10 | CULTURE | Monday, December 2, 2013 lifestyle >> Safe, not sober Cobalt Bar launches innovative harm reduction program for monthly Man Up competition photo courtesy lindsay elliot The organizers of Man Up, a popular queer variety show, have created a volunteer-run “Buddy System” to ensure partygoers remain safe. Aurora Tejeida Senior Culture Writer If you’ve ever been to Man Up, a monthly drag king show and queer dance party at the Cobalt in East Van, you’ve probably witnessed a lot of fun times. But you might have missed their sober patrol, also known as the Buddy System. The Buddy System started at Man Up in February by the main organizer and host, Paige Frewer, and her friend, Pussy Liquor, who has been doing community and harm reduction work for about 10 years. The system was initially created as a community response to an unfortunate incident involving one of the performers who left the bar by herself after a show and was sexually assaulted by a person who coerced her to go up to the Cobalt Hotel. “It was a horrible incident, and it was in the aftermath of that that a good friend, Pussy Liquor, came up with the concept of the Buddy System to make sure there was an infrastructure in place to keep an eye on people that had been partying,” said Frewer. Both Frewer and Liquor agreed that they had to provide some type of safety net. Now, the Buddy System is in effect every night there’s a show. As their Facebook description says: “Whether you’re drunk, high on E, doing blow or looking for rolling papers or clean rigs, there is zero judgement of your choice to get inebriated — we just wanna get you home safe!” The system is based on the harm reduction model, so it’s not just about keeping an eye on people leaving the bar; during the party, volunteers look out for people who leave their drinks unattended or who are too drunk to fend for themselves. “It’s about creating a sober presence in and around the bar and keeping it going throughout the whole night,” explained Liquor. Volunteers can be identified by the glow-in-the-dark bracelets they wear on both wrists, which are handed to them by Liquor, along with water bottles, transit tickets, safe sex supplies, clean needles and rolling paper. But sometimes it’s hard to convince people to tone down the partying, so the number of volunteers per night has gone through ups and downs since the system was created. “There [were] a lot more volunteers when it first happened, and then over Pride it lowered because everybody wanted to be out partying. Now, into fall, it seems to be amping back up again,” said Liquor. On any given Man Up night, volunteers show up and Liquor gives them a rundown of what the expectations are, explained Frewer. “It’s her responsibility to make sure the volunteers are engaged, because some people just want to stay sober and wear the bracelets.... They’re really there to watch the show and hang out with friends.” The most volunteers they’ve had in one night was between 15 and 20, but sometimes it’s just Liquor running the entire show. “[Volunteers] are also there to peacefully intervene if somebody is getting unwanted attention from someone who is too drunk to take no for an answer. Those are the type of situations that they sometimes deal with,” Frewer said. The system has become an important part of Man Up shows — so much that Frewer and Liquor are creating a paid position so that somebody can take Liquor’s place. “She’s ready to pass the torch, so we’re in the process of training someone to be the volunteer supervisor at every single show,” said Frewer. Liquor is currently in the process of training a couple of applicants by having them shadow her during the night; the honorarium for the position will be $80 a night. “I learned this job by playing it by ear,” she explained. Volunteers are expected to go outside during intermission and walk around the block. This is done to check if there’s someone who’s wandered outside and who might be too drunk or feeling sick. They are also expected to keep an eye on the door to check who’s coming and going and what state they’re in. At the end of the night, they hand out water to as many people as possible, even if they haven’t been drinking. After the incident in February, Liquor said, many people voiced their concerns about the neighbourhood and the building where Man Up was hosting events. Some people suggested moving them to a different location. “The response was, ‘No, we shouldn’t have to move, we shouldn’t have to leave because of other people’s actions. We should be able to step up as a community and watch each other’s backs and support each other,’” Liquor said. At this time, the Buddy System only exists for Man Up events, but according to Liquor, expanding it would not be a difficult feat. “I think that [this system] works for Man Up and it would work for any other party or space where women are feeling unsafe,” she said. Liquor has had people approach her and ask her how to set up their own Buddy Systems, and her response is always the same. “Anyone can do this. You need a flat of water and some glow-inthe-dark bracelets and you’re pretty much set to go. Anything else on top of that is gravy.” U The Cobalt is located at 917 Main St. Visit http://manupvancouver.com for more information about the event. More online Visit ubyssey.ca/culture for extended articles and web exclusives. television >> Doctor Who is 50 years old and hasn’t aged a day Miguel Santa Maria Contributor For campus Doctor Who fans, the question isn’t where, but when. On Nov. 23, Doctor Who, one of the most popular television series in sci-fi history, celebrated its 50th anniversary with a special 80-minute episode entitled The Day of the Doctor . The show began airing on the BBC in 1963 and went on hiatus in 1989; it then re-launched again in 2005, in the same continuity where it left off more than a decade earlier. For those not in the know, the series revolves around the Doctor, a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey, who goes on various adventures — usually with different companions in tow — throughout space and time. These exploits include everything from helping a family in World War II get through Christmas Eve to preventing galactic annihilation from a variety of alien and paranormal foes — including the Devil himself. Although the anniversary special aired globally on Nov. 23, a handful of UBC Computer Science Student Society (CSSS) students got together in the Hugh Dempster Pavillion for a screening of the special a few days later. One of the organizers of the screening, Kiefer Irvine, admits that planning the event was a “straight-up gamble,” as he was not aware of the extent of UBC’s fanbase for the show. “How many ‘Whovians’ are on campus?” Irvine joked, adding that he initially made a Facebook page for UBC fans and waited for it to get a significant amount of likes before making the event. “I didn’t even know if it would even be feasible, but once it started to get more rolling, I was like, ‘OK, we can do this.’” The result was 30 or so people in attendance, most of whom laughed and cheered throughout the screening. The episode was shown in many sold-out screenings in theatres across Canada — more than enough proof that the series has a healthy fanbase beyond its UK shores. With such sustained success, one might wonder how such a series has managed not only to last through the decades, but to inspire such a vast global fanbase. Toph Marshall, an expert on pop culture and television research at UBC, suggests a variety of reasons — one of them being that it appeals to all ages. “There aren’t many shows that are really designed to bring families together,” Marshall said. He also points out that Who ’s underlying moral messages, like the emphasis on friendships and nonviolent solutions, are also key factors in its success, since they are universally shared by most people. “Science fiction is a safe place to solve big issues, whether it’s moral dilemmas or political philosophies,” he said. “It has become more of a legitimate mode of narrative storytelling within our culture than it [was] 30 years ago.” Another factor in the series’ following, according to Marshall, is how viewers relate to the characters and narrative. “I think without the characters, it wouldn’t work. The characters are crucial.... It is important that we form an emotional response to them.” Irvine shares a similar sentiment. “The writing, characters and story arcs [are] just woven together so well. You’re always in for a treat.” Despite its sci-fi background and strong narrative, the actual influence of Doctor Who on science and society — relative to other franchises such as Star Trek — is, according to Marshall, practically nonexistent. But he stresses that this insularity is irrelevant to the show’s success. “The show is not looking to impact social values,” he said. “If it is, it’s not why I’m watching it.” Irvine does not believe the show has a significant scientific dimension either. “A usual explanation for [events] in show is ‘wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey [stuff],’” he said. The future of the series remains to be seen, but for now, all drinks are on the house in the Doctor’s time-travelling police phone box as he celebrates five decades of saving the universe. U illustration indiana joel/the ubyssey The doctor is long due for a visit to UBC, if only to spread his profuse taste in London fashions among the sartorially beleagured student populace.