issue 13// vol 45 Eh Rw AA CO Indigenous arts to change the world » Douglas hosts Indigenous Artisans Fair Sonam Kaloti Arts Editor he Indigenous Artisans Fair was held in the Douglas College New Westminster concourse on November 20. The fair showcased a variety of works by Indigenous artists, some of which were on sale, while other works were simply for presentation. A tent set up in the middle by the Douglas Students’ Union contained a quaint little area to sit and paint your own Indigenous-inspired artwork. The canvases were provided by the DSU. I saw some very beautiful art in the works, featuring beachy sunsets, created by students waiting for their next class. IT had the wonderful opportunity to interview Melanie Point, an artisan selling her own array of Indigenous works. She is from the Point family of the Musqueam band. Her aunt, Susan Point, has her welcome figure in the Aboriginal Gathering place on the fourth floor of the New West Douglas campus. Melanie Point is a Coast Salish artist selling many different items, created by her as well as by her friends, family, and artists from around BC whom Point has collaborated with. She had on display children’s books that she wrote, as well as what she described as “colouring journals which are interactive with reflective questions used in high schools and in Vancouver Coastal Health programs.” The journals are typically used by adults. Animals on the Salish Sea is a book that goes with children’s flashcards. Point had blankets on the end of her table of items, some of which were black with adorning red designs. “Lalso designed the blanket on the end of the table, which I call diversity, because I believe we are changers in the world. Art is storytelling,” said Point. One beautiful category of items for sale as a collaboration between Point and her friends was her healing bracelets. The bracelets are made with natural precious stones as well as lava beads. Diffused essential oils are used in the creation of these bracelets to provide them with different meanings. The colours popped out to me; gorgeous baby blues and violets, paired with the marble look of the stones, made the bracelets give off a very calming aura. Other vendors had their own unique items on display, such as carved wood. Artisans exhibited squares of carved wood for printmaking as well as designs carved into wooden heels. There were also many different paintings on display, featuring blues, reds, and black paint designs on canvases as well as on glass and other mediums. Tune 1n and Dropout: ‘Um Actually’ doubles down on nerd trivia but fails to offer much else >» ‘Um, Actually’ review Jacey Gibb Distribution Manager ke Yew YX The jokesters over at CollegeHumor launched their own comedy streaming platform Dropout TV. I'm here to tell you if their exclusive content is worth the subscription fee. m, Actually has been around asa CollegeHumor series since 2015, so regular viewers know what to expect. Host Mike Trapp quizzes three contestants on a myriad of nerd trivia. To score points for correcting Trapp, they must begin their answers with “Um, actually,” riffing off the one-upping circle jerk that is prevalent within most nerd subcultures. The trivia questions range in their complexity and often return to the infinite fandom wells of Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and Pokémon. Some of the more interesting questions, however, dip into lesser-known franchises such as Animorphs and Magic: The Gathering. I was never a fan of Um, Actually in its previous, shorter format (episode runtimes were between four and six minutes, whereas now they're over the 20-minute mark) so I wasn't expecting to enjoy this new incarnation either. It’s a gameshow for a niche audience—and unfortunately there’s nothing for me here. Trapp continues his role as host from the web series version and he’s charming as heck playing the part. Like he did in the web series, Trapp’s quips actually do a lot of the comedic heavy lifting in these new episodes, riffing off the guests’ both serious and long-shot answers. It’s not enough to carry the full 22 minutes, however. Pll commend Um, Actually for kicking it up a notch though in terms of contestants. Recent guests have included Alice Wetterlund and Thomas Middleditch (both of Silicon Valley), as well as prominent voice actor Matt Mercer (Attack on Titan, Critical Role, and the Resident Evil video games). Like the rest of Dropout’s programs, Um, Actually has also dipped into the CollegeHumor vault for guest alumni, including Adam Conover, whose truTV show Adam Ruins Everything started out as a CH sketch. The variety of contestants is welcome, in addition to other regulars like Siobhan Thompson and Ally Beardsley. Another improvement from the web series is the show’s set, which has been upgraded from just a couch in a room into a legitimate-looking game show set. The background especially hosts a bounty of incorrect nerd memorabilia such as a cubed Poke Ball, Thor’s hammer shaped like a traditional household hammer, and a four-pronged Nintendo 64 controller. You can tell a lot of attention to detail went into the set and it looks fantastic—now if only the rest of the show had more appeal. I’m not oblivious to the possible redundancy in reviewing a full-length version of a web series | already didn’t like. There’s little appeal in nerd trivia to me, but take Dropout’s other original program Dimension 20 for example. D2o0 ‘Um, Actually' promotional image took a concept I have very little interest in and made it into the only show—on the streaming platform or otherwise—that I tune into on a weekly basis. Um, Actually isn't an inherently bad show, but it also doesn't make a case to appeal to people outside of core nerd fandoms. You can check out the first four full- length episodes of Um Actually for free on CollegeHumor’s YouTube channel, as well as several of the older web series episodes. Newer episodes can only be found on Dropout TV.