;: « : = a om By Anastasia Kirk, The Runner VANCOUVER (CUP)— Kate is 21 years old. She’s a second-year Vancouver Community College student, and she’s part of a growing trend. Kate (names have been changed to protect privacy) recently posted an ad on Craigslist searching for another female to team up with her as a “partner in crime,” as she put it. She wrote that she was looking for another girl to participate in sexual acts with her, and potentially a multitude of other men, in hopes of making some quick and easy cash to help pay for some of life’s necessities. Her thinking was that two women would be safer and perhaps more profitable than one. Unconventional defrayment Despite the full swing of the recession, life waits for no one, and neither do life’s costs. Many people are finding it hard to get by in today’s world where unemployment and inflation dominate in solidarity. Kate is no exception. A self-sufficient student who attends full-time classes while juggling a part- time job, she is but another victim of the vicious economic downturn. Like many others her age, she has had to look beyond the conventional means of earning an income to find an alternative, so-be-it illegal, way to earn a decent living. “The economic position of the world has made it hard for me and my boyfriend to make enough money to pay for the basic necessities of life, and 12 = & .S ‘ bl * ._ = om os . , we : vv. i , = => ‘ay pursue future career goals,” said Kate who added, “IT am a very smart, intelligent person. I received honours and top-of-the-class (recognition) in many of my subjects, but times are tough, and this will allow me to make a lot of money without sacrificing a lot of precious time.” Kate said this is the first time she has ever done something like this. She said she’s never before solicited her body for any reason and admits that even given the circumstances, it is a very difficult decision to make. While she has yet to act on her ambitions, she said there is a 70 per cent chance she will go through with the deed. Kate is not alone. Currently there are dozens of girls posting similar ads on Craigslist and other free ad sites in Vancouver alone. After describing their smile, body type and breast size, most girls express that they are willing to perform a rainbow of sexual acts in return for cash to help pay rent, tuition and general living costs. Kate herself confessed that it is out of pure need that she has ultimately turned to prostitution. A story published by the London Times in 2006 wrote that prostitution among female students went up 50 per cent from 2000 to 2006. One in ten students in the U.K. are likely to know someone who has performed sexual favours in return for tuition payments. The group that did the research said the results were in accordance with what they expected given the growing financial difficulties students are facing. Dime bags Selling your body is not the only alternative. Illegal money comes fast and in abundance no matter what the source, and more and more youth are willing to risk a criminal record to get it in their pockets. Blair has been selling weed in the Vancouver area for three years. Even before the economy began its decline, the 22-year-old found it difficult to live on his own and pay for basic needs on his paycheques alone. Blair, who works full-time at a model restoration company, said the money he makes off selling marijuana is enough to pay for all his basic living costs with money to spare for extras. He said his average $1500-a-month paycheck helps, but is not enough to support him on his own. “Rent alone is $840 a month,” said Blair. “And then I’ve got groceries, Muay Thai (boxing classes), gas, insurance. . . . My transmission blew up twice last year and that cost me $5,000, but I need a car for work.” Blair says he enjoys dealing drugs on the side but admits that he’s not proud of it. “If you can do it, it’s too easy and it’s good cash,” said Blair. who pointed out the similarities between selling weed and other illegal quick-cash schemes. “My house was broken into last month and I was robbed for everything. I was pissed, but then in the end I’m no better than the people who did that shit. It’s bad, man. But you do what you’ ve