Over The Edge
UNBC’s Independent Student Newspaper est. 1994
you maniacs! Nugss AGM pages 3-5 US Election pages 6-10
Volume 23, Issue 4
Free overtheedgenewspaper.ca
November 17, 2016 ote-newspaper@unbc.ca
Letter from the et this be a lesson. NUGSS’ current financial shape shows that people aren’t paying attention. The problems the society is facing are examples of either intentional or unintentional negligence by those in charge that have been happening for years. Student government is a tricky thing to manage. You have a group of people who are probably going to be inexperienced and or untrained to do their jobs because they’re attending the institution that is going to help them gain qualifications. Combine that with the reality that these people are given
Over The Edge is the University of Northern British Columbia’s independent student newspaper. Our office is located on the 2nd 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. 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. Support is always needed and no experience is required; help make Over The Edge better. We want to hear from you! Call us at 250960-5633, tweet us @overtheedgeunbc, email us at ote-newspaper@unbc.ca and be sure to like us on Facebook. For more information, please visit our website www.overtheedgenewspaper.ca. Next deadline: November 9
Ann Duo
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thousands of dollars to manage and you have the possibility that something is going to go wrong. To be clear; I am not blaming the current NUGSS board for the current financial problems. They took office in April and the audit is dated June 30, there is no way that they could have amassed these debts and created the current financial situation. However, I am calling on students to hold them accountable. Not for past actions of past boards, but for their current solutions
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to the past problems. It is their job to provide services for students and to act in the best interest of students. The current situation will test NUGSS’ ability to fix their ability to handle money while still maintaining the services we demand they provide us. The only people that can ensure this is happening, the only ones that can hold them accountable are students. We pay them with our student fees. We elect them. We should make sure they are doing things properly.
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NUGSS AGM Recap Sam Wall News Editor
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his year’s NUGSS Annual General Meeting took place at 11:30 am on October 27th, in the NUSC Event Space. On top of bringing together Student Led Organizations (SLOs) and giving director’s reports, the meeting focused on the financial future of NUGSS and (of special concern to students) the future of the Thirsty Moose Pub. The President of NUGSS, General Manager, and Executive and Assistant Directors sat panel-style at the front of the event space to address the audience of over one hundred NUGSS members, the undergraduate students of UNBC. President Arctica Cunningham led the meeting, reminding the audience that all NUGSS members are invited to call for motions in the agenda and vote. Acknowledgement of the Lheidli T’enneh First Nations land we occupy was given by Aboriginal Representative Kasandra JohnnyTurbide. Next, a presentation on the health and dental plan paid for by undergraduates was given by Sophia Haque and Bahareh Jokar, detailing the $203,000 in health claims made by students, and the possibility of increases in the cost of the plan. Next, Chris Caulder from KPMG was invited onstage to provide an audited financial statement of NUGSS. Matters such as NUGSS’ available cash, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and revenues, expenses, and deficits were covered in Chris Caulder’s presentation. In order to explain what this all means in a practical way, VP Finance, Eric Depenau, was invited to present. The first problem he addressed was the $100,000 owed to BC Transit for the U-PASS. Their solution is to make payments over time. Another problem is that NUGSS did not inform the university of their plan to collect CPI, effectively starving the organization for several years. To solve this, they expect to receive revenue from CPI adjustments. As well, money from the health and dental plan has been put into the general NUGSS fund rather than a separate account, confusing which money was going where. They plan to open a separate account to resolve the issue. In a similar way, a separate account must be created for upkeep of the
NUSC space, which has a deficiency in the building fund of $373,341. Finally, the issue of the financial drain of the Thirsty Moose Pub and Degrees Coffee was addressed. Each year the society loses $38,000 on the pub, and $10,000 on Degrees. Suggested solutions to this deficit are to increase prices at the pub, lease it to an external party, or, if that does not work, closing the pub in September 2017. Throughout the presentation, a history of financial mismanagement was emphasized, and that the current board is dedicated to rectifying the situation. President Cunningham addressed how these changes will look moving forward. NUGSS plans to hold engagement sessions to get student feedback, and keep working towards the best possible solutions. She emphasized quick action in the short term and sustainability in the long term. In terms of the NUGSS Board, each member will be receiving a 7.27% pay cut, and the General Manager has volunteered to accept a 20% pay cut. Effects on SLOs include 20% reduction in MAC funding. As well, current tenants in the NUSC building may be charged rent, and other tenants may be added. In terms of events, NUGSS will no longer be shouldering the financial burden of Northern Students Give Back, and will be scaling back the Backyard BBQ. So far there are no plans to cancel any events in the winter semester. In order to prevent this from happening again, the board has created a 4-year plan to hold future directors accountable, as well as continuing direction from the General Manager. Students were reminded that they are all NUGSS members and are responsible for holding NUGSS accountable, and are always welcome to ask questions and attend meetings. NUGSS meetings occur every Thursday at 11:30 am in the April Price Board Room. As well, meeting minutes and presentations from this meeting and others are available on the NUGSS website.
UNBC #1 Sam Wall News Editor
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mong 19 other universities, the University of Northern British Columbia placed first in the undergraduate category for small universities. This is exciting news, as this is the second year in a row that the university has placed first. Factors such as strong scores in library acquisitions, research dollars, student awards, and student/faculty ratio accounted for UNBC’s high placement. In response, President Daniel Weeks says that the “...first-place ranking reflects the strengths of our community. From UNBC’s outstanding students, talented faculty, dedicated staff, successful alumni, generous donors and tireless supporters, everyone involved in our institution has helped us become Canada’s top small university. This recognition again confirms that UNBC continues to educate future leaders who will serve to strengthen our region, our province, and our country.”
Sam Wall | OTE
Current students were surveyed and rated mental health services and student life at UNBC highly. In terms of the number of students who have won national student awards, the university tied with Acadia. In proportion to UNBC’s budget, the university was in the top 5 for faculty awards and library investments. Following UNBC in the undergraduate category is Mount Allison and the University of Lethbridge. Ryan Matheson, Chair of the Board of Governors at UNBC, says, “It is fantastic news that UNBC is recognized as the top university of its size for a second year in a row. The entire UNBC community can be proud of their University and the work that continues to be done in making it an exceptional institution.”
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News
Analysing the Thirsty Moose’s Finances Seth Jex Chairperson, OTE
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ou may have heard lots of buzz about NUGSS lately and the Thirsty Moose pub. Is it closing? We don’t know yet but let’s see a quick breakdown of the facts. Since it opened in 2009 the Thirsty Moose Pub has been losing money. For the past three fiscal years the Moose has lost approximately $35,000 each year. We can see in the graph below how over the years the expenses and revenue almost leveled out. From July 1st 2012 to June 30th 2013 (shown on graph as 2013) the Thirsty Moose is reported as having made an operating profit of $35,276 but this number is misleading. The Moose did not hire a food and beverage manager which is a $43,000 contract. If we account for this cost it is clear that year would have made a net loss as well. Now, some of you may be thinking that this means we could simply cut the Food and Beverage Manager position in order to made the Moose profitable but that would be missing the larger picture. In 2012-2013 the roles and responsibilities of the Food and Beverage manager were moved onto the GM’s role who then got paid for that extra work from the general revenue budget which is why it does not show up as an operating expense for the Moose that year. The work was getting done and it still cost the organization that year but the funds where likely just accessed from a different account making it appear that the Moose was profitable while in truth was still losing money. For the past five years the Moose has kept a fairly consistent revenue of around $383,000 and consistent expenses of $410,000 meaning that it seems that each year it was operated the same with neglect to the businesses failing year to year. It appears to be a classic, “if it works, don’t fix it”, only it does not work nor has it ever worked, so really it is just been that no one has bothered to fix it. It seems that each year the executive of NUGSS and the Food and Beverage Manager have either been too afraid to make changes or worse too ignorant to the financial trend of the business. Why has it been losing money?
That’s a complicated question. It’s hard to say if it is down to too many staff increasing wage expenses or lack of revenue from a poor customer base and food that’s too cheap to make a profit. Hopefully an evaluation currently underway by NUGSS will give some insight into the business’ failings.
There you have it, several years of poor management and neglect have created a business making huge unsustainable losses draining from the NUGSS bank account. It will be a tough but serious conversation with all of you about how much we value the Thirsty Moose Pub. NUGSS is currently exploring multiple options from total shut down of the Moose for the 2017 school year,
leasing the space to a private business and/ or increasing food costs. It’s important that if you have an opinion on how NUGSS should handle this that you get informed and then involved in the conversation. It will be tough times ahead but we will make it. Best wishes to you my fellow students, may the curve be ever in your favour.
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Interview with NUGSS VP Finance Eric Depenau Colin Slark Editor In Chief
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cloud of uncertainty hangs over the Northern Undergraduate Student Society after it was announced that due to prior mismanagement the society has been accruing substantial annual losses on its businesses and has amassed a large amount of debt. This has left the status of student services in doubt as well as uncertainty in the continued existence of the Thirsty Moose Pub and Degrees Coffee. Among NUGSS’ debts is nearly $2,000,000 left on a loan from the Bank of Montreal from when NUGSS had the NUSC building renovated. This loan is due in December 2016. This does not necessarily mean that
it must be paid off in full by that date, but that NUGSS and the bank must come to an agreement about extending the due date and revising the terms of the loan. When asked about negotiations surrounding this loan, NUGSS VP Finance Eric Depenau said: “The terms are definitely on the table, we’re renegotiating that piece, perhaps there are some areas we can negotiate in terms of our interest but I’m not too sure what it all entails.” When asked if the news about NUGSS’ poor financial status could negatively impact negotiations, Depenau replied: “You know, some of the information out there is a bit sensational, for the most part we have a very positive plan in place and we’re taking
steps toward it and we expect to benefit from that in the future.” In part NUGSS’ loan with Bank of Montreal is secured by a Letter of Understanding on behalf of NUGSS from the University itself to the bank. When asked if NUGSS expects UNBC to continue their support on this matter, Depenau replied: “I won’t speculate on what the University will do but for the most part I don’t see any reason why they wouldn’t continue that support. We have a mutual interest in maintaining a high level of student services.” When asked about if NUGSS was considering austerity measures, Depenau pointed towards the recent pay cuts taken about NUGSS
board members and the general manager as signs that the society is trying to increase revenue and cut costs immediately without taking austerity measures. “It’s not the intent to cripple the institution or take away services from students but we do have to find a way to continue to exist as a society.” Depenau estimated that on an annual term, savings from the pay cuts would equal around $11,000. NUGSS General Manager Duncan Malkinson declined to make any comments regarding the status of the pub and coffee shop saying that details were still being worked out, but admitted that last year’s Saturday breakfast experiment at the Moose was a financial mistake.
Colin Slark | OTE
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Trump
Opinion: Feeling Numb Sam Wall News Editor
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oday I woke up, and Donald Trump had been elected President of the United States of America. I never imagined I would actually be saying those words. I never imagined the billionaire with terrible hair and a boring television show would become anything more than a joke. I wish this was a joke, because so much is on the line. My Facebook feed is full of articles on self-care for activists and cartoons about the message this gives to queer kids. I wish I could fall back asleep. I spent last night with my partner and my best friend, eating junk food and trying to escape the inevitability of the situation. I left my feelings of helplessness with everyone else’s on social media, and tried to ignore it for the evening. I woke up after a long, wonderful rest (unusual for me, particularly at this stressful time of the semester), wanting to have a happy day, but
I couldn’t escape the black cloud over my head. I wish I could forget the things he has said and the way he has said them. I wish I could forget his name, I can barely speak it, a Voldemort of American politics. I wish I could forget the way I was triggered time and again by watching the debates, the way he interrupted, gaslighted, and manipulated his opponent, standing tall and intimidating behind her, a typical emotional abuser. Do I need to bring up the “pussy grabbing” scandal, or any of the other dozens of things he’s done and said and lied about? How about his anti-choice perspectives and destruction of healthcare? Do I need to bring up the various crimes he is currently being accused of, including sexual trafficking and sexual assault of minors? He wants to deport every Muslim, and block entrance to Syrian refugees. He
wants to build a wall between the United States and Mexico. His Vice-President supports conversion therapy, a program aimed at turning gay people straight. He has demonstrated disgusting views of women and made fun of disabled people. As a non-binary, woman-read, queer, pansexual person, struggling with poverty and mental health issues, I am afraid. As a human being with actual empathetic feelings towards others, I am scared for almost all of us. I am also white, and admit to being surprised by the strength of racism in the US. For that, I am so sorry. I am sorry that my desire for hope may have silenced my ability to listen. Please keep telling your stories and I will listen and learn how I can be an allied voice for you. Right now all I can think about is the myriad forms of violence against black people, Hispanic people, Asian people, Indigenous people, all other people of colour, immigrants, and refugees. I hurt for the oppression women face every day, and the erasure of genders like mine that don’t fit into a neat binary. I imagine the violence of existing, of fighting to exist, of hiding your identity not for fear of who you are, but for fear of what the world has agreed is okay to do to you. I grieve for the way my family and so many other families have been thwarted again and again by the overwhelming despair of poverty, mental illness, and addiction. I grieve for Florida, where the tragedy in Orlando was big enough to make into the media, but not big
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enough to remain in the hearts and minds of the voters. And don’t think this doesn’t affect us in Canada. Don’t think that what happens in a cultural superpower of the West such as the United States does not affect the entire world. This could easily be anywhere in the world, if we don’t keep our shit together and recognize the fundamental importance of the rights of every single person in our country. And don’t you dare defend this vile human without hearing our stories first. Even then, don’t defend him, unless you’re willing to explain to the oppressed people in your life why your support for an abusive, power-hungry bully is more important than supporting their human rights. Even then, don’t. We are grieving, give us a moment’s rest from this fight. This is a nightmare where the bully wins, the abuser skips jail, and the victims and survivors are at a loss, our pain and our stories are once again shoved to the margins. I wish I could fall back asleep. I wish I could wake up from this nightmare. For those of us who are dissociating or going numb, please know that I am here for you. I am sitting here in shock, doing my best to work through my emotions, and I am here for you. Do what you need to do to feel safe and healthy, but please, don’t give up. Please, tell me your stories. Our situation is dire, and we need all the support we can get from each other. Remember the strength we have shown, remember our ability to fight and make change. Be loud, be creative, in any way you need to express yourself. Write stories, poems, articles, draw, paint, make cartoons, sing, dance, make music, take pictures, cry it out, and immerse yourself in beautiful things. Do it for yourself and do it for those you love. And please, find others, your community is out there. We can build ourselves up higher than they will ever be able to knock us down. We know our own strength and they are only just beginning to see it. If you haven’t found your community yet, you will, and they are waiting patiently for you. Until then, remember that if anything, I am here for you.
Trump
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Grant’s Rant: Electoral Woes Grant Bachand Contributor
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s the dust clears the battle scars have been laid bare for the entire world to see. The reality of our new future has begun to set in. Donald Trump will become the next president of the United States and to my very core I am repulsed by that sentiment. This is not simply because he is a Republican. If there had been a different candidate for the Republican Party who knows how I would feel. No, the reason why I feel as if I was punched in the gut is because his election is a verification that the United States isn’t as forward thinking as we might have thought. His ascension to the highest office of the land is a sign that the world is moving backwards, not forwards. Donald Trump’s sentiments about women and minorities are to my mind reflective of some of worst aspects of today’s society. For the US to vote in a man like that shows that they do not deem those remarks as intolerable and not worthy of the highest office in the land. As a Canadian I feel pretty good, we have a Prime Minister that is probably the envy of many Americans right now. However my jubilation is quickly muted when I think the state the world is in. First Brexit and now Trump, nationalism and inward isolationism is on the rise. The worst kinds of identity politics prevail throughout many countries. The us vs. them mentality is at the heart of Donald Trump’s campaign and indeed many of these movements. In Europe, extremist parties like France’s National Front, a deeply racist, radical party, gain more and more support everyday. All of this is predicated on the idea that our land is under siege by forces that want to change it for the worse. However I think it is unfair to say that the Left is completely absolved from all responsibility for the election of Donald Trump. This election also showed the annoying aspects of political correctness and aggressive social justice. Some people in media who advocated against Donald Trump took their condemnations of him and the policies he was espoused too far. When people constantly say “that’s racist” when someone says something that is off colour about a minority group it creates a tension that if done enough,
justifies voting for Donald Trump out of frustration. Political correctness is probably one of the big reasons the Democrats lost this election, because moderates felt alienated within their own party. The rhetoric around Muslims really showed how political correctness has gone too far in some cases. Clearly targeting one group for all the terrorist violence in the states is wrong. However, I can understand why a person would vote for someone who says they are going to ban all Muslims. The media coverage around the world tends to paint a grim picture of extremism and acts of violence being committed predominantly by Muslims. When that is all you see day after day then it is easy to paint one group with a broad brush. Islam is not the problem, obviously, but not coming to terms that some ideas in certain groups within Islam are at odds with liberal democratic principles is intellectually and politically destructive. It was the Left’s stance on political correctness with this point that pushed moderates away, and into the arms of the Republican Party. People are afraid and they need to be given a reason why not to be, that can bigotry or that can be honesty and understanding. The knee jerk reaction to call someone a racist when they say anything about Islamic radical terrorism is wrong. Being respectful and understanding is important on both sides of the aisle. Finally ignoring the economic woes of so many people comes into play here too. If a person doesn’t have a job many other issues slip and nationalism and getting a job is all that really matters. Globalization has been hard for some aspects of society, NAFTA in many ways haunted Clinton in this election. NAFTA is the reason many people in the US lost their jobs to Mexico and her support for this deal angered them. Regardless of where you stand on free trade, an simple understanding that
people who are hungry and jobless don’t care about many other issue but getting a job and feeding themselves. Clinton in this election became the American Marie Antoinette, an elite who has a lot, not taking seriously the plight of poor working folk asking just for a loaf of bread. Nobody wanted to eat your cake Mrs. Clinton. Hillary was a terrible choice for candidate, and the Democrats have to take the blame for nominating her just as much as the Republicans would have had to take the blame if Trump lost. Clinton was unlikeable and seemed too Machiavellian for many people’s tastes. The corporate cronyism that so many people hate about politics was not something she shied away from. She was generally unlikeable not because she was a woman, though I am sure that played a part for some, but because she was a Clinton, and Clintons are just covered with too much controversy. Bernie Sanders should have been the Democratic nominee and the amount of effort the Democrats put into preventing him from getting it is going to be a big part of the debrief that is going to happen after this election. For people who are hungry, angry and at
times afraid for their safety, a candidate who is part of the status quo is not good enough. When everything is said and done, the next four years are going to be rough for progressive values. However I am more afraid of the Office of the President’s powers in the hands of Donald Trump. I hope that the US and possibly Canada do not find the world pushed into another needless war because someone tweeted a mean thing at the Donald. People might say why does a Canadian care so much who the president of the US is, and my response is that culture in the US spreads and we need to do everything to prevent this kind of culture spreading to Canada. My recommendations for all Liberals, New Democrats and general leftists out there is this watch the Conservative leadership race, because candidates like Kellie Leitch who like and support Trump are dangerous. I cannot say what tomorrow will bring but one thing I am confident, we all might be getting some new neighbors very soon.
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Trump
Opinion: So Your Neighbour Elected a Fascist Margaret Annen Guest Contributor
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s of this writing, it’s a day after it was officially announced that Donald Trump is the President-Elect of the United States. The world has woken up with a collective hangover. Lady Liberty did too many tequila shots of buzzwords like “great” and “bigly” and woke up with two tiny orange hands clutching her tits. She’s rushing to the bathroom to vomit and she notices a big diamond ring on her left ring finger and now she’s lost for words, she’s woken up in Las Vegas, but this is no Britney Spears 48-hour marriage, this is for the next four years, til death or impeachment do us part. It’s hard to explain the reaction I’m seeing to this, in Prince George, hours away from the American border. I’m in a coffee shop as I write and all I can hear around me are concerned people of retirement age, hurriedly and hushedly having conversations about what this means. Words like “racist” and “Mexico” and “NAFTA” are floating above their heads like big, horrified question mark shaped balloons. I had a driving lesson this morning (yes I still have my L, no I am not a particularly useful person) and my instructor, an American, got me to pull the car over and we talked about the election tdylf.com
for an hour because it had become clear that no one was in the mood to learn or teach. He told me that his Texan mother and sister called him crying at 2:30 in the morning, that he hadn’t been sleeping. He was worried he might not be able to see them again. I have a friend who is a music promoter in New York -- he messaged me that his boss, a forty year old married gay man, had brought beer and whiskey into the office the day after the election, and told everyone that they had to day off to wallow together. Make no mistake -- this decision impacts the entire world. I want to talk about power structures for a minute. So we’re going to start off by talking about Donald Trump’s history of alleged sexual assaults. First of all, I want everyone to shut the fuck up, now and forever, when they say that reporting a sexual assault will hurt the assailant’s risk of future employment prospects. Clearly, this is not true. Donald Trump’s reported alleged sexual assaults are in the double digits, and he won the presidency. There are many rapists, and controversially, I don’t generally think that they should all lose their jobs. I mean, in a perfect world, any person who committed rape would lose their job, automatically go to
three years of intensive therapy and a couple of self-searching meditation retreats, and do whatever it took, financially or emotionally, to make amends to their victims. But that’s just not realistic-- first of all, the economy would collapse if we fired every rapist. There are so many of them and they live in a society that, for whatever reason, doesn’t prosecute sexual assault or rape properly. Secondly, people who sexually assault others are mentally ill, above all. What we can learn from Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is that people who are mentally ill are never going to be able to do the diligent and careful type of self examination necessary to recover and learn to not hurt more people if they’re spending most of their energy scrambling for food or a place to sleep. It’s part of why people who are addicted to serious drugs are a lot more likely to recover if they’re given housing FIRST -- regardless of if they’re clean or not. Think about it -- if you were having problems at school, and all of sudden you lost your source of income, how likely would you be to focus on school? Obviously this sort of over-compassion is also wish fulfillment-- for all rapists to use the comfort of their apartments and steady incomes to actually examine themselves and the weight of their actions, we would have to live in a culture that shames rapists, and values the horrible pain they’ve caused to other human beings above the fact that the rapist might feel some discomfort when confronted with their actions. But we don’t. And now a man who was set to go to court for raping a thirteen year old girl (until media scrutiny became too much and she was forced to drop the case) is the President of the United States of America. And make no mistake -- he is also deeply, deeply, mentally ill. Holding the most powerful position in Western Civilization isn’t a job at Burger King. All employment requires the employee to have a degree of empathy- the employee is there to serve the employer and the customer, of course, and can’t do that particularly well if they have no ability to relate to the people in front of them. The President of the United States is a case where this matters even more. The
President of the United States of America is not just a person who makes policy decisions in a vacuum-- they are a person who makes decisions that carry an ethical impact. They are a person who stands as a model of what behaviour is acceptable. And someone who casually admits to sexually assaulting women, to extreme racism and bigotry, to homophobia and transphobia and every other bad thing you can think of is not someone who can be trusted to honour the needs of the most vulnerable. I am focusing on sexual assault for a couple of reasons. One, because I am white. I do not feel like I am close enough to any Muslims or African Americans or Mexicans to feel comfortable writing about how they must be reacting to this news, to the fear and the anger and the horrible disgust and confirmation they must be feeling, of the formerly open secret that they are not wanted in their own home country. It would be a disservice of me. However, I am a woman and a majority of the women I know, including myself, are on the scale of having been assaulted, from the unwanted kiss or ass-slap to a full on rape. And in my years of knowing women, I only know of one personally who has ever successfully sent her rapist to prison. One, in years and years and years. Most women don’t call the police, because they themselves will be on trial -- “What were you wearing, how much did you drink, why did you invite him to walk you home?” We live in a culture that puts the onus of proof on the victim of a crime, not the perpetrator. And so the only way I can truly empathize, in a visceral sense, with the millions of Americans who have, overnight, seen their culture give proof that they are unloved and uncared for and unwanted, is to say that I understand what it’s like to know that the impact of your own lived experience and the trauma it has caused is worth less that the inconvenience it would take for someone to really listen. To say, we exist in a culture that puts it on the vulnerable, the most at need, to protect themselves and defend themselves from the most powerful. Hopefully, this election will answer, once
Trump and forever, the boneheaded question asked by the useless and clueless, “why don’t women report their sexual assaults, if not to the police then the media, or vice versa?” Because no one cares, you asshat. No one cares about women, and as Black Lives Matter has been saying for years, we especially don’t care about people of colour or different ethnicities. But America voted in Trump, because he made white people feel like they were smart and special, regardless of the harm it might cause their fellow citizens. America voted for Trump because they thought he looked like a winner, not thinking about how many people had to lose in little and big ways for him to enjoy his millions. Let’s talk a little bit about Hillary Clinton. I was in a pub on the night of the election and the mood was grim. My friends and I were sitting at a table, and we had been prepared to celebrate the ascent of the first female president. She was not the candidate everyone had hoped for, but she had spent her entire adult life preparing for this, and is undeniably smart and competent and confident on a world stage. She would bring about incremental change, with a skill she had spent years honing with all the careful study and practice that made her a lawyer (not unlike the diligence of one Dr. Strange). Instead, we were crestfallen. The candidate who was campaigning on a practical platform of incremental change had been defeated by someone who basically, woke up one day two years ago and decided being President would be something he’d find fun. I’ve been obsessively following this tire fire of an election since day one. When journalists ask Americans why, (why in God’s name?!) they voted for Trump, they inevitably reply, “he’s a billionaire businessman, he’s going to make America great again! He’s going to bring back the economy!” And then they would say something about how Hillary Clinton was in Wall Street’s pocket -- a valid point, but keep in mind, Trump IS Wall Street. And the channels through which they got there are markedly different. Hillary Clinton worked her way up from a middle class background, and with her husband, worked her ass off to serve the public. Donald Trump inherited money from his dad. It’s a different story. Let’s be clear -- Trump winning the election is not proof that the system is broken. Trump winning the election is proof that the system is working. It has been built to benefit rich white men who believe in success, no
matter what the cost to other people. Trump becoming President shows that the system that was set into place, hundreds of years ago when women couldn’t vote and black people were slaves, is still working perfectly. Yes, there was a black president-- but this election shows, if anything, that white people were drastically uncomfortable with that, enough that they came out of all corners and voted reactionarily with their discontent for a candidate that vowed to “Make America Great Again”, harkening back uncomfortably to a time when women stayed home and black people couldn’t vote and gay people couldn’t come out. The polls couldn’t predict what would happen because even Americans were ashamed to admit the gut-level ugliness of what they were doing. Let’s be clear-- I absolutely understand that Trump comes from a business background, and that’s why some people voted for him. They wanted the economy back, and they thought that that was worth the ugliness of what Trump had to say, that it was worth the safety of millions of their fellow citizens to elect a president whose abhorrent opinions would now receive mainstream condoning and validation. They did it for business! They’re faultless! Let’s be clear -- Trump comes from a business background, and that is precisely how he can be this ugly. Trump is the manifestation of capitalism, a walking, talking breathing puppet of the patriarchy. The model of business is domination. The model of capitalism is that the weak shall be mown over like so many blades of grass and that the strong shall win, win, win. Donald Trump is the personification of the McDonald’s that moves into a neighbourhood and forces all of the small local burger joints to shut down, because his product is cheaper and faster. Then, the McDonald’s switches to automatic teller-less ordering systems, so that the corporation doesn’t have to pay teenagers (or the unemployed waitresses from the closed burger restaurants) to flip the burgers. Donald Trump and his ilk are built on taking, on extraction, on greed. And they do not want to give anything back-they want to grow and grow and grow their wealth to fill the holes in their hearts. And now this man is in charge of nuclear codes and the most powerful economy in the world. It’s a desperate situation, and there is a strong temptation to drown sorrows in the delight of libations. I’m not saying I haven’t been doing it— but by the time this comes out, Trump will have been President-elect for almost two weeks. And that’s more than
enough time to pull your gaze from the bottom of the bottle of honey whiskey to someplace more productive-- the mirror. Take a big old look at yourself. Admire your precious, beautiful face (you’re gorgeous, you’re gorgeous, I love you) and when you’re done admiring what your momma gave you, I want you to look in your own eyes. We’re in Canada, and that’s a country removed-- but our last Prime Minister tried to get re-elected by discriminating Muslim women, and it almost worked. One of the people responsible for one of the most reprehensible proposals of that past campaign, The Barbaric Cultural Practices Hotline, is in the running to be the head of that party. Make no mistake, we are not immune. So when I tell you to look at yourself, I mean we all need to really examine our own behaviours. Where are we being lazy, instead of practicing empathy? Where are we letting our prejudice get in the way of what are really opportunities to be relate? Trump won because a group of people were angry at their country, and they let that vote, instead of intelligence. Trump won because buried down at the center of the bluster called anger is the tiny insidious icy seed called fear-- and it paralyzed a nation and caused it, ultimately, to endanger and alienate the most vulnerable segments of their population. Trump’s America is a scared quivering beast that is biting the hand called progress. And
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the only way to heal that is to examine how we are afraid-- each and every one of us. Look at your own fears. Recognize that you are not immune to racist, sexist, bigoted attitudes-that in each of us is a sliding scale of shitty behaviour that we might default to when we’re afraid. Think and feel about the things that cause you to lose sleep, to feel the most vulnerable. This is where our healing has to start. This pocket of inky black scared in your heart is where we all need to reach. We need to reach, from these pockets of fear to places of understanding, to going beyond ourselves to a place of empathy where we are all human and better. We need to admit that we are flawed, but not irredeemable. We are better than this. Bigger than this. Smarter and wiser and funnier than this toxic heap of shitty attitudes. And we have to do it together. We have to learn to listen and cooperate and let other people help us talk out our fear and vulnerability, to treat one another with compassion so we can heal, instead of letting our pain turn toxic and cancerous. It’s going to take all of us, but that’s the point. The only way out is together -- all of us. Not just whatever backwards notion of inclusion a bunch of white guys came up with hundreds of years ago, when no one had the imagination to think of the better ways we could treat one another.
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Trump
Has the White House Ever Been Whiter? Seth Jex Chairperson, OTE
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think if you asked most people they would say that this was the most racially polarizing election in recent American history. Yet if we look at the exit polls in 2012 Obama received a lot more support from the non-white voters than Hillary Clinton has this year. From a numbers sense the previous election was a more racially polarized election with more of a white vs. non-white voter split with the two candidates. While many people will call the election of Trump a “white-wave” it is important to remember that many thousands of non-white voters supported Donald Trump in this election. Some other interesting numbers. Hillary lost 10% of Latino Women voters when compared to Obama and 7% less support from the black male voters. Obama received 60% of the 18-29-year-old vote while Clinton was only able to get 55%. While exit polls are not perfect, mostly due to small sample size, they are a good indication of overall trends in voter demographics. These numbers seem to show that it is not just down to white people showing up to support a candidate but a loss of key minority voters on the Democrats side. Welcome to 2017. Trump is the leader of the free world and the US Congress is completely controlled by the Republican Party. What does America have in store? Let’s try to dispel some myths: 1) Trump can put whoever he wants in the Supreme Court Wrong! Well first off, the Supreme Court vacancy needs to be filled. However, it would be near impossible for President Trump to nominate an ultra right-wing justice. Since the Senate currently features a 54-44 majority for the Republicans over the Democrats, Trump will have to swing some (at least 6) Democrat senator votes in order to get the 60 senate votes needed to confirm the Supreme Court nomination. This should help to prevent radical judges being appointed hopefully maintaining the civil
liberties established over the past 8 years (same sex marriage, Planned Parenthood). 2) Trump is going to deport all illegal immigrants No, at least not in the volume Trump described on the campaign trail. Trump has announced that he plans deportation similar to what Eisenhower did in 1954, but that’s all the specifics he offered. To deport the 11 million illegal immigrants estimated to be in the country, the US government would need to pour incalculable amounts of funding into domestic security and deportation task forces. They would need to conduct door-to-door raids and organize massive transportation systems and processing facilities. The American Action Forum calculated the federal cost to be at least 400 million. It’s safe to say at this point that this is unlikely to be funded by congress. However, while it is likely a priority to increase deportation numbers, it should not be as Orwellian as first promised. 3) Trump is going to build a wall, the best wall, an amazing wall You think America is in debt now… Build a wall and we will see. This is likely more of a symbolic message then an actual promise. Todd Sternfeld, a chief executive of Superior Concrete and experienced builder of concrete structures, spoke about the wall saying “The resources alone would be astronomical.” He also estimated the construction cost to be around $26 billion. This figure does not consider maintenance cost and upkeep. It could be suggested that the Trump wall is unlikely to receive money from Congress for this project. This also allows Trump to look like he tried to make the wall and deport people but that Congress limited him. This makes him look strong and determined to stick to his promises while maintaining responsible government.
Opinion: Learn a Lesson Colin Slark Editor In Chief
T
he latest round of the interminable American election cycle has concluded with Donald Trump being elected President of the United States. Those individuals that dismissed him as a joke have been proven wrong and his victory is giving hope to dangerous extremists that were once kept at the fringes of American society. America is in trouble, and don’t think for a second that Canada isn’t as well. Let’s have a look at those happy to see Trump take office. For one, there’s Russian warmonger Vladimir Putin, who will do doubt be thrilled to have a counterpart that is more open to his machinations. Marine Le Pen, extreme xenophobe and leader of France’s far-right movement is happy to see a ideological comrade in the fight against non-white people and Nigel Farage, ringleader of the Brexit movement and admitted Trump supporter is no doubt having similar happy thoughts. Oh, and then there’s the Ku Klux Klan, an organization most notable for murdering people of differing skin colour, whose former leader David Duke said on Twitter: “This is one of the most exciting nights of my life make no mistake about it, our people have played a HUGE role in electing Trump!” To find out who “our people” are, one must only look at the people posting white nationalist memes and sincere ramblings about the “white genocide” on the Internet. You may argue, “but not all Trump supporters are like that!” To that I reply that everyone who voted for Trump is complicit in legitimizing a man that declared that all Mexicans are rapists and murderers and is was caught on camera making every conversation he had with African Americans about “inner city problems,” and that doesn’t even cover the many sexist remarks and one particular brag about committing sexual assault. That doesn’t even include those who come as a package deal with Trump like Vice President-Elect Mike Pence, who believes that gay people should be electrocuted into being straight, and Ben Carson, a neurosurgeon-turned-politician that believes that the pyramids were built to store grain and is likely to be Trump’s surgeon general.
This is to say nothing of the rest of the Republican dominated Congress who care nothing about climate change or affordable health care. Trump supporters voted for the ticket for a myriad of reasons, of this I’m sure, but even if they didn’t agree with all of the promises and messages, they still sent to power a cabal of uniquely evil or deeply stupid people. The almost 47% of eligible voters that didn’t vote are partially to blame. A democracy does not appear strong when half of the participants are apathetic. However, those people who are disillusioned with the choice should be allowed to protest peacefully without police or governmental interference. In this diehard Trump supporters have no leg to stand on given that they promised (even if said promises were empty) to rise up in arms should Trump lose. For better or worse, America is stuck with Trump for four years and the best way to combat that is to get politically active. For those in Canada thinking that this has no effect on us, you’re dead wrong. Political and social thought trickles north across our border. Many of the Harper government’s policies and views were based on George W. Bush era neoconservatism. With the current Conservative Party leadership race, we already have one candidates, Kellie Leitch, espousing racist views like Canada needing to interview everyone entering the country to make sure they hold “Canadian values” as determined by her. After the Trump victory, she’s already saying that it’s an “exciting message that needs to be delivered to Canada.” This has garnered Leitch a lot of press, including a Maclean’s cover story. Tell me if this sounds familiar. A candidate for the leadership of a major political party says xenophobic things and is decried by much of society but garners major media attention. Don’t be fooled Canada. This could never happen in Britain. It did. This could never happen in the United States. It did. It could happen to Canada. Get active Canadians, and make sure that this kind of ideological disease does not take root.
Culture 11
The Rocky Horror Picture The Beast Show Sam Wall News Editor
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ow did you spend your Halloween weekend? I went out for a wild, saucy evening at the Canfor Theatre, where the Northern Pride Centre held its annual showing of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. This cult classic from 1975 includes several traditions in public showings, such as throwing toilet paper, putting a newspaper on your head, snapping rubber gloves, and blowing a kazoo at the most opportune times. As well, each main character has a nickname, which the audience yells every time they come on screen; Brad is “Asshole” and Janet is “Slut,” while the audience yells “Boring” at the professor, and “Great Scott!” at Doctor Scott. It is also traditional for the audience to run down and do the Time Warp, following the directions given by the characters. The film also includes a cameo by Meatloaf, where he sings a song and rides around on a motorcycle before being murdered by Dr. Frank-N-Furter, played by Tim Curry. The premise of the movie is a wholesome young couple, Brad and Janet, are driving on a rainy night when their car breaks down. They walk through the rain to find somewhere where they can call for help. This is when they stumble across a castle, belonging to Frank-N-Furter, who arrives clad in nothing but stockings attached to panties with a garter belt and a corset. As the film progresses, the couple are sucked into Frank-N-Furter’s world of human experiments and sexual intrigue, mixed with strange characters and musical performances. Suffice it to say that watching this movie with a group of people is an energizing experience, with everyone yelling and throwing things it feels like you’re a part of the movie! As much fun as this film and the viewing experience is, it’s important to place it within the context in which it was made. What was radical and empowering for the queer community in 1975, is not necessarily so in 2016. The most important example is the song sung by Dr. Frank-N-Furter to introduce himself, “Sweet Transvestite.” This term is
no longer used, and many people consider it a slur; transgender is now the most accurate term for someone who identifies as a gender different from the one they were assigned at birth. At the same time, the song is catchy and we all sing and dance along in the knowledge that the terminology could be better. Before the showing, Northern Pride Centre President Krystal Vandenburg reminded us that “transvestite is an old term, and if you call a transgender person that, you’re an asshole!” It would be easy to leave it at that, except a remake of the movie, starring transgender actress Laverne Cox, came out this year. This has been controversial for several reasons. Having a transwoman take on this role throws into the question the idea that transwomen are “men dressed up as women,” and legitimizes trans identities. As well, a big decision had to be made about whether to keep “Sweet Transvestite” in or not. Ultimately, the decision was made to include the song while recognizing the problematic term, as it forms a key part of Frank-N-Furter’s character introduction, and a key part of the film overall. Laverne Cox agrees: “We don’t use that term anymore, but in the historical context of Rocky Horror it’s appropriate you don’t change the words to an iconic song,”
Sarah Green Contributor
The night was cold and merciless. Wind tore through her flowing crimson hair. She could not stop. The footsteps got louder, Echoing through the woods. Darkness closed in around her frail form. Her head turned against her will As her eyes sought the beast. Branches clawed at her arms. Blood ran in ribbons past her wrists. She tripped on a concealed root, Tumbling to the ground. One cry escaped her throat Before it was too late.
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Culture
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Relieve your Stress with Art Jade Szymanski Contributor
U
niversity is a stressful time that can lead to people dealing with earlier hair loss than their counterparts. Although stress relief is a crucial part of staying sane these next few years, it’s often difficult to find the time to mentally and physically unwind while balancing classes, going to the gym, staying social, eating, and occasionally having a shower here and there. A study from professors at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, suggests that only 45 minutes of creative activity significantly lessens stress in the body, regardless of artistic experience or talent. Most people cringe at the thought of arts and crafts as it can be messy, time consuming, and is never good enough to even have your mom hang it on her fridge or put it on display on the god awful coffee table she still has from the 80’s. However, there are many forms of art that can be successfully achieved in the comforts of your very own dorm!
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First off, you must find a medium of art which speaks to you while being reasonable and attainable. For example, some people may decide that watercolour painting is a realistic art form which is simple enough to be performed in your tiny $2400/semester sized dorm room. Other possible art forms could be music production, writing stories (or articles for your local newspaper!), cutting out magazine clippings for ransom notes or artistic collages, photography, candle making, oil pastel drawings… the list goes on and on. Next, you must get your supplies. Now please don’t be fooled into thinking that Michael’s is the only craft hub to supply your greedy and capitalism-driven lifestyle. They are extremely overpriced and their quality is not that much better than what an amateur such as yourself may need. The dollar store, or even Walmart for you fancier folk, will suffice for your personal project which at the end of the day, should never be seen by the light of day or the public anyways.
The third step is to set up your creation station. Turn on your fairy lights for a more soft-toned lighting than the asylum lights equipped in your ceiling, courtesy of the dorm building developers. Play some groovy tunes to arouse your auditory senses (a personal fav is “The Funeral” by Band of Horses if you’re into some calming music, or “Backseat Freestyle” by Kendrick Lamar if you’re into something that really gets the blood pumping). Take your arm and violently swipe it across your desk to remove any mess and to have a cleared work space. Put on the most comfortable pair of pyjamas you own in your miniscule and disappointing wardrobe to stimulate your tactile senses and feel ultimate comfort while creating your masterpiece. Now that your setting is sensual and promotes maximum creativity and productivity, it is time to get to work.
The most important part about creating art is to take your time and not be scared to make mistakes. Choose to either have a predetermined plan or to just dive in and go with the flow. If you make a mark, smudge, or misshapen form, don’t fret or get flustered, as this is part of the art process. The point of art is to not be perfect but to express yourself in your own unique way. It’s also important to remember that art shouldn’t be rushed. You can finish a project in one sitting or come back to it at a later time if you feel like your creative juices have been dried out; don’t keep going in an attempt to finish, as the point of this art is to release your stress. Above all, it is essential to remember that the main point to focus on is the process rather than the final product. Until you become the professional artist your mom has always hoped you’d become, focus your set aside art time on the experience and worry about final products when it comes to things like your chemistry lab or your chicken risotto.
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Culture 13
Doll Sam Wall News Editor
my gums sliced and sewn back together
eyelid crash to eyelid
write instead of speak or eat
lashes like cracks across my cheeks
slamming a truck over my face
body devoid of moisture but tears
again and again, somehow still
all lost in vomit
unbroken, porcelain head numb
dry mouth aching
muscles struck by weakness
for a drink, for a
limbs betraying synapses
pill; pain pain go away
brain signals cut short
come again another way
spinal cord collapsing solidification of bone I am set upon a shelf with all the other dolls a pile of flesh slowed by lethargy my skin begins to wither shrink, dried up and leather eyes blurry as morning fog
Northern Living Katie Hansen Contributor
The Northern Folk can smell the snow today.
More than six months of winter is too long!
It’s time to gather up the winter gear;
They wish for the warmth and the summer fun!
They pull out their shovels to get ready. The Children are delighted snow is near!
The first of the white flakes begins to fall; Northern Folk rush to get their snow tires on. Frosty the Snowman is up standing tall. All signs of living vegetation, gone.
The cold weather does not seem to belong; Why can’t this frozen season be all done?
When winter ends the Northern Folks will say, I hope next year the snow does not delay!
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Culture
Should Teens Vote?
Race Walking
Danielle Toth Contributor
James Eckstein Contributor
T
he Olympics are some of the greatest sporting events anyone can watch. With athletes from all around the world competing in such a large variety of sports, there’s something that everyone can enjoy. The amount of growth that has occurred since the very first Olympics back in 1896 is staggering. However, whenever the discussion of the variety of sports that have made their way into today’s Olympics come up, the same question is usually asked: Why is race walking in today’s Olympics? The more daring of us even ask: Why is race walking even considered a sport? Any dictionary will describe a sport as “an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment”. Race walking contains all of these components, except many people will argue that race walking is in no way entertaining to watch. It has been coined by many as an “artificial sport”, often being the butt end of many jokes. Outside of themselves, race walkers have a hard time being taken seriously. Many argue that if popular sports such as baseball or lacrosse are not showcased cbsnews.com
in the Olympics, then why should race walking have its own event category? Race walking was first introduced into the Olympics as a standalone event in the Summer of 1908. The fact that race walking has been an official Olympic sport for over a hundred years goes to show that somebody out there has been watching it for all of these years. Considering that the majority of winners have been coming from either China or Russia, perhaps there is a massive following that we are just not aware of in Canada. After doing much research into race walking, it came to my attention that there is actually much more skill and technique than one would assume at first glance. Athletes are constantly being watched by judges who are making sure of two things: The athletes must keep one foot on the ground between strides, and the front stride must be straight at the knee when the heel first contacts the ground. Breaking either of these rules will result in one being given a single stern warning, or instant disqualification. While it may only be two simple rules, this takes a hefty amount of concentration and focus, and race walkers need to keep this mentality throughout the entire length of the race. At the end of the day, the biggest problem with race walking seems to be the way that people do not look deep enough into the entire process of the race. Race walking should not just be looked at on a physical level, but as a sport that requires a large amount of mental focus. We should think of race walking as a competition of both physical and mental stamina. Perhaps this misconception with race walking simply comes from the fact that everybody who judges it so harshly has either never attempted the sport before, or they’re still annoyed that baseball is no longer a part of the Olympics. Either way, everybody should get out there and attempt race walking. Only after understanding the entire process of the sport could we truly be allowed to make fun of it.
D
eciding the fate of one of the world’s most influential nations is a heavy responsibility. This responsibility falls on the shoulders of eligible Americans over the age of 18. But for some reason, the US Census Bureau found only 69% of eligible Americans are registered to vote. This is substantially less than the 76% of registered Americans in the 2012 election. Of course, the actual turnout is not even close to the number of registered voters. But what if Americans didn’t need to be 18 to vote? What if the voting age were lowered to 17, for example? Or even 15? Would more voters turn out? And how would they vote? The results may be surprising. According to a poll of 100,000 teens taken by the app After School, teens voted overwhelmingly in favor of Donald Trump. Trump won 47% of the votes and 42 of 50 states, while Clinton won only 33%. Organizers of the poll cite the teens reasons for preferring Trump because “he’ll help the economy,” and “he’s not Hillary.” Poll organizers also noted that the politician teens truly support is Bernie Sanders. Sanders lost the primary election to Hillary Clinton, meaning Clinton would go on to represent the Democratic Party. But after the primary election, Sanders publicly endorsed Clinton, encouraging Americans to “[join] forces to defeat Donald Trump.” However, despite the endorsement of their preferred candidate, teens still favoured Trump. Endorsing risk (and maybe unpredictable politicians) is a part of teenagers’ rebellious nature. This generally translates into teenagers acting against the consensus of what society wants. Unfortunately, a lot of the time, what society wants is actually good. For example, teenagers generally rebel by drinking, doing drugs, or driving dangerously fast. Objectively, these things are not good. So many experts wonder if teenagers would vote solely to rebel or genuinely in their best interest. This matters because lowering the voter age increases voter turnout. However, the 18-24 age group is still the most underrepresented.
A University of Edinburgh study found many 16 and 17-year-olds do not vote like their parents. In Scotland’s 2014 independence referendum, 40% of younger voters did not vote the same way as their mothers and fathers. Whether, this is due to teenage rebellion or to a shift in generational perspective, the results were incredibly important given the closeness of the final election results (a 45-55% split). On the one-hand, teens are people, too, and the decisions that are made while they are teens will affect them into adulthood. Austria lowered the voting age from 18 to 16 in 2008, and Argentina has allowed 16-year-olds to vote since 2012. Hungary allows 16-year-olds to vote if they are married, and Serbia allows voting at age 16 if the voter is employed. Recently the state of Ohio allowed 17-year-olds to vote in the primary election, so long as they turn 18 before the general election voting date on November 8. Lowering the voting age could create a culture of engagement, and increase the attention and focus on government. On the other hand, as a fact of physiology, teenagers are hormonally unstable. As a minor, most 16-year-olds don’t fill out their tax forms, they haven’t shopped for a daycare facility, they are incredibly vulnerable to peer pressure and social media, and they have likely never set foot in a palliative care unit or waited weeks to see a specialist. Most 16-year-olds have no clue what their dental coverage is, and they don’t fully understand the importance of the current majority government and a platform’s values. This all matters because lowering the voter age increases voter turnout. More younger voters means more opinions being considered, many of which are progressive and in-line with an upcoming generation’s values. However, MacLean’s reports that the 18-24 age group is the most underrepresented, with turnout being lower as the age of the voter is lower. If this is any indication of voter turnout for a 16-yearold, the indications are not positive.
Culture 15
99.9%: An Album Review of 2016’s Polaris Music Prize Winner Dara Campbell Contributor
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wow this shit is crazy.” That’s what Kaytranada tweeted shortly after taking home the Polaris Music Prize and its $50,000 accolade. The 24-year-old Haitian-Canadian from Montreal, born Louis Kevin Celestin, seemed to be in genuine disbelief as he accepted the award. His debut album 99.9% beat out a number of outstanding Canadian LPs, including Grimes’ artful synth-pop rollercoaster Art Angels, Andy Shauf ’s lush and vibrant nod to the 70s, The Party, and EMOTION, Carly Rae Jepson’s respectable (and danceable) take-off from ‘Call Me Maybe.’ I don’t think I was alone in believing that Grimes had it in the bag this year. Art Angels ranks in my top six releases of 2016; however, its eccentricity and unpredictability is less accessible than Kaytranada’s soulful alternative R&B funky hip-hop electronica. For example, track three of Art Angels features a rapper who spits heatedly in Japanese and doesn’t seem to care whether or not you understand her. (Does Grimes even understand her?) 99.9%, on the other hand, is a smooth and colourful experience of an album. Kaytranada’s name has now been added to the impressive list of Polaris Music Prize recipients, alongside the likes of Tanya Tagaq, Arcade Fire, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and Feist. Therefore, I decided it was high time I give his celebrated LP a proper and thorough listen. Here is my track-by-track review of Canada’s new pride and joy: 99.9%. *Kaytranda will henceforth be referred to as K. 1. Track Uno The title of this opening track sets a promising tone; it is indicative of an orderly wholesomeness, as opposed to several singles strung together and labelled as one creative unit. I wondered momentarily if the use of Spanish was an homage to K’s heritage, then remembered that Haitian Creole is primarily based on French. Is Spanish just the new cool
thing? This track is groovy and shiny and makes you want to move your shoulders. 2. Bus Ride K slows it down in this two-minute track. The repetitiveness is counteracted by interesting and smooth instrumentalism throughout. My theory is that ‘Track Uno’ is meant for the ‘getting glam’d up’ portion of the night and ‘Bus Ride’ is for the transit ride to wherever it is you’re going. 3. Got It Good (Ft. Craig David) This is a fun change of pace because it showcases some very sexy vocals. Someone who is either K or Craig David stylishly croons that they’ve “got it good.” However, the uncredited female vocals are what set the song apart from the sultry electronic R&B sound that has already been popularized by The Weeknd. 4. Together (Ft. AlunaGeorge & GoldLink) Props to K for featuring a fellow Canadian (Aluna George) in his album! That shit makes me happy. The gorgeousness of Aluna’s vocals in combination with the track’s genre-bending sound is only slightly dulled by GoldLink, whose rap portion sounds like all of the other token midtrack rap verses. Even so, I recommend ‘Together’ for its house-like danceability.
bleeds BBNG’s signature sound from the very first bar. Just when the track seems to be getting repetitive, K switches things up. This is almost two songs in one. What a steal! 7. One Too Many (Ft. Phonte) Suave men singing about chasing “sexy girls.” What makes this track unique? There’s a neat electronic noise happening in the background. There’s actually quite a lot happening in the background if you care to listen. 8. Despite The Weather Upon first impression, this sounds like something that might play in a hotel lobby. But a very trendy and elegant hotel, with tasteful lava lamps and a restaurant that serves desserts that they set on fire in front of your eyes. At the end, we hear a reverb-heaving recording of someone telling his friends to check out Kaytranada. Well, K, we already have. 9. Glowed Up Is this where the term ‘glowed up’ originated, or did K cash in on the trend early? Either way, this song is so hip. It’s no mistake that ‘Glowed Up’ is in the middle of the album; it sounds like the peak hour of a night out. K strikes a cool balance between sensual and energetic.
5. Drive Me Crazy
10. Breakdance Lesson N.1
Is it intentional that this is a good driving song? It opens with the kind of rap that you can stiffly move your head to while keeping both hands on the wheel. Still, this track embodies the rhythmic electronica that K has woven throughout his LP. Three minutes in, ‘Drive Me Crazy’ cools down and ceases to moan about the women who drive K crazy.
This one sounds like it interrupts the previous song, but track ten immediately wins you over with its groovy-ness. For a bit, it even sounds reminiscent of 90s hip-hop. K also fades in and out of various sound patterns, making ‘Breakdance Lesson N.1’ feel shorter than its four-and-a-half minutes.
6. Weight Off (Ft. BADBADNOTGOOD) If you haven’t become a fan of Toronto’s BADBADNOTGOOD (BBNG), I highly recommend you do so immediately. Their reinterpretation of Future Island’s ‘Seasons’ is an instrumental chef-d’oeuvre. This track
in this track, but the lyrics speak to a gloomy sentiment that all young people can relate to – the sentiment of wanting someone who is an asshole to you.
11. You’re The One (Ft. Syd) Whoever this Syd is, I like her. This would do well to accompany a movie montage of young fashionable women glamorously and drunkenly walking the lit streets of NYC. I do it for the pain/for your touch, Syd sings. I was distracted by the lustfulness
12. Vivid Dreams (Ft. River Tiber) Don’t let track eleven get you down, because it flows beautifully into ‘Vivid Dreams.’ Every time I’ve fallen and I can’t deny it was sung, I was expecting I’ve fallen and I can’t get up, like the infomercial for Life Alert. I’m also not convinced that this track is anymore dream-like than K’s other stuff. 13. Lite Spots Track thirteen samples some French song and it does so quite well. Not as well as Sister Nancy’s ‘Bam Bam’ in ‘Famous’ by Kanye West, but well all the same. K has shown here that a song can be both repetitive and unpredictable all at once. 14. Leave Me Alone (Ft. Shay Lia) ‘Leave Me Alone’ shows off complex percussion rhythms that pay tribute to Haiti’s African and Dominican-inspired music. Shay Lia oohs and aahs. This track is for the last hour of the night, when you’re starting to feel sleepy but still enjoying the ambiance of wherever it is that you ended up. Your mascara is also probably on your face a little bit, because it happens to the best of us (am I right, ladies?). 15. Bullets (Ft. Little Dragon) This last track is for transiting or cabbing home and stopping along the way to get fatty food. At this point in the night, you’ve got enough energy to order six McNuggets and a medium fries and peruse your Instagram feed, but couldn’t be bothered to brush your teeth before bed. At this point in the album, K’s sound feels less novel and fresh than it did earlier. I’m not sure why he ended on this track in particular, but it’ll do.
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