opinions // 20

Tips to behaving like a civilized
human being at concerts

» Shut up and put down your phone

   

)

Cazzy Lewchuk
Staff Writer

N° that the festivals are
over and the weather is
getting colder, concert season
is upon us. Although every
venue and show is different, the
terrible behaviour that occurs
is almost universal. So whether
you're among 150 or 15,000
people, there are many ways to
not bea jerk at shows.

Hold your liquor. I mean
this literally and figuratively.
Nobody wins when you spill
your $8 beer on the person
behind you because youre too
drunk to keep steady. Keep it in
your cup and in your mouth.

Shut up. Just please shut up.
None of us paid $20 to listen to
you chat with your friend next to
you or on your phone. We want
to hear the music on stage. Take
it outside, stand in the back, or
just be quiet.

Put. Down. Your. Damn.
Phone. Don't send 20 tweets
during the set. Don’t send
Snapchats of the band
performing. Don’t hold up your
phone above your head to take
videos of the show. You aren't
going to watch it later, and the
quality is going to suck. I can’t
even count how many concerts
I’ve been to where I watch the

: performance through phone

: screens, especially at larger

: venues.

: Take care of your basic

: hygiene. During and after the

: show, everyone's going to get

: a bit sweaty. That’s why it’s so

: important to use deodorant

: and shower beforehand. People
: can smell you in the crowd. You
: aren't 12 years old anymore.

: Don't jump on the stage

: taking pictures with the band

: have an important and difficult
: job to do, and they don’t need

: unwanted audience interaction.
: Get a babysitter. It should

: bea given that a baby or

: toddler shouldn’t be at an event
: where the noise is the primary

: entertainment, but it still

: happens. It’s almost worse than
: bringing a baby toa movie, and

; Its not good for the kid's hearing request for “Free Bird” will never

not be funny. No matter what
: kind of show it is.

: or well-being either.

: Smoke outside. I don’t care
: if it’s a cigarette or something

: with a bit more kick to it, but

: blowing smoke into other’s

: faces is disgusting and wrong.

: Some of us have asthma or just

: don’t like the smell. Light up

: before the show or between sets
: somewhere away from non-

: smokers.

: Wear closed-toe shoes.

: Concerts are a place to dance,

: and you'll likely stand for a long

Both women and
the environment
became casualties
of industrial-
technological
progress.

period of time. Wearing heels or
flip-flops is a surefire way to get
: blisters and your feet stepped on

: members. Don’t harass the band_: by repugnant concertgoers.

: members playing their set. They mosh pit. Depending on the

: genre of music, a mosh pit is to

: be expected. Don’t bang into

: people who aren't in the pit. And
: if you can’t handle moshing, get

: out before you get hurt. And

: don’t start a mosh pit if there’s

: no interest. Also, keep your

: drinks out of there. There will be
spillage.

Behave yourself in the

On the other hand, yelling a

Being a courteous

: concertgoer makes the world a

: slightly better place. It ensures

: live music will be an activity
enjoyed by many forever. So

: whether you're busting a move to
: Fighting For Ithaca at Olympia

: Pizza or living a teenage dream

: with Katy Perry at Rogers Arena,
just remember not to be a jerk.

: See you there. I'll be the guy

: yelling “PLAY FREE BIRD!”

 

theotherpress.ca

 

Ecological and female issues are part of a bigger problem

» The Western way of life faces the challenges of technology

Idrian Burgos
Senior Columnist

People’s Climate March

nd Mobilization was held
in downtown Vancouver on
September 21, in anticipation
of the UN Climate Summit
held two days later. With
participation from First
Nations, religious groups,
political and civic organizations,
and concerned individuals,
the protest denounced federal
and provincial government
support for natural resource
development, the businesses
behind them, and its negative
effects on humans and the
environment. It called for
public action in favour of
ecological preservation and an
end to human exploitation of
the environment for economic
benefit.

: But this isn’t just an

: ecological issue.

: An issue addressed by

: the Other Press’ News Editor,

: Angela Espinoza, ina recent

: feature was the dismal state of
: the Douglas Women’s Centre.

: A service dedicated to meeting
: the personal needs of women is
: important. But with the lack of
: staff to meet those needs, how
: can the service live up to its

: purpose?

: This is also not just a

: women’s issue.

: While it may seem difficult
: to see or make a connection

: between these issues, such a

: connection does exist. What we
: see here is a big challenge that
: has existed since the Industrial
: Revolution and has spread

: around the globe.

: The development of

: technology and the industry

: it created increased material

: standards of living. Starting

: from the industrial owners to

: the middle class, the benefits

: eventually spread to the

: working class after World War
: I. More food, more comfort,

: and more leisure time became
: available both outside and

: inside the house. It’s definitely
: clear that humanity has

: improved in material terms

: thanks to technology.

In some ways, the negatives

: outweigh the benefits.

: Industrial life has been harsh
: on both women and the

: environment. While forms of
: exploitation of women have

: indeed existed since ancient

: times, no such exploitation

: ona mass methodical

: scale existed until after the

: Industrial Revolution. Long

: hours and little pay drained

: both dignity and health.

: While women may find a way

: to survive in an industrial

: world, the environment

: cannot. Technology and the
: economic revolution it initiated :
: made minced meat out of

: ecology. Exploitation became
: the slogan as the hunger

: for material wealth led to

: mountain erosion; water and
: air pollution; and the death

: of trees, animals, and other

: branches of the environment.
: In this regard, both women

: and the environment became
: casualties of industrial-

: technological progress.

Industrial activity and

technological distraction

: have affected all adults: in the
: former, highly organized and

: regimented lives with almost

: no place for contemplation

: and in the latter, pointless and
: hollow amusement preventing
: us from thinking more about

: serious, higher things. Then

: there’s also the impact on the
: way we connect with fellow
: humans, both ona personal

and social level. Truly, industry

: and technology has made our
: existence better but not deeper.

Others are negatively

: affected by the industrial-

: technological revolution:

: children have been exploited
: and reduced not just by

: industrial activity but also by
: technological distraction not
: conducive to their education.

How can this be resolved?

: Contrary to popular belief,

: it cannot be found in

: technological progress, where
: the benefits are more evenly

: stretched out; it may improve
: surface conditions but fail to

: address deeper problems. The
: answer lies in looking back to
: the past and reemphasis on

: ethics and the common good.