originally] 100 tickets, and then at the last minute we had printed up a few extra tickets that didn’t have numbers on them, so we were able to sell a few more at the door,” explained Associate Professor Briar Craig. Craig also noted that the attendance
“There were [originally] 100 tickets, and then at the last minute we had printed up a few extra tickets...” BRIAR CRAIG
rate wasn’t the only improvement from previous years: “The student work was a notch up [in quality] this year.” The 132 works available in the raffle were submitted by students from all years of study, UBCO alumni, and members of the community. All works were selected from multiple rounds of jurying. “For each round of jurors there’s five of us so that there’s no bias whatsoever. Connor Charlesworth picked all of us based on our own personal taste, our involvement in the course union, and also [based on] our own specific work,” explained Shayla Ritchie, President of UBCO’s Visual
Arts Course Union and member of the first round of jurors. Shayla emphasized the differing tastes of the jury that resulted in a variety of artwork of many styles. “My work’s a lot more portraiture, a lot more landscape art, so I’m more of a realist. [But] there was a sculpture artist, an abstract artist, a professor... It wasn’t all just conceptual artists.” A notable example of this variety in artistry was Michael Kiss, the only artist to submit sculptures to the raffle. “I’ve submitted for four years, [but] in the first year I didn’t get in. They did not like my ‘Archie and Skyrim Cross-
February 23rd 2015 | The Phoenix | arts@thephoenixnews.com | Arts Editor: Jeff Bulmer you submit to Art on the Line? * Did Would you like to be featured in The Phoenix News? Contact arts@ thephoenixnews.com for more information on being a Phoenix Featured Artist!
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to see any events anytime * Going soon? You should write about them for The Phoenix News!
EVENTS February 25th The Boom Booms
9 pm / $5 / The Well This week, Well Wednesday brings in Vancouver soul/funk band The Boom-Booms, playing alongside local DJs Oneway and Funktion.
February 26th February 28th Marooned
8 pm / $20 / University Theatre Aron De Casmaker and Jesse Buck’s exploration of show business returns for another weekend
Until March 8th Superheroes & Supervillains
102 ticket-holders, several artists, and nearly as many spectators eagerly wait for the next number to be called . Photos by Sarah James
over’,” Kiss said with a smirk. “I moved over into sculpture the summer after first year. I saw cool rock sculptures on the internet and thought I could do it... It was just a matter of doing it.” This year’s raffle was hosted by acclaimed spoken-word performer Sheri-D Wilson. While this was Wilson’s first Art on the Line, it was far from her first experience hosting an event. “I do a lot of readings of my poetry, and I travel around many countries doing that. I also MC, and I also do cabaret work,” said Wilson. “[For Art on he Line] I picked more of my cabaret-type pieces... Pieces that would be little bits in-between, like vignettes.” Wilson’s experience performing was readily apparent, as she had no issue keeping the crowd engaged with her
Comic Section Darci Ritchey Contributor
infectious energy. Her poems elicited boisterous laughter from the audience with their conversational tone, clever wordplay, and more than one punch line involving a specific part of the male anatomy (one title, “Cocktails with Egotesticles” paints a clear picture). “It’s always weird when we try out a new MC for the first time, but Sheri-D is just knocking the socks off in there,” said Briar Craig. “Michael V. Smith is great, we’ve had him for four years in a row and he’s wildly entertaining. So [he left] big shoes to fill, but [Sheri-D Wilson is] filling them very nicely.” The hour and a half preceding the raffle was dedicated to viewing the art, enjoying food and wine, and listening to jazz provided by the Trevor Salloum group. For anyone unable to snag a ticket
to the raffle, card-sized original prints (aptly titled “Artist Trading Cards”) were available for $5. “Many years ago in Calgary at the Alberta College of Art and design, a number of artists got together and said, ‘how come hockey players have trading cards and we don’t?’ So they started to make Artist Trading Cards. It took off, and now it’s a worldwide phenomenon,” explained Ashok Mathur, Associate Professor of Creative Writing. The cards for sale at Art on the Line were submitted by faculty and students from all years of study. “Those people who can’t buy a piece of art are saying, ‘for $5 I can get an original’.” Although the majority of the evening’s events went off without a hitch, one mix-up arose towards the night’s conclusion. Right as Sheri-D Wilson announced the end of the raffle, one
lady stood up and proclaimed that her ticket had not been called. Through asof-yet unexplained circumstance, her ticket was not in the draw. Thinking on her feet, Wilson allowed her to pick two works of art from those that remained. “I think it’s nice. The people recognize that [it wasn’t fair], so that was a nice little gesture,” Ashok Mathur said. Despite the confusion, no one left Art on the Line unhappy—including the lady whose ticket went missing. “My [first] choices were gone in the first round, but I’m still happy.” She stated that she would still be returning next year. “[But] I’m going to watch them put my stub in the drum next time!”
FREE / Kelowna Art Gallery An exhibition of works by over 30 different artists examining the subculture and phenomena surrounding their favourite cartoon/ comic characters
March 9th New Vintage Soap Opera Episode 9: The Reckoning
7:30 pm / $20 / Kelowna Community Theatre What do a bordello owner, politician, gossip columnist, eccentric vintner, gypsy drug dealer, wealthy hotelier, femme fatale, “fixer,” and a snack bar worker have in common? Find out in the season finale of The New Vintage Theatre’s live soap opera next Sunday with Episode 9.
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Featured Artist: Immaculate| facebook.com/immaculatemusic | youtube.com/therealimmaculate | Twitter: @imcmusic | The Phoenix | February 23rd 2015
something every day” - Julian “Immaculate” * “Write Wolansky “Send that something to arts@thephoenixnews.com!” Jeff “The Arts Editor” Bulmer
you a musician? Would you * Are like to be featured in The Phoenix
News? Contact arts@thephoenixnews.com for more information on being a Phoenix Featured Artist!
to a concert? You should * Going write a review for The Phoenix News!
INTERVIEW: IMMACULATE, VERNON’S YOUTH-ORIENTED RAPPER Do you have a specific approach to music? Definitely. I think, very basically put, positivity. Offering a voice to people who are stuck in life while doing it in a creative way…In the future I would like to go back and work with youth and use whatever power that I may have to actually empower other people. Trying to lift people up is my message. You write a lot of inspiring lyrics. What’s a source of personal inspiration for you? When I started, I started just rhyming words. That was 12 years ago. I counted, haha…There wasn’t any thought put into what I was saying as a whole, as an artist and as a person. Over time it just developed. Really, the biggest change was my current girlfriend had two kids and I became kind of the bonus dad. I grew this connection with these two small people and something shifted where I thought “one thing I want to change is taking out the vulgarity in my music so I can share it with these guys”…They were a big inspiration. The last three years have been really tough. [The kids] passed away three years ago in October. It changed my life completely. I really felt, when I got back into writing music, that the least I could do is to just lift people up. It was my therapy. I wanted to share that feeling of creating change within. That was definitely the point where it became clear that I wanted to become somebody who had a positive message and could uplift people. Being youth-oriented, what’s your attitude towards the hedonistic nature of the popular rap community? I’m pretty resistant to it…I can appreciate production and a good hook or a song that makes you feel good. There’s a place for all of that, but mainstream rap continues to give rap a bad name. It makes it less accessible… You can easily make someone sound amazing [with good production] If I could go anywhere, it would be the top of the underground. Someone who never crossed over into the mainstream but has a large and devoted fan base…Doing it how you want is the most important part.
Family-friendly Vernon rapper Julian “Immaculate” Wolansky. Photo by Lee Watkins
Keera Cabrias Contributor Hailing from Vernon, rapper Immaculate (Julian Wolansky) has opened for likes of Classified, Three6mafia, Sweatshop Union, A$AP Rocky, Tech N9ne, Demigodz, and numerous others. The VIMA award winner and BCIMA nominee is known for his heartfelt, introspective lyrics as well as his hard hitting and stylishly complementary beats. The autobiographical nature of his writing combined with his gripping stage presence gives the rapper an intriguing yet accessible quality that has allowed him to reach a wide range of fan bases. On Friday, February 13th, Immaculate was due to open for Grand Analogue at The Habitat, but not before gracing The Phoenix with an interview.
Filbert Cartoons Anthony Labonté For more comics FilbertCartoons.com
and
Contributor animations,
visit
What are the challenges opening for such big names? The idea behind opening is that you’re buying into somebody else’s audience… You pretty much just have to go out and make that crowd yours. If there’s 15 or 500 people watching you should always try and put on the same show. Be ready for your best show no matter what the circumstances… It’s less about the artist and more about winning people over. Do you have any other advice for up and coming artists? The best piece of advice I ever got was from a guy from Vernon, TassNata. He was one of my biggest local influences… I asked him if he had any advice for me and he said “All I can say is write something every day.” Do something every day. Just that little bit of information stuck. It’s about consistency. Just like anything in life, if you work at it you will become good… I wake up, write a little bit, maybe jot it down on my phone or record something. Anything to keep it moving. I would offer that same advice on. Just to work at it a little bit every day. That’s been the most powerful piece of advice I’ve received in my career.
Concerts February 27th The Trips
9 pm / Free / Fleetwood Public House Shamma Sabir, Jesse Padgett, Graham Ord and Joshua Smith make up The Trips, a local bluegrass band that’s been called ”Band of the Summer” in the Okanagan.
Wild Son
8 pm / $10 / Doc Willoughby’s Local heroes Wild Son play Doc Willoughby’s this Saturday. The chance to see Wild Son in Kelowna is truly once in a lifetime! Don’t miss out!
February 28th The Ruffled Feathers
8 pm / $5 / Streaming Cafe Vancouver’s The Ruffled Feathers bring their unique brand of indie-pop to Kelowna
March 5th The Irish Rovers
7:30 pm / $46 / Kelowna Community Theatre Iconic Irish group The Irish Rovers celebrates 50 (!) years with a stop in Kelowna during their final World Tour
Illy
9 pm / $15 / The Habitat The Australian hip-hop artist ‘s 2015 Canadian Tour brings him to Kelowna
March 7th DJ Invizible
8 pm / $10 / Doc Willoughby’s The local DJ comes back to Doc Willoughby’s
SEEKING GLORIOUS BOUNTY Advertisement By Mark Rosvold, Mind over Learning When one thinks of reading, of books and literature, there are myriad quotes that come to the forefront of our minds and the tips of our tongues. One such quote comes from St. Augustine who said: “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” Another quote that many of us have encountered are the words of the inimitable doctor Seuss: “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” In both of these sentiments there exists a central idea of movement, progression and freedom. If one reads, one has a future filled with opportunity in
all its glorious bounty. Yet, while this hopeful promise can certainly be depended upon, it becomes problematic, and in fact can be devastatingly overwhelming when one does not possess the tools needed to undertake the great and arduous task of reading. Just as certain individuals are fortunate enough to have a privileged lifestyle that allows for travel, others are privileged in their ability to read with an ease of comprehension. However, there are many who approach reading with the knowledge that frustration and incomprehensibility will meet them at every turn. They must wrestle and fight to grasp the meaning,
the process and the strategies needed to succeed in becoming a proficient reader. In addition to this issue is the often comorbid problem of output, which is to say, the ability to write. During my undergrad I recall a professor once telling my class that his goal was to help us all earn an additional one million dollars in our lifetime. The interesting thing about this statement, beyond its obvious boldness, was that he was not an accountant, nor was he a business or management professor. In fact, after this one statement pertaining to money, he never again mentioned numbers in his course because he was an
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mindoverlearning.com
English professor. Now, the rationale behind his confident remark was as follows: statistically speaking if you have an undergraduate degree, you are -insert percentage- more likely to earn -specific dollar amount- more per annum than if you only have a high school diploma. In order to earn this degree though, you must be able to write efficiently and with relative ease to make it through the rigorous education process. Ergo, writing well will make you one million dollars more by the time you retire. It is almost redundant to mention that we would all enjoy an additional million dollars throughout our lifetime, but it is worth noting because it is a luxury that many individuals will not experience. For although one might have made it into university, there is still a long journey ahead, with hundreds of pages of writing to be mastered before your degree will be given to you. If this daunting task becomes challenging to the point that one’s grades, mental health and future seem like they might be compromised, then clearly help must be sought. Mind Over Learning is a private tutoring center located in Kelowna that seeks to remediate these problems that students may face during their degree. The center’s methodology is based on a model that was developed in the early 20th century by doctors Orton and Gillingham. Both Orton and Gillingham were seminal in developing theory and application to work with individuals that were incapable of fitting into normative educational systems. Between the two scholars, a theory and methodology was constructed, which has been utilized by many alternative educational practitioners since its inception. However, what sets Mind Over Learning apart from these various groups is the fact that it has been reconfigured and adapted over
the years due to its process of unique application. While the model provided a great starting point for the business many years ago, it was nevertheless subjected to scrutiny as every good theory must be. As such, various components were modified and augmented in order to accommodate the findings that can only be deduced through lengthy implementation. Thus, with the help of a substantial foundation, a functional and precise system has been created by this company in order to remediate the problems faced by those who have learning disabilities. It is not simply that we provide a place where one can come to have their papers edited, for there are many avenues which are currently available to individuals who seek such a service. Instead, we hope to come alongside those who have incredible capacity, but who struggle with learning disabilities and difficulties that are hindering them from achieving their utmost potential. UBC is a remarkable institution that embraces the idea of equity, and this means that people must be met and respected at the variety of places where they exist. Yet, not everyone has the raw intrinsic capacity to produce coherent thoughts, and transcribe them, but everyone with the desire to accomplish what they dream of has the opportunity to seek this. At Mind Over Learning our philosophy is quite simple: we will work with you and meet you where you are, offering partnership and a uniquely catered program that fits your needs; then you can earn that additional million dollars and travel both the literary and geographical world.
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Interim Sports Editor: Cameron Welch|sports@thephoenixnews.com | The Phoenix | February 23rd 2015
SPORTS
BASKETBALL * MEN’S 3-17 / 6th in Explorer Division 15Th (of 17) in Canada West
VOLLEYBALL * MEN’S 6-18 / 11th (of 13) in Canada West WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL 19-5 / T-1st (of 13) in Canada West 4th place in Canada West playoffs 2nd in Canada (Regular Season) 9th in Canada (Postseason)
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL 5-15 / T-4th in Explorer Division T-11th (of 17) in Canada West
AFTER HISTORIC SEASON, HEAT FALL 4 POINTS SHORT OF NATIONALS UBCO fall to eventual champ Trinity in 5 sets, then lose to UBC in bronze match Heartbreaking end for a team that rose as high as #1 in Canada in only its fourth season in the top league Cam Welch Creative Director
After a historic season, the Heat women’s volleyball team ended up coming four points short of the national tournament. Ranked 2nd in Canada going into the playoffs, the 19-5 Heat lost to 4th-ranked Trinity Western in their Final Four matchup, going 5 sets with the eventual Canada West champions. After going down 1-2 then surging back strong to force a decisive fifth
set, the Heat were unable to complete the comeback. They fell 12-15 & were relegated to the bronze game. With the conference’s third and final spot at nationals on the line, UBCO faced off against cross-campus rival UBC Van, the only team to sweep the Heat this season. Despite being ranked only 10th nationally, UBC has won six of the past seven championships. And that experience showed as the T-birds took out the Heat in four sets. The matchup was a tale of two UBCS, one big and one small, one established and one new. Vancouver is an originator of the conference and won every national title from 2008 to 2013, but barely broke .500 this regular season. Okanagan, on the other hand, is an upstart in only its fourth year and has never played in the CIS Nationals, but had a breakout season.
“This team is doing unbelievable things, almost unimaginable things this early in our program” STEVE MANUEL HEAT WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL HEAD COACH
Klomps named first-team All-Star Longtime Heat leader Katy Klomps was named to the first All-Star team after recording the most blocks in Canada West history in a single regular season. She shared that record of 135 blocks with TWU’s Alicia Perrin, who is the all-time blocks & blocks/set leader in conference history but is graduating this year. Klomps was an all-star last year, and Emily Oxland the year before. The only non-WVB Heat athlete to be named an All-Star was MVB’s Nate Speijer in 11/12.
Heat’s best season since joining university league “This team is doing unbelievable things, almost unimaginable things this early in our program,” head coach Steve Manuel told UBCO Athletics after the loss, “...we have gotten further than expected, and we fully expect that the same thing will happen again next year and the year after that.” Manuel added that the team needs to work on keeping their play strong this late in the season, something that they’re not used to because they’re so new. Finishing 4th in the conference for the second year in a row is a disappointing end for the Heat, who were ranked top three in Canada for almost the whole season. Despite their strong overall record, the Heat were always in danger of an upset because Canada West is the hands-down strongest
Photo by Greystoke Photography
conference in the nation. The regular season ended with 6 western teams in the Top 10, but still only 3 national tournament spots available. After being swept by UBC Van on Halloween, UBCO won 13 straight games and rocketed to the #1 spot in the conference and the country. But a surprise loss to one of Canada West’s worst teams near the end of the season dropped the Heat’s record into a tie with Alberta and Trinity, costing them the home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. This became a key factor — of the Heat’s five regular-season losses, four came on the road. The Heat will lose only one player to graduation and will bring back almost the whole team, including 14/15 AllStars Katy Klomps and Katie Wuttunee (as well as 11/12 All-Star Emily Oxland), for next year’s run at the title.
Wuttunee second-team All-Star Katie Wuttunee, also a middle, was named to the second all-star team. Although her basic totals don’t necessarily stand out (her 71 blocks and 174 kills were 16th and 30th in the conference respectively), where Wuttunee shines is efficiency. Her hitting percentage of .334 was second in the conference, but for much of the year she led that category by a clear margin, even hovering all the way up around .450 before the winter break.
February 23rd 2015 | The Phoenix |sports@thephoenixnews.com | Interim Sports Editor: Cameron Welch TO RUN THIS SECTION! * APPLY We’re holding applications for one more week to pick our Sports
Editor for the rest of the seemster. To apply, send resume, cover letter / platform, and work sample to new@thephoenixnews. com. We are also looking to add sports writers and reporters, so if you’re interested in one of these smaller roles send us an email
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out thephoenixnews.com for * Check our season-in-review recaps and our
special features on UBCO’s history in the university and college leagues
you know an athlete on campus who * Do competes at a high level outside of the
varsity system? Send us their name, sport, and contact information and we’ll profile them in our Love of the Game series
AGE OF HEAT PLAYERS AGE # OF PLAYERS FIRST YEARS 8 SECOND YEARS 4 RED SHIRTS 3 THIRD YEARS 1 FOURTH YEARS 0 FIFTH YEARS 0 Left: Buzz Truss and David Manscreck try to pry the ball away from UFV’s powerful defenders. loses the ball against. UFV was first in the Explorer division at 17-3, while the Heat were last at 3-17. Top: Heat MBB head coach Pete Guarasci Photos by Greystoke Photography
WITH 8 ROOKIES, HEAT MBB HAS PROMISING FUTURE DESPITE LOSING SEASON Wins & losses not the main focus in season without a single senior player Coach Guarasci anticipating team will hit peak in two to three years Mirella Cullen Interim Sports Editor
Despite finishing the season with their worst record since joining the CIS (3-17), the future is promising for UBCO’s men’s basketball team. The Heat are the youngest team in the conference, with only one player older than second year. As a result, 2014-15 was never about winning games but about building winning systems. “This year was a lot about survival,” said head coach Pete Guarasci, “considering how young we were. Get the
young players exposure, get acclimatized to the CIS level. Nobody is really winning with 1st- and 2nd-year players, so we’re not really worried with the record.” “We joke around we say we’re just a high school all-star team, because we’re so young” said rookie point guard Aldrich Berrios, “so the fact that we’re even competing at this level and doing as well as we’re doing this early, it’s a good thing.” After a 17-loss season, the team will have a lot of growing up to do if they want to succeed even in their six-team division composed of expansion teams. But they’ll have as many as three more years together to improve, and Guarasci feels that the biggest factor in getting better will be simply getting bigger. “Sometimes on the court we had 18or 19-year-olds playing against 23-25 year olds. That age gap there, especially
“Sometimes on the
court we had 18- or 19-year-olds playing against 23- and 25-year-olds”
PETE GUARASCI HEAT MEN’S BASKETBALL HEAD COACH
that stretch in boys … who are catching up to the length in their bodies, that gap is significant. It’s gonna take time for their bodies to develop, and it’s gonna take work — they have to train their bodies as well.” Although the team has much of the necessary skill and talent already in place, that size difference simply prevents them from being able to implement those skills effectively. “In high school I could make plays that I can’t do now, just because of the size of other players,” said Berrios, the Heat’s leader in minutes per game. But he has learned to adjust his game to those new obstacles. “In our first game I had maybe 12 turnovers and that was a big eye-opener.” The team is being built from the long-term, and Guarasci was up-front about the long-term plan in recruiting, and sought out players eager to play in
their first year and make their own fortune without the support of a decadesold CIS program or many veteran mentors. “I was just very real with people— you get a great education in a great city, you get to play, get to build a program, but you have to be the type of character that wants to build a program.” Recruitment will be different offseason, without many roster spots opening given the lack of seniors. Guarasci said he is looking to add a bit of immediate help and another project or two. He’s looking to add back court depth and a physical big to complement the skill forwards the team currently had. It’s those skilled bigs’ potential that makes Guarasci most excited about for the team’s future. “They have a lot of that base, a good feel for the game, intelligence, good footwork, decent skills. They just need to physically mature.”
Beamish named Star of the Week
Semeniuk ends career with wins
Brianna Beamish was named Canada West’s second Stars of the Week for her first-round playoff performance. She totalled 34 kills and 23 digs in the Heat’s two-game sweep of defending national champions the Manitoba Bisons, hitting .393 and .450. Beamish is the fourth Heat player to get a Star of the Week nod this season, joining Enzo Paal (Men’s soccer), Jim Bell (Men’s Vball), and her teammate Katy Klomps. Images from UBCO Athletics
Longtime Heat women’s basketball coach Heather Semeniuk capped off her career with a sweep of UNBC on February 12th and 13th. Her friends, family, and fans were on hand for her final game, and gave her a standing ovation in a pregame ceremony. For Semeniuk, building relationships and mentoring young athletes are her real legacy. “The loyalty, the trust, it’s wholesome,” she told UBCO Athletics, “To see [my players] learn that is the most important thing. Our friendships will be lifelong.”
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Opinions Editor: Brittini MacKenzie-Dale|opinions@thephoenixnews.com | The Phoenix | February 23rd 2015
OPINIONS
you a political science or philosophy major? Do you keep up with cur* Are rent affairs and world news and are dying to talk about them? The Phoenix would love to hear about your stance. Drop us a line: opinions@thephoenixnews.com
5 HORROR MOVIES THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOMINATED FOR BEST PICTURE 1) 28 Days Later
(Danny Boyle – 2002)
2) Let the Right One In (Tomas Alfredson – 2008)
3) Pan’s Labrynth
(Guillermo del Toro – 2006)
4) Rosemary’s Baby
(Roman Polanski – 1986)
5) The Shining
(Stanley Kubrick – 1980)
Horror Film Directors, Composite Image by Brittini MacKenzie-Dale
NO GHOULS ALLOWED: WHY YOU DON’T SEE HORROR FLICKS AT THE OSCARS Year after year, horror movies are consistently ignored at the Oscars Is it because horror is a weaker medium or because it’s considered “low brow”? Brittini MacKenzie-Dale Opinions Editor
It looks like it’s that time of year again: awards season. This past February 22nd, you (possibly) saw actors, writers, and directors winning and losing after pouring their hearts and souls into projects. This year, they were hosted by the amazing Neil Patrick Harris. A lot of folks hate on the Oscars (including actors like Joaquin Phoenix) and a lot of people consider them to be the movie equivalent of a religious ceremony. Wherever you stand on it, you might have noticed that horror movies are not frequently represented at the ceremonies. 2014 actually produced a host of amazing movies, so the bone I have to pick isn’t necessarily with this year’s nominees, but with the Oscars excluding horror as a whole. I’m not trying to say that the horror genre is fundamentally better than the typical drama, romance, or war films usually nominated. Holistically, horror is probably weaker. But it can’t be denied that the genre—like genre books at literary awards—
are overlooked at the Oscars all the time. What about Psycho, The Exorcist, and The Shining? you might be asking. These are three of the most iconic horror films of the 20th century. Psycho didn’t win anything but did get four nods. The Exorcist broke horror tradition in 1974 by earning ten nominations, but only limped away with two. The Shining didn’t get nominated for a damn thing. When a good horror movie comes out, it’s a shame they get overlooked—the Academy either can’t see the ghosts (those stiff-backed bores!) or they choose not to let them in. So why, exactly does this happen? Is it because horror is a weaker medium or because it’s considered “low brow”? Probably a bit of both. Stephen King is never going to win a Pulitzer prize, either, but if you think that means Pet Sematary wasn’t a literary and psychological achievement , I’m going to be the one to tell you that you’re sorely mistaken. Because it’s a sensational genre, horror undoubtedly attracts amateur producers, directors, and writers, but also possibly a young and uncritical audience. I know I saw a lot of horror movies as a teen because they were always good fun. They were never boring. Crash might have won best picture in 2006 (considered a massive upset by Brokeback Mountain lovers), but it was also one of the dullest movies I’ve ever seen. I’m not sure if
“The good writer wants to hand society a Gothic-style mirror—we’re invited (with a sharptoothed grin and a long-clawed beckoning hand) to stare deeply at ourselves and ask if we know who we really are.” I’ve finished it. But cheap blood-andguts aside, how does a good horror film work? Well, it works on many levels really. See, horror is actually a lot cleverer than most give it credit for. At its worst, sure, it’s a bunch of half-naked women running around with fake blood streaming down their cleavage. At its best, though, it’s freaky stuff: and not solely because of the visuals, but because of its psychological nuances. The best directors and writers know this and play up
the politics. The good writer wants to hand society a Gothic-style mirror—and in this mirror, we’re invited (with a sharp-toothed grin and a long-clawed beckoning hand) to stare deeply at ourselves and ask if we know who we really are. And—more eerily, if you ask me—to ask what “who we are” really means. To ask if this sense of self is something that’s stable or… malleable. This mirror also looks at social mores and folkways and even religious norms. In fact, I would say that the best horror movies (say, Rosemary’s Baby) offer an unsettling religious/belief critique and even a societal satire. Critiques and satires work because—if I may get philosophical for a moment—belief systems are the root of unterror and these movies strive to unravel these systems. Horror writer Anne Rivers Siddons says that, “for belief is everything; belief is all. Without belief, there is no terror.” Belief systems give us stability and tell us what we are. Breaking down these belief systems is a very scary thing indeed. The Academy—a thoroughly myopic bunch, if you ask me—would prefer to watch feel-good, pat-America-on-the-back movies then acknowledge flicks that might threaten institutionalized beliefs. Bashing our belief systems in with a hammer (or, as Jack Torrance would do, an axe) is the very thing the Oscars would like to purse their lips at and ignore.
Horror movies show us the taboo lines and dare us to step over them. Stephen King speculates in Danse Macabre that “any writer of the horror tale has a clear—perhaps even a morbidly overdeveloped—conception of where the country of the socially (or morally, or psychologically) acceptable ends and that great white space of Taboo begins.” When faced with these lines, we often struggle between laughing and screaming. That’s why more overt satires like Joss Whedon’s The Cabin in the Woods and Joe Hill’s Horns work so well; they let us have both. If you care about things like art awards, there are always going to be Oscar upsets; some years are worse than others. But my point is every year is a bad one for horror, regardless of output from talented horror directors like Guillermo del Toro, James Wan, and Tobe Hooper. Yes, sometimes the genre pumps out more bad movies than the rest of them, but sometimes it’s clearly a case of the Academy simply not seeing the ghosts; or choosing not to, anyways. Other award ceremonies prove a bit more accepting of the genre. So maybe the Oscars is what you watch with your grandparents and the dark, gritty, and—yes, I’m saying it—clever movies that pack a terror punch are reserved for your more daring friends.
February 23rd 2015| The Phoenix |opinions@thephoenixnews.com | Opinions Editor: Brittini MacKenzie-Dale and rebuttals we receive will be posted on thephoenixnews.com * Letters once received. For the print editions, preference will be given to responses under 350 words; we encourage respondents with longer pieces to also submit a shortened version for print
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you familiar with theology from a personal or * Are academic standpoint? We would love to hear what you think!
WHAT IS “NORMAL” IN RELATIONSHIPS?
(Hint: normal is what’s decided by the two or more consenting parties in any given relationship. That is to say, whatever you deem acceptable is normal.)
•Couples usually wait until six to
Photo by Creative Commons
TEARING DOWN THE SOCIAL NORMS We think our lives are supposed to unfold in a certain, “normal way.” Nicole wants to change the way we think about social norms and relationships. Brittini MacKenzie-Dale
The twenties are supposedly the best time of our lives… but are they really? Becoming an adult seems harder than ever with pressure from family, friends, and society; we cultivate stress, anxiety, and feelings of depression. On top of these pressures is the desire to find and experience an intimate relationship with someone. But instead of being in a relationship, we end up consumed, stressed and obsessed with questions: •What should I say back? •What did he mean when he said…? •Did I say something wrong?
•When should I call her back? These questions are relevant to a point, but when do they become unhealthy and effect our well-being? In a society where we are scared to show vulnerability there is a constant game of power going on between people. This goes on between all students: racialized students/students with disabilities, queer folks, transgender people, and Indigenous students. The power games at play can make us feel like we should have it all figured out. As a self-conscious, awkward, and generally uncertain person these games infest my brain and tear at my self-confidence! I recently had a moment of clarity when I realized that no one enjoys playing these games…so why are they there? A friend made the point to me that humans were made to reproduce so it is natural to desire connection with another human being. We connect,
“We ask ourselves the question: am I supposed to find someone else before I can be truly happy?” we reach out, and get caught up in the game. And we forget that we can choose to connect differently. However, in the technological world we live in, creating a real connection is easier said than done. Texting, Facebook-ing, snapchatting, and other social media have changed connecting and making
connections with people. I believe at the root of this problem are the social norms that we fail to question. As toddlers, children and adolescents the message is given that happiness comes from finding someone special. Failure to find someone apparently means a life of loneliness. This makes it difficult to be single and alone. We ask ourselves the question: am I supposed to find someone else before I can be truly happy? Social conditioning—that is, the ways in which we fit in and belong— encourages constant thought about whether or not that person has texted you back yet. Maybe you are young and single and unconcerned with the dramas of relationships. That is great, and I applaud you. But, if you are young and single and pretending to be unconcerned, while in the back of your mind you are wondering when that special someone is going to sweep you off your feet, then I think we need to fix that.
eight dates before they are willing to enter into an exclusive relationship. •Records of same-sex relationships have been found in nearly every culture throughout history with varying degrees of acceptance. •One in three teenagers have experienced violence in a dating relationship. •According to the U.S. census, there are 95.9 million unmarried people in the U.S. of which 47% are men and 53% are women. •Four out of ten workplace dating relationships result in marriage. •Asexuality is a complex spectrum and doesn’t just mean “not interested in sex”. •Italian food is one of the most popular restaurants for a first date. •20-40 million Americans have used online dating services. From randomhistory.com
I want to start the conversation that will help rip and tear down the social norms that limit us. Specifically the “weneed-to-be-in-a-relationship” norm. In some ways it is easy to go through university a zombie and go with the flow of what is prescribed as normal. I want to challenge people to think about what they do and why they do it. To do this, the first step is to create the conversation. At the end of March I will hold a work shop challenging these social norms and if this topic intrigues you, I encourage you to join. We realize campus is heavily populated by white, hetero, enabled/able-bodied people, but we also realize that there are a lot of other people who do not fit into those dominant/hegemonic ‘categories’ ...and despite these complex dynamics... I want everyone to know that all are welcome!
Check back at thephoenixnews.com for further information on Nicole’s upcoming social norm workshop! Comic by Randall Munroe
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Opinions Editor: Brittini MacKenzie-Dale|opinions@thephoenixnews.com | The Phoenix | February 23rd 2015 you have an unpopular opinion * Do that you want to share? Tweet at us @ubcophoenix
talk about pets or animals * Let’s you’ve loved. If you have a story
about your favourite critter friend, send it to opinions@thephoenixnews.com
you consider yourself a love guru? Shoot * Do us an email if you would like to help start up a sexy advice column. After all, what good is knowledge if it can’t be shared?
FROM THE WEB: A RESPONSE TO THE ARTICLE BELOW Alex Online Contributor
“If inspiration is art, then few things aren’t art.” Behind any movie, book, website, sticky note, or video game is a person or team of people trying to convey something to someone in a way that that person will be inspired. I understand that this sentiment was not the full purpose of the article. Snow later uses Monument Valley as an example of a video game that provides a meaningful, inspiring experience. Is a video game art if it is both a form of inspiration and provides a meaningful and memorable experience? TLDR version: Trying to decide if video games are art or not is one the most tired, pointless discussions video games can have. Make good games, and let the players decide what their tastes make out to be art or not. Image by Double Fine Productions
ARTISTIC VIDEO GAMES ARE NOTHING NEW What is the definition of art? Is it something that can be defined? Jon Snow discusses his thoughts on what art in video games means for people—from Call of Duty to Brütal Legend Jon Snow Contributor
In the January 12th article “The Divide between Art and Entertainment”, Christian Trout weighs in on the debate of whether or not video games can be considered art. In his article, Trout attempts to focus on what separates Art from Entertainment, but fails to actually note a distinction. The piece begins with the by stating that “Art is a form of communication.” I believe this sentence to be the downfall of the article.
Why Vaccinate? Elizabeth Warren and why you must vaccinate your child. Warren lays out the facts about the measles vaccines Brittini MacKenzie-Dale Opinions Editor
If art is no more than a form of communication, then I cannot imagine any game which does not qualify as art: • Braid communicates an interesting twist on a “damsel in distress” storyline • Metal Gear Solid communicates Hideo Kojima’s fascination with conspiracy theories • Even Call of Duty communicates a particular commentary on the nature of war (although how well each individual game does that is certainly up for debate) In fact, I cannot imagine any form of media which does not qualify as art by this definition. Behind any movie, book, website, sticky note, or video game is a person or team of people trying to convey something to someone in a way that that person will take notice. If communication is art, then few things aren’t art.
I understand that this sentiment was not the full purpose of the article. Trout later uses Journey as an example of a video game that provides a meaningful, memorable experience. Is a video game art if it is both a form of communication and provides a meaningful and memorable experience? This is a definition I find more useful. I have played Journey, and I can attest to the fact that it’s a great game. It got me so hooked I finished it in one night, but it didn’t grab me enough that I ever felt the need to go back. To experience it more than once. It was memorable, yes, but far from a meaningful experience for me. I give it a solid 7/10. But would Trout consider Brütal Legend art? This widely-overlooked triple-A tower defence game starring Jack Black and Ozzy Osbourne is about as far-removed from conventionally accepted examples of “in-
teractive art” as it gets, but not only did it introduce me to an exciting new world of underground songs and bands while I was beginning to develop my musical tastes, I’ve also gone back and played through it eight times, and can recall nearly every plot point and story element. While that’s quite obviously a very personal example, would it be fair to say that Brütal Legend, a game clearly created for entertainment value more than anything else, is not meaningful, memorable, communicative art? Who’s to say that Call of Duty or Assassin’s Creed hasn’t had the same effect on someone? What about The Binding of Isaac or Pokémon? Games like Journey, Monument Valley, and Gone Home exist. Games which are intended more as interactive artwork than entertainment. But is intent enough? A telephone is a form of commu-
nication. Art is a form of inspiration. Games like Journey and Okami are great for what they are, but to truly be able to decide which video games can be considered “Art”, we need to look to convention. How many game developers were really inspired by Gone Home or Monument Valley? No small number, to be sure. Now look to games like Call of Duty, The Legend of Zelda, or Street Fighter. These games created their own genres clearly distinct from anything else. Is it fair to discount the artistic merit of entertaining games simply because they’re mainstream, or old? “Artistic” video games are nothing new. “Artistic” video games are nothing rare. To rework Trout’s definition of art from his previous article, art inspires. And video games, mainstream and indie alike, have been inspiring my generation for years.
Senator Warren lays out the truth for Rand Paul
Measles in Disneyland
Academic and politician Elizabeth Warren laid out the facts about measles vaccines calmly, clearly, and in her no-bullshit manner on February 10th, 2015. A previous Harvard Law professor, she obviously knows how to captive and convince her audience. In the YouTube clip (linked below), Senator Warren spoke at a Q&A during the Senate HELP Committee hearing titled, “The Reemergence of Vaccine-Prevenable Diseases: Exploring the Public Health Successes and Challenges.”
Back in December, there was a measles outbreak in Disneyland. Yes, the happiest place on earth became infested with a serious disease— one that can be prevented through vaccines. That means this whole debacle was almost entirely avoidable; that’s the real tragedy. There are people in the world—yes, in 2015—who believe that these vaccination cause autism. It’s completely unfounded scientifically, but there just seems to be no convincing certain people. Sadly, anti-vaccinators are not a new phenomenon. Once the hysteria is out there, it’s difficult to reign it in.
February 23rd 2015| The Phoenix |opinions@thephoenixnews.com | Opinions Editor: Brittini MacKenzie-Dale want to hear what you think about the * We new legislature in the US with CISPA and new
similar laws coming into effect in Canada with CISIS.
*
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Do you want your opinion to be heard all over campus? Send it to us at opinions@ thephoenixnews.com and you could be featured in upcoming issues!
ANIMAL TESTING IN A NUTSHELL 1. Less than 2% of human illnesses are ever seen in animals. Over 98% never affect animals. 2. 92% of drugs passed by animal tests immediately fail when first tried on humans because they’re useless, dangerous, or both. 3. Rats are 37% effective in identifying what causes cancer to humans—less use than guessing. The experimenters said: “we would have been better off to have tossed a coin.” 4. The polio vaccine was delayed 40 years by monkey tests. 5. Each year, more than 100 million animals—including mice, rats, frogs, dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, monkeys, fish, and birds—are killed in U.S. laboratories for biology lessons, medical training, curiosity-driven experimentation, and chemical, drug, food, and cosmetics testing. Image by s.yume, Flickr
THE DRIVE-BY DEBATE SERIES: NONHUMAN ANIMALS IN EXPERIMENTS Dr. Castricano’s Posthumanism course deals with a very polarizing topic: that of the nonhuman animal.
animals in experimentation and if we could ever justify this use. One side argued that to use animals in this manner while the other attempted to refute it.
Do we live in a speciesist society or are we morally justified to experiment on animals?
THE AGREE SIDE: It is morally justified to use nonhuman animals in experiments. We live in a capitalist society with an innumerable amount of invaluable stakeholders. We must take their best interests to heart when considering experiments and since nonhuman animals “cannot say that they are not animals” (in the words of Baurdillard) they are the best candidates to test on. We must not delve into the realm of the abstract; instead, it is necessary to think practically. We should look at the suffering of nonhuman animals in terms of a cost-benefit analysis—and surely, humans are benefitting much more than nonhuman animals are losing. It is not a matter of “no cages” (as animal-rights proponent Tom Regan would suggest)
Brittini MacKenzie-Dale Opinions Editor
Dr. Jodey Castricano’s Posthumanism course deals with a very polarizing topic: that of the nonhuman animal. Many think that the moral exclusion of nonhuman animals is not a problem in our society—after all, they’re just animals. We’re humans. Others contend that speciesism is just as oppressive a framework as racism, sexism, and homophobia. The goal of the class is to offer a safe place to discuss such topics and possibly have our views changed. The most recent topic was about using
but a matter of “bigger cages”… and we are willing to work with that. Critics have argued that using nonhuman animals is speciesist—if this is true, it is not for non-arbitrary reasons. A) Nonhuman animals are not moral agents; thus, we cannot violate their rights. They do not have any. B) A species border is a non-arbitrary border for moral rights exclusion; we do not deny that all humans are fundamentally equal, but to pass this onto non-rational beings is silly. Humans have special mental capacities and the ability to reason, both of which demand special consideration. THE DISAGREE SIDE: It is not morally justifiable to use nonhuman animals in experiments. The use of nonhuman animals is wrong because it is founded in arbitrariness: to exclude nonhuman animals from our moral sphere is to mimic racism, sexism, and homophobia. That is, we are picking arbitrary differences
and excluding them on that matter. To quote Jeremy Bentham: “it is not, Can they reason? nor Can they Talk? but Can they suffer?” This latter question can be asked with a firm and resounding yes. Nonhuman animals are sentient. And for this reason, we must include them in our moral sphere. To continue animal experimentation is to subject them to unnecessary torture. It is true that we live in a capitalist society; but to use this as our moral barometer is flawed. Progress has infrequently been made while adhering to the status quo—we must question it time and again. Animals are subjects-ofa-life and can be argued to have rights, contrary to popular conception. Even if they are not in possession of rights, nonhuman animals still possess interests and this is what matters. The argument to keep using nonhuman animals in this derogatory and ghoulish manner is simply based on bigotry. Proponents of unethical experimentation
argue that nonhuman animals are similar enough to us to warrant using them in experiments—why, then, are they not similar enough to care about morally? Too, experiments are being conducted that have already been done countless times… in vain. (This means that we are also wasting taxpayer’s dollars.) We are seeing no new results but plenty more torture. We do not need more cosmetics, laundry detergents, or bleaches. What we have is good enough; humans must learn to live with what they already possess. This includes knowledge of certain spheres as well—just because we are curious about something does not mean we can ethically defend it. In the same way we cannot conduct experiments on non-consenting humans (including infants and children), we must come to terms that certain curiosities will remain that way.
1 in 5 think autism and vaccines are related
What’s the truth?
A Canadian survey conducted by Mainstreet Technologies revealed that 1 in 5 citizens believe that vaccines are linked to autism. Medical director of immunization and vaccine-preventable diseases in Toronto Shelley Deeks explains that she isn’t shocked by these numbers. “It doesn’t surprise me. It more saddens me,” she said. “There’s absolutely no evidence that vaccines are linked to autism.” Scary, right? These statistics are comparable to climate change deniers; approximately 30% of Americans do not believe in global warming.
“These vaccines work so well and the memory of these diseases has faded and the importance of vaccination has become less obvious,” Warren explains in the video. “Only 59% of people under thirty [think vaccines should be mandatory].” But hearing that just barely over fifty percent of people in my age group think they should be mandatory makes me think of a measles-laden apocalypse; dramatic, yes. But I’d rather stick with the science and take the vaccine. Warren ensured the audience that vaccines are safe, effective, and our best chance at protecting our children. The Disneyland outbreak is said to be the root of at least 70 cases. Let’s work on lowering that number.
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