NEWS AND CULTURE FOR THE STUDENTS OF KWANTLEN POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY

THEVOL. 05ISSUE 0310.16.2012

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THE OCCUPATIONTHE OCCUPATIONKwantlen alum makes Kwantlen alum makes documentary of Vancouver documentary of Vancouver protest protest pages 8-9 pages 8-9

ROUNDUP The Runner | www.runnermag.ca page two | October 16 2012 | vol. 5 issue 03

NEWS

The Runner Roundup

WATERLOO (CUP) — After much speculation and ongoing predications, Justin Trudeau has announced his Liberal leadership bid.

On Oct. 2, Trudeau arrived at the William-Hingston Centre in Montreal and met with Liberal supporters. With his family, including his wife Sophie Grégoire and their two chil-dren, Trudeau declared his intention to run for leadership of the party.

The Conservative government is taking this country in a direction most Canadians don’t want it to go. We want a vision for Canada’s future grounded not in the politics of envy or mistrust.”

His announcement, according to Wilfrid Laurier University professor Barry Kay, may be a result of the Liberal Party having no other serious alternatives.

“I think the Liberal strategy is not about winning this next election, it’s about improving themselves and positioning themselves as the alternatives to the Conservatives,” Kay said.

Trudeau, having been an MP for the Papineau riding in Ottawa since 2008, does not have many years of experience in politics, leading some to question the validity of his campaign.

There has been speculation as to whether his family’s history in politics has had more of an impact on his popularity than his own political background. It has also been noted that Trudeau has not adequately addressed his thoughts on issues such as economy and foreign affairs. ALANNA FAIREY — THE CORD (WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY)

A brief run around the latest news from Kwantlen and beyond.

I believe Canadians want and need new leadership“

DAVEHUEHN/FLICKR CREATIVE COMMONS

Crown appeals weekend jail sentence of UBC student charged in Stanley Cup riot

VANCOUVER (CUP) — The B.C. Court of Appeal has received notice that the Crown will be appealing the sentencing of UBC student Alexandre Peepre, who was sentenced to weekend jail time for his charges of assault and taking part in a riot in connection to the 2011 Stanley Cup riot. The Crown is hoping for a harsher sentence.

According to the Court of Appeal, the Crown expects a hearing to take place before the end of 2012, possibly in November or December. The notice of appeal notes that the Crown would like to see the term of jail increased, but does not specifically ask for Peepre to be in jail during the week as well as on weekends.

Peepre, a 21-year-old political science student at UBC, was sentenced on Sept. 13 to 60 days of jail time to be served from 7 p.m. on Fridays to 5 p.m. on Sundays. He was also sen-tenced to 18 months of probation starting in January when his jail time is up and 125 hours of community service. Peepre is also required to pay $2,000 in restitution to the owner of the 1996 GMC Sierra truck that he helped flip on the day of the riot.

Peepre was charged with assault for punching 25-year-old Cameron Brown, a man who was trying to put out a trash-can fire, in the head. Brown plans to file a $4,000 civil suit against Peepre. LAURA RODGERS — THE UBYSSEY (UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA)

PHOTO COURTESY OF GEOFF LISTER/THE UBYSSEY

KSA

AD

NEWS vol. 5 issue 03 | October 16 2012 | page threewww.runnermag.ca | The Runner

KSA by-election asks student to choose between identities I

MATT DIMERANEWS EDITOR

Students who self-identify with more than one constituency group may once again be forced to choose between their identities in the Kwantlen Student Association’s (KSA) upcoming by-election.

Before last spring’s general election, stu-dents were able to vote for as many con-stituency representatives (previously called liaisons), with which they self-identified. However, the KSA’s chief returning officer, Corey Van’t Haaff interpreted the rules dif-ferently than her predecessors.

“You can only vote for one constituency,” explained Van’t Haaff in a phone interview with The Runner on Oct. 12. “You only get one vote to influence the number of people on council.”

The KSA has positions representing seven groups who have historically faced

unique challenges to their participation in post-secondary education: queer students, students of colour, students with disabili-ties, international students, mature stu-dents, aboriginal students and women. Any Kwantlen student who self-identifies with a given group may vote for, and run for, the constituency representative position repre-senting that group.

In the upcoming by-election only the students with disabilities and students of colour representatives are up for election.

“It is arguable,” said Van’t Haaff. “But I’m going along the lines of one vote for the constituency, one vote for the campus and one vote with the faculty; all with the one you most identify with.”

Van’t Haaff argued that allowing some students to vote for more than one constitu-ency representative would give them an unfair influence on the makeup of council.

“My position is one person, one vote,”

she said. “You would be giving the person who identifies with four, four opportunities to put somebody on council.”

The Capilano Student’s Union has six similar positions on their board, however they allow all students to vote for all con-stituencies, even those who don’t self-iden-tify with the constituencies.

According to Van’t Haaff, the issue is out of her hands, but was brought up with the KSA council in her April 30 report, on the spring 2012 general election.

“If council’s intent is to have people only cast one vote, or if council’s intent is to have people cast more than one, then coun-cil is free to clarify that particular rule,” she stated.

Melinda Bige, the KSA’s aboriginal con-stituency representative disagreed with the current policy.

“It gives the implication that one catego-ry matters more than the other,” she said. “I

don’t identify as an aboriginal person sepa-rately than I identify as a woman. It’s some-thing that I’ve advocated for, to change it.”

Christopher Girodat, the KSA’s ex-ecutive chairperson, agreed that the issue needs to be addressed.

“This is [something] we identified as an issue shortly after the release of the official results of the general election, unfortu-nately a package of amendments is not yet complete and won’t be in force in time for the by-elections,” said Girodat. “It is on our radar, it’s definitely something the gover-nance committee’s identified as something that needs to be changed. Unfortunately we can’t change the rules mid-election.”

Girodat said that council didn’t have adequate time in the five months since the last election to make changes, but that they would be made in time for the next election.

“The election rules are about 27 pages long, so there’s a lot they’re looking into.”

KSA exec says conference hotel rooms were a matter of safety

I SAMANTHA LEGO

Kwantlen Student Association (KSA) del-egates attending a local conference in Rich-mond B.C. last month, spent the night in a hotel paid for by student fees.

The KSA paid $285.60 for two hotel rooms at the Four Points Sheraton hotel for seven elected officials, staff and volunteers who attended the Volunteer B.C. conference Sept. 27 and 28, so they wouldn’t have to take public transit at night.

“Due to the time frame it would have been challenging for some of our volunteers to make it there and back because there were debriefs after the days,” said Christo-pher Girodat, the KSA’s director of student services and executive chairperson.

The attendees included the director of finance, Tony Chiao, the director of student life, Amrit Mahil, and Kwantlen senator Iman Ghahremani.

According to Chiao, the money spent was beneficial because there were several volunteers who would not be able to get

home afterwards.“We’d have to send them home through

the transit [which would be] three hours at night,” said Chiao.

“If we don’t care about volunteer safety then [the hotel] was not a good idea but if we do care about volunteer safety for get-ting home then I believe we should provide them with a shelter.”

The conference sessions ran on Thurs-day, Sept. 27 from 8 a.m. until 4:30 pm and on Friday, Sept. 28 from 8 am until 3:30 pm and focused on training and retaining vol-unteers for non-profit groups. The confer-ence was held in the hotel, five blocks away from Brighouse Skytrain station.

The KSA also paid $100 for dinner at the No.9 Restaurant that, according to Chiao, was meant for networking with other or-ganizations. The dinner was an added cost because “it wouldn’t be nice to ask the vol-unteers to pay for it,” said Chiao.

The total costs for the seven attendees was $1007.20 as of Oct. 10.

LETTERS@RUNNERMAG.CA

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?>>>>

(seriously though, please write us a letter. We’ll publish it. We promise.)

NEWS The Runner | www.runnermag.ca page four | October 16 2012 | vol. 5 issue 03

KWANTLEN

KSA by-election candidates ask for your voteThe Kwantlen Student Association’s (KSA) by-election takes place Oct. 23-25 and the candidates are asking for your vote. Here are their pitches to you:

Richmond campus representative (1 posi-tion)

Inga Kavtaradze:Inga Kavtaradze:I have worked at the KSA as a Member Ser-vices Specialist for almost two years. Work-ing mainly at the Richmond office, I have learned what students want, the advantag-es of KSA and areas in which it needs im-provement. I can easily relate to Kwantlen students in Richmond since I am a student myself. Studying Accounting, I have a good understanding of budgeting and managing money. If I get elected, I will implement my ideas to make this campus even better, with more events, resources and opportunities for students. Vote YES for Inga Kavtaradze to make Richmond campus YOUR campus!

Jun Tao (Davis) Xu:Jun Tao (Davis) Xu:My name is Jun tao (Davis) Xu; I have been a volunteer working for student for more than two years and studying in Kwantlen for more than three years. I understand the need and feeling of the students. Vote for me as the Richmond representative, let stu-dents in Richmond campus have a chance to speak out their demands. If I am hon-ored to be elected as the representative of Richmond students, I am representing your

ideas, your needs, and your concerns. We need your supports to make our Richmond Campus a better place to learn, to live, and to love.

Academic and career advancement faculty representative (2 positions)

Gaurav Kumar (Bhulla):Gaurav Kumar (Bhulla):I am running for position of Academic and Career Advancement Representative. I be-lieve that the KSA plays an amazing role in student life. I have always been the type of person, who wants to help people in any way possible. I believe that I can speak for students and can offer them help within the school. My goal is to find out what it will take to better student life and involvement at the Campus. Most of all I would like to help build a functional and exciting student life for Kwantlen. Vote for me, I do stuff!

Chanel Kwong:Chanel Kwong:My name is Chanel Kwong and I am run-ning for the Academic and Career Advance-ment Representative. I recently graduated from high school where I was involved in Air Cadets, was Vice-President for the Ser-vice Club, acted as student leader for sever-al other clubs, and was an active volunteer at South Vancouver Neighborhood House. Recently, I have been involved in AIESEC at Kwantlen as the Corporate Communication Specialist. I have gained many skills from all these experiences, and will bring them to

my new position in the KSA.

Design faculty representative (1 position)

Ming Li:Ming Li:Working experience in marketing has equipped me with practice and knowledge for designing projects. I am hardworking, responsible and with pleasing personality. I am motivated to devote my energy and time to create designs that will refresh your eyes and mind.

Students with disabilities representative (1 position)

Asheen-azad Khan:Asheen-azad Khan:If elected, I will work diligently to ensure that all current and future needs of persons with disabilities are met, including issues regarding accessibility barriers through-out the campuses. As a person born with a disability, the issues and concerns of those facing the same challenges as myself are of greater importance to me than can be put into words. I will, to the best of my ability, ensure that every complaint made by my constituency is treated as a priority.

Students of colour representative (1 posi-tion)

Richard Hosein:Richard Hosein:My name is Richard Hosein, I am a mature student at KPU and am involved in sev-

eral grassroots social movements. I have embarked on my current academic path in an effort to legitimize my passion for social and economic justice. I am involved with various initiatives and clubs around cam-pus including: 2013 Student Leadership Conference, CIR:CLE, AIESEC-Kwantlen, Kwantlen University Policy Students for Sustainability (KUPSS), Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy (CSSDP-KPU), and the Federal and Provincial Green Par-ties. I believe I can assist Students of Colour with my perseverance and determination to make a significant impact for my fellow students.

Ans ImranAns ImranNo Statement Provided

Ke Tsi:Ke Tsi:Born in China, raised in Russia, studied in England, and lived in Canada, I have now understood how each of us so different, yet alike. Acquire knowledge and make friends, these are core values of KPU student life. My goal is to make your KPU experience as colorful as possible. Each of us represents a unique color, together we are the rainbow. Give me your voice; we can create a beauti-ful symphony.

ISANA SOHELCONTRIBUTOR

Eager and motivated students signed up to volunteer for four local charities and suc-cessfully met the 100 Volunteers Challenge at Kwantlen Polytechnic University on Sept. 14 and 15.

“Some of the many benefits of volun-teering include gaining greater self-aware-ness – your likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses,” said Theresa Voorsluys, pro-gram assistant at Kwantlen’s Student Lead-ership and Development department.

“It can help you gain experience and also voices to future employers that you have a

good attitude – it is more than money that motivates you to get a job done.”

Students who participated were pre-sented with an eye-opening opportunity to experience the community they live in by being part of the Surrey Food Bank, the Sharing Farm in Richmond, Partners in Parks and the Langley Environmental Pro-tection Society. Each organization benefited from the students’ contributions.

“People need to consider volunteering like they would a job. Find out what these organizations will be asking you to do, how long they need a commitment, what bene-fits they offer, and what skills you may need to come in with.”

Here are four reasons why students should consider volunteering important:

1. Polishing your skillsVolunteering presents students with an opportunity to exercise or gain new skills. Leadership, organization skills are the two skills that students have been able to use in achieving academic and social success. 2. Connecting with the communityReaching out to the community is extremely important and volunteering helps presents a chance to gain awareness of the issues surrounding our environment. Students are able to connect with others and increase their societal connections.

3. Framing your futureThere is no doubt that volunteering will as-sist students in getting better jobs and also placing them one step ahead of their con-tenders. Employers and even universities appreciate students who venture their time for the betterment of society or a commu-nity. 4. Sensing self-accomplishment Feeling a sense of self-accomplishment is perhaps the greatest reward for volunteer-ing. Volunteering presents students to ap-proach their personal goals and dreams and volunteer in a setting that helps them achieve something for themselves.

Kwantlen students step up to meet volunteer challenge

STRIKE

NEWS vol. 5 issue 03 | October 16 2012 | page fivewww.runnermag.ca | The Runner

ILAURA RODGERSTHE UBYSSEY (UBC)

VANCOUVER (CUP) — Many support and service workers of CUPE (Canadian Union of Public Employees) picketed and rallied at five B.C. universities

CUPE unions representing staff at the University of British Columbia, the Uni-versity of Victoria, Simon Fraser University, Thompson Rivers University and the Uni-versity of Northern British Columbia par-ticipated in job action on their campuses.

At UBC, over 500 CUPE workers, as well as supporters from other union locals, formed a march that snaked its way around campus at noon today, ending in a rally in front of the Student Union Building (SUB). A picket line was also set up today in front of various SUB entrances. The workers are planning more job action in the coming weeks.

“This is the first day of our escalating job action. We need to wake up, first of all, we need to make some noise, because I don’t think they can hear us over in Victoria,” said CUPE 116 president Colleen Garbe to a crowd of union workers outside the SUB. Since any offers from UBC are bound by mandates set by the provincial government,

various CUPE unions at universities across the province are planning concerted job ac-tion to put pressure on the province.

“Yes, we’re UBC employees, and UBC is our employer, but the the government has been hamstringing them and tying their hands,” said Garbe.

CUPE 116 represents Campus Security, food services, tradespeople, custodians and other support and service staff throughout UBC. Garbe said that today would be a one-day strike including many of their em-ployees and they will be back at work by to-morrow, but she added that job action will continue to escalate as long as CUPE and UBC have not reached a collective agree-ment.

“At 11:34 we shut down the food servic-es in the SUB so our members could come out,” said Garbe, describing today’s job ac-tion in a later interview. “We went over to Plant Operations and we took out all the trades, the clerical, the utilities, the mail room. We also took down our Campus Se-curity to the essential service levels.”

Representatives from other CUPE locals also participated in today’s march, and Bar-ry O’Neill, president of all CUPE unions in B.C., who also spoke at the rally.

“What the locals are asking for is a cost

of living allowance which doesn’t seem very outrageous to me,” said O’Neill.

The union has no future bargaining dates set up with UBC. CUPE 116 workers are asking for increased job security, cost-of-living allowances, and pensions for all of their members.

COPE 378, the union representing AMS security staff, also put up a one-day picket line outside the SUB today in support of CUPE. AMS security workers have been negotiating a collective agreement with the AMS since September 2011. COPE says that bargaining with the AMS is winding down, and the two parties’ offers are now within a dollar of each other. Their main reason for picketing was to support CUPE 116.

The provincial government has recently considered privatizing service jobs across B.C. public universities, according to Garbe. She says that the CUPE unions across B.C. will not cease their job action until the prov-ince promises that no privatization will happen.

So far, the job action didn’t have a huge effect on UBC’s day-to-day operations, ac-cording to UBC director of public affairs Lucie McNeill.

“We have to say that service disruptions have been kept to a minimum and we’re

grateful for that,” said McNeill. “Our stu-dents, and our faculty and staff who are not involved in this particular dispute ap-preciate the fact that they can go about their business.”

If picket lines are set up around classes in the future, students will need to notify UBC if they choose not to cross them as a matter of personal conscience. So far the university sent out a single broadcast email today about the job action on campus, but many students still aren’t fully aware of the situation.

Sauder student Krystal Ramirez said she wasn’t aware any job action was going on today until she saw the picket lines outside the SUB. “I haven’t checked my email, so probably it’s there, but I don’t know,” she said.

When a CUPE picket captain informed her of the job action underway, she opted to turn back and not cross the picket line. But she said she may not make the same choice in the future.

“I would definitely go into my class-room. I won’t miss a class just because of this, you know? Education is important, this is important for some people, but for me, education is more important.”

Hundreds of workers begin strike action at B.C. universities

CUPE 116 workers marched around UBC’s Point Grey campus Oct. 4, as part of their first day of job action. KAI JACOBSON/THE UBYSSEY

NEWS The Runner | www.runnermag.ca page six | October 16 2012 | vol. 5 issue 03

POLITICS

IEMILY OLESENTHE NAVIGATOR (VIU)

NANAIMO (CUP) — The B.C. government wants to be absolutely clear — hipster is not a real job.A $15 million advertising campaign by the B.C. Liberals that including running “Hipster is not a Real Job” ads is causing confusion among political adversaries and students alike. The ads are geared towards getting youth excited about pursuing a skilled trade and are currently running on Vancouver public transit.Gwen O’Mahony, the NDP’s skills training critic, questions the judgment and ability of Premier Christy Clark to connect with B.C. youth.“I’m quite confused by it. Obviously she [Premier Christy Clark] doesn’t have the groundwork … [to] get out there, talk to

students directly, find out where they’re at and make that a part of the investigative work of policy development,” she said. “Clearly this shows that she really hasn’t had a lot of time speaking with students.“If she [had] even gone to one institution and asked them what they thought of the slogan — I’m sure that the students would have set her straight.”Trades students at Vancouver Island Uni-versity (VIU) were also confused by the Liberals’ new ad campaign.“I don’t really understand the point that they’re trying to get across with the slogan. It doesn’t really make that much sense,” said Ryan Crowder, a VIU electrician stu-dent.“To me, hipster is just a way of dressing; it’s just a style. It’s not a job or someone’s ca-reer choice. So to me, I’m not really seeing the message,” Erin said Cooper, a VIU hair

dressing student.O’Mahony and Michelle Mungall, the NDP advanced education critic, have been vis-iting B.C. campuses this fall to listen to the concerns of students and promote the NDP’s plan to improve access to learning opportunities.“When I was traveling with Mungall we mainly were talking to students about their experiences and what’s on their minds, and affordability was the number one issue,” said O’Mahony.She claimed that within five to ten years, 80 per cent of all B.C. jobs will require a post secondary education, and that the B.C. gov-ernment should be examining this statistic more seriously.John Yap, the newly appointed Minister for Advanced Education has stated that in-creasing skills training is his biggest prior-ity.

“If I were to sum up the focus in the short-term, it is to ensure we have the facili-ties and programs to do trades training,” Yap told the Canadian University Press last month.“It’s important we offer British Columbi-ans the opportunity to fill those positions and encourage those that are in school and thinking about career options that they con-sider, if it’s right for them, a career that is well paying and rewarding, in the trades.”O’Mahoney however believes the Liberals are communicating the appeal of trades in the wrong way.“You should never underestimate who you’re speaking to — people don’t like to be talked down to,” she said.“I think just telling people this is how much you’ll get paid if you had a trade or educa-tion and this is what you’ll get paid if you don’t is enough.”

B.C. government believes ‘Hipster is not a real job’

IDARRYL GALLINGERTHE LANCE (UNIVERSITY OF WINDSOR)

WINDSOR (CUP) — The prayers of athe-ists have been answered by the University of Windsor with the removal of Christian prayer from convocation ceremonies in fa-vour of a personal moment of reflection.

Holly Ward, chief communications offi-cer for the university, confirmed the change.

“It’s definitely a tradition of the Uni-versity of Windsor to use a prayer, as it has been a tradition to use prayers at most universities nationwide,” she said. “Hav-ing a moment of reflection is not unusual. It’s changed because we have a changing campus. We have a lot of diversity on our campus … we want to make sure you feel

included.”“The decision was made at the president

[Alan Wildeman’s] level because concerns had come to his office,” Ward added.

Shawna Scott, student and president of the Windsor-Essex County Atheist Society, had lobbied for the prayer’s removal and feels validated by recent decision.

“I’m really proud of the university for making this change,” she said.

Scott challenged the line of the convo-cation prayer, which refers to an “eternal God” as “the source of all goodness, dis-cipline and knowledge,” explaining that, “The end result of us graduating is a prod-uct of our hard work, support from our family and friends and everyone working really hard to build our own success. To us,

it doesn’t come from a deity … it makes it really awkward to be there and feel exclud-ed like that.”

Scott founded the atheist group in 2010. Its 170 members fundraise for charities and provide a network of non-believers with re-sources and support.

“The sentiment of a prayer is a beautiful one,” said Paul Anderson, a member of the atheist society. “However, it’s impossible to write it in such a way that can accommo-date all faiths, including those who don’t believe in god.”

“Or even those who believe in more than one god,” Scott added.

Scott first expressed concerns about the prayer following her undergraduate gradu-ation in 2010 and again in 2011 in formal let-

ters to university. She never received a reply from administration. In preparation for the fall 2012 convocation ceremony, where Scott would be recognized for obtaining her mas-ter’s degree, she wrote the university once more, suggesting a moment of personal re-flection as an alternative to the traditional prayer.

A month after the letter was sent, Ward confirmed the change to The Lance.

According to the new script, Reverend Mary Templer of the University Communi-ty Church will ask the graduates to, “Take a moment to reflect on those who guided you along your path of learning, to appreci-ate our families, our teachers, our peers, the world in which we live and all that inspires us.”

University of Windsor removes convocation prayer after lobbying by atheist group

RELIGION

“

“LETTERS & COMMENTS

EDITORIAL vol. 5 issue 03 | October 16 2012 | page sevenwww.runnermag.ca | The Runner

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The Runner is student owned and operated by Kwantlen Polytechnic University students, published under Polytechnic Ink Publishing Society.

Vol. 5, Issue no. 03October 16, 2012ISSN# 1916-8241

The new parking fees and absence of the semester parking pass are outrageous.(Kwantlen hikes student parking rates, Aug. 21) Considering parking fees and the implementation of the mandatory Mul-tiPass, education at Kwantlen is rapidly becoming unaffordable. As a student who commutes to the Langley campus from the Tri-Cities area, public transit is not a viable option for me.

What is my point? Why were the park-ing fees raised 179 per cent over the sum-mer? Why were the students not consulted before such a dramatic price increase or the discontinuation of semester and hourly parking passes? Why are semester passes valid for multiple vehicles for $ 120.00 still available for faculty?

The university states that Kwantlen’s parking prices are quite low compared to other local universities.

I strongly disagree. I did the research and the only university with higher semes-ter parking fees than Kwantlen is UBC. The cost for a semester parking pass at SFU, Capilano and Douglas is less than half the cost of Kwantlen’s.

Not only have the fees significantly in-creased, but our options have decreased. We can no longer pay for a partial day of parking and we are unable to use more than one car with the weekly permits. Be-ing limited to one license plate per weekly permit excludes students who carpool and students whose families share multiple ve-hicles. I was advised by Impark that in the event of an emergency that required me to drive a different car, I would have to pur-chase a day pass for $ 5.00 or I would be risking a ticket.

What can we students do to voice our concerns over the new much higher park-ing fees?

I TIFFANY WILLIS (HORTICULTURE)

Only $260 per student. That's cheaper than Coachella. I say

keep it. Colin Fraser (alumnus)

I was there. All the bands were shitty Nickelback clones and

there was a distinct lack of holograms. Not worth $260, in my

opinion. Chris Yee (journalism)

I think that the budget should go to student led clubs. Leeta Gill (psychology)

It was fun back in 2009 when Danny Fernandes performed.

Lots of people attended. Heber Ramos (psychology)

Forget all this social crap for a commuter school that doesn't

give a damn. I'd rather see the money go to subsidizing

textbooks or something else useful which actually helps the

student population. Katie Walker (fine arts)

The Slam-A-Palooza that the Creative Writing Guild held last

Wednesday got more than half as many people with 0.015 %

of the budget. Connor Doyle (creative writing)

We saw a lot of reader reactions to our Cram Jam coverage on Facebook. We’ve printed some below:

Cram Jam spending was down this year, along with attendance. Is a $26,000 concert worth its price tag when about 100 students attend? Where would you rather see the money go?

www.facebook.com/runnerpaper

SEND US YOUR LETTERS & COMMENTS!

Letter: new parking rates are too high

CULTURE

OCCUPY VANCOUVER

Former Kwantlen student completes Occupy Vancouver doc

ICHRIS YEECONTRIBUTOR

Sometimes, a journalist has to drop everything when a major story breaks. But last year’s Occupy Vancouver protest was more than a huge breaking story; like the Arab Spring and the beginnings of the Occupy movement earlier that year, this was a historic event.

And so Matthew Van Deventer, a former Kwantlen student, started work on his first feature documentary, The Occupation, as a class project at BCIT. Working with fellow journalism student Rafferty Baker, it was a break from their usual routine of class work and internships.

The Occupation co-producers are fully aware of the constraints of conventional reportage in reporting an event like Occupy Vancouver, having worked in mainstream media outlets, with Baker at the CBC and Van Deventer at CTV.

“Usually... [the media doesn’t] have the resources to have one person down there all

the time to cover just Occupy... they have to go out and do one story there and grab clips from another place down the road, and they may not be even involved with Occupy on that day,” Van Deventer said. “They’re just parachuted in, [and] the people down there don’t really know this reporter, so some people will stay away from the CTV or CBC character. So these reporters have to go out and find the quickest sound bite... they might end up getting someone who is not really fit to be answering the questions; they aren’t portraying the true ideals of this Occupy movement.”

But Van Deventer had a loftier goal than simply filling in gaps in the coverage of Occupy Vancouver.

“Our job as historians and journalists [is to] take a step back... and provide a definitive historical document of Occupy Vancouver,” he said. “If it goes unnoticed, that’s fine, because history takes time... I would love it if this thing bloomed into a respectable document... [a] well-documented piece of the history of Vancouver, a real local history

of Occupy.”Filming every day of the occupation in

their spare time, Van Deventer and Baker traced the history of Occupy Vancouver as it unfolded, from the pitching of the first tents in October to the Occupy camp’s injunction-forced dissolution in November.

The two filmmakers yielded hundreds of hours of footage, with a broad cast of characters, such as occupiers, city officials, and reporters. Ultimately, after spending days getting to know Occupy’s participants, their main focus was on the tent city itself.

“That’s where the life was, that’s where the culture was, and that’s how the Occupy movement wanted to push their message, through this physical occupation,” Van Deventer said.

Van Deventer admitted that the term “occupy” is a word loaded with violent, oppressive implications, but added that the movement was a way to reclaim the word from these negative meanings. “In a sense [the Occupiers] were overthrowing these... oppressive forces, and at the same

time they were trying to strip this word down to present their own meaning for it - handing everything back to the people, not just a fortunate few who [are] in control of everything,” he explained.

Van Deventer continued: “We don’t get that deep into the message of Occupy, of the word, we don’t deconstruct it... [but] there would be no discussion about Occupy Vancouver, about the Occupy movement, if people weren’t occupying something , if people were not situated in this plaza, in Downtown Vancouver, in the heart of Vancouver... there would be no conversation about this. There would be no point in making a documentary if they were just meeting in a community center - but no, they’re setting up tents in fall, in solidarity with the movement around the world.”

Since its physical breakup last November, the Occupy Vancouver group continues to hold meetings and has taken part in such events as the Quebec student protest solidarity marches. “Occupy Vancouver is still around,” noted Van Deventer, but with a caveat: “It’s not occupying anything... it’s occupying an idea - but occupying an idea is not the same as occupying action... or occupying physical territory.”

Van Deventer hopes for wider distribution for the self-shot, self-financed Occupation, as long as he has the funds to do so. “This [documentary] was funded by student loans,” Van Deventer said. “I mostly want this thing to be seen. I really don’t care too much for the money.”

Having pitched the documentary to the Whistler Film Festival, the Canada International Film Festival, the San Francisco International Film Festival, and even Sundance, Van Deventer retains a sense of perspective.

“I’ll take it one step at a time; I don’t expect anything to come out of that but to say ‘I tried,’ and that someone out there has seen it,” he said.

Matthew Van Deventer spent weeks on location at the Vancouver Art Gallery during the Occupy Vancouver protests.

The Runner | www.runnermag.ca page eight | Oct 16 2012 | vol. 5 issue 03

PHOTO COURTESY RAFFERTY BAKER

“Our job as . . . journalists [is to]

take a step back... and provide a

definitive historical document of

Occupy Vancouver.”

CULTUREwww.runnermag.ca | The Runner vol. 5 issue 03 | October 16 2012 | page nine

OCCUPY VANCOUVER

Photos and stills from The Occuption

IMAGES COURTESY MATTHEW VAN DEVENTER

CULTURE The Runner | www.runnermag.ca page ten | Oct 16 2012 | vol. 5 issue 03

BLANKETS

ITABITHA SWANSONASSOCIATE CULTURE EDITOR

It’s that time of year again. With shorter days and colder nights, its time to throw on that extra layer. But what about those who don’t have that extra layer to throw on? Well, Kwantlen student Katie Buemann has a solution for that.

Buemann, now in her second year of fashion marketing, created the organiza-tion Fleece the Streets in 2009, and was able to create 50 handmade blankets as well as hats, scarves and gloves to give to those who needed them. This year, she said she is “going more for quantity instead of indi-vidual handmade blankets, because it’s not necessarily what people in that situation are looking for.”

She said her inspiration was to do “some-thing good during the Christmas season.”

With so many charities to choose from, she had a hard time knowing which ones to trust to get her donations to the people who needed it most, and she “just wanted to do something local that could impact people who were less fortunate.”

After a two-year hiatus, her and her friend Christina May are starting it up again and hope to bring it back with a new energy.

Buemann and May will be collecting blankets until mid-December, when they will then donate them to a shelter. If you want more information on how you can help by donating blankets or a little extra cash, you can message Fleece the Streets on Facebook.

Kwantlen student shares the warmth this winter

PHOTO COURTESY KATIE BUEMANNKatie Buemann is collecting donated blankets until December.

Chief Returning Officer | Corey Van’t HaaffKwantlen Student Association | Cell: 778.388.0141 | Email: kwantlencro@gmail.com

www.kusa.ca /electionsFor the full notice of polling for the KSA by-election, visit

october 23 – 25, 2012Each voter must show a valid Student ID to receive a ballot

Cast your vote on

By-Election PollingTuesday, October 23, 2012, 10 AM – 6 PM

Surrey – Surrey Main AtriumRichmond – Richmond Rotunda

Langley – West Building Library Hall

Wednesday, October 24, 2012, 10 AM – 6 PMSurrey – Surrey Main Atrium

Richmond – Richmond RotundaLangley – West Building Library Hall

Wednesday, October 24, 2012, 10 AM – 4 PMCloverdale – Main Atrium (by the KSA

office / across from the cafeteria)

Thursday, October 25, 2012, 10 AM – 4 PMCloverdale – Main Atrium (by the KSA

office / across from the cafeteria)

Ballot CountingThursday, October 25, 2012, beginning at 6 PM

Surrey – Cedar 1140

KSAnotice of polling

BY-ELECTION

The Moscow appeals court dropped charges against Pussy Riot member Yekaterina Samutsevich, and she has been released from prison. Two

members of the punk band are still in jail after being charged with “hoo-liganism motivated by religious ha-tred.” What will happen next?

POP CULTURE

CULTURE vol. 5 issue 03 | October 16 2012 | page elevenwww.runnermag.ca | The Runner

Culture RoundupYour monthly review of pop culture – from the amusing to the irreverent.

The Lesbian in development Pussy Riot member freed

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees announced

Sacha Baron Cohen has begun developing his next film, The Lesbian. Like his last film, The Dictator (seen above), The Les-

bian will be scripted. The script is inspired by the real life story of a Hong Kong billionaire who offered $65 million as a reward

to any man who could win the affections of his lesbian daugh-ter. Silly Hong Kong billionare! Money can’t buy you love!

Tired of listening to your Rush-obsessed friend complain about the band’s lack of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame awards on a daily basis? Your pain is almost over (maybe). The ca-nadian prog-rock band, along with 14 other bands/musi-cians, have been nominated for this year’s award.

Here is a list of all of the nominees: The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Chic, Deep Purple, Heart, Joan Jett And The Blackhearts, Albert King, Kraftwerk, The Marvelettes, The Meters, Randy Newman, N.W.A., Procol Harum, Public Enemy, and Donna Summer.

Last year’s inductees included Beastie Boys, Guns N’ Ros-es, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Donovan. You can watch this year’s event live on HBO on April 13, 2013, if you’re into that sort of thing.

STARS COMICS

SUDOKU

PROCRASTINATIONpage twelve | October 16 2012 | vol. 5 issue 03 The Runner | www.runnermag.ca

You’ll be feeling betrayed this month. It’s because

you are being betrayed. By everyone you know.

Your life is a lie. Or is it?

October is typically a bad month for Virgos. Not

much more to say about that. Expect horrific things

to happen.

Keep saving for that summer cabin. Never give up

on your dreams. Attitude is everything. You can

accomplish anything.

How many times do I have to tell you: STAY AWAY

FROM BLACK AND WHITE MOVIES. Do your home-

work instead!

The season is changing and so is everything else.

You’ll be a completely different person in a month.

A much better person! Joy!

Stay away from saturated fats this week, and

then binge the following week. You’ll notice an

improvement in all aspects of your life.

Halloween is coming, and don’t you think it’s time

you went out and found a costume? Don’t wait

until last minute like you did last year.

A ghost from your past is going to show up in

your life very soon. Who knows, he/she could be

standing behind you RIGHT NOW.

The desk in front of you is haunted and is plotting

against you. It’s harmless but still creepy, and I

thought you should know.

Donate half your money to charity this month, and

you’ll gain karma. Double the karma you’d usually

get, because it’s DOUBLE KARMA OCTOBER!

CAPRICORNDec. 22 - Jan. 20

SCORPIOOct. 24 - Nov. 22

SAGITTARIUSNov. 23 - Dec. 21

CANCERJune 21 - July 23

VIRGOAug. 24 - Sept. 23

LIBRASept. 24 - Oct. 23

TAURUSApril 20 - May 20

GEMINIMay 21 - June 20

ARIESMarch 21 - April 19

AQUARIUSJan. 21 - Feb. 19

LEOJuly 24 - Aug. 23

The wind of change is blowing in your direction.

Pretty sure good things are going to happen. But

I’m usually wrong.

Your spirit animal this month is the pterodactyl,

nature’s most elusive beast. Better than last

month’s spirit animal, the tapeworm.

PISCES Feb. 20 - March 20