Statuesque: A sculpture displayed at the Royal Roads campus had people upset back in 2000. About three people, all displeased with both the silhouette of the sculpture (a nude woman’s backside) and the manner it was displayed (completely horizontal). In our March 6, 2000 issue, we covered why the Nicholas Dimbleby sculpture Afternoon caused an uproar. Afternoon was never meant to be displayed face down; in fact, in that form she appears drowning at her own hand as she sprays herself with a garden hose. No, Afternoon was to appear elevated so water does not stagnate, and instead trickles down from the stone garden hose she holds above her head. But, art is subjective. Indeed, especially to art installers.
The haunting on castle hill: Beyond whale watching and Chinatown, Victoria’s tourist industry offers ghosts. And there are many to keep a third eye on. In this issue, we covered the spirits who linger around the city, namely at the Craigdarroch and Hatley castles. The Dunsmuirs particularly are accused of returning from the dead, to haunt over their wildly extravagant homes-turned-museums. Many volunteers and groundskeepers were even said to be apprehensive when entering certain rooms with peculiar smells and ambience. But if anyone is to spend $185,000 to $500,000 on a castle’s construction, they would earn the right to haunt however they choose.
Women’s lib 2000: The back of our March 6, 2000 issue was uncommon. While the back page typically held space for advertisements or the events page, this issue held a proclamation. One for Women’s History Month. Covering the entirety it read: “Because women’s work is never done and is underpaid or unpaid or boring or repetitious and we’re the first to get fired and what we look like is more important than what we do and if we get raped it’s our fault and if we get beaten we must have provoked it and if we raise our voices we’re nagging bitches and if we enjoy sex we’re nymphos and if we don’t we’re frigid and if we love women it’s because we can’t get a ‘real’ man and if we ask our doctor too many questions we’re neurotic and/or pushy…and… for lots and lots of other reasons we are part of the women’s liberation movement.” A very long, very profound, run-on sentence.