we An intimate sit down with one of the Green Men By Laura Gallant, Link Editor (BCIT) VANCOUVER (CUP)— The Green Men are not only Vancouver Canucks fans but they are dressing up for a purpose. The men wearing full body spandex suits are what some might call revolutionaries, they want to send a message to GM Place. “Presentation at GM Place is a bit stale and half of the lower bowl is made up of corporate fans that are always so quiet and reserved, so we decided to lighten the mood up a little and have some fun. GM Place doesn’t really get the fans pumped up anymore. The first game I went to this year the DJ played Coldplay as their opening song... not really a tune that’s going to get the adrenaline pumping. So we decided to dress up and give people a laugh. At first it was just a gag but then it caught on and people starting liking us and we started getting media attention,” explains the mysterious masked man. For those who are not familiar with the men in green, they first appeared at a Nashville Predators game over a month ago. Every time a Nashville player sat in the penalty box, the Green Men would be beside them, heckling the players. Dave Scatchard, playing for the Predators at the time, was particularly agitated by the Green Men and ended up throwing his towel over the box camera. GM Place erupted in laughter and that’s when the boys knew they were making a difference in the game. It was the perfect storm; they had seats beside the away team’s penalty box and were located in the line of sight of the box camera that displayed the two men on the rink’s big screen. Like all masked men, they want to keep their identity a secret, however, it has been learned the Green Men have ties to BCIT: they are both broadcast journalism students. To the public they will be known as Force and Sully. The body-tight green suit doesn’t leave much to the imagination. When the guys first walked down the aisle to their seats, among the laughing, people could be heard saying “ew” and “I didn’t need to see that.” Pointing to his costume, Sully explains that despite not being able to see much of the game, there are some advantages to wearing it. “Whenever we walk in the concourse between periods we are bombarded by fans. Last game I think we had 200 to 300 people coming up to us and asking for photos. It’s fun so we don’t have a problem with the attention. And much to my girlfriend’s dismay, on more than one occasion my bum has been pinched by women in their 40s looking for a piece,” recalls the Green Man. If he wasn’t wearing his costume, he would have been seen smiling as he said this. “The suit has its drawbacks though. The most difficult thing about it is not being able to drink and see very well during the games. The bathroom is also a real challenge. We use a stall because we have to unzip the entire costume... we use separate stalls, we don’t unzip each other,” Sully was very adamant that last part be included. Surprisingly, their dance moves are not inspired from classic artists. “We draw on inspiration for our dance moves from a variety of sources. Probably the two artists that stand out the most are Pete Sampras and a young Doctor Phil. Our moves are unique and flow in a certain way that keeps us going for the game,” said the Green Man, half serious. To quash rumours, the Green Men have not been approached by Mike Gillis personally and have not been given free tickets. The two mysterious men hope the green trend catches on and the Canucks come out with a green uniform. Sully and Force want the organization to abolish the whale and “Vancouver rainbow” above the logo that is on the current Canucks jersey. For now, they will continue to show up to games this season and spark a little life into GM Place. Duthie Books to close its doors after 53 years The independent retailer falls victim to changing times By Kristina Mameli, News Editor To family owned and operated Duthie Books (2239 West 4" Ave, Vancouver) will close its doors after 53 years at the end of February, the company announced last Tuesday. Founded in 1957 by Bill Duthie, the flagship store is the last of eight shut down in the last decade. The store is choosing to voluntarily shut down before pressure from the changing economy and skyrocketing rent forces it to. Ina press release, the Duthie family( Cathy Legate, Celia Duthie and David Duthie) thanked “all the customers, readers, staff, authors, and publishers who have been part of Duthie Books over the years, particularly our customers who have remained steadfast.” The news of the impending closure generated an outpouring of support from a community that grew up with Duthie’s. On the Facebook fan page, one customer remembers the culture that Duthie’s fostered. “I shall miss my access to your wonderful service; smart, witty staff; consistently interesting recommendations, surprise finds—the whole Duthiesphere. A certain frisson will disappear from my ambles along 4th Avenue...” Another laments “This is so unfortunate. Duthie’s IS Vancouver as far as I’m concerned.” The iconic and beloved retailer long championed books from both Canadian and local authors, embracing the alternative and encouraging local writers. The release states that “the book culture of Vancouver and B.C. has grown up and flourished around Duthie’s, from publisher’s reps.to publishing houses , authors, illustrators, designers, printers, literary festivals, and university writing and publishing programs have emerged in the Duthie’s milieu and many Duthie’s alumni work in all parts of the book trade.” The release also goes on to address the issues of the changing market, technological advances in how books are read, and a major shift in demographics. The retailer says it is no longer able to compete with stores like Chapters and Internet heavyweight Amazon. “This will leave an un-patchable hole in the fabric of Vancouver,” comments a Facebook fan. “Where will we book lovers go to feed our addiction?” inquires another. Duthie’s last sale starts January 28, offering 40 per cent off its entire stock with further price cuts leading to the store’s final days.