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Let's talk about poisonous mushrooms!
Janis McMath
Editor-in-Chief
hile your family may have been
cooking the best mushrooms
ever this Thanksgiving weekend, the BC
Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) was
alerting British Columbians about the
increasing threat of Amanita phalloides—
more popularly known as “death cap
mushrooms.’ This species is blamed for
about go percent of worldwide mushroom
deaths and has a fatality rate of 22 percent
among everyone. These mushrooms
thrive in wet conditions, so the heavier the
rainfall, the more calls about mushrooms
the BC Drug and Poison Information
Centre receives from citizens. On average,
the centre receives 200 calls per year about
mushroom poisonings, and about 27
percent of those calls result in “moderate,
severe, or potential toxic illnesses,”
according to the BCCDC. This year has
mostly been on par with recent years, but
this rainy June, calls were double their
average at 67 calls.
Symptoms show up 8 to 12 hours
after consumption and include low
blood pressure, vomiting, nausea, watery
diarrhea, abdominal pain, and dehydration
to name a few. These fungi also are fatally
deceiving, as the initial reaction can
subside after 24 hours and you can feel
healthy for up to 72 hours—but damage
to the liver and kidneys then begins
three to six days after consumption. Each
mushroom only has a few thousandths of
a gram of its poison (called amatoxins) but
it can still easily kill a person; a visit to the
emergency room is essential if this smooth-
capped killer is ingested. If you or someone
you care for has eaten this mushroom,
bring part of the ingested mushroom if
possible so that emergency workers can
diagnose the problem easily.
If youre walking in metropolitan
areas, it is likely you will see some as
Room 1020 - 700 Royal Ave.
Douglas College
New Westminster, BC, V3L 5B2
604-525-3542
Janis McMath
Editor-in-Chief
ie M editor@theotherpress.ca
Position Open
News Editor
© news@theotherpress.ca
Morgan Hannah
Life & Style Editor
AY M lifeandstyle@theotherpress.ca
Position Open
Entertainment Editor
M4 humour@theotherpress.ca
Christine Weenk
Layout Manager
M layout@theotherpress.ca
Lauren Kelly
Graphics Manager
& © graphics@theotherpress.ca
they are regularly
spotted with exotic
boulevard trees. In
previous years there
were exclusively
seen in metro areas
but are now being
seen in forests due
to ideal conditions
for spreading. If
you do see these
mushrooms, you
can either report the
invasive species to
the BC government
on their website for
them to get rid of
or you can dispose
of the mushrooms
yourself. To do so,
BCCDC recommends
obtaining a pair of
gloves and grabbing a
garbage bag. (While
touching these
mushrooms is not
fatal, you can never
be too careful when
it comes to such a murderous plant.) Then
throw them away in the garbage; avoid
throwing them in the compost as they could
grow and spread there. If you see death cap
mushrooms in your backyard, do not mow
them as you could be spreading the spores
of this nasty species with your lawnmower.
Ensure to remove them before mowing.
While this mushroom is native in
Europe and well recognized there, it is
an invasive species in North America—
arriving in the roots of non-native tree
species introduced in the 1960s and 1970s.
These mushrooms form a symbiotic
relationship (called ectomycorrhizas) with
these trees. They live on the host tree’s
roots for a period of 40 to 50 years before
emerging to grow perennially. Even if
you remove these mushrooms when you
see them, they can still regrow as their
@ theotherpress.ca
© editor@theotherpress.ca
¥ © /theotherpress
f/douglasotherpress
, Jessica Berget
> Assistant editor
"we. Massistant@theotherpress.ca
Sonam Kaloti
Arts Editor
Marts@theotherpress.ca
Matthew Fraser
Opinions Editor
M opinions@theotherpress.ca
Nhi Jenny' Vo
Production Assistant
Jacey Gibb
S Distribution Manager
Joe Ayres
Social Media Manager
mycelium (basically mushroom roots)
live on the roots of the trees they partner
with. Most of the trees these poisonous
fungi grow alongside are introduced
species—hornbeam, English oak, sweet
chestnut, beech, and possibly birch and
scarlet oak trees—but they have also been
observed to pair with a tree native to BC,
the Garry oak. While it is a problem that
these mushrooms are flourishing, it is a
hard problem to solve considering that the
trees they grow on are well loved, huge, and
increase biodiversity where they grow.
With such a notorious reptation,
you'd be curious as to why people are
ingesting them. Many cases are accidental
ingestions by children (generally two
thirds of mushroom calls to poison control
concern children five and under), dogs,
and amateur mushroom foragers. In
fact, atrend observed in North America
Colleen Vantol
Alexis Zygan
Contributors
Position Open
Business Manager
Athena Little
Udeshi Cover layout by
Seneviratne Janis McMath
Illustrators
Feature layout by
Position Open Christine Weenk
Staff Reporter
Mo Hussain
Sports Reporter
Craig Allan
CJ Sommerfeld
Staff Writers
Billy Bui
Arnaldo Fragozo
Staff Photographers
Jerrison Oracion
Jonathan Pabico
Brandon Yip
Senior Columnists
Photo-illustration by Janis McMath
showed that South Asian immigrants,
specifically Hmong people, had been
disproportionately affected by death cap
mushroom poisonings. The culture of
foraging plus the abundance of edible
mushrooms that resemble the death cap
in South Asia causes this community to get
poisoned often. Another cause is teenagers
and adults mistakenly trying to get high—
in recent years, the number of adults being
poisoned by mushrooms has gone up. This
spooky season, keep your eyes peeled for
these killers!
On to Cincinnati,
SAME
Janis McMath
The Other Press has been Douglas
College’s student newspaper since 1976.
Since 1978 we have been an autonomous
publication, independent of the student
union. We are a registered society under
the Society Act of British Columbia,
governed by an eight-person board of
directors appointed by our staff. Our head
office is located in the New Westminster
campus.
The Other Press is published weekly
during the fall and winter semesters, and
monthly during the summer. We receive
our funding from a student levy collected
through tuition fees every semester at
registration, and from local and national
advertising revenue. The Other Press is a
member of the Canadian University Press
(CUP), a syndicate of student newspapers
that includes papers from all across
Canada.
The Other Press reserves the right to
choose what we will publish, and we
will not publish material that is hateful,
obscene, or condones or promotes illegal
activities. Submissions may be edited for
clarity and brevity if necessary. All images
used are copyright to their respective
owners.
Janis McMath
Editor-in-Chief
hile your family may have been
cooking the best mushrooms
ever this Thanksgiving weekend, the BC
Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) was
alerting British Columbians about the
increasing threat of Amanita phalloides—
more popularly known as “death cap
mushrooms.’ This species is blamed for
about go percent of worldwide mushroom
deaths and has a fatality rate of 22 percent
among everyone. These mushrooms
thrive in wet conditions, so the heavier the
rainfall, the more calls about mushrooms
the BC Drug and Poison Information
Centre receives from citizens. On average,
the centre receives 200 calls per year about
mushroom poisonings, and about 27
percent of those calls result in “moderate,
severe, or potential toxic illnesses,”
according to the BCCDC. This year has
mostly been on par with recent years, but
this rainy June, calls were double their
average at 67 calls.
Symptoms show up 8 to 12 hours
after consumption and include low
blood pressure, vomiting, nausea, watery
diarrhea, abdominal pain, and dehydration
to name a few. These fungi also are fatally
deceiving, as the initial reaction can
subside after 24 hours and you can feel
healthy for up to 72 hours—but damage
to the liver and kidneys then begins
three to six days after consumption. Each
mushroom only has a few thousandths of
a gram of its poison (called amatoxins) but
it can still easily kill a person; a visit to the
emergency room is essential if this smooth-
capped killer is ingested. If you or someone
you care for has eaten this mushroom,
bring part of the ingested mushroom if
possible so that emergency workers can
diagnose the problem easily.
If youre walking in metropolitan
areas, it is likely you will see some as
Room 1020 - 700 Royal Ave.
Douglas College
New Westminster, BC, V3L 5B2
604-525-3542
Janis McMath
Editor-in-Chief
ie M editor@theotherpress.ca
Position Open
News Editor
© news@theotherpress.ca
Morgan Hannah
Life & Style Editor
AY M lifeandstyle@theotherpress.ca
Position Open
Entertainment Editor
M4 humour@theotherpress.ca
Christine Weenk
Layout Manager
M layout@theotherpress.ca
Lauren Kelly
Graphics Manager
& © graphics@theotherpress.ca
they are regularly
spotted with exotic
boulevard trees. In
previous years there
were exclusively
seen in metro areas
but are now being
seen in forests due
to ideal conditions
for spreading. If
you do see these
mushrooms, you
can either report the
invasive species to
the BC government
on their website for
them to get rid of
or you can dispose
of the mushrooms
yourself. To do so,
BCCDC recommends
obtaining a pair of
gloves and grabbing a
garbage bag. (While
touching these
mushrooms is not
fatal, you can never
be too careful when
it comes to such a murderous plant.) Then
throw them away in the garbage; avoid
throwing them in the compost as they could
grow and spread there. If you see death cap
mushrooms in your backyard, do not mow
them as you could be spreading the spores
of this nasty species with your lawnmower.
Ensure to remove them before mowing.
While this mushroom is native in
Europe and well recognized there, it is
an invasive species in North America—
arriving in the roots of non-native tree
species introduced in the 1960s and 1970s.
These mushrooms form a symbiotic
relationship (called ectomycorrhizas) with
these trees. They live on the host tree’s
roots for a period of 40 to 50 years before
emerging to grow perennially. Even if
you remove these mushrooms when you
see them, they can still regrow as their
@ theotherpress.ca
© editor@theotherpress.ca
¥ © /theotherpress
f/douglasotherpress
, Jessica Berget
> Assistant editor
"we. Massistant@theotherpress.ca
Sonam Kaloti
Arts Editor
Marts@theotherpress.ca
Matthew Fraser
Opinions Editor
M opinions@theotherpress.ca
Nhi Jenny' Vo
Production Assistant
Jacey Gibb
S Distribution Manager
Joe Ayres
Social Media Manager
mycelium (basically mushroom roots)
live on the roots of the trees they partner
with. Most of the trees these poisonous
fungi grow alongside are introduced
species—hornbeam, English oak, sweet
chestnut, beech, and possibly birch and
scarlet oak trees—but they have also been
observed to pair with a tree native to BC,
the Garry oak. While it is a problem that
these mushrooms are flourishing, it is a
hard problem to solve considering that the
trees they grow on are well loved, huge, and
increase biodiversity where they grow.
With such a notorious reptation,
you'd be curious as to why people are
ingesting them. Many cases are accidental
ingestions by children (generally two
thirds of mushroom calls to poison control
concern children five and under), dogs,
and amateur mushroom foragers. In
fact, atrend observed in North America
Colleen Vantol
Alexis Zygan
Contributors
Position Open
Business Manager
Athena Little
Udeshi Cover layout by
Seneviratne Janis McMath
Illustrators
Feature layout by
Position Open Christine Weenk
Staff Reporter
Mo Hussain
Sports Reporter
Craig Allan
CJ Sommerfeld
Staff Writers
Billy Bui
Arnaldo Fragozo
Staff Photographers
Jerrison Oracion
Jonathan Pabico
Brandon Yip
Senior Columnists
Photo-illustration by Janis McMath
showed that South Asian immigrants,
specifically Hmong people, had been
disproportionately affected by death cap
mushroom poisonings. The culture of
foraging plus the abundance of edible
mushrooms that resemble the death cap
in South Asia causes this community to get
poisoned often. Another cause is teenagers
and adults mistakenly trying to get high—
in recent years, the number of adults being
poisoned by mushrooms has gone up. This
spooky season, keep your eyes peeled for
these killers!
On to Cincinnati,
SAME
Janis McMath
The Other Press has been Douglas
College’s student newspaper since 1976.
Since 1978 we have been an autonomous
publication, independent of the student
union. We are a registered society under
the Society Act of British Columbia,
governed by an eight-person board of
directors appointed by our staff. Our head
office is located in the New Westminster
campus.
The Other Press is published weekly
during the fall and winter semesters, and
monthly during the summer. We receive
our funding from a student levy collected
through tuition fees every semester at
registration, and from local and national
advertising revenue. The Other Press is a
member of the Canadian University Press
(CUP), a syndicate of student newspapers
that includes papers from all across
Canada.
The Other Press reserves the right to
choose what we will publish, and we
will not publish material that is hateful,
obscene, or condones or promotes illegal
activities. Submissions may be edited for
clarity and brevity if necessary. All images
used are copyright to their respective
owners.
Edited Text
Let's talk about poisonous mushrooms!
Janis McMath
Editor-in-Chief
hile your family may have been
cooking the best mushrooms
ever this Thanksgiving weekend, the BC
Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) was
alerting British Columbians about the
increasing threat of Amanita phalloides—
more popularly known as “death cap
mushrooms.’ This species is blamed for
about go percent of worldwide mushroom
deaths and has a fatality rate of 22 percent
among everyone. These mushrooms
thrive in wet conditions, so the heavier the
rainfall, the more calls about mushrooms
the BC Drug and Poison Information
Centre receives from citizens. On average,
the centre receives 200 calls per year about
mushroom poisonings, and about 27
percent of those calls result in “moderate,
severe, or potential toxic illnesses,”
according to the BCCDC. This year has
mostly been on par with recent years, but
this rainy June, calls were double their
average at 67 calls.
Symptoms show up 8 to 12 hours
after consumption and include low
blood pressure, vomiting, nausea, watery
diarrhea, abdominal pain, and dehydration
to name a few. These fungi also are fatally
deceiving, as the initial reaction can
subside after 24 hours and you can feel
healthy for up to 72 hours—but damage
to the liver and kidneys then begins
three to six days after consumption. Each
mushroom only has a few thousandths of
a gram of its poison (called amatoxins) but
it can still easily kill a person; a visit to the
emergency room is essential if this smooth-
capped killer is ingested. If you or someone
you care for has eaten this mushroom,
bring part of the ingested mushroom if
possible so that emergency workers can
diagnose the problem easily.
If youre walking in metropolitan
areas, it is likely you will see some as
Room 1020 - 700 Royal Ave.
Douglas College
New Westminster, BC, V3L 5B2
604-525-3542
Janis McMath
Editor-in-Chief
ie M editor@theotherpress.ca
Position Open
News Editor
© news@theotherpress.ca
Morgan Hannah
Life & Style Editor
AY M lifeandstyle@theotherpress.ca
Position Open
Entertainment Editor
M4 humour@theotherpress.ca
Christine Weenk
Layout Manager
M layout@theotherpress.ca
Lauren Kelly
Graphics Manager
& © graphics@theotherpress.ca
they are regularly
spotted with exotic
boulevard trees. In
previous years there
were exclusively
seen in metro areas
but are now being
seen in forests due
to ideal conditions
for spreading. If
you do see these
mushrooms, you
can either report the
invasive species to
the BC government
on their website for
them to get rid of
or you can dispose
of the mushrooms
yourself. To do so,
BCCDC recommends
obtaining a pair of
gloves and grabbing a
garbage bag. (While
touching these
mushrooms is not
fatal, you can never
be too careful when
it comes to such a murderous plant.) Then
throw them away in the garbage; avoid
throwing them in the compost as they could
grow and spread there. If you see death cap
mushrooms in your backyard, do not mow
them as you could be spreading the spores
of this nasty species with your lawnmower.
Ensure to remove them before mowing.
While this mushroom is native in
Europe and well recognized there, it is
an invasive species in North America—
arriving in the roots of non-native tree
species introduced in the 1960s and 1970s.
These mushrooms form a symbiotic
relationship (called ectomycorrhizas) with
these trees. They live on the host tree’s
roots for a period of 40 to 50 years before
emerging to grow perennially. Even if
you remove these mushrooms when you
see them, they can still regrow as their
@ theotherpress.ca
© editor@theotherpress.ca
¥ © /theotherpress
f/douglasotherpress
, Jessica Berget
> Assistant editor
"we. Massistant@theotherpress.ca
Sonam Kaloti
Arts Editor
Marts@theotherpress.ca
Matthew Fraser
Opinions Editor
M opinions@theotherpress.ca
Nhi Jenny' Vo
Production Assistant
Jacey Gibb
S Distribution Manager
Joe Ayres
Social Media Manager
mycelium (basically mushroom roots)
live on the roots of the trees they partner
with. Most of the trees these poisonous
fungi grow alongside are introduced
species—hornbeam, English oak, sweet
chestnut, beech, and possibly birch and
scarlet oak trees—but they have also been
observed to pair with a tree native to BC,
the Garry oak. While it is a problem that
these mushrooms are flourishing, it is a
hard problem to solve considering that the
trees they grow on are well loved, huge, and
increase biodiversity where they grow.
With such a notorious reptation,
you'd be curious as to why people are
ingesting them. Many cases are accidental
ingestions by children (generally two
thirds of mushroom calls to poison control
concern children five and under), dogs,
and amateur mushroom foragers. In
fact, atrend observed in North America
Colleen Vantol
Alexis Zygan
Contributors
Position Open
Business Manager
Athena Little
Udeshi Cover layout by
Seneviratne Janis McMath
Illustrators
Feature layout by
Position Open Christine Weenk
Staff Reporter
Mo Hussain
Sports Reporter
Craig Allan
CJ Sommerfeld
Staff Writers
Billy Bui
Arnaldo Fragozo
Staff Photographers
Jerrison Oracion
Jonathan Pabico
Brandon Yip
Senior Columnists
Photo-illustration by Janis McMath
showed that South Asian immigrants,
specifically Hmong people, had been
disproportionately affected by death cap
mushroom poisonings. The culture of
foraging plus the abundance of edible
mushrooms that resemble the death cap
in South Asia causes this community to get
poisoned often. Another cause is teenagers
and adults mistakenly trying to get high—
in recent years, the number of adults being
poisoned by mushrooms has gone up. This
spooky season, keep your eyes peeled for
these killers!
On to Cincinnati,
SAME
Janis McMath
The Other Press has been Douglas
College’s student newspaper since 1976.
Since 1978 we have been an autonomous
publication, independent of the student
union. We are a registered society under
the Society Act of British Columbia,
governed by an eight-person board of
directors appointed by our staff. Our head
office is located in the New Westminster
campus.
The Other Press is published weekly
during the fall and winter semesters, and
monthly during the summer. We receive
our funding from a student levy collected
through tuition fees every semester at
registration, and from local and national
advertising revenue. The Other Press is a
member of the Canadian University Press
(CUP), a syndicate of student newspapers
that includes papers from all across
Canada.
The Other Press reserves the right to
choose what we will publish, and we
will not publish material that is hateful,
obscene, or condones or promotes illegal
activities. Submissions may be edited for
clarity and brevity if necessary. All images
used are copyright to their respective
owners.
Janis McMath
Editor-in-Chief
hile your family may have been
cooking the best mushrooms
ever this Thanksgiving weekend, the BC
Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) was
alerting British Columbians about the
increasing threat of Amanita phalloides—
more popularly known as “death cap
mushrooms.’ This species is blamed for
about go percent of worldwide mushroom
deaths and has a fatality rate of 22 percent
among everyone. These mushrooms
thrive in wet conditions, so the heavier the
rainfall, the more calls about mushrooms
the BC Drug and Poison Information
Centre receives from citizens. On average,
the centre receives 200 calls per year about
mushroom poisonings, and about 27
percent of those calls result in “moderate,
severe, or potential toxic illnesses,”
according to the BCCDC. This year has
mostly been on par with recent years, but
this rainy June, calls were double their
average at 67 calls.
Symptoms show up 8 to 12 hours
after consumption and include low
blood pressure, vomiting, nausea, watery
diarrhea, abdominal pain, and dehydration
to name a few. These fungi also are fatally
deceiving, as the initial reaction can
subside after 24 hours and you can feel
healthy for up to 72 hours—but damage
to the liver and kidneys then begins
three to six days after consumption. Each
mushroom only has a few thousandths of
a gram of its poison (called amatoxins) but
it can still easily kill a person; a visit to the
emergency room is essential if this smooth-
capped killer is ingested. If you or someone
you care for has eaten this mushroom,
bring part of the ingested mushroom if
possible so that emergency workers can
diagnose the problem easily.
If youre walking in metropolitan
areas, it is likely you will see some as
Room 1020 - 700 Royal Ave.
Douglas College
New Westminster, BC, V3L 5B2
604-525-3542
Janis McMath
Editor-in-Chief
ie M editor@theotherpress.ca
Position Open
News Editor
© news@theotherpress.ca
Morgan Hannah
Life & Style Editor
AY M lifeandstyle@theotherpress.ca
Position Open
Entertainment Editor
M4 humour@theotherpress.ca
Christine Weenk
Layout Manager
M layout@theotherpress.ca
Lauren Kelly
Graphics Manager
& © graphics@theotherpress.ca
they are regularly
spotted with exotic
boulevard trees. In
previous years there
were exclusively
seen in metro areas
but are now being
seen in forests due
to ideal conditions
for spreading. If
you do see these
mushrooms, you
can either report the
invasive species to
the BC government
on their website for
them to get rid of
or you can dispose
of the mushrooms
yourself. To do so,
BCCDC recommends
obtaining a pair of
gloves and grabbing a
garbage bag. (While
touching these
mushrooms is not
fatal, you can never
be too careful when
it comes to such a murderous plant.) Then
throw them away in the garbage; avoid
throwing them in the compost as they could
grow and spread there. If you see death cap
mushrooms in your backyard, do not mow
them as you could be spreading the spores
of this nasty species with your lawnmower.
Ensure to remove them before mowing.
While this mushroom is native in
Europe and well recognized there, it is
an invasive species in North America—
arriving in the roots of non-native tree
species introduced in the 1960s and 1970s.
These mushrooms form a symbiotic
relationship (called ectomycorrhizas) with
these trees. They live on the host tree’s
roots for a period of 40 to 50 years before
emerging to grow perennially. Even if
you remove these mushrooms when you
see them, they can still regrow as their
@ theotherpress.ca
© editor@theotherpress.ca
¥ © /theotherpress
f/douglasotherpress
, Jessica Berget
> Assistant editor
"we. Massistant@theotherpress.ca
Sonam Kaloti
Arts Editor
Marts@theotherpress.ca
Matthew Fraser
Opinions Editor
M opinions@theotherpress.ca
Nhi Jenny' Vo
Production Assistant
Jacey Gibb
S Distribution Manager
Joe Ayres
Social Media Manager
mycelium (basically mushroom roots)
live on the roots of the trees they partner
with. Most of the trees these poisonous
fungi grow alongside are introduced
species—hornbeam, English oak, sweet
chestnut, beech, and possibly birch and
scarlet oak trees—but they have also been
observed to pair with a tree native to BC,
the Garry oak. While it is a problem that
these mushrooms are flourishing, it is a
hard problem to solve considering that the
trees they grow on are well loved, huge, and
increase biodiversity where they grow.
With such a notorious reptation,
you'd be curious as to why people are
ingesting them. Many cases are accidental
ingestions by children (generally two
thirds of mushroom calls to poison control
concern children five and under), dogs,
and amateur mushroom foragers. In
fact, atrend observed in North America
Colleen Vantol
Alexis Zygan
Contributors
Position Open
Business Manager
Athena Little
Udeshi Cover layout by
Seneviratne Janis McMath
Illustrators
Feature layout by
Position Open Christine Weenk
Staff Reporter
Mo Hussain
Sports Reporter
Craig Allan
CJ Sommerfeld
Staff Writers
Billy Bui
Arnaldo Fragozo
Staff Photographers
Jerrison Oracion
Jonathan Pabico
Brandon Yip
Senior Columnists
Photo-illustration by Janis McMath
showed that South Asian immigrants,
specifically Hmong people, had been
disproportionately affected by death cap
mushroom poisonings. The culture of
foraging plus the abundance of edible
mushrooms that resemble the death cap
in South Asia causes this community to get
poisoned often. Another cause is teenagers
and adults mistakenly trying to get high—
in recent years, the number of adults being
poisoned by mushrooms has gone up. This
spooky season, keep your eyes peeled for
these killers!
On to Cincinnati,
SAME
Janis McMath
The Other Press has been Douglas
College’s student newspaper since 1976.
Since 1978 we have been an autonomous
publication, independent of the student
union. We are a registered society under
the Society Act of British Columbia,
governed by an eight-person board of
directors appointed by our staff. Our head
office is located in the New Westminster
campus.
The Other Press is published weekly
during the fall and winter semesters, and
monthly during the summer. We receive
our funding from a student levy collected
through tuition fees every semester at
registration, and from local and national
advertising revenue. The Other Press is a
member of the Canadian University Press
(CUP), a syndicate of student newspapers
that includes papers from all across
Canada.
The Other Press reserves the right to
choose what we will publish, and we
will not publish material that is hateful,
obscene, or condones or promotes illegal
activities. Submissions may be edited for
clarity and brevity if necessary. All images
used are copyright to their respective
owners.
Janis McMath
Editor-in-Chief
hile your family may have been
cooking the best mushrooms
ever this Thanksgiving weekend, the BC
Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) was
alerting British Columbians about the
increasing threat of Amanita phalloides—
more popularly known as “death cap
mushrooms.’ This species is blamed for
about go percent of worldwide mushroom
deaths and has a fatality rate of 22 percent
among everyone. These mushrooms
thrive in wet conditions, so the heavier the
rainfall, the more calls about mushrooms
the BC Drug and Poison Information
Centre receives from citizens. On average,
the centre receives 200 calls per year about
mushroom poisonings, and about 27
percent of those calls result in “moderate,
severe, or potential toxic illnesses,”
according to the BCCDC. This year has
mostly been on par with recent years, but
this rainy June, calls were double their
average at 67 calls.
Symptoms show up 8 to 12 hours
after consumption and include low
blood pressure, vomiting, nausea, watery
diarrhea, abdominal pain, and dehydration
to name a few. These fungi also are fatally
deceiving, as the initial reaction can
subside after 24 hours and you can feel
healthy for up to 72 hours—but damage
to the liver and kidneys then begins
three to six days after consumption. Each
mushroom only has a few thousandths of
a gram of its poison (called amatoxins) but
it can still easily kill a person; a visit to the
emergency room is essential if this smooth-
capped killer is ingested. If you or someone
you care for has eaten this mushroom,
bring part of the ingested mushroom if
possible so that emergency workers can
diagnose the problem easily.
If youre walking in metropolitan
areas, it is likely you will see some as
Room 1020 - 700 Royal Ave.
Douglas College
New Westminster, BC, V3L 5B2
604-525-3542
Janis McMath
Editor-in-Chief
ie M editor@theotherpress.ca
Position Open
News Editor
© news@theotherpress.ca
Morgan Hannah
Life & Style Editor
AY M lifeandstyle@theotherpress.ca
Position Open
Entertainment Editor
M4 humour@theotherpress.ca
Christine Weenk
Layout Manager
M layout@theotherpress.ca
Lauren Kelly
Graphics Manager
& © graphics@theotherpress.ca
they are regularly
spotted with exotic
boulevard trees. In
previous years there
were exclusively
seen in metro areas
but are now being
seen in forests due
to ideal conditions
for spreading. If
you do see these
mushrooms, you
can either report the
invasive species to
the BC government
on their website for
them to get rid of
or you can dispose
of the mushrooms
yourself. To do so,
BCCDC recommends
obtaining a pair of
gloves and grabbing a
garbage bag. (While
touching these
mushrooms is not
fatal, you can never
be too careful when
it comes to such a murderous plant.) Then
throw them away in the garbage; avoid
throwing them in the compost as they could
grow and spread there. If you see death cap
mushrooms in your backyard, do not mow
them as you could be spreading the spores
of this nasty species with your lawnmower.
Ensure to remove them before mowing.
While this mushroom is native in
Europe and well recognized there, it is
an invasive species in North America—
arriving in the roots of non-native tree
species introduced in the 1960s and 1970s.
These mushrooms form a symbiotic
relationship (called ectomycorrhizas) with
these trees. They live on the host tree’s
roots for a period of 40 to 50 years before
emerging to grow perennially. Even if
you remove these mushrooms when you
see them, they can still regrow as their
@ theotherpress.ca
© editor@theotherpress.ca
¥ © /theotherpress
f/douglasotherpress
, Jessica Berget
> Assistant editor
"we. Massistant@theotherpress.ca
Sonam Kaloti
Arts Editor
Marts@theotherpress.ca
Matthew Fraser
Opinions Editor
M opinions@theotherpress.ca
Nhi Jenny' Vo
Production Assistant
Jacey Gibb
S Distribution Manager
Joe Ayres
Social Media Manager
mycelium (basically mushroom roots)
live on the roots of the trees they partner
with. Most of the trees these poisonous
fungi grow alongside are introduced
species—hornbeam, English oak, sweet
chestnut, beech, and possibly birch and
scarlet oak trees—but they have also been
observed to pair with a tree native to BC,
the Garry oak. While it is a problem that
these mushrooms are flourishing, it is a
hard problem to solve considering that the
trees they grow on are well loved, huge, and
increase biodiversity where they grow.
With such a notorious reptation,
you'd be curious as to why people are
ingesting them. Many cases are accidental
ingestions by children (generally two
thirds of mushroom calls to poison control
concern children five and under), dogs,
and amateur mushroom foragers. In
fact, atrend observed in North America
Colleen Vantol
Alexis Zygan
Contributors
Position Open
Business Manager
Athena Little
Udeshi Cover layout by
Seneviratne Janis McMath
Illustrators
Feature layout by
Position Open Christine Weenk
Staff Reporter
Mo Hussain
Sports Reporter
Craig Allan
CJ Sommerfeld
Staff Writers
Billy Bui
Arnaldo Fragozo
Staff Photographers
Jerrison Oracion
Jonathan Pabico
Brandon Yip
Senior Columnists
Photo-illustration by Janis McMath
showed that South Asian immigrants,
specifically Hmong people, had been
disproportionately affected by death cap
mushroom poisonings. The culture of
foraging plus the abundance of edible
mushrooms that resemble the death cap
in South Asia causes this community to get
poisoned often. Another cause is teenagers
and adults mistakenly trying to get high—
in recent years, the number of adults being
poisoned by mushrooms has gone up. This
spooky season, keep your eyes peeled for
these killers!
On to Cincinnati,
SAME
Janis McMath
The Other Press has been Douglas
College’s student newspaper since 1976.
Since 1978 we have been an autonomous
publication, independent of the student
union. We are a registered society under
the Society Act of British Columbia,
governed by an eight-person board of
directors appointed by our staff. Our head
office is located in the New Westminster
campus.
The Other Press is published weekly
during the fall and winter semesters, and
monthly during the summer. We receive
our funding from a student levy collected
through tuition fees every semester at
registration, and from local and national
advertising revenue. The Other Press is a
member of the Canadian University Press
(CUP), a syndicate of student newspapers
that includes papers from all across
Canada.
The Other Press reserves the right to
choose what we will publish, and we
will not publish material that is hateful,
obscene, or condones or promotes illegal
activities. Submissions may be edited for
clarity and brevity if necessary. All images
used are copyright to their respective
owners.
Janis McMath
Editor-in-Chief
hile your family may have been
cooking the best mushrooms
ever this Thanksgiving weekend, the BC
Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) was
alerting British Columbians about the
increasing threat of Amanita phalloides—
more popularly known as “death cap
mushrooms.’ This species is blamed for
about go percent of worldwide mushroom
deaths and has a fatality rate of 22 percent
among everyone. These mushrooms
thrive in wet conditions, so the heavier the
rainfall, the more calls about mushrooms
the BC Drug and Poison Information
Centre receives from citizens. On average,
the centre receives 200 calls per year about
mushroom poisonings, and about 27
percent of those calls result in “moderate,
severe, or potential toxic illnesses,”
according to the BCCDC. This year has
mostly been on par with recent years, but
this rainy June, calls were double their
average at 67 calls.
Symptoms show up 8 to 12 hours
after consumption and include low
blood pressure, vomiting, nausea, watery
diarrhea, abdominal pain, and dehydration
to name a few. These fungi also are fatally
deceiving, as the initial reaction can
subside after 24 hours and you can feel
healthy for up to 72 hours—but damage
to the liver and kidneys then begins
three to six days after consumption. Each
mushroom only has a few thousandths of
a gram of its poison (called amatoxins) but
it can still easily kill a person; a visit to the
emergency room is essential if this smooth-
capped killer is ingested. If you or someone
you care for has eaten this mushroom,
bring part of the ingested mushroom if
possible so that emergency workers can
diagnose the problem easily.
If youre walking in metropolitan
areas, it is likely you will see some as
Room 1020 - 700 Royal Ave.
Douglas College
New Westminster, BC, V3L 5B2
604-525-3542
Janis McMath
Editor-in-Chief
ie M editor@theotherpress.ca
Position Open
News Editor
© news@theotherpress.ca
Morgan Hannah
Life & Style Editor
AY M lifeandstyle@theotherpress.ca
Position Open
Entertainment Editor
M4 humour@theotherpress.ca
Christine Weenk
Layout Manager
M layout@theotherpress.ca
Lauren Kelly
Graphics Manager
& © graphics@theotherpress.ca
they are regularly
spotted with exotic
boulevard trees. In
previous years there
were exclusively
seen in metro areas
but are now being
seen in forests due
to ideal conditions
for spreading. If
you do see these
mushrooms, you
can either report the
invasive species to
the BC government
on their website for
them to get rid of
or you can dispose
of the mushrooms
yourself. To do so,
BCCDC recommends
obtaining a pair of
gloves and grabbing a
garbage bag. (While
touching these
mushrooms is not
fatal, you can never
be too careful when
it comes to such a murderous plant.) Then
throw them away in the garbage; avoid
throwing them in the compost as they could
grow and spread there. If you see death cap
mushrooms in your backyard, do not mow
them as you could be spreading the spores
of this nasty species with your lawnmower.
Ensure to remove them before mowing.
While this mushroom is native in
Europe and well recognized there, it is
an invasive species in North America—
arriving in the roots of non-native tree
species introduced in the 1960s and 1970s.
These mushrooms form a symbiotic
relationship (called ectomycorrhizas) with
these trees. They live on the host tree’s
roots for a period of 40 to 50 years before
emerging to grow perennially. Even if
you remove these mushrooms when you
see them, they can still regrow as their
@ theotherpress.ca
© editor@theotherpress.ca
¥ © /theotherpress
f/douglasotherpress
, Jessica Berget
> Assistant editor
"we. Massistant@theotherpress.ca
Sonam Kaloti
Arts Editor
Marts@theotherpress.ca
Matthew Fraser
Opinions Editor
M opinions@theotherpress.ca
Nhi Jenny' Vo
Production Assistant
Jacey Gibb
S Distribution Manager
Joe Ayres
Social Media Manager
mycelium (basically mushroom roots)
live on the roots of the trees they partner
with. Most of the trees these poisonous
fungi grow alongside are introduced
species—hornbeam, English oak, sweet
chestnut, beech, and possibly birch and
scarlet oak trees—but they have also been
observed to pair with a tree native to BC,
the Garry oak. While it is a problem that
these mushrooms are flourishing, it is a
hard problem to solve considering that the
trees they grow on are well loved, huge, and
increase biodiversity where they grow.
With such a notorious reptation,
you'd be curious as to why people are
ingesting them. Many cases are accidental
ingestions by children (generally two
thirds of mushroom calls to poison control
concern children five and under), dogs,
and amateur mushroom foragers. In
fact, atrend observed in North America
Colleen Vantol
Alexis Zygan
Contributors
Position Open
Business Manager
Athena Little
Udeshi Cover layout by
Seneviratne Janis McMath
Illustrators
Feature layout by
Position Open Christine Weenk
Staff Reporter
Mo Hussain
Sports Reporter
Craig Allan
CJ Sommerfeld
Staff Writers
Billy Bui
Arnaldo Fragozo
Staff Photographers
Jerrison Oracion
Jonathan Pabico
Brandon Yip
Senior Columnists
Photo-illustration by Janis McMath
showed that South Asian immigrants,
specifically Hmong people, had been
disproportionately affected by death cap
mushroom poisonings. The culture of
foraging plus the abundance of edible
mushrooms that resemble the death cap
in South Asia causes this community to get
poisoned often. Another cause is teenagers
and adults mistakenly trying to get high—
in recent years, the number of adults being
poisoned by mushrooms has gone up. This
spooky season, keep your eyes peeled for
these killers!
On to Cincinnati,
SAME
Janis McMath
The Other Press has been Douglas
College’s student newspaper since 1976.
Since 1978 we have been an autonomous
publication, independent of the student
union. We are a registered society under
the Society Act of British Columbia,
governed by an eight-person board of
directors appointed by our staff. Our head
office is located in the New Westminster
campus.
The Other Press is published weekly
during the fall and winter semesters, and
monthly during the summer. We receive
our funding from a student levy collected
through tuition fees every semester at
registration, and from local and national
advertising revenue. The Other Press is a
member of the Canadian University Press
(CUP), a syndicate of student newspapers
that includes papers from all across
Canada.
The Other Press reserves the right to
choose what we will publish, and we
will not publish material that is hateful,
obscene, or condones or promotes illegal
activities. Submissions may be edited for
clarity and brevity if necessary. All images
used are copyright to their respective
owners.