Madness in our Community

Culturally, are Canadians merely Americans who pride themselves on - and define themselves by - not being American? Or is this madness? Well, folks, the Madness is nearly here.

Many of you know what it is and why everyone gets so mad about it. Okay, here's the deal: the "madness" refers to the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, which takes place for three weeks in March and April. It involves 64 teams and is, arguably, the best example of amateur sport this side of the Olympics. For a Canadian's information, in Downtown America, the worshiping of sport goes a little something like this:

1. NFL Football
2. NCAA Football
3. NBA Basketball
4. NCAA Basketball
5. NASCAR
47. NHL Hockey (ranked after bowling, darts, poker, and the WNBA)

Weird, eh? Hockey barely makes the top 50! Moreover, this tournament - this madness - is unequivocally huge. Hundreds of millions of American and Canadian viewers tune in to watch and Las Vegas usually covers well over $300 million in legal bets and, get this, over $2.5 billion is spent annually in office pools and illegal gambling. Nearly half (41%) of Americans watch the tournament and over one quarter (27%) participate in an office pool which results in nearly $3.8 billion in lost productivity. The above picture is a pretty moderate example of how seriously schools (and all the alumni, townsfolk and administration) take this sporting event. Heck, whenever Arkansas plays, Bill Clinton shows up to cheer on his team!

Needless to say, whether it's participating in an office pool to choose the unlikely winner of the 64 team tournament or collaborating with your high school basketball team to pick the perfect bracket and do a little trash-talking or slathering on some paint, funky outfits and intoxicating yourself en route to actually attending a game, this event is a perfect and amazing exercise of community. It's also a harbinger of Americanization for Obamatown's northern neighbour, Canada. Data is hard to come by, but recent findings show that millions of Canadians tune in to watch the games, compete for the title of "lost productivity per capita" and spend millions of dollars in office pools. Thing is, not only does Canadian talent make up less than .1% of the players and coaches in the tournament, but we have our own university basketball playoffs here! Sure, only eight teams compete in the CIS Men's Basketball Championships, which means it lasts, like, a week. And sure only, like, four of the players can dunk. But, come on, are we really so starved for basketball talent that we need to look to American players, commentators, coaches, fans, and advertisers for athletic entertainment?

Yes. We are. March Madness is an over-indulgent spectacle built on the backs of some of the hardest workers in the world. Winning it all has as much to do with luck as it does with mental and physical preparation. And it brings people from every race, culture, socio-economic-background, intellectual-level, and profession together to celebrate victory and mourn defeat (except on the court...as Chris Rock says, "we're 10% of the population and 99% of the Final Four!"). And it's a beautiful thing. No offense, Canada, but Hockey wishes it had as much clout in this country. And, for the record, Rome would be jealous of these games.

American college basketball is a billion-dollar-a-year industry. Whether its ticket sales, merchandising, advertising revenue, or television rights, the schools and the NCAA rake in very healthy - if not slightly gluttonous - profit. The student players, aside from scholarships, sweet hotel accommodations and a meager stipend, see no part of the revenue (a recent New York Times article argues that much of this process is reflective of "modern slavery" in the United States). There's no salary-cost, like in the professional leagues. [Insert comment about this reflecting American Corporatism here]. Communities go to war during this event, too. Bright colours, paint, songs, chants, filthy limericks, and dastardly pranks are all part of the madness. And in the end, only one community can win it all.

Other than being invented by a Canadian, the March Madness basketball tournament has little or nothing to do with the Canadian community. But we watch. OUr networks carry it. We can get Pay Per View packages for $100. Why does this happen? Why do millions of Canadian sports fans look South of the border for their basketball-stimulus package? Well, for starters, the talent is greater and the drama-of-sport plays out on a much, much grander stage. Like with Obama's administration, Canadians really, really want to be a part of this installment of the American Dream. More Canadians play basketball than hockey* and more Canadians watch American Idol than Canadian Idol. This is big sport, big business, big community. And it leads me to just one unfortunate conclusion: we might live in Canada, but this is definitely North America.

Whether it's Obamania, House, the Superbowl, Hollywood, Springsteen, or College Basketball, we're all mad about somethin' non-Canadian.

And, quite honestly, I feel a little weird about it. Not good or bad. Weird. How do you feel?

- JCH

*definitely more play soccer than hockey, and, since basketball is the second most popular sport on Earth after soccer, I'm going out on a limb and calling this a "fact" today...it may or may not be true, but it's from the gut!

Hockey Community Faces a Strike

This evening will be an interesting one. The seamless "community" of sports fans, hockey players, managers, and GM vendors has been shattered by the breakdown of negotiations between unionized GM workers and the arena. Despite this, the games must go on - and they will.

When fans arrive tonight, they will likely see several hundred (of the seven hundred) unionized workers picketing outside the game between the Canucks and the LA Kings.

Will they be blocking the gates and effecting the overall hockey community? Will you have to cross a picket line to get to your seats? Apparently not.

According to UNITE HERE Local 40 organizers, workers want people to enjoy the game, just not enjoy any of the overpriced drinks and food they normally shovel in during a match.

Hit Aramark Management (the concession oweners) in the pocket book but not the fans. The BC Fed will even be passing out peanuts to symbolize the wages these workers get relative to other "workers" in the arena. That's the way to demand a better cut and martial a strike to make a point without any collateral damage on citizens.

A Community of Literary Judgement

Dear readers, Book Club (or The Circle of Literary Judgement, if you're about addressing our organization by the official nomenclature) has arrived.

Check this out: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090306.wbkclublandmarch07/BNStory/globebooks/.

That's right, on Saturday, March 7, 2009, the Globe & Mail, Canada's leading newspaper, officially endorsed The Circle of Literary Judgement as Canada's coolest and most amazing book club.* More or less. I'll let you be the judge (after all, we're all about judging!).

So, who are we? Basically, Book Club represents a cross-section of the Canadian Community - provided you accept said "community" to be one of twentysomething, upper-middle-class, white, university-educated, semi-entitled, environmentally-friendly students and young professionals from Vancouver. Theo, Kurt, Stewart, Phil, Michelle, and John make up Book Club (Phil and Stew aren't pictured, which is why our "Album Cover" isn't as good looking as it could be). For the record, we're always taking applications from prospective members.

Peter, the Globe reporter who interviewed Michelle and I (the co-founders of "CLJ," as Peter calls it), responded to our submission to the paper's Clubland section, which profiles a book club from somewhere - anywhere - in Canada, with the line, "is this real? I hope this is real." Yes, we are. And, yes, we really are a bit ridiculous and revolutionary. Let me explain.

Many book clubs out there actually discuss literature (some, truly, do not, which is why they don't have staying power). Many do so exclusively and pretentiously. Many do so while drinking wine and eating thematic food. Few do so while drinking wine, eating delightfully and creatively themed-food and competing for a trophy and the title of "the Judgiest Literary Judger." And few groups require haikus, faux-pretentious signatures and an interpretive dance as part of their application process. Point being, the club was founded (see article) on Michelle's goal of creating a book club that revolted against revolting literary pretentiousness. We are playfully serious and smart as whips and, most importantly, we don't take ourselves too seriously. Seriously. We buy into a community where laughter is paramount and we believe that the first thing you must know about being smart is that you're stupid.

This one time, at Book Club, Kurt, Godfrey and Elise (a member we had to excommunicate for her philosophical commitments) put on a skit about a scene from Milan Kundera's Immortality. Kurt played the role of "the tire" that is stabbed by Professor Avenarius. He hissed. It was magical. It was Oscar worthy.

Twentysomethings. Recent findings show that we/you do not read "books." Sure, we read a lot. We read websites and blogs and text messages. And with every lol we are slowly destroying the English language. Book clubs are a great way to incorporate literature into your daily/weekly/monthly dose of words - not ones that are shouted by pundits or American Idols or Jack Bauer, but words that are written. So, start a book club today. Not only will you save the English language and the written word, but you will also build and/or expand your community!

Here's how book clubs build community:

Discussion, sharing ideas: books inspire ideas from everywhere. Presenting ideas, discussing them and reflecting on concepts as a group creates a shared understanding. People will rarely agree on everything all the time, and they shouldn't; however, arguments and debates test our intellectual mettle as well as inspire people in the room. For example, when someone, say, Stewart Burgess, makes a point about architecture that reveals an un-discussed and wholly unique aspect of character development in Ender's Game, well, that's just the stuff that makes one smile and say hmmmm. And when Theo Lamb slyly pipes up with an "I disagree" and throws down a "and it's not just because I'm a dramatic red-head!" to drive her point home, well, it's just a beautiful thing that gets everyone's ire up in just the right way. And then there's Phil, who argues that video games played here in Canada are controlling robot soldiers in the Middle East. Like I said, seriously...

Food: delicious food + delicious people + stimulating conversation + tasty drink = healthy and engaged community. It's an easy recipe/equation.

Circles: sitting in circles - with no top and no bottom, no head and no foot - makes everybody feel included and equal. Just like Stalin would've wanted it. Wait...that's not right, is it?

Laughter: there are a litany and a bevy and a myriad and a buttload of studies out there that prove the connection between laughter, health, wellness, creativity, and sex appeal. When you combine all of the above things laughter will undoubtedly ensue. And the best kind of laughter, too, belly laughter - the kind that is contagious and amazing and makes your club/team/community the stuff of legend - mostly because the neighbours will probably ask you to keep it down.

For your information, The Circle of Literary Judgement is taking applications for new members. Because, well, we're all about building community. Especially in litearary ways!

- JCH


*may not have actually "endorsed" us or would go on record as saying that we are the "most" cool and amazing, although the reporter was really, really excited to talk to us.

Building community centres without...community

Our big studio project this term has been to design a community centre based off one of several long-span (read really big room) precedents. My studio prof has literally won a Governer's General Gold Medal in Architecture for her community centres. Our community centres consist of a large gymnasium area, lounge, social kitchen, meeting rooms, and washrooms/changerooms. They are designed on a north/south axis with the appropriate light control devices to create beautiful, indirect natural lighting. Thermal comfort is an issue of concern with detailed studies into the insulative qualities of the latest in architectural materials. Counters and stairs are based on the dimensions of the human body to enable ergonomic access to the various facilities. Dynamic spatial sequencing is of key importance. Sounds good so far eh?

But ---- WHERE IS THE COMMUNITY?

Should not community centre should be centred around a community and involve the active participation of community members in the design process? What does the nieghbourhood need? Who will use the facility? What are the cultural and social values of the community?

As it is, a whole year of architecture students have learned a few great things about design, and one important lesson. The community is secondary to your design genius. Astute commentators may say that this is a school project and they can only do so much, and that we are learning many different and relevent 'first principles of good design'. Definitely true, given that as David Clark says "the architect is both an agent and mentor/teacher of a client". However, note in which order we are learning these roles: firstly mentor, then agent. By ignoring the stakeholder consultation aspect of the design process the school has effectively prioritized our egos over the well being of our 'client'.

In some cases this may be an appropriate response, but surely the last project on which we impose high ego-based design is a community centre. And surely not under the leadership of one of Canada's top community centre designers, at least according to the design fraternity.

Or does this expose a certain weakness among that self-same fraternity?

There are numerous other 'long span' structures from which we could learn these principles. Save the community centre for a time when we have the time and space to carry out some consultation, at least in theory.

An Island of local foods, thriving theatre … and dirty, dirty exhaust fumes

This past Saturday, I took advantage of the clear, crisp, sunny day and a few free hours to ride my bike down to Granville Island. As I whizzed along (well, maybe ambled is a more accurate term …), the fresh air did wonders for my spirit, leaving behind thoughts of impending biostatistics midterms and laundry piles at home. As I made my way past the tennis courts and Kids’ market, a slightly (OK, very), ridiculous perma-smile on my face and a saunter in my bicy-stride, I saw before me an illogical and incoherent sight: vehicles. Dirty, polluting, resource-depleting vehicles. And not just a few. They were everywhere. Is this some kind of Emily Carr inspired performance art piece, I asked myself? Surely this must be a group of forward-thinking, sustainability-minded students making a statement. Sadly, this was not the case. There really were an abundance of vehicles stuck in a horrific traffic snarl around the Island. The Island was replete not with the smell of local fare and the sound of street musicians, but with the smell of exhaust and the nerve-grinding sounds of honking cars and revved engines.

As of late, there has been increased hype around making Vancouver’s built environment more conducive to biking and walking. The benefits are evidence-based and success stories can be seen in many European countries (Denmark and Holland, to name a few). Active Transportation (i.e., walking, biking or rolling) has numerous environmental and health benefits, as well as economic and social ones. Cities that are more pedestrian friendly have been linked to increased local shopping and retail sales, and a more vibrant sense of community. Tourists find pedestrian-friendly cities more welcoming, and tend to spend more time and money in places where walking and cycling is more accessible.

I understand that, well, Vancouver ain’t no Copenhagen. We’re simply not at a place, be that politically or logistically, where a large-scale infrastructural overhaul can take place to make Vancouver’s streets just as accessible to bikes and pedestrians as it is to vehicles. But baby steps can be made. And I propose that making Granville Island car-free be one of those baby steps. There are plenty of public transit options around the Island for individuals to get to the entrance. We might consider creating more opportunities for street car linkage and increased bus service to the island. For those individuals who simply must take a vehicle, limited paid parking stalls can be kept available, with revenues going towards more sustainable transportation options.

As it stands, the beauty and distinctiveness that is Granville Island is being sullied and tarnished. And what kind of statement do we want to make in the world when they visit our beautiful province in 2010? I suggest we take this small step, make a statement about what we, as Vancouverites, stand for, and save this little Gem of an island from the tarnish of exhaust.

Community Gardens Coming to City Hall

That's right. Gone will be the green grass lawn of city hall. Replacing it will be a beautiful series of community gardens. The move came shortly after the forming of a new green team (not this green team...) by Mayor Gregor Robertson.

The new gardens will be administered by folks in the Fairview community and city staff and will be coordinated in partnership between Vancouver city hall and SPEC (the Society Promoting Environmental Conservation).

The expansion of the new community gardens is a great step in the right direction. However, there's still a ton more that can be done. What about the long BC Hydro rail line that stretches through the west end? Envision with me, the entire route, straight through Kits, Arbutus Ridge, Kerrisdale, and onwards, paved with a cycle friendly "greenway" (to borrow from Copenhaegen, self proclaimed city of cyclists) and lined on both sides with community gardens maintained by the scores of apartment and condo dwellers we're increasingly going to see appear as we densify our city.

That's the dream, but community gardens at city hall is a nice first step.

Multicultural Mafia

These days gangs are big news. Since January, 11 people have died by gun related violence. The shootings have thrown a spotlight (again) on the prevalence of gang living in our midst.

In the old days men like Lucky Luciano, Tony Soprano (yeah, I know he isn't real, but his character he plays is), Hal Bruce Porteous of the Hells Angels or local Indo-Canadian gang-star Bindy Johal led ethnic crews that shared a cultural and linguistic heritage. They may have dealt with outsiders, but membership and promotion came to only those "in the family". In the smash hit Goodfellas, Martin Scorsese sketches it out for through his character Henry Hill, who can never become a "made guy" on account of his Irish roots. The reasoning behind all of this was the shared community experience, based on ethnicity, ensured respect for the gangs core principles and protected against outside infiltration from cops or "others". Similar traditions were embedded into other gangs, be they Chinese, Russian, East Indian, Vietnamese, or Irish.

Nowadays, the big gang making many of the waves around the city is the UN gang. Modeled on the Italian Mafia with initiation inspiration taken from the Chinese Triads, this new gang has grown from a handful of Abbotsford high school friends into a potent criminal organization employing around 50-100 core members and hundreds of other associates in the space of a decade. They deal predominately in exporting and selling pot and cocaine, but also have been known to dabble in extortion, kidnapping, weapons trafficking and cross border drug trafficking.

What makes the UN gang so interesting, is their apparent departure from traditional single ethnic membership into a multicultural gang that recruits players of East Indian, Caucasian, Persian and Asian backgrounds. A recent picture of the gang published in 24 hours shows the diversity of their membership.

The UN gang's success in creating an organization that's able to connect its members through mutual interest (ie criminal interest) rather than blood. It's a good bet that their diversity has helped them penetrate a variety of communities that would otherwise be off-limits if they were a uni-ethnic gang. This type of multiculturalism is the darkside of building community. But its also interesting that it would come out of Vancouver and the Lower Mainland, a place where we've had ethnic and cultural mingling for several generations. Will older style gangs embrace this new organizational model? Two generations from now, on the hit TV vid "Sopranos 2050" will Tony Soprano III defer to his made guy and conciliar Jon Ca Lee?