Over The Edge
UNBC’s Independent Student Newspaper est. 1994
Pipeline Problems Pipeline News, pg 3-5 Batman Ninja Review, pg 9 Deep Thoughts Column, pg 12 Robin Sui | OTE
Volume 25, Issue 6
Free overtheedgenewspaper.ca
January 22, 2019 over.the.edge.unbc@gmail.com
Letter from the
The goal of OTE is to be a source of
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Tim Hill
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Best of luck in this new semester.
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Support is always needed and no experience is required; help make Over
Next deadline: February 6, 2019
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On January 31, 2019, we will be having our Annual General meeting, please join us to know more about what we have achieved in the last year and keep following us on social media as well as on our website for more information about time and place.
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Every year, we provide employment as editors, designers, and managers to students with a passion for journalism and are always looking for motivated individuals to work and volunteer in our collaborative environment. Over The Edge offers competitive advertising rates for space in our print publication as well as online.
The Edge better. We want to hear from you! Call us at 250-960-5633, tweet us @overtheedgeunbc, email us at over. the.edge.unbc@gmail.com and be sure to like us on Facebook. For more information, please visit our website www.overtheedgenewspaper.ca.
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gain invaluable journalism and editorial experiences and training. Don’t worry if you have no previous experience working at a newspaper. We are here to work with you and develop those skills. All we need is a willingness to learn. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Moniq ue
I would also like to welcome all first years and returning students alike to UNBC this semester. I believe we can all agree that this university is a great place to learn and develop, so study hard and become the best you can be.
Over The Edge Over The Edge is the University of Northern British Columbia’s independent student newspaper. Our office is located on the third floor of the NUSC building in room 6-350. We are an equal opportunity publication which represents students in the UNBC and Prince George community. Our publication supports student writing by welcoming news, arts, sports, culture and opinion articles, as well as photography, comics, and creative writing submissions.
great local news and information for the UNBC community as well as a venue to display some of the amazing talent we have here at UNBC. OTE is a student newspaper, run by students, for students. As such, we love to feature student poetry, opinion pieces and editorials in our paper. If you have something you think is worthy of others’ eyes, send it in! We may showcase it in our next issue and you will get paid for it. If you have a passion for papers, an interest in journalism, or even a mild opinion, consider joining our team. We have opportunities for paid employment in all sorts of roles. This is a unique opportunity for students to
the last two years. OTE has also recently welcomed a new member to our team, Lila Mansour, who will be working with us as a columnidt. I would also like to take this chance to inform our readers and contributors that we are looking for one more writer to join our team. If you are interested, please visit our website to see the details.
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ello UNBC students, this is Mohammed Alalloush, the new Editor In Chief for Over the Edge Newspaper Society. On behalf of our team, I would like to thank our previous EIC Sam Wall, and our previous Distribution Coordinator Emmanuel Drame for all their hard work, and for being amazing members of the team for
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News
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Pushing Back Against the Pipeline Melanie Bellwood News Director
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s winter comes into full swing and students return to their most frequently visited study spaces for the next four months, the rest of British Columbia feels a similar post-holiday shift back into the real world. For some, this change is far more drastic and encourages the population to do some self-reflection before jumping back into the old grind. One of the most recent changes, that happens to have hit close to home for Prince George, is the looming construction of the LNG pipeline from Smithers, BC, to Kitimat, BC. Although this pipeline was announced in October of 2018, and the company placing is (Coastal Gaslink) has stated that they secured permissions from all First Nations clans along the route prior to construction, the Wet’suwet’en First Nation claims that due to the hereditary nature of their chiefs (rather than electoral) their people were left out of any deal made with Coastal Gaslink completely. In response to this, protesters from the Wet’suwet’en and Unist’ot’en First Nations peoples set up roadblocks and checkpoints along the planned route, primarily in Houston, BC, in order to inhibit progress on pipeline construction. While these protests were inherently peaceful, These actions were met Coastal Gaslink negotiating with the BC Supreme Court for the use of an interim junction that would force the protest camp to allow access to the pipeline route. When these requests were not met, RCMP moved in to assist in the securing of this area. For many officers, however, this did not appear to be a clear-cut decision. In a public statement released by the police force, the RCMP say the following: “The conflict between the oil and gas industries, Indigenous
communities, and governments all across the province has been ongoing for a number of years… This has never been a police issue. In fact, the B.C. RCMP is impartial and we respect the rights of individuals to peaceful, lawful and safe protest.” Regardless of their statement, the RCMP made 14 protester arrests on January 7th, 2019, for their involvement in the anti-pipeline rally. The gate obstructing access to the construction route was dismantled, and Coastal Gaslink was granted use of the area. There are some concerns that the RCMP’s actions were in “direct contradiction” (Phillip, PG Citizen) to government commitments to assert reconciliation efforts with Indigenous people across Canada, making the way this protest was handled the subject of national concern. On January 5th, 2019, after a “call to action” was posted on Wet’suwet’en social media, groups came together at more than 50 locations nationwide to express their solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en First Nation and the Unist’ot’en First Nation peoples who were asked to stand down their LNG protest near Houston, BC. One such gathering was at the Prince George Courthouse, where supporters vocally contested the removal of Wet’suwet’en protesters from their sovereign territory by RCMP forces. While the pipeline still stands at the core of the dispute, supporters also vocalized their concerns over the safety of the arrested protesters, some harkening back to the severity of the 1990 Oka Crisis in Quebec as an example of what could happen as a result of these actions. The Oka Crisis was also a dispute between local first nations peoples and authorities, that time over
the expansion of a golf course and condominium plan into Mohawk territory. While the premise was similar, the crisis differs from our own LNG pipeline protest only in numbers of individuals and the escalation of violence between opposing groups. A dark moment in Canadian history, the 78-day standoff did not conclude until Mohawk warriors were forced to surrender to RCMP and army and lay down their weapons. Today, we face another land dispute that many worried would reflect that of Montreal’s criss nearly thirty years ago. Minister of Public Safety, Mike Farnsworth, responded to these concerns in a public statement that asserted the actions taken by RCMP were at arms’ length from provincial government control and was strictly an operational matter. He also stated the following: “We recognize the right for people to engage in peaceful protest. In any situation such as this, we hope all parties find a safe and mutually respectful resolution.” This statement received a mixed response, as many believe that by ignoring the issue, we will not find any permanent solution and that tensions will only rise until a breaking point is reached. As members of a student society that recognizes the implications of truth and reconciliation in our day to day lives, it is difficult to form an opinion regarding the scope of this issue and what our responsibilities are as individuals in the matter. When we hear stories about communities across British Columbia blocking traffic with their protests, is forces us to face the reality of truth and reconciliation in Prince George. As many students of the humanities will know, it is often unclear where the public stands on issues as hot-
button as this until you begin to see it in the media. While the outcome was not as negative as it could have been, the fact that these land disputes are still present within our current legislations reflects that our society is one that is healing, and not already healed. Shortly after the dismantling of the protest in Houston, the media stopped talking about resistance against the LNG pipeline and began to discuss “more relevant topics” than that of a potential breach to our Canadian Truth and Reconciliation Act. It is up to us to decide whether we believe this is an issue that should still be pursued, or if it is alright to simply let British Columbia forget about the close-to-home protest that reminded people of the Oka Crisis in Montreal, 1990. I encourage readers of Over the Edge to weigh in on the matter and discuss what our role is as a student society what we hold ourselves responsible for when truth and reconciliation must actually be upheld in our own community.
Tierney Watkinson | OTE
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Opinion
Future’s So Bright Corey Bonnar Contributor
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s most of you are aware there is currently some turmoil in the Northwest regarding the consent for the construction of a natural gas pipeline through traditional unincluded First Nations territories. As someone who has spent the past decade living and working in the Northwest, this resonates with me for a number of reasons. From the perspective of a capitalist and an environmentalist, I would argue that this mega project will have negative long term impacts. From the perspective of meaningful reconciliation between Canada and its First Peoples and the recent legal standard for the industry to not only have the duty to consult First Nations but to obtain consent, this situation is nothing short of tragic. Let us first explore the obvious reason we are all supposed to jump on this excellent opportunity to avoid increased transportation of raw resources for export via rail and consider the huge economic benefit this will bring to all Canadians. Some of you may recall Christy Clark’s promised $100 billion dollars “prosperity fund” in her 2013 throne speech, a fund to reduce the tax burden on British Columbians and erase our provinces $60 billion dollar debt. Great speech. Fast forward to 2019 and take a look at the reality of this beacon of hope that is Canada LNG. First of all, the gas is to be exported to Asia for Chinese, Japanese and Korean industries to store, sell and burn as needed. The construction of the massive export terminal will be awarded to either a European/American consortium or a Japanese/ American consortium. Most of the high-level work and jobs will go to “foreigners”. Some lucky Albertans/Newfies and a few British Columbians will also get
job opportunities. I understand these are good opportunities for Canadians to learn new skills working on the construction and the up and downstream processing. This could be five golden years for a select few to make lots of money. I also understand the spinoff for local small businesses and the opportunity to grow profits and cash in on the short-term economic boom. Not to mention inflated rents and real-estate prices for homeowners. However, please educate yourselves before
that the partnership disintegrates or changes hands and legal names so many times that we aren’t sure who controls the facility anymore? Does the industry go belly up with the aging infrastructure falling into the lap of the Canadian taxpayer? Do we get lambasted by our international friends for all the carbon we emit with the natural gas-powered cooling systems that are currently part of the design? More taxes maybe? What will happen to our domestic gas prices in the winter? Will we still have
The real reason the “silent” majority argues so fiercely and blindly attacks anyone who isn’t spewing the same ignorance, is for the 3, maybe 5 years of stable paychecks that can afford new sleds, new boats, good drugs and expensive tastes. digging in on your pro-pipeline / pro-Canadian / pro-economy positions. As of now, Shell has only one Japanese buyer and no guaranteed prices for the gas which is currently selling at around $3.50/ MMBtu’s – a far cry from the prices they speculated they would fetch back in 2011-2012. The LNG modules are all designed, engineered and constructed in Asia and then shipped over to Kitimat. In reality, Canada’s economic participation in all of this is less than 25% of that $40 billion – still a big number and still lots of local jobs and opportunity but not a Canadian project built by Canadians. Do we secure 10 years of mediocre gas sales to Asia and then when renegotiating a new contract get low-balled so badly
an abundant supply? Maybe we can sell the ageing infrastructure to the First Nations communities for a bargain to manage and maintain? Is it possible in 20 years the rest of the world will be so far ahead with investments in new energy technology that Canada becomes a “developing” country? We can always sell our water, right? Or maybe oil and coal will make a comeback? The point is, even without arguing the environmental impacts on water, soil and air pollution caused by this industry, or the inevitable transition of this pipe from gas to oil exports, or the further dividing and conquering of our already splintered communities, this is a short-term economic plan at best.
ignore the moral decrepitude of continuing our oppression and violence against Canada’s first peoples, the ones who generously welcomed the waves of European cast-aways who brought with them boatloads of disease, poison and deceit. I know many people of European descent will argue they are not responsible for the actions of our ancestors’, just our own poor behaviour. I understand, however, there comes a time when we need to have the courage to face the ugly truth of our shared Canadian history and hopefully learn something from it, like right and wrong. Again, the arguments about environmental stewardship and moral obligations will undoubtedly fall on the daft ears of those who argue that those who use oil and gas are hypocrites for not whole-heartedly supporting further exploitation, or that climate change is a conspiracy and we don’t need any swimming lessons or gardening tips, or even those who have so cynically decided to throw the towel in on hope and change because it is obvious the game is rigged and only the billionaires will get a seat on the rocket ship anyway, so to heck with it, let’s all stop worrying about the temperature in hell. I get it – but if we get back to the economics of this, the real reason the “silent” majority argues so fiercely and blindly attacks anyone who isn’t spewing the same ignorance, is for the 3, maybe 5 years of stable paychecks that can afford new sleds, new boats, good drugs, expensive tastes and cool vacations to Mexico, I get it. But somewhere in the back recesses of those muscles under our skulls and in the deepest centres of our hearts we know that this is a further sell out of a better future and a cleaner soul.
It is all the worse to try and
Sam Wall | OTE
News
Monique Gendron | OTE
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The Politics Behind the Wet’Suwet’en Fight Robin Sui Contributor
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n recent months, tensions with indigenous peoples have spiked across Canada as energy companies seek to construct projects on and through indigenous lands. Both TransCanada and Kinder Morgan are attempting to build their Coastal GasLink pipeline and the Trans Mountain pipeline. First Nations have been emboldened by this summer’s Supreme Court of Canada William decision, which recognized the aboriginal title of the Tsilhqot’in nation to 1,750 sq km of their land in central British Columbia. While the ruling did not defer outright ownership, but the right of use and stewardship of land while reaping its economic benefits. As a ruling on the federal level, it affects all “un-ceded” territory in Canada – lands never claimed through war or by treaty. This landmark ruling by the supreme court has created a precedent that is particularly worrying for large scale resource extraction infrastructure investments across Canada. However, with the Kinder Morgan and Trans-Canada pipelines, there has been an aggressive acceleration in the development of their projects likely in attempt to increase the scale of the investments in order to forcefully influence policies determining the reality of aboriginal title.
Robin Sui | OTE
In an interview with The Guardian, Gordon Christie, a scholar of indigenous law at the University of British Columbia said, “Unlike the rest of the country – where relationships between indigenous groups and the state are governed by treaties
– few indigenous nations in British Columbia ever signed deals with colonial authorities, meaning the federal government still operates in a vacuum of authority on their lands. What I see is a long history of the Canadian government doing its best to avoid acknowledging the existence of other systems of government. The Crown has itself acknowledged that the way it gets authority over territory is through the making of a treaty. So, this is their problem.” Under ‘Anuc niwh’it’en (Wet’suwet’en law and system of government) all five hereditary chiefs of the five clans of the Wet’Suwet’en nation are openly opposed to the TransCanada liquefied natural gas pipeline that will be built through their territory. The Wet’suwet’en, which is made up of five clans, never signed a treaty ceding their land to the government of Canada and they retain control of who enters it. The structure of the Wet’Suwet’en traditional system of government is built around the decisions of their hereditary chiefs who were never consulted, rather than their elected municipal leaders who were consulted instead. In the 1997 landmark case, the Delgamuukw v British Columbia case, which covers part of the Wet’suwet’en territory, previously found that the We’suwet’en people as represented by their hereditary leaders retained indigenous rights to their historical territory, and these were not to be “extinguished” by lack of a treaty. However, in a reversal of precedent the RCMP have obtained a court
injunction to forcibly clear an access point for construction crews to move into the territory. Currently police have set up an “exclusionary zone” to prevent access to the area – and have told those trying to access the roads they face arrest if they attempt to enter. With residents being barred from entering their traditional homes. The RCMP’s actions granted by this court injunction is a siege on violation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, is an extension of the genocide that the Wet’Suwet’en and have survived since contact, and a siege on a peaceful demonstration of free speech regarding resource projects they say they never consented to. The past two years have been a turbulent time for indigenous rights. Last year, in February, a farmer named Gerald Stanley was acquitted by an all-white jury in the murder of Colten Boushie, a young Cree man.
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News
Nanaimo By-Election Could Trigger New Provincial Election Trevor Ritchie Contributor
O
n January 30th, voters in the provincial riding of Nanaimo will vote to elect their new Member of the Legislative Assembly. By-elections are traditionally unimportant events that do not change the balance of power in Victoria, and as such they are often used by voters to send a message to the government of the day. To that end, in the last thirty years the governing party has lost twenty of the last twenty-two byelections, with Christy Clark of the BC Liberals being the winner of the only two by-elections the government successfully
defended. The Nanaimo by-election is different, because of how closely divided the two voting coalitions in the BC Legislature are. Right now, the governing New Democrats have forty MLAs, and are kept in power by the three BC Green members because of their confidence and supply agreement where the Greens will support the NDP on major government initiatives and prevent the government from being defeated. Currently facing the government are forty-two BC Liberal MLAs.
This closeness makes the Nanaimo by-election more important than ever. If the NDP or Greens are able to win the by-election, the government and its allies will restore a 44-42 voting margin in the Legislature, allowing the government to function smoothly until the next scheduled general election or by-election. However, if the Liberals are able to win the Nanaimo seat, this would create a 43-43 deadlock in the Legislature and could prompt a new election. Under the rules of the Legislature, the Speaker of the House does not vote on any motion before the Legislature. However, in the event of a tie the Speaker has the obligation to vote in favour of continuing debate on the issue, or in favour of the government position on issues of third reading to pass something into law. A Liberal by-election victory would force the Speaker to surrender their position of impartiality among the political parties and instead vote as a partisan New Democrat or Green Party member. Doing so could corrode the ability of the Speaker to serve as a unifying force and as a nonpartisan representative of the Legislature as a whole. In the event of a Liberal victory, it seems likely that the government would be forced to resign and call early elections in order to end the stalemate between the NDP and Greens and the Liberal Opposition. This would mean that we could be faced with a summer provincial election just months before the scheduled 2019 federal election this October. Before we start panicking about new elections and more campaigning on the television,
it’s important to note the history of Nanaimo politically up until this point. Over the last fifty years, there have only been two elections in which the New Democrats did not win the seat; 2001 when the Liberals won a massive 77-2 majority and won the popular vote by thirty-six percent, and in 1969 when Social Credit won the popular vote by fifteen percent. It can be said then that the Nanaimo seat is usually a safely NDP seat and that they are favoured to win, particularly with the federal Member of Parliament for Nanaimo stepping down to run as the NDP candidate in the byelection. Public polling at this time indicates that the NDP and Liberals are roughly tied in public support province wide, and that the NDP maintains a significant advantage on Vancouver Island. A Liberal victory is possible, but at this time it does not appear to be a likely outcome. Still, it is important to pay attention to the upcoming by-election as a gauge for how the parties are performing and whether a drop in support for the government will lead to a change in direction by the government.
News
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The Headliners Lila Mansour Writer Stories courtesy of Al Jazeera and Washington Post
The Trump Card: Who is Winning the US Government Shutdown?
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ime and time again, Trump has proven that he will do the unimaginable. For everyone who was keeping track during the 2016 election campaign, the border wall between Mexico and the US was a major promise made to Trump supporters. Most liberal media laughed it off, but now, here we are, three years later, still having this discussion. On December 21st, the US spending legislation was set to expire, so law makers had to agree on a new law. Trump requested that $5.7 billion be set aside to build the ‘wall,’ (despite saying back during the campaign that Mexico would pay for it). The wall has gone from being completely concrete to, now in the president’s words, “steel slats.” But regardless, Trump is determined to carry out this promise. After being told no way! by the Democrats, Trump shut the government down on December 22nd, and thus the chaos began. Now approaching the one-month mark, the government still remains closed. Many workers have been placed on temporary leave while those deemed ‘necessary’ are working without pay. Government employees are unsure whether they will be able to pay their bills at the end of this month. The Internal Revenue Service has ceased many of its services and immigration courts have been hard hit. Roads are not being plowed and government museums and institutions have closed their doors. More important programs are at risk of running out of resources if the shutdown continues into March.
Trump has claimed that the southern border is a “humanitarian crisis, a crisis of the heart and a crisis of the soul.” He has warned that he is willing to declare a national state of emergency to build the wall or else Americans should be prepared to see a shut down that lasts years. On the other hand, Democrats, in the words of Nancy Pelosi, view the wall as “immoral” and believe that all the border needs are greater security funding for fences and technology, but not a wall. Trump is not the first to have a government shut-down, nor is this his first time (there were two short ones at the start of 2018). During the last three US presidencies, Obama had one shut down (government debt ceiling problem), George Bush had none, while Bill Clinton had two. As for this current shut down, it appears that there is no clear end in sight, and eventually one side will have to give in. One speculation is that Trump will drag this out and end the shut-down without wall funding but will be sure to blame the Democrats for not addressing border security. It is Trump’s reelection tactic. The question here is not whether border security is important or not; it is clear that improvements need to be made. The real question is whether this issue is being dealt with in the most effective and reasonable way possible. Nancy Pelosi is right; Trump “must stop holding the American people hostage, must stop manufacturing a crisis and must reopen the government.” It is just not worth it for a wall.
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The MeToo Movement Made it to a Men’s Razor Ad and Questioned Masculinity
hen I first watched the Gilette short film, I believed that the message that it was trying to send out was wonderful. It was encouraging men to be respectful to each other and to women, and to stand up for and to support one another. The message was very fitting for the MeToo era; I could not understand why the video was facing such backlash, why men were boycotting the company and how the video was reaching one million dislikes. Then after watching it for the third and fourth time, I began to wonder to what extent a company was allowed to use sensitive social issues to sell a product. As much as I admired the ad, was Gillette really the right company to be criticizing men or calling men to act better? Judging by the video comments, Gillette itself was not a perfect company. A part of me felt that Gillette had made the ad too much about the MeToo movement and had portrayed men in a negative way, even going as far as saying only ‘some men were doing
Gillette
their part.’ They had altogether forgotten the product. It should probably be a socially conscious organization advertising this kind of material, not a men’s shaving brand. Yet, in the video I could still see the persisting problems that the MeToo movement was trying to address. Gillette made a point to highlight how men are trying to make a difference and that there are good people out there. It also did not victimize women, nor make men appear superior to women. I have grown up in a society in which I have seen women objectified, mistreated, taken advantage of and seen men praised for committing such actions against women. It is about time that both women and men speak up and support each other in being the best that we can be. I applaud Gillette for having the courage to criticize society, even if it was wrong in its approach and will have to face the economic and social backlash.
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Creative Writing
The-Howling Jordi Hamilton Contributor
H
e trudged through the dark. Rain attacked the ground, screaming a steady “hush” that suppressed any other sounds. The air was cold. The color was drowned from the world, leaving only shades of a blue and black. He walked towards a small wooden house, the grass and dirt of the ground around him, the air and the sky were all a dark faded blue. Not a star shone past the black mass of clouds that loomed above. He licked his lips, already tasting the one he sought. The one who made him what he was. Fate was a circle - the world always came full circle; the one who made him who he was would be the first to feel his sting. He soon reached the door and wrapped his long, thin, hairy fingers around the wooden handle. Without effort, he tore it from its hinge, wood squealing as it splintered and cracked apart. He tossed it behind him, letting the shadows of night envelop it. It landed with a splash in the drowning grass. But he could detect none within the walls; not a soul. He could smell nothing with his long snout, sniffing at the air. Rain, mud and dying plants obscured any scents. He could hear not a breath with his pointed ears, everything under assault of rain. He could not rely on his senses to find the one he sought. He entered the dark room… “I expected you to come…” He looked at the shadow, sitting upon a rocking chair, the only thing in the empty, dull wooden room. “You have control as long as the clouds cover the moon. Is that right?” He said not a word to his creator.
He looked to the shadow with a sudden fondness. “You have come, with your newfound freedom, to kill me. I expected more from you… What was your plan? To kill me, before you’re taken by moonlight? Then forget again why you were ever here?”
He approached the shadow, remembering an odd sort of laugh. One that both made him smile and cringe at different times. He crouched, level with the shadow, whose features were hardly visible in the blackness. “I see. Well I suppose we’re done here?”
He growled, anticipating a plan. His creator always had a plan. His creator always hurt him. He stood with rage, letting out a loud roar. He drew his claws back and then … paused. He hesitated and then, after a moment, lowered his arm carefully and reached out for the old one, trying to understand his own intentions. Nothing ever seems as complicated, before the moment. The old one reached out and took his hand, with a smirk. “Do you want me to forgive you?” The shadow spoke again. Then something changed. He felt it in him. Simplicity. No longer so complicated by emotions or thought. Simple hunger that he had no desire to ignore. He struck down his master with claws like blades, painting the walls in the first color of the night that wasn’t blue or black or grey… Red… Red was a color that did not hide away or blend in. Red knew was it was and never hid that. His last image of the night was red, a satisfying horror, seeing only the red of the walls and the red on his hands before the-howling took him. In the morning, the green grass woke him, dancing on his face in the wind. He rose to see that the dew drops had washed the red away. But the taste still bit his tongue. He looked to the sky, a free ma-… beast. He had crawled out of hell. But hell had made him. As he gazed into the clear sky, he saw only the empty expanse of an answerless world. Sometimes problems don’t have answers. And he knew that if he didn’t walk away, we would be forever trapped under that sky, searching for answers in the clouds that just weren’t there anymore.
Review
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Everyone’s a Critic Batman Ninja Monique Gendron & Ryan Van Aalst Contributors
Batman Ninja | DC
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f ever you are going to watch Batman Ninja, have a stiff drink before, during, and after the movie. Hell, you may as well have one now to make it through this review. If there is anything good to be said about this movie, it is the animation. It is true to the Japanese style and, for the most part, fit well with the tone of the story. There is, however, some inconsistency. A few scenes had a completely different animation style, which seems unnecessary, but they were so few that they did not have a significant impact on the experience. Character designs are a mixed bag. Modern Batman, Catwoman and Alfred are exquisite in their designs. Then there was Red Hood and his straw bascinet, or Robin and his half-assed haircut. Most of the other characters were, unfortunately, forgettable, since most of them didn’t get more than five minutes of screen time. The Joker is an exception.
His early design is unflattering, which matches the personality in this interpretation of him. Both improved by the end, which was satisfying to witness. Overall, not the worst part of the movie. That is… The story. Oh, the story. It was a wonder how this script was greenlit with plot holes large enough to drain the ocean. Several key plot devices were never explained. Time travel is a fickle mistress that arbitrarily decides who arrives when and where without ever saying why. According to this movie, that is. It seems that the only reason Batman and the Batfamily arrived in feudal Japan is because the writers wanted them to. Why did Batman arrive two years late to the war? Same reason. It seems a lot of the movie’s story focuses on what the writers want Batman to do, rather what Batman would do. We have a term for this kind of story: bad fanfiction. For example, Batman and Catwoman
disguised themselves as Christian missionaries to avoid drawing attention to themselves. That was fine. Until you look at the back of Friar Bruce’s shaved head and see the Batsignal painted on. It is never mentioned, explained, noticed, or brought up ever again. There was absolutely no reason for it to be there, except for the writers’ whims.
technology required to recreate Guren Lagann mechs, which were powered by the remnants of the time machine. If we did not explain this well, neither did the movie. Then, there’s the Batmech. A mech made out of bats and monkeys. Just like how it sounds, it was entirely nonsensical and unnecessary to a plot which was already in tatters to begin with.
An even larger offender is the Batmobile. Batman Ninja’s Batmobile showed up at minute fifteen and was gone by twenty. In this time, it became the Batwing, which became the Batcycle, which became an armoured suit, which was then unceremoniously crushed by a stray mecha hand. The entirety of this sequence was completely unnecessary and disappointing, much like the rest of the movie.
In short, Ninja Batman started out as a great concept. Batman in feudal Japan is an interesting combination with a lot of potential. This movie took that potential and replaced a good story with mechs. It should go without saying that Batman should not be in a mecha fantasy story set in the warring states. The movie would have come out better had it focused on Batman fighting against Gotham’s gallery of villains turned feudal lords, rather than making them puppets to a self-sabotaging plot.
While on the subject of mechas, they played a very large, but largely futile role in this movie. Somehow, feudal Japan managed to acquire the resources and
Batman Ninja may have flopped, but at least it looked great doing it.
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NASH 81
NASH 81: Flawed Monique Gendron Production Coordinator
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he best experience I ever had with NASH was my very first; NASH 79 Assemble!, which was held three years ago in Toronto. The speakers they had lined up spoke with such passion and vigour that one could not help being enthralled by the prospect of entering journalism as a career. The topics were varied, the panels informative, and everyone came away having learned something new. This year, the overwhelming feeling I got from the conference was disillusionment. The speakers lacked the enthusiasm that had so captured me in previous years, and I found myself struggling to maintain my focus during the presentations. That isn’t to say I
did not learn anything – it simply did not have the same appeal as before. I attended a few panels on videography, perhaps with the intention to implement it when I returned to Prince George, but I had to say I learned more from a brief internship at the GOAT than I did sitting in that darkened room, staring at the PowerPoint slides that clicked past. The rest of the panels and speakers passed by me in a darkened blur, uneventful and nearly forgotten except for the few scrambled notes on my tablet. There were two highlights to this conference, however. I got to meet with Jason Chiu, the deputy head of Visual Journalism at
the Globe and Mail. Despite not having an appointment, he was still gracious enough to allow me some of his time to improve on my layout design for Over the Edge. I learned many new things from him and readers will see these improvements in the paper over time, I hope.
nature of investigative journalism, stressing that her line of work was more research than writing. Her tales were enlightening, and though I do not intend to enter the investigative field of journalism, the knowledge she imparted is still applicable to many aspects of both a student’s life and a journalist.
The second highlight was Suzanne Craig. She is an investigative reporter at The New York Times and she held the final keynote speech of the conference. I must say, she was a redeeming quality of this entire event. Her tales of investigation into the Donald Trump tax evasion scam were enough to keep my attention away from my hunger as she cracked jokes and explained part of the
All in all, this NASH conference wasn’t entirely a lost cause. It nearly came close, but a few exceptional moments, at least for me, prevented it from ending in disaster and disappointment. I hope next year, whoever becomes the host for this long-standing gathering of budding journalists, can learn from this and will deliver a conference as yet unseen by the likes of me.
Monique Gendron | OTE
Mohammed Alalloush | OTE
Culture
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Looking for a New Year’s Resolution? Support Local Businesses! Jade Szymanski Contributor
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he first month of 2019 has already zoomed by and all of you resolutioners may have already quit your conquests of becoming a better you. This is not a pessimistic assumption either, as studies have shown that over half of resolutions are given up by midFebruary. As February looms and perseverance dooms, perhaps this article is the sign that you’ve been looking for in order to keep the overrated promises you have made to yourself in developing better habits. However, if you are part of the half of the population who’s already given up, maybe I can persuade you into a new selfless resolution that helps others in your community and start by taking the initiative to support local businesses! Ever since the Industrial Revolution, corporate industries have controlled our societies, however, the movement for supporting local small businesses has been gaining traction over the past couple of decades and it is uplifting to see new local businesses pop up every month in Prince George. While we are constantly being told that it is important to shop local, perhaps you have never been informed the exact reasons as to why or maybe you don’t even know of any in your neighborhood! Fortunately, in this article you will discover the main reasons as to why local businesses are good for communities and I’ll even list off some Prince George businesses that I have personally had great experiences with. If you have never been provided with the proper evidence as to why supporting local businesses is good for the community, let me start by highlighting the obvious benefits such as a) keeping dollars
within the local economy, that is, enriching the whole community as locally-owned businesses recycle a much larger share of their revenue back into the local economy compared to chain stores; b) creating more local jobs for members of the community; and c) building strong communities, therefore sustaining vibrant town centers, linking neighbors in a web of economic and social relationships, and contributing to local causes. There are also many more reasons to support local businesses that may not be
as obvious such as d) maintaining local decision-making, as local ownership ensures that important decisions are made by people who live in the community and who will feel the impacts of those decisions; e) generating a competitive market, for a marketplace of hundreds of small businesses ensures constant innovation and low prices over the long-term; f) developing product diversity, as a multitude of small businesses who select products based on their own interests and the needs of their local customers, and not on a national sales plan, guarantees a much broader range of product
choices; and lastly g) upholding environmental sustainability, by which local businesses help to sustain lively, compact, walkable town centers which are essential to reducing sprawl, automobile use, habitat loss, and air and water pollution. Alright, so now you should all be jazzed up to support local businesses, but perhaps you don’t know of any in your area! Just this past month alone, I have had great interactions with the likes of Sonar Comedy and Night Club, Sarita Computer Repairs, Play Grounds
Café, and Spicy Greens Restaurant. Having only been open for about a year, Sonar Comedy and Night Club is a refreshing new addition to Prince George’s nightlife scene and provides another effort at revitalizing the downtown core. I must especially point out the innovation of bringing a comedy club to Prince George, as supporting local comedy is very important to me and even watching open mic nights can be a good time (if you’re intoxicated enough) despite most amateur sets being a little rough. If you’ve never been to a comedy club, I highly suggest checking it out,
but if it’s your first time, maybe go when a professional comic is lined up. Sarita Computer Repairs is located in the heart of College Heights and provided me with some of the best customer service I have ever received with any business. With the horror of finding a chunk of dead pixels on my laptop screen, they provided quick service, cheap prices, were much friendlier compared to the other computer repair services I called around town, and (with my acknowledged bias) my technician was also a half-Asian beauty named Jade. Play Grounds Café is located on 18th and Quinn, just near the CN Centre, and is a rustic little coffee shop that has been serving the families of Prince George for the past 2.5 years. Serving coffee using locally-roasted beans, as well as amazing homemade soups, salads, sandwiches, and sweet and savoury crepes, this familyrun business just opened a new location in the Prestige Hotel and Casino complex! Lastly, Spicy Greens Restaurant is located in College Heights and serves authentic Sri Lankan food. They also provided me with amazing customer service this past month, as I was waiting at the bus stop after my patronage with Sarita Computer Repairs, I decided to pop in and see if they could make me a meal in 10 minutes before the bus came. Clearly swamped with many orders, the owner accommodated my request and hustled to get me my meal in 7 minutes! I appreciated the dedication to going above and beyond for his customers despite my unrealistic request. These four local businesses get the “Jade Seal of Approval” and receive my highest praise for all of my readers to check them out!
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Column
Deep, Deep Thoughts: The Uni-Life Crisis Lila Mansour Writer
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ften, we just need to stop, give ourselves time to hear the voice in our minds and think deeply about the things around us. As much as we may depend on others, true strength comes from within. Hearing your own thoughts can begin the path to healing, happiness, change or hope. Surely, we all engage in deep thoughts from time to time, if not frequently! On the topic of thoughts and opinions, it appears that Over The Edge does not have a column that engages its readers, gives advice or asks for input, and I think it is about time that OTE has some deep conversations. If you have a topic you are curious about, need some words of wisdom or going through something and want a second opinion, shoot Deep, Deep Thoughts an email at deepdeepthoughtsote@gmail. com. Maybe you want to rant or give out your piece of advice! It would be great to hear from
you! (And, we’ll keep everything anonymous :) I hope that you find these articles somewhat uplifting and lighthearted. Looking at those around me, I have decided to begin Deep, Deep Thoughts with an article I hope most of you might resonate with: the uni-life crisis. Having had the opportunity to work with and befriend many students on campus, there is one thing that every student will struggle with at one point or another during their university career: WHAT AM I DOING? With that, many students begin to worry, panic and lose sight of the aspirations they once had. Am I studying the right degree? Can I get good enough grades? What career will I have? Can I afford it? Should I be doing this? When will I sleep? On top of that, we might have to juggle family, friends, relationships, jobs, finances, health problems, and so much more.
Eventually, we are not even sure if tomorrow is worth it. I spent a month during my first year going to classes and coming straight home to sleep due to nausea I thought would never go away. I had never hit that rock bottom before. When I asked friends about their experiences, they always said first year is toughest. But I don’t think ‘toughest’ is the right word. First year is the most uncertain. Everything is new and you have no idea how things will turn out. By second year, you have adjusted and have a better sense of direction. I asked my friends for their advice on getting through university and here are some responses I got: - Don’t expect to have the highest grades in first year (or ever!) - Never hesitate to use all the resources on campus because once you do, you will regret you did not use them earlier. Co-op/Career office is great if you have no idea
what job you might want - Grades do not define who you are, and every student has experienced poor grades - Always ask for advice from advisors, students and faculty when choosing which classes to take, what classes to drop and what classes to postpone taking (a lot of students regret not asking freinds about what classes to take!) - Make friends, join clubs, volunteer and do fun things other than studying. Everyone gets lonely in university, and it gets even tougher if you are away from home - You are not a real student until you have left a long paper to the last minute, written an exam you never studied for or withdrawn from a class in the middle of the semester - Make sure to sleep, get exercise/ go for a walk, and EAT! If you do not, you can ruin your health
This. | Deakin University
Column - Yeah, work and school are tough, but it is all worth it in the end, as long as you are committed - Do not have a meltdown in front of your peers because they will never forget it (a little random, but I can see the reasoning) See counselling services for help! - As UNBC students, we are all in this together. Whatever you are going through, someone else has before! The tips above are specific to university, so below are some general advices that may help you get through any personal struggle and convince you not to give up on yourself, no matter what happens or where life takes you. (My friends have laughed at some of my advices, so I hope you do too.) Firstly, you are never alone. Every human being that has made it to adulthood has had something significant, tough or painful happen to them. When you see the ‘perfect’ lives of people on social media, know all these people have issues. To be honest, some days I tell myself, “Even Kim Kardashian has problems.” I have learned with time to never wish to be anyone else, because everyone has difficulties. This piece of advice may sound cliché, but when we experience distress or hopelessness, we tend to exaggerate our emotions and place ourselves in a ‘deep dark hole’ mentally, believing that we can never come out. In reality, billions of humans before you have gotten stuck in their own deep dark hole. Most people eventually realize that the sun will come up and that there will be a light to guide you. As long as you believe the sun can come up, have faith that it will. The dark hole will not remain black forever. Secondly, what is happiness without sadness? What is content without anger? What is ease without pain? We do not know what true success is until we have failed. I do not think that it is possible to experience joy without knowing what life is like without it. We live the rough, tough days so that we can enjoy and appreciate
the good days. And guess what? After those good days, you will experience tough days. And thus, the cycle repeats and never ends. Thirdly, it is absolutely ‘okay’ to have emotions. People might tell you, ‘be thankful for what you have’ or ‘it is not a big deal,’ yet you cannot turn off how you feel. I believe there are just some days where we are meant to be sad, upset, anxious, or worried. I think living through these emotions makes you a stronger, wiser, kinder, and in the future, more optimistic person. Fourthly, take care of yourself, get help, and know when to stop. Give yourself breaks if you are working too hard. Understand your own limitations as a human being! This is the toughest for people, even me somedays, to accept. You cannot be or have everything you wish, the way you wish. Life is fair because nobody gets exactly what they want. Too many things are out of our hands. At the same time, do not give up until you know you can no longer handle your situation. Reach out for help, talk to others and try changing the way you are doing things. Spend some time alone (in deep, deep thought), but at the same time, do not to cut yourself off from others. Socializing with others can often make you feel better, allow you to vent out and connect, and let you hear different perspectives. Eat good food and exercise. And please, if you have no idea what you are doing in university, talk to someone. If your emotions are overwhelming you or you are struggling in any way, talk to someone you trust, or seek help. Everyone needs some guidance. Help others when you can as well; making someone’s day a little better will remind you that you matter, and you can have an impact. Fifthly, take a deep breath and smile. J Just smiling you can improve your mood. I have tried it myself many times, and although it does not change the situation I am in, I am reminded to stay optimistic, and I know that I have the strength within me to get
through anything. You as well have the power to get through anything. Sixthly, be proud of you who are. Never forget your own accomplishments! I believe that you as an individual are a role model for yourself. There are days in which you have accomplished so much. The beauty of knowing that is that you know you can do it, and you can push yourself even harder. Do not try to be better than others, but instead try to be your best selfthat is when we accomplish the greatest things in life. Lastly, BE PATIENT. This is the toughest. Things do not go from bad to good overnight. You will not build inner strength, improve your grades or heal emotionally in one week. Everything takes time, so do not worry or panic if things do not improve as quickly as you want. It could take months or even a year. Whether you believe in fate, destiny, karma, a supreme being, God or many Gods, be assured that
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everything happens for a reason. Do not ever give up on yourself. I tell myself one thing every day: just keep walking. That’s the most important thing you can do. Do not stop living because your life is priceless and worth living every moment. Your uni-life crisis will soon pass, and you will be proud you got through it! J Comments, questions, want to have/give advice or want to know about a certain topic? Contact Deep, Deep Thoughts at deepdeepthoughtsote@gmail. com!
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Poetry
How Would One Treat Thee, Misfortune? Ace Schotel Contributor
A gentle touch, Of kind words against one’s heart, The want versus the reality Love or ice against thy fair heart Would she be greeted, As a long lost love, Given the admiration of a Queen In the presence of those who care I ask, how would one treat the? Misfortune I pray to know A gentle touch? Or an icy blade? Tell me Misfortune, Does the raven deserve less, Than the Robin? How would you treat thee? Misfortune, I beg to ask Why have you treated me, In this horrid way? Is it my speech, The fear in my heart, Is it my allure, Nervous ramblings, Or the way I fall apart? How would thou treat thee? Misfortune hear my plea, For you could treat me Like a queen, or a flea. How would thou treast thee?
Darina Kopcok | darinakopcok.com
Events
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Check Out These Events! Wednesday, January 23
Wednesday, January 30
Anthropology in Our Backyards Planning for law school? Start at UNBC 7:00 pm 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm Location: Artspace (above Books & Co.) Location: 8-164
Tuesday, January 29
Friday, February 1
Volunteer Fair 11:00 am - 2:00 pm Location: Winter Garden
Connecting U Cafe: Athletics & First Nations Centre 11:00 am - 1:00 pm Location: Winter Garden
The Last Word
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