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Clan beats Vikings in close match

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EIC
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SFU keeps the ball rolling with victory in Washington

 

By Bryan Scott

 

The Simon Fraser men’s soccer team traveled to Bellingham, Washington to battle the Western Washington Vikings last week in front of 190 fans. Clan goaltender JD Blakely started the game in net for the Clan but was replaced by Hide Ozawa in the 27th minute. The game was scoreless at the time, and the Vikings had not registered a shot on net. Just four minutes after the change in goaltenders, the Vikings struck first with their first shot on goal. Viking forward Andrew Weishaar headed in a Kurtis Pederson free kick from 12 yards out to give the Vikings a 1–0 lead. They would keep that lead until halftime, despite being outshot by the Clan 9–1. The Clan had a lot of pressure, including six corner kicks, which they did not convert on.

The game was chippy in the second half. Clan midfielder Chris Bargholz received a yellow card in the 61st minute, but this did not hinder the Clan attack. Two minutes later, Justin Wallace picked off a pass from the Vikings defense, and buried his sixth goal of the season from 20 yards out past Viking’s goaltender Keegan Rogers.  With the game tied, the Great Northwest Athletic Conference’s best team was not going to let the game slip away. In the 72nd minute, Ryan Dhillon took a pass from fellow midfielder Alex Rowley, took it down the left side and fired it far-side to give the Clan a 2–1 lead. That was all they needed to win the game. Three more yellow cards were handed out near the end of the game, including one to Ozawa with seconds remaining in the match. The Clan outshot the Vikings 21–6 in the game. This game marked head coach Alan Koch’s 100th win as a collegiate coach. However, he had the future on his mind. “I am glad that we pulled off the win, but we need to be better if we want to achieve big success this season,” he said after the win.

The Clan has their eyes set on winning the GNAC title for the third straight year. They are on the right path. They sit at 10–1 on the season and 7–1 in the conference, they are first in the conference.

Khadr not ready for university

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EIC
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0

King’s University College hasn’t thought through their offer to Omar Khadr
By Saba Kaidani

EDMONTON (CUP) — At the University of Alberta, students aren’t able to experience passing by alleged terrorists or ex-Guantanamo Bay prisoners on campus. Edmonton’s King’s University College, however, could have its students receiving this unconventional experience come 2013.

It’s shocking that a man who has gone through so many conflicts is somehow expected to immediately return to normal life and school upon his parole. The problem is that King’s University College doesn’t recognize the potential disruption this man could cause at its institution.

In the summer of 2013 Omar Khadr will be eligible for parole — and this is where King’s University comes in.

They’ve opened their doors to Khadr, saying that if he were to apply, they would treat his application like any other potential student’s. The controversy over whether Omar Khadr really did kill American Military Medic Sgt.1st Class Christopher Speer has been put on the back burner. Now the debate is about what to do with him once he potentially gains back his freedom.

Protesters are claiming he was a child soldier, and really had no control over what he was taught or what he did. However, he might not be not be the picture of innocence that some make him out to be.

His family line does have some connections with Osama Bin Laden, and his father, Ahmed Said Khadr was on the U.S. list of possible suspects in the Sept. 11 terrorist attack.

Then there’s the issue of Khadr being sent to one of the world’s most controversial detainment and interrogation facilities, more formally known as Guantanamo Bay, at the young age of 15 in 2002. There, he spent years being abused both verbally and physically alongside other detainees.

It might have slipped King’s mind that war, prison and abuse were major parts of Khadr’s life. Or maybe those are the three aspects of a true survivor that make King’s University College students who they are. To send someone to university who has spent years sitting in a jail cell, supposedly for violent war crimes, is an unsettling thought.

On top of all that, Khadr’s psychological state is likely extremely fragile. People argue that his integration back into society is the first step to his rehabilitation, or that going to school will change his outlook on life and encourage him to move forward and think positively.

Khadr doesn’t have much to think positively about right now.

He’s just been let back into a country with a prime minister who initially stated he would leave Khadr’s case in the hands of the U.S. while Khadr was a minor in Guantanamo. I’m sure Khadr isn’t too pleased with Mr. Harper’s efforts.

To make matters worse, he could be a potential target for any Canadian citizen who believes he is guilty. He could easily become the target of a random act of violence — something universities have enough problems dealing with already.

Even if that isn’t the case, he could be the one aiming the gun. Although Khadr was a child soldier when he committed the crime, and there still is some debate as to whether he knew what he was doing, in the eyes of the law he is still a criminal.

The risks that trail Khadr wherever he goes are too heavy to be carried on the shoulders of our city. If he is released, he would be too much of a potential threat, and not worth admitting into a post-secondary institution. King’s should take a step back and let the proper care, such as a psych evaluation, be given to Khadr before anyone starts talking about school.

Where were you in ‘72?

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EIC
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0

With many NHLers playing in the KHL, Canadians are reminded of the 1972 Summit Series

By Adam Peleshaty (CUP)

 

WINNIPEG (CUP) — With 34 seconds left in the eighth and final game of the Summit Series, the game tied at five, series tied at 3-3-1, Toronto Maple Leafs forward Paul Henderson shot the puck past Soviet goalie Vladislav Tretiak to win the series for Team Canada.

Despite suffering a concussion in game five, Henderson scored the next three game-winning goals in the series.

The goal ended one of the greatest exhibitions of hockey ever witnessed, sparked nationwide celebrations in Canada, and turned hockey players into heroes.

At the time the Soviets dominated international hockey competition. The 1972 World Championships held earlier in the year were the first time the Soviets did not win gold in 10 years.

Meanwhile, Canada had withdrawn from international competition, frustrated with the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) for refusing to let professionals play.

With the help of NHL Players Association president Alan Eagleson and the Canadian embassy in Moscow, the eight-game Summit Series was created and held in September, 1972.

The first game was held in Montreal, and fans expected certain Canadian victory in all eight games. Despite an early 2–0 Canadian lead, the Soviets overwhelmed and stunned the Canadians 7–3. For Canadian fans, it was a national crisis and a shock to the system.

The Canadians rebounded with a 4–1 game two win in Toronto, but gave up a two-goal lead to tie the Soviets 4–4 in Winnipeg. In game four, the Soviets dominated with a 5–3 win in Vancouver.

After the game, Canada’s top scorer Phil Esposito went on the defensive in front of a national television audience, to respond to disillusioned fans booing the Canadians.

The next four games were held in Moscow, and Canada lost 5–4 in game five despite having a 4–1 lead in the third period. With their backs against the wall, Canada dug in and won 3–2 in game six and 4–3 in game seven.

In game eight, both teams alternated goals until the Soviets scored two to lead 5–3 after two periods. But Canada scored twice in the third to tie the game before Henderson’s game- and series-winner. Team Canada returned home with a hero’s welcome.

The Summit Series remains significant in many ways. It was the first time Canadian NHL players united to become a national team, and the term “Team Canada” was coined during the series. Also united were Canadian hockey fans, as they were not restricted to their own NHL team loyalties.

It mattered not whether they were fans of the Leafs, Canadiens, or Canucks — everyone supported Team Canada. It was a unifying force not only against the West’s most feared enemy at the time, but also for their love of the game.

While international hockey existed before 1972, the events of that year helped it become elite and popular. Two years later, a team of Canadian players from the World Hockey Association played the Soviets (in eight games, Canada won once).

Two years after that, the first Canada Cup was held and it became the most prestigious international hockey tournament until NHLers were permitted to compete in the Olympic Games in 1998.

Canada had been beaten before in international play, but not with its best players. In 1972, Canada faced the reality that its birthright to the sport did not mean that it was superior to all other nations.

For the first time, it had to prove itself as the best hockey country in the world. Forty years ago, Canadians were rewarded with a successful come-from-behind defense of that right and the start of its greatest rivalry, which still persists today.

What’s in a name?

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EIC
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By Ljudmila Petrovic

Every day we walk the hallways of SFU and casually refer to the buildings by their names or, more often, their acronyms: “Got a class in RCB;” “It’s in MBC.” We rarely think however, of the people behind the names, and what kind of an impact they had on our school. Without further ado, The Peak presents a summary of the campus’s greats.

Lorne Davies Complex

Named after: Lorne Davies

Renowned for: Davies was a successful football coach for 25 seasons, including six with the B.C. Lions and eight with SFU. It is, however, his pioneering approach to varsity sports that earned him a name. He was the first to hire full-time coaches for all sports, and a huge advocate for female sports and athletic scholarships in a time when neither was a popular concept. Perhaps most importantly, it was under Davies that SFU became the first Canadian university to be accepted into the NAIA.

Connection to SFU: He was SFU’s first head coach, and in 1965 he was hired as the head of the university’s athletic department.

 

Robert C. Brown Hall

Named after: Robert C. Brown

Renowned for: His work in fisheries analysis has been huge in B.C.; his research concentrates on the economics and policy of fisheries, and he has recently done work on the B.C. Herring fishery.

Connection to SFU: Brown was the dean of the Faculty of Interdisciplinary Studies and the Faculty of Arts. He was also SFU’s acting president in 1993.

 

Blusson Hall

Named after: Stewart Lynn Blusson

Renowned for: With a background in geology, Blusson spent over a decade looking for diamonds in the Northwest Territories. In 1998, he was part of Ekati, a joint venture that included BHP Diamonds Inc. and Dia Met Minerals. Only four years after becoming a part of the venture, his net worth grew to an estimated $295 million USD. Blusson is known for his philanthropy, including over $100 million for research and education.

Connection to SFU: In 2007, Blusson donated $12 million to SFU’s Faculty of Health Sciences.

 

Maggie Benston Centre

Named after: Margaret Benston

Renowned for: She is best known for her Marxist feminist writings. In the late 1980s, however, she also became interested in computer science and her research focused on the effects of technology on women and their work. Across the span of her career, Benston was active in three faculties: initially chemistry, then women’s studies, and computer sciences. She also had a huge part in starting the Vancouver Folk Festival.

Connection to SFU: She was a charter faculty member in 1966, and then in the mid-1970s, she took part in the founding of the women’s studies program.

Shrum Science Centre

Named after: Gordon Merritt Shrum

Renowned for: Shrum fought in the Battle of Vimy Ridge, and after the war, he received both a Bachelor and a Master’s of Arts, then continued to a Doctorate in physics in 1923. He was highly influential as a member of the community, and in academia.

Most of his work was at UBC: he was the head of the Physics Department between 1938 and 1961, and between 1957 and 1961 he was also the Dean of Graduate Studies and served on the university’s Senate. He is best known as being the namesake of the Shrum Bowl, the annual rivalry football game between the Clan and the UBC Thunderbirds.

Connection to SFU: Shrum was involved in SFU’s establishment, and served as the university’s first chancellor for its first four years.

W.A.C. Bennett Library

Named after: W.A.C. Bennett

Renowned for: Bennett was B.C.’s longest-serving premier, between 1952 and 1972. He initially began his political career in the Conservative Party, but then joined the Social Credit Party a year before getting elected as the province’s leader. He resigned in 1972, shortly after the NDP defeated his party.

Connection to SFU: Under Bennett’s 20 years as premier, B.C. saw a huge influx in ambitious building projects, one of which was SFU. Other projects included hydro dams, highways, and ferry services.

 

Diamond Alumni Center

Named after: Jack Diamond

Renowned for: Diamond went from being a penniless Polish immigrant, to being a millionare and philanthropist. Along with his wife, Sadie, Diamond donated millions of dollars to SFU, the B.C. Heart Foundation, and B.C. Cancer Agency. He has received numerous awards, including a Companion of the Order of Canada and the Order of British Columbia.

Connection to SFU: Diamond served on SFU’s Board of Governors between 1967 and 1973. He was then elected chancellor in 1975 and served in that position for three years.


Saywell Hall

Named after: Bill Saywell

Renowned for: Saywell received a doctorate in 20th Century Chinese affairs. His work took him to various places in East Asia, which included the position of first secretary of the Canadian Embassy in Beijing. As SFU’s fifth president, he established many of the programs and initiatives that we now see as integral parts of our SFU community including, but not limited to: the creation of the downtown campus, adopting the co-op program, and making leaps and bounds in gender balance at the university. In 1994, he was awarded the Order of British Columbia for his work in B.C. post-secondary education.

Connection to SFU: As SFU’s longest-serving president, Saywell served two five-year terms from 1983-93.

He was awarded the Order of British Columbia in 1994 for promoting B.C. on an educational level and on an international scale, and the Order of Canada in 2000 for the academic, cultural and economic bridges he has built between Canada and Asia.

When in doubt, pay it out

By
EIC
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0

Ain’t no party like third party coverage

By Paul Hurst

Automobile insurance in North America has developed over the last 100 years, and is based on civil law. In B.C., insurance interacts with the Criminal Code of Canada a bit, but mainly it has to do with contract and tort law. Tort means: having done a civil wrong to someone else. Here, the Provincial Government writes the laws that control ICBC. The Insurance (Vehicle) Act, effective June 1, 2007, is the primary “statute” legislation used by ICBC in its various functions. Attached to most Provincial legislation are “secondary” regulations. The Insurance (Vehicle) Regulation is law that can be changed in committee, making it easier to modify. The Act is more permanent statute law, and requires a vote in the Provincial Legislature in Victoria to make any changes.

Car insurance has two major components. This week I’ll explain third party liability, which is the more important of the two. In a later issue, I’ll get into first party coverage.
In contract law, if you sign a contract written by someone else, you are called the first party. ICBC wrote the contract and is called the second party. Once you cough up the cashish, (aka the “consideration”), the contract is complete and binding on both parties. You are now covered by ICBC for any harm or damage you cause to third parties. Third parties are basically anyone else in North America, besides you and ICBC.

An important principle of Canadian contract law is called “contra proferentem.”

This means ICBC is supposed to interpret the contract in your favour when adjusting your claim. Both parties must act in utmost good faith, in that no one should be telling lies or engaging in deception.

You are only obligated to buy $200,000 in third party coverage from ICBC. Everything else is optional. The rates for third party are based on your driving history, and how long you have been driving. The Claim Rated Scale is used for this.

As part of your basic mandatory coverage, you also receive “no fault accident benefits” automatically. You also get this coverage if you have a B.C. driver’s license. So even if you don’t have a car now, it’s a good idea to get a license. The new ones can be used to cross into the U.S. Another bonus is that you get safe driving credit, even if you don’t drive. After four years of never driving, you will still be given a four-year safe driving discount, because you never made a claim and could not have been at fault. This is a good investment for the future, when you may own a car.

“No fault accident benefits” pay for your basic medical therapy and wage loss if you are hurt in an accident, and not able to work, even it that accident was your fault.

One woman’s aesthetic is another’s mutilation

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EIC
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0


Our preconceptions need a rejuvenation

By Rachel Braeuer
Photos by Mark Burnham

Your responses to Lana Friesen’s “Who needs feminism” article got me thinking about feminism in Canada, so thanks for that. I disagree that we “need” feminism in Canada less than elsewhere in the world, because social issues are relative to the culture they’re happening in. More importantly though, the fact that the Highway of Tears exists here is proof enough on its own that all is not quiet on the Western front. But I tried to write that article and failed miserably, so that’s not what this is. No, I was reminded of something different than all of that. Something that really exemplifies the us/them divide: vaginas.

There’s been a growing movement of Western paternalism in regards to the practice of removing some or all of girls’ external genitalia, aka female genital mutilation (FGM) or female circumcision, depending on how politically charged you like your phrases. It is usually done shortly before a girl gets married or around the age she would be considered marriageable, thereby confirming her virginity and worth. With the removal of one or more pleasure centres, sex becomes a painful ordeal, thus a woman is less likely to be unfaithful, like a built-in chastity belt. It also often makes vaginal birth more difficult and can lead to complications like fistulas, or potentially death, as these procedures are generally not done under sterile conditions. Urban myths have sprung up around this practice wherein clitorises are granted the power to kill men and babies. Girls often opt to have the procedure and women may be shunned if they refuse. This is, obviously, a human rights issue that people like Sylvia Tamale are working to change.

My issue here isn’t whether this is OK or not. I am decidedly against it; I think every woman deserves to have a bean to flick. My issue here is with the West’s outrage over this. More pointedly: where the fuck do we get off of our high horses, judging these people while sitting on our rejuvenated vaginas and bleached assholes? I’ve been told before I’m stupid for not seeing the difference. I do see the difference; I just don’t think it’s that huge of a difference. No, no one is forcing anyone into getting these surgeries. Yes, they’re done in a relatively safe hospital setting by an accredited medical professional. And that’s where the differences end for me. These procedures still have risks, like a lack of sensation in the “rejuvenated” regions, and the impossibility of vaginal birth. Basically, the same risks that female genital mutilation/female circumcision pose in the long term, less the bit about intentionally painful sex.

Proponents state that rejuvenation restores function. Unless you’ve experienced some kind of trauma or weren’t born with fully functional female genitalia, that point is effectively moot. If function is defined as sexual pleasure and a potential birth canal, rejuvenation places this functionality at more risk than just leaving your genitals alone does. If you’re getting these procedures done, you’re either so disgusted by your own body that it causes you real psychological stress and sexual dysfunction, or you’re so worried about what someone else might think about your genitals that you’re willing to let someone shave them off like lunch meat or sew them up like a Thanksgiving turkey’s ass in the hopes of getting/maintaining some. Unless you’re a crotch-model, the “youth” or “aesthetic” of your labia and vagina have absolutely no bearing on functionality.

To clarify, I’m not saying that such plastic surgeries should be disallowed, I just think the psychological reasons and social implications of their normalization should be examined before we start pointing fingers at others and considering our culture fixed or just fine. Relatively speaking, we lead safe and entitled lives in Canada, but in this assumption of privilege we lose sight of the fact that we still have some weird, backwards and/or fucked up ideas of normal. Dissenting voices remind us that the only difference between “us” and “them” is the doctor’s degrees on the overpriced wall, their scrubs and gloves, and the exorbitant amount we paid to be spread eagle with a knife between our legs.

Kids of 88’s Modern Love will have you swooning

By
EIC
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0

The second album from the New Zealand band is better than the first.

By Kristina Charania

It’s an unspoken but well-established notion that New Zealand is completely awesome. They have beautiful lakes and forests, an adorable little national bird, and they brought us the first man to reach the peak of Mount Everest. If you’re still in total denial, pick up a copy of Modern Love by the Auckland-based band Kids of 88 — you’ll be changing your mind in a split second.

The duo consists of best friends Jordan Arts and Sam McCarthy, who released Sugarpills (the vodka-chugging, party animal older sister of Modern Love) two years after their formation in 2008. The band then performed the rowdy, 80s pop inspired “Just a Little Bit” on a prom episode of the MTV television series Teen Wolf and won a New Zealand Music Award for Best Single of the Year for the same song. That’s a pretty large set of accomplishments for a little kiwi band recording tracks out of a spare bedroom.

Modern Love, the group’s sophomore production, sticks to their signature hand-clapping synth-pop formula, with a lot less teenage sex-drive, wiser lyrics, and just the right amount of spunk. While Sugarpills was best suited for that free-for-all birthday bash down the street, Modern Love will weasel its way into your car stereo, iPod, workout routine, morning rituals, and of course, your Halloween party — effectively making it perfect in a way that their first album wasn’t.

If your roommates tell you to “stop listening to that fucking song” more often than they remind you to fix that leaky faucet, “Komodo” will be a horrible problem for you. As the album’s first track, it’s upbeat and brimming with infectious electro-riffs. “Hypno” is equally light-hearted: it features Kids of 88’s simple, feel-good lyrics (“Fall back, unwind/ relax your mind”) and a healthy dose of sunny-sounding guitars and bright keyboards.

The rest of Modern Love contains its fair share of treats, too — take its first single “Tucan” as proof. Soft tribal echoes and the soothing vocals from The Naked and Famous’s Alisa Xayalith will put you right at home in the midst of a dewy, Tarzan-esque jungle. If you want to dance to that tune naked around a fire on Burnaby Mountain, the bears and coyotes won’t judge you. They’ll think you have seriously sick tastes in music.

Every album tends to have at least one dud, though — “India” should have been axed, because it pales in comparison to every other memorable song on the album.

Although Modern Love is short, with a total of 11 tracks, it’s undoubtedly worth your love. Just a warning, though: if you end up breaking your repeat button, you can’t say you weren’t told.

Something completely different and not completely true

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EIC
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0

 The VIFF premiere of a Monty Python film.

By Monica Miller
Photos by Vancouver International Film Festival

Not a documentary, not a traditional Monty Python film, and not completely true. A Liar’s Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Graham Chapman is actually a uniquely told adaptation of Chapman’s book A Liar’s Autobiography: Volume IV (although it was the only volume) published in 1980. The book itself was a highly fictionalized take on Chapman’s life and co-authored with four others, including his life partner David Sherlock and Douglas Adams.

Animated by 14 different studios in 17 different styles results in each segment having a very different feel and keeps the viewer engaged. However, the addition of 3D effects felt pointless and unnecessary. Four of the five remaining Pythons contributed to the film — John Cleese, Terry Gillam, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin — all added commentary to the film, which is narrated by “the dead one” (Chapman), despite being deceased for 23 years.

Before Chapman passed away in 1989 from cancer, he recorded sections of his autobiography before audio books really took off. It was from these recordings that the filmmakers Bill Jones, Ben Timlett, and Jeff Simpson were able to piece together the film.

Graham Chapman was born in 1941 in Leicester, England, where he grew up with his parents. As a young man, Chapman studied medicine, and later attended Cambridge where he developed his obsession for smoking a pipe, and met John Cleese. Members of the comedy theatre troupe Cambridge Footlights with Eric Idle, the boys got their start as scriptwriters, notably on The Frost Report where they met Terry Jones and Michael Palin.

[pullquote]Terry Jones, Python and father of one of the filmmakers, was recently asked how much truth there was to the stories, to which he replied, “Nothing. It’s all a downright, absolute, blackguardly lie,” in true Python humour. I would guesstimate about 70 per cent truth, with some fictionalized additions and convenient humour. [/pullquote]

The animated segments ranged from 4–15 minutes long, animating such events as the Pythons deciding on the name of the show, Chapman’s coming out, his struggle with alcoholism, and his rampant sexual escapades. Terry Jones, Python and father of one of the filmmakers, was recently asked how much truth there was to the stories, to which he replied, “Nothing. It’s all a downright, absolute, blackguardly lie,” in true Python humour. I would guesstimate about 70 per cent truth, with some fictionalized additions and convenient humour.

[pullquote]Do not expect traditional Monty Python fare with this one — some of the segments are quite serious, with just a touch of dark humour.[/pullquote]

Do not expect traditional Monty Python fare with this one — some of the segments are quite serious, with just a touch of dark humour. The most powerful parts were the archival footage included with the animation, such as Chapman talking about being gay on television, and Cleese’s well-known eulogy.

The Chinatown Experiment houses local entrepreneurs

By
EIC
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2

Pop up shops are filling empty storefronts and providing opportunities to local businesses.

By Daryn Wright
Photos by Daryn Wright

Empty brick storefronts are often a burden to city centers; the cost is too high for business owners to commit to filling the space on a long-term basis. For Vancouver, an interesting solution may be the rise of the pop up shop.

The concept is simple: storefronts are filled temporarily by local businesses, designers, artists, or coffee roasters who have time-limited goods or who want to test out a possibly financially-liable concept. Vancouver has seen a wave of the pop-up shop move through the city in the past six months: the seasonal Gypsy Vintage Market has occasionally made its home at the Biltmore Cabaret or Fortune Sound Club, specializing in curated vintage clothing, shoes, and accessories; The Found and the Freed is a collective that arranges antiques, artifacts, and found objects in various locations around Vancouver on a quarterly basis. The Chinatown Experiment, started by Devon MacKenzie, has taken the concept of the pop up shop one step further.

“It’s a revolving door for pop ups, essentially; a place for entrepreneurs to try their ideas in a low-risk, low-cost environment,” says MacKenzie. The Experiment is an inconspicuous storefront located in the heart of Chinatown, acting as home to various locals and their ideas. So far, it has been hugely successful despite the fact that publicity has mostly been generated by word of mouth and Facebook.

“Vancouver has tons of creative people, but they stumble when taking their arts and products and making it into a sustainable business,” MacKenzie says of the concept.  “A lot of people have great ideas, but there’s a lot of risk involved in committing without knowing if anyone wants your idea.”

When he first got the space on Columbia Street (between Hastings and Pender), he was planning on using it to reinvent the construction industry, but then he realized that there was a need for local entrepreneurs to try out their ideas, and there wasn’t anything like this. After being contacted by several people interested in the project, he opened up shop in mid-September.

The Black Lodge Diner was the first pop up to make its home in the location, intending to add to the cultural diversity. The shop was inspired by the 90s show Twin Peaks, and organizers Ken Tsui and Genevieve Mateyko served up pie, ice cream, and “a damn fine cup of coffee” for all of two hours, when the supply ran out.

[pullquote]The duration of each shop varies from 1–14 days, as MacKenzie believes that the shorter you make it, the more creative people have to be.[/pullquote]

The duration of each shop varies from 1–14 days, as MacKenzie believes that the shorter you make it, the more creative people have to be. This also gives people more of an incentive to come in, as demonstrated by the two-hour pie sellout.

The shop currently filling the space is Mutts and Co., a collective of designers from Vancouver and Toronto. Paige Cowan of Toronto-based Muttonhead says that they found it hard to find any Canadian stores to pick up their line, which is part of the reason they turned to pop up stores.

[pullquote]Doing a pop up shop is a way to expose our brand, to educate our customers and to really connect with them and allow them to really know our story,” Cowan says. [/pullquote]

“We wanted to encourage people to support local business and local manufacturing. Doing a pop up shop is a way to expose our brand, to educate our customers and to really connect with them and allow them to really know our story,” Cowan says.

December, January, and February are already booked by people who hope to try out an idea, so the space will nary see vacancy.

The Chinatown Experiment is only in its beginning stages, but MacKenzie says he’d like to see it develop into something more.

“I want it to be a complete turn-key operation. Then, as soon as someone approaches me, they can walk in and set up and not have to worry about all the logistics. All they have to do is work on their idea,” says MacKenzie.

“Part of the reason I exist is because I want to take care of the red tape for people so they can take their businesses to the next level.”

 

The Chinatown Experiment is located at 434 Columbia St.

Journalism: No Job For a Woman

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EIC
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0

Screening at Vancouver International Film Festival covers various women and their struggles to be taken seriously.

By Monica Miller
Photos by Vancouver International Film Festival

Women in the media sphere are commonplace nowadays, but you still hear about the struggles these smart, intelligent, and politically savvy women face to break into the industry. That’s why No Job for a Woman: The Women Who Fought to Report WWII, screening at the Vancouver International Film Festival, is important. Change only occurs when people (men and women) stand up for what they believe in.

During the Second World War, women were encouraged to support the war effort by taking factory and industry positions, jobs as nurses, and even roles traditionally filled by men. One of these roles was reporting, particularly war correspondence. Some larger publishers had female staff in secretarial positions, and sometimes in charge of the women’s pages, covering society news, and “the four Fs” of food, fashion, furniture, and family. There were scant few women allowed accreditation to report in the field.

These women went against the current rules, opinions and regulations to do what they believed in.

No Job for a Woman introduces many of the voices of the era, including well-known photographer Margaret Bourke-White. But it also profiles the lives of three lesser-known female reporters — Ruth Cowan, Dickey Chapelle, and Martha Gellhorn. These women went against the current rules, opinions and regulations to do what they believed in. Director Michele Midori Fillion credits this to their strong work ethic, a high level of professionalism and dedication, yet each woman tackled the struggle and barriers differently.

Cowan spent her career continually covering the women who were making a difference in the male-centric world.

Ruth Cowan got her start in reporting by using her middle name (Baldwin) but when her true gender was discovered, she was fired on the spot. At her next position, she was relegated to the women’s pages. Cowan kept fighting to report serious news stories, and eventually was the first woman to receive U.S. accreditation to cover the Second World War. However, she was again assigned the “women’s angle” — the changing roles, the nurses, and the newly formed Women’s Army Auxilary Corps, which she took whole heartedly. Cowan spent her career continually covering the women who were making a difference in the male-centric world.

But some female reporters didn’t want to be relegated to just covering female subjects. Dickey Chapelle was an aviation enthusiast and photographer. She was assigned to photograph the nurses and the use of blood transfusions on a hospital ship. She wrangled her way into going ashore, and spent the rest of her career fighting for the right to go where the male reporters were allowed.

Martha Gellhorn’s motivation was one that we often see reflected in stories today — the human angle. Since the rise of fascism in Spain, Gellhorn (also Ernest Hemingway’s wife) focused on covering what war did to the people who lived through it, the families, the children, the people, and citizens of all countries involved.

No Job for a Woman mixed archival footage, photographs, and stories with contemporary scholars, and brought the whole story to life in reenactments with actresses portraying Cowan, Chapelle, and Gellhorn.

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Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

Contact us: [email protected]

© The Peak Publications Society 1965-2024

Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

Contact us:
[email protected]

© The Peak Publications Society 1965-2024