Police officers in Greater Victoria have been reprimanded and demoted over the past year for misconduct including using a Taser as a party trick, improperly investigating domestic violence, using a encounters during surveillance and the loss of a police badge.

The annual report released this week by the Office of the Police Complaints Commissioner, a civilian-run body independent of police and government, says there have been 735 complaints against the city’s 14 municipal police forces. province. More than half of the complaints were filed against the Vancouver Police Department, while 101 involved the Victoria Police Department, 48 complaints were filed in Saanich, nine in Oak Bay and seven in Central Saanich.

While the total number of complaints increased by 26% from 2020-2021, the number of misconduct investigations ordered by the Commissioner remained about the same at 264 in the 2021-2022 report.

The commissioner can open investigations into the conduct or actions of a police officer, even if no complaints have been filed by the public, and he can overturn conduct decisions already made in internal police investigations .

Police Complaints Commissioner Clayton Pecknold said the independent commissioner’s office is key to holding police accountable.

“Police institutions are strong and consistent advocates for their interests, with considerable access to the corridors of power within the levels of government,” Pecknold said in his report, which was tabled in the Legislative Assembly. “This access is often hidden from public view and far exceeds the access afforded to the average British Columbian; especially to those who are vulnerable or marginalized.

The Office of the Police Complaints Commissioner is one of three oversight bodies that oversee law enforcement in the province. The Civilian Review and Complaints Commission reviews the conduct of the RCMP, while the Office of Independent Investigations investigates police-related incidents of death or serious injury.

Police departments can also ask the commissioner to open an investigation into the conduct of one of their own.

In the latest report, the commissioner opened 56 investigations into officer conduct. A total of 37 of these investigations were requested by the police department where the officers worked.

The Oak Bay Police Department asked the Commissioner to open an investigation into the conduct of an officer that involved allegations of abusive and intimidating behavior towards a former common-law spouse and members of his family, as well as allegations of alcohol abuse on and off duty. , erratic behavior, an incident of physical violence and the inappropriate use of a conducted energy weapon, or Taser, on two occasions on house guests, with their consent, but for a purpose unrelated to the exercise of the functions.

The Police Act investigation has been suspended pending the outcome of a criminal investigation into the physical abuse incident. No criminal charges were filed against the member and the suspension of the investigation continued.

The investigation revealed that the allegations were well-founded and considered serious misconduct. The officer was demoted from sergeant to constable first class, barred from promotion for a year, and now requires approval from the Oak Bay Police Chief for consideration in future promotions.

The Disciplinary Authority found all five allegations to be substantiated and qualified the misconduct as serious. Arriving at a decision, the authority said, “Deploying AI as a party trick twice, repeatedly napping on duty without informing fellow shifts, disabling GPS on a police vehicle to conceal their comings and goings home, staying home for excessively long periods of time and displaying an inattentive attitude while on duty…sets a pattern of behavior inconsistent with the expectations the public and other officers place on a non-commissioned member superior.

Saanich police officers have been reprimanded and suspended after four investigations into substantiated allegations against them.

In December 2019, an internal investigation was opened into the conduct of a Saanich officer for dishonorable conduct at a labor-sanctioned Christmas party when the officer improperly touched a co-worker. The officer was suspended for 10 days without pay and ordered to undergo training on sexual and workplace assault and harassment.

In November 2020, another Saanich agent received a written reprimand for using a dating app while on drug watch duty.

A civilian said she met the officer on the app and the officer engaged in a phone conversation and met the civilian while conducting surveillance.

In arriving at a decision on discipline, it was noted that the officer’s lack of knowledge of the civilian and his involvement in a nearby drug investigation could have jeopardized the case. The authority found that the officer had momentarily lapsed in judgment and realized the meeting was not appropriate. The Commissioner reviewed the reprimand and determined that the discipline imposed was appropriate in the circumstances.

Two other Saanich officers received written reprimands – one for negative behavior toward others, including talking meanly behind people‘s backs, ignoring co-workers, unduly criticizing others for mistakes, and making sarcastic comments; the other for losing his police badge and not reporting it stolen until three months later.

A Victoria Police Service officer was found guilty of negligent duty and used abusive conduct and language during an August 2019 incident in what the commissioner described as an inadequate investigation into a report of intimate partner violence by the complainant’s ex-partner. The complainant also reported that the officer treated her in a degrading, humiliating and discourteous manner.

The Commissioner reviewed the complaint and determined that further investigation was required. Retired Provincial Court Judge Brian Neal was appointed to review the case and determined that the member had committed three instances of misconduct.

Neal said the officer failed to complete a “thorough, evidence-based and risk-focused investigation”.

Neal also determined that the officer “may have exhibited discourteous behavior towards the complainant” and that it appeared that the officer “treated the complainant in an oppressive manner using profane or insulting language that tended to to belittle or disrespect the complainant because of her sex”.

The officer received a written reprimand, a pair of two-day suspensions without pay and completed the training required by the Justice Institute of BC.

The commissioner also received three complaints about a VicPD officer using profanity and acting aggressively when arresting members of the public for carrying alcohol in the open during an incident in August 2019.

An initial police investigation found the officer committed no misconduct, but the commissioner appointed retired Provincial Court Judge James Threlfall to look into the matter.

Threlfall determined that the officer’s assault and repeated use of profanity constituted misconduct, saying the officer’s use of profanity turned a routine stop into a significant issue.

The officer was found guilty of discourteous conduct and received a verbal reprimand and had to take a course in police ethics and accountability.

dkloster@timescolonist.com

>>> To comment on this article, write a letter to the editor: letters@timescolonist.com

When you find that special someone, or someone you hope will become special soon, it’s easy to get caught up in the moment.

In the digital age, that might mean taking a sexy photo and sending it to someone you don’t really know. But as soon as you hit send, that photo may end up being seen by hundreds or even thousands of people — and your personal information may be exposed alongside your photo.

Dianna Vasquez, a woman from Maryland, trusted the wrong person and is now working hard to warn others on the dating scene so no one else ends up in her predicament.

“I really felt very violated,” Vazquez said. “[It was] a huge invasion of privacy.”

His TikTok video warning of where provocative images can end up has gone viral on social media. She made the video after finding a post offering nude photos of her and other women in online chat groups.

“In these groups, it was pretty much about photos and videos, all these explicit videos and pictures, videos and pictures, of women who were probably not consensual, like they hadn’t consented to ‘they get aired,’ says Vasquez.

She said she did not consent to her photos being shared. She also thinks she knows who posted the pictures of her and her info on social media — out of spite.

News4 found several chat groups where members, mostly men, share photos and other personal information of women they have dated.

The other members of the group can then choose who they want, like a menu.

“When I saw that, I was shocked,” Vasquez said. “Then I felt like it was dehumanizing. It felt like I wasn’t even a person. I was like an object for sale.”

Sharing information in these online groups can become even more dangerous, as chat group members may ask for phone numbers and home addresses of women whose photos are being shared. Some members pay for the information, while others offer to exchange photos of other women.

Vasquez says the thought of strangers in these online chats having her personal information is terrifying, and the lesson learned is a red flag that has put her love life on hold.

“When you date someone, you know, they know where you live,” she said. “They have your phone number, they have your social media credentials. This is the perfect candidate to put you on these sites.”

According to Detective Amanda Paris of the Fairfax County Police Department, not sharing explicit photos in the first place is the easiest way to ensure they never end up on one of those chat groups.

“You should never share private information or photos with anyone you don’t know,” she told News4. “The easiest way to avoid all of this is to not send it at all.”

But she says there are ways for women to retaliate if they find photos of themselves on a website or chat room.

“So what we would ask them to do is take a screenshot of it, to be able to capture that photo on this website. That allows us to be able to use it as evidence,” Paris said.

With the screenshot, save the URL of the website and the messages shared with it, then print them. Then contact your local police department.

In the meantime, after saving all this information on the message as evidence, you may be able to remove the photos:

• Login to app/site
• Find the image or video you want to report
• Click on the options ••• /settings/menu for the image
• Select “Report Content”
• Submit Report

You can also report the post to the website admin – sometimes they will delete the entire chat.

Dating can be dangerous, but there can be a way out of a bad situation. Consumer journalist Susan Hogan shows us how local restaurants and bars are helping to keep their customers safe.

And 48 states, including Virginia, Maryland, and DC, have laws against the nonconsensual disclosure of sexually explicit images and videos. This means you can sue anyone who posts photos or videos of you without your consent.

groups like the Cyber ​​Civil Rights Initiativefounded in 2013, have lists of laws that different US states have against what is called “revenge pornography” or “non-consensual pornography”.

This organization also provides legal information and resources to people in the United States who have previously shared photos that are now being shared without their permission. They are also related to other resources for international victims.

But it’s not easy to prove in court – so the best defense is to never send explicit photos in the first place.

As for Vasquez, her viral video drew thousands of comments from women thanking her for spotlighting the exhibit online.

“It took this viral TikTok to put us all in one place and say, ‘This is a big deal,'” she said. “Like, it’s huge and it goes so much deeper than we even think.”

Reported by Susan Hogan, produced by Ambar Rodriguez, and filmed and edited by Lance Ing.

Marshall, Texas- The Centenary men’s basketball team plays its first regular season road game on Saturday as the Gentiles take on the East Texas Baptist University Tigers in a non-conference contest scheduled for 5 p.m. at Ornleas Gym.

Live stats and live video are available for the game at the links below:

Statistics: https://www.gocentenary.com/sports/mbkb/2022-23/boxscores/20221112_5t23.xml

Video: https://goetbutigers.com/watch/?Live=1779&type=Live

The Gents (1-0) opened their season with a dominating 101-64 win over the Arlington Baptist University Patriots on Tuesday night in a non-conference game at the Gold Dome. Centenary defeated Arlington Baptist for the second consecutive season after recording an 87-77 victory on November 9, 2021 at home. ETBU will open its season on Saturday.

The series between the Tigers and the Gents dates back to 1946 and has been dominated by the Gents as they have won 32 of 41 all-time meetings. The teams met last season in Marshall as the Tigers recorded a rare 75-60 win.

Centenary scored 100 points for the first time since blasting Southwestern 105-69 last season. The Gents have passed 100 points in a game for the third time under head coach Chris Dorsey and Centenary have won 10 of their last 13 home games and Maroon and White are an impressive 25-6 in their last 31 home games dating back to the 2019-20 season.

The Gentiles got off to a flying start, sizzling 68.4% (26-38) in the first half to take a comfortable 59-32 halftime lead. Centenary then shot 37.2 percent (16-43) in the second half to take the win with 37 points. The Gentiles, who edged Arlington Baptist by 10 points (42-32) in the second half, shot 51.9 percent (42-81) for the game.

Centenary was solid from beyond the arc, going 13-31 for 41.9%. The Gentiles only went to the free throw line eight times and made four for 50%. Centenary outshot Arlington Baptist 49-41 and five players reached the double.

Senior F thomas thomas (Kilgore, Texas) led the Gents on offense with 24 points, one shy of their career high, when they were 11-16 from the floor, 1-2 from 3 and 1-1 at the line. free throws. He grabbed five rebounds and added four assists and a blocked shot in 27 minutes. Freshman G Cameron Walker (Bossier City, La.) scored 14 in just 13 minutes off the bench, shooting 5-8 overall and 3-4 from beyond the arc. He added three rebounds and two steals.

Junior G chris jackson (North Las Vegas, Nevada) also came off the bench and scored 13 points in a full 17 minutes. He, like Walker, was also 5-8 overall and 3-4 from beyond the arc. Jackson grabbed four rebounds, three assists and two steals. Junior G Jerrick Baines (Alexandria, La.) started and scored 12 in 26 minutes, going 5-9 total shots and hitting a pair of treys. He grabbed a team-high seven rebounds and provided six assists and four steals.

Senior G Kile Mingo (Cypress, Texas) scored 10 in 15 minutes off the bench as he hit a pair of treys and was 4-9 overall with three rebounds, two assists and a steal.

Senior G Tykeem Singleton (Fort Worth, Texas) and freshman G Quentin Beverly (Katy, Texas) each scored five points while Junior G Council Braeden (Rayne, La.) and senior F Joseph Wiggins (Bossier City, La.) each collected four. senior F Xavier Johnson (Baker, La.) scored three and junior G Coby Harris (Lafayette, Louisiana), senior G/F Willie Davis (Bronx, New York), and freshman G Dalyn Davis (Natchitoches, Louisiana) each scored two goals. Junior G/F dylan hooter (Mandeville, Louisiana) scored one and grabbed three rebounds in eight minutes off the bench.

Beverly grabbed a rebound and got an assist, Board had four rebounds with a block, and Wiggins got three rebounds. Johnson had three rebounds and two assists, Harris grabbed two rebounds, Wille Davis had an assist and a rebound, and Dalyn Davis had two rebounds.

Check out the full men’s season schedule here: https://www.gocentenary.com/sports/mbkb/2022-23/schedule

Admission is FREE to all Centennial Sports competitions. Live stats and live video feed are available for all Centennial Home Contests.

#GoCentenary #CTheOpportunity

CORAL GABLES, Florida. –The Gators women’s tennis program continued its strong singles play Saturday at the Miami Fall Invitational, sweeping Kentucky en route to six more singles wins.

Out of five games with the Wildcats, the Orange & Blue have dropped just one set in the afternoon. Carly Briggs, paired with Florencia Urrutia, put in a consistent 6-3, 6-3 performance to secure their victory. First-year student Rachel Gailis picked up her second victory of the weekend, beating Lidia Gonzalez with a quick 6-2, 6-1 match.

First-year student Anastasia Sysoeva was also dominant for the Gators, beating Makayla Mills: 6-4, 6-2, while Bente Spee also won a victory against Maialen Morante: 6-2, 6-0. Emilie De Oliveira found herself in a battle with Zoe Hammond, but opened up control with a 6-0 opening set. The Wildcat responded in kind, tonight the match behind a 6-2 second set, but De Oliviera kept her composure for a 6-1 third set and a match win. Elsewhere in singles, Sophie Williams also defeated Barry’s Xiyao Wang.

On the doubles competition side, two doubles teams from Florida have had victories in Coral Gables. The duo of Gailis and Spee managed to outlast Northwestern’s Justine Leong and Christina Hand 6-4, while Sysoeva and Sara Dahlstrom managed to hang on against Maria Shusharina and Jennifer Riester of Northwestern, 7-6 (4).

Action from the final day of Miami’s Fall Invitational resumes Sunday at 12 p.m. ET as the Gators are scheduled to take on Miami in singles action.

Singles day two
Carly Briggs def. Florencia Urrutia (Kentucky): 6-3, 6-3
Rachel Gailis def. Lidia Gonzalez (Kentucky): 6-2, 6-1
Anastasia Sysoeva def. Makayla Mills (Kentucky): 6-4, 6-2
Bente Spee def. Maialen Morante (Kentucky): 6-2, 6-0
Emilie De Oliveira def. Zoe Hammond (Kentucky): 6-0, 2-6, 6-1
Sophie Williams def. Xiyao Wang (Barry): 6-3

Day 2 Doubles

Briana Crowley/Sydney Pratt (Northwestern) defeated. Carly Briggs/Alicia Dudeney: 6-1
Rachel Gailis/Bente Spee def. Justine Leong / Christina Hand (North West): 6-4
Anastasia Sysoeva/Sara Dahlstrom def. Maria Shusharina/Jennifer Riester: 7-6(4)
Aino Alkio/Kiley Rabjohns (Northwestern) def. Emilie De Oliveira/Sophie Williams: 6-1

Day One Singles

Maria Shusharina (Northwest) def. No. 119 Alicia Dudeney: 6-4, 6-1
Carly Briggs def. Sydney Pratt (North West): 6-1, 6-2
Christina Hand (Northwest) defeated. Anastasia Sysoeva: 6-1, 7-5
Rachel Gailis def. Justine Leong (North West): 6-4, 7-5
Bente Spee def. Briana Crowley (North West): 6-2, 6-1
Emilie De Oliveira def. Kiley Rabjohns (North West): 6-2, 5-7, 6-2
Jennifer Riester (Northwest) def. Emma Shelton: 6-4, 2-6, 6-2
Sophie Williams def. Aino Alkio (North-West): 6-1, 6-2

The first day doubles

Alexa Noel/Audrey Boch-Collins (Miami) defeated. Carly Briggs/Alicia Dudeney: 6-3
Isabella Pfennig/Mia Mack (Miami) defeated. Rachel Gailis/Bente Spee: 7-6
Maya Tahan/Tatyana Nikolenko (Miami) def. Emma Shelton/Anastasia Sysoeva: 7-6
Sara Dahlstrom/Sophie Williams def. Xiyao Wang/Daniela Farfan (Barry): 7-6

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Shreveport– The Centenary men’s basketball program has announced its 2022-23 regular season schedule, as the Gentiles open their season at home against Arlington Baptist University on Tuesday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m.

Centenary is expected to play 14 home games, nine road games and two competitions on neutral ground. The Gents will prepare for the regular season by playing two exhibition games – Tuesday, Nov. 1 at LSUS (6 p.m.) and Monday, Nov. 7 at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (7 p.m.).

The Gents finished last season 13-13 overall and 7-9 in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play under head coach Chris Dorsey. Centenary has now finished .500 or better in all five seasons under Dorsey and made his ninth straight SCAC Tournament appearance. The Browns and Whites went 9-3 in the Gold Dome, continuing their recent stellar play at home as they are 24-6 in their last 30 home games over the past three seasons.

The Gents have established themselves as one of the conference’s most successful programs under Dorsey, winning 45 conference games over the past five seasons and their 38 wins in the 2017-21 season led the conference in that span. The Gents are now an impressive 25-13 in their last 38 conference games since Jan. 25, 2020. Centenary has made four trips to the SCAC Championship Game under Dorsey, and has also made two semifinal appearances.

Dorsey is 67-51 in five seasons at the helm, including an impressive 46-28 mark in the SCAC game. The Gents have won 13 or more games in a season four times under Dorsey and eight or more conference games three times. He led the Gents to their best season of the Division III era and one of the most successful seasons in program history in 2019-20 as Maroon and White won their first tournament title SCAC to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history, losing a heartbreaker, 83-81, to UT-Dallas.

The Gents finished 18-10 overall and went 15-5 in SCAC play (13-5 during the regular season) as the maroons and whites set Division III-era program records for single-season conference wins (15), winning streak (10), and single-season home wins (10) as the Gentiles went 10-1 at home. The SCAC tournament title also marked the Gents’ first men’s basketball conference title since 1980 when the Maroon and White won both the regular season and conference tournament championships while a member of the Trans America Athletic Conference (now the Atlantic Sun Conference). Centenary topped the individual SCAC playoff awards as Dorsey was named the 2019-20 SCAC Coach of the Year.

Centenary will play its first regular season road game at East Texas Baptist University on Saturday, Nov. 12 (5 p.m.) in Marshall, TX, then return home to face Louisiana Christian University on Wednesday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. then play a pair of matches in the Millsaps Tournament in Jackson, Miss. on Nov. 19-20, take a break for Thanksgiving, then take on Texas College at home on Saturday, Nov. 26 at 3 p.m.

The Gents will open home conference play on Friday, Dec. 2 against Trinity (7:30 p.m.), then face Schreiner on Sunday, Dec. 4 at 3 p.m., then play back-to-back non-conference home games — Tuesday, Dec. 6 against Millsaps ( 7:30 p.m.) and Belhaven University on Friday, December 9 (7 p.m.). Centenary then returns to conference play with games at Southwestern (Friday, Dec. 16 at 7:30 p.m.) and Texas Lutheran (Saturday, Dec. 17 at 4 p.m.). The Gents end the calendar year at home on Friday, Dec. 30 against Dallas (6 p.m.) and against Austin College on Saturday, Dec. 31 at 3 p.m.

Centenary will start the new year at home against St. Thomas (Tuesday, Jan. 10 – 7:30 p.m.) and Colorado College (Friday, Jan. 13 – 7:30 p.m.), then hit the road for games at Trinity (Friday, Jan. 20 – 7:30 p.m.) and at Schreiner (Saturday, Jan. 21 – 4 p.m.). The Gents’ final two home conference games are against Southwestern (Friday, Jan. 27 at 7:30 p.m.) and Sunday, Jan. 29 against Texas Lutheran at 2 p.m. for Senior Day.

The Gents are in Dallas on Friday, Feb. 3 at 7:30 p.m., then at Austin College on Saturday, Feb. 4 at 6:00 p.m. The Gents’ final home game will be a non-conference game against Patriot University at 7:30 p.m. afternoon, then they close out the regular season on the road at St. Thomas (Tuesday, Feb. 14 – 7:30 p.m.) and at Colorado College on Sunday, Feb. 19 (4:30 p.m.).

The 2023 SCAC Championship is scheduled for February 24-26 in San Antonio and hosted by Trinity University.

Check out the full men’s season schedule here: https://www.gocentenary.com/sports/mbkb/2022-23/schedule

Admission is FREE to all Centennial Sports competitions. Live stats and live video feed are available for all Centennial Home Contests.

#GoCentenary #CTheOpportunity

Bars. Parties. Volleyball teams. Dating apps. For singles, the question of where to meet is crucial.

“Am I really going to meet my wife at a grocery store?” asks Cole Barnett, a 27-year-old realtor and contestant on Season 3 of the Netflix dating show Love Is Blind. The supposed answer is no, no matter how often he roams the aisles of his local Trader Joe’s, eyeing both frozen Thai vegetable dumplings and other shoppers’ ring fingers.

That’s why, apparently, Cole and 29 other singles chose to seek love and not a crowded club or busy bookstore. Instead, they headed for “pods” just big enough to hold a couch and all their expectation, the person on the other side of a soothing, swirling blue wall is wedding material.

“There’s something about pods that really allows people to be incredibly vulnerable,” said Ally Simpson, executive producer of Love Is Blind.

The first four episodes of Season 3 of Love Is Blind were released on Netflix this week. For those who have managed to avoid the memes, the show puts singles in their 20s and 30s in small rooms called pods, where they talk to each other for hours without seeing each other. Until they get engaged, that is.

The show explores whether people can fall in love without the usual issues like age, height, or weight getting in their way. (It helps that most of the cast are labeled as conventionally attractive.) After meeting in person, the engaged couple spend time at a resort, live in shared apartments, and ideally walk to the altar. Since the show began in 2020, there have been four marriages, two of which ended in divorce. But it all starts with dates in the pods.

Each octagonal pod has one of the aforementioned sofas – gray and usually rounded or square – and a circular ottoman that rests on a long strip of dark red rug (red being a nod to love and romance) . Walls are plush, and pillows are usually a mix of earthy browns and reds. Although you can’t see it on the screen, each pod contains hidden snacks.

Simpson said there were two main goals in designing the pods: they have to be comfortable and they can’t be awkward.

“We want you to go there and feel like you’re at home, feel like you’re on a date and just be a comfortable place to be for a long, long time – they talk for hours and hours,” Simpson told me over the phone.

Some daters certainly feel comfortable. While most start out dressed in three-piece suits and silky semi-formal dresses, inevitably they begin to enter the pods in activewear, carrying their blankets and the signature gold metal tumblers that have gone viral. The Prim posture gives way to sitting on the floor or lying on the couch. Or, in the case of 29-year-old Pilates instructor Raven Ross, jumping jacks.

Although pods are sparsely provided, actors can ask producers for anything from more elaborate themed dates to facial masks to nachos. In the first batch of episodes this season, Ross brings yoga balls for her and her date (and later an exercise band). There was a silent disco where the actors could listen to music among themselves through headphones. Simpson even said there was a beach-themed get-together, including beach chairs, which didn’t make it into the season finale cut.

“If you’re going to marry someone, you want to know you can have fun with them,” Simpson said. “You want to know, do we connect on the music? When she gets her sushi, is she picky about what sauce was there or not? You want to create these experiences to try to learn the most possible on each other.”

talk to the wall

The larger color palette of the pods can be quite muted, but there is a noticeable bright band of color in each pod. The sofas face a blue wall that shines and swirls. Simpson said it was meant to symbolize the energy of the person in the adjacent pod, to help daters feel closer and less like they were just listening to a voice coming through a speaker from somewhere else. She said the show’s producers spent time sitting, staring at the wall themselves and wondering if it’s right for them.

“If it was just a white wall, you might feel like you were all alone in this room,” Simpson said. They landed on the blue tone of the wall as something inviting without being a distraction.

When it comes time to propose, most of the time couples get up from the couch and face each other through that blue wall.

As eager as couples are to get out of the pods and, you know, watch each other, for some, those pod conversations end up being the easiest part of the relationship. Season 1’s Mark Cuevas and Jessica Batten went through their share of turmoil — partly because Jessica was hooked up to another pod guy — but in a last ditch effort to reconnect, Mark tried to recreate the pod experience in their apartment.

The couple sat on opposite sides of a wall with candles, rose petals and fancy dinners, and as Simpson pointed out, that night was the night they finally decided to have sex .

“It can be scary to look someone in the eye and share something,” Simpson said. “It just makes you feel safe, like, ‘I’m just going to put it on the wall. I know someone’s on the other side, but I feel like I’m telling the wall.'”

Don’t panic when a voice behind the wall asks you to marry him.

When Col Walter retired he needed something to occupy his time and after witnessing the move of a historic house, Mr Walter decided there was a need to keep a record of old Cairns.

With no training or experience, Mr. Walter decided to start building miniature versions of historic buildings in Cairns.

It now has an exhibit at the Pier Shopping Center where people can wander through its display of miniature buildings dating from 1883 to the 1930s.

“I woke up one morning and saw an old building being demolished and I thought I’m going to rebuild this miniature house and from there I decided to start rebuilding Cairns in miniature,” he said.

“All buildings are made from a mixture of pegs, mixing sticks, matches, siding and cardboard.”

Over the past 12 years, Mr Walter has constructed hundreds of miniature buildings from Cairns’ past which he studies with the help of local libraries, historical organizations and photos of locals.

Mr. Walter is a Vietnam veteran who said working on his miniature village has helped his mental health.

“My doctor told me it was the best thing for my mental health because it gives me a reason to get up in the morning and chat with people who walk into the store.”

Companions and Trains

Cairns Model Railroad Club chairman John King said the club is not just about trains.

“At any given time, we could have half a dozen people here at the club house who would normally be at home watching TV,” he said.

“Instead, they’re here with other people having fun, it’s a great way to interact socially.”

Mr King said part of the fun was working with his hands so he could build something from scratch.

“I’m 80 and I think I’m as young as anyone in their 30s or 40s,” he said.

“I have a lot of fun making model trains and I also have a lot of fun watching our members build and play trains.”

The Cairns Model Railway Club recently found a new home at Raintrees Shopping Centre, and a new layout thanks to a high profile benefactor.

“About three weeks ago we moved and people can now see our facilities when they walk past to do their shopping,” he said.

“We have several great layouts which have all been donated, including our biggest layout which was donated by bush killer Major Les Hiddins.”

Planes, tanks and automobiles

Scott Collingwood hopes to start a model club in Cairns for anyone interested in building static models of aeroplanes, tanks and automobiles.

“There’s a social aspect to coming together to share and compare notes on what we’re working on,” he said.

“There are also the historical factors that we like to look for.”

Mr Collingwood said working on role models with like-minded people is good for his mental health.

“It’s rewarding because the more effort you put into it, the more reward you get.

“We hope to create a club that has a social aspect and is also a meeting of minds.”

A meeting of friends and minds

Beyond Blue’s senior clinical adviser, Dr Grant Blashki, said social connections can play an important role in helping with mental health issues.

“You don’t want to wake up in the morning with no plans and no real reason to get up, that’s not good for your mental health,” he said.

“When people get into a rut, their minds are just full of negative thoughts,” he said.

“A big part of healing from a mental health issue can be that beautiful creative absorption you get when you’re lost in something that’s practical or artistic.”

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A navy blue t-shirt reads “You don’t stay alone” in capital letters on the ground floor of the Schine Student Center. Along with sketches of Rosie the Riveter and quotes about pain and anger, this shirt is part of the latest exhibit for The Clothesline Project.

The Clothesline Project is a national initiative that aims to raise awareness about the prevalence and impact of sexual and relationship violence, said Kyra Birenbaum, peer educator at the Barnes Center. Survivors create a t-shirt as part of their healing process, which is then displayed for other survivors as messages of strength and to facilitate dialogue for those affected by abuse.

“Engaging in the stories of survivors who are brave enough to display their raw emotions, thoughts, and experiences is incredibly important,” Birenbaum said.

Each individual shirt color denotes some form of trauma, Birenbaum said. For example, a yellow shirt represents a survivor of physical assault or domestic violence while purple represents someone who survived an attack because of their sexual orientation.

The display is confined within a black curtain, with a trigger warning message outside, alerting viewers that the exhibit contains sensitive material.

Some of the shirt messages talked about specific instances of trauma, such as “I know you’ll never stop, so I’m just gonna fly away and be free in your words and actions.”

Others focused on the healing process. One t-shirt read, “Your past is just a reminder of your strength and courage, your potential and your purpose,” and another read, “I’m a survivor…I didn’t give up.” … I succeeded! Speak ! Fight against violence.

Survivors, Survivor Reps, and general supporters came together to decorate many of the project’s shirts at Sigma Psi Zeta’s philanthropy event.

“Students should participate to let others know that they have a support system on this campus and that there are people and resources willing to listen and help,” said Chelsea Kang, President of Philanthropy at Sigma. Psi Zeta.

Kang said the sorority’s philanthropic mission is to fight violence against women. They therefore decided to collaborate with the Barnes Center and its events for get-togethers and domestic violence awareness month. The Barnes Center set up the Project Clothesline exhibit in hopes that it will educate and raise awareness about sexual violence on the SU campus.

Birenbaum reiterated those goals and said it’s impossible to overemphasize the importance of events like these on campus in creating healing space for survivors.

“We need to give a platform and amplify the voices of victims, survivors and their loved ones who are too often silenced,” Birenbaum said. “By doing our part, we can help change the culture of rape that is so prevalent in our society and on our campus.”

Birenbaum emphasized the power this exhibit can have on survivors, allowing them to heal safely, as well as raising awareness in the campus community.

Viewers should give people space when watching the shirts and not draw attention to their reactions, Birenbaum said. The exhibit is meant to be a private experience that can be overwhelming, she said.

Abhishek Ramamurthy, a first-year graduate student, said that while it is difficult to hear from survivors of sexual trauma and domestic violence, it is very important to open up the conversation to raise awareness on campus.

Syracuse has been making a clothesline project display in various forms for over ten years. In the past, the exhibit has been shown in several locations, including the Panasci Salon at the Schine Center where the shirts were visibly hung on a clothesline, and not contained within a black curtain as they are this year.

This year’s current exhibition, with more than 30 shirts, will be in place from October 17 to 21 for students and visitors. Some students passing by the exhibit, such as sophomore Ana Acosta and junior Natalia Cardone, said they were happy to see an exhibit addressing this issue on campus.

“This posting is a really proactive form of talking about this issue,” Cardone said. “It’s so much better to see it in person than to see it on social media.”

Posted on October 18, 2022 at 10:28 p.m.