14 Opinion

November 7th 2012 - Over the Edge

BEERS WITH BEN: STAR WARS

BEN FILIPKOWSKI
COPY EDITOR

When | was four years
old, sick at home with
the flu, my parents
looking after me, my
father pulled on his
boots and toque and
went for a walk. In
twenty minutes, he
returned, carrying a plastic bag that
held three mysterious videotapes.
Once he'd dusted off the snow and
warmed up a little, he handed the bag
to me and told me to pull out the con-
tents.

The videotapes were the original Star
Wars trilogy, unaltered and unmolest-
ed. Though hesitant, | remembered
seeing the tapes sitting on the shelf
of a family friend - Hondo (as was this
friend's name) - had lent them to my
father, keen to support a young boy's

introduction to the galaxy George Lu-
cas had created.

We put on the first tape. Though the
screen on our television was small, |
marvelled at the awe and spectacle
of that first Star Destroyer filling the
screen from corner to corner. Mouth
agape, | watched as the Storm Troop-
ers captured Princess Leia; | pulled
my blankets closer when Darth Vader
choked a man with his mind; | smiled
when Han Solo returned to save the
day.

And when the credits rolled, | spoke six
words that my father could only smile
at: "Can we watch the next one?"

So it began. Star Wars became my life.
| wanted to be a Jedi, fighting the Sith
with a lightsaber of my very own. |
wanted to fly my own X-Wing, to meet
the Ewoks, to play space-chess with
Chewbacca.

When | was eight, | heard the news -
there was going to be a new Star Wars
movie.

It came out in 1999 - | remember be-
cause I, like young Anakin, was nine
years old. In Edmonton for the sum-
mer, my parents took me to the only
showing we could catch - one that
ended at one in the morning. Though
my mother probably hated it, she stuck
it out, supporting my love of Star Wars
and how my dad indulged it.

| doubt | can adequately explain just
how much this series meant and
means to me; regardless of the quality
of the prequel films, | still enjoy watch-
ing those. It's not about the quality,
nor the merchandise, nor the money
for me. It's about the memories, the
escape.

George Lucas sold his film company,
Lucasfilm, to Disney on October 30th.

Reports of a seventh film are making
the rounds online, as is the outrage of
a number of Star Wars fans. This seems
to be the last straw for many support-
ers, forced to deal with constant re-
releases and updates to the series. It
seems as though the Force is no longer
strong with this one, in their eyes, but
I'd argue something else.

The Force will be with you - always.

CUPE QUEBEC AND YOU: A
STUDENT'S RESPONSE

As a former Quebec post-secondary
student at Dawson College in Montreal
| hope | can provide further insight to
some of the strengths, but also the many
weaknesses of the student movement in
their province.

On the one hand, the various student
unions in Quebec have been so success-
ful, particularly in this latest round of ne-
gotiations, because of their extraordinary
organization. Case in point, while | was
enrolled there, protests were organized
to bus as many students as possible to the
provincial capital to voice the concerns of
students and mobilize their movement a
full year before the student strike began.
The student leaders are also very well-
spoken, presentable, and responsible
in both tone and manner when dealing
with their own student constituency, the
provincial government, and the media
to get the right message out about what
students go through with regards to tu-
ition hikes. Quebec has also maintained
a low tuition level in comparison to the
other provinces because of prior genera-
tional struggles to advocate for student
concerns.

However, as an English-speaking student,
| must shed light on the setback that
many of my fellow students in Quebec
will face as a result of the recent provin-
cial election. Indeed, the Liberal tuition
hike was “not an economical, but an ideo-
logical decision,’ yet just as the new Parti
Quebecois-led minority government has
blocked the tuition fee increase, they are
also introducing tougher laws limiting
availability to English CEGEP colleges and
further enforcing unilingual French laws.
As a result, it will be more difficult to ac-
quire a post-secondary education at an
English-language institution in Quebec;
for those who do manage to acquire a
degree in English, obtaining a job within
their home province will be even less like-

ly. | feel that this is also not an economical,
but an ideological decision. It is a shame
that while the new government is ensur-
ing students will not be prohibited from
attending college based on the size of
their bank account and debt capacity,
Premier Marois is attempting to prevent
other students from attending college
because of the language they prefer to
learn in.

| find it ironic that Eliane Laberge would
come to British Columbia to speak to
English schools about inconsistencies
in government policy towards students
when her movement has failed to advo-
cate for the students at English CEGEPs
and schools such as Concordia Univer-
sity. Not only that, the attitude of the new
government there would not welcome
English students to the same degree
that Prince George welcomed the FECQ
President. | hope she tells someone like
Leo Bureau-Blouin, her predecessor as
FECQ President and now a PQ Member of
the National Assembly, that the platform
the Pequistes campaigned on needs to
be reassessed.

lam in support of our own student union
putting pressure on the provincial gov-
ernment to keep tuition affordable. | am
also proud that our own student body
puts decisions of responsible fiscal man-
agement to vote, such as the referendum
on NUGSS fees earlier this year and both
CFUR and OTE initiating fee hike referen-
dums as well. That our own organizations
such as these trust students to make the
right choices on how much money is
taken from our pockets for the common
good is an excellent model for others.

| do believe we can learn a lot from the
Quebec student unions. Still, | hope that
during her tour Ms. Laberge saw English-
speaking students in the public edu-
cation system as part of an expanding
cross-country movement. | hope she will

Do NOT

Fr K KKK

SPRINT THAT!

leverse the course of the student union
she leads to ensure that affordable and

Rt Over The Edge

accessibl efor}
Ibecers, no th e

are hosting our annual

OPEN HOUSE

Come listen to live music and support
your student newspaper and radio
station!

November 15th, 2012,
NUSC 6-354, 6-350 from 1-5 pm