Criminology department hosts anti-gang violence film Warrior Boyz

The Kwantlen Criminology department will host the award-winning film, Warrior Boyz, at the Surrey Campus on Nov. 3.

The film, which is about gang violence and is set in a Surrey high school, was one of 10 winners of a $1 million grant from the Social Sciences and Human Research Council – Community University Research Alliance. The prize money will go towards Acting Together, a project looking to prevent youth from getting involved in gangs.

Warrior Boyz was brought to Kwantlen’s attention by Joan Nesbitt, who’s been part of the Criminology department for 14 years.

Nesbitt originally wanted to show the film to her class, but when she contacted the director of the film, Beljit Sanghra, the simple showing snowballed into a larger, public screening that is meant to be seen as a community event.

“We’ve decided to really open it up to not only the Kwantlen community, but the larger community as well. I think that’s one of the defining features of this event, is we really want this to be seen as a community event and we really want to have a dialogue with the community about gang violence,” said Nesbitt.

She feels that gang violence is a community issue and that many Kwantlen students are involved, peripherally or not, with gangs and it’s not only a good idea to open up talk about gang violence to students, but the community of Surrey and even the Lower Mainland.

“The film is very provocative and I think everyone will be shocked and surprised about the depth. Hopefully, they will relate personally and start larger discussions,” she said. “I want everyone to take home a message, whatever it may be.”

Dr. Gira Bhatt, a psychology instructor at Kwantlen and Acting Together project director, feels just as strongly as Nesbitt does about the issue of youth involved with gang violence.

“The idea of this event is to create awareness and make everyone think about what we can do to help kids involved in the gang life and bring everyone together,” Bhatt said.

“I hope that everyone takes away the message that we need to be guardians, to keep an eye on what is going on with our cousins and other relatives and be aware.”

The Criminology department has no other current plans of getting involved with the prevention of youth in gang violence, but if this event goes well, Nesbitt said that might change.

Kwantlen grad offers discounts on a chance to laugh

Has the semester got you down? Need a laugh? A cheap, affordable laugh that is?

A Kwantlen alumnus working with ComedyFest Vancouver is offering current students discount tickets for the remainder of the festival.

Karin Lornsen, a 2007 graduate of the public relations diploma program, told The Chronicle that $9.95 tickets to a select set of performances at The Cultch theater (see details below) will be reserved for Kwantlen students. Interested students only have to show up to the theatre, located at the corner of Venebles and Victoria, with a valid Kwantlen student ID to receive discount admission to some of the most cutting-edge performances of the festival.

She also said that if students want tickets for other festival shows, they can be ordered from the Ticketmaster website for the same price.

After graduating from Kwantlen, Lornsen worked as a PR intern at Karyo Edelman Communications, one of Vancouver’s biggest PR and communications companies, but felt the constraints of working in a structured, “hands-off” environment. “It was a great experience and they had lots of major clients,” she said, “but I wasn’t allowed to do much.”

Once her contract expired, her communications savvy earned her a position in radio promotions and social media with Destination Funny, the local promotion company that puts on Comedy Fest Vancouver every year.

Lornsen said that the job change has let her “get her hands dirty” and have some fun while she works.

“There is definitely a sense of humor around here. Our producer is a stand-up too, he headlines at Just For Laugh…we’re like a family around here, hanging out, opening bottles of beer. It’s crunch time now, but it’s been a great experience.”

Lornsen may be out there enjoying the PR career that she wants, but she remembers what it was like to be a student and is happy to reach out and offer some entertainment to Kwantlen students.

“I was a student for 10 years, I definitely know how it is financially. I thought it would be a good opportunity for students to kick back before exams and have some fun.

• • •

Shows that are being offered at a discount are:

• Edge of the Fest with David Cross, hosted by George Stroumboulopoulos: Saturday, 8 p.m., The Vogue
• Comedy Death Ray : Thursday, 8 p.m., The Vogue
• Best of the Fest with Tom Arnold: Friday, 8 p.m., The Centre in Vancouver For Performing Arts
• Best of the Fest with Red Green: Saturday, 8 p.m., The Centre in Vancouver For Performing Arts
• SF Sketchfest: Friday and Saturday, 7 p.m., The Cultch Comedy Lab
• Picnicface & Friends: Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 9 p.m., The Cultch Comedy Lab
• Comedy Noir: Jesus Roast: Saturday, 9 p.m., The Cultch Historic Theatre
• Comedy Noir: Hitler Roast: Friday, 9 p.m., The Cultch Historic Theatre
• Comedy Noir: Obama Roast: Thursday, 9 p.m., The Cultch Historic Theatre
• Politics, Truth and Other Incompatibles: Thursday, 7 p.m., The Cultch Historic Theatre
• I’m Only a Little Racist: Friday, 7 p.m., The Cultch Historic Theatre
• OMG: Saturday, 7 p.m., The Cultch Historic Theatre

Most interesting student contest promotes beer sales

The Kwantlen Student Association in Surrey is getting closer to finding the most interesting student on campus.

The KSA, in partnership with Dos Equis, Travel Cuts and Contiki Holidays, is giving away a trip to London, England to the most interesting student on campus.

The contest is a take on Dos Equis’ series of Most Interesting Man in the World ads, which feature a daring, sophisticated older gentleman with a taste for Dos Equis.

“The Dos Equis commercials have been very successful,” said KSA commercial services manager Catherine Wilkinson. The KSA is taking advantage of the ads’ popularity to promote not only student involvement, but also the sale of alcohol at the Grassroots Cafe at the Surrey campus.

Five finalists have been randomly selected from earlier contest entries. They have until the end of the month to campaign for votes and convince students that they are more interesting than their four competitors.

Students can vote for their favourite finalist by buying Dos Equis beer at the Grassroots Cafe and filling out a ballot that comes with their beverage. Whoever receives the most votes wins the trip, which includes two nights accommodation, a $400 voucher on flights with Air Transat, a bus sightseeing tour, tickets to a London theatre show and discount cards for attractions.

“In addition to all of that, people will get to know that the Grassroots Cafe is a place that you can actually buy alcohol,” said Wilkinson.

The contest is only held on the Surrey campus because it’s the only one that sells beer. Wilkinson said the KSA is working on more events with alcohol at other campuses.

Interior Design students look to stand out from the crowd.

“It’s exciting,” says Beatrice Mushill, a third-year student of Kwantlen’s Interior Design program. Mushil and 10 other members of her program will be on hand Friday night at the IDSwest Trade Show in an attempt to raise the remainder of funds needed to finance a trip abroad.

The group’s presentation, DestiNation, will be their second fundraiser for a trip Mushil describes as “a full seven to 12 days of sketching 24/7 , learning about architeture, design, culture and the differences of culture.” Though the decision about where to go hasn’t been made yet, Mushil said Spain, France or Ecuador are all being considered.

In order to get there, the group is selling tickets for IDSwest for $40, or $20 if you’re a student. The ticket covers access to the show for the evening, free hors d’oeuvres, a student project display and a live performance by musician Sharon Bryson and guests. There will also ve a silent auction of an oil painting supplied by local artist Pamela Hunt.

IDSwest was launched in 2004 and describes itself as Western Canada’s premiere design event, with over 200 exhibitors displaying different products and services to designers, industry professionals and consumers. Tonight will mark the opening of the three-and-a-half-day show, which takes place at Monk’s McQueen, 601 Stamps Landing in Vancouver.

For further information, visit their website at www.idswest.com and if you want to pick up tickets, you can email Destination_fundraiser@live.com or call Amber at 778-928-3672.

The fashionable folk

Kwantlen’s fashion students showed off their creations at their annual fashion show, Wednesday, April 1, at River Rock, and reporter Alicia-Rae Light was there to capture the moment, and the creativity of the students. Her photo slideshow, with a soundtrack by the duo Lights Go Blue:

Music, dance … and raising funds

Reporters Sandy Buemann and Zoe Tarlow turn their cameras and audio recorders on Dessi Fusion, a special event, sponsored in part by the KSA, that combined music, dance and fund-raising for the B.C. Children’s Hospital.

Dessi Fusion: music, dance, food, fund-raising

In 2007, Navi Dhillon was bogged down with school work and feeling the need “to have fun and do something good at the same time.” So, Dhillon and her friend, Palwinder Gill, began LIFE.

Once a year, Dhillon, has been president for two years, Gill, and four board members, spend six months coordinating the annual event that includes music, dance, food and awards.

This year’s event, Dessi Fusion, takes place on Feb. 27.

Dessi Fusion, sponsored by the KSA, will take place at the Dhaliwal Banquet hall. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. and will feature an hour of performances from various dance groups.

Sukh Dhaliwal, Newton-North Delta MP, will give a speech and hand out awards to the KSA, volunteers of LIFE and the groups who will perform for free.

All the proceeds made from ticket sales will go to the B.C Children’s Hospital. Tickets are $15 in advance and $25 at the door.

Dhillon is studying for a degree in biology at Simon Fraser University and working on a minor in psychology at Kwantlen.

She said “it’s really difficult” finding the time to coordinate such an event. Dhillon said she and some other board members are taking three classes this semester, instead of the usual five, to make sure the annual event is a success.

Last year, LIFE raised $3,500 for UNICEF through its annual party.

Kwantlen becomes a club for a night

As part of the 2009 spring semester Welcome Week, the Kwantlen Student Association will present its first-ever Underground Club Night.

From 6-10 p.m. Friday (Jan. 16), Dj Flip out and C Stylez of The Beat 94.5 will be spinning hip-hop, rap, and top-40 tunes in the Grassroots Café at Kwantlen’s Surrey campus, which will be transformed into a nightclub atmosphere with lights, drapery and a smoke machine. The venue will also have a licensed area on the patio, which will be tented and heated.

Cover is $5 for residents and non-Kwantlen students and free for students with a Kwantlen ID card.

The KSA has been working on the event with James Menear from Precision Entertainment, who also worked with the on Cram Jam, and DJs, equipment, and decorations have been supplied by Galactic Entertainment.

“If all goes as planned, this event will be at most, exactly on budget and possibly under-budget,” said Vanessa Knight, KSA director of events. “We are hoping that this event will set a precedent for high quality, well-budgeted events in the KSA’s future.”

Two grands, four students and lots of talent

Two Yamaha grand pianos sat centre stage, their ivory keys waiting to be played. Just after noon Wednesday, the 13 music students who make up the Kwantlen Piano Chamber Ensemble emerged and performed a Schubert piece, arranged by Carl Burchard, called the Trout Quintet, launching the latest in the Music at Midweek concert series.

Four of the five movements that were performed were played on two pianos, with two students at each one.

“If you play piano, it’s one thing to keep your own two hands together,” said Jane Hayes, director of the piano ensemble. “It’s so different for a pianist to have to turn around, and think about not just their hands, but three other people’s.”

[audio:http://www.kwantlenchronicle.ca/audio/piano.mp3]
How it sounded in the Langley concert hall Wednesday.

One of the movements was performed with only one pianist, Kara Routley, who accompanied a string quartet. Hayes said she works closely with the director of the string ensemble and they always try to put their heads together to get the string players and pianists performing together.

The students signed up for these performances in the first two weeks of school, and Hayes then selected which students will perform, based on experience, ability and level of comfort. The performance was prepared and executed in only 10 weeks.

The students are required practice one hour a week with the teacher and one hour a week on their own, but Hayes said her students put in extra time this semester. She said that the group’s chemistry was amazing.

“It was a really challenging piece, but they rose to the occasion,” she said proudly.

Some students performed in two pieces, some in three. Do they sign up for that?

“No, that’s just the mean instructor,” Hayes said, chuckling, as she explained that students only sign up for one, but she gauges what she thinks students are capable of and assigns from there.

“You want to challenge them,” she said. “You have to take them out of their comfort zone, or they will never learn. And it’s a question of how much can I push.”

The piano students will also be performing a Mozart triple piano concerto and a Bach double concerto on Dec. 3, accompanying the string ensemble students, in the last Music at Midweek performance of the semester.

Young musicians play to aid Congo victims

Contemporary music performed by talented young musicians will help the cause for healing in Africa, Friday, Nov. 21, at the South Delta Baptist Church, 1988 56th St., in Tsawwassen.

The evening will feature singer/songwriter Jeremy Johnson , a Kwantlen alumni, performing music from his new album, Form the Words. His album includes the nationally-acclaimed song Together, which was nominated for the Worship Song of the Year award by the Gospel Music Association of Canada. Up-and-coming artist Mark Thompson will also be playing original music from his recently released debut album Look Both Ways.

Since 1997, the Democratic Republic of Congo has suffered through a war that has claimed the lives of four million people, leaving the country devastated. Sexual violence is rampant, and the rape and torture of women and girls has become one of the most destructive weapons of the decade-long war.

The aftermath of these rapes has left victims with high rates of diseases such as HIV and AIDS. Because of their condition, many women and children have been ostracized by their families and fellow villagers.

The event is hosted by Farrago, an organization led by Kwantlen business student Adam Krahn, Alana Gentile, and other individuals working to help rising musicians and support local and global charities.

All proceeds are being donated to HEALing Arts Africa, an organization committed to helping and taking aid to the people of the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo. Projects includes teaching women new skills and providing children with safe places to learn. Those who want to support HEALing Arts of Africa but who are unable to attend can make a donation online.

Tickets are $10 and are available at the door, by calling South Delta Baptist Church at 604-943-8244 or by visiting farragomusic.ca. For more information on HEALing Arts Africa, visit healingartsafrica.com

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