WHEN THE NIGHT PROVIDES THE LIGHT Vancouver’s astronomers move outwards to “no light zones”

“Around the 18th century, possibly even earlier, people would get prizes for finding comets in the sky,” Jason Rickerby retells. To find that same enthusiasm in present day Vancouver, people have to travel far out to hubs where little to no city-light touches. The hubs are called “no light zones” and they are where groups of Vancouverites gather to take a look at the night sky above.

As the city’s light pollutes our vision of the stars, amateur astronomers have been moving incrementally away from the city and gathering in these no light zones. Many of the facilities were built in locations outside of the GVRD where skies were clear. “The [facilities] have all developed but the   views of the sky aren't as good as they were,” Rickerby explains. Rickerby is the President of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC).

Yet, Rickerby stresses that the light pollution situation is so bad in most cities that there is little reason to expect to see stars at night. The fact that Vancouver often has cloudy skies is also a detriment. “In terms of buying a telescope, I'm not sure how many people stop to consider our weather. [...] Telescope owners will find this a fairly challenging place. It rains most of the time, and when there are clear skies in August it takes longer for night to come.”

No Fix in Sight

The situation in Vancouver is far past being repairable. Rickerby provides an example of how, during the Olympics, he was approached by a 24 Hours News representative looking for a story angle on how the spotlights around the Olympics affected astronomers, “but the Vancouver sky is hard to see [on a regular basis]. Two weeks of spotlights isn't going to change anything.”

As Vancouverites are becoming more environmentally conscious though, some improvement is being made. To compensate for the light pollution, the RASC society educates the public on astronomy by guiding them far from the city to the no light zone hubs where it’s easier view space without infringement of city light. “Things may be improving in Vancouver, our job is just to increase awareness,” Rickerby notes.

A Visit to the No Light Zone: Aldergrove Lake

“I wish those lights weren’t pointed directly at us,” Roy Teo, an astronomy guide for Metro Vancouver, laments about the distant spotlights in the park. It’s an hour-long drive to a park reservation in the middle of Langley. Here lies a nearby no light zone and even though the park is gated from the public, human-made lights still manage to reach from the horizons.

The area is still almost a no light zone and, as Teo moves atop a hill, a bespangled display of the winter sky awaits. While people in earlier centuries would get prizes for finding comets, “Charles Messier wanted to quickly subtract any celestial objects that weren’t comets. So whatever wasn’t moving would be identified as not a comet and Messier eventually categorized 100 or so of these objects,” Teo says. Apparently, the clarity of the Vancouver night sky in this no light zone is similar to the one Messier looked at. “If you look closely at the sky you should be able to identify almost all 100 of [the objects].”

Although most people have seen starry skies on camping trips and could locate common constellations such as “The Big Dipper” and “Orion’s Belt”, Teo has come prepared with a few star maps and a database of information on the cosmos. He begins with a story that relates multiple constellations together before pointing out their specific stars. With a laser he points at the constellations he’s referring to in his story. Orion, armed with his club, shields himself from the attacking bull as he tries to make his way over towards the seven sisters that he’s in love with. As the story ends, Teo remarks, “It’s amazing how after these exercises, when you look up at the sky, that’s all you see. It’s like, ‘Oh there’s Orion fighting the bull again.’” True enough, the constellations become as recognizable as landmarks. In this natural abyss where only the light of the sky predominates: Pleiades, Canis Major, and Leo replace the roles of Canada Place, Grouse Mountain, or Lion’s gate. Like the Egyptians who would read the night sky for travelling directions, the same map has been recreated.

The Community Now

“In general as the urban landscape decreases, one becomes more aware of the night sky,” Rickerby notes. It's true, returning to downtown Vancouver from Aldergrove park, Roy Teo remarks how “there's little left to look at in the sky.”

Efforts for awareness are still being made. Capilano University provides only two courses in astronomy, but the University of Victoria has a great program for students. SFU has also expanded their hiring of professionals in astronomy and is increasing the amount of astronomy-related courses.  The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada currently has increased its membership to 300 members.

Saturday, April 24th is International Astronomy Day. The RASC will be holding an event at the H.R. MacMillan Planetarium. At 3 pm Dr. Ray Villard, who has received several NASA service awards for his contribution to the Hubble telescope project, will speak on the “last Hubble Telescope servicing mission in May 2009, the new science observations since then, and preview new upcoming HST [Hubble's Successor Telescope]  discoveries and talk about Hubble's Successor Telescope” according to the RASC. It is a great opportunity for students to educate themselves on astronomy.

// Alamir Novin

Editor

FROM THE EDITOR: A EULOGY

This is my last editorial, nay, my last piece of writing as Editor in Chief. I have decided to kill myself. By that I mean I have decided to transfer to another school and get on with it. My profile will be retired to the addendum of Capilano history.

I have been with this paper for more than three years, so as a finale, please indulge me for a moment as I express my sincerest gratitude to those who have earned it. Bear with me for a few criticisms as well.

The best part of this job has been working with student writers. So first thanks goes to them. Editors are lucky, because we have the great privilege of playing mirror-mirror with the mind, and because language shows the shape of the psyche. The articles appearing on these pages are all like scrying pools into geometries of thought, and the writers, bubbling and whirling with sex, hope, and paranoia, show us all the true preoccupations of their generation, laid out as bare as bedrock. They have taught me more than my classes ever could.

Next are my professors. Roger Farr and Reg Johanson deserve a special mention. Their unflagging support for the development of writing as a craft and art form is astonishing. Their broad-minded encouragement to students developing by their own internal compass is also equally rare. They have gently but subversively challenged me to think critically about writing, society and idealism; these impressions will stay with me, but they may not register with future students due to the 4th hour cuts that occurred last year, which I must also mention.

I have nothing but disdain for the administration for making these changes, trading quantity of students for the true quality of education. These cuts have neutered the best qualities of Cap, and now the personal generosity and attention Cap was once renowned for may not persist.  To recap, classes were cut by 25% two years ago by the Capilano administration without any reduction to tuition fees. The lost time was supposed to be made up through supplementary learning systems, like YouTube and Moodle, but what it really meant was that students had been screwed over and sold out on the extra hour with professors who truly aim to teach and encourage students. The admin then shamefully hid the information away from us for nearly a year.

Now, for the Capilano Students' Union. Thank you Giselle Aibens, Trevor Page and Noah Fine. Giselle has always been generous, helpful and professional; she exemplifies idealistic determination and truly believes in the potential of students organizing for students. I have appreciated her immensely.

Trevor has also been of immeasurable benefit. As the Chair of the CSU, he has embraced the democratic operating system, as flawed as it is, and has been a benevolent yet careful manipulator of  the structure for positive ends. He teaches students to work with the overly bureaucratic tools we are presented, on our campus and in society at large, to our best advantage and effect.

Noah, as well, deserves a mention. He has been an engine of activity over the past few years and has pushed a stalwart agenda of humanitarianism and human rights. This agenda has always fed back to the campaigns of Mobilization Against War and Occupation, however, and he subversively works to further their ends at every opportunity, breaking rules and eschewing conventions for idealism. While his methods are highly suspect, he is often the only one advocating for these important causes, such as global indigenous rights and the Cuban embargo. I applaud his diamond-pointed focus yet criticize his sneakiness.

So without further adieu, goodbye and good luck. Get involved with your school and keep reading the Courier. More importantly, never stop grinding away at the your own feelings of apathy and overload. These ideas are a cancer. There has never been a time in history where we need everyone engaged in the stewardship of our world than now. I wish I had more eloquence in my last editorial, so mea culpa. A eulogy is emotional and difficult, especially when it is your own.

// Kevin Murray

editor

VOICEBOX 604-984-4949 ext. 5

Look for our Voicebox team on Tuesday afternoons in the Birch cafeteria, to anonymously “voice” your “opinion” on any “topic”. Introverted alternatives include emailing your opinion to voicebox@capilanocourier.com, or calling (604) 984-4949, extension 5.

We need to wear more hats. We should be... we should make a decree to wear more hats.

I think that both doors in the computer lab [in the Fir building] should open.

You should never offer the bad end of the banana, for it is not very tasty and I would not eat it at all.

There is a definite lack of juiceboxes in the cafeteria and that needs to be changed ASAP. Thank you.

Watch Black Dynamite. Please. Please, your life will be better for it.

Oh jeez, I really like malt balls. And, really, all things with chocolate wrapped around them.

[First voice] Sandra Bullock should have been content with her Razzy.

[Second voice] Oh yeah, she won a Razzy Award for worst actress, then went and won an Academy Award for best actress.

[First voice] Sandra Bullock just did not deserve an academy award.

It really annoys me when I play beautiful piano arrangement from a video game and no one knows it. Basically, everyone should play Chrono Trigger.

Capilano can, well, be racist. Like, it’s like, some people say I'm Chinese..

[Second voice] And you're Korean? Or are you Japanese?

[First voice] I’m Taiwanese.

[Second voice] So you're not Japanese?

[First voice] No, I am Taiwanese.

I have a complaint. Okay, so I was just reading the Courier and I saw this thing about boycotting Aramark, and I was like, that's a little extreme, so I went and bought a burger, and it was too expensive and tasted like crap, so now I'm going to boycott Aramark. So I feel good about myself, because that burger tasted like balls.

[First voice] My name is Mark, and I’m an alcoholic, and would like a, um, what’d I say? Right. An escalator up to Horticulture from Birch. Or possibly a gondola.

[Second voice] Or a rope-tow! And we’d have to get special gloves for the rope tow because our hands...

Just force yourself to study. Just do it. Don’t do it sometimes, do it everyday. Then you wont even think about it. You’ll just do it. I’m a wicked good student.

ELECTIONS CONFUSE CAP STUDENTS Also old people in Florida

At the beginning of March, the University held elections to fill positions on their Senate and Board of Governors, and although several candidates ran for both University governance bodies, the elections .

phrase this differently. Maybe say something about how it wasn’t talked about among students much? Otherwise you need to prove it more.

This an election was different from the its predecessorstypical Capilano University student election, however, because voting occurred online.

Although several candidates ran for both University governance bodies, the elections did not appear to be well-discussed amongst students. A more frequentcommon question students asked toof the Courier was something along the lines of “what do the Board of Governors and Senate even do?”

Making Sense of Governance

The Board of Governors and Senate, governance bodies concerned with the student and business affairs of the University, are an integral part of University Relations. The student representatives on both essentially speak on behalf of the interests of all students. In addition to deciding upon things like tuition fees, the Board of Governors and Senate representatives are invited to sit on the Capilano Students’ Union (CSU) executive. If they choose to sit on the executive, the CSU will pay them a stipend in addition to any benefits they receive for being a part of the Senate and of the Board.

The Senate, which is responsible for policies concerning student evaluation, withdrawals, and other university matters, meets monthly and is comprised of thirty voting representatives, including four students and twelve faculty. According to the CSU’s website, “the Senate has jurisdiction over grading and grade appeal procedures, academic standards, and curriculum content.” Bahiyyih Galloway, David Clarkson, Ghazal Tohidi, and Gregory Smith were elected to be the four student representatives on the Senate for 2010-2011.

The Board of Governors is comprised of fifteen members, including two students, two faculty, and the Vice-Chancellor of Capilano. This Board is responsible for the business affairs of the Uuniversity, which includes tuition fees. The CSU’s website advertises them as “the highest decision making body at Capilano Univeristy”. Bahiyyih Galloway and David Clarkson were elected to be the student representatives on the Board.

Does Anyone Care?

Kelsey Singer, a first-year student at Capilano, says she feels the elections for the two governance bodies were fairly well publicized, although she credits that to being in Global Stewardship classes.

“I think the majority might not have [known about the elections] because I can't remember how I found out about them,” she says, “so others might not have taken notice.”

A recent survey of 21 students taken by Tthe Courier reflects similar sentiments. Of the 21 people, only 19% voted in the election. 38.9% did not vote because they didn’t know it was happening, and 16.7% did not vote because they did not care. Many replies stated that they did not vote because they did not know it was happening online.

Of the same 21 people, 70.6% of respondents voted in the CSU Student Executive Elections. These elections are held via polling station in the cafeteria. A total of 471 students voted in their Ffall election, and significantly less voted in the Spring election, compared to number of voters in the University’s March online elections. In order to increase voter turnout, there was a general consensus amongst those surveyed that there needed to be more promotion, more awareness, and people needed to care.

Capilano University refused to give tthe Courier definite numbers in regards to the amount of people who voted, despite multiple requests.

Bye Bye Ballots

However, when asked if the Capilano Students’ Union’s (CSU)CSU’s and Capilano University’s the opinions on the current election methods were effective, replies were more diverse. Some felt that the cafeteria was efficient (the current method the CSU uses in their Fall and Spring elections), while others felt that electronic methods were good, in some cases pointing out that voting electronically would save paper.

Singer likes the idea of online elections, because “more people will actually have time to vote since it doesn’t require going to the [cafeteria] and waiting in-line… ... and many students have laptops,” she says. “The information available about the candidates was sufficient for me to pick to someone to vote for.”

According to the survey, having information about position candidates are important.

“If I didn’t personally know three candidates,” says one respondent, “there is no way I would have cared enough to go online and track down the voting site.”

“I voted because I like to know that I have the ability to make a difference in what goes on in the school I attend,” says Singer.

Regardless of the medium used to run an election at Capilano, the decision to vote plays a significant role in how you as a student will be represented for the next year.

.

// Samantha Thompson

assistant news editor

CAPILANO STUDENT OPTS FOR A DIFFERENT KIND OF HOME Profile of a voluntarily homeless jazz student

“I started doing it last summer, and it was about two months into the summer when it dawned on me that, technically, I was homeless,” says Capilano student Ryan Leacy.

Leacy, better known on campus by the name Flyry, or Flyryroo, is not a Vancouver native. “As I love to put it, in this life, the body is from Ontario,” he says. Orignally a marketing grad, he switched to philosophy before ending a nine-year hiatus from music, and came to Cap to pursue his true calling of music. Now a member of the Jazz program, Flyry lives in his van on campus, eating, sleeping, and washing at Capilano.

Unlike many people facing homelessness, Flyry actually chose to be so, mainly due to personal beliefs. “The primary one is a freedom from materialism,” he says. “It’s one of the freedoms I experience in my life. Likewise, a refinement of self-understanding and perspective.”

His perspective is a valuable one on homeless conditions, especially with Five Days for the Homeless recently taking place at Capilano, a fundraiser for homelessness where students lived on campus, mimicking homeless conditions.

“I was aware of [Five Days for the Homeless] after the fact last year. Seeing [it] coming up I reflect on it a different way at this point now that I’ve been living the way that I have been. It’s given me a greater compassion for people living in the street. [For me] it’s still a rugged way to live at present, though it’s still profoundly more comfortable than [homeless living].”

Five Days for the Homeless seeks to raise awareness of homelessness and also change the perception of people living on the streets, something that Flyry himself has dealt with.

“95 out of 100 days stuff doesn’t come up, but there have been a few incidents,” he reports. “Mid-summer a [staff member] saw me washing up in [the bathroom]. He thought I was some kind of vagrant ... he was just overly paranoid. I’d been doing it for months and no one had issue, but he had issue.” Flyry says it was because the man thought he “was a street person.”

This raises an important point on discrimination; one that Flyry says was based on his “shaggy appearance.” Flyry mentions that if not for his appearance, there would not have been a problem, as people use the bathroom for washing up regularly. The problem was simply because the staff member perceived him to be a vagrant.

“If I had biked here for the day and was washing up, it wouldn’t be a problem. Regardless whether I live on the street or live at home, a bathroom is a private place. I wasn’t swabbing up at a drinking fountain in the hallway. In public places we do see people getting changed. We expose our genitalia in the bathroom. I just had my shirt off. He thought I was a street person.”

Flyry’s self-development does not simply end with his “freedom from materialism” but extends in several directions. Says Flyry: “It’s all synergizing, it’s coming together now. That being the background, the marketing, the philosophy, self-reflection and an element of new age ... and listening to a lot of Coast to Coast AM.” 

Flyry hopes to find others who share an interest in his convictions. “Any graduating students this year, that would consider themselves to have strong positive beliefs about 2012, and a belief that Illuminati on this planet have perpetuated a mind control, that we are now breaking through - and if they’ve listened to Coast to Coast AM that’s a bonus - then contact me at oneandthemany@hotmail.com.”

// Mac Fairbairn

sports editor

NEWS BRIEFS

Aramark Survey

An endless stream of complaints in the Courier's voicebox about the Birch Cafeteria has proved that there is at least one issue that unites students at Cap. Notice of a survey recently appeared at the cash registers of the cafeteria, offering a prize of $250 to Best Buy for one lucky survey-completing student. The survey is fairly comprehensive and gives students the opportunity to rate Aramark's operations, prices, and performance at Capilano. It is unclear, so far, what Aramark or Capilano plan to do with the data they collect. Complete the survey at www.college-survey.com/capilano

Five Minute Plays go Viral

Every year, Capilano creative writing and theatre students get a unique opportunity for collaboration. With the Five Minute Plays, writer-in-residence Tom Cone mentors students as they write three-character play, with no props or costumes allowed. The theme is secrets, and each play is about one secret that each of the characters has a stake in. The plays took place at Capilano University just prior to the Olympic Break, but those that were unable to attend can now view them on YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/user/teatrogirl

Election Numbers Unavailable

After repeated attempts by both the CSU and the Courier to get the number of votes cast in the Senate and Board of Governors election, both groups were ignored. When contacting the registrar's office, phone calls were unreturned and emails were unanswered. Eventual responses to both groups listed only the winners names, and provided links to the website. It is against Senate and Board of Governors policy to release the official number of voters.

Free Handbooks

After slashing prices of the University handbooks by 50 percent in the Spring semester, to 50 cents, the CSU will give away the remaining handbooks for free. The experiment of charging for the handbooks, which was introduced at the beginning of the Fall 2009 semester, was deemed to be unsuccessful. In the future, it is unlikely that handbooks will cost money to students.

//Natalie Corbo

news editor

Money Matters

Textbook prices could be rising once more. Capilano University is experiencing shortfalls in their budget, and to compensate, they have turned to the bookstore. The University is requiring Capilano’s bookstore to pay an additional $100,000 of their revenues to the University. This demand, which came out of a University ad-hoc committee meeting, will cause an escalation in prices of the bookstore’s textbooks and office supplies. However as there is a maximum price that can be charged for a textbook (restrictions set by the book printers), the biggest difference in pricing will probably be seen on things like ink cartridges and other stationary products. The CSU noted at their last executive meeting that this will benefit the CSU as it could lead to an increase in sales of their products, which are not subject to the budget whims of the University.

// Samantha Thompson

assistant news editor

PRAYER SPACE MISUSE Short hours and improper use lead to controversy

Illuminated by sunlight breaking through an otherwise cloudy afternoon, the peaceful swirling of a cloud of dust within Capilano University’s designated prayer and meditation space indicates the conflict brewing therein.

The room, so purposed by the University in response to requests by various religiously observant members of the student body, is meant to provide a safe and tranquil environment for the spiritually inclined to observe prayer times, meditate, or conduct other religious activities. However, those who stand to gain the most from the space are increasingly reporting frustration due to misuse, even abuse, of the space by students of lesser piety.

“They told us that [the room] was only for prayers, but ... when I come here, there are groups of other people using it for studying,” stated Fahad Alanazi, a practicing Muslim who attends Capilano.

He informed the Courier that, prior to the opening of the prayer space, he was forced to pray, "in empty classrooms ... I had to look for empty classrooms anywhere and [pray there.]"

While there has also been a small area of the CSU lounge designated as a prayer space for some months, Fahad reported no awareness of its existence, and suggested that the public nature of the lounge would be inappropriate for religious rites.

After the addition of the new space, Fahad and other religiously observant sorts at Capilano have faced difficulty in making use of the space, as reports of its misuse are widespread. "I found some students studying, eating and relaxing ... even the teachers. I came one day to pray but I could not because I found [a] teacher with his students [in the room.]"

During a prolonged two-hour stakeout, a representative of the Courier observed seven students utilizing the prayer space, which is located in classroom AR119. Of these seven, only one appeared to be observing any form of religious rites. The six others were seen yawning, stretching, reading, tapping pencils against their kneecaps, and attempting to catch a piece of fluff floating through the air.

First established in response to climbing demand for such facilities in the Fall of 2009, the classroom’s hours of operation have been infringed upon by the demands of other departments. Presently, the room is designated a prayer space from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm daily, with the latter cutoff being imposed due to the Community Music School’s need of the space at 3:30 for another program.

In an email, CSU representative Trevor Page said that “the CSU has continually advocated for the University to provide the prayer space to be available for students during regular school hours,” and referred the Courier to a posting in the prayer space for information regarding the intended uses of the space.

In this document, it is asserted that “the university will monitor the room to ensure sufficient and appropriate usage,” although Page stated that, “The prayer space is meant to be a safe place for people of faith to meditate or participate in silent prayer. As such, the room is not under surveillance or otherwise monitored.”

For now, it seems that the controversy will remain. Fahad himself stated that he was "very glad and happy" about the space itself, while also noting that "[he would] like to send [an] email to CapilanoU students and tell them ... [it] is for prayer and you cannot use it for other things."

// Max MacKay

writer

FRED PENNER RETURNS Children’s entertainer now plays for the grown-up kids on tour

REGINA (CUP) — Fred Penner is many things. He’s a children’s entertainer, a Canadian icon, a CBC television star and a part-time bar act.

Wait, part-time bar act? Since when?

It started a couple years back when Penner played a show at Gert’s Bar, a student pub at McGill University in Montreal.

“I ended up going to Gert’s Lounge on a Friday afternoon at four and selling out this bar. I was there for about two to two-and-a-half (hours) just interacting with students and talking about the history of my career and Fred Penner’s Place and people that I’ve met along the way, and songs that they wanted to hear and songs that I wanted to share,” says Penner.

Since then, he has sprinkled in shows at university bars along with his children’s shows. Currently, he is in the midst of a West Coast tour and, after a quick regrouping in his hometown of Winnipeg, he’ll travel to the East Coast for a mix of public and university shows.

“It’s like I have this range of variables to play with now and try to put them all together on a tour. It’s interesting playing the different levels.”

The content of the university shows is largely dictated by the audience, he says. He'll assuredly play The Cat Came Back and Sandwiches, his two biggest hits, and many other songs students remember from childhood.

The show isn’t just a children’s concert performed for young adults, though. Rather, this is the next evolution in Penner’s career, which has always been about creating a positive connection with the audience.

“It has never been just about getting up and singing a couple of songs and trying to be funny. It’s always been about trying to make a positive connection with the vulnerable spirit of the child. That may sound intense, but that’s the way it’s always been,” Penner says.

“The thing I really enjoy about doing the university [shows] is there’s such an interesting rush of coming to see this guy they grew up with, and it’s still a really cool thing to connect with me.”

With a 30-year history of making music and entertaining people, Penner is aware of the impact he has had on many people’s lives. At times, he still feels overwhelmed by the love and thanks people show him.

“It was always about doing this because it felt right, because I had something inside of me that I needed to express through music and story and whatever direction it would go," he says. "I felt that inside me, but you never know if that’s going to be received or reciprocated by the audience.

“So, you start with the core of your talent, your ability. You do things to the best of your ability and see where it goes. Fortunately, it has been and continues to be a most incredible and powerfully positive journey for me.”

At this point, Penner is in a position where he can pick and choose projects. He’s interested in getting back into television, possibly doing some film and of course is committed to live performing. Although he’s just a few years away from being able to accept Canada Pension Plan payments, Penner has no plans for retirement.

“All these aspects of my creativity and my life are essentially in place at this point. It’s the kind of thing that is going to continue to carry me until I drop.”

// Taylor Tiefenbach

the Carillon

DANCE LIKE NO ONE IS WATCHING Dance contest held to promote Footloose the musical

Do you remember your senior prom? It probably was at a swanky hotel with a big dinner, a dance, and maybe a cruise. Now, can you imagine how much prom would have sucked if music and dancing were outlawed?

When Ren McCormack is forced to move from the Windy City to a small rural town in the musical production of Footloose, he encounters that very situation. Exit 22’s year-end performance is set in Bomont, where dancing has been outlawed after a tragic accident that killed four teenagers. When Ren arrives he starts to create a stir, but is able to win over the students of his new school, and bring the joy of dancing back to the heart of Bomont. Through a series of jumps, leaps, splits and spirit fingers, the story of a rebel who went against the system to make the world a better place is told.

So why should a musical adaptation of an 80’s hit movie matter to us? Well, it means that we can all dance up a storm in front of our classmates and peers. The Footloose Dance Competition is happening on Wednesday, March 24th at noon in the Birch cafeteria. By now, most of you will probably be getting super psyched and maybe even jumping because of the sheer awesomeness of this idea. You finally get to rock out to your favorite boy band beats in the cafeteria without looking like a... well, like a wierdo. You can go into the competition flying solo or get together your best crew of pro Single Ladies and get your groove on.

“We are really doing it to get some kind of campus fun happening around the school, as well as trying to promote the musical theatre production of Footloose”, says Arts and Entertainment Management student Jollean Tomsin, one of the organizers for the event. When the question of her competing came up, she laughed. “I won’t be dancing, since I have no coordination, but one of the other organizers, James, and his team will be dancing.” When content of the songs came up she told me that profanity is not allowed, so “please no f-bombs”. This is understandable for a public show, but it definitely decreases the amount of new songs you can dance to. Music should be brought the day of the competition in CD format with the song number marked clearly. Jollean went on to say “there are going to be fabulous prizes, including tickets to the opening night gala.”

We all know that everybody has a “go to” move. Most singers have the fist clench slow arm pump. Personally, I use the “finger point swivel”, it’s safe and doesn’t make me look too much like an incompetent dancer. What’s yours? Maybe it’s just a power stance and a little hand movement. Whether you pop and lock like M.J. or perhaps just bounce a lil' à la Snoop Dog, bring your freshest moves and your posse of flygirls, and sashay your bad self down to the Footloose Dance Contest.

Pick up your registration forms from outside BR126i. Registration ends on March 23rd, and forms can be dropped off in the box outside BR126i.

//Ben Drake

writer

FUSE pops off And at the VAG, no less

Three times a year, the Vancouver Art Gallery has one of the hottest nights in the city. Lively, fun, and filled with an attractive young crowd, FUSE is hardly a typical museum exhibit. The atmosphere is closer to various monthly receptions for independent art galleries scattered across the city. But the size of the crowd is comparable to large art events such as SWARM Vancouver or the Eastside Culture Crawl, and all three are bringing together the vibrant art scene in Vancouver.

There's a DJ, prize giveaway, and various live performances on all floors of the gallery. This month, FUSE visitors had a chance themselves to take part on the 3rd floor in a live exhibit called "Postcards to a Stranger," allowing visitors to write an anonymous postcard, and receive one in return, with the VAG covering the postage. It was ChatRoulette or Omegle for hipsters, in a way, as the theme of this month’s FUSE was "I Want to be Alone (With You)." Though the theme may have been lost among the large crowd, the musical and theatrical performances curated by the Gallery Department were intimate and resonated with visitors.

Musical artists on Friday night included Hello Blue Roses, Kick Everything, and ion Zoo, rotating on the 2nd floor of the gallery. Crowds gathered around the music performances, seated on the floor and standing by art pieces. On the 1st floor of the gallery in the atrium were theatrical performances led by Jojo Zolina. Entitled “Passionate Rejection,” the performance was accompanied by a cellist, and focused on themes of love, sex, and rejection. For the face-to-face minglers, the Annex building was host to the evening's FUSE lounge with a live DJ. Beer and wine were available for $4, and the red-lit room was packed with a well-dressed crowd.

The ongoing gallery exhibit has been running since the start of the Winter Olympics, directed by Kathleen Bartels. Occupying the 1st gallery floor is the renowned Leonardo Da Vinci anatomy exhibit in conjunction with Visceral Bodies, featuring contemporary interpretations of the human form as inspired by Da Vinci. The 2nd and 3rd floors houses the Visions of British Columbia exhibit, highlighting representations and experiences of British Columbians and Vancouverites. The 4th floor, while open to gallery visitors, is currently being leased as the British Columbia Canada Pavilion for the Winter Olympics. Connected to the art gallery was the Gallery Cafe, open late alongside FUSE, and serving dinner and drinks with live music.

The first FUSE was held in July 2005, and it has certainly found its niche in Vancouver. Andrew Riley, public relations manager for the VAG explains, “FUSE was an initiative to attract a younger crowd to the gallery.” Over the years, Riley notes that the initiative has been “immensely successful” at achieving its goal.  This last FUSE event attracted over a thousand visitors over the course of the night. The event brings together all artistic communities in Vancouver – such as music, theatre, dance, visual arts – to a now established Vancouver ritual.

FUSE is a great way to enjoy the VAG without commitment, and an excellent way to spend a weekend night out with a date or friends. $19.50 gets you in for the night, and gallery members enter for free. For students, annual art gallery membership is $40, an amount that practically pays for itself. In celebration of the Winter 2010 Olympics and Paralympic Games, and in conjunction with the BC Canada Pavilion, regular admission is free for all visitors until March 21st, 2010. The gallery saw around 10,000 visitors last weekend.

The next FUSE event is tentatively scheduled for June 2010.

// Keith Van

writer

AN ARTISTIC REACTION TO THE GAMES Bold new website engages artists and audience

You’ve never had a strong opinion on the Olympic Games. You wouldn’t call yourself passive or anything, you’ve just consciously decided to think about other things instead. Like kittens and rainbows. One rainy Thursday, during your usual 11 am break, you’re sitting alone in the cafeteria aimlessly surfing on your laptop when you stumble across REACT 2010. Exactly how you stumble across it is entirely variable, and for the facilitation of this story, just run with it, okay? Okay. So like I said, you get to this website. At first you’re confused. You feel inferior to the complex and trendy layout of said website. But once you figure it out, not only are you left feeling slightly victorious, you have also unlocked the door to a jubilee of controversial art. Boom. REACT 2010 got you.

REACT 2010 is a website that features contemporary art in relation to the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. It strives to give artists a medium to express their views via their art. The opinions and statements made by the art on this website ranges from views of the Olympics themselves to the values surrounding them. The website presents itself as having an overall neutral stance on the Olympics, but   houses opinions both positive and negative. React 2010 showcases art of all forms, from film to painting, photography, and poetry. Even the website layout itself is expressive.

The art is there to spark conversation and contemplation of our cultures’ values, according to the websites creators, Kelowna's Jennifer Pickering, Jason Baerg, and Arthur Schwimmer.

Whether or not the website is accomplishing its goal is hard to discern. Since there is no discussion board or comment section, the question becomes how much traffic and attention the website is getting. If no one ever sees the art, it's not doing much. However, the effectiveness of REACT 2010 falls to personal opinion. Whether or not viewers feel engaged and prompted into a deep questioning of our society's morals by the art is entirely relative and entirely personal.

I believe the website does just what it is supposed to – it allows artists to express, and viewers to observe. It brings forward issues surrounding a current cultural topic, and paves the path for further questioning, both within the individual and as a greater community. What is really impressive about the website is the peacefully neutral energy it has accomplished. The cyber-walls of REACT 2010 do not discriminate based on opinion, giving its patrons a “judgement-free” opportunity to express.

The art itself is rather impressive and insightful. One short film, entitled “PRIORITIES”, is a factual video regarding budgets and the governments financing in relation to the spending surrounding the 2010 Olympic Games. Not only is the film clear, concise, and well researched, it's also bold and passionate. Loaded with information and political realities, it is also art.

REACT 2010 aims to “showcase” artistic expressions, in all forms, of the Olympic Games. The site claims that its goal is to use said artistic expression to “lead to an examination and appreciation of diverse cultural values.” And it does just that. It is clear that some very bold opinions are being expressed, in some wonderfully creative ways, by some very talented people. And how could you not have some kind of a reaction to what these people are saying? The passion they clearly have for the subject radiates through their art, and you will instinctively react in some way to what you are experiencing. Boom. See? React. It got you again.

To see it for yourself, visit www.react2010.com.

// Rachelle Rovner

Writer

THE GHOST OF TAXES PAST Don’t be a Scrooge, you lazy duck

 

Before hitting adulthood, March is a time of joyous splendour, of Spring Break, and of freedom. But as you get older, the joy quickly transcends into a feeling of ominous dread and looming tasks. As an adult, the coming of March translates into the annually allotted time to do taxes... and, unlike Ebenezer Scrooge, it appears many of us don’t enjoy doing taxes.

The recently released budgets by both the provincial and federal governments were dry, but they contained several important changes in relation to what citizens would have to be paying taxes on, including the much speculated and highly controversial Harmonized Sales Tax (HST). Most importantly, the new budgets hold much in store for taxpayers, negatively contributing to the aura surrounding tax season.

A Black Sheep

Russ Miller, a first year student at Capilano University, does not fit into the standard breed of tax-doers. Whereas many others find doing taxes to be a burden, sometimes employing the services of online programs like U-File or Studio Tax, or the services H&R Block, whose employees’ purpose is to do your taxes for you, Miller loves tax season. “I love taxes,” he says, “because I love affordable housing, providing sustenance to those who are out of work, helping individuals go to university when they can’t afford it, helping children in other countries get access to clean water, good food and good education, and feeling safe and secure from the threat of crime and military encroachments on Canada's sovereignty.” He equates taxes with helping to ensure these things remain a part of society in Canada. Taxes, he says, are needed in our society to continue living in a level of comfort that we all want to have.

Picking Your Weapon

While there are many mediums you can use to do your taxes, the actual deed itself can still be a burden. Madeleine Balfour, also a student at Capilano, prefers using the services of H&R Block instead of doing the taxes by hand. She says it is definitely better to go to H&R Block until “you’ve got the hang of taxes. I would definitely look into services like U-File once I know what I’m doing. The reason I use [H&R Block] is because it makes taxes a lot easier and a lot simpler. They also guarantee that you get the most out of your return,” she says. “They help you find the numbers and documents you need if you are missing any.” Balfour has been a customer of H&R Block since 2008.

D-ing I.Y.

Stephen Lyons, however, disagrees with the necessity of using services like H&R Block. He is a recent graduate from UBC and has been doing his taxes using an online program since 2006. “I don't think it's worth it for most people,” he says, “Unless they are running a small business or have something really complicated going on, it's not that difficult [to do taxes]. It's a good thing to learn how to do for yourself.”

He taught himself how to do taxes by doing them for a few years on paper. He began by using one of the books that PricewaterhouseCoopers or KPMG put out to answer basic questions about what can be deducted on taxes. PricewaterhouseCoopers and KPMG are two of the Big Four auditors, which is synonymous for being two of the four largest international accountancy and professional services firms.

Since learning how to do them by hand, Lyons has begun to use a program called StudioTax. He discovered StudioTax by browsing through a list of programs that the Canadian Revenue Agency certified for the year, and “found that StudioTax was the only one that was really free and covered most normal tax situations.”

Students with Benefits

As members of the Capilano Students’ Union and thus members of the Canadian Federation of Students, students can also use the online service U-File for free. U-File, which advertises itself as “Canada’s Favourite Online Tax Software”, allows users to input all their information online and then print a tax receipt.

Lyons warned that there are several things students should look out for when filing their taxes. “Don’t waste the educational tax credits, if you’re not making enough money this year for it to be worth it, you can carry them forward to a year you can really use it, or transfer them to your parents.”

Students are eligible for T2202As, which are receipts for tuition and other fees, and tell you how many months of study you have for educational credits. Lyons says that they used to send them out on paper, but now at many schools (including Capilano) the T2202As are just available online. “I think the colleges and universities should be able to release this information earlier than late February - if it's going to be online-only, it could be automatically generated from financial and registration records fairly quickly after the end of the year,” says Lyons, “Delaying it means that students can't file their tax returns early, even if they have their other tax receipts like T4s.”

Suck It Up, Princess

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, filing your taxes is something that probably ought to be done.

“Other people should love taxes,” says Miller, who plans on doing his taxes by hand this year, “...We enter into an agreement when we live in a 'civilization' and in order to keep things moving smoothly, and at the level of comfort that we all want to have, taxes are needed.” 

TOP FIVE WAYS TO GET TAX CREDS

1. Got GST? Students over the age of 19 are eligible for the annual GST/HST tax credit. You have to fill in a tax return and complete the GST/HST application on the form. If you will be 19 before April 1, 2011, make sure you fill out this form.

2. Got Scholarships? As of the 2008 tax year, scholarships and bursaries are tax exempt, as long as you are enrolled in an education program that qualifies for the education amount.

3. Got New Place? If you have moved in the last year in order to accommodate a summer job or to live closer to your college/university, you can deduct your moving expenses. These expenses even include the cost of the airplane ticket, or, if you moved using your car, the cost of gas mileage and any meals or hotels en route.

4. Got Student? You are also eligible to an education amount of $120 if you are enrolled part-time in college or university, or $400 if you are enrolled full-time. You can also get an additional $65 for full-time and $20 for part time as part of a textbook tax credit.

5. Got U-Pass? You can claim the cost of your U-Passes and other forms of transit passes as a tax credit.

//Samantha Thompson

Assistant news editor

FAST, CHEAP EATS FOR STARVING STUDENTS The top 10 tasty treats in the city

You're a poor student, and you need to eat. Fortunately, Vancouver has some of the best and cheapest food in Canada.

1. Vegetarian samosas for $1.00; meat samosas for $2.00

Right in the heart of Little India in Vancouver, this authentic Indian restaurant and bakery has great vegetarian samosas for $1.00 – very popular among Langara College students. It's cheap, greasy, and spicy. They make fresh ones around every hour, and serve them with some mango chutney – delicious. There is also a daily vegetarian buffet for $11 if you want to stuff yourself. Down the street is also Himalaya Restaurant, which has assorted Indian sweets on display and a buffet for $12, which includes butter chicken. For the budget-minded they have delicious meat samosas for around $2.00, in either beef, chicken, or pork – these things are just loaded with meat.

All India Sweets & Bakery

6507 Main St.

Vancouver, BC V5X 3H1

(604) 327-0891

Himalaya Restaurant

6587 Main St.

Vancouver, BC V5X 3H1

(604) 324-6514

2. 9pc California Roll for $2.95; 12pc Salmon Maki for $3.45

Japanese-owned and run, this Japanese supermarket has some of the best value sushi in the city. Everything is fresh, delicious, and food turnover is high. Bento boxes hover just over $5, and you can grab imported Japanese drinks and candy as well. I prefer the salmon maki – it tastes absolutely fresh. The main location is at Clark and Venables – a crappy location, which is why most people just grab things to go from here. Thankfully, they have locations in Downtown Vancouver and Richmond as well, but the food runs out at these smaller places quickly, as it's delivered from the Clark location.
 

Fujiya

912 Clark Dr.

Vancouver, BC V5L 3J8

(604) 251-3711

3. Breakfast for $2.95

It's impossible to grab a table at Bon's on weekend mornings, when the hungover weekend warrior crowd fills this diner to the brim. The patrons are diverse and odd, and the place makes for great people-watching. It's a bit run-down, but the restaurant commands a great following. There's a jukebox, unlimited coffee, and a kitchen that takes half an hour for your scrambled eggs, sausages, and toast. It's a cult experience in the heart of East Vancouver.

Bon's Off Broadway

2451 Nanaimo St.

Vancouver, BC V5N 5E5

(604) 253-7242

4. Bubble Tea for $2.00

The cheapest damn bubble tea in Vancouver, and tastes just as good as any other. Be sure to avoid the high school students from John Oliver Secondary, though. The decor and atmosphere isn't worth writing about, and the place is small. Come for the cheap prices.

Green Leaf Natural Food

5756 Fraser St.

Vancouver, BC V5W 2Z5

(604) 327-8766

5. Hot Dog and Refillable Soft Drink for $1.99; Poutine for $3.99

Totally awesome poutine for a totally awesome price. 1/4 lb. all beef hot dog and all-you-can-drink pop for a steal. The cafeteria is no frills, filled with Costco shoppers and nearby workers. Hot dogs come with onion and sauerkraut, too. There are also burgers, chicken strips, and pizza. The poutine is definitely one of the best in Vancouver. Available at all Costco locations.

Costco

605 Expo Blvd.

Vancouver, BC V6B 1V4

(604) 622-5050

6. Vietnamese Baguette Sandwich for $2.75

Hands down the best "banh mi" in Vancouver, for an unbeatable price. The shop is family-run, and the original Main Street location has been around for more a decade. Each baguette is loaded with pate, mayonnaise, pickled daikon and carrots, cilantro, and topping choices of many meats. The shop itself is no frills, and run-down, but that's the charm. They have a cooler filled with "che", a Vietnamese dessert. Run with care by the owners, it has a huge business reliant on massive volume orders for catering events.

Ba Le

121-633 Main St.

Vancouver, BC V6A 2V4

(604) 662-8108

7. Rice & 2 dishes for $4.50

With two locations, this Chinese kitchen is very popular for take-out among working Chinese families. The food is authentic and very fresh. Prices for some dishes may fluctuate, but it's a great value for the quality and quantity of food. The Chinatown location is a bit dirty compared to the one on Victoria. Doesn't seem to affect the food, though.

Kent's Kitchen

232 Keefer St.

Vancouver, BC V6A 1X5

(604) 669-2237

8. Lunch for $1.75; Dinner for $3.00

You can find lawyers and police officers among the lunch crowd here in the community centre in the Downtown Eastside, run by the City of Vancouver. It offers full meals that are cheap and healthy. The meals are subsidized, but the community centre welcomes everybody. The crowd is made up of DTES residents and the homeless, and has become a focal community gathering point. Dishes change daily – beef stroganoff and baked salmon have been some past hits. Also, if you visit, you could be sitting next to a crack addict, a local Downtown East Side resident, or an ambulance chaser looking to grab a lunch break. Fascinating culinary experiences!

Carnegie Community Centre

401 Main St.

Vancouver, BC V2A 2T7

(604) 665-2220

9. BBQ Donair Wrap for $2.99; Vegetarian Wrap for $3.50

Cheap and authentic, Donair Town on The Drive is delicious and easy on the wallet. While there are other falafel and donair joints on Commercial Drive, Donair Town is easily the cheapest, and just as good as any other. Run by friendly Arab owners, this place is fairly new and already very popular.

It's cleaner than other places, smells better, and has the best all around prices.

Donair Town

1433 Commercial Dr

Vancouver, BC V5L 3X8

(604) 676-0947

10. Breakfast for $1.00; Organic Pasta with Tomato Sauce for $1.99; Daily Selections under $3.50

You don't need to be shopping for new furniture to get breakfast for $1.00 until 11 am everyday. There is also organic pasta and a daily special after 5 pm, such as stuffed salmon with vegetarian medallions on Tuesdays for $3.49, and Fish and Chips on Fridays for $2.99. Mostly it's just IKEA shoppers eating here, but students can take advantage. Don't forget to grab some Swedish desserts on the way out. If you end up buying furniture, then you lose, and IKEA's loss-leader trickery has worked. Sucker.

IKEA

3200 Sweden Way

Richmond, BC V6V 2A5

(604) 233-8491

// Keith Van

writer

BEING YELLOW In a white, white world

BRANTFORD, Ont. – The other day, a man in an oversized camouflage jacket walked past me. He was pushing a baby in a stroller and puffing on a cigarette before he looked me square in the eyes and said, "Fucking Chinese."

Any other day, I probably would have cried, or at the very least shot him the finger, but that day I had no energy. So, I just kept walking.

When I was a little kid, I never noticed that I was different. I had gone to the same public school since I was four years old and all my friends and classmates were white. Since they had grown up with me, they were used to my different eyes, my coarse hair and the fact that I ate canton chow mein for lunch while they ate their Lunchables.

For the most part, I was just like them.

It wasn't until high school that I fully realized how much of a minority I was. My high school was tiny, with only about 500 students, and for the better half of my high school years, I was the only Asian student. I started going to parties and meeting people from other schools, but these people hadn't grown up with me. To them, I wasn't just Rachel — I became Asian Rachel.

Luckily, it didn't bother me too much. I've always been a proud person and my race is just another thing I can embrace about myself. I love being Chinese. I love my culture, my quirky family, our food. I love that I can get drunk after one shot, and that I've never had to shave in my life. There's nothing about my ethnicity that I would change, and if in another life I got the opportunity to pick my race, I would always choose to be Chinese.

Unfortunately, this overpowering sense of pride also leads to a fierce sensitivity regarding my race. You can tease me about anything: my slightly large feet, my love affair with writing essays, my little Buddha belly, but you cannot say anything about my ethnicity. I just can't take these jokes. And what surprised me most about coming to university is that some people love telling them.

There was a guy on my residence floor who used to joke that, unless you were white, you weren't a "real person." There's another who loves saying my name in a "Chinese" accent. I pretend to laugh, but I'm holding back tears and the urge to punch them all in the throats.

This conflict of emotions — being both proud and sensitive — has caused me to be hyper-vigilant. I'm always cautious when people are around me, and I am almost always aware that they could say something racist. For instance, if a stranger is walking by, I'll typically put my head down so they won't see me. Or, if I have sunglasses in my purse, I'll put them on so I won't get heckled for my "slanty eyes."

It's not an ideal way to live, but I deal with it because I am too in love with being Chinese to hear someone make a mockery of it.

Now, I'll admit that I've gotten way more love in my lifetime than I've gotten hateful remarks, but even that can be a little odd. Some people — mostly men — love Asians way too much.

"Hey Rachel! I have yellow fever. Wanna give me my yellow belt?"

No, I don't.

I am both Rachel Phan and Poon May May. I am the product of two proud Chinese people who accept the fact that my mangled Chinese has turned into a hybrid of Chinese and English ("Chinglish"). I may not be good at math, but I'm still a damn good student. I eat tongue and duck hearts, but not cats and dogs. I was born in Canada in a predominantly white town and I feel just as Canadian as I do Chinese.

And yes, I get giddy whenever I see another Asian on campus.

I'm different and I know that, but it's part of who I am. And I like me.



// Rachel Phan
the Sputnik

TRASH ISLAND A brief history of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

 

The continent of North America, considered the bastion of consumerism by many, lives relatively consequence-free of its lifestyle. When one landfill fills up, we dig another one, cover up the old one, and build suburbs on top of it. This model is applied on both a macro and micro level. In our own homes we often buy products and then recycle the packaging (we also often throw recyclable materials straight into the trash). This recycled matter is made into new stuff that is either again recycled, or thrown in a landfill. But as far as we’re concerned, we have done our bit. Out of sight, out of mind.

Imagine a Hawaiian sunrise coming up over a floating mound of trash, twice the size of Texas. That would ruin a vacation. Would you start to take the consequences of our excessive consumerism seriously if you saw that? Yes, you would. You don’t need to imagine that. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a reality. An island the size of an American state made up of plastic, chemical sludge and everything else we throw away.

  

1988: In an article published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the formation of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) is predicted. This article outlines concentration of neustonic plastic (this is a fancy scientific term for bits of junk that float on, or just below the surface of the ocean) in the Sea of Japan. Neustonic plastic is predicted to concentrate in a similar fashion in the North Pacific, because of the tendencies of its currents are very similar to those of the Sea of Japan. 

  

1997: Competitive sailor/oceanographer Charles J. Moore discovers a large patch of debris floating in the North Pacific on his way home after the Transpacific Yacht Race. In an essay for Natural History, Moore recalls “As I gazed from the deck at the surface of what ought to have been a pristine ocean, I was confronted, as far as the eye could see, with the sight of plastic. It seemed unbelievable, but I never found a clear spot. In the week it took to cross the subtropical high, no matter what time of day I looked, plastic debris was floating everywhere: bottles, bottle caps, wrappers, fragments.” It is estimated that 80% of the GPGP’s make-up is from on shore sources, while 20% comes from waste-belching cruise ships, and other ocean going vessels. 

  

1999: Moore publishes a study highlighting the fact that there is six times more plastic in the ocean than zooplankton, an essential organism in the ocean ecosystem. Because of the disruption of the ecosystem by the introduction of tonnes of foreign plastic, many sea birds, and turtles have died by the ingestion of plastic. Making matters worse, these plastics have been known to absorb organic pollutants such as PCBs, and DDT. These pollutants in turn have affected the hormonal cycles of ocean wildlife. If any of you are not horrified at a cute little sea turtle dying, then think about it this way: little fish eats plastic containing toxins, big fish eats little fish, and you, presumed human being, eat big fish.

2008: Charles  J. Moore’s Algita Marine Research Foundation sails across the Pacific Ocean (from Long Beach, California to Honolulu, Hawaii) on a 30-foot raft constructed from an old Cessna 310 airplane, in an attempt to raise awareness for the GPGP.

2010: The GPGP is estimated to be two times the size of Texas, although that estimation is rough, because it is difficult to see the bulk of the debris since it floats just beneath the surface of the ocean.

2020: The GPGP continues to grow, and is now the largest “man made” structure visible from space.

2025: Disney/ Pixar, and CBS become involved in a legal battle over the rights to the GPGP. Survivor host Jeff Probst cites “the barren, rugged landscape” as “the perfect backdrop for Survivor’s 50th season.” Disney and Pixar had previously scheduled the GPGP for work on filming a live action re-make of Wall-E. 

  

2058: The GPGP is pronounced a unincorporated territory of the United States of America. 

  

2077: The United states government makes plans to build a highway from San Francisco to Honolulu, as the GPGP is practically a land bridge anyway. 

// Colin May

Writer