MYSTICAL MUSHROOMS The potential health benefits of tripping balls

Magic Mushrooms have been used by countless cultures across the world for thousands of years. From pre-historic folk tales of shamanic ceremonies to modern psychedelic trance parties, these mushrooms have always played an important medicinal and sometimes recreational role. Now, for the first time since the flower power revolution of the 60s, modern scientific research is being done to determine the actual mechanisms that the mushrooms employ to produce their effects, and to help find a place for their medicinal use in the 21st century.
On July 11, 2006, John Hopkins Medical Society published a report in the Journal of Psychopharmacology which described landmark research into the experience of the mushroom's main active component, psilocybin, which emulates the effects of the brain neurotransmitter serotonin, responsible for calm, positive states of mind. The results were impressive and adhered to strict scientific guidelines – double blinding, randomized sampling and a peer review of results. "This represents a landmark study, because it is applying modern techniques to an area of human experience that goes back as long as humankind has been here," said Charles Schuster, a former director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse and a professor of psychiatry and behavioural neuroscience at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit.
135 people volunteered for the five-year study and 36 were chosen. All were middle-aged, and all followed a spiritual practice of some form. The subjects were randomly assigned a dose of psilocybin or ritalin for an initial trial, and depending on their lot, were then given the opposite dose at a later date. The sessions lasted eight hours. Of the 36 people, 22 had full-blown mystical experiences and two-thirds deemed it to be one of the most important experiences in their lives (on par with child birth, for example). Fourteen months after the experiment, 64 percent of participants claimed they experienced a moderate rise in well-being in regards to creativity, confidence and optimism. 61 percent claimed a moderate yet positive behaviour change.
One participant, Dede Osborn of Providence, Rhode Island, had this to say about the study: “I feel more centered in who I am and what I'm doing ... I don't seem to have those self-doubts like I used to have. I feel much more grounded [and feel that] we are all connected."
John Hayes, a professor of pastoral counseling at Loyola College, said: “It gave me this sense that space and time are human constructions that can collapse ... The ultimate reality is something beyond those constructions, and more importantly, everything in the world is connected."
One-third of the subjects, however, found the experience fearful and sometimes terrifying. Four people claimed the session was dominated by an intense mental struggle, which emphasizes the need for a clinical setting for proper experimentation with this substance. Three vowed never to do it again. The Hopkins study took this into account and guided their patients through this part of their experience, lessening the potential for harmful psychological repercussions.
Irresponsible use has many potential side-affects, and in the 60s, in particular, the hippie movement saw first-hand what powerful magic these mushrooms could produce. "It was a crazy period where these compounds were irresponsibly promoted for recreational use, and their use was widespread," says Roland Griffiths, a psychiatrist who pioneered the Hopkins study. "We got into what appears to me to be a little bit of cultural hysteria about their risks. They were swept out of the research domain." The famous psychologist Dr. Timothy Leary of Harvard University, emboldened by the consciousness expanding characteristics of hallucinogenic plants and especially LSD, rigorously encouraged their use but failed to take into account the necessary safeguards that modern research has embraced. Difficult trial accounts and scary cultural myths still dominate the public perception of the mushroom and it is mostly due to these tales that research has been stalled for so long. Still, deaths have been associated with the unrestricted use of this substance, including a Ventura County teen who wandered into traffic in 2001 while intoxicated on mushrooms.
Research has continued unabated since the Hopkins study, however, with many more positive results. In 2006, the medical Journal of Neurology reported on cases in which mushrooms lessened cluster headaches better than common pharmaceuticals. This research was driven by psilocybins close chemical relationship with sumatriptan, the most common pharmaceutical treatment. The study was authored by psychiatrists at Harvard University's McLean Hospital, and the conclusion was that many of the 53 people who had been treating their headaches with psilocybin or LSD found that the drugs ended acute spasms of pain and extended the relief time in between attacks. According to the report: “Twenty-two of 26 psilocybin users reported that psilocybin aborted attacks; 25 of 48 psilocybin users ... reported cluster period termination; 18 of 19 psilocybin users ... reported remission period extension.” The case report concluded: "Research on the effects of psilocybin ... on cluster headaches may be warranted."
It turns out that the mushroom may have more profound uses than just limiting pain symptoms, however. The efficacy of this substance on matters of death and dying is currently being addressed. At the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, a study began in 2007 that aims to test the so-called mystical effects of mushrooms on terminal cancer patients. The study aims to address the intense anxiety concerning illness and death experienced by these patients. 44 patients are expected and the study will reach completion in 2011, but the initial results are promising. Dr. Charles Grob, a professor of psychiatry at the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, described one woman's experience as life-changing. It reportedly allowed her a mental catharsis that enabled her to empathize with her husband and overcome her intense anguish and guilt over the burden she was placing on her family in her terminal condition. Once again, the common theme of “oneness” and connection catalyzed the result. "[The outcomes] were best with people who had what they described as a mystical experience, or a full-on, spiritual, transpersonal epiphany," Grob says.
Finally, in a move that legitimizes the current research trends, the FDA has, for the first time since the 60s, approved clinical trials for psilocybin treatment. This study addressed those suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Disorders (OCDs). Led by Dr. Francisco A. Moreno of the University of Arizona and published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, the preliminary results are astonishing. Nine patients were involved, and in each and every case, psilocybin use completely removed OCD symptoms, such as a fear of contamination, elaborate washing rituals, or obsessive tapping, for a period of four to 24 hours. Some claimed relief for several days. "What we saw acutely was a drastic decrease in symptoms," Moreno said. "The obsessions would really dissolve or reduce drastically for a period of time."
Currently, the modern status of psychedelic research is in a state of stabilization. John Hopkins Medical Society has released guidelines for undergoing similar clinical trials to their groundbreaking study and organizations such as the Beckley Foundation and MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) are soliciting funds from donors and organizations who believe in such research taking place. Similarly, the Heffter Institute, composed primarily of altruistic donors, has provided 1.4 million in funding. "Most donors are individuals who had [psychedelic] experiences of their own and became convinced that these substances were important to understand," says Dave Nichols of Purdue University.
Still, mushrooms have a long way to go before they find a legitimate place in our society. In the next instalment of our Magic Mushroom series, I will examine the current status of the mushroom in Canada, focusing on the legalities, and in particular, on a B.C. lawyer who is building a powerful Charter of Rights And Freedoms challenge on the grounds of free thought and religion. Keep reading.

Kevin Murray
Editor

From the Editor Devils and Data: A Reckoning

“If you’re one of those people who do still believe in mystery, you can apparently go fuck yourself straight to Hell. And when you get there, tell the Devil Science sent you,” said Robert Brockway of Cracked.com.
Science has arrogantly proclaimed its dominance over folklore, faith, fuzzy logic, and in the best of cases, fallacy. Challenging subjectivity, science has been crowned King in a court of measurable facts. But a Queen remains. What of those aspects of the human experience that are beyond numbers, beyond calculation?
Journalism finds itself in the role of jester, desperately trying to appease both sides of the court. We adhere to the quantitative, basing our reporting on facts, while attending to the experience and perception of these truths, sometimes through a sleight of hand. Because sometimes we have to report on what cannot be measured, like an ideal, and sometimes the call to act comes long before the call to calculate.
In this issue we are juggling science and subjectivity. My feature on magic mushrooms brings a mysterious personal experience out of the realm of fantasy and into the lab, a necessary step for its acceptance. Alamir Novin writes on his own experiences as a ninja stalking elusive hummingbirds, an experience that results in a strong empathy, which changes his outlook on the hard science of climate change. We also have a sequence of pieces on Caster Semenya that display a delicate balance between narrow biological facts and the perceptual debate surrounding their acceptance. Finally, Jenny Vienneau writes about a former Cap student’s impassioned bike ride across Canada for charity, while Krissi Bucholtz reflects on her time spent in Sierra Leone, describing some recent problems with international adoption laws and calling for exceptions to be made for compassionate cases.
While many philosophers and scientists may argue the black and whites of reason versus perception, the writer must navigate both, overthrowing an “either-or” for a “both-and”. After all, if a writer chooses only a scientific approximation of truth, then they ignore the living, breathing experience of human impulse and instincts. If a journalist seeks to mirror humanity, they must reflect both images on their page. Because journalism also finds itself in the business of truth, just as much as those Kings of the Petri dish and Queens of the fortune cookie. And because, in the words of Milan Kundera, “Any schoolboy can do experiments in the physics laboratory to test various scientific hypotheses. But man, because he has only one life to live, cannot conduct experiments to test whether to follow his passion (compassion) or not.”

Kevin Murray

Letters

I would like to commend Kevin Murray for his article concerning our lost hour of class time. This mysterious "fourth hour" seems somewhat archaic on the course outline as it reads to say students are just being given more homework under a different name. That is, unless you know the history. This extra homework is a feeble attempt to replace a missing hour of classroom interaction.
Kevin is not the only student who remembers the benefits of the in-depth instruction allowed by two hour discussions rather than the condensed milestone lectures that occur now.
 Exchanging class explorations for additional readings, videos, forums, and the like is a poor deal. I congratulate the faculty that have been able to adapt their two hour lectures into ninety minutes well, but find no fault with those that have not. While I concede that some instructors have done better than others and that these activities can be useful, I have yet to hear a single positive comment about the switch. In fact, I remember little solicitation of student feedback though I know the student union opposed the shift throughout.
 While I understand the administration's motivation to achieve maximum occupancy in classes, I find this focus on the bottom-line disturbing. There is always a need to maintain awareness of cost savings, but when it is the quality of education that suffers as a result, an educational institution must wake up and remember the reason for their existence.

Regards,
Trevor Page

Voicebox

There are now more ways than ever to have your opinion heard via Voicebox. You can email voicebox@capcourier.com, phone (604) 984-4949 (ext. 5), or simply come  find our opinionation station on Tuesday afternoons in the Birch cafeteria. We’ll record your opinion, no matter how relevant or informed. And please, don’t be shy. We’re asking for your opinion… We’re not asking to watch you pee.

The pizza sauce situation at this school is dire. There aren't any good sauces. There's no white sauce, no hot sauce, no parmesan. Like, come on.

[“White sauce” means ranch. We discussed it! -Ed.]

“I may be a little late, but I didn't like the giant swearword on the cover of last week's Courier. That is all.”

“So... Criss Angel. Every time I watch that show it's the same thing. His theme song comes on, right, and it's like 'Miiindfreeeak!' and it's actually Criss Angel screaming. Like, what the fuck. Then he finds some guy on the street and he says 'I'm gonna do some magic' and he does some magic, but it isn't actually magic. Like, it's just stuff that a guy is doing. Like, he stands in a crowded area and everyone's standing around watching him and he goes, 'Naaaaooooowww!!!' and then he levitates or whatever. I think he just goes, “Naaaaooooowww!!! so people get distracted and think he's actually doing something cool. And he's on wires. Or I saw this one where he gets dragged behind a motorcycle and he's all tied up. So he's lying in the dirt at, like, Midieval Times restaurant and they've chained him up, and he's talking about how he might die... then he shouts 'Naaaaooooowww!!!' and the motorcycle starts doing laps of the dirt track and he escapes. While it's moving. But really all he's doing is, like, squirming around. So then the chains fall off and these morons start clapping for him. Then the song comes on and it's like 'Miiindfreeeak!'.”

[That's tight. -Ed.]

CSU POLLS TO OPEN With Matty Harris gone, can the CSU even survive another year?

It is a new year and change is in the air. Unless you have been MIA these past few weeks, you probably have already seen the Capilano Students' Union (CSU) posters on the walls of the halls about the coming elections.
Each Fall semester, the CSU holds an of new leaders and liaisons for its committees, such as the Environmental Committee, which recently implemented a campus recycling program, the Social Justice Committee, which held the "5 Days for the Homeless" Campaign, and the Educational Issues Committee, which helped implement the U-Pass.
Because it is that time of year again, it is time for the campaign posters to flood the school's halls. Students who were nominated during the first three weeks of the school year will be out swinging for votes during the campaigning period from September 28 to October 5. From October 5 to October 7, the polls will then be open for voting in the Birch cafeteria.
The position for Committee Liaison is a paid position, which starts at $400 a month. The new leaders that emerge will be responsible for coordinating events and initiatives for their respective committees. The general student body is responsible for voting for who they believe fits best into the positions being run for.
Trevor Page, a Board of Governors Representative, Senate Member and the liaison for University Relations, advises that the traits to look for in a candidate are obvious. "The ability to work with and engage a diverse group of people, willingness to learn, open to feedback and the ability to communicate ideas."
The school's elections are not only important to minority groups that fill the committees but also for the general student body and the community of North Vancouver.
Page mentioned that "a Coordinator or Liaison's two major responsibilities are coordinating events, initiatives, and educational opportunities from their committee and representing those and all students in the Executive Committee."
In other words, the new leaders not only join their committee but become part of the Executive Committee. In that position, they meet every Friday for about two hours to discuss issues affecting each student of Capilano University. They vote on new clubs and councils, and they are the people whose voices are heard in the important meetings around the community.
Gurpreet Kambo, last years Students of Colour Liaison, advises, "Members who wish to be elected should be prepared to speak their mind and not be afraid of conflict should it come up. Also, students who are interested should make sure that they actually can make the time commitment for it, otherwise it ends up making a headache for everyone as well."
The issues that the liaisons and committees are responsible to fight for are real and present on both our campus and in our society. The Students with Disabilities Committee helps improve accessibility and they help give a voice to students with disabilities. The Queer Students Collective gathers homosexual students in a safe environment where they can interact and speak about the issues that concern them. The Women's Collective is a club for women who focus on the status and equality of women in the school and in society. Both committees run their own respective lounges in the Library building.
The First Nations Issues Committee gathers students who self-identify as Native, and organize events that build awareness about the issues they face on and off campus. The International Students Committee gathers the international students and assists them with things like work permits, all while still fighting for lower international student fees.
During the campaigning period, students have the ability to talk to the candidates about their questions, issues and their concerns. The opportunity for students to vote will come on October 5, when the polling stations open.

by Ali Abassi
Writer

CAP GRAD BIKES ACROSS CANADA FOR MONEY Raises $25,000 for Imagine1day

The most common question a student hears at this time of the year is 'What did you do this summer?' and despite all the elaborate plans you had made during the spring, to hitchhike, skydive, travel, and save the world, most of us answer with the usual – hung out with friends, worked, not much. But for Rachel Moxam this summer has been one to remember forever. On May 31, 2009 Rachel packed up her bag, strapped on her helmet and rode her bike across Canada to raise $25 000 for a non-profit organization called Imagine1day. After riding 6690km, and facing everything from rainstorms to flat tires, she arrived in Halifax on August 13.
Rachel is a recent graduate from the Global Stewardship Program at Capilano University, which is a program designed to bring students who have an interest in working within the not-for-profit sector into an environment where they can work and learn together. Part of the program is to connect students with organizations on both a local and international level.
Through the Global Stewardship program, Rachel was connected with Imagine1day, an organization whose aim is to provide young children in Ethiopia with education.
To achieve their own goal, Imagine1day have set up a “Creatribution” program, which combines the three pillars the organization is defined by – creativity, passion and contribution. It is a project that any individual can initiate on their own in order to raise money and awareness for the cause. This idea appealed to Rachel as an opportunity to get involved.
Rachel's aim was to raise awareness about women's education issues. She chose to ride across Canada by herself, for two main reasons. For one, to prove that anyone can do anything if they have the will, and also that women don't need to be protected, they can stand on their own. As Rachel puts it, “Being treated as an equal means regarding yourself as equal.” To see Canada had been a dream of hers – this was just the opportunity to fulfill it.
Although Rachel had no previous cycling experience, she chose to bike for environmental reasons, and for the slower pace. Throughout her trip, Rachel carried everything she needed on the back of her bike, camping for around half the nights, and making connections with friends and family for the majority of the rest. However, Rachel admits there were also a few nights of bad weather when she would stay in a motel room.
Cam Sylvester, head of the Global Stewardship Program, says that Rachel is “low-key” when you first meet her, but possesses a “real powerful force inside of her.” Rachel, on the other hand, regards herself as being no different from everyone else. When asked how people reacted to her 'creatribution', she explained “A lot of people say I'm brave and that they could never do something like that - that's frustrating to hear. I guess they mean it as a compliment, but like I said, one my reasons for the trip was to show how much each and every individual can do.”
Rachel's summer is not for just her to remember, but for others to take notice of as well. “Everyone has the same potential, we all just have to realize it,” says Rachel.
To read more about her trip, check out http://rachelsbiketrip.blogspot.com.

by Jenny Vienneau
Writer

INFORMAL DISCUSSION ENGAGES STUDENTS ChatLive offers new diverse topics for the fall semester

Chat Live is a relatively new program offered at Capilano University, which offers students a chance to finally speak their minds about topics that interest them.
For the fall semester, the diverse topics to choose from are “ India: A Nation Reborn?” which will revolve around India’s recent dynamic changes, “Better Living Through Chemistry?” which assesses the many issues with chemicals and health benefits, and “Talkin' digital music blues” which addresses how music has evolved within generations.
The groups meet only three to four times throughout the term from 11:30-12:50 pm, all on Thursdays for this semester. Although there is no cost to participate in ChatLive, you do receive a transcript notation of your participation.
Marina Deltechava, a participant in last year’s ChatLive discussion “The Last Film I Saw Rocked (or Sucked)”, said that “ChatLive was a great way to meet people you share interests with, and I really enjoyed the discussions.” She said that she would “definitely do it again.” According to Marina, the credit for these discussions can be viewed as a “resume builder” for your transcript.
It’s also very easy to register for these discussions. Registration for ChatLive discussions is done in exactly the same manner as regular classes. According to Capilano’s webpage, “look for the subject "ChatLive-Student/Faculty Disc." Select the CHAT name for the group that is of interest. The options will be CHAT 016 through CHAT 018, and each has only one section.
Dr. Jared Burrows, who is one of the host professors for the “Talking digital music blues” discussion, mentioned that he is interested in hearing students’ voices. “Chatlive is not meant to be a lecture, but more so a discussion and the general idea is that people discuss things that are of concern to them,” stated Dr. Burrows.
Another interesting thing, according to Dr. Burrows, is that “We are in a university, and one of the main purposes of a university is the discovery of knowledge and exchanging of ideas. That’s how learning happens. To me, ChatLive is just a slightly more organized or formalized approach to what, ideally, should be happening every day at a university. It’s a way to bring these students into that process of dialogue, exchange and discovery.” The essence of a university is being able to exchange ideas in an educational environment. The ChatLive allows for these kinds of discussions to take place.
Fall ChatLive sessions begin in October. For more information check out: http://www.capilanou.ca/programs/university-transfer/chat-live.html.

by Lydia Adeli
Writer

STUDENTS ON BOARD WITH UPASS CAMPAIGN The fight begins for price equality

Students across Metro Vancouver are uniting against public transit inequality. With “UPissed@UPass” as their bold slogan, these students are determined to not let one’s school be the deciding factor in the cost of a monthly transit pass.
Student Unions from Emily Carr, Vancouver Community College, Douglas and the UBC Alma Mater Society, together representing 65, 000 students, have joined forces and created the OnePassNow campaign, wanting a $25 U-Pass for all Metro Vancouver students.
The campaign all began when, during the May election, Premier Gordon Campbell promised to expand the U-Pass program as part of the BC Liberals’ platform.
“Our plan ensures that all students, no matter where they are attending college or university, have easy and affordable access to transit,” he said at a campaign rally last Spring.
TransLink bases their U-Pass student prices on a policy called “revenue neutrality”. The greater the transit use is at the college or university, the higher the U-Pass fee is, so TransLink can retain their current revenue.
Currently, students at Capilano pay $31 a month for their U-Pass, and students at UBC and SFU pay around $25. Other institutions pay $73, however, OnePassNow is lobbying for a $25 pass for everyone.
“This is one of the most active, unified responses I’ve seen in my experience as a volunteer and activist,” says Rachel Simpson, spokesperson for the Emily Carr Students’ Union. “Students feel as though they are not being respected as equal members of the community. We want Premier Campbell to keep his promise of expanding the UBC U-Pass to all Metro Vancouver Students.”
The campaign members are not alone. At the beginning of September, 3000 Metro Vancouver post-secondary students were polled and 97% of them want to see a U-Pass made available to all students at the same price.
Colin May, a student at Capilano University, includes himself in that 97%. "The U-Pass provides a huge benefit by enabling us to be environmentally responsible with little cost. The U-pass should remain standard issue for all post-secondary students."
There are some students at Capilano, however, who feel that the U-pass in any form is a financial burden. Last year, one student even went so far as to start a petition to revoke the pass from Capilano.
TransLink and the B.C. government are currently deciding the 10 Year Financial Plan for TransLink – a plan that will shape the transportation for our generation. Rachel and OnePassNow recently did a presentation to the TransLink Board to spread awareness about the campaign.
“We want [TransLink] to recognize that the U-Pass is ultimately about investing in tomorrow. Students are the future of our economy and the environment, and we believe that a $25 U-Pass is a great way of helping students get the start they need.”
OnePassNow is working hard to get their message out in every way possible. Their recently released anthem can be found on YouTube, where students chorus, “Hey Mr. Campbell Man, we’re not second class - you promised us a universal pass”. They also have a group on Facebook and a live Twitter SMS feed.
“We have lots more like this up our sleeves,” says Rachel, including a “secret and creative” big event planned for the last week of October.
“We are sending a clear message to the Premier and TransLink. Don’t underestimate us.”
For more information, check out the campaign’s website at www.onepassnow.ca.

by Samantha Thompson
Writer

FRED WAH: FAKING FORMATS Landmark laureate vists Open Text

“I’m just faking it,” Fred Wah smiles cheekily, admitting that the story he just read was made-up. He had just about everyone fooled. Wah’s “bio-fiction” stories, a blend of reality and his own imagination, are keeping the whole room entertained. And there are a lot of us. Arbutus 314 is packed, with people standing at the back and even more peering in through the door.
It’s the first reading in this year’s Open Text series, organized by the Creative Writing Program. The series brings in writers from all over Canada to read in order to give students an opportunity to talk to writers about their personal writing processes. It’s open to the general public as well, though I’d venture that most of the people here are Creative Writing students. The series is also being used to fill the fourth hour requirement for several classes.
Earlier in his life, Wah played jazz trumpet. When he switched from music to writing in the early 60’s, he kept many jazz conventions, and he continues to treat poetry like jazz, incorporating improvisation into his poetic style. “Musicians love to play around,” he says, “and so do poets.”
He also persuades new writers to get involved with each other and self-publish, rather than sending their work only to established publications. After all, “It’s really only poets who are reading other poets.” Wah explains that writing is not an isolated activity, but a way to not be alone.
In regards to his writing style, Fred Wah spends a lot of his time tackling “the tyranny of the sentence”. His prose-poetry style bio-fiction stems from a wary attitude towards his memories, and his books are often collaborations with visual artists and photographers. For Wah, everything is a mix of fiction and nonfiction.
Speaking with the author after the reading, I asked him what it means to be a writer. “Sometimes it’s a job,” he told me, “sometimes it’s a business, but basically it’s a desire. It’s a need.” Fred Wah is a perfect example of someone who writes to fill a need, and pushes others towards the same goal of self-fulfillment. His new book, is a door, is being launched at the Anza club on Sept 30th.
The next author in the Open Text series is Angela Carr, coming from Montreal, on October 8th. The organizer, Roger Farr, promised to try and find a better location, so there may even be seats for everyone. For more information on the series go to: capilanocreativewriting.blogspot.com.

Sarah Vitet
Writer

BE TRUE TO YOUR SCHOOL Gerryweir brings fresh flavour to University Clothing

Are you tired of the generic stencil-written emblazoned shirts and sweat suits that are meant to set our school apart from the rest, when really they are lost amongst a sea of homogeneity? Well, kids, look no further – Gerryweir is here to satisfy your craving for a unique way to represent your school.
Gerryweir Fashion Company is a new Vancouver based company. Gerald Nyatsanga, designer and part owner of Gerryweir, says this company has been a passion of his for many years, and actually began in Africa. Growing up in a small city in Zimbabwe, the “hip” clothing that was being worn by rap and hip-hop artists in MTV and BET music videos could not be found. The complete lack of urban clothing that Gerald so desperately desired to wear inspired him to take it upon himself to design his own clothing.
His clothing soon became widely recognized in his hometown, and he began to approach shop owners to sell his clothing. Gerald says, “I received a lot of negativity, but I never gave up until I landed a deal with one shop that was aiming at setting trends and providing unique clothing for their clientele.” This exposure was invaluable, and he landed a job as a designer.
In 2001, Gerald and his friend Kingstone, the other half of Gerryweir, moved to Toronto, where they had to start from scratch, with no connections in the Canadian fashion world. With little success in Toronto, Gerald decided to pack it in, pick up, and head West to Vancouver.
After completing a semester of computer science at BCIT, Gerald found his itch to create clothes was not going away, and over the last year Gerald and Kingstone have been steadily promoting their business. Gerryweir wanted to design clothing for a university, and Capilano was a perfect fit.
Gerald describes the main objectives of the clothing they are producing for Cap: “ We want students to be proud to wear the clothes that bare their schools name for two main reasons – first being that they are proud to be at that school and secondly because the garment they wear is very fashionable.” Their Cap clothing includes vibrant coloured t- shirts that read, “I (heart) Capilano U” or the more traditional “Capilano University”, as well as retro cardigans, which I predict will be a fashion trend this Fall.
Fashion, as we all know, comes before comfort, but you will be happy to know that with Gerryweir clothing comfort does not take a back seat. So this year at Cap, don’t blend in with the crowd of generic sweat suit wearers. Instead, set yourself apart by donning an extremely fashionable piece of Capilano Univerisity clothing designed by Gerryweir.
Gerryweir can be bought at the Capilano bookstore, and you can check out their website at gerryweir.com.

VANCOUNTRY? HARDLY Country Music not so popular with the kids, it seems

I love Country music! Who’s with me? Anyone? Before moving to Vancouver from Northern Ontario, I imagined that this city must have a great country scene, and I could picture hitting up a local bar every weekend to catch a show. After all, country artists Jessie Farrell and Aaron Pritchett are Vancouverites, and JR FM is one of Canada’s top country music stations. But I quickly realized country music fans are few and far between, and the scene is definitely lacking.
Canadian Country Music Week took place in Vancouver September 10-13. One of the events, Fanfest, is described as “the largest fan appreciation event in Canadian country music.” The free event took place on Granville Street and featured performances and Meet and Greets with the artists. The music was amazing and the artists were great, taking time to talk, pose for pictures, and sign autographs for all who stopped by, including the random homeless wanderers. But in true Vancouver country fashion, the turnout was mediocre. It appeared to be one-third the size of the turnout they had last year in Winnipeg.
Blame it on poor advertising or poor location, but an obvious reason is that there is a serious shortage of country fans in this city.
Jesse Tucker, guitar player for Vancouver country artist Jessie Farrell, performed at both this Fanfest and last year’s in Winnipeg. “Winnipeg's Fanfest was very well attended in a large open space, and in a city that really came out to support Country Music Week. This year’s Fanfest was organized really well in a space that was probably a third the size of last years, with a tenth the advertising, and in a city that is just getting its feet wet with country music.” Jesse continued to say that Vancouver has never been a hub for country music, so it is hard to compare it with Winnipeg. Being a Vancouver country artist, Jesse was actually impressed with the number of people who showed up this year.
The Country Music Awards ceremony was the following day, and many tickets for this event were still for sale right before the show. Just over 6000 fans reportedly showed up to GM Place to support the awards show. For a venue with a seating capacity of just over 20,000, it seemed painfully empty.
Justine Dixon is a country music fan from Burnaby who thinks country music in Vancouver “is starting to get bigger slowly. There is a bigger demand for it out in places like Maple Ridge and Langley, and the only reason is the country bars there! If there were more bars willing to play good country music then the scene would be bigger.” According to Justine, the only bar in Vancouver with country music is The Roxy on Sunday nights. Definitely not prime time.
After witnessing the lacklustre turnout for the CCMA's, I was curious to see how many Capilano University students consider themselves country fans. After speaking with many students, it seems that Cap U students hate the genre. Approximately 12 percent would consider themselves fans…and just liking Taylor Swift doesn’t count. Apparently, I’m in the minority at this school and in this city. I guess I should have moved to Alberta.

By Jessica Nolan

CROCHETI: Do you have the balls (of yarn) to make a statement in Van?

Have you ever stuck a piece of chewed gum under a desk in hopes that the next person to sit there would accidentally feel it and recoil their hand in horror? Or carved your initials with your boyfriend’s inside a heart on your favourite tree only to come back later to mutilate the inscription into an unrecognizable scar? If you have, you’ve already partaken in a form of graffiti, street art, vandalism, or whatever you want to call the unauthorized marking or ‘tagging’ of a public structure. While artists like Banksy and Basquiat have spray-painted their way into creating a new form of modern art, others have taken the act of graffiti to levels beyond territorial or political statements. Mandy Moore and Leann Praine are the authors of the newly released book Yarn Bombing: The Art of Crochet and Knit Graffiti. Yarn bombing is the “act of wrapping something [knitted] around a pole. It could be a knitted bunny on a hillside, a pair of knitted shoes on a wire, it could be a knitted picture frame.”
It’s a form of graffiti that appeals to mostly women, but involves all age groups and both genders. It is the newest form of street art, popping up in cities and towns all over the world as a new phenomenon among knitting enthusiasts.
Other examples of “crocheti” include little monster feet knitted around telephone poles, crocheted replicas of street signs, and even objects as large as buses entirely coated in knitted patterns.
Anyone can do it, and it sure as hell is a lot easier than spray-painting a masterpiece in the middle of the night. Mandy Moore shared some tips at the book launch held September 19. “Your first little crappy piece of knitting, you can just sew around a sign post, there’s nothing more to it”. As well, she advocates Flickr for sharing work. Most groups post their work on blogs, because actually finding a yarn bomb in the city is quite rare, as pieces come down as quickly as they go up. One blog to check out is run by the original pioneers of yarn bombing out of Texas, called Knitta, Please.
If you have the urge to get up in the city of Van’s grill with your knitting needles, all you have to do is learn how to knit, beautify a feature of the city with yarn, photograph it and upload it on the blog of your choice. And to think - all this time, your Grandma was so street.
If you would like to see a piece in real life, there is an instalment at Davie and Burrard that is slowly being added to. Visit it, or check out arsenalpulp.com for info on the book.

Carling Grey
Writer

TO CATCH A HUMMINGBIRD Urbanization is ruining the highways of the sky

Crouched like a ninja, I await. It's the fastest animal on land, and I am but Man. My predator-prey instinct is on high alert as I suddenly eye this fragile being come into my vision. Pupils dilate. One false step, one sudden movement, and it might escape me. My heart pumps so I take a deep breath. It examines the surroundings for enemies: To the left is a strong fir tree, to the right is his companion keeping a look out, and in front of it lies a source of food, will he risk it? Everything looks normal to him, but he overlooked one detail – beneath the strong fir tree is a human he will soon meet. He glances left at the fir tree one last time, and then goes for the food. And like a ninja's five step combo, each of my actions fall one after another in perfect order, until I have it trapped. As it clings for its life, I cup my hand over the fragile being. It squeals and squirms in my hand. I apply the ancient 'Bander's Grip' that has been passed down to me by my Master Bander. I can crush it if I want to but my firm grip is only to prevent it from escaping again. So I pin it down in a straight-jacket. As I glance over at a dozen others I caught just like it, lying there locked in their straight-jackets, I wonder: “Am I really helping the situation? How did I even get here?”

For starters, I'm not really a ninja. “How was I supposed to know?” you ask. Because ninjas don't publish their feats in newspapers. But with my adrenaline rushing as I trap hummingbirds, the fastest animals on land, it makes me feel like a ninja. It's as close to hunting as I'll get, and I can do it with a guilt free conscience - It's for science! But how is this helping science?

To tell you, I must return to ninja-mode...

The answers lie with the wise Master Bander. There aren't many Master Banders in Vancouver. And Roy Teo is one of the youngest to join the Banders' clan. We're to meet for another capture. His small clan of bander-disciples wake up early before the rise of the red sun. We drape ourselves in layers of clothing to protect us from the elements. I tighten my hoodie like a balaclava. Everyone's asleep, and the parking lot is empty... until 4 AM. Four cars pull in, “We're going to meet the Gate Keeper, Kiyoshi” Teo tells me. The Gate Keeper holds keys to many destinations. Without him, few can cross the path we're about to encounter. From four cars we pack into two and drive off. Where we're going, there are no roads. Dust clouds spin around our back tires while we listen to the pebbles hitting the car's metal – clinking like swords in battle. We arrive. Now we must decipher the Gatekeeper's riddle:

“Are you guys ready?” asks Kiyoshi Takahashi, who holds the key to Widgeon Marsh Park Reserve, a protected area in Coquitlam. Because it's a protected area, many hummingbirds frequent the nectar feeders set up here. We have to trap the hummingbirds, and place identification bands on their legs so that we can monitor their abundance and migratory paths.

How does one even catch the fastest animal on land? Flapping its wings up to 90 times a second, it can reach the speeds of about 60 km/hour. Humans can only reach a bit over half that speed. So, as humans, we resorted to our tool-building abilities and built a net around the feeders. When the hummingbird dips its beak in for the nectar, the net is released and it’s caught. It is then placed in a straightjacket so that it can be measured for data.

Roy Teo, the Bander, is the mind behind this particular project. Roy first became a Bander when he contacted Cam Finlay, who was banding hummingbirds on Vancouver Island as part of the Hummingbird Monitoring Network. “For hummingbirds, I band under Cam's permit as it is his project,” he informs me. “A ‘master’ permit pertains to a unique study/project carried out by an individual, not to the individual him/herself. For example, if I carry out my own swallow project, it would be with a master permit. However, for hummingbirds, I'm a sub-permitee under Cam.”

Urbanization Means Taking Up Sky

When one thinks of urbanization, they think of deforestation, which leads to the removal of wildlife habitat. But what is harder to realize is that forests can also serve as pathways for animals. To put it anthropomorphically, not only does deforestation remove an animal’s ‘home’ but it also removes the highways and restaurant pit-stops that animals depend on when they travel. This is the case with the Rufus hummingbird. It migrates on the longest migratory route for an animal its’ size, from Mexico through Northern B.C, to Alaska, and that route is specific. The hummingbird remembers where such ‘pit-stops’ exist and depends on them. Although hummingbirds are often associated with open meadows, researchers have determined that their migrations go through contiguous tracks of forests along the west coast.  Thus, if forests were lost, it would detrimentally affect their migration.

Also important is the fact that it winters in central Mexico, which has faced intense urban development in recent years. In regards to global warming, I guess the challenge is not knowing exactly what it encompasses... warmer and dryer in some areas, while wetter in cooler in others. Having a long migration route/range, it's difficult to predict how it may affect hummingbirds overall. Urbanization may decrease hummingbird abundance, while intense fires in the interior may open up more areas with flowers, thus potentially increasing populations. “Generally, abrupt environmental changes are seldom beneficial to an animal that has evolved over thousands of years under very specific conditions.” Roy tells me.

One thing that has been discovered by the Hummingbird Monitoring Network is that the rufous hummingbird population appears to be in decline. However, more evidence needs to be collected by Roy Teo to support these discoveries and relate them to B.C deforestation or global warming. “To detect these possible changes, we must first establish baseline data, which is the purpose for our monitoring project.”

Vancouver Urbanization Creates a “New” Species

The ninja’s lifestyle is one of combat and survival of the fittest. Just as the ninja’s enemies dissipated in the 16th century Shimbara Rebellion, so did the ninjas. Those who couldn’t adapt to the modern lifestyle had to fend for themselves.

If Vancouver ever needed an example of Darwin’s “survival of the fittest,” we have one. Urbanization doesn’t only change our architectural landscape but also the type of animals that reside in it. While it is the rufous hummingbird that dominated across B.C, Anna’s hummingbird is slowly being introduced to Vancouver. Anna’s hummingbird is originally from Southern California. “It is a relatively new species in BC, arriving [around] the 1940s -1960s - establishing in Victoria, then the North Shore and in the Lower Mainland.  In the last couple of years, it's been expanding further east to Burnaby, Coquitlam, and Abbotsford,” says Roy Teo. “Much of its success can probably be attributable to its adaptability to urban environments, such as the presence of ornamental flowers in backyard gardens and artificial feeders.” I ask Roy if it’s possible that global warming itself played a factor in introducing the ‘new’ species, and he thinks it’s possible but cannot confirm it.

Winter Hummingbirds- Return of the White Ninja

Due to the ‘new species’ of Anna’s hummingbirds being introduced to Vancouver, and the amount of Vancouverites who leave their hummingbird feeders out during winter, hummingbirds are appearing here during winter. This may be a beautiful scene or a very sad one for some-as the appearance of winter hummingbirds holds some controversy. “Some people think we're negatively altering the bird's natural behaviour by leaving feeders up year round,” Roy says. Nevertheless, it seems that they are becoming part of the Vancouver landscape and will appear this winter. As for Roy, he still plans to band the new hummingbirds during winter. For he is a Bander whether it rains, snows or shines.

With that, I leave Roy and his Bander disciples. And as I ride off, they vanish in a cloud of smoke thanks to the dirt road that saltates under my Honda Civic. I travel at 60 km/hour, the same speed of the rufous hummingbird. But my highway is shorter, and my home is still in B.C.

Alamir Novin

Editor