$FREE.

99

Significant changes to Quests humanities Foundation to be implemented next fall

KENDRA PERRIN

SHIFT IN FOUNDATION HUMANITIES

to the facultys curriculum committee for feedback in January. Then in February, the proposal was discussed at an all-faculty meeting and adopted by vote at the following meeting. The changes in the Humanities Foundation were provoked by two factors. First, shortcomings in the current system demanded a response. From our perspective as faculty, the current Foundation didnt do a good job of dividing learning outcomes or course objectives clearly among the various courses, so we had a hard time ensuring that all students came out of the Foundation with the skills wed like them to have in the Concentration, said Humanities tutor James Byrne. Second, the changes are motivated by the Universitys growth not just in size, but also in the possible breadth of the curriculum. As we grow and bring in more disciplines, it has become more pressing to think about how we might [] teach undergraduate humanities in a way that captures the diversity of these fields, said Lambelet. The humanities truly are a field with diverse disciplines: there is literature, language, history, philosophy, music, religious studies, theatre, and film. Right now, the Foundation Humanities try to do a bit of each discipline, but not quite the way that we would like to, said Lambelet. He worries that students are left confused that they finish a Humanities block and are not quite sure what they just did. The new system of Texts, Scholarship and Culture will not try to break up the disciplines; it will stick with Quests interdisciplinary tradition. What it will try to do is clarify that, amongst the many different disciplines of the Humanities, there are common modes of thought. The hope is that practicing these modes of thought will help students of all academic interests explore their Questions. Texts courses will focus on primary texts in the broad sense (including things like films and symphonies). They will work to develop skills such as close reading, and will explore a particular genre. The Divine Comedy and The Symphony are examples of what will be offered.

THE MARK

MONDAY MARCH 24th, 2014

The days of choosing two courses from Fate & Virtue, Identity & Perspective, and Reason & Freedom, and then deciding between World Religions and Dimensions of Music, are nearly over. Quests Foundation Humanities program is undergoing a significant shift and, starting in September, it will offer courses in Texts, Scholarship, and Culture. Students will take one of each. The [current] model has been around since the Universitys inception more or less [and] there are some anomalies in that system, said Humanities tutor Andr Lambelet. Why would you trade religion against music? No particularly good reason, except that that is the personnel that we had then. For almost two years now, Quests entire Humanities Faculty has been discussing what sorts of changes they might want to make to the existing Foundation, and what the new Foundation might look like. The proposal for the new Foundation was sent

ADMIN RESPONDS TO SEXUAL ASSAULT CONCERNS

GRAHAM STREICH
Ongoing student concern surrounding sexual assault on Quests campus culminated in an all-student meeting on Friday March 21. The meeting informed the student body of the finalized Human Rights Policy, which is in the process of being voted on by the Board of Governors. The Human Rights Policy establishes a policy for how reported breaches of the Honour Principle, including sexual assault, harassment, and discrimination, will be dealt with by administration. Discussions about sexual assault on campus surfaced online this month on March 13 when MissJustice AtQuest, the pseudonym of a group of anonymous students, created a Facebook page to discuss their reports of sexual assault on Quests campus. The pages discussion ended with the idea of starting a forum on campus to discuss sexual assault. Concurrently with MissJustice AtQuest, other community members expressed concerns to members of the Student Health Working Group. Vrindy Spencer, a member of the Student Health Working Group said, Ive heard all the rumors of sexual assault happening on campus, but what really pushed me to talk to the Administration and do something about it was when multiple people came to me to disclose information about sexual assault that had happened on campus...I couldnt not do anything. A group of students, on behalf of the Student Health Working Group, explained to Quests President Dr. David Helfand that other means of discussing sexual assault, such as MissJustice on Facebook and anecdotal stories, are insufficient methods of community awareness, action, and communication. Following the suggestion of the Student Health Working Group, Helfand immediately called the impromptu all-student meeting. In the all-student meeting, Helfand informed the student body of how the Human Rights Policy was developed to deal formally with violations of Quests Honour Principle, saying that a committee was formed to examine our separate formal policies on Discrimination and Harassment and on Human Rights. This committees work has led to a new, unified Human Rights Policy. Following Helfands speech, there was a community discussion among students and faculty where attendees brought up issues of consent, the bystander effect, peer training, and action plans. Helfand explained via email that the policy, has been unanimously approved by the Academic Council [and] will (I expect) be ratified by the Board at its next meeting [April 26]. The spirit of Quests existing Honour Principle served as the ethos for the construction of the Human Rights Policy. The new Human Rights Policy will provide an explicit outline for how to deal with future incidents, includ-

HUMAN RIGHTS

Scholarship courses will focus on a major scholarly debate in the humanities. Its looking at what scholars do, rather than looking at the primary sources, said Lambelet. Examples are Death of the Author and Chinese Film and Transnationalism. Finally, Culture courses will focus on a specific culture, developing skills in cultural interpretation and familiarizing students with broader theories on culture and meaning. Nationalism and Reading the City will be two of the courses offered. This shift in Quests Foundation Humanities curriculum comes during a time of widespread discourse about the overall decline of humanities in undergraduate education. Lambelet gathers that one of the reasons for this decline is a mindset of pragmatism students cannot countenance how studying 19th century French literature will help them change the world. However, this thinking may be too simple. Our conviction is that the humanities are not irrelevant, that understanding ones place in the world is crucial for the decisions that people make, said Lambelet.

ing keeping statistics on sexual assault and harassment, and hiring an external investigator to mitigate conflicts of interest. However, a procedure for the prevention of sexual assaults is not addressed in the policy. Moreover, incidents that have already taken place or that may occur before the policy is implemented are not under the official jurisdiction of the policy. Helfand noted, even though our new policy is not formally in place, we have opted to use this procedure [the new policy] for complaints filed this year and we are confident it will yield results consistent with our principles and our values as a community. The Mark will follow-up this report next block.

PROPERTY OF WOODFIBRE LNG: NO TRESSPASSING

7km from downtown Squamish and only accessible by boat, the Woodfibre industrial site recieves a closer look--environmental degredation and remediation in pictures on page B3.

THE MARK
Tenth Edition
Editors-in-Chief Tari Ajadi & Jake Smith Contributing Editors Caleah Dean & Jonathan von Ofenheim News Editor Alessandro Tersigni Opinion Editor Zach Kershman Arts and Culture Editor Kendra Perrin Sports & Health Editor Kevin Berna Editors-at-large Brad Klees & Maris Winters

UKRAINE COMMUNITY DAY SQUAMISH RE-BUILD PHOTO ESSAY

A2 A3 B2 B3

A2 || THE MARK
Your first look at incoming SRC ministers
LULU GRIMM & ZACHARY KERSHMAN

NEWS

MONDAY MARCH 24th, 2014

WOMENS BASKETBALL: LOOKING BACK ON 2013-14
HILLARY YOUNG
The final buzzer sounds and the moment is surreal. The Kermode womens basketball team storms the court in an emotional euphoria, screaming in disbelief, pride, and sheer happiness. The first championship banner to be hung in the Kermode Kave had been won. No one would ever be able to take that away from them. With the yearlong hype surrounding Quest hosting the Mens National Championship, it was clear that all eyes would be on them when the tournament began in March. Although the womens basketball team was both excited and grateful that the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) would be shining its spotlight on their school, not once did this distract them from their own goal. Montreal. Womens Nationals 2014. In September, preseason began immediately. Practices were 2 hours long almost every day, and early morning sprinting or weight lifting sessions were held twice a week. By November, hard work paid off with 4 straight wins. Injuries began to surface, but December break provided some much needed healing time. Come January, the teams only losses were against Vancouver Island University (VIU) and Camosun College. February saw the women gear up for provincials, with players Shayna Cameron and Katrin Sandbichler winning PacWest All-star awards and Abbey Piazza being named to the All-Rookie Team. On February 28, the women were ready for playoffs. No team in the PacWest was more determined to win than the Kermodes, and they demonstrated just that 3 victories against Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Camosun College, and Douglas College. The gold medal was won in front of a screaming Quest crowd who, unsurprisingly, outcheered the fans of the opposition and host, Douglas College. Two weeks after their provincial accomplishment, the team was boarding a plane to the national championship in Montreal, Quebec. Upon arrival, however, they struggled against Canadas top collegiate competitors, closely losing all three of their games and placing eighth in Canada. Athletics are rarely the main reason why Quests athletes have chosen to attend the university. Like most of the student body, the schools block plan, campus, and intimacy were key deciding factors. Quests athletic history barely exists, let alone compared to competing schools. Until now. As of 2013-14, the leaps and bounds made by Quests varsity teams have been, thus far, unparalleled. The womens soccer team finished just two goals shy of winning their own provincial title this year. After coming in third at their provincials, the mens basketball team miraculously finished fifth in the country after a successful national tournament on home court. They were also the recipients of the PACWEST Founders Cup for having the greatest increase in total points scored, in comparison to the previous seasons total. Varsity athletes who attend Quest do not join a prestigious athletics program known for its history and tradition of success. Conversely, they are privileged with the opportunity to be the ones to create that tradition. Now, as of 2014, that is exactly what they are doing.

2014-15 SRC MINISTERS ANNOUNCED

last Tuesday that she wants to celebrate diversity at Quest beyond the flags in the cafeteria and some of the specials. Aida intends to draw from the professional training she received in providing guidance and counsel to incoming international students as a peer counsellor. Aida also plans to work with the Foundation and Concentration Representatives to ensure that our curriculum is reflective of our international student body. Foundation Representative The first order of business for newly elected Foundation Representative Nessa Bryce will be to check in with outgoing representative Lonnie Wake to diagnose outstanding issues from this past academic year and begin working on solutions. Bryce anticipates that the upcoming changes to the Humanities Program will be a priority in her role next year and she is prepared to come at it with the interests of her constituents in mind. To me, being a part of the SRC means making a point of reaching out to fellow students, asking about their Quest experience and what they need to make their experience as fulfilling as possible. Concentration Representative Nigel McKenzie, who ran unopposed in this years ministerial elections, has some big plans for the upcoming year. McKenzie intends to gage Quests success in equipping students with skills to succeed post-Quest by creating an exit survey for students to fill out upon the completion of their Keystone. McKenzie hopes that from the feedback generated these surveys will give Quest a direction to move in in ensuring student satisfaction across the board. McKenzie also wants to work out the kinks in the transfer credit process, as well as to publish an academic journal showcasing the work of Quest students.

facilities. While keeping her focus on the big picture, Janali also wants to tidy things up with intramurals in an effort to Minister of Finance build the most equitable schedule caterThe Students Association elected third ing to the interests of the various sportyear student Kelly McQuade for Minis- ing groups on campus. Hooray! ter of Finance. As a member of the SRC in the upcoming school year, her goal is Minister of External Affairs to help foster a thriving community at Bria Meles first action as Minister of Quest where students are able to fund a External Affairs will be arranging a variety of initiatives that benefit all. My meeting with city council to find out goal is to encourage students to propose about the various volunteer opportunievents to the SRC that they want to see ties in Squamish available for students happen on campus. All students are con- to connect with the local community. tributing $200 per year to the SRC, they Her main projects will involve planshould therefore be more engaged with ning events and outings off campus that how the SRC is spending their money. speak to a variety of interests. She wants Kelly is ready to take on her new respon- to make sure that everyone student gets sibilities and looks forward to the com- off campus at some point and mingles ing year. with the community. No one should Minister of Arts and Culture As many new ministers do, Aisha Balint in second year, will accompany the current minister of arts and culture for the next month in preparation for her time in council. Occupying the role of Minister of Arts and Culture, Aisha will organize several of the annual events like Cabaret and Dancing Bear, hopefully a second Northwest Winterfest, and she will also come up with new ideas to make space for arts and culture at Quest. In addition to that, her main goal is to step away from the position of an events planner and instead to mobilize other students to bring their ideas to life. She wants to raise the students involvement. We are here to represent YOUR voice, so please make sure to use your voice so that we can do our best to make it heard.

feel like they are stuck on the hill. Bria looks forward to hearing your ideas and making them happen. I cant wait to represent our school within the larger community!

Minister of Environmental Affairs Natalie Douglas, the new Minister of Environmental Affairs, plans to take her role extremely seriously and is honoured to be part of the SRC. She will focus her energy on fostering environmental integrity on campus by promoting innovative student projects like researching how to maximize yields from the student garden as well as exploring new ways to reduce school-wide waste. To be part of the SRC means that one has more power and thus more responsibility to improve all students experiences at Quest. As Minister of Environmental Affairs I see my role as making sure that Minister of Recreation the environment is considered when Quests incoming Minister of Recreation student projects, ideas, and clubs are beJanali Gustafson plans to focus her at- ing proposed. tention on expanding Quests extracurricular sports scene beyond the scope of Minister of Internationalization the field and Rec Centre to the opportu- Next years Minister of Internationalizanities for outdoor recreation offered by tion, Aida Ndiaye, said in her speech neighbouring Squamish and Whistler

WHATS HAPPENING IN UKRAINE?

History doth shed much light
KJELL REDAL

With the president voted out of office, a $15 billion bailout, 88 protesters dead, and a seceding state, many are wondering what on earth has happened in Ukraine. This past February thousands of protesters occupied Independence Square in downtown Kiev, enraged by the Ukrainian President, Viktor Yanukovych, and his rejection of a far-reaching accord with the European Union, opting instead for Russian financial support. The Ukrainian parliament ousted Yanukovych on February 21st, replacing him with Oleksandr Turchynov as the new standing president. Now Russian forces have seized Crimea, formerly a region is southern Ukrainian state, and forced the military surrender of the region. While Crimeans voted to secede from Ukraine on March 18th its autonomy is currently in dispute. In order to better understand this sequence of events, a look into the long-standing social history in Ukraine is necessary to shed light on the current situation. To begin to understand the historical framework of the conflict we must go all the way back to the Kievan Rus, a conglomeration of East Slavic

tribes in Europe at the beginning of the 13th Century. Western Ukraine has its origin here. The Mongols came from central Asia and invaded this swath of land one hundred years after the formation of the Kievan Rus, then ceded it to the Kingdom of Poland. Russians, however, only settled Eastern Ukraine much later in the 17th century. Here is where we see the first indications of the social, geographic, and political dichotomies that continue to cause rifts in the Ukrainian region today. During the centuries under Polish rule Western Ukraine increasingly adopted continental European culture and religion. The East, however, culturally, linguistically, and religiously distanced itself from mainland Europe, choosing Russian as its vernacular and Orthodox Christianity, not European Catholicism, as its religion. The Dnieper River divided these two regions until the very end of the 17th century when Prussian, Austrian, and Russian forces destroyed the Polish Commonwealth. This united Ukraine, if only politically, as a singular region under Russian control. The region stayed under Russian (and Soviet) rule all the way up to the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, even gaining part of Austrian territory after WWI.

Today Ukraine is an independent nation but still sees deep rifts within its population. The western half of the country speaks Ukrainian and identifies as European, while the far-eastern territories speak Russian and still maintain strong national ties with the Russian state. These rifts have continued into the countrys economics. President Yanukovychs rejection of the EU accord in November garnered strong outcry from his western constituents. This enforced his growing reputation within the West as pro-Russian, and sparked the protests that would eventually lead to his being ousted from the presidency. With a weakened central government and increasing separatist feelings in the east, Russia took the opportunity to make claim to Crimea. Despite multiple threats and warnings of economic sanctions from the international community, Vladimir Putin, the Russian President, authorized military action on the Crimean Peninsula and assimilated the formerly Ukrainian region into the Russian state. This history, albeit extremely brief, provides us with a framework to better understand the east-west dichotomy in Ukraine that is responsible for the current crisis.

THE MARK || A3

OPINION

MONDAY MARCH 24th, 2014

Despite revamp to Community Day, student turnout remains alarmingly low

MACKENZIE ERLANK
The first article I wrote for the Mark was a news piece covering Community Day. Four articles later, I was assigned Community Day 2.0. I was excited for the chance to revisit it. I must admit that I was hoping peoples perceptions of the event had changed. They havent. Many of my interviews the first time around produced responses that sounded like variations on Summers line in School of Rock: My parents dont pay $16,000 a year for recess. Substitute $16,000 with $36,000, and you would be left with a pretty accurate picture of how most of those interviews went. People didnt go to Community Day last time in order to avoid painting stuff. This community day featured no aspect of service. I thought with that deterrent out of the way, students would attend Community Day. But I was wrong. Less than half of the student body went. They gave us what we wanted, and we still didnt show up. So whats up, Quest? I have two theories. Instead of taking this opportunity to deliver a rousing argument about the importance of community and all the ways Community Day has the potential to foster it, Im going to propose something radical: Quest students dont get enough sleep. Not just the night before Community Day, but in general. Every student I talked to who opted out of attending Community Day spent their morning sleeping. Some students I talked to did so because they had spent all night doing work, just getting to bed before fourth years started banging pots and pans together to get everybody up and moving. I dont think this was solely because they knew they had the next day off, because Ive experienced more than one sleepless night - none of which were planned around Community Day. I also dont think that puts me in the minority. All-nighters are a hallmark of many of the classes at

COMMUNITY DAY CHANGES; STUDENT ATTENDANCE DOES NOT

Quest. The importance of sleep isnt up for debate. If you arent convinced, type your concerns into your Internet machine and it will inundate you with evidence supporting my claim. Sleep deprivation is bad. It makes retaining and consolidating information next to impossible, which is a pretty big obstacle as far as academics go. There is merit in learning how to produce high quality work in spite of exhaustion, sickness, and other obstacles. However, theres also merit in being able to think clearly and get through the day without resorting to amphetamine abuse. I dont want to let students off the hook, though. My second theory is that many didnt show up out of a sense of entitlement. Milton Orris, one of the guests who ran a workshop at Community Day, put it well: People who live in successful communities are committed to the wellbeing of the entire community. To me, thats the essential. [That they are] prepared to offer their capabilities to make that happen, and to be of service. Sometimes that means painting stuff. Sometimes it means honouring the hours of work that people have put into creating an event to better the community by attending informative workshops. And other times, it really does just mean sleeping in. The sense of entitlement that seems to be all too common among the student body has made me wonder about the way Quest conceptualizes community. The incidence of sleep deprivation that is equally as common has made me wonder about the block plan. Can we maintain Quests academic rigor without sacrificing sleep? Can we sustain the sense of community on campus if we are unwilling to sacrifice time and energy to participate in it? I dont have the answer to any of those questions, but theyre worth asking. Love you, Quest, but we need to sort ourselves out.

GETTING OFF WITH A HYMEN

MABEL VAUTRAVERS
One thing I never learned about in high school sex-ed classes is whats up with the hymen. Growing up, I always had this vague idea of the hymen as a small, cherry-sized, blood-pocket that would burst the first time you had penetrative sex. This probably stemmed from the idiom: to pop ones cherry. This, of course, does not resemble what the hymen actually is. It wasnt until several years after high school that I learned that the hymen is a thin layer of membrane partially covering the vagina. Different hymens cover different amounts of the vaginal opening. Some folks hymens almost completely cover the vaginal opening, which may lead to more blood and more pain with penetration. Other folks hymens barely cover the vaginal opening at all, which can lead to confusion as to why there is no blood or pain upon penetration. Many of us are led to expect gratuitous amounts of pain and bleeding from the first time having penetrative sex. This can happen if the hymen tears after having been stretched too much, too fast. However, it is not a given; the hymen can also stretch slowly over time. Another important thing to know about the hymen is that it never just goes away. The hymen is not a seal that, upon breakage, shrivels up and falls off. If a hymen is torn to shreds then there may be only a very small amount of it left, to the point of it being essentially gone, but normally you have some of your hymen throughout your entire life. If your vaginal canal isnt being penetrated regularly, your hymen can slowly shrink back to where it was before. A hymen can tear in many ways besides penetrative sex. Riding bikes or horses, taking an awkward fall, or inserting a tampon can do the job. The idea of a bloody, painful first time is part of the whole womens-burden myth that is both archaic and damaging to folks for whom firsttime anxiety can be a big deal. Carnage doesnt exactly spell romance in the minds of folks who are planning their sexual debut. On the other hand, for folks who do not experience the promised bloodshed of first-time sex, there may be a feeling that their big coming-of-age-moment was a letdown. With this in mind, remember that a blood bath is not a requisite for an official first-time experience, but if it does happen, dont worry! Just be gentle with yourself. Use lube, allow a lot of time for foreplay (whether you are by yourself or with a partner) and go at your own bodys pace. Play safe, Mabel

OPINION

INSTITUTIONALIZING REVOLUTION
CALEB RAIBLE-CLARK
Quest has been institutionalizing revolution in recent days. We have a draft human rights policy which moves us towards separation between investigation and decision processes. We have a draft of a mission statement which actually includes a statement of mission (see my last article). Faculty and staff governance might cease to be hilariously opaque by next year. All that being said, one issue stands out for its neglect: institutionalized oppression. In my 4 years here, I have never seen a step towards anti-oppression (e.g. anti-racist, anti-sexist) work that touches every Quest student. I have seen a few pockets of rich dialogue, and some events successful in raising awareness--even some curriculum shift for those students who wish to engage with anti-oppressive dialogue. But I have seen no shift in institutional resource expenditure to put anti-oppression work into the conversational mainstream. To be fair, this isnt Quests problem, in particular. Cultural oppression is reflected in all academic institutions. For instance, while Quest seems to spend comparable resources for mens and womens athletics programs, it participates in a league where womens basketball games are always during typical dinner hours. The problem is that a different blueprint doesnt necessarily mean a different structure. For another telling example, racial diversity among our U.S. students does not reflect the racial diversity of the U.S. While this is not particular to Quest, it is partially explicable by choices that we have made. It seems like the Quest Admissions Team, quite naturally, recruits U.S. students especially from progressive schools pedagogically similar to Quest. And, in my experience working in them, progressive schools pedagogically similar to Quest tend to be white and wealthy. It is unsurprising that our student body is too. Faculty and staff diversities are comparable, except that we dont seem to be recruiting internationally (beyond the U.S.) as much as we do for students. In a laudable first step, our faculty has recently begun a dialogue about inequity in reviews for Quest job candidates. But even a slight quantitative shift in demographics wont mean anything unless we learn how to do the work of multiculturalism. Asking people of colour (faculty or students) either to act like all the white people or to serve as a holistic representation (aka token) of their entire race is not asking them to bring their true, rich, authentic, and complex selves. The same thing goes for people of any marginalized identity. We need to figure out how to be welcomingnot some product of a mathematical equation. Happily, there is some work in the right direction. The anti-oppression workshop I attended on Community Day brought in 40 students and 4 faculty. A meeting is planned for after Aprils Community Update on these issues. Students will soon vote on the addition of an SRC Human Rights Minister. Cornerstone workshops next year will include an anti-oppression component. People are starting to congeal and organize. If their work is to be successful, we are going to need to learn to listen very carefully, to assume good intentions, and to sometimes put up with discomfort and inconvenience. Administration will need to take public stands, backed by real resources. People with privilege will have to make space at the table, in the agenda, and in their considerations for marginalized voices. We will need to stretch in order to grow.

OPINION

B1 || THE MARK
ZACH KERSHMAN
Lights come up on a solitary figure standing on an otherwise empty stage. Fedora resting atop his head, moustache impeccably curled, signature twinkle in his eye, Jon Farmer welcomed the packed auditorium to his production: Manologues. Initially conceived as Farmers Keystone project, Manologues is an original theatre piece incorporating conversations he had with men about their ideas of what it means to be a man. Reminiscent of the world-famous Vagina Monologues, performed at Quest earlier this year, the goal of these conversations adapted for the stage is to open up a dialogue that challenges the assumptions we hold about masculinity. Having collected stories from a variety of sources, Manologues touches on a range of topics and issues encountered, but not discussed by men around the world. The show was diverse in tone, shifting from more serious pieces to hu-

ARTS & CULTURE

MONDAY MARCH 24th, 2014

REVIEW: MANOLOGUES
morous ones that had the audience in stitches. The comedic pieces were the ones where Farmers writing talent shone. The Clown Sketches that were interspersed throughout the show were both clever and incisive. Almost allegorically, the pieces relayed some of the clichd and therefore often forgotten pieces of life advice that we all encounter daily. The use of clowns softened the blow to the ego when the message People Come In All Shapes or Always Be Yourself became glaringly obvious the audience was able to feel as ridiculous as the clowns looked. Several of the performers aside from Farmer wrote their own pieces. Geordon McLeans monologue Bichotomy dealt with concepts of outwardly performed masculinity and what happens when sexual identity conflicts with those norms. Andrew Wood and Rosa Culbertson paired up to recite a moving piece that mixed poetry and prose in recounting lessons learned on the road about loss and legacy.

While the show touched on a wide range of issues, some students felt as though they were hearing different stories from the same voice. It seemed to me like a lot of groups were underrepresented in the show, said first-year student Marielle Rosky. I think the cover of the program is a testament to that three white faces with different haircuts. Maxwell Mills, another first year student, suggested that giving a brief introduction to provide context before each story would help to diversify the voices in the show. Though there is room for the show to grow and improve, the inaugural performance of Manologues was a huge success, drawing an impressive number of students to both act in, as well attend the production. If the kind of enthusiasm garnered by the shows first run is any indication of its future success, Manologues could very well become the international movement that Farmer has in mind.

KATE KURDYAK SIGNS RECORD DEAL

Kermode joins Carly Rae Jepsens label
MACKENZIE ERLANK

Its been a big year for Kate Kurdyak: as if moving away from home to attend university wasnt enough, the singer-songwriter also signed a record deal with independent label 604 Records on February 28th. She has been involved with the label since spring of last year, whose roster includes Carly Rae Jepsen, Marianas Trench, Theory of a Deadman and Tommy Lee. Did I mention shes only eighteen? Q: Quest has a strong community of musicians, many of whom dream of one day signing a record deal. How did you make it happen? A: I won a contest that gave me a slot in a music festival where Carly Rae Jepsen and Marianas Trench played. I knew what the head of their record label looked likehe looks like a biker-Santa Clause. Hes crazy and I saw him come out from backstage and watch Carly play. I knew that I had to talk to him, but he was in the VIP section. So I ran down and one of my friends distracted the security guard while I snuck into the VIP section, and I went up and asked him how I could get from here to there. Basically he said that I could e-mail him some of my music. So I did. We had two meetings and after the second meeting when I showed him more of my work he said, Alright, I like this, you can start working with my people now. He initially said that he was going to let me develop, and then we wrote the first song and he just said Alright. Record deal. So that was pretty nice. It happened a lot faster than I thought it would so I feel really lucky. Its about luck, but I think the key to it is knowing what you want before you try to get it. Q: Has anything about the music industry suprised you so far? A: What surprised me was how many people go into the creation of one artist. I have a manager, two project managers, two lawyers and a stylist to help create an imagewhich is what weve been working on lately. When I talk about image I mean how my music videos look, what my website looks like, album cover, etc. I think that in some ways it is almost as important as the music itself. To me, they are so connected - its about how you connect to people and how you want to be known. Its just kind of everybodys project. But I like that aspect of it because I dont think it would be as fun if it was just you music really is about that. It isnt just for one person but a thing that is meant to be shared. Q: What are you working on right now? A: Were picking a single right now so likely that will be released in late spring/early summer. Then we do a music video and photo-shoot. All that stressful stuff. The full version of the Q&A is available in the online issue of The Mark. Catch Kate at Dancing Bear festival on April 12th.

REVIEW: NEW MUSIC

TARI AJADI, MAGGIE MCPHEE & JAKE SMITH Real Estate Atlas 4/5 Stars Real Estate is back for their third studio album, Atlas. This time, the fivesome has opted for a cleaner sound with a higher quality of production. When one of my favourite bands releases a new album, I am always apprehensive to give it a listen, fearing they will have sold out their individuality to their producers. Unlike similar bands such as The Smith Westerns and Beach Fossils, who have taken the same course but lost their iconic edge, Real Estate maintains its unique sound in Atlas. Beachy guitar-rifts and Martin Courtneys sleepy vocals make Atlas yet another easy-listening album. The track-list in its entirety flows so well that you might not realize when one song ends and another begins, but listen to any one track on its own and it will leave you utterly enchanted. TRUST Joyland 3.5/5 Stars Two years of anticipation later and my favourite synthpop band is out with Joyland, their second, appropriately-named album. Let me tell you, it was well worth the wait. Although the album is not as consistent as TRST, it is loaded with

gems like Capitol and Are We Arc? and, lets be honest, Im always happy to have more songs to dance my face off to. You can tell the duo have spent the past couple of years experimenting and expanding their sound; vocalist Robert Alfrons shocked me with an alto pitch that I didnt think he had in him. The mood of the album is just as the title suggests: joyful. Vince Staples Shyne Coldchain Vol. 2 4/5 Stars Vince Staples, the Long Beach, California rapper, exploded last year with his standout feature on Earl Sweatshirts Hive. His signature jazzy flow stole the show from Earls knotty rhymes and grimy beat. Arguably, he stole the whole album. Now, he is back with Shyne Coldchain Vol. 2, a ten track mixtape produced by No I.D. and Scoop DeVille with features by James Fauntleroy and Jhene Aiko. His signature flow is in full effect on tracks like Progressive 3 and Humble, while the 808-heavy beats give the entire tape a dusky, classic vibe. However, it is the content of Staples rhymes that impress most on this tape. The lead single, Nate, tells the gritty story of a boy who idolizes his criminal father. With a mixtape this good so early on in his career, Staples could be the Next Big Thing in a matter of months.

Band of Horses The Acoustic at the Ryman 3/5 Stars After going big and fast with their 2012 album, Mirage Rock, Band of Horses have unplugged the electric guitars, pulled out the mandolins, and returned to their roots. Moving forward to the past, The Acoustic at the Ryman showcases the bands most popular and obscure songs at one of roots musics storied venues. Originally built as a red-brick tabernacle church, The Ryman Theaters marble columns and wooden pews frame the stage for the bands graceful welding of indie-rock, americana, and bluegrass. The country emphasis pays homage to the history of the building and the bands southern birthplace in Asheville, North Carolina. As a radio hub during WWII, the Ryman set the tone for radio in the south for almost 60 years, featuring some of the industries biggest names, from Emmylou Harris to Wilco, from Neil Young to Erasures. The highlights from the two nights of recordings include the minimalist version of Everythings Gonna be Undone and the aw-shucks, twangy rendition of Slow Cruel Hands of Time.

Dancing Bear Music Festival 2014 promises to live up to past years ALESSANDRO TERSIGNI
As Keystone stress levels run high and summer planning becomes startlingly imminent, theres one thing to keep on your radar before thats all said and done. Quests annual Dancing Bear Music Festival is on April 12th, boasting acts such as Moontricks, Neon Steve, Old Man Canyon, and the Boom Booms, as well as Quest student acts The Bone Frets, The Cherry Potatoes, and The Kate Kurdyak Band. Head Dancing Bear coordinator Ben Goldstein wanted to honour the previous goals of the much loved Quest tradition, giving students a chance to hang out and listen to good music. We want to create a community where Quest students come together, thats one of the main purposes [of the festival], says Goldstein. The Dancing Bear planning committee originally sought to try something new, aiming for a two day festival with more high profile acts. However, the SRC, which has several ex-Dancing Bear coordinators as Ministers, rejected funding for a multiday event. They strongly recommended not having a two day festival because it would be a lot of work, which I took to heart, Goldstein said. Furthermore, [the SRC] didnt want to spend [$20,000] on the festival, suggesting $15,000 as a number theyd be comfortable with. We were hoping to get some bigger artists...to draw people from the community and from Vancouver, says Jessica Ells, this years primary band coordinator. But I love the music we have, so that still might happen. The musicians set to play at the festival echo this sentiment. I have not played at a school before so Im really excited. Hopefully there will be lots of new ears to share my music with that wouldnt normally get to, says Neon Steve. Old Man Canyon is also looking forward to sharing his music with first time listeners. I love to meet new people and get the chance to play for people that have never heard of us, he says. Festivals

DANCING OUT OF HIBERNATION

are always more of a challenge to really get the crowd into what youre playing, which I like. It makes you more focused and determined to deliver what it is you want to share with the viewer. I have driven by Quest many times, though, and it looks like a beautiful place to play! Although this years festival definitely promises the usual excitements, Goldstein hopes to add one extra perk. One minor thing that well do differently, if we are approved, is re-price drinks throughout the day. Of course, the festival cant happen without the help of everyone whos looking forward to it. Dancing Bear is entirely student run. Students ideas go into it, students money funds it, and students do the physical work needed by volunteering, Goldstein says. Make sure to respond to the Dancing Bear volunteer survey on Facebook early this week to help make this the best year yet!

B2 || THE MARK
CULTURE

ARTS & CULTURE

MONDAY MARCH 24th, 2014

STUDENT ESTABLISHED RADIO STATION LAUNCHES

Quest Coast Sound hits the ground bumping and grooving and running around the media town! JOHN SLOAN
On March 3rd, Quest Coast Sound launched. It is the first radio station on campus and can be found at questcoastsound.questu.ca. The website hosts not only an archive of podcasts and jams, but also a multitude of other media. The music scene at Quest is multi-faceted, with contributors having musical influences that are as diverse as the backgrounds of the people who consist of the student body. Updating the website daily with new casts and fresh tunes, the project aims to showcase faculty-in-residence talks, lectures, interviews with student artists, and possibly live recordings of musical performances. But any student can put literally any song into a podcast, thanks to a liberal copyright license that is non-restrictive. The project is the brainchild of Evan Cross, James Blumhagen, Euan Sadler, Maggie McPhee, and many others. Moving forward, anybody else who is interested in contributing can submit content. Initally Cross Keystone idea, the idea gained traction when Blumhagen mentioned the concept on the Quest Students Facebook page. The project would first manifest as an internet radio station, before progressing into a full blown FM station. In collaboration, the student group would draft a Human Rights Policy with the assitance of Melanie Koenderman and David Helfand. The group also recieved support from the IT department and worked through February to prepare the website. Blumhagen hopes that the station will be integrated into the community: its slowly getting instilled within the Quest culture, the Squamish culture, the Squamish community. We want it to be a central hub of media and knowledge of whats going on at Quest, whats going on in Squamish, and really connecting the two communities together. Its going to increase knowledge of whats going on at Quest, to get Squamish residents up the hill more, and then we can even have information about whats going on in Squamish, so that Quest students can readily discover whats going on in Squamish. With only one local radio station, Squamish currently lacks options when scanning the airwaves. Quest Coast Sound hopes to change that, by providing quality, on-demand music at any time. We want it to be this one website where people can go to find out everything thats going on at Quest. Its not so much just for the radio, its more-so for the community; to help promote Quest, and to help connect with the Squamish community. said Blumhagen. Even over the past three weeks, the station has seen an increase in listenership. I keep track of the views on every single post. Ive been tracking all the listens. We have a few shows that have reached like fifty to sixty listeners, which is awesome. Its exciting when just five people listen to your podcast said Blumhagen. Regardless of its apparent status as a quickly budding and blooming project-endeavor, Quest Coast Sound seems to have a lot of potential to become a central hub of knowledge that is not just artistic, but also practical. If Quest Coast Sound is a flower, it needs the vital nutrients of a steady audience-base to break out of the soil of obscurity.

LOCAL

WHAT FIRST NATIONS?

VALERIA VERGANI
The decline of the few initiatives to promote collaboration between Quest and the First Nations of the Seato-Sky has sparked concern among students and faculty. Members of the Squamish Nation insist that it is up to the University to initiate the dialogue. Progress is slow but there are hopes of restrengthening the dying connection. Since Quest opened in 2007, local First Nations have rarely been involved with the University. Some members of the Squamish Nation participated in Quests first official convocation and graduation ceremonies, while others have run workshops on campus. Quests President David Helfand said that, although they have been invited, the Squamish Nation have not taken part in graduation ceremonies for the

Quest students and local First Nations complain about a lack of interaction.
past two years. Given the lack of official partnerships, it is students who have been doing most of the work to establish the connection between the University and local First Nations. One of these students is Hayden Taylor, a third-year of Aboriginal descent. According to Taylor, The connection between the University and the Nations was never strong enough to maintain a continuous partnership. It was easier for Quest to have someone who was Aboriginal who could connect the two. So its hard, with so very few Aboriginal students. In November of 2011, Taylor organized Quests participation in the Squamish Nation Winter PowWow, a celebration of Aboriginal history and traditions. Last year, Taylor met with members of the Squamish Nation to organize another PowWow to be held on Quest property. However, after the birth of his daughter, Taylor had no time to finish organizing the event. Helfand said that communication between Quest and the Squamish Nation has been sparse ever since. Sophie Major, a fourth-year student and an advocate of First Nations involvement at Quest, has been enquiring into the possibility of a scholarship for Aboriginal students. I went into Admissions and asked whether they had considered a scholarship for First Nation students. They said they hadnt, but that it sounded like a good idea. I told them that we really do need one, said Major. The Squamish Nation would like to see a long-term commitment from the University involving both the student body and Administration. Nothing at Quest strikes me as cultural nothing there gave me the urge to go back to school, said Donna Billy, a Junior Elder from the Squamish Nation. She would like to see the Squamish Nation involved at Quest on a regular basis: [Quest] cant just want us there for a free show every once in a while. There needs to be a long-term cultural program. There needs to be dialogue wanted on both sides. Students and staff now look to newly-hired faculty Dr. Bianca Brigidi for a restoration of this connection. The faculty have hired a new tutor with interests in this area, and she is interested in making connections with the local Nations. We look forward to continuing and expanding our connections, as there is much opportunity for sharing and learning, said Dean of Students Melanie Koenderman.

GETTING TO KNOW: INIS LEBLANC

GRAHAM STREICH & KENDRA PERRIN
Watching Inis LeBlanc lean comfortably against the cash desk and rattle off the 45 plus jobs she has done during her life everything from picking apples to working in a plastic pool parts factory to tree planting you would start to think that she could probably do anything she set her mind to. And you would be right. LeBlanc is the founder and executive director of Squamish Rebuild, a not-for-profit social enterprise that sells useable, second-hand building supplies that are donated or collected. Her ultimate goal is to divert 100% of building supplies in Squamish from the landfill. This is not a job she had ever thought she would do, but it is exactly what she is happy doing. LeBlanc spent her childhood in the woods with no running water and no electricity on Prince Edward Island. This meant chopping wood and pumping water from a well, and this

LOCAL

early exposure to the outdoors and hands-on work has served her well. LeBlanc earned an undergraduate degree in Environmental Biology from Dalhousie University. She is no longer engaged in wildlife research which took her as far as the phone service-less Alaskan wilderness - but her concern for environmental issues and her determination to reduce waste has endured. The path to becoming a West Coast social entrepreneur was by no means linear, but LeBlanc is a big fan of following her heart. This philosophy, which she thinks is sort of cheesy, has generally taken her where she has needed to go, or at least has kept her happy throughout. Following a breakup ten years ago, Leblanc left Australia (where she had moved after travelling Canada and the United States for several years) for Squamish. Years later, she read a book by David Suzuki called Good News for a Change, which chronicles individuals, groups and businesses who are

doing great things to help the planet. One of those great things was the ReBuilding Centre in Portland, Oregon, which became the inspiration for what would come next. As soon as I read it, I was like thats what I want to do...just a lightning bolt of clarity. Despite this clarity, opening Squamish Rebuild on her own was still the scariest thing she has ever done. It was a huge leap, said LeBlanc. At the time, she did not know anything about starting a business, about social enterprises, or even about construction. But her diverse experiences had taught her how to ask questions and learn as she goes skills that gave her the confidence to take a risk like this. Learning as you go is good. If youre keen, then go for it! And having a mentor is also amazing. We asked LeBlanc to share some wisdom, and she told us that it is okay to change your mind. Her dad was a fisherman for 35 years before becoming a computer programmer. We asked her whats the best way to spend

an afternoon in Squamish, and she suggested hiking to Tantalus Lookout at Brohm Lake, and also looking up (almost anywhere) to see the eagles. As for her faith in humanity? She has realized that most people really want to do the right thing environmentally, they just need to be given the chance. Giving that chance is what she is most proud of with Squamish Rebuild, creating a space that gives people an opportunity to be part of the solution.

Leblanc at Squamish Rebulid. To see more photos and read a little more about LeBlanc and her adventures, check out the extended profile on The Marks website.

THE MARK || B3

PHOTO ESSAY

MONDAY MARCH 24th, 2014

An upgrade to the existing pipeline would allow the transport of natural gas from Coquitlam to Squamish, but the proposed route may disrupt the Squamish River Estuary among other preserved environments. Natural gas pumped to Woodfibre would be liquefied, stored, loaded onto LNG carriers, and shipped abroad, largely to Asian ports. Howe Sound could see upwards of 40 LNG carriers per year. Further concerns over the Woodfibre LNG project and others of this ilk take into account the source of the natural gas. Nowadays, the product is typically extracted from the ground through hydraulic fracturing, or frackingthe process of fracturing rock with pressurized water to release fossil fuel deposits. This controversial technique is currently under scrutiny for its environmental impacts, including groundwater contamination and air pollution. BCs natural gas resources would be a major source of the LNG processed and exported at Woodfibre. BC premier Christy Clark sees natural gas extraction and export as a major component of BCs financial future. BCs government currently supplies the gas industry with 60 million gallons of fresh water every day for fracking purposes. Fracking aside, Woodfibre LNG promises environmental sustainability including management and long-term stewardship for forest, fisheries, wildlife, and water resources on the property, according to Woodfibres LNG Environmental Assessment. A graphic on the Woodfibre LNG website depicts a far simpler facility and greener landscape than the existing one. Workers at the site even suggest that the company is considering opening parts of the site to the public, attracting visitors with hiking trails above the LNG facility. But Woodfibre has a ways to go before grass and trees re-root the industrial wasteland and the stench of the landfill fades. If Woodfibre LNG moves ahead and remediation goes as planned, you might be able to look across the Sound one day and see a little less of a concrete blemish on the landscape. But we must not forget the history of the siteboth cultural and industrialor the questionable extraction practices of not-so-natural gas behind our local middle-man, Woodfibre LNG; the new

WOODFIBRE LNG: A CLOSER LOOK

One of many signs warns of asbestos in the landfill at Woodfibre (left). A white film coats the base of ponds adjacent to the main landfill site (right). JONATHAN VON OFENHEIM
If youve ever driven the Sea to Sky Highway, which skirts the shoreline of Howe Sound on BCs southern coast, and peeked over your shoulder on the stretch of road just south of Squamish, you might have noticed the Woodfibre industrial site across the watera concrete blemish between Tantalus forest and marine waters. There was once a small town located there accessible only by boat, and, without a closer look, you might be inclined to buy into the often touted ghost-town appeal of the site. However, an on-site investigation revealed more than a quaint relic of the boomtown era, raising environmental concerns over the sites current state and its future industrial development. If you caught a glimpse before the Woodfibre Pulp Mill closed in 2006, pending regulatory approvals, could be operating as soon as 2017. In accordance with the purchasing agreement, Woodfibre LNG has committed to a $7 million remediation effort, as the site has seen more than a century of industrial use. But what does this remediation entail, and how will environmental efforts be sustained with industrial activity ongoing? After its closure, the 102-yearold pulp plant remained a disheveled landscape, inactive and abandoned for seven years. Seeing the site now, one might find it hard to believe that it was once home to a bustling community the town of Woodfibre, BC. The 1950s saw Woodfibre at its prime. A contingent of the logging operations and lumber mill of nearby Squamish, the town, with a population of 750 workers and their families, supported two churches, a school, a swimming remains but its waste. Woodfibre LNG is currently working to remediate the effects of rampant industrial use. Rusting industrial equipment, scattered scrap metal and other materials, landfills, piles of concrete rubble, and dredged logpiles engulf the 86-hectare property. Red alder trees and invasive blackberry are the first to reclaim neglected areas. Much of the site needs cleaning up, but the main efforts of the current remediation project center on Woodfibres active water treatment plant, which is working to mitigate the effects of chemicals that have accumulated in the sites landfill. Workers shuttled by boat on weekdays and part-time resident workers run this water treatment process. Water is pumped up the slope, channeled over the plastic sheeting on which the landfill sits, and treated for contaminants at the treatment plant below. Among the toxins needing removal is the insulating fiber asbestos, left over from early construction at Woodfibre. Runoff from the landfill flows alongside nearby glacier-fed streams, which converge at the heart of the Woodfibre site and are channeled through its center, eventually spilling into Howe Sound. A generator at the base of the slope drowns out the sound

A fenced-off landfill sits on plastic sheeting on the slope above the Woodfibre treatment plant.
you might have seen billows of white smoke erupting from smokestacks, filling the valley pocket with a crude haze. Now, with the 2013 approval of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) export license, it might not be long before a look across the Sound reveals another type of industrial activity. In January 2013, Asian petrochemical giant Pacific Oil & Gas purchased the site for $25.5 million, launching its new subsidiary Woodfibre LNG. The Singapore-based firm plans to build a $1.6 billion LNG processing and export facility on the site operating, which, pool, a bowling alley and even a movie theater. However, over time the community lost its ground to industry and Main Street was wiped clean to make way for the booming business of paper products. In the 1960s, residents were relocated to Squamish or Britannia Beach as industrial development expanded. Woodfibres history gives the impression that the site is now a ghost town, but a closer look found otherwise. A visit to the site was hardly a window into historic small-town BC. In fact, while old industrial facilities dominate the landscape, nothing of the township

A glacier-fed stream that may contain industrial contaminants runs through the center of the Woodfibre industrial site into Howe Sound.
of a waterfall buried in the forest just tens of meters away. Sustained efforts to minimize environmental impact will be needed to ensure air and water quality if Woodfibre LNG is to move forward with LNG processing and export. In addition to the on-site effects of the new industrial project, the proposal raises concerns regarding LNG carrier traffic in Howe Sound and the expansion of an existing FortisBC pipeline. face of Woodfibre is but a facade for the former buried industry, and this burgeoning new one. To see the complete photo-essay with additional exclusive photos of the Woodfibre industrial site, visit the Marks website at http://thequestmark.tumblr. com/