he otherpress Room 1020 — 700 Royal Ave. Douglas College New Westminster, BC V3L 5B2 TELEPHONE: 604.525.3542 WEBSITE: theotherpress.ca EMAIL: editor@theotherpress.ca STAFF LIST Eric Wilkins Editor-in-Chief Meditor@theotherpress.ca Lauren Kelly Assistant Editor Massistant@theotherpress.ca Angela Ho Business Manager Jacey Gibb Distribution Manager Cara Seccafien Layout Manager Joel McCarthy Graphics Manager Now Hiring! Production Assistant Ed Appleby Ilustrator Jony Roy Social Media Coordinator Mercedes Deutscher News Editor Minews@theotherpress.ca Cheryl Minns Arts Editor M arts@theotherpress.ca Chitwan Khosla Features Editor Mfeatures@theotherpress.ca Brittney MacDonald Life & Style Editor Milifeandstyle@theotherpress.ca Elliot Chan Opinions Editor Mopinions@theotherpress.ca Chandler Walter Humour Editor Mhumour@theotherpress.ca Staff Reporter Aaron Guillen Sports Reporter Davie Wong Staff Writers Adam Tatelman Alex Stanton Cazzy Lewchuk Senior Columnists Jerrison Oracion Columnist Benjamin Howard David Manky Lettitor What's good? People can be dirtbags. We’ve all had the jerk who cuts in line, takes up several seats on the bus, or thinks the entire sidewalk belongs to no one else. It’s annoying, disheartening, and a bummer to see. Our consolation is generally little more than a c’est-la-vie-sort of smile shared with the decent strangers about us. But, at the risk of being redundant in two languages, such is life. It’s really not all bad. In the worst-case scenario, we have a few more minutes added on to our wait, a slightly more uncomfortable ride (or, a fun chat), or an elbow into someone’s side. While the manners vagrant hasn't exactly made our day through self- centred actions, nothing has really been affected either. In the grand scheme of things, the short-term unpleasantness means nothing. No animals were harmed in the making of these decidedly un-Kodak moments. These times are typically the worst we ever see of people. © Get foknowus! © The Other Press has been Douglas College’s student newspaper since 1976. Since 1978 we have been an autonomous publication, independent of the student union. We area registered society under the Society Act of British Columbia, governed by an eight-person board of directors appointed by our staff. Our head office is located in the New Westminster campus. © The Other Press is published weekly during the fall and winter semesters, and monthly during the summer. We receive our funding from a student levy collected through tutition fees every semester at registration, and from local and national advertising revenue. The Other Press is a : : Your average acquaintance hasn't : : gone to prison for a vicious : crime, clubbed a baby seal, or : been publicly racist. People : aren't that bad. In fact, most are : quite far from being the worst. : Last time an elderly person : needed a place to sit, did they : get it? Last time someone in a : wheelchair needed help to get : through a door, did someone : help? Heck, how many times : will a car wait for the pedestrian : to cross at a quiet intersection? : People are inherently good, and : it’s important to remember that. Case in point, Halloween. : It’s the sort of thing that you : marvel at. In a world where : even playground equipment : regularly gets the “make sure : it’s safe” shakedown and future : generations are increasingly : made aware of the dangers of : the Internet, we allow a prime : opportunity for less-than- : savoury characters to seize the : moment. Millions upon millions : of children, some with no : supervision, wandering up and : down every street and knocking on every single door that offers : even the slightest hope of a : sweet morsel. And all done after : nightfall. Given neither context : nor the incredibly safe history of : the occasion, I’m fairly certain Id be against trick-or-treating. But nothing happens. Ever. : The popular myth of poisoned : candy and razor blades being : inserted into chocolate bars is ; just that: a myth. Every year, : a few sensationalized stories : come out about children falling : victim to such malicious : deeds.. : debunked shortly after—after : the expected panicked uproar : has already taken place. . only to be quietly Various sources : have confirmed the utter : ridiculousness of Halloween : poisonings, such as snopes.com, : which even cited an interview : from Joel Best, a professor of : sociology at California State : University. Part of Best’s : research involved checking : major newspapers from across : the country over a 30-year : period. His work revealed that member ofthe Canadian University Press (CUP), a syndicate of student newspapers that includes papers from all across Canada. Screenshot from Seinfeld : there were 78 cases, 2 deaths, : and no actual incidents. The : deaths were attempts to use : Halloween as the scapegoat : (one case involved a father : trying to cash in on his son’s : life insurance policy), while the : majority of the other cases were : either teenagers trying to stir up : trouble, or misrepresentations : of what actually occurred. Of course, none of this : is to say people can’t be bad. : There are awful souls out there : who do intend to do harm to : others. Crime is a real thing. : Jails exist for a reason. Don’t : be an all-trusting sucker. : As with anything, use your : judgement. Find the proper : balance. But there’s no need to go about stealing side-glances at the fast food worker who : accidentally stiffed you a nickel. People can be annoying and : tiresome. But for the most part, : were all just trying to get by. Danke danke, Editor-in-Chief @ theotherpress.ca | +f facebook.com/DouglasOtherPress i © TheOther Pressreservesthe right to choose what we will publish, and we will not publish material youtube.com/user/theotherpress that is hateful, obscene, or condones or promotes illegal activities. Submissions may be edited for clarity and brevity if necessary. All images used are copyright to their respective owners. instagram.com/theotherpress