Dear Max Mackay,
I’m a long-time reader first time writer. My name is Matthew Enright and I’m knee deep into Capilano’s Motion Picture Production Diploma program. I was very disappointed by the sloppy research put into “Professor Provoked By Decibel Disturbance” article in Nov. 16’s issue.
I was lucky enough to have Dave Gordon last year as my lighting and grip teacher. I thought your article targeted him in an unfair light. According to Max, Dave came out growling, saying he was “Teaching a fucking class”. Well I got news for you. He was. There were also 200 students from various programs also trying to learn, a mere 100ft from the band and stage.
Your article writes that Fine was worried that property damage may have been imminent. If he was really worried about a 60-year old man tearing down his friend’s indie band’s equipment, he should of got it insured. It is North Vancouver. You can never be too careful. Besides, we’re the Film Department. We got gear and shit. We had Noah’s ass covered.
Perhaps the dumbest thing in the article is that you acknowledge everyone in the Film Building had classes until 4:30pm. That only tells me you knew we were all in our $90 a-day-class, and yet you proceeded to let them play anyway. There seems to be a disconnect from common sense to the brain.
Sure Dave could have asked the CSU to “please turn the music down”. But that wouldn’t have got results. He did. I wouldn’t be half the filmmaker I am today without him. We all have mentors growing up, and he is indeed one of the finest our School has to offer.
So on that note I leave you with our side of the story. The other half. At least maybe next time the band will start playing after class ends.
Matthew Enright
2nd Year Film Student
Editor's Note: Slanderous comments have been edited from this letter.
Dear Mike Kennedy and Sarah Vitet,
I was appalled by the Steal vs. Don't Steal page in this past weeks courier.
No, not morally - just appalled at the complete lack of solutions put forward by the contrasting opinions of Vitet and Kennedy.
I'm fed poorly by Aramark often enough to actually find a way to affect their bottom line by suggesting a student run "Guerilla Grill" type deal that runs under the radar of Cap's looming, but when you think about it, completely unenforcable forced monopoly thrust on us.
The second part would be just outlining the current reasons why we all hate them, but why it's impossible to get anywhere by just voicing that hatred because of that contract - and why that contract isn't appealing to better operators because of the waxing and waning customer base as the year goes by, but of course a student run operation would reflect that give and take. Then I would throw some ideas around that would probably generate some interest with the student body about fun, underground ways to take business away from them (which is the only thing faceless corporations understand). Besides there's profit here, so it'll be fun and maybe lucrative, or maybe just fun.
Sarah Vitet, you’re needed on the chopping block for a moment. Yea, just rest your hands right there. Good.
Theft from goliath conglomerates and colossal corporations is not the answer here. Specifically, it does not make the lot of those who respect the rules of capitalism... it’s at best a selfish act that barely touches a giant company and that will never lead to any real change, and at worst it’s the initial trigger to a new era of bedlam and armageddon, where ninety nine percent of everyone you know and love will likely be killed and/or eaten due to chaos and food shortage, or because Aramark closes and we have to eat one another if we plan on getting an education here.
Alright, up you get, I was just messing with you. I’d never chop off your hands, your articles often entertain me and help keep me even tempered.
Mike Kennedy, you’re up. Neck on block, that’s right, just like that. Great.
Your response was not only depressingly lacking in any conceivable knowledge of economics, but it was extremely offensive for no less than three reasons. The first one is that you’re completely failing to address the issue by completely failing to come up with a well thought out counter-argument against the immorality of stealing. The second reason is that you reference the Bible, which is a blatant and reprehensible act of contradicto-crypto-gibberish peddling. The third, and by far the most aggravating is just how straight up badly formulated and futile your ‘alternative’ really is, and how it really can only serve to help Aramark further their deathgrip on our bellies. “Boycott their overpriced garbage”? What in the furry pink mittens will that ever accomplish?! Less people buy their garbage? For example’s sake let’s say they get 100 patrons a day. Maybe thirty idealistic dopes out there are going to take your words to heart and actually take their business elsewhere (which means nowhere). That would half their sales and they’d have to listen to us, right? But let’s say they get 1500 patrons per day. Then you would be just ever-so-very-slightly reducing their overall numbers. That translates to ever-so-very-slightly reduced profits for Aramark, which leads to ever-so-often-quite-a-fucking-lot increases to my food. Nice going.
We all, of course, remember the great Chicken-Tenders-And-Fries price hike from the beginning of this year right? (And have you ever eaten those things? They’re dryer than those town hall meetings I come across on TV, and they can actually cut your mouth. They’re weapons. Expensive ones.)
Mike, you can also get up, because musicians are awesome and are an important piece of what has made this part of the world a place where beheadings generally don’t need to take place.
But where does this lead us, if neither opinions are going to stir up any change? How do we as students of this establishment initiate the change we want to see in our school? How can there be so much discord and so little done about it? Can we do something about? Yes, we could.
Next week: The Solution. Stay tuned. And prepare yourself. We’ll need the following if we want to stand a chance:
0. Students interested in making money (Do I hear any business students out there?)
0. Students who like taking part in Guerilla warfare tactics (Dead ringer for arts students)
0. Students who like to eat tasty food that is reasonably priced (That’s you)
0. Students who just don’t care about Aramark’s contract with Cap (That’s also you)
Editor's Note: This article has been edited for length.
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