Sup, Queen's?So the summer's long gone, there's a white sheet of crystalized ice crunch-ing underneath your woolen boots, the line at Tim Horton's is winding itself around every corner, and there's that ever-familiar funky smell in the air: Pond Hockey? Winter Holidays? December Exams? Aw hell no, it's Muse "Re-touched", and we're bringing it back bigger than Britney, bitch. This time we gave ourselves a bit of a "touch-up", and we're not talking about botox here. It's that frenzy of fashion, that new set of "i chunes", that art, that flow, that flavour, that inspiration that's sprinkled across the pages of our magazine that could only come from one fly-as-f*ck source: you.

And, wait, why is Issue 3... "Retouched"? Well, we quite literally gave our-selves a "face lift". Having learned the ropes of the Queen's publishing world, we figured we weren't paying you enough tribute if we weren't all-up-in-your-face. We gave our administration a bit of a work out and "Retouched" our for-mations in order to be a contributor-centered, image-heavy, campus-present magazine. Creating "Retouched" has been one hell of a ride, and we would be nowhere if it weren't for our team of highly-trained editorial ninjas that take on every battle: the business masterminds, the content specialists, the visionar-ies, and you.

Showcasing the underground creative community at Queen’s is what ignites the fire in our loins, and we hope that you will keep inspiring us to do good, Queen’s.

Peace out foo's

Yours Creatively,

Amy GnesinEditor In Chief

&

ZTCZahra Jamshed, Tamara Navarrete, Cherie TsangMuse Magazine Directors

Fashion EditorGabi Eliasoph

Entertainment EditorAndrea Nazarian

Arts EditorDeanna Schmidt

Lifestyle EditorJimmy Fitzgerald

Head of SponsorshipJoy Yang

Sponsorship & Ad SalesStephanie Yu

Ashleigh CooleyHemani Kamdar

Marketing TeamThamiraa MahesanMark CuyegkengNicole KorbMonica Worth

FinanceJosh Clark

LayoutAngelica Siegel (editor)

Kayla RobinsWilliam LeungDeanna Schmidt

Visual ManagementNicholas ChongLauren McCormickAlex Mansourati

PhotographersKayla RobinsKylie BignellDevon Ryan

ENTERTAINMENT

ART

Broke Is The New Black

Embracing A New Trend

An Interview with Roya + The Machine

Street Style

DIY Chanel

Straight From Mom & Dad’s Closet

Fashion Bloggers

Street Walker

Flared Genes

Model Student

Charity

Peanut Butter Isle

Untitled

Smoked.

Friendly conversation

FASHION

LIFESTYLE

Party Animals In An Electric Zoo

Oscar Predictions 2012

Mission Made Possible

Exclusive Interview: Mother Mother

When People Stop Being Polite

Spotlight: Flow Dance Crew

Feature Film Review: Drive

What’s Hot & What’s Not

More Than A Game: Hockey and the Canadian Identity

Exhbition Exposed: Venice Art Biennale 2011

Mett the Zombie Boy: Rick Genest

Kingston Unscene

Ontario Hall: The Heart of Queen’s Artistic Culture

Queen’s Players

Street Art Expose: Banksy’s ExitThrough the Gift Shop

table of contents

ENTERTAINMENT4

April 2011. Exam time. Study time. Elec-tric Zoo “Early Bird” ticket release time. A group of us sit tensely in Stauffer l ibrary, our eyes locked in a show down with our notes and books, while our minds are a mill ion miles away, debating the idea of dropping three hundred dollars for a three-day pass to one of North America’s largest electronic music festivals on La-bour Day weekend. As the 4 p.m. ticket release time approaches, the two-person troupe, determined to snag tickets, quick-ly grows to 3, then 5, then 7. By 4:05, the golden ticket was pocketed and gran-diose travel and party plans were being made. Needless to say, re-focusing on be-came an even bigger challenge than before.

Fast-forward to September 2nd, it’s t ime: Day 1 of Electric Zoo. We walked into the park ear-ly Friday afternoon and were absolutely blown away by the setup of the festival. There were four stages: Main Stage, a massive scene at the very back of the park surrounded by some

of the most elaborate sound and l ight sys-tems that my eyes could fathom. The Hil l top Arena (my favourite stage), Red Bull Riverside and Sunday School Groove were al l found un-der white circus-l ike tents, caging and taming the party animal’s it housed while decorating the outl ines of the vast Island Park. Hil l top claimed a huge LCD screen on top of which DJs would spin tr icks, decorated with insane lazer and l ight shows, while the Red Bull River-side hai led four LCD cubes that hung as crown-ing glory over the performer’s head, decorated with crazy designs or even a up-close-and-personal projection of the DJ’s face. Sunday School groove, a signif icantly smaller stage that packed an equal punch, with its earth trembling sound waves and fury of l ight shows.

F r i d a y S e t l i s t i n c l u d e d : R u s k o , M o b y, T i g a , B e n n y B e n a s s i , A b o v e a n d B e y o n d , C ro o k -e r s , M a r t i n S o l v e i g , B u s y P, C a r l C o x , To -ro n t o ’s o w n E g y p t r i x x x , H i g h C o n t r a s t , S e -b A s t i a n , R o b b i e R i v e r a , G a re t h E m e r y, F a re o h a n d F e l g u k a n d T i e s t o , a m o n g o t h e r s .

PARTY ANIMALS IN AN ELECTRIC ZOOan article by ANDREA NAZARIAN

MUSE 5

Rusko played a wicked set at the Main Stage, topping off his classic Dubstep wobble with a medley of Elec-tro, House and even Hip Hop to keep the crowd (and himself!) jumping. Tiga took his set to more abstract places, dropping minimal and tech house tracks with a keen intuition that catered to the crowd’s every musi-cal desire. I was expecting more from the Ed Banger guys, with Busy P and SebastiAn failing to impress with an overly monotone and trying-to-be-dark sound.

High Contrast’s set was one of my favourite’s of Friday, as there weren’t many drum-n-bass artists at the fes-tival. It was refreshing to hear his eclectic and original sound under the crazy cubes of the Redbull Riverside.

Crookers played an absolutely mental set, with Tr ibal Drums and Moombahton beats dr iv ing the crowd to insanity. As soon as “Bust-em-Up” dropped, I knew their set was going to give me a workout whether I l iked i t or not. T iesto’s closing set concluded Fr iday’s fes-t iv i t ies. Whi le I ’m not a huge fan of his mu-sic, I def in i te ly appreciated the fact that I was witnessing one of the founding fathers and pioneers of this genre do what he does best.

Bring on Saturday, September 3rd - Day 2 of Elec-tric Zoo: The first thing that took me by surprise on Saturday was the fact that the crowd had al-most tripled in size from Friday’s. The park was no longer the leisurely music festival we once thought it was, but rather a sea of people dressed in any-thing from typical candy kid wear to nearly nothing (one lady was working an outfit composed of body paint, and body paint only, to cover her chest area)

Saturday’s lineup was more obscure than Friday’s but the performances were equally good. Some of the sets we caught included: Sidney Samson, Skril-lex, Porter Robinson, Sub Focus, Joachim Garraud, Above and Beyond and David Guetta. Guetta and Skrillex played surprisingly good sets (I don’t listen to much of either and I expected his signature top 40 tracks from the former and ringing ears from the lat-ter.) We spent most of the day relaxing on the grass and enjoying the music surrounding us. Sunday was going to be hectic, and we needed to rest up.

We woke up the following day bright and early to get the most out of the most anticipated day of the festival. The highlights of Sunday’s lineup included: Calvin Harris, Diplo, Afrojack, Fake Blood, Jack Beats, Dj Snoopadelic (yes, Snoop Dogg himself took to the decks), Chromeo, Excision and Datsik, Hardwell, John Dahlback, Michael Woods, Infect-ed Mushroom, Boys Noize and Armin Van Buuren.

Sunday, the 3rd and Final day of Electric Zoo, was by far the most exciting and fun day of the festival: the energy was high, music was blaring, and DJ’s and festival-goers alike wanted to end the week-end with a bang. There was not one performance that I didn’t enjoy. Calvin Harris played a great set: a medley of his classic piano-chord anthems, deep house and electro. This was my third time seeing Cal-vin perform and he definitely hadn’t lost his spark. Carte Blanche’s set was one of the most original I had heard that weekend, and looking back now, it was a real pleasure and honour to watch DJ Me-hdi perform merely days before his tragic death.

Midway through Sunday, between the sets of Calvin Harris and Chromeo, DJ Snoopadelic emerged on the main stage. Snoop Dogg had a come out on the main stage of Electric Zoo, taking the spot over some of the biggest DJs in the world, to ask the crowd of ravers, “Who be smokin’ weed down there?” Snoop’s set was completely ridiculous but totally amazing. He knew that he could play anything and everything he want-ed because, frankly, he’s Snoop and Snoop can get away with just about anything. In the midst of a mas-sive electronic music festival, one of Hip Hop’s biggest names dropped the unlikely “I love Rock n’ Roll” and “99 Red Balloons.” It was refreshing to see and hear something different after three days of straight EDM.

My favourite sets of the weekend were those of Fake Blood and Jack Beats (both on Sunday). The disco in-fluences and bouncy tempos of Fake Blood had me dancing like a fiend throughout his 90 minute set and “I think I like it” made the crowd lose their minds. The visuals for his set were unreal, with the screens at the Hilltop Arena playing old film snippets of screaming girls covered and dripping with, well, fake blood. Jack Beats took over right after Fake Blood and never in my life had I heard such a bass-heavy, wobbly, bouncy set. I literally could feel my body and the ground beneath me shake under the Dubstep and Fidget bangers that Plus One and Beni G threw at the crowd. After over a year of anticipation, I got my Jack Beats fix.

One of my biggest regrets was choosing to see Boys Noise over Armin Van Buuren at the end of Sunday. Everyone who I was with told me it was a life-changing and absolutely astonishing set. But there’s always room for Next time, I guess!

Overa l l , E lectr ic Zoo was an amazing t ime. I t was fantast ic to t rave l wi th a group of c lose f r iends and share such crazy and new exper i -ences together. I suggest i t to anyone inter-ested in e lectronic music and looking for an unforgettable Labour Day weekend in NYC.

an article by ANDREA NAZARIAN

OSCAR PREDICTIONS 2012:WHO AND WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR

AN ARTICLE BY JESS FISHBEIN

WHAT: The Ides of MarchGeorge Clooney’s latest directo-rial effort is receiving widespread critical acclaim and we’re not just talking about the perfection that is Ryan Gosling, or the other Hollywood giants including Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giam-metti, Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood. Telling the story of a newbie political staffer’s growing disillusionment with dirty politics, it’s a tale far too fitting for our times. Full of duplicity, attrac-tiveness and edge-of-your seat political intrigue, Ides of March is one that you, or the Academy, won’t want to miss.

WHAT: MelancholiaLars von Triers’ work is different, to say the least, and his latest doesn’t stray from his unconven-tional formula. The plot seems slightly unclear –revolving around a new planet that may or may not collide with Earth, but has Kirsten Dunst finally making her comeback in a role most definite-ly different than her Spiderman or Bring it On days. Dunst won the Best Actress award at this past years Cannes Film Festival, so we definitely expect to see her on the red carpet this award season.

WHAT: The HelpEmma Stone was everywhere this summer, but the perfor-mance that’s got the Oscar’s buzzing is Octavia Spencer. Her portrayal of a disgruntled maid in 1960s Mississippi stole each scene she was in, so she’s the

one to beat for Best Supporting Actress.

WHAT: 50/50Don’t write this one off as an-other Seth Rogen crudefest because this sweet, sassy, seri-ous and sentimental cinematic pleasure has captured the hearts of audiences and critics alike, and has the potential to pick up Golden Globes and maybe even an Oscar nomination. Could the adorable Joseph-Gordon Levitt pull an “Ellen Page” and score a nomination for giving a widely received comedic yet heartfelt performance? It’s definitely a possibility.

WHAT: Extremely Loud and Incredibly CloseThis one gives the typically stellar Tom Hanks a chance to redeem himself after the snoozefest that was Larry Crowne. Based on the bestseller, Extremely Loud tells the story of a young boy strug-gling to piece together the puz-zles left by his father, who was killed in the 9/11 attacks. This tale is brought to life by Sandra Bullock, who plays a grief-strick-en widow alongside the eccentric newcomer Thomas Horn. Oh, and the brilliant U2 soundtrack tugs at all the right heartstrings.

WHAT: Take ShelterThis unconventional story stars Michael Shannon as a young father experiencing apocalyptic visions of an upcoming storm, and already has critics buzzing with excitement. A thrilling hu-

man story, it’s said to feature an unbelievably riveting performance by Michael Shannon and the ever-present one-to-watch: Jes-sica Chastain.

AND… WHO: Brad Pitt Some argue that the drama in drama in Brad Pitt’s personal life is getting more hype than the drama he portrays on screen (has the plot of his movies re-ally eclipsed the polarizing Team Aniston vs. Angelina fiasco?) Hater’s might hate, but there’s no denying that 2011 has show-cased some of his smartest career moves yet. In the sum-mer we saw him as a domineer-ing 1950’s patriarch in Terrence Malick’s mind-fuck, the Tree of Life; and in the fall he had shifted gears as a history-altering foot-ball coach in the sports drama Moneyball. The diversity in these two roles is impressive in itself and attests to the range he does possess as an actor, providing him with two long-awaited op-portunities to pick up that little gold statue.

ENTERTAINMENT6

WHO AND WHAT TO LOOK OUT FORAN ARTICLE BY JESS FISHBEIN

Having returned to school from an active summer of daily gym visits, surfing, and hiking, I was left crav-ing a new, fresh, and active outlet near campus. I thought to myself “How can I keep the freshman 15 off?” Trial 1: Squash

Just months ago, I would have laughed at the ridiculous image of myself wear-ing safety goggles on my nose and holding a squash racquet - or any racquet for that matter. When you’ve plummeted a badminton racquet on a friend’s head or broken a pair of glasses with a tennis ball, it’s intimidating to pick up a new sport like squash. Therefore, it seemed uncharacteristic of me to join a beginner’s squash class, but I did it for the challenge. In the midst of novice students, flailing arms and physical collisions, what hit hardest was how much I enjoyed the experience. I eventually played with a group of enthusiastic first-timers eager to try their hand at it, while the instructor gave helpful pointers to perfect our coordination skills. After eventually keeping up a mini rally of 10 points (alright, I didn’t quite follow all the rules but we were beginners after all!) by the end of the lesson, I stepped into the summer breeze and the bustling sounds of campus feeling accomplished. Who would have known? Right on campus and fun to play, squash is a keeper!

Trial 2: Cardiofunk II?“Let’s get … coordinated?” Skeptical and uncertain of what to expect, my housemate and I stepped in to the “Cardiofunk” class. I’ve never been a great dancer and within the first few minutes, things weren’t looking good. I kicked it off by stepping on other’s toes, bruising my knee and making an utter fool of myself, crashing into other dancers, sweating bullets, and after the first half of the class I was as confused as ever. Despite the disastrous nature of the hour, I realized I was in fact having fun. Dance is surely a form of vigorous activity where one can listen to pumping music and throw in a few funky hustles, and it let me toss in a bit of my personal flair in each movement while learning the choreography. Cardiofunk is now my weekly fix for anxiety release with my housemate and we find ourselves dancing the night away at home, well into the night.

Trial 3: YogaLululemon water bottles don’t lie, and I do love Yoga! Yoga is not only a core strengthening and toning physical exercise, but provides a calmness and re-laxation found nowhere else. In the process of participating in yoga classes in Kingston, I found that my body could twist in ways that alleviate pain due to overworked muscles and joints. Beginners and experts can benefit from yoga because each position has different “levels” associated with it. It serves as set point for personal challenges that best suits you. Yoga is the perfect chance to shut your eyes and clear the mind from worries of homework, exams and problems. Miraculously, I felt removed from reality and within the ten minutes I felt more rested than I would after a three-hour nap! I find yoga is the perfect opportunity for everyone to free their mind and relax!

MISSION MADE POSSIBLEAN ARTICLE BY ISABELLE CHIU

Having realized that maintaining a balanced lifestyle is extremely important, my trials and tests of Queen’s physical activity left me feeling accomplished! Get involved and begin your mission to get active! See you at the studio!

MUSE 7

Since 2005, Canadian Indie band Mother Mother has coloured the Indie Music scene something bright with their with their toe-tapping, inventive sound. Best known for their hits “The Stand” and “Baby Don’t Dance,” Mother Mother showed the crowd at Osheaga that they could bring the house down. Following their set, we were lucky enough to get a chance to meet with band members (and siblings) Ryan and Molly Guldemond for an inter-view.

Muse: How are you liking Osheaga. Is it your first time performing here?

Ryan & Molly: We’re liking it very much, it’s a great festival. [And] It is, yes.

Muse: What are your thoughts on Montreal as a city? Have you guys been out at all?

R: We’ve been here eight or nine times before now and we’re well acquainted with why Montréal is so amazing. There’s a sense of freedom to be your-self, everyone is very relaxed.

M: People are bringing bottles of wine into restau-rants; there’s a realness here. There’s a sense of self-assuredness, a natural beauty to this city.

Muse: Coming from Vancouver, are there any ma-jor differences between there and Montreal?

R: It is different, I think the beauty in the natural sense is probably some of the most superior that

you’ll find on earth in Vancouver and BC and the West Coast. There’s also a certain mentality that I don’t think we live up to when you look at other cit-ies in the world and in Canada such as Montréal.

Muse: Who’s your biggest musical influence?

M: Ryan, he brought me upon this type of music.

Muse: When did you guys start making music?

M: Well, Ryan’s my brother and he started playing guitar at a young age, which was very inspirational for me. We started doing it as a hobby when were young together and now it’s our job together.

Muse: If you could work with any artist, dead or alive, who would it be?

R: I’d love to work with John Lennon.

M: I’d like to work with Nick Cave.

Muse: Are you guys working on any new mate-rial?

R: Oh yeah we constantly are, it’s a very perpetual experience creating new songs. I don’t really allot time for it per se, it just kinda happens day-to-day. I like that about my process, it means I’m never devoid of material when it comes time to make a record.

Check out Mother Mother’s tunes at: http://mothermothersite.com/

a muse exclusive:

MOTHER MOTHER @ OsheagaAN ARTICLE BY ANDREA NAZARIAN

This generation loves The Real World. Now, it could be argued that anyone who enjoys taking a microscopic look into the lives of eight strangers is a nosy human being - but I think there is more to our infatuation than plain and simple nosiness.

MTV launched the twenty-eighth season of The Real World this September. The premise of the show is to stick eight regular people together as strangers in a house, and cast Big Brother’s eye over their every move in order to capture every inevitable conflict and drama that accompanies the creation and destruction of their relationships. North American’s have proved twenty-eight times that they want to know “what happens when people stop being polite, and start getting real”. The question is what makes us care about such interactions, such pathetic exchanges, which cause every single episode to result in waterfalls of tears?

Firstly, as a third-party audience member we have the ability to silently judge their every interaction. We can call cast members “fat” when they gain a few pounds; we can revel in each and every re-jection, laugh at the pitiful drama caused by their sleeping around, and we can feel morally superior when they pursue acts of racism and homopho-bia (a running conflict in most seasons). And we can do this guilt-free because the minute they send in their application video, or have stepped into the fabulous mansion that is provided for their three month stay, they have basically sold their souls.

So these are the people we have represent-ing mankind because, hey, they’re “real” people living in The “Real” World. During the season that brought the cast to New Orleans I watched Ryan, the long-boarding hairdresser weave his own doom by unnecessarily bashing his loveable homosexual housemate, which eventually lead to his ejection from the show. His behaviour was in-appropriate, completely inane, and… admittedly completely entertaining.

So why do we relate to such feeble individu-als? Let’s face it, when characters from The Real World make mistakes, we begin feel like we aren’t the only people who screw up. There’s also

the enjoyment of watching relationships blossom for the same reason that romantic comedies are so successful: we want to observe how love hap-pens, and we want to see it implode on itself as the season dwindles down.

Is this concept related to the basic human quest for acceptance? Are we fascinated by what makes people loveable? Or what makes some-one unpleasant? Subconsciously, we’re taking notes. During the season with the cast in Las Vegas, one participant, Adam, embodied every-thing we would call ‘obnoxious’. He lied to the cameras, lied to his housemates, drank exces-sively, damaged property and contributed very little positive energy to the general atmosphere of the household. Still, he managed to blame his behavior on his turbulent past and attract the at-tention of his beautiful housemate, Nany.

This type of controversy is what viewers crave. We love to see the underdog succeed, even if it repulses us, because we see our own traits reflected in the quirks and qualities of these char-acters.

So, how “real” is The Real World? It may be arti-ficial in the sense that it is a world fabricated by television producers who handpick the charac-ters based on the conflicting nature of their per-sonalities, but in all honesty, none of that matters. We aren’t watching for the scintillating dialogue or complex plotlines; all we want is a fishbowl to observe, something beautiful or ugly to judge and examine at our own leisure, something that offers an escape from the lives we lead.

The Real World is a simplified version of our real world; a little place in pop culture where society is condensed into clearly labeled segments, which makes life just a little easier to swallow.

Why We Wonder What Happens When People STOP BEING POLITEA

N A

RTICLE BY D

AN

IELLE JOBB

MUSE 9

Photography Kayla Robins

StylingLauren McCormick

ModelsJaimie Hildebrand

Lynita WhiteErica Moll

FASHION10

MUSE 11

FASHION12

MUSE 13

In 2006, two Queen’s students, Emma Ware and Katie Lee, were feeling the pressure of academics and needed a release. They cre-ated a club centered around the need for free expression and movement, through hip-hop. “The club enabled Ware and Lee to inspire those around them through move-ment. “We wanted promote a love of dance and music,” stated original FLOW mem-ber Kristian Dalisay. “It was aimed to pro-vide an outlet for students to express them-selves freely without judgment or stress.”

Thus Ware and Lee became the first FLOW

co-presidents, the only two members of the executive committee, as well as the teachers of two classes offered that year.

While not only offering an opportunity for stu-dents to dance at Queen’s, Ware and Lee added another element to the newly estab-lished dance club: The Performance Crew. The crew consisted of seven members who performed at various venues around Kings-ton to raise money and gain credibility. They performed alongside their sister dance club, Kinetiq, formerly known as Wreckbreakz.

Spotlight: FLOW Dance Crew, Behind the Moves

By Emma Csillag

In 2010, the FLOW Performance Crew, along with members of Kinetiq, entered a hip-hop competition called OUCH: Ontario University Competition for Hip-Hop. This competition gave FLOW member the ability to showcase their hard work and talent, showcasing such talent on a provincial level against competing schools.

Today FLOW offers 5 classes to more than 100 club members. The club has 15 performance crew danc-ers and 8 executive committee members: Presidents Cassie Jackman and Deni Ogunrinde, along with Su-san Holness, Helen Liao, Emma Csillag and Jamie Shen. They are not stopping here. The club is con-stantly looking to grow and spread its love of freedom of expression through hip-hop dancing and freestyling.

Originally, FLOW was created for students who were interested in learning a few dance steps and who were willing to go above the academics and delve into the university’s creative world. Since then, the club has grown to a size that is simply amazing. Now, several weekly classes are offered in which students work towards performing in a recital at the end of each semester. The Performance Crew showcases their talents within Kingston and at various shows within the Queen’s community, such as; Project Red Char-

ity Fashion Show, The Culture Show, Synergy Fashion Show and our upcoming performance at Ezia Couture’s 1st Birthday party at Revolutions on October 21st.

FLOW has worked hard to establish itself at Queen’s as an influential and artistic community. The inten-tion — to inspire students through movement and freedom of expression — has succeeded, and has provided many Queen’s students with an out-let and release from the pressures of university life

The following year, FLOW added three more class-es taught by students from the previous year. The Performance Crew doubled in its second year as the executive team and the club continued to gain more popularity through performances, fundrais-ers and their emphasis on freedom of expression.

In the ensuing years, FLOW’s popularity skyrocketed as it incorporated substantial and highly varied choreog-raphy along with freestyle. Over the years it has grown and evolved, looking for more opportunity to prac-tice, perform, and demonstrate its first love: hip-hop.

(100 minutes)/3.5 stars out of 4

Drive is a samurai movie about preparation, meditation, and the grace of the execution. It features a pretty boy Canadian actor, Ryan Gosling, no longer at the mercy of teenage hearts. His hunky character is covert and is given no name, but the still waters of his personality run deep. He is not spilling over with motivation, yet he is driven by purpose. His scorpion jacket, toothpick, ve-hicle, and leather gloves that grasp the wheel in front of him suggest what defines him on the outside, but who knows what boils within.

That is the basis of Gosling’s brooding driver character in Drive, directed by Danish filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn (Bronson, Valhalla Rising). The film, on the sur-face is stoic and somber but there are emotions that wreak havoc under the obvious behavior. The driver is not simply a hero: he is not a wisecracker, he doesn’t exactly “get the woman”, and he is a mortal. As a driver, he is quick on the draw or – rather – the wheel. This talent is not an extension of his invincibility, but his professionalism.

We open with a getaway, which is child’s play for our driver. He does it all in silence, because this man exacts his technique in his head. This is ritual. The opening, also, is the longest “action scene” in the movie; the others are abrupt, concise, and brutal. This is because the driver is good, damn good. He may be defensive but, like the indelible scorpion marked on his James Dean-esque jacket, he can always change gears to the offense.

The story – having no obvious “plot” or “arc” – is this: the driver is acquainted with his next-door neighbor Irene (Carey Mulligan, miscast) and her son Benicio (Kaden Leos). The driver and Irene develop a connec-

tion, one shared through calm and genuine gazes, not corny dialogue. Of course, Irene has a cruel husband named Standard (Oscar Isaac), who owes protection money to some crooks, after being in jail for some time.

Another side story involves the driver’s complicity with Shannon (Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston), from whom our protagonist picks up occasional stunt work and relies on for lamming after a getaway. There’s also two Jewish mobsters played by Albert Brooks and Ron Perlman, who are graspingly fierce in their mannerisms.

However, Gosling here is no sweetheart. I know he will appear in later rom-coms, but he currently forces audiences to be on guard now. The 30 year-old ac-tor proves he’s not just a pretty face, unapologetically pervading this role from its insides. In Drive, Gosling is shown wearing masks, but it does not matter. We don’t sense the good looks behind the mask, but a cold and ruthless introvert.

Drive is one of the rare Hollywood films in a while that chooses to treat violence not as a casual display of CGI explosions or gore blistering in the background. The brutality here renders an acute gasp from the audi-ence: you feel the pain, not the mindless entertainment emerging from it.

Drive, thanks to its slippery synchronized score, has a ‘80s ‘B’ appeal to it, but it’s also very different. I find myself rewarded when a film decides to show rather than tell and examine the consequences, but which chooses to never stress the answers. We’ve put up with a summer’s length of action flicks that refuse to shut up. Drive has decided to listen.

Read more of Parker’s reviews at www.thefinaltake.com

film review: DRIVEBY PARKER MOTT

17ENTERTAINMENT16

HOT

iMessage on the new iPhone

Bon Iver: For Emma, Forever Ago

Opting for some game night drinks at “Alibi”, the new downtown lounge bar.

Nom burgers at “The Works”

Multiple Faux-Comings

10% off groceries Tuesday’s at Loblaw’s

H&M in Kingston

Wearing shorts in October

What’s Hot &What’s

Not

MUSE EDITION

NOT

3 day long BBM crash

Kanye West. Period.

Elysium (bring back Legendz, bro)

Waiting in the longest Tim Horton’s line ever.

Fruit Flies

Leggings as pants (Okay, so the Mick-Jagger-style-skinniescan pass, I’m talking about those translucent nylons)

Facebook “upgrade” every other week

Angry Stu-cons (if I hand you an ID with “McLuvin” as my last name, I just wanna make you smile)

Avicii

We scoured around the Queen’s campus to get a sense of what you campus kids think is “up and coming” and what you think is pretty, er, lame.

Avicii

The Canadian identity is a very mysterious and of-ten indefinable creature. While there are a number of characteristics or lifestyles that makeup or are intrinsically part of what it means to be Canadi-an, it has been proven difficult to articulate in a concise manner what we feel represents us as a whole. To some it may be a nation as an estab-lished bilingual entity, while to others it may be our health care system. While each of these mer-its their own discussion, it is truly a challenge to define our nation by one attribute, trait or object. Canada was not always bilingual, and our health care is still taking shape and has endured its share of criticisms throughout, and as such these have had a definite beginning, and became Canadian, as opposed to always being Canadian. With that in mind, however, there is something that has gone hand-in-hand with Canada since it’s inception. The

sport of Ice Hockey, known to Canadians as just Hockey or more colloquially ‘Puck’ has been and always will be a part of the fabric of our nation.

While to some this may seem like a bit of a stretch, one needs to only consider the Vancouver 2010 Olympics as proof of our country’s passionate love affair with hockey. When Canada played the Unit-ed States in the gold-medal game of the men’s Olympic ice hockey tournament, nearly 80% of the country had seen a part or the entirety of the game. Its historical element, combined with the dominance of Canadian players within the game has come to prove the sport as an integral part of our identity as Canadians, whether you like it or not. Names like Wayne Gretzky, Maurice Richard, Mario Lemieux and others aren’t simply hockey players, but represent heroes and icons in Canadian society.

Hockey and the Canadian IdentityMore Than A Game:

an article by DANTE MARTELLA

Wayne Gretzky was named an officer to the Order of Canada and later introduced as a Companion to the Order of Canada, which are some of the most presti-gious honors that a Canadian citizen can receive. He is recognized as a continuing contributor to the world of hockey as one of the game’s greatest players, his social engagement as a philanthropist, and his responsibility as a role model for countless young people. To many, these individuals are so much more than just hockey players; they evoke a sense of pride amongst the rabid supporters and passionate fans worldwide, but espe-cially north of the 49th parallel.

In Canada, hockey is synonymous with culture and vice versa. It is beyond a sport to many Canadians and truly is a lifestyle. From young kids in backyard rinks, side roads and driveways, to men’s league games at the lo-cal rink and teens at early morning practices, to families spending hours on ponds across the nation, hockey is ever present. It is in our blood and in our hearts.

I’ll never forget the time when Canada was in the gold medal game of the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City. Not for the outcome of the game, but for something that my mom did that day which truly made me ap-preciate the game and the sport. My mother, who is notorious for saying, “I don’t understand the obsession with this game” woke up the morning of the gold medal game and said “Canada plays today, right?” That was the first shocker of the day for me. Later that afternoon, as I went to my best friends house to watch the game, I couldn’t stop but think about teammate continuity, as many national teams are made up of players that play on rival teams, national teams often look past that fact, and for some players, their teammates are their rivals when off the Olympics stomping ground. I tried to ignore the thought but it continued to eat away at me. It wasn’t until the game was 10 minutes old that I real-ized: “Okay, Canada has to win this and they know that. They won’t let me down, and I’m too worried about the game to think about who’s playing and what they think of each other.” For those that don’t know, Canada dominated that game and won the gold medal in men’s hockey in a 5-2 victory, but the importance of the game and the sport as a bonding entity didn’t hit me until I got home a couple of hours after the game. I walked into my house distracted by my wishes to be of legal drinking age for the momentous occasion, when my mom handed me a videotape and said “I recorded the game for you. I had a feeling we would win, I can sense these things.” I was speechless. On the one hand you had me, a typical young and crazy hockey fan, consumed by all facets of this game we call hockey, checking scores constantly, reading the

newspaper for updates in the pre-Twitter days, and yet, I had no idea why I couldn’t understand how players from opposing teams are able to put differences aside and play one fantastic game of ice hockey as a cohe-sive unit, all vouching for each others’ successes, and standing strong together as an athletically competitive country. On the other hand, there’s my mom, who thought Wayne Gretzky and ‘The Great One’ were two different people, who questions why I yell at the TV through-out a game, who can’t come to terms with my belief that hockey is more important than dinner and yet, in that moment, she put this all aside for the game, and showed a complete understanding for the power and potential of this game to unite a nation.

It was then that I started to understand that this game of sticks and pucks on a sheet of ice is so much more than a game. Hockey creates friendships, competi-tion, passion, love and above all a sense of gratitude for something so beautiful as the sound of a slap shot and the shriek of a crowd. There’s something to be said for the fact that the players of the men’s hockey team that made up Team Canada at the 2010 Winter Olym-pics are often the fiercest of competitors and enemies throughout any NHL season, but when that jersey is donned, none of that matters. There is one goal, and that is victory. Team Canada didn’t win that game for me. They didn’t win it for my friend, or my mom. And they didn’t just win it for themselves. They won it for any parent that has every braved the cold and lugged their son or daugh-ter’s equipment to an early morning practice. They won it for the Canadian who has thrown their arms up in celebration of a goal. They won it for the kid who sees his bedtime come and go, silently sitting in front of the television with his heart in his throat as the seconds tick away. What’s more, they won it for the Canadians who had never seen a hockey game. They won it for every-one who has ever been able to call himself “One Proud Canadian”. They won it for all of Canada, from Iqaluit to Edmonton and from Victoria to Halifax.

In that moment, and many other historic Canadian hockey moments, all Canadians were unified in a time of happiness, joy and passion. Simply put, hockey is Canada, and Canada is hockey.

Winter. Hurry up, would ya?

To read more of Dante Martella’s Hockey rants and reviews, check out otwinner.wordpress.com, written by Dante and four other bloggers.

M(YOU)SEM(YOU)SE

During the first week of June this past summer I had the extraordinary opportunity to be a volun-teer for the Canadian Pavilion at the 54th Venice Biennale International Art Exposition. When I tried to explain to family and friends what this meant, I often turned to a tried-and-true sports analogy: “It is like the Olympics in the art world.” Just as in the Olympics, each country chooses an artist(s) to represent them at their pavilion, ultimately vying to win one of several prestigious awards, including the ‘Golden Lion’ (the lion is the symbol of Venice). While there is an underlying sense of competition, the ultimate prize the for the artists themselves is just having their work showcased- for many, it is the pinnacle of exposure and achievement for an artist. Volunteering during ‘pre-week’, I was im-

mersed in the exposition during it’s busiest time, when the ‘who’s who’ of the art world and the in-ternational press ran between the different expo-sitions, in some cases they were literally running like herds of cattle to get a good position in line.

With 89 national participants from around the world, and 37 collateral events, the exposition, titled Illumi-nations, takes over many of the iconic palazzi and churches in Venice. The heart of the exposition, however; is within two spaces. The first is the Ar-senale, the fortified area where the historic Vanitian Navel fleets were built. The second, the Giardini, is a large park area with 26 permanent National Pavilions. Of these many impressive pavilions, I wish to focus on three: Canada, the United States, and Korea.

Exhibition Exposed: Venice Art Biennale

The United States pavilion focused similarly on creating a spectacle, however; by very different means. Placing a tank upside down with a tread-mill on top of the treads, the artists representing the U.S., Alejandro Cesarco and Magela Ferrero, created a spectacle that was not only visually im-pactful, but also could be heard throughout the Giardini when one of the U.S. Olympic athletes was running on the treadmill, which in-turn moved the treads on the tank. The use of U.S. Olympic athletes continued throughout the pavilion through

staged performances by gymnasts over wooden models of airplane seats. Looking on, I laughed at the ironic representation of art: the use of two areas often noted for their excellence and high amount of funding in the United States, the military and athletics, to compose an artwork, or perhaps it was just my own frustration with the recent bud-get cuts by the Canadian government to the arts and culture that influenced my interpretation. Re-gardless, check out more of the works featured in the pavilion at http://www.imamuseum.org/venice.

Gloria

AN ARTICLE bY DEANNA SChMIDT

The National Gallery of Canada organized this 2011 Canadian Exhibition. The work of Steven Schearer, a Vancouver-based artist, represented Canada and certainly created some unexpected impressions. Canada’s pavilion is tucked back between the impos-ingly large pavilions of Great Britain and Germany, and historically has appeared very quaint beside its larger neighbors. This year however, chief curator Josée Drouin-Brisebois and artist Steven Schearer worked to challenge visual relationship through highlighting one of Schearer’s poems (based off of lines from heavy-metal music) on a large false-facade. The sheer size of the facade paired with the somewhat disturbing poem, and its placement alongside the historic architecture of it’s neighbors, created a sense of humor. The entrance was capped off by the entranceway to the pavilion, being a typically ‘Canadian’ medal shed that forced all viewers to duck as they walked through. Inside, a collection of Schearer’s paintings and drawings were shown in a traditional style, transforming the pavilion back to its original brilliance. For more information, visit www.gallery.ca/venice.

The pavilion by the Republic of Korea was the exhibi-tion that I continued to return to: visually it was just remarkable. Video artist Lee Yongbaek’s multiple instal-lations explored spirituality, militarism and art history. Accompanying the three video works were several photographic and sculptural works. The graphic use of colour contrasting the darker themes of the works resulted in an electrifying energy within the pavilion, one that I will not soon forget. I highly recommend that you check out the video works of this incredible artist on www.designbook.com, by searching ‘Lee Yongbaek’.

Exhume to Consume

The Love Is Gone but the Scar Will Heal

Meet The Zombie Boy: RICK GENEST an article by Lisa CameronSome have argued that “good art” is anything that can evoke an immediate, intense, and emotional response from the observer, and that “art” is merely the means that the artist uses to translate their ideas to others. If this is true, then I would argue that Rick Genest not only assumes the role of the artist, but embodies the art itself, and is one of very few who can do so. If art succeeds through it’s capacity to elicit intense feelings from onlookers, then RickGenest is inarguably victorious -regardless of whether or not you approve of his choices, are repelled by his image, or care to understand his motiva-tion.

Tattooed from head to toe, Genest has defied the para-meters of standard human iden-tity. Personally, I find this startling. But he himself has the power to make me feel, like Alexander Mc- Queens’ fall/winter 2009 showcase, and the feminist works of Judy Chicago some of which illicitly depict women removing tampons. Rick Genest has constructed an appearance that warrants intense shock value.

While I would not hang a silhouette of a woman remov-ing a tampon on my kitchen wall, I appreciate it.

To evolt and offend observers through art is, in my opinion, no less a success than Van Gogh’s

ability to derive a sense of wonder and calm-ness upon observation of “Starry Night”. We

are impacted. Even na-usea is an immediate, intense, and emotional response.

Although Genest did not tattoo himself and therefore cannot take credit for the crafts-

manship involved in the depiction of his identity, he provides a vitality and breath to

artwork that would otherwise remain lifeless. Sure, an engagement in fashion offers move-

ment and rise to wearable art that would other-wise sit lifelessly in a closet. But if fashionista’s are wearing atten-tion grabbing pieces in aims

of becoming art themselves, then I would argue that they are copout versions of Rick

Genest. As a lover of fashion myself, I do not wish to

undermine fashion as a means of

artistic expression; rather I want to

commend Genest for

surrendering himself to

the grand-eur of

art, entirely.

ART26

The proliferation of visual arts as means of ex-pression has been noticeable at Queen’s of late. At the heart of this burgeoning artistic culture are the Bachelor of Fine Art (BFA) students who make their home in Ontario Hall. The future of fine art at Queen’s was called into question, how-ever, by an announcement by university admin-istration on November 9th. BFA students were informed via a terse email that while their own graduation is assured, further admission to their program will be suspended for 2012-13. Prior to this announcement I spoke to three BFA stu-dents about their experiences working creatively within guidelines and as young artists seeking exposure for their work. We also spoke about last year’s program changes, which are, in retro-spect, far less concerning than what lies ahead.

After an administrative mix up brought a first year class double its normal size to the Ontario Hall, changes had significant implications for students. Now in his third year, David Woodward says that last year was tumultuous; “circumstances and condi-tions for art-making were far removed from any art-ist’s ideal,” says David. His painting class was moved from Ontario Hall to a converted gym that “lacked artistic practicalities like sufficient light and venti-lation, and seriously compromised studio hours.”

Although the arrival of the current second year class was cumbersome, its large size indicates that in-terest in studying fine art at Queen’s is strong. It ap-pears, however, that the future of the BFA program will be contingent upon the struggle with budget-ary constraints, not on the program’s popularity. Among the changes made last year was the sepa-ration of the Department of Fine Art from the de-partments of Art History and Art Conservation. This division made the Department of Fine Art vulnera-ble to financial and administrative issues that likely

contributed to the decision to suspend admission.

I asked Mackenzie Browning, currently in his fi-nal year, how the Queen’s BFA program mea-sures up to others in Canada. He feels that the Queen’s BFA caters strongly to students’ creativ-ity, not just technical skill. David says that work in his third year has been largely “self-guided in terms of creativity… which is fulfilling as an art-ist.” He views the program’s goal as the expansion of “students’ perceptions of what they can do, in their own art,” which means trying everything from life drawing to performance art. David’s class-mate Brynn Higgins-Stirrup professes that she disagrees with most students on the question of working creatively within a prescribed framework; “not that I think guidelines should necessarily dic-tate your concept or technique,” she said, but working with guidelines “can help you decide what really interests you.” To meet young artists’ needs the Queen’s program has struck a careful bal-ance between developing both creativity and skill.

Student art figures prominently in the Queen’s community, and in Kingston at large. For young Queen’s artists, opportunities for representation are not uncommon, “particularly in Kingston,” says David, where there is “relatively low competition in terms of gallery representation” and where the arts have a strong presence. Both Mackenzie and Da-vid note that dedicated, self-directed research is needed to find and take advantage of opportuni-ties. The suspension has generated an outcry from members of the Kingston arts community, who see it as a profit-driven decision in an uncertain economic environment, at the expense of cultur-ally valuable creative endeavours. It is not known whether the suspension of admissions will last longer than one year, rendering unclear its long-term effects on art at Queen’s and in Kingston.

ONTARIO HALL:The Heart of Queen’s Artistic Culture

an article by BRENNA OWEN

Mackenzie explores urban versus rural living and the val-ues that people in urban settings share, in contrast to the community-based values he grew up with in a small town. Recently, Mackenzie’s print Rural Repetition was featured alongside David’s at Modern Fuel, and in the new year a col-lection of his pieces will be featured in a joint exhibition en-titled Stories We Tell Ourselves at Union Gallery. Visit www.mackenziebrowning.ca for more artwork and information.

David’s work is primarily an exploration of the human body, spirituality, and the spectral rela-tionship between past and present. In August, three of David’s prints were featured in The Rough Edge of Beauty show at Modern Fuel in Kingston, and in October a collection of his work was displayed at the Sleepless Goat Café. His installation Things We Lost in the Fire will be exhibited in Union Gallery’s Project Room begin-ning December 13. Visit www.davidwoodward.ca, for more of David’s work, including an instal-lation piece made in collaboration with Brynn.

Brynn says that in the broadest sense, her work is an attempt to present through art all things around us as they truly are. “Visual lan-guage,” Brynn says, “often has the ability to explore things in a way that cannot be done by language.” She will be pursuing further artistic studies in Australia during winter term. Early and recent work can be found at her website, www.cargocollective.com/inside.

ARTISTS PROFILES

an article by BRENNA OWEN

MUSE 27

So you’re a Queen’s student and you love to per-form, but Musical Theatre, Opera and Shakespeare aren’t you’re thing? Join Queen’s Players and em-brace your place in the counterculture.If I were to describe Queen’s Players in seven words they would be: rock and roll comedy troupe gone wild. We are the only show of our kind in the area, and our alumni have gone on to form extended chapters of Queen’s Players shows in Toronto and Vancouver. The true beauty of Queen’s Players? All the money from the tickets we sell goes to charity. In the last year Queen’s Players was able to donate to local and international charities including The Sexual Assault Center in Kingston, Camp Outlook, and the Kingston Youth Shelters.

A Players show is a completely student-generated creative output. Our scripts are comedic and are

used to satirize the Queen’s community. Each Play-ers show is unique because each and every Players script is unique. Queen’s Players scripts are submit-ted in many different ways. Sometimes our directors pick characters and a concept and the cast writes the show as a team, where other times individual or teams of external writers who submit their own scripts. The characters in Queen’s Players shows are drawn from a variety of sources including both celeb-rities and pop culture. Characters from past shows have included Harry Potter (in 2012: The OPRAH-CALYPSE), Flava Flav (A Shot At Mclovin’ With Tila Tequila), and even the infamous ex-Queen’s Principle, Karen Hitchcock (Dial Whoopie For Murder).

In a show, there are typically 12 characters. Twelve characters means twelve players, and thus, each Player performs a solo song accompanied by the

God Save Our Queen: A Queen’s Players Story

BY FLETCHER PLANERT

legendary Players band. The bands are renowned for their virtuosic musicianship, and air-tight musi-cianship, being reason enough for many to attend QP shows.

Queen’s Players originated in the year 1900, and was initially known as The Queen’s Drama Guild. The show was much more acoustic, and tended to parody Shakespeare, and other traditional works of drama. Once the 1970s rolled around the idea was put forth to make the show electric. Charles Ryce was hired to do sound, and QP’s modern era be-gan. Clark Hall became the new home of Queen’s Players, and new traditions began to evolve. The show became the hottest ticket on campus, and people began to line up out side of Destinations (now tricolour) the night before. There are still vid-eos on youtube of people in sleeping bags camp-ing out in the JDUC with the hopes of being one of

the lucky few to see the show.

In recent years, Queen’s Players has moved to Time to Laugh comedy club in order to supply the high demand for tickets. The shows are strictly 19+. The Queen’s Players venue costs become reduced to zero if the audience purchases enough beer to turn a profit. It has become tradition for the members of the audience to purchase beer for their favourite on-stage Players, as well as the members of the band. When the Players are pre-sented with a beer, the band plays the now-leg-endary drinking song as a thank you for the gener-osity of the audience.Queen’s Players puts on three shows a year. One in November, one in March, and one in June.

MUSE 29

Street Art Exposed: Banksy’s Exit Though the Gift Shop

ART30

an article by Ashley Kelleher

MUSE 31

Banksy’s Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010) is the first, and likely, the last intimate look into the notorious street artist’s practice. Although he is known and respected as an international artist, he has remained vigilant in ensuring he is not known or identified personally. Consequently, in a comic twist, Banksy immediately opts-out of being part of the film himself, leaving the viewer to tour the underground nexus of artists like Space Invader, Shepard Fairley and others, through the video camera lens of amateur filmmaker; Thierry Guetta. This astonishing behind-the-scenes look into the mysterious world of street art gives an honest portrayal of the practice of some of the most renowned street artists today, showing the growing interest and acceptance of street art as a ‘legitimate’ art form- a debate that is humorously addressed throughout the film.

If you were hoping to catch a glimpse of his ap-pearance while watching/drooling, you’d be pleased to note that this film makes great sport of such fantasies by featuring a hooded, vocally altered, Banksy, in a dramatically darkened room. Next thing you know, you’re cracking up and ask-ing, “How the hell can I take this seriously?”, while bouncing back and forth between the necessary secrecy of his identity as an “illegal” artist, and the hilarious hype that the masses have generated.

The hilarity of Banksy’s ever-present air of mys-tery, along with the rarity of seeing the artist craft one of his rat series stencils from cardboard and electrical tape together, just begins to tap the list of gems in Thierry Guetta’s beautifully honest filming narrative. With a solid Oscar nomination

for best documentary feature in 2011, the film also shines light on Banksy’s skills as a director.

The documentary plays off of questions that have been resonating for decades in the ‘Art world’: Can a great re-appropriator, capable of bringing together great talent, be a good art-ist? Or, in disagreeing with this, is our judg-ment too greatly based on the well-worn Ro-mantic Enlightenment ideal that the individual creative genius must craft his way to greatness by his own hand alone? While such questions may be of interest mainly to art enthusiasts, Bansky forces us to think critically of consumer culture in general- and, of course, in a hilarious and cool way that only Bansky can achieve.

For the die-hards out there, the conscious dis-tinction made in the film between graffiti and street art must surely be appreciated: a now common understanding of these overlapping terms involves graffiti writers’ “getting up” in as many places as possible (which continues as a huge movement today) as a sort of prec-edent to the explosive possibilities of street art. Anyone thirsty for more might enjoy check-ing out Style Wars (1984), for a view of Ameri-can graffiti’s earlier developments through the Hip-Hop cultures of New York and Los Angeles.

Exit through the Gift Shop is definitely worth see-ing, provocative, and hilarious as hell. You don’t even have to like street art – however voiceovers, politicized pranks, late night police chases, and the opportunity to see some truly remarkable footage, taken by an extremely interesting man, are a must.

an article by Ashley Kelleher

Broke is

Tip 1: Find out when to hunt for bargainsDoing research is one of the most important things. Your favourite stores will always have a few big sales throughout the year. You need to go to the stores precisely during their prime sales time. You can easily plan your shopping trips around a stores biggest year sales. It’s easy to find out by checking online or calling stores directly and asking for details.

Tip 2: Check out the sale section first When I walk into a store, instead of looking at all the things I can’t afford, I hit up the sale section first. I make a regular habit of scouring through the hidden discount racks where there are plenty of marked down garments I can afford. You’d be sur-prised, those same clothes were on display at the front of the store not that long ago – I can attest to this because I’m the one that does the markdowns at my store not long after they are first put out. When following this tip, I’ll usually find enough things I like before I even make my way through

the regular priced items.

Tip 3: Hit up the outlet malls You can’t go wrong with an entire mall full of sales. A lot of outlets offer fabulous discounts on high-quality brand name clothing. Here, you can find the same clothing brand name stores carry for a great price. For serious bargain shopping, you will definitely want to check out what’s in store at these locations.

Tip 4: Copy it If it’s something designer you like, you can totally dress in style without breaking the bank. You can either make it yourself (which I highly recommend) or even buy something that resembles it. Finding low cost versions is a lot easier than you think. Either online or at department stores all you really need is a genuine look-a-like to rock it hard. With this method, your outfits will look genuine and only you’ll know the real truth.

From early on my mom has always taught me to work within a budget when it comes to shopping. I’ve literally been a pro at sale shopping since I can remember. And I can say that I’m pretty proud of that. While it takes skill to sale or thrift shop, I can tell you that it’s well worth the time and effort when people compliment my outfit. That’s when I think about how reasonably priced it was, as opposed to how expensive it looks. I like to think of myself as the ‘Extreme Couponer’ of clothes shopping, and yes, I’m totally fine with that title. We are all Queen’s students, which means we’re all living on a student budget. This means when it comes to fashion, we’re also shopping on a student budget.

While this might mean many of us may not be able to afford the new S/S fashion week lines, we can learn to work with the budget we have in order to still dress like a rock star. That’s where I come in.

As Fashion Editor of Muse Magazine, I’ve learned to work with my ‘tight’ income in order to come up with innovative ways to dress like I’m working the newest and trendiest fashions. While in reality, I may just be wearing my Dad’s oversized plaid button up or something I made myself. Some people think that in order to “dress to impress” you always need to buy the most expensive clothes from the most upscale stores. I used to think this statement was true, however; this is a common misconception.

We’ve already come to terms with the fact that you don’t need the most expensive clothes to look fabulous. While this article isn’t going to feature the stuff we all wish we had, it will feature the stuff we can have. I will help you put together some awe-some outfits for some amazing prices. Here are my tips on how to shop on a budget and look like you didn’t.

an article by GABI ELIASOPH

FASHION32

the new Black Tip 5: Internet shopI tend to visit the websites of my favourite stores in order to check out their online sales. While you can get sucked into the additional shipping charges, you just need to find a time when there’s free ship-ping. You will find a lot of markdowns when look-ing out for certain promotional codes, coupons, or discount codes. And if you don’t like what you’ve ordered most stores will allow you to return it to the store nearest to you or send it back.

Tip 6: Go thrift shoppingLet’s be real here. Thrift shopping will allow you to get major savings and have fun. While it may be a little time consuming, you will most likely come across something really adorable that NO one else has. Where else are you going to find timeless, vintage clothes at a cheap price? You can also alter anything so it’s the way you want it and hugs you in all the right places. While patience and time may be a big negative, you will likely find inexpensive, retro clothing. In addition, a lot of thrift stores offer an additional 50% off on a certain day a week. Thrift stores can also diversify your wardrobe. Experiment with colours and styles which you wouldn’t normally – come out of your comfort zone!!

Tip 7: Purchase basic staplesYou can never go wrong with classic pieces. Dress them up, dress them down, they’ll always look different. Always keep in mind that classic styles endure for a long time. I always find they extend my wardrobe because they can be paired with so many different things. Remember to choose neutral colours so they don’t look over worn.

Tip 8: Check out your parents’ closets While your parents might not be the best dressers around, their retro stuff will always make a huge comeback. No joke, their stuff will always come back into style. I recently became a proud owner of my mom’s old combat boots which I’m so happy

she saved for me because not only are they vintage but they’ve saved me a ton of money and they’re pretty awesome. But don’t fret, your dads clothes will also make a serious impact on your wardrobe too.

Tip 9: Don’t give up on your closet – or a friend’s I always find the best stuff at the bottom of my drawers. It’s so crucial to not give up on the clothes you already have. One of my favourite pastimes is devoting a day to a DIY project. It’s fun, easy and CHEAP. There might also be some things in your closet your can dress up, or things that have come back into style. Keep in mind, the ignored and abandoned items in your closet could totally use some TLC. In addition, don’t hesitate to check out your friends closets for some good trades or hand me downs. Your closet will look different without spending a penny and you can try wearing things you wouldn’t buy yourself.

Tip 10: Choose your shopping companion carefullyI will never shop without a companion. It’s always a smart move to get a second opinion - especially because your friends will have an eye for what looks good on you. You know that they will also always give you their expert advice – and tell you if what you’re wearing will repel too many boys. I still can’t shop without my mom – in part because I still hope she’ll splurge on the odd pair of heels or a dress. She does tend to yell at me for buying things I don’t need so taking a friend doesn’t hurt either.

I always find when I come home with some new clothes; I need to show everyone immediately and proceed to wear it constantly for the next week. The feeling of finding a good bargain creates a certain high you really can’t get anywhere else. By following these easy 10 tips, you can easily pull off any look and have people wondering how you do it.

MUSE 33

In the fashion industry, one day you’re in and the next you’re out. However, to remain a top contender within this fierce business, effective branding in the form of online marketing is crucial. With social media being the newest ‘it’ trend this year, many have caught onto the popularity of social platforms such as Twitter and Face-book. Hence the fashion world is taking advantage of such attractiveness of technological innovation and em-bracing it more than ever. Now individuals amongst the ranks of bloggers, journalists, lead designers or simply people who are just plain interested in fashion, have the opportunity to voice their opinions on the latest runway trends and have access to a whole new sphere.

Social media is a vital tool for fashion brands. With a society that consumes most of its time within the digital realm, maintaining that level of communication with their target market through genuine and appeal-ing content is central in achieving success in the online world. One needs to consider how their brand is con-necting customers with other customers and if they are using social media to capture the essence of their brand. In the fashion world, a brand is not created over night. Sustaining customer interest and building relationships through the use of social platforms is the start of form-ing a brand. Customers choose to interact with a fashion brand because they’re interested. Us-ing social media is all about executing social engagement. A user wants that sense of connection: a sense that they are taking part in the lifestyle of a par-ticular brand.

The likes of Chanel, Burberry as well as other famous luxury fashion houses have caught on to this latest trend

with several successful online campaigns under their belt. With a simple click of a mouse or a swipe of a fin-ger, people are immediately connected and able to lust

over trends straight of the runaways, instead of waiting for their next issue of Vogue or Harper Bazar.

This year in particular, social media transformed both the essence and delivery of New York Fashion Week

coverage. It expanded its scope and increased its immi-nence to meet the high demand for real time streaming of shows and events online. This new form of ‘journal-

ism’ reached out to a virtual audience, giving online users an inside look at Bryant Park during New York

Fashion Week, unveiling their collection using live-streaming on video websites such as Youtube - while other fashion gurus relied on Twitter to provide 140

character reviews on runway shows, using photograph applications such as instragram to include snapshots of backstage footage for the full effect. The fashion world has recognized the potential power of fashion bloggers such as Scott Schuman of The Sartorialist, Chiara Fer-ragni of The Blonde Salad, Bryanboy and tween-style-

rookie Tavi Gevinson. These bloggers have gained much recognition as influenc-

ers over brands and ordinary people, thus

becoming a permanent facet.

As an industry with such an appetite for

content, social media is dominating the fashion

community and helping its passionate audience

stay connected.

EMBRACING A NEW TRENDAN ARTICLE BY ROSALYN GAMBHIR

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If you could describe your style in 6 words, what would it be? That’s a ridiculously hard ques-tion. As of yet, my style is un-determined - but here are six words that I hope my style will eventually come to exemplify: Minimal, Classic, Refined, Mod-ern, Bold, and Fearless.

I feel like these words are a mix of two aesthetics that many people consider completely separate: on one hand, I love the classic, neutral preppy look - when putting together an outfit in a rush, it will never fail you. But on the other, I love pushing the envelope with trendy body-con looks and bold colourful prints. I’m hopeful that eventu-ally, my wardrobe will find a per-fect balance between the two.

Who are your fashion icons? If I had to choose some modern-day it girls whose style I love, I’d have to go with Jenna Lyons & Caroline Blomst. Lyons is the president of J.Crew, and I love the way she combines the typi-cal refined, preppy all-American look with eye-popping colours and prints to keep her look fresh. Blomst is a blogger and editor

of Stokholm Streetsyle - and to me, is the perfect representation of minimal European style. She sticks with neutral colours, and instead uses edgy accessories and uncommon, asymmetrical cuts to add something different to her look. My favourite about both women is how they consis-tently dress in a fashionable and practical manner. What’s the idea behind your blog?I started the blog mostly as a way to track changes in my style, to motivate myself to consistently dress well, and to interact with other style bloggers who I’d been reading for a long time. I don’t think that my style is that great - it’s certainly a work in progress (and will continue to be so for a very long time.) But having this blog has granted me an awareness about fashion and my own personal style that I didn’t have before - so even if nobody reads it, to me, that makes blogging worth the while.

What’s the differ-ence in fashion between your hometown and at Queen’s?I’m from Ajax, and the main dif-

ference between fashion there and at Queen’s is that here, there definitely seems to be more of an awareness of how a person put themselves together. I think that’s one of my favourite things about Queen’s - we’re a school of extremely well rounded individuals, a school full of girls who are intellectual, social and fashionable. The flip-side of that is that while everyone is well-dressed, there’s a herd-mentality for certain styles that seems even more pronounced than a lot of trends I saw in high school. I’d love to see Queen’s girls try and put more of an individual spin on the classics - maybe some of them can show it off by starting fashion blogs too!

Roya is a fourth-year Psychology major at Queen’s, and is the author of her blog www.royaandthemachine.blogspot.com. She wears an H&M Waistcoat, Forever XXI top, Bongo Jeans, MBMJ Flats, Vintage Coach

“Willis” Satchel (below).

interview by KIRSTIE DYMENT

ROYA + the MACHINE

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STREET STYLE

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Start by making sure that the heel of your shoe is clean and dry. Using the warmed-up glue gun, trace a line of glue along the seam where the heel meets the shoe.

Using tweezers if needed, start making a pattern with beads in the hot glue. I used medium- and small-sized pearl beads, which worked extremely well.

Continue until the entire heel of your shoe is covered in the pattern, leaving about 1-2cm at the bot-tom of the heel, so as not to step on the beads.

Since hot glue dries relatively quickly, your shoes should be ready to wear as soon as the last bead is put in place.

Enjoy your brand new intricate heels, and then get creative with more bead and shoe combinations!

As students, most of us will be budgeting our semester around affording our brick-heavy textbooks, rather than shoes. Such was my sad realization when I discovered these Chanel beauties this sum-mer. The intricate heels, however, provided a perfect starting point for DIY inspiration. With only an old pair of booties and a few craft store supplies at hand, I recreated a look previously reserved for the fashion elite – and I spent less than $5.

DIY-Hard: CHANEL

For this DIY, you will need:

• A pair of shoes or boots with a wider heel

or wedge.• A glue gun and glue

sticks.• A pair of tweezers.

• Around 200 beads (de-pending on the size) of

your choice.

a project byLAURA VOSKAMP

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As the reds and oranges of autumn start creeping up on campus, many of us find ourselves some-what bored of what our last year’s wardrobe has to offer. Not wanting to spend our cherished summer paychecks, we Queen’s students struggle to dress ourselves morning after morning. Luckily for us however, some things never change, as around 20 years later, our very own life-giving heroes are once again helping us dress ourselves in the morning. That’s right- good ol’ mom and dad.Now, because I can read minds, I know that many of you are currently thinking, ‘how could my mom or dad possibly improve my fall wardrobe?’ Well, as a matter of fact, mom and dad’s closet, though a somewhat frightening place for some of us, holds extremely treasured items. Unique, vintage, staple items your mom and dad keep deep in their closets are absolutely guaranteed to spice up your style. Let’s start in mom’s closet. What once looked ridiculous (or so you thought) on your mom, could add serious flavor to your fall wardrobe. Yes, I’m talking about those ‘mom jeans’ we’ve all been

embarrassed of. Also, retro 80s belts, vintagepurses, and silk scarves are more often than not sitting in mom’s closet, just waiting to be taken advantage of. In first year student Sarah Latrem-oille’s case, “a classic leather belt,” is what she snags most often from her mom’s closet. Another staple item mom is bound to have is an oversized knit sweater - we often forget how these sweat-ers never truly go out of style. And, if you’re lucky enough (though many of us aren’t), you may even find sunglasses, or even better, furs! Heading over to dad’s closet, we find many sur-prising items that one would never think could add personal style to their outfit. First off – dad’s old watch. Even if broken, male-fashioned watches are very much so in style and can act as a killer acces-sory for any outfit. Again, the standard leather belt is always an option; however this time, you may need to create a new belt-hole if your dad isn’t quite your size. 22 year-old Queen’s student Cal-ynn Irwin, a unique (and impressive) dresser by any standards says, “you can buy flannel anywhere…but the best flannel always comes from your dad,” as she holds her (dad’s) favourite flannel shirt up to her grinning face.Fact: if you own a sharp pair of scissors, and can hold strict concentration for over 10 minutes, you are absolutely capable of creating your own, uniquely styled tank tops or crop tops from mom or dad’s oversized T-shirts. If you are truly crafted, don’t be afraid to cut their old pants into high-wasted shorts – size permitting, of course!So there you have it –step inside mom and dad’s closet and exit with plenty of new style savvy items you can use all year round. And the best part about it? It’s free. Now who ever said mom and dad don’t know fashion?

Straight from mom and dad’s closet. On the left, hand-made high-wast-ed Nevada jean shorts (from dad), paired with a no-name gold belt (from mom) and a hand-made vintage Rolling Stones crop top (from dad). On the right, mom’s Ralph Lauren knit sweater paired with high-wasted Choise pants, vintage Ro-El purse and dad’s broken Eddie Bauer watch.

STRAIGHT FROM MOM AND DAD’s CLOSETby Jane Tozer

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Fashion Bloggersan article by Janina Enrile

For as long as the Internet has been around, there have been bloggers. And for most of that time, there have been fash-ion bloggers to satiate our style needs.

Rumi Neely has been blogging since 2008. Her creation, Fashiontoast, has over 87,000 followers. Neely has been featured in fashion campaigns from Ja-pan to Paris, though she calls Los Ange-les home. Now compare that to Jessica Tran from Jess Loves Fred. Like Neely, she has been blogging since 2008. Her blog posts are relatively sparse, prob-ably owing to the fact that she balanc-es a part-time job and school. She’s only in her second year of university in Sydney, Australia, and her blog is fol-lowed by over a thousand avid fans.

an article by Janina Enrile

Tran’s style is a combination of indie start up fashion lines, like Black Milk Clothing, as well as the products of her habitual forays into thrift and online shopping. Her outfits alternate between outrageous com-binations like a galaxy-print skirt with a lengthy sweater vest, or eclec-tic pieces like a tartan capecoat. She’s risky like that, often making grandiose gestures on camera with her skin-tight anaconda tights or her statement undercut. It seems that Tran has no limits with how she chooses to dress. Instead, she jumps all over the spectrum, displaying a frenzy of odd fashion sense and an impeccable eye for unique items.

Neely, meanwhile, focuses on more well-known fashion labels like Prada and Isabel Marant, with a few choice pieces from Zara. She frequents fashion hotspots all over the world, doing her shopping in London, Paris and Tokyo. The interesting thing about Neely is that she seems to exude the style of whichever city she’s visiting. In Paris, it’s all about effortless basics that all communicate a kind of lightness that comes with fashion on the Left Bank. When in New York, Neely wears the kind of sleek pieces that fit in at a hotel party in the middle of the night, as seen by a leather-based ensemble by New York-based line Maje. Back home in California, however, Neely relies on oversized sweaters and the shorts that accentuate her long legs. It’s the epitome of laidback California girl style, punctuated by the fashion chameleon that Neely is.

As Neely caters to the more label-conscious set, posts on Fash-iontoast are mostly fashion-centric. Sometimes she’ll ponder differ-ent things about where she is. One particularly interesting post is about her time in Japan before and during the earthquake of this past March. She tends to write more abruptly, choosing to tell the reader more about her personal style and her activities in the fash-ion world rather than her personal life on a day-to-day basis.

Jess Loves Fred features longer posts about regular goings-on in Tran’s life. She does frequently update with fashion posts, and does regular inspiration posts that talk about favourite mu-sic and films of-the-moment. It’s a way to see into the mind be-hind her unordinary fashion sense. As a student, Tran will talk about her life in university and how she struggles to balance all the aspects of her life. It’s something that we can all relate to.

While I prefer Jess Loves Fred for her ability to speak on issues other than fashion, Fashiontoast is more knowledgeable about labels and tends to have more accessible style. While we can’t all afford high fashion la-bels like Rumi Neely, we can at least try to replicate her style more easily than the unique and often-strange tendencies of Jess Tran. There’s a reason that she’s one of the most popular fashion bloggers out there. Neely epitomizes most of what everyone’s paying attention to in fash-ion today – from her effortless street style to her high-glamour ensem-bles, Neely makes the Fashiontoast the quintessential fashion blog.

FASHION42

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To be photographed by Bill Cunningham is one of the biggest honours in the fashion industry. The 83 year old spends his days riding a bike around the streets of New York City, wearing a navy blue, mass produced utility jacket, his beat-up Nikon dangling from his neck. If you’ve never heard of Bill Cunningham before, you may be wondering who he is, and why he is so influential in an indus-try so often ruled by the superficial. To say Cun-ningham is the father of street fashion photography is an understatement. He not only founded the art form so popular in the world of blogging today, but changed the hierarchy of society by allow-ing Regular Joes to make the streets a catwalk of their own. Cunningham has shot a wide variety of trendsetters with his lens. From drag queens to Manhattan society queens, to the queen of fashion herself, Anna Wintour, who admits it’s a bad day if he doesn’t photograph her. Cunningham sees a trend, documents it, and shares with the world in his New York Times feature column and online podcast.

Before the birth of street photography, what people were wearing was dictated by designers, edi-tors, and buyers. The trends of high fashion were widely inaccessible to the middle class, who were forced into wearing whatever mass-produced trend was currently being sold. Street photography shook up this mundane world. Suddenly, the way the subjects of photographs were dressed was not influenced by brand names or advertising incen-tives. Instead it was true to what real people were

wearing in their everyday lives. It became accept-able to break out of the schemas of how fashion was being dictated because pedestrian inspiration offered a unique perspective on what was current.

These days, Cunningham isn’t the only photogra-pher on the streets. The art form has expanded thanks to the explosion of blogs in the past de-cade. From this media revolution, we’ve been introduced to many talented artists, such as Face Hunter’s Yvan Rodic, Tommy Ton of Jak & Jil, and The Sartorialist’s Scott Schuman. In September 2011 alone, The Satorialist received 13 million page views and celebrated it six-year anniversary on the web. With no formal training in photog-raphy, it’s Schuman’s eye for the inspired and his religious posting habits (he updates his blog nearly everyday) that are the basis of his success in the mainstream world. Schuman has turned a hobby into a business, scoring advertising deals from American Apparel and Net-A-Porter as well as shooting editorials for Vogue magazine.

Street fashion photography has evolved into some-thing much greater than the clothes, the backstage pass to fashion week, or the outrageous trends on the streets of the cities we dream of walking some-day. It has become an archive of our culture, as the way we dress ourselves is so often reflective of the world around us. Photographers like Schuman and Cunningham play the part of social anthropol-ogists, influencing both our style and our perspec-tive of the world, one pedestrian at a time.

STREET WALKER ASHLEY LARAMIE

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ALANNAH MOZES

As I rummaged through family photo albums from the 1970’s, I was taken aback. Everyone was clad in fringe, crop tops, maxi dresses, fur coats, high-waisted flared jeans, and platforms, all of which I have purchased within the last year. The only real distinction between the photographs I discovered and photographs that I take today is that the Woodstock poster hung in the background was authentic, not available at the Queen’s poster sale. I was immediately inspired to give my distressed denim and “jeggings” a rest and put together a 70’s chic outfit with a modern twist. At age thirteen, my mother had the 70’s style down to a tee: loose wavy hair, minimal make up, deep blue velvet bell-bottoms adorned with suede tassels, finished with a polished silk button up blouse, and of course, a matching velvet vest. Although she would hardly call herself a “fashionista”, my mother could blend in seam-lessly with the runway models at the 2011 Fashion Weeks in New York, Paris or Milan. I recently browsed the Marc by Marc Jacobs’ Fall/Winter 2011 Collection and came across a number of 70’s inspired looks: a trench coat with fur trim, a red leopard printed velvet dress, cozy knit sweat-ers, and loafer pumps (Shopbop.com). I particularly loved the way Marc Jacobs modernized the velvet dress on the runway by pairing it with mid calf length black socks, oxford heels, a camel leather clutch and large cat-eye shades. The model also let her long hair loose and wore minimal makeup, reminiscent of the 70’s natural look. Designer Donna Karan also stepped back into Marc Jacobs’ favourite decade for her more affordable line, DKNY, at the 2011 New York Fashion Week. She channeled the 70’s by exhibiting retro printed dresses and bright wide-brimmed floppy hats (http://www.dailymail.co.uk). My at-tempt, however, would focus on minimalism, statement pieces and resemble street style. When recreating my mother’s look, I played up the quintessen-tial 70’s wide-legged trouser while displaying current trends. I paired my mother’s vintage velvet bell-bottoms with the staple of every 21st century girl’s wardrobe: the leather jacket. Instead of donning my studded black leather coat, I opted for a caramel brown jacket with a ruffled trim. I also left the ties loose, mimicking the tassels on my mother’s velvet vest. My mother had tucked in her button up blouse into her bell-bottoms, but I paired the trousers with a white, cropped blouse to update the look. Unlike my mother’s minimalist outfit, I ac-cessorized with an embellished bib necklace, a costume statement ring and sandal “flatforms”. I kept my long hair loose, as shown in my mother’s photograph and on the 2011 runway models, but bright-ened up the look with pink lipstick, dark green eye shadow and thick black liner. What was an ordinary trip to my grandparents’ house quickly became an exploration into fashion’s ability to redefine the beauty of the past. My mother’s 70’s style motivated me to update her look, evidence that reinventing the old will always be current and chic.

FLARED GENES

Cheryl Herman Bell-bottoms, Ivy Miss. Blouse, Four Corners; vest, Ivy Miss.

Alannah Mozes Bell-bottoms, Ivy Miss. Blouse, Millau; leather jacket, Mack-age; bib necklace, J.Crew; ring, Dannijo; flatforms, Top-shop.

MUSE 47

Current Queens’s student and Brooklin, Ontario native, Taryn Davidson has built an impressive modeling career before enter-ing first year in 2010 to study Kinesiology. Taryn has walked exclusively for Calvin Klein in New York and Jil Sander in Milan as well as for Chloé, Louis Vuitton and Alex-ander McQueen. Not to mention, gracing the pages of Italian, French and German Vogue, Harpers Bazaar and Numéro to name a few. Taryn’s commitment to her education and great personality (she’s so down to earth) proves she’s more than just a pretty face.

Model StudentBy Veronica Saroli

Do you prefer doing runway or photoshoots?I especially enjoy photoshoots because I love being part of the creative process that goes into creating fashion stories. I feel fortunate to be able to work closely with so many talented and inspiring people in the fashion industry. What has been your favorite fashion experience? One of my favorite fashion experiences has been walking in some of the Alexander McQueen fashion shows in Paris. His shows were always beautiful and the clothes were breathtaking. I love seeing the creative process that goes into creating a fash-ion show. Your job requires you to travel all over the world. Which places are some of your favorite?Some of my favourite places I’ve been able to travel for work are New York, London, Milan, Paris, LA, Panama, Miami and Marrakesh. I love visiting the local market in the cities. It gives me a chance to experience some culture, and find unique trea-sures to bring home from each city. What was it like going from a small town like Brooklin, Ontario to major cities? It is really exciting to visit all the major fashion cit-ies. I love that there’s so much to do in each city, that each city is full of energy, and that each city has it’s own unique vibe. I’ve also had the chance to live in New York City for a year before starting university at Queens. I love experiencing the busy life of the big cities... Particularly because it re-minds me how wonderful it is to escape back to a small town! How do you feel about those who think that fashion is just a frivolous industry? It’s very hard to understand what the fashion in-dustry is like for anyone who hasn’t experienced it. It’s such a huge industry full of creative, talented and hardworking individuals. I feel that if people had the chance to understand the business, they would appreciate how much hard work goes into it. Describe your personal style.My personal style is usually pretty casual. I wear what I feel comfortable in. I love wearing my ripped Levi’s jeans and a pair of converse. I also love roughing up girly pieces with boyish accesso-ries, like mixing a dress with biker boots, or pairing

a floral printed top with a big, chunky men’s watch. Do you have any style icons?One of my style icons is the Canadian model Daria Werbowy. She’s always been one of my favourite models because she’s so down-to-earth, sporty, and has such cool style off the runway.

What’s your go to look for class? What about castings?My go-to look for class is usually the first thing I see in my closet, or workout gear- so I can go straight to yoga! A staple outfit when I go for cast-ings is a pair of tight jeans, a leather jacket and heals (not that I need the height!) I also really love mixing unique items I find at thrift stores with clas-sic designer pieces. What was it like working for Italian vogue? What are you going to take away from that?Working for Italian vogue was an exciting experi-ence because Italian Vogue is one of the maga-zines every model dreams of working for. I did a studio shoot with them in New York. It was a lot of fun, and such a learning experience to work with a team of such high caliber.

What’s it like backstage?There is always a lot of excitement backstage. Models have to be backstage a few hours before it starts to get their hair and makeup done, and re-hearse for the show. It’s amazing to see the beau-tiful collections up-close, and fun hanging out with the other girls while waiting for first looks.

Do you have a favorite look that you like to shoot or take on when working?My favourite shoots are when I’m shooting outside in nature, and get to wear natural hair and make-up, because that is when I feel most like myself. However, I also love to do extravagant shoots. Having to portray different characters is always a fun experience. Recently I did a shoot wearing a bright orange wig!

How have you balanced work and school?Managing university and work has definitely been a challenge. I usually travel for work on the week-ends, so I don’t miss too much class, and stop traveling when school gets busy. It’s all about finding a balance, and I feel so lucky that I’ve been able to do just that.

By Veronica Saroli

MUSE 49

CharityBy: Matt Kyba

Stop reading if you’ve posted a bookface status along the lines of “My friend had cancer. 10% will repost this. Let’s stop cancer. Blah blah blah.” If you have, never post it again. Please. I’m serious. And, before you get the idea that I’m some uber-douche-bag that hates charity, understand that I am exactly the oppo-site. I am the person you talk about when you post.

I had non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma from ages 6-8. I cannot say I speak for all survivors out there, but personally I hate when I see that status. I even dislike those pink Queen’s t-shirts which say, well, “Queen’s Wears Pink”. What you are doing when posting a status like that or wearing a 20 dollar tee-shirt is the worst type of ‘contribution’ someone can make to charity because you are half-assing it.

My question here is whether you actually think your status or 20 dollars to a multi-million dollar company is going to make ANY type of impact whatsoever - I highly doubt that if one of my old friends donated a crisp $50 to non-Hodgkin’s cancer research when I was diagnosed it would have made a smidgen of impact.

Now understand that I obviously am not ma-licious or angry towards anyone who helps even the tiniest amount to charity. On the contrary, I welcome people to donate. But to tell you the truth, when I was lying the in the hospital barely able to lift my eyes most of the day due to the chemo, I wasn’t hoping people would donate more. I was hoping I could see my family, my friends. I was hoping the sick kids clown would pay me a visit to give me a smile. Or maybe the guy who would bring in the guitar. Hell, even an ice cream from one of the nurses would have made my day.

I believe that childhood cancer is the worst cancer. I’m not talking only out of personal experience, but more a simpler reason. No child was ever warned he needed to stop smoking or else he’d get cancer. No child was told to add more tofu and less alcohol to his diet, just in case. Children are a clean slate. They have done nothing to destroy their bod-ies, at least intentionally. They deserve to be warned, to be told the risks of their activities. They deserve a chance to survive. Childhood cancer cannot be explained because of their dangerous lifestyle, only on an unfair expla-nation which is never as black and white as other cancers.

All I am saying is this: a small contribution to a large charity foundation does little. Maybe pick a smaller organization that needs help. I’ve been working with the Childhood Cancer Foundation for a couple of years. They give scholarships out to students who have been sidetracked by cancer for their university ca-reers. They also participate in various events to help improve the lives of children with cancer. This is where you can really help. If you know someone who has cancer, reach out to him or her. Be there for them, because I guarantee they would appreciate a visit over a bookface status. If you’ve lost someone to cancer (and everyone has), don’t you think your company with them would be better than a donation?

Literally just having someone to talk too dur-ing an ordeal like fighting cancer can make a world of difference. I know you’re a good per-son. So go do the right thing. Get involved. Go volunteer at a hospital, see a sick friend, or pay respects to a deceased one’s family. Take a full day out of your super-duper busy schedule to fix your charitable shortcomings. Everyone has the ability, yet it’s the people that really care who do anything about it.

“Skippy, Kraft, or Jif?” I whisper out loud, and then repeat, “Skippy or Kraft?” … “Skippy.” I am one of those late night shoppers, you know, the ones that aimlessly roam the aisles in the middle of the night to avoid reading and writing or doing any such work for class. When I shop I find it therapeutic, similar to how Michel de Certeau described, poetically, the act of walking in the city. The grocery store is my city and I am its customer. (how can you be a customer of a city? Huh?)Placing my headphones into my ears and turning my music up makes the process even more enjoy-able; sometimes I just carry around empty headphones and put them into my ears to avoid any form of contact. Who walks around with headphones in their ears, with no remote possibility of an iPod playing songs or music anywhere in sight? Crazy people. People I want to avoid. However, one night, while I was in the peanut butter aisle, someone had the nerve to strike up a conversation with me, and I sur-prised myself by responding. At the end of it all, he asked me if had heard a single word, since I had forgotten that I was wearing my empty headphones. In a moment of haste, I spilled my secret. The mo-ment I told the truth I began to regret my actions. I panicked and ran. That night was one of my fondest memories that I ever shared with him, but I was never able to tell him the significance of peanut butter, meanwhile insisting that him and I share a jar sometime.

There is a lesson to be learned and a song to be sung. For the sake of this article I have chosen to include it. It is dedicated to a Caper and a Peppercorn, and to my muse.

Palinode to His Hypermetropic

PEANUT BUTTER AISLE by Alexander Zachary

When he was younger, and when I was younger, we were blind. The shuddering mood that had prelude was gone.Meeting him a third time by accident we both found courage, to submerse the urge and appoint another time.He came. We walked. He talked. We ate. He, a rake. We, a date. We slipped through the cracks while covering our tracks, briskly walking on our moonlight serenade.What was once transparent became murky. Cataracts had overtaken us.I was overrun. I was undone. I was overcome by the sly fox. Although this fox was a mouse.And as the days came and gone, I longed. Disembodiment had set it.I could not see. My vision had blurred. And with the love we knew and our hearts set high, Rigor mortis began to set in. He was not ours. He was not mine.

In the words of another, W. H. Auden, “I thought that love would last forever, I was wrong.”

LIFESTYLE52

Empty walls crying out for something to soothe, challenge or stimulate you while you study, entertain or just chill out?

It’s time to decorate your living space in style with the help of the Union Gallery.

Every February the Union Gallery hosts it annual gala fundraiser Cézanne’s Closet. This is an opportunity to take home an original piece of art made by fine art students and community artists alike. The event is now in its 17th year and continues to be popular with the Kingston and Queen’s communities.

Cézanne’s Closet takes place on Saturday February 11th, 2012, at Ban Righ Hall on Bader Lane at Queen’s University. Tickets are $150 and this guarantees you an original piece of art. Ticket holders are invited to the preview from 7-8pm. where they can meander thought the artists works while enjoying snacks and live entertainment.

The draw begins at 8 pm, and when your ticket is drawn, you will select from the numerous high quality artworks on display. There are always more works than tickets so there are lots to choose from. A great way to start your art collection!

If this doesn’t peak your interest, visit the Union Gallery to view the amazing works by student artists in display from November through April. Many of these works are available for sale, a great way to meet the artists and get some fabulous work at the same time.

Cezanne’s tickets and more information on the gallery are available at Union Gallery or on our website at ugallery@queensu.ca or join our facebook group.

The Union Gallery opened in Stauffer Library in 1994 and is a student driven non-profit organization committed to increasing awareness and appreciation of contemporary visual arts. The gallery is staffed by arts professionals who work in conjunction with a Board of Directors, which consists of 80% Queen’s students and arts professionals from the university and community. The gallery is unique because it is the University’s only art gallery that presents student artists work on an ongoing basis. It is open to the pub-lic Tuesday-Saturdays and everyone is encouraged to attend gallery events and programs. As a student driven organization, and therefore provides students with professional skills training that will assist them in their art careers. As well as showcasing university student artists, the gallery presents the work of pro-fessional artists with regional, national and international profiles. And…it is free to visit!

UNTITLED by Jocelyn Purdie

Photographer Devon Ryan

Models Jacob Thomas Carrie Soby

Ming ZhuJacqueline Wan

Alessandra Hollands

56

I am a drug addict. Among the multitude of shit I voluntarily put into my body, I’d say cigarettes are by far the most disappointing. Just to clarify, I am not working with any sort of smoke-free NGO, I’m not going to lecture you on how cigarettes will kill you, nor am I going to point out how much of your money this habit consumes. Smokers out there, I’m one of you. Group-hug. I’m not one of these social smoking clowns either. As far as I’m concerned, there is nothing social about blowing noxious fumes out of your mouth and trying to hold a conver-sation. I’ve been puffing for five years now, and it fucking sucks. There is really no reason that someone should light that first cigarette. It’s not a life affirming decision by any

means. Nicotine is one of the fastest addicting sub-stances you can consume, it also doesn’t remain in your body for all too long. Couple those two things together and your first cigarette is almost never your last. It is the commercial crack rock-lite. Funny thing is it’s never a nice time smoking your first few; the nauseous feeling, the coughing and wheezing, not to mention the rancid breath: it’s clear you’re poisoning yourself but you still do it.

Forcing those first few still seems like an alright thing to do. After all, why would your friends do it? Even if they are the good ones that tell you it’s fucking terrible, still, there must be some intangible reason. What is the appeal to so many others across the globe? There must be some sort of magic behind it. Personally, I think it all boils down to addiction. The whole illusion of cool dissolves when nonsmokers who know better stare at you in disgust, like some sort of medieval polio-stricken, mole-ridden hobo. A cigarette isn’t a tar-flavored vitamin. Sure it might relax you, but what happened to the times before you smoked? What did you used to do before inhaling carcinogens? Truth is, it’s only relaxing in the way

that a junkie is relaxed when they get their fix. It’s a chemical dependence.

I think smokers would agree with me that there’s something perversely cathartic in unwrapping that fresh pack, lighting up and breathing in deeply those first few drags. There’s solace in the first smoke of the day. A few mo-ments of tranquility, restoring some sort of equilibrium that went out of wack long ago. What is this missing thing from your life that, if only for a few seconds, a cigarette can bring back? How did it leave you? I’m still searching for answers, and it’s something to think about when you’re on your next smoke break.

SMOKED

an article by MAHESH MOOLCHANDANT

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After 3.14159 years as a Queen's student, I've established three certainties:

1) Ritual and tradition start early, and don't let up un-til after graduation (and for some, not for years and years after that).2) This place is exactly like high school, except there's sex everywhere.and 3) I know less about myself now than I did the day I moved to Kingston.

However, these three observations really boil down to one: Queen's University is a place where a small group of people seem to know exactly what they want, and everyone else trusts these people with their lives for four years. Though, this may not be an inherently terrible thing. While being led by my leash, I've seen some pretty fun and exciting places, and done some pretty fun and exciting things. I wouldn't even say I'd change much of how I've spent my time here, really. Over-all, it's been a bang. However, as much as I love this place filled with stone and ivory buildings, of garbage left out until the following garbage day, or red cups trashing ghetto yards as I rush to class, I hope to see Queen’s University undergo slight changes in tradition by the time, say, a younger sibling enrolls? Well, maybe.

Here's what I'm getting at: I don't think this place is the best forum for much of any sort of creative expression or individualism. I mean, I'm neck deep in this supposed new world of exciting, novel ideas; the wonderful foray into adulthood that is enamoured with notions of liberal thought and free, independent study is upon me, but I can't help but feeling like any given step away from the crowd over the last few years could have cost me a damn good time. Perhaps I'm exaggerating, and I don't think it's impossible to be your own person at Queen's, but until recently I've had no idea how to liberate myself from the staunchness that tradition and influence seem to produce around here.

And perhaps because of this, I wouldn't classify myself as a member of any sort of minority at Queen's. I can't think of any beliefs I hold that make me exceedingly dif-ferent or unique. I, for all intents and purposes, am the average Queen's student.

But next let me introduce Tom, a friend of mine. A fourth year Applied Science student I've known for a few years, and he is one of the few people around here I can call a true individual. Perhaps as a result, and to speak of him more personally, Tom also comes off as one of the most secure, well-adjusted people I know at this school. He exudes felicity and identifies himself as a devout Christian. Tom and I don't talk as often as I would like, but when we do we have some mighty fine conversations, I'll tell you what. We caught up recently, and I brought up what's been on my mind concerning the cook-ie-cutterism I've noticed at Queen's. Among other things, here's what he had to say:“I think a lot of people might not be speaking out, or seeking out new ideas because they don't understand just how common their thoughts and feelings are... and they have this impression that the Queen's community propagates this, which I guess is true. I guess it's about pride, though. We're a very proud school, but what comes with that is an ignoring of your 'faults' and individuality, and I think a lot of the Queen's pride causes us to sweep the little differences, the 'imperfections', under the rug. Of course, this can be detrimental to the health of people who don't necessarily fit into the Queen's image.”Tom was spot on.

Friendly ConversationBy: Jimmy Fitzgerald

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I would also argue that the sequestering has very little to do with the formal institution that is the university. Let’s take an example: consider the tragic deaths the Queen’s community dealt with last year. As a direct result of the tragedies, the conversation changed, as it does under exceptional circumstances, and certain questions were on everyone’s mind. Do sufficient resources and outlets exist for students? Counsel-ling offices extended their hours and brought in extra staff, Teaching Assistants became much more lax in their assertion of deadlines, and so on.

Of course, these resulting measures are undeniably valid. However, I believe equal emphasis must be placed on less anecdotal means of maintaining stu-dent’s well-being, in order to maintain wellness – and should come more so from the student body than the administration. To broaden the scope to all students and limit the severity of the conversation (it should be noted after all that this is not a criticism of the univer-sity’s measures regarding last year’s events), I wholly believe a strong emotional state is rooted in healthy individualism.

For instance, I happen not to be a religious person. My family tree, however, is buzzing with WASPs and identifying myself as a nonbeliever to my parents was and has been as painful as the scenario is cliche. There was The Conversation (you know, the one where you split ‘em up and gamble on which parent will take it better, and which one you would prefer hear it through the grapevine), the assurance that I’d change, and – after enough time seemed to imply change wasn’t likely – the resulting self-censorship in my presence. Sure, it isn’t ideal, and I guess be-ing part of a family that shares my exact thoughts and opinions would be nice, but the point I’m try-ing to make is that these Conversations are fucking fantastic. Truly relishing in what might conventionally alienate us from our peers, or family, or sex is what can keep us sane; unapologetically embracing one’s individuality, and respecting that of others is what I’ve recently gathered it means to be a god-damned grown-up.

The trouble of course comes when this individual mindset is applied to a community of fairly rigid uniformity like at Queen’s. It might be easier to have to feel disassociated from your grandparents’ way of thinking; doing something new at a place like Queen’s poses a social risk, which for a lot of people, is ex-actly what entrenches them in regularity.

But again, Tom showed me the light: “While we shouldn’t adopt a lifestyle of nonconformity and eccentricity for their own sake, ideally we should carry ourselves in a way free from fear of judgement and ridicule. And the only way to be truly liberated from this self-consciousness, is to wholly eradicate it from our own way of thinking.”

Freedom from judgement by withholding judgement. Tom, you genius.

To return to my earlier point: I would argue that the average student’s well-being is rooted in personal identity, even (and hell, especially) if coming to terms with that identity is trying or initially discomforting. Around here, it is then the responsibility of the student body to embrace each others’ differences in charac-ter. Obviously this is quite an idealistic lens through which I’m peering at a bunch of drunk teens, but the application isn’t as difficult as one might assume.

Here’s one example: Tom regularly meets with local Christian groups for individual fellowship, discussion and to plan acts of serving the community. He told me about one group, the Geneva House, a student-run organization of Christians designed as a casual prayer/support group for the Kingston religious. I stopped by the house, got in contact with the group’s house chaplain, Steve Kooy, and asked him to tell me what the house was all about. I was fortunate enough to receive (among many other interesting facts about the organization) the following answer: “We have a motto at Geneva that says that we are a place to belong and a place to explore. Community/a sense of belonging is important to us at Geneva. I think that we are all looking for a place to belong, to be ourselves, and to be accepted for who we are. We strive to be a place of connectedness because everyone wants to be loved.”

I think that’s pretty cool. I’m no Christian, but a group of people who subscribe to a very locally-unpopular belief system simply coming together to completely eliminate any semblance of alienation? Awesome. A bunch of individuals helping individuals. I guess that’s what I’m getting at. It’s simple, of course, but these sorts of outlets are integral to our happiness as stu-dents; forums to share in the display of our neat little eccentricities and differing beliefs are surprisingly few and far between around here. And right now, I can’t think of anything more important for this community.

LIFESTYLE60

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Kingston Unscene analogue photography by Alex Mansourati

IMAGE CREDITS6 - http://www.actors-pictures.com/pictures/brad-pitt-35.jpg7 - http://www.aerobicexercise.co.za/UserFiles/Aerobic%20Exercise.jpghttp://www.zensations.ca/images/Sonia-yoga-2.jpghttp://images.cdn.fotopedia.com/flickr-4097920010-hd.jpg15 - Justin Chin Photography16 - http://www.filmofilia.com/wp-content/up-loads/2011/08/DRIVE_1Sht_Ryan.jpg17 - http://robstreet.blogspot.com/2010/12/are-those-leggings-washed-out-and-old.html, http://www.powerofpop.com/?p=4758, http://www.vibetothis.com/2011/05/avicii-levels-mp3-down-load.html, ttp://gonyc.about.com/od/shopping/ig/Fifth-Avenue-Shopping-Tour/H-M.htm, ttp://www.worksburger.com/Photos/PhunkyPhotos/tabid/10837/vid/1f7fd7b3-43a1-4e8a-adb9-d02cef51839a/Default.aspx18-19 - http://0.tqn.com/d/proicehockey/1/0/a/C/97179149_10.jpghttp://m.ctv.ca/gallery/images/In-Pictures-Russia-scores-five-goals-in-third-to-beat-Canada-for-gold.htmlhttp://gregbreakell.com/20 - Cynthia Oh, wesavetherave.com24 - no credits provided25 - Alex Mansourati, Lauren McCormick, Asad Chishti31 - no credits provided34 - http://www.wallpapersonweb.com/im-age-703328.html35 - : http://royaandthemachine.blogspot.com/2011/09/cole-world.html40 - http://www.jesslovesfred.comhttp://wolfandwillow.typepad.com/.a/6a0120a6a93724970b014e6113161c970c-800wihttp://www.shefinds.com/files/Rumi-Neely-3.jpghttp://i896.photobucket.com/albums/ac166/fartssica/1-6.jpg

46 - http://www.zeitgeistfilms.com/billcunningh-amnewyork/gallery.html48-49 - http://models.com/work/vogue-italia-vogue-italia-beauty-march-09/560450 - http://lipmag.com/wp-content/up-loads/2010/09/friendship-grey-children-im-age-31000.jpg52 - http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4047/4258743150_0272648fe2.jpg53 - jenny.brownsonline.ca, http://queensjour-nal.ca/story/2011-11-01/arts/behind-glass-doors/?flavour=mobile58 - http://www.businessknowledgesource.com/health/the_dangers_of_smoking_in_the_work-place_029243.html59 - http://trattogrullo.com/lines/hiding61 - Alex Mansourati

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Yours, Creatively.