Capilano Courier | Vol 54, Issue 5

Alisha Samnani (she/her) Editor-in-Chief

Take a Ten-Minute Break. Seriously.

“Time for a ten-minute break!”

This is one of the most common phrases I hear from my friends. Why? Well, because they know that my learned instinct is to work myself to the ground — even when I desperately want to take a nap.

From a young age, I understood that as a woman — a woman of colour, at that — I would have to work harder than everyone else. And I did. No matter what was asked of me, my answer was always yes. But why would it be anything else, when after every instance I pushed myself to the brink, I’ve been rewarded?

I had the formula down pat — never say no, work till you drop and make sure you’re doing the most; more than others, and more than what’s expected of you. If I did it right, I got external validation: the proud, beaming smile of a teacher or a gratitudefilled text from a friend that I built my self-worth around. And if I did it wrong? It only made it that much easier to learn where I could demand more from myself.

Whether it’s back to back Zoom calls, homework or non-stop emails — I often get an average of 50 emails in my work inbox each day, on top of my personal and CapU emails — many of us don’t get a chance to take a full break. If we do, we won’t always take it. We need to.

Once burnout gets its hooks into you, you can’t cure it by taking a long vacation, slowing down, or working fewer hours. Here’s my 2022 recipe for avoiding burnout:

1. Set Boundaries: I’ve started giving myself working hours — something helpful for freelance work like journalism — and set up appointment slots for meetings. I’m also saying no to checking work emails and taking meetings after certain hours, something I’ve been guilty of doing in the (recent) past.

2. Self Care: for me, this looks like being with nature, reading and doing yoga — oh, and that nap we spoke about earlier.

3. Last, but not least: taking those elusive ten-minute breaks.

It’s unrealistic to think the world will stop for our mental, physical and emotional wellbeing, but maybe we can learn to draw the line ourselves. So for now, don’t call me on a Friday afternoon — I’m off the clock.

STAFF

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Alisha Samnani (she/her) @alishawsamnani editor@capilanocourier.com

NEWS EDITOR

Bridget Stringer-Holden (she/her) @bridget_sh news@capilanocourier.com

INDIGENOUS EDITOR COMMUNITIES EDITOR

Matt Shipley (he/him) communities@capilanocourier.com

FEATURES EDITOR

Elliot White (they/them) features@capilanocourier.com

CULTURE EDITOR

Emma Mendez (she/her/they/them) culture@capilanocourier.com

OPINIONS EDITOR

Jayde Atchison (she/her) opinions@capilanocourier.com

COLUMNS EDITOR

DESIGN DIRECTOR

Valeriya Kim (she/her) @valerochkim design@capilanocourier.com

PRODUCTION ARTIST

Sara Nguyen (she/her) @sarasnnguyen production@capilanocourier.com

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Freya Emery (she/her) @freya.emery freyaemery@gmail.com

BUSINESS MANAGER

Gaby Salas (she/her) business@capilanocourier.com

COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

Andrea Gallardo (she/her) @andreagallardoval communications@capilanocourier.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Alexis Zygan, Jasmeen Kaur

CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORS

Alina Sandu, Alison Johnstone, C. Palomar Robisco, Janelle Momotani, Jason Low, John Pachkowsky, Michelle Lussier, Mikaela Johnson, Natasha Lee, Talia Rouck

FEATURED ARTISTS

Cynthia Tran Vo, Dallas McKinnon, Ian Kaart, Michelle Chau, Scott McDonald, Sol Yoon, Valentina Kruglikovskaya

COVER ART

John Pachkowsky

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CORRECTION NOTICE

In the December issue (Volume 54, Issue 4) of the Capilano Courier, the Features article "Issues with International Student Funding" on pages 26–28 was incorrectly attributed to Alexis Zygan. The contributing writer of the article is Sarah Rose.

THE CAPILANO STUDENTS’ UNION TURNS 50 SERIES #4

Past members of the executive reflect upon their time at the CSU, how it’s changed, and what they hope for its future

Cherian Itty (he/him) served as a Board of Governors (BoG) representative at the Capilano Students’ Union (CSU) in 2006, where he attended board meetings and was involved in CSU decisionmaking — even on non-BoG-related items, such as approving the budget as well as social justice issues.

Back then, the CSU was still part of the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) — a federation of student unions around the country — and was trying to strike an international student committee, which was big at the time.

Although they were one of 31 founding members, internal politics and corruption allegations that were made towards CFS executives caused the CSU, along with fellow founding member student union Simon Fraser University (SFU), to speak about leaving the CFS, as it wasn’t being run properly. “We managed to pull out in 2007-2008, I think,” said Itty. “They made it really difficult to defederate, but we managed to do it.”

At the CSU, Itty noted a good relationship between the hired vice-presidents (the executive) and the rest of the board. “We could see that some of the other student unions — who we met through the CFS — didn't have that kind of support,” he said, noting that in the other student unions, “the students were basically taking orders from the paid executives so to speak.”

At that point in time, the CSU wasn’t equipped to onboard international students into its culture and structures though, which was a bit of a challenge for him personally. “As an individual, I think the biggest challenge was the Canadian civic-political landscape. I was an international student, so everything was new to me,” he said. “It was a big learning experience — it’s very different from how it was, say back in India.”

He also found that there were issues with turnover, meaning that the students were very new to the world of student politics. “I think it still remains an ongoing problem,” he said, “by the time the students are ready to manage the executive, they move on.” However, during his term, Itty explained that the CSU was trying their best to implement structures so that new students — in their first, or in their final year — could come in and be able to direct the executives, as opposed to the other way around.

Other memorable initiatives during his term included laying the groundwork for the U-Pass and

trying to switch over to compostable food packaging, as well as the ongoing talk of getting a student union building and trying to re-organize the structure of clubs on campus.

He underlined the importance of having a seat at the table with whatever the university was working on, something he has recently been approaching from the other side as BoG Chair for the past two years. When he was a student, he had to fight for a seat at the table when discussions about compostable food packaging came up, even though it was regarding one of the largest causes of waste production on campus. Then, once gaining a seat at the table, there was the hurdle of being taken seriously by the BoG and the Senate. “I'm hoping it's much different now, but that was big back then,” he remembers.

During his term as BoG Chair, he’s done his best to ensure that the student representatives have space to share their thoughts. While the staff and faculty might have a slight difference of opinions, students often bring those unexpected kinds of questions and ideas, which are beneficial to the university.

Looking back to his student days, he realized he was punching way above his weight class. “Without fully knowing exactly what was going on, I seemed to have opinions, positions, and questions,” he said. “But, with hindsight, that's the way to do it.”

He knows that some students are worried that they will be seen as being too naive, but hopes that won’t hold them back because if they don’t ask, probably no one else will. “Ask embarrassing and destabilizing questions,” he advises. “We only have a short time to serve, on the Board or the Senate — there's no “bad” questions or “bad” opinions.

In the future, Itty hopes that the CSU will continue their advocacy regarding housing and transit, but also dream big in terms of on-campus offerings so that they can become a larger part of the university experience. “There is a large and a much needed space for the CSU to occupy, I'm hoping they can find ways to continue to do that for and enrich the student experience on campus — be it through housing or food and beverage or events,” he says, suggesting a student pub through the hospitality management program graduates. “I mean, starting a pub is just one small example, there’s so many more ways to step up,” he notes, excited to see where the CSU goes next.

Cherian Itty (he/him)

APPLICATIONS FOR OCEANWISE INNOVATOR LAB CLOSE JAN. 31

Open to all youth aged 13 to 30, the OceanWise Innovator Lab is a project-based competition welcoming both high school and university students, clubs, youth-led organisations and startups.

“We're trying to make it as accessible as possible to everyone — part of why we’ve made it online,” explains Scott Bohachyk (he/him), who manages all youth initiatives, including the Ocean Bridge program, mobile and online learning programs, partnerships and educational resources as the Director of Youth at OceanWise. “It’s inclusive by design, since youth from around the world are invited to apply, and all participants accepted into the program are eligible for funding to support their participation and the development of their innovation.”

This is the inaugural year for the OceanWise Innovator Lab, but there are plans to extend it into at least 2023 and 2024. This year, the focus is ocean plastics, but Bohachyk shared that there could be other topics related to OceanWise conservation strategy, such as sustainable fisheries, seafood, whales or sea forestation in the future. “Short answer is, I'm not quite sure what the topic will be for 2023,” he shares.

In January, February and March, OceanWise will be hosting a series of labs that will be open to everyone. Once those are completed, participants are expected to work on their project submissions, which will be reviewed by a panel of ocean health experts.

The top three participants will receive prizes of $2500, $1000 and $500 to help support their ideas, but Bohachyk hopes that if there isn’t a significant financial barrier, that some of the other ideas would also be implemented.

Applicants don’t need to have a set plan in mind or a brilliant idea prior to signing up for the labs. “We do expect that some

youth will join those labs just for general professional development and insight into the process of working through an idea,” he explains. However, at the end of the labs, it’s expected that there will be a more formal submission, if participants wish their ideas to be considered by the panel.

Although it depends on the idea, Bohachyk estimates that the labs should take about six to seven hours in total, and then another 15-20 hours would be reasonable to ensure that the submitted ideas are fully developed and ready to submit.

Communities that could be impacted by the resulting projects, such as Indigenous communities, will also be considered by the panelists in the environmental scan. “If, and when, any communities may be impacted, at the very least we’d reach out and have that conversation to ensure community buy-in before proceeding with any project," he said.

“OceanWise, in general, is committed to providing these opportunities for youth, and we hope that the first innovator lab results in some wonderful projects that spur action to protect and restore our ocean,” said Bohachyk, underlining the importance of creating opportunities such as this for young people with energy and passion who wish to make a positive change in the world. “I also hope that it might inspire other youth to look inside their homes and communities and schools to see what actions they can take as well.”

To sign up for the labs or find out more information about the program, see the OceanWise Innovator Lab webpage, ocean.org/innovatorlab/.

CSU DONATES $81,785 TO THE CAPILANO UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION

Awards of $200-$1000 available to Black, trans, two-spirit, non-binary and disabled students, as well as leaders working towards a more equitable, diverse and inclusive university

BRIDGET STRINGER-HOLDEN (SHE/HER) News Editor

“The Capilano University Foundation began in the early days of Capilano College — back in the 70s — and the idea around the foundation is to fundraise and support students and bursaries, scholarships and awards, and other capital projects and needs of the university to support students and the learning environment,” explains Jennifer Ingham (she/her), vice-president, university relations. There are several volunteer directors who help run the Foundation, and the money raised is dedicated towards the support of Capilano University (CapU) and its students.

On Dec. 15, it was announced that the Capilano Students’ Union (CSU) donated $81,785 to the CapU Foundation, as student leaders from previous years identified disproportionate financial barriers for Black students, T2SNB (trans, Two-Spirit and non-binary) students and disabled students. “With that in mind, we decided to create the fund that resulted in the donation,” explained Maia Lomelino (she/ her/they/them), the current CSU President.

“The CSU’s collectives committee acts as a roundtable forum for the elected liaisons representing students who face historical and ongoing barriers to high education,” Lomelino continues, “with special thanks to the 2020–2021 student leaders involved at the time: Feven Kidane, Black students liaison; June Reisner, accessibility justice coordinator; Chan Cardin, at-large board member; and Michaela Volpe, queer students liaison.” A leadership award was also set up for students who demonstrate leadership in creating a more equitable, diverse and inclusive university.

The CSU’s donation is endowed, meaning the principal will generate interest which will be used to fund each year’s awards. Currently, the CSU has more than $130,000 in their endowment fund, which

is held by the CapU Foundation. This should result in over five thousand dollars a year in interest to support students, and should last in perpetuity.

Although the CSU can manage their own financial aid — such as the U-Pass BC Hardship Fund — there are benefits to going through the CapU Foundation. The good rates of return on the Foundation’s endowed funds maximizes the amount available to students each year, as well as ensuring that there is a single process for CapU students to apply for scholarships, awards and bursaries.

The three new awards that will be distributed starting Spring 2022, are the “CSU Support Fund for Black Students” (from $250 to a maximum of $1000 per student per year), the “CSU Support Fund for Trans, Two-Spirit, and Non-Binary Students” (from $200 to a maximum of $1000 per student per year) and the “CSU Disability

Support Fund” (from $200 to a maximum of $1000 per student per year). All the support funds are available to full-time or part-time, domestic or international students. The “CSU Equity Leadership Award” is valued at $500, and will be distributed to two students a year, with preference that one is international.

Lomelino explained that the amount for each award was discussed at length — with advice from each board sponsor about the corresponding support fund — and is meant to meaningfully reflect the struggles of the group in question, while still maintaining a balance to ensure a reasonable number of students are able to access the funds each year.

Students can apply through financial aid, like all other awards and bursaries, and eligibility criteria are established through CapU Financial Aid and Awards. “The goal was to make sure it was easy

for students to self-identify and apply for financial support or be recognized for their leadership,” states Ingham. In the agreement, the CSU also set criteria for each award. “We met with the Financial Aid and Awards team to talk about a number of examples and scenarios to give them a good idea of how to implement our student leaders' visions,” explains Lomelino.

For the leadership award, students will need to apply; however, for the other awards, financial aid will identify eligible students based on their general application for financial aid each semester. “For a number of reasons and rights, it will be for students to self-identify,” Ingham continues. “It is an opportunity for people to identify, however they identify and for us to just support them based on that information.”

VIRTUAL WORK EXPERIENCE OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE THROUGH TALENT BASKET

Talent Basket is an online platform that pairs companies who need projects completed and students who wish to increase their digital skills through international work experience in fields such as marketing, market research or assistance with social media. What differentiates it from typical work placements is the fact that everything is conducted virtually — allowing students to work for companies overseas, while earning academic credit for their work.

Capilano University (CapU) signed an agreement with Talent Basket this fall, so that students in the Schools of Tourism Management and Outdoor Recreation Management were able to start accessing the program as a self-directed study. At the moment, there is one Bachelor of Tourism Management student, Tonia Zhao (she/her), who is a research intern for Meet and Greet Italy —an Italian destination management organization — through the program. Zhao had been talking to Stephanie Wells (she/ her), the Chair of the Schools of Tourism and OREC, about finding work experience before she graduated.

The reason for Talent Basket specifically is due to Wells’ connection with founder Jason Lin, whom she met through CapU’s connection with the Pacific Asia Travel

Association (PATA). “That’s where I met [Lin], learned about Talent Basket, and knew that I wanted to bring that connection of an international work experience to our students — helping to increase their digital skills and knowledge about working remotely,” explained Wells. “Because of the global nature of our industry, I liked the breadth of companies — everything from Guam Visitor Bureau, to Tourism Slovenia and Meet and Greet Italy.”

The directed study experience counts as an upper-level elective, available to any student in second, third or fourth year who has room in their program. Typically, this includes several hours a week over a three-month period that is not confined by the academic schedule. Talent Basket has access to an online portal called Orbis, where students can see available positions on an ongoing basis — allowing them to look for a job ahead of time to see whether there’s anything they’re interested in pursuing.

There will be info sessions for students in late January, and the number of students selected to participate in the independent directed study will depend on demand. “We're not sure what the uptake will be, but our goal right now is to to look at about six students each semester,” said Wells.

“We are under tremendous stress right now because of COVID and the continued pandemic. But, the industry will need leaders who are adaptable, who can create solutions and having an experience such as this just really helps with their competitive advantage. Digital is non-negotiable going forward, and our students need to know about data analytics, market analysis and working remotely to pull this information together.”

— Stephanie Wells

Zhao started her work placement in December, and will be continuing throughout the spring semester. Meet and Greet Italy is looking to expand their company to the Asian market, currently focusing on Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore. Zhao works about 15 hours a week, but is able to arrange her work around her schedule, as long as she is available for the weekly meeting, which is midnight Vancouver time, and nine in the morning in Italy. “What I'm doing is analyzing the Asian market to find out [the company’s] target market and what kind of tourism products they can develop, and then which is the best for Asian travelers.”

The faculty lead, Kash Mardhani, works with students who are interested in this opportunity and helps them set learning outcomes and work on their reflective pieces as part of the academic work for the course. On the Talent Basket side, talent captains help students through the company’s courses and certifications that students achieve along the way. “You come with the interest and some of those skills, but then you're also developing those skills in a very systematic way,” explains Wells.

In Zhao’s experience, the talent captains helped communicate between her and the potential employers, answering questions about the process, conducting the initial interview, and then also checking in throughout her work experience. She’s been working on the certificate program related to research, completing the TB Talks and a series of the quizzes which will earn her the certification.

“I’m graduating next year, so I wanted to have some work experience before graduation,” explained Zhao, highly recommending her Talent Basket experience so far. “It's a very unique opportunity to work for an international company and also earn academic credit — it's a win-win situation here.”

Although she didn’t have a marketing background, this position gave her the chance to learn marketing skills through her research. “At the beginning, I was kind of lost — when they assigned me the tasks, I didn't really know where to start… but you can always chat with someone,” she explained, noting that the company promptly answered any questions she had over WhatsApp.

Now that she’s been doing it for just over a month, Zhao is encouraging everyone to apply because of the competitive advantage it can provide. “It was a really good experience for me, it was really worth it,” she states. “It's really hard to get a marketing job if you don’t have the background, so I think this is a very good opportunity for students who want to do something different, or they want to try something they don’t really know about.”

To find out more about Talent Basket and the work experience they are offering to Tourism and Outdoor Recreation Management students, see CapU’s press release, or contact tourism@capilanou.ca or outdoor@capilanou.ca.

CANADA REVEALS NEW $40 BILLION INDIGENOUS CHILD WELFARE INITIATIVE

Recompense agreement between the Government of Canada and First Nations Leaders is underway

MATT SHIPLEY (HE/HIM) Communities Editor TALIA ROUCK (SHE/HER) Illustrator

A landmark agreement to the tune of $40 billion has been struck between the Government of Canada and First Nations Leaders, aiming to offer compensation to the children affected by Canada’s harmful child welfare system as well as funding a five-year deconstruction of the oppressive system it resides in.

The initiative is broken into two equal parts: $20 billion up-front as compensation, and $20 billion over the next five years as funding for the dismantlement and reform of the Indigenous child welfare system. Specifics of the payments have not yet been released.

While the agreement is still non-binding, and it needs to pass through the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (CHRT) and the Federal Court, hopes are beginning to rise as a possibility for real change finally lies on the horizon. The Government of Canada will release more details regarding qualification for compensation as the program is approved, and the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) estimates that upwards of 200,000 Indigenous youth will qualify. If the initiative is approved, it would be the largest of its kind ever to be passed in Canada.

Both parties have a deadline of Mar. 31, 2022 to finalize the agreement.

Currently entitled to compensation are youth on reserve and in the Yukon who were removed from their homes between April 1, 1991 and Mar. 31, 2022.

In addition, any Indigenous child, whether living on or off reserve, who was denied essential services by the Government from April 1, 1991 to Dec. 11, 2007 will also be compensated. Those affected by the Government’s “narrow definition” of Jordan's principle between Dec. 12, 2007 and Nov. 2, 2017 are additionally entitled to redress.

In 2016, the CHRT ruled that $40,000 be given to each First Nations child “unnecessarily” placed in foster care. Importantly, the individual compensation details of the agreement have not yet been released, but the expectation is that $40,000 will be the absolute minimum and some people could be entitled to more on a case-by-case basis.

Cindy Blackstock is the executive director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society. “The best apology is changed behaviour,” she said in an interview with Power and Politics. “We need to [...] have the courage as a country to embrace what hurts, implement the solutions, because when we do that, we not only benefit First Nations children, young people, and their families; we uplift the country in a big way, too.”

THE COURIER IS HIRING AN INDIGENOUS EDITOR

Responsible for assigning and editing news stories on a wide variety of topics from an Indigenous lens. Oversees editing and writing quality of the Indigenous section. Requires editing and writing experience, as well as knowledge and interest in a range of local and current topics. Must have the ability to convey information in a clear, concise and conversational manner. Strong research skills, including the ability to navigate online search engines, are mandatory. Must have the ability to interact professionally and build strong relationships with sources. Strong social media skills/experience is preferred. Required to attend Monday staff meetings, Tuesday pitch meetings and Friday proofreading sessions. Position is paid.

Email editor@capilanocourier.com with your resume, cover letter, and writing samples to apply.

FINAL YEAR FOMO

Students share their experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic and what they’ve missed out on

MATT SHIPLEY (HE/HIM) Communities Editor ALINA SANDU Illustrator

For many, it means quite a few missed opportunities as well — students have far fewer chances to go out and meet professionals in their field, attend job fairs, corporate events, and more. A large part of university is the establishment of strong industry connections, and in many programs, COVID has made that all but impossible.

Skyler Zondag (she/her) is a final-year Musical Theatre student, and the pandemic has completely changed the fabric of her program. Many of her rehearsals were done over Zoom, and the all-too-important facial expressions in theatre have become nearly impossible to convey to the audience with current mask requirements.

“Most of my work requires being presented to an audience, and with theatres unable to reach their full capacity, we can’t get the same experience [as we would have] pre-COVID,” said Zondag. “Last year was definitely a challenge with only half of my cohort being allowed on campus at a time, and because of that, we had to learn over half of our musical over Zoom.”

CapU’s School of Performing Arts relies heavily on in-person classes and hands-on experiences. As the pandemic continues, more and more students and professors in the Performing Arts jurisdiction have considered a solo online learning process to be unproductive, especially in the stage acting sector. With the sheer level at which everyone in a musical depends on everybody else, it is incredibly difficult to learn interactive group numbers alone.

A similar story is told in the Jazz program, where vocal ensembles have been severely affected by mask and distancing protocol. Due to the social distancing requirements in the 2020-2021 academic year, the only space big enough to accommodate vocal ensemble rehearsals was the BlueShore Financial Centre for the Performing Arts. Though the distancing regulations have relaxed, it is still extremely difficult to tune complex chords between vocalists with the distortion that the masks provide. Mackenzie Tran (she/ her), a fourth-year Jazz Vocal student, shares her thoughts on the pandemic.

“Although this was definitely necessary for the safety of the community, it unfortunately took a lot away from my experience in school as a vocalist,” said Tran. “Our performance opportunities were slim to none, and the masks massively changed the way we sound when singing, as well as the way we practice breathing techniques.”

There is still one semester remaining before she graduates, though, and optimism is key during hard times. “I've learnt a lot in my three and-a-half years but unfortunately feel like I didn't get as much out of it as I would have liked to. I'm hoping that this upcoming semester will allow us to have more performance opportunities and chances to play with others!”

Tran echoes a sentiment shared by many — that while life is difficult now, the future could hold any number of things. All of us have our own way of doing our part, and hopefully, it will bring the university — and the world — to a more stable place.

Though COVID-19 restrictions have eased significantly over the past year, limited programs at Capilano University (CapU) continue to offer fully-online classes only. For graduating students, the thought of ending their university life by sitting at home in front of a computer screen is a sobering thought — the university equivalent of ending an FI Grand Prix behind the safety car.

SAFER OR SORRIER?

As in-person classes return in force, many are as reluctant to return as they were to leave

MATT SHIPLEY (HE/HIM) Communities Editor

C. PALOMAR ROBISCO Illustrator

The conversation around COVID-19 has been constantly evolving and mutating ever since case number one, much akin to the virus itself. Through wave after wave, Capilano University has needed to constantly adapt its learning delivery and its safety protocol as it toes the line between the provincial health order and the university experience its students are paying for.

As a very arts-centric university, its decisions are further complicated by the numerous classes that are all but impossible to deliver online. Now, as the restrictions are finally beginning to lift, the university is facing a new problem: will its students feel safe returning to campus?

On Dec. 21, 2021, Dr. Bonnie Henry issued a letter to all of BC’s university presidents, strongly recommending that in-person classes continue as fully as possible through the Omicron-fuelled winter wave. She cited that universities were a low-risk environment, and that the increase in monitored social contact on campus would decrease the need for young people to gather maskless at parties and other social events.

A few weeks later, though, the issues with this order have already become apparent. The performing arts programs at CapU have been hit hard with COVID-19, most notably in the third-year Musical Theater cohort, where over half of the students contracted the virus within less than two weeks. Many other programs are not far behind as case counts rise meteorically across CapU’s in-person programs. Given the current university landscape in relation to COVID-19, some immunocompromised students feel as if the protocol is beginning to leave them behind.

Emilie (she/her) is a Creative Writing student who has been immunocompromised since she was young, and

exacerbated by chronic illness. “In some ways, I feel safe knowing that everyone had to declare vaccination status and that masks are required,” she says. “However, the idea of being around a bunch of young adults who could be doing anything [sic] in their free time stresses me out a bit.” She echoes a common thought: that no matter how much students see each other at school, the decline in off-campus contact will likely be much less sharp than Dr. Henry may think.

When asked whether the University has provided ample support for students who wish to remain online, Emilie stated: “I think there needs to be more options and more hybrid classes. Returning fully in person won’t work for everyone, and it will just make the teachers’ lives harder if we end up having to switch back online. There are definitely benefits to going back to in-person learning, but there needs to be a middle ground instead of a sway between one or the other.”

It’s important to note that universities across the world have a very difficult job to do in the current climate. The gray line between safety and university experience is a difficult one to tread, and one that the student body does not agree upon. It is, however, possible for the University to cater to both the COVID-careful population and the students who want to remain in person — a movement to blended learning will not be trivial, but as proven by the shift to online delivery back in 2020, it is very much possible.

CAM CURIOUS FEATURES

The influx of remote work has caused a lot of people to turn to the online world of cam modelling – but with all it’s popularity, there still lies heavy stigma

Rachel Weathers*, 23, muses about the possibility of entering the world of ‘cam work’. “I already have a decent setup and some lingerie my boyfriend bought me for Christmas,” she laughs.

Camming or cam modelling is a profession that has surged in the last few years thanks to the increase of remote work. The growing profession consists of creating an online presence and performing acts, often sexual, for paying viewers. Sites such as OnlyFans, Fansly and Chaturbate offer aspiring cam models safe and streamlined ways to find audiences and build a following.

“I want to do it. I know I can do it. I just don’t know what I’d tell people.”

Currently, Weathers spends her nights working as a server at a fairly busy restaurant, during the day she attends university, aiming to finish with a degree in criminal law. She also spends quite a bit of time with her live-in boyfriend, Ross*. “We’ve been dating for about 3 years now, we’re comfortable y'know? I don’t really want to do anything to fuck that up.”

There’s an ongoing stigma around camming, even in our current political climate. As much as the world seems sex-positive, most people still find it a little uncomfortable or “wrong” to engage in online sex work. Even going as far as to use the term “accountant” in order to mask the actual nature of

their jobs — a phrase that was essentially coined by the sex work community after Rocky Paterra’s musical TikTok went viral — explaining why he, as an actor, always tells people he’s “just an accountant” so no one will ask questions. Almost immediately, cam models flocked to this audio, posting videos of lip-syncs to the song while they comedically pretend to hide their setups. It’s become a tongue-in-cheek way people have started referring to sex work in general, in order to remain discrete.

Discretion seems to be an ongoing theme amongst people who decide to get into cam modelling. “I asked my boyfriend if he’d be comfortable with me trying to pursue it, and after sort of…mulling it over he said: as long as you don’t tell anyone about it,” Weathers says. “It got me thinking about how I’d start to navigate my life moving forward, who I’d tell, who I’d have to hide it from, the kind of lies I’d have to start weaving.”

It’s common for a lot of aspiring cam models to have fear of judgement going in — Reddit threads and comment sections on existing cam models’ videos are a screaming example of this. Scroll down any of these and you’ll find a plethora of people asking

ELLIOT WHITE (THEY/THEM) Features Editor JOHN PACHKOWSKY (HE/HIM/THEY/THEM) Illustrator

“They make, like, $3,000 a week. Sometimes I think - well, I could do that.”

“I want to be a cam girl, but how do I get started?”, “I want to do this! But I’m afraid of judgement.”

“He’s not judgemental – I think he just has some pre-programmed stigma. Hell, I have it too. Sometimes I scroll on Twitter and look at someone posed in a sexy way and think to myself

‘wow she must be desperate’ then I have to take a step back and actually realize why I’m thinking that way,”

In order to combat the fear of judgement, the topic of salary often floats around. It’s the first thing Weathers began talking about, and any quick google search will bring you immediately to articles about how much cam models actually make. A salary report curated for this year by readysetcam.com detailed the different kinds of sites available for aspiring cam models, as well as an outline of the average salaries, depending on how many hours you intend on working in the field.

The website even has a how-to guide on how to make money camming. The subject of money solidifies that it can be a “real job” — the idea behind it being “well, if I’m making a lot of money doing this, then it subverts the judgement around it.” The validity of this profession relies almost entirely on how much money you’re making, which is a completely capitalistic view and one cam artists are constantly fighting.

This is something that’s always on Weathers’ mind. “The last thing I want to do is tell everyone I’m posting nudes for money and it turns out no one wants them. If I get a following, it’ll feel like it’s

more legit…it’s just getting there that’s so daunting. I don’t want to put my relationship in jeopardy and have it be for basically nothing.”

Weathers goes on to explain that her boyfriend means well, he just clams up every time she brings up the prospect of moving forward with this endeavour. “He’s not judgemental – I think he just has some pre-programmed stigma. Hell, I have it too. Sometimes I scroll on Twitter and look at someone posed in a sexy way and think to myself ‘wow she must be desperate’ then I have to take a step back and actually realize why I’m thinking that way,” Fighting internalized “whorephobia” is just as important as fighting the externalized one you have to deal with. “I read online somewhere that your initial thought when dealing with something is your learned opinion and the follow up is your actual one – I have to apply that a lot whenever I consider doing this.”

Weathers’ situation is not an uncommon one by any means. The rise in cam modelling has definitely brought out an influx of people wanting to try it and having to overcome their own stigma — as well as their partners. “All in all I guess, no matter what I do, it’s gonna be a battle and a compromise. Either he’s gonna have to be cool about a lot of stuff, or I’m going to have to abandon this idea. It’s not going to be easy, and that’s something I have to come to terms with.”

*The names and details of the subjects have been changed to protect their privacy.

PLEASE HOLD

The Disconnect With Suicide Hotlines

Trigger Warning: This article touches on depression, self-harm and suicide ideation. If you or someone you know is in emotional distress, support services can be reached through The Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention Centre of BC, which offers around-the-clock support.

Support is also available through Canada's suicide prevention line at 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433), the Kuu-us Indigenous Crisis Line at 1-800-588-8717, or B.C.'s recently launched Wellbeing website. Other international suicide helplines can be found at befrienders.org.

ELLIOT WHITE (THEY/THEM) Features Editor VALERIYA KIM (SHE/HER) Design Director

“We’re here to help”

The words are massive, bold and a sickeningly bright yellow. They contrast against the grey background of the screen, illuminating Eric’s face as they stare at the Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention main website.

“Here to help, my ass.”

The Canadian Mental Health Association released a brochure last year outlining facts about Canadians and their mental healththey projected that about 1 in 5 Canadians personally experience mental illness in any given year. As we get deeper into the winter months, a lot of people can find themselves affected by mental health disorders. Feeling isolated, alone and with the added COVID restrictions increasing, it becomes even harder to reach out when you really need help.

Suicide prevention hotlines, also known as crisis prevention hotlines, are free numbers that people can call or text in times of need. They provide support, and the operators are often trained in the field of mental health. The volunteers and hotline operators give their time and energy to focus on helping those battling the difficult plights of depression and suicidal thoughts, but what happens when that help doesn’t work? Every system has flaws, but in a world where we like to idolize those who try to provide support, it’s easy to turn a blind eye to reality.

Eric Fraction*, 25, has been affected by mental health their entire life. From being treated for depression at an early age, to seeking help for suicide ideation as they reached their late teens.

“I’m the barcode friend,” they laugh, pulling up their sleeve to reveal a row of straight scars along their wrist. The nickname is derived from the barcode-like appearance of self-harm scars. “You gotta have a sense of humour with something like this, otherwise it’ll eat you from the inside.” They tap their fingers idly against the keys of their laptop — looking at them now it’s hard to believe they’ve ever been in crisis. They speak with confidence and joke about cutting themself without even flinching.

“I think I was at my lowest when I called in, I wanted to talk to someone who was gonna help me. I wanted someone to fix me,” says Fraction. It was a few years ago when they first called a suicide prevention hotline, looking for some kind of support. “I was literally going to off myself, and they just kept telling me to ‘do what makes me happy’.”

“It took about 45 minutes for them to actually reach me,” says Fraction, someone well-versed in the field of depression. “When I finally got through, they didn’t even try to acknowledge how I was feeling — they just kept trying to distract me.” Distraction can be an effective way to help someone cope with suicidal thoughts, but the issue lies with not listening when the person on the other line says it’s not working. “They asked me if I had anyone I talked to — clearly not, dude! I wouldn’t be calling this number if I did,” they say, “When I told them I didn’t…they sort of just..

stopped talking. It was a lot of ‘mhm’ and ‘ah, I see’ after that.”

This sentiment, unfortunately, is common among people who have chosen to call a crisis hotline. The Crisis Centre of BC has a 2.7/5 star rating on Google. Scrolling through the recent reviews brings you to a menagerie of mixed opinions. Some claim the operators were rude and distant, while others sing praises of support and care. It seems calling the hotline can be a bit of a gamble — but what is a gamble worth when a life is on the line?

“It’s the overwhelming feeling of walking on eggshells,” explains Sharon Power*, a former 911 operator, when describing what it’s like to have someone call in the middle of a crisis. “You need to do your best to sound calm and sympathetic, to try to negotiate information out of them, while working on getting information to officers on the road who are preparing their crisis response.”

Looking at both sides of the equation, callers and operators, it seems there’s a disjoint between the two. On one hand, many people feel dismissed by crisis operators, that their assistance isn’t what’s needed. But from the perspective of those working behind the phone, it can be a difficult task if you’re not given the proper training — or any training at all. “I don't recall receiving any specific training, or if we did, it was quite minimal and did not leave an impression on me,” says Power. “We received more general training on managing people in emotional distress, and taking control of the conversation.” Power goes on to divulge that her training was vague, and focused a lot more on the general crisis as opposed to specifically suicide and depression.

In fact, when looking at a few of the larger crisis hotline providers such as The Trevor Project, Crisis Centre BC, and ImAlive – there isn’t much in terms of requirements to volunteer. There is evidence that they provide a level of training, but none that exceed more than a few hours before they’re allowed to start taking calls. This is great if you’re looking for a high volume of ears to listen, but not if you’re looking for genuine support in a time of dire need.

This isn’t to say that it’s hopeless — it’s different from person to person. The reality is that there are no angels or demons when it comes to suicide prevention. The system itself is flawed, and it’s doing very little service to those who need it. A solution may start at getting medical professionals behind the phone, or those who have a level of real therapy training.

“I told my therapist after I called [the hotline],” says Eric as they close their laptop, the light from the screen quickly snuffed out. “She said that apparently they’re not allowed to give you advice — they’re just supposed to listen.” They smile, and it’s the smile of someone used to masking their depression. “Maybe next time I’ll talk to a brick wall. I’d probably get more help out of that.”

*The names and details of the subjects have been changed to protect their privacy.

TWO CREATIVES TO LOOK OUT FOR IN 2022

Celebrating these two creatives’ 2021 projects and keeping an eye on them for the future

EMMA MENDEZ (SHE/HER/THEY/THEM) Culture Editor

NATASHA LEE (SHE/HER) Illustrator

Megan (she/her) is a CapU Alumna who is making her mark in the writing and publishing world. She is also a former Courier editor. In late 2021, she was published in the fantasy anthology, “Retelling Her World,” published by Smashbear Publishing. Her flash fiction story “Sink or Swim,” explores environmental injustice in so-called Vancouver through folklore. When she isn’t writing, she spends her time editing fantasy and speculative fiction for Smashbear or for her own freelance editing work through her own business Fair Folk Editing.

Q: Can you talk a bit about being a part of this anthology? What does it mean to you? What does it represent for you?

M.A: I am a huge reader of fantasy fiction and I tend to only read fiction by women, femmes, BIPOC, because the stories that are often told by white men are ones I’m not interested in. Women, femmes, BIPOC, are often written as side characters with no personality and not much agency. And if there is a woman main character, often it seems like they are trying to make it appear more equal by having the woman character be a femme fatale, but not in a way that means anything. Just for the shock effect. So, for my story in the anthology, I wanted to take the femme fatale trope but have it be personified as the city. Not just because she is evil or a seductress for no reason, she’s doing it because she’s fed up with humankind as a whole. But obviously I chose a man to die in that story for a reason as well. It’s nice to be part of an anthology that is not centered around the male gaze.

Q: How do you think your piece subverts the trope of the siren, and why this particular fantasy trope or folktale being?

M.A: I didn’t want her to just kill men, I wanted to bring this idea and put it in the context of Vancouver, the city itself. And see how that myth would reflect in our own environment, and for me that had to do with pollution, littering, privilege and subverting the male gaze. Even though the story is from his perspective, he never has power or agency. He starts off under the influence, then under the influence of her. I really wanted to invoke the sea, which is heavily polluted around us. There are always oil tankers, or cargo traffic in the distance. I try to bring that into the story as well. I was thinking of various water myths, there are so many that are distinctive to different regions, peoples, cultures. I wanted one that was universal, and the siren is a myth that has appeared in almost every folklore, so I thought it was a good one to bring into Vancouver and show the city and the ocean’s wrath.

Q: Where does your love of writing come from? And where has inspiration been blooming from for you lately?

M.A: My mom was actually a writer, she wrote poetry and had won awards for it. She wrote a book and so my love of writing has come from her before anyone. One day I must have been 18, and I had borrowed books from the library, I had run out and the library was closed. So I thought, “okay, I’m going to start writing my own book then.” So I wrote a book, it was horrible! But that’s how I started. My inspiration nowadays is definitely still folklore. The story that’s actually in the book is from my graduating project at CapU! I had to write modern folktales, modern warnings that take place in a city that were flash fiction. I wanted to have the city of Vancouver almost be its own personality, its own character. So that’s where the story in the anthology came from.

Q: I know that you do freelance editing under Fair Folk Editing, and now you’re part of a fantasy anthology, would you say that you are enchanted by fantasy in the day-to-day? And how does fantasy fit into your life?

M.A: I am absolutely obsessed with fantasy from start to finish. I love folklore, I love any stories that have to do with vampires, or faeries, or monsters, anything with a little bit of magic. I actually didn’t think I loved or even liked reading when I was younger until I started reading fantasy, because the books they assign you in high school are rubbish and I couldn’t get into any of them, so it was steamy paranormal romance that got me into reading. Then, I extended from there into other genres. Even with my editing, I tend to edit speculative fiction or fantasy fiction. Actually, the anthology I’m a part of – I work for that publisher as an editor. So my life is surrounded by fantasy, that’s the way I like it!

Q: What are you working on right now or hope to in the near future?

M.A: I’m working on a manuscript that is a sapphic retelling of a Scottish myth that originally is about a guy who gets kidnapped by the queen of faeries, it’s a little bit different. She gets kidnapped by the queen of faeries and finds out the reason for her kidnapping and then they go and topple the monarchy. I love writing and love editing, it’s where my passion is! I didn’t think I could make a career out of it for much of my youth. But I said I was going to do it, and I am.

Megan Amato

Mauvey (he/him) is an alternative musical artist who blends various genres into creative, authentic expressions of love. His latest project, a mixtape titled The Florist, was released in late 2021, accompanied by a short film. Born in Ghana, but raised in the UK and so-called Vancouver, Mauvey continues to push the boundaries of the local and international music scene all while spreading love.

Q: How does love influence and or guide your art? How is this expressed in your most recent project, “The Florist”?

M: Love is the reason I quit everything else I was doing in my life, to focus on music. It really is the entire driving force. I want to experiment, I want to genre bend. I want to get on the biggest possible stages, all so I can just tell people, “hey, look, you’re important, I love you.” I wanted to make big radio friendly — easy to communicate songs, to communicate it to the most amount of people. With the project, I created a short film to go alongside it. Each of the characters are so extreme, they're not exactly me. But they are extreme versions of all parts of me. I’m trying to show each character’s love story, which is what it really is. They’re all different.

Mauvey

Q: I think we all define love differently, so what is the meaning of love to you? How do you define it personally?

M: To me that’s an impossible question — my whole goal in life is to try and distribute love. But to try and communicate the meaning of it is too much for me. I respect love so much that I think it’s too much for me to try and define it or to give it any particular meaning. I really feel like people don’t respect love enough. I think that they think they can just put it in a box, “this is what it means.” It has so many facets and some are rational, some are irrational. In some ways there’s a toxicity to the idea of unconditional love. If I had to answer the question, I would say it's everything. There’s so many facets, so many layers, so many variables, so many things to consider. I want people to feel loved, I want people to know they are important. I say that in every single show; “you’re important.” Because they need to know how crucially and uniquely important they are. So, for me, that’s distributing love.

Q: The shade mauve dominates your aesthetic, how is your aesthetic and the shade of mauve an expression of your authentic self? Or an aspect of your authentic self?

M: Realistically, that’s the question. It is myself. I’m obsessed with all shades of purple and when I dove into mauve, to me it’s the hardest colour to define. Is it a bit blue? A bit purple? A bit silver? It’s so many different things. And when you look at my music, is it a bit pop? A bit R&B? Or a bit soulful or afro? It is me as an artist. It’s the first thing, beyond my actual name, that made the most sense to me. Where my music is a bit this and that, I just said the phrase, “it’s a bit mauvey.” I felt so at home,, I felt “this is me.” My goal beyond talking about it, is to unofficially own as many shades of purple as possible. So whether you love me or hate me, love my music, hate my music, like my views, hate my views — when you see any shade of purple, you have to think about me.

Q: What was the creative process for “The Florist” like? And throughout the creative process, what was the most transformative moment and why?

M: I wanted to be myself above all. As an artist, I don't have a particular box that fit into, so I wanted to make a string of songs that have one consistent line through it, that is love, relationships. That’s what’s carrying through, at least lyrically. All I’ve done is dress those stories in different genres, sonically. You might hear a rocky guitar, or something that is more R&B and soulful. I think the transformative moment was when writing “Irrational.” I’ve spent so much of my life as a

people pleaser. I still struggle with that, but it was really cathartic to let myself know “you know what, I am who I am.” And irrational sometimes, is who I am. I’m only at this point now because I dreamed irrationally, to think that out of millions of people I could get a record deal, out of millions of people, I could play at a festival. So why do I punish myself, or buy into people’s opinions and judgements about how I live my life and make my decisions? That was a turning point. I never meant for it to be a mixtape as well, I was just in the zone recording a bunch of songs and when I put them all together they worked because I was in a very consistent frame of mind. Then I thought, “I’m just going to put these all out and at the end of the year into a mixtape.”

Q: How do you think you would present love in an upcoming project? How would you explore love in a different way?

M: I have a debut album coming out at the end of next year and I’m filming a feature film to go along with the album, creating a theater show to be a moving part to my tour.. There’s an idea to communicate in a bit of a different way. That’s the most that I can say right now. The main thing with this whole thing is communication, “how do I communicate this message, the most effectively to the most amount of people?” There's things that don’t change that one can do on an everyday basis. That’s being kind, saying thank you, telling people you love them, telling people they are important. There is a very everyday way to do what I’m doing that doesn’t need enormous creative thought, and schemes, and projects. It’s day in and day out, I just get to do music as a bonus.

Q: If you could show love to your past self or your childhood self, what would be the primary way that you would be doing that now?

M: I would actually tell myself the things I’m telling other people, “you are important.” And being kinder to myself. Someone asked me the other day what’s the difference between you and the Mauvey project? I really thought about it and in order for the Mauvey project to be a thing, I don’t sleep, I don’t eat a lot, I’m constantly travelling, I don’t invest incredibly heavily in my personal relationships, all because I'm trying to build this thing so I can communicate to more people. So I would definitely say your mental health is really important. To my younger self, “it’s okay to actually take some time out.” That “you’re not going to upset this person if you don’t do this and if you do that’s okay.'' The main thing would be to communicate and that it's actually okay to prioritize yourself at some point in this journey.

2022: THE YEAR OF THE COMMUNITY-BASED RESOLUTIONS

White allies, here are some beginning steps to the social justice work that must be done in 2022 onwards

ALEXIS ZYGAN (SHE/HER) Contributor MICHELLE LUSSIER (SHE/HER/THEY/THEM) Illustrator

It starts with an understanding that all issues are interconnected. We cannot address colonialism without also recognizing how it impacts the environment, human rights and food insecurity because they operate within the framework of oppressive systems that govern society. This also means acknowledging the role that privilege plays when we benefit from systemic oppression.

Kelly Chessman (she/her), the Education Initiatives Coordinator at the North Shore Restorative Justice Society, shared how white allies can stay committed to dismantling oppressive systems, and how maintaining self-compassion is imperative to social justice work. In her role, Chessman supports educational programs by acquiring resources to develop conflict management and build trust in interpersonal relationships. She is also a facilitator of the Youth Justice Lab, a program where youth and young adults discuss systemic issues and develop various strategies in the form of project ideas, to contribute to tangible change and community care.

When asked about approaching social justice work, especially for those who are new in the fight to combat colonial systems, Chessman pointed to the importance of starting with one’s interpersonal and community relationships. As she emphasized, collaboration is the backbone of radical change, coupled with recognizing values and how they shape one’s perspective on the colonially founded society we live in. “Something that really shifted my mindset was the realization that I am an individual, but I am nothing without my community,” explains Chessman. “We all need one another.”

As we navigate the pandemic, there has been a switch from an individualistic mindset to

doing what is best for everyone involved — staying at home, wearing a mask when in public and respecting personal boundaries. During this time, Chessman realized the importance of relationships and their impact on shifting to a community-focused approach. A question that followed this discovery is: how do I help others while also supporting myself?

because although you may not want to accept it, you’ve definitely benefited.

At times, those who express commitment to social justice work may receive backlash from people in their lives, whether that be from family or friends. When discussing social justice issues, one may feel frustrated or angry at someone who refuses to see beyond their colonial programming. However, Chessman has learned from personal experience that impatience is not an effective reaction when it comes to white allies trying to educate other white people.

Instead, she recommends approaching these situations with patience, openness and grace.

Especially when you’re trying to convince someone to empathize with a community, core values should be implemented as a guide for tackling conversations about human rights. Having a prepared list of responses in advance is also helpful.

It also helps to explore the mindsets that drive colonial ways of thinking. This can look like expanding your horizons by reading resources compiled and or written by authors that are BIPOC, queer or disabled. Or, by speaking to people who don’t have the privileged experience that white, cis, straight, able-bodied, and or neurotypical people have — while also recognizing how someone with white and other privileges, have caused harm and what actionable steps can be taken to towards accountability. As well as to uplift marginalized communities. This ongoing process relies heavily on practicing self-reflection and assessing how you benefit from oppressive systems,

Sometimes, as white allies, one occasionally slips up, says the wrong thing, or finds themselves burnt out. However, it’s important to remember that it’s a privilege to be able to step away from social justice work. And while white allies may feel burnt out, racialized communities and individuals have to carry this burden wherever they go, they can not step away. That is why, in one’s ongoing dismantling of internalized and external white supremacy and colonialism, searching for a community of people who can keep one accountable, is also essential. “I think it will only strengthen you because one person alone doesn't have all the answers,” says Chessman. One must also recognize that there will be obstacles.

It’s that time of year where people reflect on the past and set an intention to improve their future. In most cases, New Year’s resolutions are driven by selfimprovement. What if, instead of focusing on personal achievement, white allies worked to emphasize already existing community-based initiatives?

Not just in 2022.

VISION BOARD MAGICK: HARNESSING YOUR CREATIVITY FOR MANIFESTATION

You may have heard of the concept and practice of manifestation a lot lately. Maybe you’ve been seeing it on TikTok, heard about it through your friends or have been delving into spirituality and witchcraft yourself. However you’ve heard about manifestation, it’s no joke. It works, and can be a powerful tool to bring your dreams to life.

EMMA MENDEZ (SHE/HER/THEY/THEM) Culture Editor

New year, bolder dreams conjured

No more “someday,” the time is now. Manifesting with vision boards makes it that much more accessible and potent. But before you start trying to conjure whatever, there’s a few things to be cleared about what manifestation is, isn’t, and how it works (well, how I believe and have been taught it works).

As a witch and student of the occult, here is what my mentors, teachers, Isabelle Rizo and The Eckharts, as well as my own experience have taught me manifestation is and isn’t: manifestation is harnessing your desire, intention and vision to bring something into your reality. It is a powerful act of sovereignty proclaiming to the universe, yourself and the gods — whatever you believe in and work with — that your desires are more than worth being honoured.

What many people get wrong in the New Age spirituality community, is that aligned action is also required. You can’t just expect everything to come to you without any effort beyond your manifestation ritual, you have to meet the magic, or the energy, if that’s how you prefer to look at it, halfway. As much as it’s harnessing your desire, intention and vision, it’s also a co-creation of the spiritual, metaphysical, combined with tangible action.

Also important to note is that magic, spirituality and manifestation don’t take away the fact that there are systems of oppression at play in our lives. An example that I’ve seen online is that often white spiritual practitioners will say that manifesting financial abundance is just about changing your relationship to money, that it’s simply about mindset, erasing the very real barriers that exist for racialized and marginalized people.

Now that you have some basics, let’s get to it!

Step 1: Setting intentions & prep

Journal, talk it out or meditate on what you want to bring into your life. Ask yourself the following questions: How do I want to feel about my life in a few months or weeks? About myself? What do I truly desire? What has kept me from taking action toward it in the past?

Answer the questions you feel called to, then get out your candles (if that’s your vibe) and do a short grounding meditation (you can literally type that into YouTube) to get yourself ready!

Step 2: Writing it out

Now that you’ve identified what you want to manifest, comes one of the key steps, scripting it. Grab a piece of paper and write it out combining the present and or past tense (depending on what you’re manifesting). For example: I am a bestselling author, I found my dream apartment, my presence is enchanting, etc.

While you’re writing, focus on the vision and the feeling of having your manifestations in your life as if they were in the present moment. For the purpose of the ritual, they are.

Step 3: Choosing your medium

Will your vision board be a Pinterest board? A digital collage? Something more hands-on? Will you print it out? Your medium is important and should be chosen depending on what’s more accessible to you, but also what feels most authentic to you. Connection to your medium is important. Remember that this is a ritual, so your medium and connection to it impacts how successful your ritual will be.

Step 4: What to put on your vision board

Search for content that is aligned with your desires/what you want to manifest. For example: if you’re manifesting a new apartment, you’re going to be looking for pictures, words, lyrics, etc., of what you want the interior to look like. Maybe the type of building, style of neighbourhood, location, price, ambiance, etc.

Step 5: Putting it all together

Taking three deep breaths to ground (close your eyes while doing this if you like), say your intentions out loud while once again focusing on the feeling and the vision as if in the present.

Then start putting together your vision board using the pictures and other materials you chose, assembling your vision board while still focusing on the vision and the feeling. You can also continue to say them out loud or even play music that is aligned with your vision. Once you’re done assembling it, once again write down or type what you’re manifesting. Either writing them on the back of your vision board (if on paper/printing it out) or if you’re keeping it digital, you can type it on top of the images making it semi-visible but not standing out.

Step 6: Finding a place for your vision board

Now that you’ve made your vision board, you need to decide where it will go. This part will vary depending on your beliefs around energy and manifestation. For some it’s simply your desires being absorbed by your subconscious. For others it’s magick, or both. If you’re of those who go with the subconscious route, or a mix, you can put it up in a place where you are sure to see it everyday, several times a day. You can also use it as your phone or laptop wallpaper. For those who lean more into magick, you can glue it onto a page on your bullet journal (one you might not go to often), your grimoire or even placed inside an envelope on your altar.

Step 7: Making it come to life

Trust, believe and take aligned action.

OPINIONS

SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I VAN GOGH?

Save your money and support local artists

ALEXIS ZYGAN (SHE/HER) Contributor

Over the summer, Vancouverites had a chance to immerse themselves in the paintings of Van Gogh. The Vancouver Convention Centre transformed into a gallery with 300,000 cubic feet of projections animating classics such as Starry Night and Sunflowers with an accompanying soundtrack featuring music from classical composers. Before entering the exhibition room, attendees learn about the life of Van Gogh, including details about his lifelong struggle with mental illness.

Once inside, the video of the paintings spans thirty minutes and plays on a loop. Due to an enforced timed entry to maintain COVID protocols, attendees have just over an hour to immerse themselves in the exhibit. Other artists’ portfolios, such as Picasso and Da Vinci, have also been transformed into an immersive experience for audiences to enjoy worldwide. The technology used for these exhibits is Image Totale designed by Annabelle Mauger and Julien Baron.

The captivating large-scale moving images projected onto the walls and floor rivet the audience by highlighting brush strokes, details and colour. The Immersive Van Gogh exhibit costs anywhere from the standard $39.99 for the standard adult rate and runs up to $99.99 per person for a VIP package. The price alone is prohibitive, mainly because the collection on display isn’t original artwork, but rather a video compilation. Meanwhile, the fee to attend the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, and see the original Starry Night in person will cost an adult $25.00.

Even though some attendees can have emotional reactions to the immersive experience, it doesn’t compare to the experience of seeing a centuryold painting up close and personal. In addition, the entire concept of rebranding a traditional artist’s work through technology is a product of

commercialization. The creators of these exhibits are implementing new strategies to capitalize on the growing obsession of misunderstood classical artists. Especially Van Gogh, whose struggle with depression mirrors many individuals today.

Remember when the “art hoe” aesthetic became popularized by Tumblr culture in 2015? It seems that curators recognized the popularity and therefore capitalized on it by creating an exhibit and charging an exorbitant entrance fee — knowing that it would be shared widely on TikTok and Instagram Reels. I’ll say it once and I’ll say it again: art galleries and museums should be free. Furthermore, there is much debate surrounding whether commercialization ruins art. The Immersive Van Gogh exhibit is no exception to how money has turned into a catalyst for the digitalization of the artistic experience at the cost of its artistic authenticity.

On the other hand, the exhibit travels across North America, reducing barriers to access for those who cannot afford to purchase a plane ticket to see Starry Night in person at the MoMA. However, the digital rebrand is no replacement for seeing the painting in person. You cannot picture each brushstroke's precision, detail, and emotion in a slide show where each image only stays on the screen for a few minutes. For someone who doesn’t have a passion for art history, the Immersive Van Gogh exhibit may fulfill their desire for art. Meanwhile, for those who have studied these paintings in-depth, the display is lacklustre, dull and simply not worth the money. Despite including a section that goes in-depth into the story of an artist, there remains an absence of intimacy only achievable when faceto-face with a work of art that you have admired for years from a screen.

Save your money, attend a local art exhibit, and support a gallery struggling to stay open amidst rising rental prices. Some local galleries that come to mind are Crack Gallery, Slice of Life, Gallery Gachet, Griffin Art Projects and OR Gallery. Or instead, use the money you would have used for an entrance fee to Immersive Van Gogh and purchase art from a local artist.

I’ll say it once and I’ll say it again: art galleries and museums should be free.

OOPS, TRY AGAIN!

Uncomfortable situations find us all the time How do we deal with them?

MATT SHIPLEY (HE/HIM) Contributor

JANELLE MOMOTANI (SHE/HER) Illustrator

I distinctly remember a conversation I had recently with someone I’ve never been a fan of. It was a clear, breezy evening in October, in the outdoor section of a packedto-the-brim Browns Socialhouse. The music was loud, the conversations around us were louder, and my social battery was long since spent. The spider web-covered heat lamps glowed a dingy orange, in juxtaposition to the blue-white glow of screens below, belonging to my fellow

people who had tapped out of the dinner conversation long ago. Being the fast eater that I am, I had downed my hamburger ages ago, and was lazily picking at the last dregs of my lukewarm fries when he (we’ll call him Wayne) had to open his big mouth.

“So, my son has found himself a girlfriend,” Wayne announced, clearly not having finished his thought.

Now, I know Wayne well enough that I could pretty much predict what he was about to say. So, in true preventative fashion, and in what any onlooker would label as a “dumb mistake”, I put an honest smile on my face and interjected in the little pause between his words.

“Good for him,” I replied. “You must be proud.”

There was a beat of silence as he processed what I had said. As I probably should have mentioned before, we’re not alone at this table. It’s me, Wayne, and two other people — one of whom is quiet, and one of whom is very much the opposite (we’ll call her Deborah). A bit of a recipe for disaster, if you ask me, but who knew? Maybe he really was proud.

“Well, yeah,” he groused, hooking a hand behind his neck. “But… she’s Muslim.”

Yeah, I knew it was wishful thinking, too.

It was at this point that Deborah exploded, not quite literally, but as close as one can get. I’m talking spittle everywhere, fists on the table, fries shooting skyward like jumping beans, cheeks red like a California sunset. And, for a long moment, I was tempted to join her. I wasn’t about to let Wayne get away with such outspoken racism, especially not in a crowded restaurant. But, it seemed that Deborah was handling it, judging by the dozens of eyes now swiveled directly towards our table. So, to keep myself more or less safe from the downpour of irrational anger, I sat and spectated, analyzing what was working (not much), what wasn’t working (everything), and how I could possibly survive until the waiting staff brought the bill.

As much as I look back on that night with a pitiful sort of derision, it taught me volumes about the nature of debate. Sure, Wayne was racist, and what he said was indirectly meant to harm his son’s partner, but all that yelling, all that ad-hominem nonsense and the quintessential “shut up, you’re wrongs” were all for naught. Nothing Deborah did had any effect on Wayne’s position; in fact, it only made him angrier.

So how would I go about it?

It’s sad to think, but a lot of people are racist, or sexist, or LGBTQQIA2S+-phobic because that’s all they know. They feel attacked by other opinions, or they just haven’t caught up with the times. It doesn’t mean it’s okay — hell, it’s never okay — but if we don’t take the time to talk to these people, educate them, reorient their worldview and so on, they’ll never change.

A critically important thing to note is that marginalized communities and groups have been expected to educate the populace for a long time, and it takes an immense amount of emotional labour. White people have stolen a privilege that marginalized people don’t have — the privilege to step away. It’s not their fault that white people don’t understand the consuming scope of harm they have caused to others, and it shouldn’t be their job to educate anyone on it. If non-marginalized people are unwilling to speak out and take it upon themselves to learn and educate others, they’re part of the problem.

Fighting xenophobia with anger is like trying to fight sharks with seawater. I know, it’s a hell of a lot harder to speak gently to someone like that, especially if it’s you they’ve been putting down, but to me, even just instilling the idea of positive change in a person is worth an hour of stepping on eggshells.

Sometimes it’s as easy as saying “Hey, that wasn’t cool, let’s talk about why.” Sometimes, it’s a lot harder. And, with a few people, it’s next to impossible. The way I keep a cool head in these sorts of altercations is by telling myself that I don’t owe these people anything. I’m not doing it for their benefit; I’m doing it for the benefit of future people who that person might not microaggress because of our conversation. I don’t care what they say to me — I care what they don’t say to people who do.

If anger is a wildfire, kindness is a bucket. It might take a thousand bucketfuls of water before the fire is out, but every one of them gets you that much closer to peace. And that, to me, is worth it.

I know, it’s a hell of a lot harder to speak gently to someone like that, especially if it’s you they’ve been putting down, but to me, even just instilling the idea of positive change in a person is worth an hour of stepping on eggshells.

STOP TELLING US TO BE HAPPY

Is “good vibes only” the right way to live?

JASMEEN KAUR (SHE/HER) Contributor

VALERIYA KIM (SHE/HER) Design Director

At the end of the semester, I had many deadlines lining up, along with the impending stress of finals. It is common for students to feel worried and exhausted in a situation like this, including me. It just so happens that a few days ago, as I was scrolling through my Instagram feed, I came across a picture posted by someone with the caption “Positive vibes only”.

I kept on staring at the post for a while — not in a weird way, I promise. around us all the time. Unintentionally or not, this message makes people feel that their negative emotions are not valid and that they are wrong for feeling the way they are, which is wrong on so many levels. This has caused so many people to portray a false persona of themselves on social media, making others think that they are living “the life” and that is not a 100% true all the time.

The person who had posted this was looking right into the camera and smiling brightly. The picture itself is innocent enough. It’s hard to find anything wrong with something like that. Truly, there was nothing wrong with the picture, except the caption underneath it. The more I read the text saying, “positive vibes only”, the more I thought about the current mood I was in. I could not help but think, “what about my current vibe?”

I’m sure the person who posted that had no intention of making me feel this way, but we just need to see these kinds of texts or quotes for what they are. This is an example of toxic positivity. If you’re wondering what toxic positivity is, don’t worry, so was I.

I first came across the term in an article posted on MedicalNewsToday, and they defined it as “an obsession with positive thinking” — I think that sums it up quite well. Toxic positivity is when we try to deny the negative emotions we feel or someone else is feeling. It is the notion that suggests that one should feel only good things or solely have happy thoughts – that we should always search for the good when things feel bleak.

Now, imagine if you were just not having the best day and everywhere you go, people are telling you to stop feeling that way and instead to think of what good will come out of it. Even thinking about this situation feels weird, but this happens

We are human, and it is okay to feel negative emotions. Instead of feeling ashamed of them, we must embrace emotional complexity. What’s important is not how you want to feel, but THAT you feel. Take a moment to sit in silence and reflect on what you’re going through. While it will not immediately solve all your problems, it can surely help you understand your emotions and accept them as they are. Our lives are not Pinterest boards that have to look aesthetically pleasing and happy all the time. Instead, I like to think of it as a blank canvas which I am painting on. I will make mistakes, and I might not be able to always go back and mend them, but the fear of making mistakes shouldn’t stop me from painting.

I just need to remind myself that I do not have to pass someone’s “vibe check” to feel my emotions. They don’t matter — nothing’s stopping me from turning around and continuing with my life. Also, I hope that in the future when someone posts a picture of them smiling, they write in the caption “All vibes are welcome.”

UNFOLLOW ME, UNFOLLOW YOU

Let’s stop pretending to like people just for the sake of being polite

JAYDE ATCHISON (SHE/HER) Opinions Editor

ALISON JOHNSTONE (SHE/HER) Illustrator

Whether or not you have an Instagram or Facebook account, you are probably part of some Whatsapp group chat or email thread from your family back east. It’s no secret that social media has a huge hold on the majority of people that are privileged enough to have access to it. It feels like the only way to escape the social media grind is to pull an Into the Wild and go completely off the grid (minus the tragic ending, hopefully).

In tandem with the rule of social media comes the pressure to keep people around that add no positivity to our lives. It feels like I am in a constant battle with myself when I am scrolling through the feeds — reading my Great Aunt Sally’s posts about how hard it is to be a suburban housewife does not bring me any joy, yet I feel like it would be a great dishonour to my family to remove her from my friends list. The solution for this kind of scenario seems to be to soft-unfollow and mute the posts from our feed.

Most people have their own version of Aunt Sally or their elementary school BFF that turned to the dark side of pyramid schemes (oh sorry, I mean MLMs). We keep these people in our online presence because it’s easier than facing a conversation that begins with, “hey, did you remove me on Instagram?” Before this year, that question would have made my skin crawl clean off my body. I hate confrontation and would rather have walked directly into the ocean on a crisp -10 degree day than to have someone acknowledge that I removed them from my feed.

However, as much as I’ve disliked the last two years and the horrors we’ve all experienced, I do appreciate the lessons I have learned. When the world is crumbling before my eyes, it’s hard to see the importance of being polite for politeness’s sake anymore. It feels far too forced to allow someone access to my happiest moments, simply because they are well-liked by some mutual friends.

You don’t owe anyone anything. Multiple years of “friendship” with someone doesn’t mean they get to impact your mental health in a negative way. If a person has made you uncomfortable in-person or over the internet, you are allowed to remove them from your life.

If they are family, there is no written law that says you need to keep them in your circle. Sometimes blood-ties are not the safe space you need, and it’s okay to hold your mental health in higher regard than familial obligations.

It’s officially 2022, and I don’t know about you — but I’m feeling like it’s time to cut the toxicity directly out of our lives. If someone or something is not bringing us any happiness or pleasure, why the hell are we forcing ourselves into a constant state of negativity?

While the thought of someone confronting me about social media removals used to make me anxious, I am now jaded enough by the constant unprecedented times that I would be happy to explain to someone that social media should be what sparks joy, and that’s just not what they bring to the table (anymore). Instead of normalizing keeping people in our lives to make others happy, how about we try putting ourselves first? At the end of the day it’s just a website. It’s just a click of a button. And, when it comes down to it, it really shouldn’t be that big of a deal.

HOW LONG IS TOO LONG?

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but take down your decorations, like, yesterday

JAYDE ATCHISON (SHE/HER) Opinions Editor JASON LOW (THEY/THEM) Illustrator

There are only three types of winter-holidaycelebrating people: those that allow their decorations to linger well into the new year, those that tear down the lights and tree with fervor the instant all the gifts are unwrapped on Christmas morning, and those that live in a rational, well-timed universe and have perfectly mastered the post-holiday clean up.

I was exposed to the former two groups while I was growing up. One of my aunts kept her tree up all year round and it became a running joke in the family. Mind you, she took off the ornaments and lights so it was just a plain, plastic tree sitting pretty in the “good” living room. However, the most memorable Christmas I had was when my mother decided that the most convenient time to celebrate the festive cheer was through taking down the ornaments, deconstructing the tree and unplugging the lights the moment the last present was opened. The clock had barely struck ten in the morning and the only clue that Christmas had entered our house was through the nubs of candy canes hanging from our dropped jaws.

Neither of these options feel like true Christmas spirit, and the middle ground

must be found. There has to be some festive, but practical compromise. The line seems thin and quite gray — but the line most definitely exists. The formula is quite simple — all you need to do is find the perfect moment to not seem like a delayed Scrooge, nor a Christmas in July enthusiast. I love my mother and her nononsense cleanliness, but I want to live in a world where Dec. 25 is meant to soak in the coziness of everyone being off work for the day. We might not all live with our family or loved ones, so the days following “The Big Day” should be spent admiring the holiday cheer over beverages of your choice.

The calendar year wraps up a short six days after Christmas, so it only makes sense to extend the vibes a touch longer and reuse the same lights and pretty decor for a New Year’s Party. Part of me wants to encourage

taking down the Christmas decorations on New Year’s Day (while listening to Taylor Swift’s song with the same name) but I know that most people may not be in the best physical or mental state for that level of cleaning. If the late night/drinking folks understand anything, it’s that we may need the extra serotonin boost from the twinkly lights on Jan. 1.

Once the hangover clears (depending on age, this can be anywhere from 1-5 business days), the decorations should make their

way back into their storage units to collect dust for another ten or eleven months — but that’s based on when you feel the Holly Jolly spirit call out to you.

If your decorations are still catching serious airtime, I think it’s time to throw on an old school anti-establishment playlist on Spotify and commit to removing the holidays from your home. If the lights spoke to you last month, invest in some fairy lights and say it’s for the chic aesthetic, instead of a Kris Kringle one. Trees, lights, cards,

presents and fake snow on the windows should be taken down no later than Jan. 7. If you’re in denial about going back to work and missing the festivities for another year, take things down bit by bit instead of going completely cold turkey. Start with the disposing of the dying wreath and work your way up to feeling like a real adult, by storing the lights in a safe container that avoids tangles. Whatever you do, don’t fall into the trap of waiting so long you begin to justify keeping them up because “Christmas is just around the corner…”

COLUMNS

HOW BAYWATCH RUINED MY LIFE

I am not now, nor have I ever been, Pamela

Anderson

JAYDE ATCHISON (SHE/HER) Columnist

When I was hired to be a lifeguard at my local pool at 17, I was excited to get paid more than minimum wage in a fun environment. What I envisioned for myself was afternoons of saving lives and having a blast teaching swim lessons. The reality turned out to be pretty accurate, but with an added bonus of being made to feel like an object, knowing when it was time to protect myself, and discovering my boundaries.

Television, movies, and general media have a tendency to sexualize or romanticize lifeguarding — it’s all beautifully tanned people half naked, performing mouth to mouth and flirting with the locals. I hate to break it to you, and I know this might be a kick in the teeth for some, but that is not what real lifeguarding is like. More often than not, I am wearing my baggiest sweatpants and a hoodie, paired with socks and sandals. Instead of having dreamy, Zac Efron-looking guys coming up to me when I started out, I was constantly approached by older men that ignored basic social cues.

Being a timid female lifeguard brought a lot of unwanted attention along with it. It was a welcoming environment for this type of man, because I was new and didn’t know the rules. I had to endure unsolicited comments about my body, my bathing suit, and the way I walked. Through years of customer service training, I was taught that “the customer is always right” and the importance of remaining polite to the people paying to be there. It was so ingrained in my brain, I stayed quiet and mastered the awkward laugh that people do when they don’t know what else to say.

It took an incident that left me crying and hiding in the back room that forced me to reevaluate the way things were going. One of my supervisors came up to me and asked, “what would you say to him if you were on the street downtown?” I told her that I would use several

expletives and tell him to shove something...somewhere. She advised me to take five deep breaths, think of a way to say those things in a professional manner and approach the man and repeat it to him.

She was the first person in over two years that told me that it was okay to stick up for myself. She said the company would never reprimand me for standing up for myself against verbal or physical harassment. My shoulders creep up to my ears in discomfort when I think about all the things I let slide as a teenager. However, all my experiences have shaped me into the supervisor I am today — anytime I see one of my coworkers looking uncomfortable I approach them and ask for the story. A pattern I have noticed is an automatic, “oh yeah, this happened, but it’s okay.”

To this, I give a resounding: screw that. It is never okay for someone to grab you without your permission, make unwanted sexually-driven comments or demand personal information — especially when you’re trapped in your place of work. I make a point of educating all the new guards that they should be reporting anything to management and if they’re comfortable, to address the issue as soon as they can. Unfortunately, there is a lot of bureaucracy in a workplace like this, and if there is no documentation saying that a guard didn’t request the actions to stop, there isn’t much that can be done behind the scenes.

My job as a lifeguard is to ensure the safety of everyone in the building, not to be a mode of perverse entertainment. When I was 17, I thought if I was polite and smiled through it all, people would leave me alone. Twelve years later, and my work persona has hardened and shaped itself into a protective barrier. What started off as a job where I was simply guarding the lives of others — ended up being one where I am guarding myself too.

Check your sun (the sign everyone knows, identity, ego), moon (emotional), & rising (how you come off to others).

Dates for sun sign:

VIRGO

(Aug. 23 – Sep. 22)

Virgo, although difficult, what is being asked of you right now requires surrender of control and of the mind. The heart is still here, valiant and strong. Sometimes only the heart must be left to go into the cave.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23 – Nov. 21)

Strength requires you to trust yourself and the depth of your wisdom. Never allow anyone to dig into your soul only to excavate doubt.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 – Jan. 19)

Joy is so important this month, Capricorn. You need to be centering joy this month in order to unlock the creativity that you have so desired and have been missing in your life.

PISCES

(Feb. 19 – Mar. 20)

Music is such soothing medicine for you this month. Sometimes we have to allow ourselves to feel the harshness of winter. Just remember that spring is coming with brighter days ahead.

TAURUS (Apr. 20 – May 20)

There are beautiful and bountiful surprises here for you. This month is simply about allowing yourself to receive the love and care you more than deserve.

CANCER (Jun. 21 – Jul. 22)

It is time for you to take the bold and necessary steps towards what fulfills you. Playing it safe this month is required but only for a little while longer.

LIBRA

(Sep. 23 – Oct. 22)

Trust the path that you are on, Libra. The easiest path is not always the best. Allow surprises to blossom before your very eyes in the unknown.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 – Dec. 21)

Friends are here for you this month more than ever! Allow them to be there for you and to surprise you with their love for you.

AQUARIUS

(Jan. 20 – Feb. 18)

It is essential to cleanse uncertainty from your life this month. Whether it be in a friendship or any part of your life. There is no room for anything less than direction.

ARIES (Mar. 21 – Apr. 19)

This is a new beginning for you Aries, or it could be if you want it to. There is nothing stopping you from taking action on your desire for transcendence.

GEMINI (May 21 – Jun. 20)

Hope is blooming and warm in the palm of your hand. It will not burn you, there is no need to be cautious, simply say yes and conjure.

LEO (Jul. 23 – Aug 22)

The answers are approaching, dear Leo. Patience is required or you might miss exactly what you’ve been asking for. Knowledge is not always the solution to everything right away.