Capilano Courier | Vol 54, Issue 7

Call It Like You See It

We’ve all had moments when we’ve felt disrespected or dismissed by authoritative figures, people who are meant to be there to help us on our way to success — not actively dismantle our path to success. For you, it may look like hypocritical diversity lectures, transphobic teachers or just plain disrespect. Each case is unique.

For people of colour, women, queer, trans and non-binary folks, it’s even worse. We’re used to being dismissed and needing to work harder than everyone else to accomplish the same things — all the while ‘tolerating’ the hateful rhetoric we hear around us.

Sometimes it can be hard to speak up. Maybe because you were too shy to speak in a classroom full of students. Maybe you didn’t feel equipped to confidently provide a rebuttal. Maybe it was just plain old apathy. And other times, maybe you were just too damn tired.

I don’t know about any of you, but I’m done feeling isolated and uncomfortable in my classes. I’m done having my lived experience taught to me for the sake of checking off a diversity box. I’m done staying quiet.

If you’ve been through it, you know the feeling when you’re about to call someone out: the anger, the racing heart and questioning everything the second before opening your mouth. It’s anxiety inducing every time. But you don’t have to sit back and let it happen—even though you’ll probably want to.

This is my reminder to all of you — students, staff, faculty, and especially all my fellow young people of colour on their way to success: if you feel like you should be calling someone out — do it.

Having to speak out against authority figures can feel lonely, especially when your peers stay silent. But you’re not alone— there’s probably tons of other students who are thinking the same thing you are, or don’t realize that they’re thinking it. Remember that you don’t have to act in the moment. You can chat with your instructors during a break, in office hours or after class in private if that’s more comfortable. Alternatively, you may feel safer voicing your concerns in front of your fellow students. Even if you choose to do nothing, you can speak out after the semester is over when you don’t have to deal with your instructor.

Either way, remember that no matter where you are in life, and no matter how much power anyone has over you — you’ve always had the authority to call someone out on hatred, ignorance or stupidity. The power is all in your hands, my friends — go forth and call it like it you see it.

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

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

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

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

BUSINESS MANAGER

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

COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

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

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Alexis Zygan, Avery Nowicki

CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORS

Alison Johnstone, C. Palomar Robisco, Hannah Bontinen, Jamie Kusack, Michelle Lussier, Mikaela Johnson, Natasha Lee, Sharleen Ramos, Talia Rouck

FEATURED ARTISTS

Geraldine Yaris, Mustaali Raj, Sara Nguyen, Scott MacDonald, Sophie Young

COVER ART

Talia Rouck

INTERESTED IN CONTRIBUTING? Visit www.capilanocourier.com/contribute or email editor@capilanocourier.com

INTERESTED IN ILLUSTRATING? Submit your portfolio or samples of work to design@capilanocourier.com

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THE CAPILANO STUDENTS’ UNION TURNS 50 SERIES #6

CSU president Maia Lomelino shares their successes of this year and their vision for the future

BRIDGET STRINGER-HOLDEN (SHE/HER) News Editor VALERIYA KIM (SHE/HER) Design Director

“I think that our major challenges are the relationships we have inside the university,” they said, noting that while the CSU has a collaborative working relationship with the university executives, they aren’t yet at that point with other CapU groups. “It’s challenging, but also very rewarding,” said Lomelino. “[Fostering those relationships is] a great part of what I do on a daily basis.”

Lomelino has been part of the CSU since 2020, when they served as the Women Students Liaison until being elected president in Spring 2021. Now, their duties include being the organization’s spokesperson, and providing direction to staff in decisions that need to be made on the spot, based on what’s already been discussed with the executive team and the set Annual Operations Plan and five-year Strategic Plan.

What’s been most rewarding to Lomelino has been seeing their advocacy and hard work come to fruition — especially when it improves the lives of Capilano University (CapU) students. Examples include increased accessibility to programs such as the Community Cupboard and Community Closet — students can anonymously pick up what they need on campus without a distressing disclosure process. “I’m very proud of the CSU and the work that we’ve been doing and what we’ve accomplished — it’s by far one of the best places I’ve ever worked and I feel a sense of pride to have been part of this,” they share.

On Lomelino’s future wishlist? Ensuring that all students know their rights, how to appeal, and where to go for support. “I think the campaign that I will love most is still upcoming… it's something that I'm really passionate about,”

shared Lomelino. The untitled campaign will ensure that students will understand when their rights are being infringed upon, how to stand up for themselves and what resources are available for them to do so. “That’s why we have a [students’] union, and I think it’s important to show students what their rights are, what is acceptable and what is not in the classroom.”

This is part of Lomelino’s aim to increase awareness about what the CSU board does. One option is to provide students with biweekly CSU board updates to supplement larger reports provided at the Annual General Meeting and Semi-Annual General Meetings, as well as promoting public input periods during CSU board meetings. At all board meetings, any student is able to voice their concerns for five minutes, and Lomelino hopes that if a student notices an issue, they feel comfortable enough to come to a meeting and bring it up. “I just would like students to know that we are herCSU Annual General Meeting to be held on Oct. 22 - Capilano Courier for them — if they’re lost and they don’t know what to do about something, we can [help].”

There are plans for a new student union building within the next six years to increase support space for clubs, gatherings and events, and increase community on campus. “When the CSU started [in 1971] it was more for clubs but it increasingly became more political and [advocacy-focused], so I think that's something that is going to be very prevalent in our future,” said Lomelino. They would like the CSU to continue reducing barriers to education, empowering students, and facilitating safe and inclusive student-centered spaces and infrastructure at the university.

“What I would most like students to know is that we are constantly working for them, even when they’re not seeing it,” said Maia Lomelino (she/they), Capilano Students’ Union (CSU) president. Everyone knows about the parties and events, but there is also a great deal of other work going on behind-the-scenes — things that maybe students don’t know are the CSU’s doing.

CAPU’S NEW EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION ADVISOR

WORKS TO FOSTER LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIPS THROUGH A COMMUNITY-BASED APPROACH

BRIDGET STRINGER-HOLDEN (SHE/HER) News Editor

Wayne Dunkley moved across the country to help reframe conversations around equity

Wayne Dunkley (he/him) has been thinking about equity long before becoming Capilano University’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Advisor last November.

Dunkley has been a university consultant for numerous years, working in Toronto prior to his arrival in Vancouver.

“As a consultant, I'm often just parachuting in when there's a big problem,” said Dunkley, noting that the short timespan of his visits felt inadequate when trying to change the ways people relate to each other. “Often when we think about equity, it's about sort of transferring information — like if we know all these things about these people groups, then you will “do equity” — I don't think that that really works in the long term.”

Dunkley found himself wanting a community-based approach, where he could help foster long-term relationships — something CapU’s advisor position had the potential for. “I was really interested in the team approach to EDI that [CapU] is working with,” he said. “For me, it was worth driving across the country for.”

Since it is part of Student Affairs, Dunkley’s role is primarily student-facing. He ensures to prioritize students by being available for conversations relating to EDI at CapU, whether that is a concern that a student may have relating to course content, or an interpersonal conflict. This could also include helping students through the formal complaint process.

Throughout March, Dunkley also held weekly conversations with students from various groups who shared their lived experience with attendees. The idea originated in February when two students shared what it was like being Black during Black History Month at CapU. This has since been extended to include conversations with those who are Indigenous, 2STNB and LGBTQ. Each conversation begins with students sharing their stories, followed by discussions about what those experiences meant to everyone else in attendance.

“I think creating opportunities for curiosity about each other is a really solid way to talk about equity, diversity and inclusion,” said Dunkley. “We're mixing students with staff and faculty in a very different setting than people normally engage with each other.”

Dunkley also uses artistic avenues to explore what it means to be in relationship with each other and how we can strengthen those relationships. “I’ve been trying to figure out what to do with the experiences that have happened over the years — when people have called me things or I’ve felt that opportunities haven't come my way because of racism or other issues — and I realized as an artist that using photography was a way to start asking some of these questions,” Dunkley shared.

He has been a photographer and a digital artist for over 20 years, running workshops in communities to try and find new ways to talk about equity, diversity and inclusion.“I realized that using photography, and even using social media, helps to put it out there where normally these kinds of things don't get that much time.”

Even though he brings new perspectives on EDI to CapU, Dunkley recognizes that he’s only one person in a university of 12,700 people. However, he feels that his new position — and the addition of a Vice President of People and Culture to focus on EDI at the university executive level — are a step in the right direction.

“We keep wishing that things would change or transform, but we keep asking the same question. Then, we keep bumping our heads up against the same problems,” said Dunkley. “[Now] we're starting on a process together — a process of reflecting on EDI at CapU and what it could mean for us going forward. Maybe we'll be able to start a different kind of conversation on the way we are with each other.”

Students are welcome to drop in and meet with Dunkley in Library 116 on Mondays 2-3pm and Fridays 11-12pm. Dunkley is also available via Zoom or MS Teams, and encourages students to also reach out by emailing edi@capilanou.ca.

NEW CENTRE FOR CHILDHOOD STUDIES SET TO OPEN IN 2024

MATT SHIPLEY (HE/HIM) Communities Editor MICHELLE LUSSIER (SHE/HER/THEY/THEM) Illustrator

Capilano University (CapU) announced plans for a new Centre for Childhood Studies on Jan. 13, 2022, estimated to be completed

September 2024. The brand-new building will be strategically located on the north end of campus in proximity to a transit hub, and to a large, forested play area. When completed, it will be Western Canada’s only degree-granting, purpose-designed, integrated Centre for Early Childhood Care, research and Lab School education.

The Centre will occupy a brand-new, LEED Gold-rated building — LEED being the most widely used building rating system in the world. The two-storey building is planned to provide a total 23,000 square feet of space. Pending approval, it will be the first new building on CapU’s main campus since the construction of the Nat & Flora Bosa Centre for Film and Animation in 2012.

In July 2020, the University received $2.96 million in funding from the Childcare BC New Spaces Fund. Since then, $6.5 million has been contributed by the BC Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training, as well as $4.14 million from the University itself. CapU has launched a capital campaign to raise the remaining $5 million needed for the project, an initiative that has already raised nearly $3 million from various donors, including a $2 million lead gift from CapU Chancellor Yuri Fulmer and his wife Alesia Fulmer.

The Centre will provide 74 new childcare spaces, which doubles CapU’s current on-campus capacity for toddlers

and preschoolers. In addition, it will provide 20 new Early Childhood Education practicum placement spaces. This comes at a crucial time as, in the summer of 2021, Canada announced a landmark plan with the Province of British Columbia to create 30,000 new childcare spaces over the next five years in BC. This plan will require an additional 12,000 early childhood educators for its success, to which CapU’s new building will contribute a 25 per cent increase in admission to ECCE programs.

On Feb. 22, 2022, the Province of British Columbia issued a news release announcing a new initiative to invest in increased access to post-secondary education. Included in this initiative is the creation of more spaces for those interested in early childhood education, with a significant investment aimed at creating an additional 40,000 licensed childcare spaces provincewide. Word is yet to be released as to whether this includes the Government of Canada’s aforementioned joint project with the Province, or whether these spaces are in addition to the Government’s project.

CapU plans to double its childcare capacity and expand its ECCE program with a new building

CAPU’S GAMING COMMUNITY VS. THE INTERNET

Leaders of CapU’s gaming scene share their grievances with trolls — and what they’re doing about it

MATT SHIPLEY (HE/HIM) Communities Editor MIKAELA JOHNSON (SHE/HER) Illustrator

Online gaming lobbies get a bad rep for a lot of reasons. The layer of anonymity they provide, where nobody is more than a faceless character on a screen, fosters an environment thick with prejudice and anger. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the problem significantly as people spend more and more time at home behind their screens. As tensions come to a head over multiple issues across the world, many are taking to the online medium to vent their prejudices. Ross Manara (he/him), administrator of the CapU Esports Discord server, says the effort to quash trolls is never-ending.

“It’s a big problem [around the world], and it was a pretty big problem in CapU’s esports scene as well,” said Manara. “Being an admin on the server is literally like playing Whack-A-Mole against bigots. A good few times, I’ve been on the [CapU Esports Discord] server and seen someone post something heinous, and I’ve had to be like ‘alright, time to ban this person who I thought was cool until now.’” The club’s Discord server has kept it running throughout the pandemic, but with the increased anonymity provided by the screento-screen separation between members, trolls and bigots have found a tightly-knit platform that they couldn’t previously leverage.

The CapU Esports Discord server is open to all students, and the entry process is simple and painless. New joiners are greeted with nothing but a welcome page outlining the rules, and a simple hamburger emoji is all that separates them from the server proper. While it’s a great vetting process for people who just want to know the rules, it doesn’t do anything to stop people who enter with malicious intentions.

“It’s been hard to keep our membership up during the pandemic,” said Manara. “All it takes is one troll saying one thing to push a lot of people off of the server. Especially since we haven’t been able to host more in-person events, a lot of people will log into the server for the first time in a while to a notification that someone has sent this horrible message. I’ll always get to it as quickly as I can and ban the troll, but it’s not like I’m doing this as a full-time job. Every troll we get, we’ll lose around five members, and that’s just not sustainable.”

It doesn’t only happen in online lobbies, either. Gaming giants such as Blizzard and Riot Games have been accused of gender-based discrimination and harassment multiple times over the years, with the latter agreeing to pay a $100 million recompensation lawsuit

to over 2,000 employees and contractors on Dec. 27, 2021, in what employment and sexual harassment lawyer Genie Harrison lauded as a “great day for women at Riot Games, and for women at all gaming and tech companies.”

While the CapU Esports Club doesn’t have millions of dollars to throw around, its administrators are still doing what they can to create a welcoming environment for all. Jenny Rog (she/her), VicePresident of the club from 2019 to 2021, voiced her own concerns about sexism in the gaming industry, and outlined her contentment with the inclusivity of the community she helped to create.

“Being the only girl there most of the time, I could tell others underestimated me by my appearance,” said Rog. “Part of me feels happy when I prove others wrong, but there's definitely a part of me that thinks it's stupid how guys can automatically assume a girl won't be good at the game.”

However, both Manara and Rog voice their pride in the community they’ve created. “We have never had to ban anyone in-person, mainly because our in-person events ran for about a year, until the pandemic started,” said Rog. “Sadly, there were not many women who would participate in these events. It would be myself, along with 1 or 2 others that would show up from time to time, but as far as I heard, everyone felt like the community was very welcoming, casual and fun.”

While the problem of trolls seems nigh impossible to quash — after all, the Internet is open to anyone privileged enough to have access — the CapU Esports Club is doing what they can to keep their little corner of it as safe as possible. “We’re still working on better solutions,” said Manara. “And we’re going to find one.”

IT’S NOT JUST IN HER HEAD

When it comes to the issues that women face, believing and trusting their struggle has been an important piece of fighting for equality — but it seems that the medical field still has yet to get the memo

Picture this: you seek help for a distressing, daily occurrence — something that you’re desperately trying to change — only to be called dramatic. You feel downtrodden and overwhelmed with hopelessness. Where do you turn when the one place you can go to for help isn’t willing to help you?

Women are frequently dismissed when it comes to medical issues — from medical professionals blaming issues on weight mismanagement, an inability to handle simple “period pains” weight, or hysteria. This causes thousands of women to go undiagnosed or even misdiagnosed with unrelated conditions.

One of the most frequent missed illnesses is endometriosis, a condition that affects the uterus, causing unspeakable pain and even pregnancy complications .

Katie Luciani (she/her), Executive Director of The Endometriosis Network Canada (TENC), started

working for the company after attending a support group meeting for people with endometriosis.“When I first got symptoms, I didn’t know what was wrong with me,” said Luciani. “I didn’t have much hope.”

Attending endometriosis support group meetings allowed Luciani to feel validated, and realise she wasn’t going through her pain and suffering alone. “We’ve seen people at 11 or 12 with unspeakable menstrual pain,” said Luciani. “The first place you go is your GP.”

A lack of education around conditions like endometriosis is one of the leading causes of missed diagnoses, something that can result in years of diagnostic delays. “If your GP is actually educated with endo and what those symptoms are, that’s the front line defence right there,” said Luciani. This lack of education can have grave consequences — according to the Canadian Patient Safety Institute, medical errors account for 28,000 deaths in Canada per year.

ELLIOT WHITE (THEY/THEM) Features Editor TALIA ROUCK (SHE/HER) Illustrator

The physical pain that comes with chronic illness is immeasurable, but the emotional damage of being gaslit, dismissed and blatantly ignored might be even worse.

“If your GP is actually educated with endo and what those symptoms are, that’s the front line defence right there,” said Luciani. This lack of education can have grave consequences — according to the Canadian Patient Safety Institute, medical errors account for 28,000 deaths in Canada per year.

Women were largely excluded from clinical trials until the National Institute of Health’s Revitalization Act in 1993, and to this day their health concerns are rarely taken seriously. Symptoms like depression and anxiety are often brushed aside as “hysteria” or a particularly rough menstrual cycle, when in reality the causes could be more dire.

In March 2020, Karissa Ostheimer discovered that her sporadic episodes of paralysis and panic, which doctors had dismissed as premenstrual dysphoric disorder, was actually evidence of a cancerous brain tumour. A visit to the neurologist indicated that Ostheimer was having an average of 20 partial-complex seizures per day.

In 1965, psychiatrist Eliot Slater released a paper detailing how harmful the frequent diagnosis of “hysteria” was on women. Most of the women interviewed had underlying, serious neurological conditions that went unnoticed. 57 years later, the narrative remains the same.

Foundations like TENC or The Canadian Foundation for Women’s Health are working towards policy change and a better, more positive future for women’s health. “We’ve actually set up [EndoAct, which is] a toolkit to help write letters to your MPs,” said Luciani.“We’ve seen Australia and some other places around the world actually be able to come together as a community and have their governments acknowledge the mistreatment of people with endo.”

Over half of medical school students are women, which will hopefully lead to an increase in support and education of women’s health issues. However, plenty of work remains before we can close the medical gender gap.The more we work towards policy change, the closer we get to proving that this isn’t just in her head — she needs help.

LET ME BE PERFECTLY QUEER

Over the last few years, queer authors and writers have taken over the world of fiction With so many books out there, it’s hard to pick which one to start you off! That’s where Tricia McGarrah of RoarCat Reads comes in with some great recommendations and tips for getting back into literature

Editor

In 2020, folks searched for ways to occupy their minds while stuck at home due to the ongoing pandemic. Coincidentally, in the same year, #booktok, an online reading community, was formed to provide a sanctuary to bookworms with the sub-community #queerbooktok emerging alongside it.

Tricia McGarrah (she/her) noticed how the sudden popularity of reading among queer folks correlated with a resurgence of queer books and authors in bookstores and online spaces. In March of 2021, McGarrah and her fiancée started the blog RoarCatReads —an online community-based in Vancouver that brings people together to celebrate all things queer and nerdy. Their website features a blog and a link to their Dungeons and Dragons-themed podcast.

Unlike a reality tv show, you can’t skip to the end of a hundredpage novel and still understand the plotline. A book cover is what first draws people in, before they can open and flip to the synopsis. The typeface, images and colours have changed to favour bold, graphic styles. There has been a greater interest in queer authors by folks who belong to the community and allies. They seek storylines that represent an authentic queer experience or fictional

characters to fall in love with — either way, readership is rising in popularity. One charming story has the power to turn you into a lifelong bookworm.

The content on #queerbooktok is short and snappy, sharing captivating summaries of novels in less than sixty seconds. That way, readers can know right away whether they’ll end up enjoying the book. For many of us, reading has been abandoned in favour of other hobbies. Suppose you’re currently in a slump. McGarrah’s friendly reminder is that reading is meant to be fun. “Don’t try to read a classic or the book that everyone says you should read — pick something that sounds interesting, and don’t be afraid to give up if it turns out to be not for you.

This is especially easy if you get your book from the library, so you’re not out any money as you search for the right book,” says

ALEXIS ZYGAN (SHE/HER) Contributor ELLIOT WHITE (THEY/THEM) Features

ALISON JOHNSTONE (SHE/HER) Illustrator

McGarrah. The Vancouver Public Library is also great because they have a section dedicated to Zines — shorter-form magazines that are suitable for those of us with shorter attention spans. Another fantastic option is comic books that juxtapose illustrated scenes with descriptive prose.

Comics have actually started a sort of queer rennaisance in the last few years, with more and more queer artists and writers creating stories that illustrate much more than just the stereotypical gritty superheroes. “I suggest Nimona by Noelle Stevenson,” McGarrah says, now known as ND Stevenson, who was in the writer’s chair for the recent “She-Ra and the Princesses of Power” reboot, another example of queer media. Nimona follows the story of a young shapeshifter aspiring to be the apprentice of a villainous overlord — it’s cutesy style and beautiful colour palette is an exemplary visage of all things fun high fantasy.

Graphic novels aren’t the only thing entering a rebirth led by queer hands, other typical nerdy content has been on the rise as well. “RoarCat Reads is a place for all things queer and nerdy. I often feel like those two worlds are separate,” Those spaces are indeed separate, or at least the depiction of them in movies and TV is. The first thing that comes to mind when picturing a “nerd” is usually a straight, white man over-explaining Star Wars, when in

reality the world has shifted (I’m sure those guys still exist, but their population is dwindling). “I wanted to create a space where queer nerds could share our favourite books, play D&D together, and support each others’ various projects. It’s been an absolute delight to find a community of people with similar interests.” Community, now more than ever, is important when we’ve all been so isolated.

“In general, I think people are more curious about queer themes, both in books and in their own lives,” she said, going on to outline the increased awareness of our own queerness, coming more and more into the light in the escape of the cisheteronormative culture we’ve all been experiencing. “I also think queer people write really good books, because being queer often means experiencing life from a bit of an outsider’s perspective, we create things that offer new stories from those diverse perspectives. I think it’s breathed a lot of fresh air into publishing spaces, and I’m excited to see how that evolves and continues!”

If you’re looking to get into more queer literature, check out RoarCat Reads, or take a scroll through #queerbooktok. If you’re interested in an immediate recommendation, McGarrah suggests what she has on her nightstand right now, “I just started reading Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao. I’ve heard excellent things about it!”

I also think queer people write really good books, because being queer often means experiencing life from a bit of an outsider’s perspective, we create things that offer new stories from those diverse perspectives.

SPRING AESTHETICS

An enchanting guide to embodying the spirit of Spring

SHARLEEN

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

RAMOS (SHE/HER) Illustrator

Feral Witch of the Woods

As you emerge into the day, you still feel the moon as they watch you from above the trees. The radiance of the sun can not tear you two apart. Gathering the plants needed for this afternoon’s potion making, you feel the restless power alive throughout the forest, echoing within you. There is a particular quality to the days here, as if with each breath a secret reveals itself, something blossoms.

Playlist:

This list of songs brings out your desire to run into the woods and dance under the full moon in a meadow. Haunting, powerful, and intimate, set your inner feral witch of the woods free!

Sunlight - Hozier

Persephone - Tamino

Lavender Moon - Haroula Rose

Cosmic Love - Florence + The Machine

Water Witch - The Secret Sisters ft. Brandi Carlile Shows and/or Movies

My Neighbor ToToro (1988)

This sweet childhood movie brings to life the connection with the spirits of the land in a nostalgic and adventurous manner.

Maleficent (2014)

The dark faerie and dark witch energy, combined with the ethereal forest fantasy setting, make this film the perfect dark spring fantasy film to watch after a long day of potion making.

The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008)

Another magical childhood film, featuring a spooky old house in the woods, hidden secrets, faeries, and fighting trolls! What more could you ask for?

Books:

Monkey Beach by Eden Robinson

Grappling with her identity, her past, and her spiritual abilities, a young Haisla woman goes in search for her missing brother navigating both the physical and spiritual realm. Robinson’s novel highlights among many things, one’s intimate and ancestral relationship to the supernatural, culture, and family.

Wild Beauty by Anna Marie McLemore

Mclemore in her novel, weaves together a powerful story of love in all forms, family, healing, and magic, through gorgeous poetic writing. Wild Beauty captures the heart of this spring aesthetic, of tuning into the beauty and magic within as well as of the land.

Wounded Healer by Emma Mendez

Following the metamorphosis that one experiences throughout their healing journey, Mendez’s poetry chapbook brings to life this aesthetic as they intertwine witchcraft, spirituality, and ancestral healing through their haunting yet potent prose.

Wholesome Picnic Dreams

You’re laying down on a soft cream coloured picnic blanket, warm tea and fruit tarts beside you. The sun is lightly making themselves known, greeting you with a slight breeze. The grass, still wet from a recent week of rain we just had, cradles the blooming flowers. You dream of dancing with butterflies in a meadow somewhere and taking candid photos of your friends as they fall in love with the world around them. But right now you’re enjoying the beautiful simplicity

Playlist:

Soft, yet romantic, this playlist is the perfect combination of light, hopeful, breezy, and gentle. Sounding like an afternoon whisper of spring that runs across the lavender meadow.

Butterflies - Kacey Musgraves

Mother Nature’s Son - The Beatles

Jennifer - Fazerdaze

Sunflower - Harry Styles

From Eden - Hozier Shows and/or Movies:

Pride & Prejudice (2005)

Soft scenic countryside spring cinematography, yearning, and Kiera Knightly in a period piece. Need I say more?

10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

A classic light-hearted 90s spring romantic comedy film with a playful enemies to lovers trope!

Gentefied (2020-2021)

This fun yet tender comedy drama follows the lives of a Mexican-American family in LA, as they navigate the challenges of trying to live their lives authentically, support themselves, and go against gentrification. Perfect to watch on a rainy spring evening after a long and exciting day.

Books:

Noopming: The Cure for White Ladies by Leanne Simpson

A novel told through poetic narrative, Simpson’s thought provoking, honest, and innovative storytelling will inspire a deep transformation within and will give you plenty to ponder and unravel either by yourself or with your friends as you sit and be with the earth.

Sabrina & Corina by Kali Fajardo-Anstine

This collection of short stories is transformative, poignant, and honest. Honouring the ancestral roots, contemporary stories, and intergenerational relationships of Indigenous Latinx women and femmes, Sabrina and Corina is a can’t put down book that will keep you reading all day while you relax laid down on your picnic blanket.

Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass by Lana Del Rey Del Rey’s poetry debut weaves vulnerable poetry of heartbreak, nostalgia, and self discovery into a cathartic afternoon or evening spent reading.

Staring at the cluster of trees ahead, you sit by the river surrounded by dancing faeries, as the falling spring sunset begins to bleed towards the stars in romantic hues above you. There is a chill in the air, but the glimmer of water reminds you of the otherworldly beauty that lies in the unknown. Not everything has to be explained or understood.

Playlist:

Deeply and gently passionate, the playlist for this aesthetic is perfect if you desire that wonderfilled magical ambiance brought into your day. The kind that makes everything around you seem that much more enchanting.

In a Week - Hozier

Verses - Tamino

Handmade Heaven - MARINA

Sweet Adeline Pt. 2 - Avi Kaplan

Strawberry Blonde - Mitski Shows and/or Movies

Fate: The Winx Saga (2021) This live-action adaptation of the beloved animated series has a modern and mystical ambience to it. If you’re looking for a balance of faerie and reality, this is as close as it comes.

Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989) A wholesome story following a young witch and her desire to help her community. Entertaining and easy to watch, this film is sure to bring a little magic and hope into your day.

Alice in Wonderland (2010) Burton’s adaptation of the beloved and strange childhood story brings to life the fantastical and strange in a whole new way. If you’re seeking something more than a mere dash of the strange and want a true taste of what many describe as faerie energy, this is the film for you.

Books:

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black Black is known for her faerie novels, and this one is no exception. Faeries and humans live beside each other in an unusual small town in this dark ethereal faerie love story. When you want to be transported to the fringes of Faerie, Black’s novel will do just that.

Love Songs to Aphrodite by J Bulsara

Written by a devotee of Aphrodite, Love songs to Aphrodite is a deeply moving and intimate collection of poetry. Bulsara brings to life the raging passion that lives within us all, and sets it free, revealing within us the beauty around us we all desire to experience. In true enchanting riverside forest faerie fashion.

When the Moon Was Ours by Anna Marie McLemore

Magical realism takes hold once again in Mclemore’s novel. This otherworldly novel is a tender and fantastical love story with hauntingly genuine characters. In her signature poetic style, Mclemore takes readers on a journey of identity, love, connection, and magic.

A SEAT AT THE TABLE: THE EXHIBIT

Currently at the Museum of Vancouver (MOV) and Chinatown, A Seat at the Table is part of an inaugural temporary project in collaboration with the Chinese Canadian Museum. Which explores the stories and perspectives of Chinese Canadians in so-called B.C, through both a contemporary and historical lens. The exhibit focuses on the challenges and struggles of belonging experienced by Chinese Canadians as well as the importance of food on a cultural and community level.

Denise Fong (she/her) is one of three co-curators along with Viviane Gosselin, Henry Yu and is currently a PhD candidate at UBC. Her role ranged from overseeing the research, historical input on development of content, working with students from UBCs Chinese Canadian Studies program and the Center for Digital Media, language translation, as well as a portion of the curation.

The exhibit this year, although multidisciplinary, has a strong focus on oral history videos. Fong highlighted, because “there's very little in terms of what museums and archives collect... to tell the story of Chinese Canadians,” she said. While Fong explained that most of the collections found in museums are focused on waves of Chinese immigration from the 1960s and earlier, there’s a lack of documentation and content on recent waves of immigration, post-sixties and their experiences in so-called BC.

EMMA MENDEZ (SHE/HER/THEY/THEM) Culture Editor FREYA EMERY (SHE/HER) Staff Photographer

The exhibit highlighting the role of food in the Chinese-Canadian community

She sees the oral history video portion of the exhibit as playing an important role in filling this gap.

Fong explained,“working with different community members of the Chinese-Canadian community was essential in telling the community’s stories.” She elaborated, “I think a lot of the content that we have really helps us understand more about Chinese Canadian experiences in the present day,” said Fong, “especially given that we were curating the exhibition in a time of strong anti-Asian racism and COVID.”

The topic of food in relation to the Chinese-Canadian community is front and center this year, and was significant historically as well as still is today. Not only because of the relationship between food, family, culture, tradition, and identity — although Fong expressed that aspect was extremely important. But also

because the relationship to the exclusion and discrimination of Asian Canadians, in particular Chinese Canadians in this case.

Due to the rampant racism and discrimination in many places around the province, having your own family business was the only way Chinese Canadians could have stable work or work that was not under an employer, where discrimination and racism was accepted and normal. Having one’s own family business “was also an integral part of supporting the Chinese Canadian community,” said Fong.

Food continues to be an important part of the Chinese Canadian community. Chinatown, Fong pointed out, “is still going through a very tough period [of being stigmatized],” Fong continues, “when the pandemic just started, a lot of businesses suffered, Chinatown businesses too…it's been a huge struggle to see them trying to survive also saddening to see a lot of important restaurants and cafes close down,” Fong said, pointing out the loss of Chinese Canadian restaurants as important community spaces. “That was one of the discoveries for me, the legacy of culture, especially for immigrants,” she shared.

Although a temporary exhibit, the power of community storytelling is what Fong hopes will be the legacy of A Seat at the Table. She shared that there are parts of the exhibit where community members can write notes, or record their own story. “We've actually seen that people are excited to have a space that they can feel represented, that their stories are important,” she pointed out, “people don't often recognize that their stories are important… folks from immigrant communities don't feel their lived experiences are of any value.”

Fong hopes that A Seat at the Table can contribute towards making Chinese Canadians and other racialized immigrants recognize their importance, while also emphasizing the importance of documenting and sharing stories and memories that community members and elders have.

To book your visit at the Chinatown location and MOV, you can visit their websites. The exhibit will run until January 2023.

OPINIONS

WHO IS THE GEN Z EDITION OF THE SPICE GIRLS?

How solo female artists embrace feminism in 2022

ALEXIS ZYGAN (SHE/HER) Contributor

JAMIE KUSACK (SHE/HER/THEY/THEM) Illustrator

In a patriarchal society, celebrating girl power is an antidote to sexism. In the 90s, the Spice Girls gained popularity for catchy pop tunes and championing female empowerment. Their celebration of femininity challenged internalized misogyny by showcasing that a diverse array of females with different personalities could be friends. The girl group introduced mainstream audiences to a diluted version of thirdwave feminism. The Spice Girls predecessors were riot grrrl bands, such as Bikini Kill, who seemingly coined the term girl power — taking the stage in order to grant women permission to take up space and speak out about reproductive rights, rape culture and male entitlement.

It has been over two decades since the Spice Girls split up, but there remains a demand for girl power, which raises the question — who does Gen Z have to look up to for advice? Who teaches teen girls the value of female friendship and encourages them to express their anger as a valid response to systemic sexism?

The short answer is that there is no single girl group in 2022 that mirrors the attitude and persona of the Spice Girls. The most popular girl group is Blackpink, a K-Pop band formed in 2016 by YG Entertainment. However, rather than creating anthems to fight the patriarchy, Blackpink’s lyrics focus on preserving their youth, frozen desserts, and breakups, which doesn’t make them any less catchy but their songs are devoid of feminist undertones.

There are, however, solo female artists whose tracks empower the next generation — Lizzo, FKA Twigs, Halsey and Olivia Rodrigo, to name a few. Also, when

discussing influential 90s girl groups, we cannot forget Destiny’s Child, who sang about embodying independence, and the lead singer went on to have a successful solo career as Beyoncé. She is a triple threat and pop culture icon who isn’t afraid to use her platform to turn the patriarchy on its head.

Maybe we’re better off having individual voices empowering women rather than a commercial product presenting as a girl group. Back in the 90s and today, the music industry remains male-dominated. According to a 2020 study from the University of Southern California, women make up only 12.9 per cent of songwriters. We all remember when Ke$ha went to court after her former producer physically and sexually abused her, proving that women in this industry are not always taken seriously. Women in the industry need to fight tooth and nail to influence the next generation.

Even though Gen Z doesn’t have a feminist girl group they can identify with, riot grrrl bands have made a comeback in recent years. Bikini Kill reunited in 2019 and has been touring since, only pausing during the height of the pandemic restrictions. Lizzo is indicative of a woman in the industry who embodies the values of intersectional feminism and proves that you don’t need to be a white woman or a size two to love yourself. As long as patriarchal ideologies remain the norm, there will still be women creating feminist pop anthems. They just may not be part of a band.

BUMP-IT OR LIST-IT

Smells like mass production

AVERY NOWICKI (SHE/HER) Contributor SHARLEEN RAMOS (SHE/HER) Illustrator

There is a very specific type of experience that kids who grew up in the late 90s and early 2000s understand. Whether we liked it or not, our beauty standards came from the Disney Channel and influential musicians, and the general media at the time. We played with Bratz and Barbie dolls, admiring their bright pink tops and insanely low-rise bootcut jeans, the dreadful tiny bags, big sunglasses and skinny belts.

We see this style being re-introduced through TikTok, but it lasts no more than a few weeks before being overshadowed by the next TikTok microtrend. Through this revival and recycling of old styles changing so quickly, we are seeing a past staple of this era — the mall — falling behind.

Today, if you strut your denim mini skirt and vintage Dior saddlebag through your childhood mall, you’ll notice that stores like H&M, Forever21, Claire’s, and more are struggling to keep up, resulting in some… questionable trends returning to the shelves (or websites, I should say).

Let’s talk about low-rise jeans. These were a staple not only in popular media and red carpets, but also in our schools. I remember being in elementary school, begging my mom for tiny low-rise shorts from Abercrombie & Fitch. They were EVERYTHING back then, but 90 per cent of the style itself was how skinny you push yourself to be.

Celebrities would be slammed in trashy magazines if they showed even a bit of natural stomach fat. While body positivity began to gain popularity in the 2010s, we seem to be coming right back to where we started with the 90s “heroin chic” body type. Certain body positivity influencers, however, are pushing these standards, showing that low rise can be so attractive, regardless of how well you fit into the restricting beauty standard. These should stay, but be severely altered to fit within the body positivity movement, allowing us to reclaim the style and wear it comfortably.

During this time, if you weren’t squeezing yourself into tiny jeans, you were likely doing the complete opposite and embracing the

look of grunge fashion that arose from the early 90s with bands like Nirvana. While this style fell to the wayside after Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain’s death in ‘94, it remained popular with bands like Green Day and Blink-182. Regardless of your personal feelings toward these bands, it is obvious how influential they were in fashion. I often turn to movies like 2003’s Freaky Friday, where we saw peak Lindsey Lohan in low-rise again — but this time in wide cargo pants, choker necklaces, and iconic streaky hair. That entire friend group had incredible style, and we see it resurging now, rightfully so. What especially attracts me to this is the sustainability aspect. Everything they wore could be found at your local thrift shop.

This is of course a harsh difference from the Seventeen Magazine, pre-teen, jelly shoes and butterfly hair clips style that was the norm around the same time. We are seeing this reflected today, in stores like Shein, Forever21, and Claire’s, who are mass-manufacturing plastic products and flimsy clothing in attempts to keep up with the latest microtrends. While this style may be cute, its production is detrimental to our environment.

However, I blame not the consumer, but the companies themselves. This issue isn’t independent of the 2020’s — it came from this trend's original rise long before it became nostalgia. For that reason, I struggle to hold support in it. These styles can be bought secondhand as well, since the best thing about mass-manufacturing is the heavy influx of clothing that gets flooded into clothing warehouses, and slowly trickled down into our local Value Villages. I think this style can continue, and should! It’s cute after all, but should be done in as sustainable a way as possible.

The resurgence of these trends is inevitable, and if done sustainably, I fully encourage it. That being said, I understand that sustainable and second-hand clothing may not be a viable option for everyone. The trend cycle is constantly in motion, so fully embrace the past while implementing new mindsets on body ideals and environmental consciousness whenever possible.

IF NOT THE APPS, THEN WHERE?

MATT SHIPLEY (HE/HIM) Communities Editor

C. PALOMAR ROBISCO Illustrator

Let’s face it. Online dating apps, as fun as they may seem at first glance, are the worst place to meet a romantic partner. They shower us with ads — ‘The dating app designed to be deleted’, or ‘This love is real and we found it here’ — but it’s no secret that a business model like that would drown the company in weeks. They’re designed to keep you scrolling, always bored, always hopeful, never quite finding that needle in the haystack. Nothing like a manipulative system and a bit of dubious advertising to keep the money rolling in.

But in this isolated, screen-captured world, where else are we meant to go? When all these easy-looking, graband-go options seem to be biting at our fingertips, what better option do we have? It’s scary out there. We’ll have to meet someone organically — oh dear — and walk up to them and start a conversation in person — oh lord — and… oh, well. At least it’s better than being at the mercy of an algorithm. Though it will never be easy to look for a relationship anywhere, my unbiased, definitely well-proven tips might give you a head start.

Tip #1: Environment is Key!

You’d be surprised how many people fail this one. If you’re not a rollerblader, don’t loiter around the rink, tripping and flailing and hoping for a savior in a sequined outfit to swoop you off your feet and save you from further embarrassment. Don’t do laps of the Lynn Canyon suspension bridge if you hate hiking, and please don’t go clubbing alone and stone-cold sober (I’ve been there, it’s not fun). Find yourself an environment in which you’re comfortable being yourself. If you’re a photographer, just walking downtown with your camera is enough to spark a conversation. Skiers get the chairlift (lucky jerks). There’s no better way to meet someone than by doing something you both love to do, so go do it!

Tip #2: Be Yourself

Dating apps give us an exclusive opportunity: the ability to sell ourselves as more than we are. We can collect our favorite pictures from years gone by and assemble a rose-tinted view of ourselves — something we really can’t, and shouldn’t, do in real life. The more genuine you are, not only will you feel more

comfortable in your own skin, but others will feel more comfortable with you as well. We’ve slowly descended to a world where the worst parts of us are things to be drowned in a forgotten sea where nobody can find them, but take it from me: sexy people have feelings.

Tip #3: Know The Places

There are places where people go to find love, and there are places where people go to get drunk. Never mix the two. It will only end badly. Vancouver has a unique advantage here, though — it’s a big city, but it’s not so big that you can’t get out in the woods if that’s your jam. There will always be people looking for friends at places like the night markets, any beach in the summer, and pretty much anything involving lights at night. For more niche interests, art galleries are more promising than many would think, as well as ski hills (especially Cypress, no better way to meet someone than by sharing a complaint about the cataclysmic lift lines on weekends). The Seawall is a great place to go during the day regardless of the season — there are a lot of people out there who are looking for a running buddy. It gets a bit swarmed with couples when the sun starts to go down, but with any luck, you’ll be on that page by that point.

Really, though, the only concrete rule of looking for love in-person is that once you’re there, you can’t go back to the online scene. Hell, you could meet someone walking down the street, or in a backstreet Thai restaurant, or between the aisles of a public library. The beauty of putting yourself out there in the real world is that whatever happens will be organic. It won’t feel forced, it won’t be helped along by a draconic algorithm, and there’s no guilt of telling five people no after another passes the point of no return. That’s the advantage that real life will always have over the Internet — manufactured simplicity, more often than not, comes at the cost of meaning.

So get out there. Make yourself uncomfortable, then find comfort in the chaos. It’s not easy — it never has been and never will be — but it’s more than worth the effort. And who knows? Maybe, on that road, you’ll find someone who’s searching for that same rekindling of meaning. You’ll never know until you give it a try.

TIKTOK ISN’T JUST FOR DANCING

The ads I watch help pay people to fight bigots? Sign me up

JAYDE ATCHISON (SHE/HER) Opinions Editor

NATASHA LEE (SHE/HER) Illustrator

The nature of the internet means that there are going to be people from across the political spectrum voicing their thoughts about the world around them. However, based on the videos we are actively engaging with, we typically are only exposed to the creators that align with our beliefs. Sometimes we hear little rumours about something bigoted that happened online, but we have to hit up Google to get the full story because we didn’t witness the event firsthand.

What once started off as a playful platform known for the dancing videos has now become a massive source of revenue for bigger creators. Their feeds are filled with their typical content with some sponsored posts sprinkled in between. While some creators have become known for their funny characters (Adrian Bliss), some are known for being sleepwalkers (Celinaspookyboo) and others are known for breaking down bigotry one small-minded man at a time (Drew Afualo).

What starts off as a video that gives off the ick factor and makes you think you are on the wrong side of the algorithm turns out to be a stitched video from one of the hilarious women that took one for the team and started calling men out on their crap. Far too many men are showcasing their sheer audacity to the world without shame. They are slut-shaming, body-shaming and defining “the value of a woman” — whatever that means. I can’t speak for these people, nor do I want to, but it feels like the purpose of their videos is to show dominance and their “alpha” status.

Everyone loves a bad boy who is opinionated, right? RIGHT?? No, Robert, we actually do not like your videos that expose your mindset that is so antiquated that even your grandparents don’t remember that being the popular frame of mind.

The way women and non-binary folks are fighting these men behaving like toddlers is truly inspiring. They think of the wittiest comebacks that are educational in the response while also roasting the men alive — without being bigoted in the process. The importance of these videos is to showcase that there are people not willing to sit back and let a generation of younger, much more impressionable kids only be exposed to the extremely outdated modes of beliefs about how to treat women. It is especially important for male creators like Dominique Gabriel to become more vocal against this treatment, as it demonstrates an allyship that is more “lead by example”.

Younger people need positive examples from the big creators because, unfortunately, people are still not taking women seriously. When women ask to stop being treated like lesser beings, many people still have selective hearing and refuse to learn the lesson — unless it’s coming from another man. If there are men out there that are willing to show that you can still be a true “man” AND show support for women, then it gives viewers an opportunity to see the other side of the coin, and hopefully learn something.

Calling out rude people of any gender is crucial, and the fact that creators are making enough money to have social media as their only income because of it is what I love to see. Call shitty people out for their shitty behaviour, because life is far too short to let it slide anymore. We have to accept that some people will remain stuck in their ways, but there is hope that even a few people will see their actions, or the actions around them, and begin to reflect on a need for change. And if not, well, at least we get a laugh from a comedic response.

When you get home from a long day of work and can finally use the bathroom with complete comfort, you may be tempted to scroll through a handful of videos on TikTok to help make the time go by and reduce the risk of being alone with just your thoughts to occupy you. Depending on your algorithm, you will see a mix of funny filters, cool dances and people voicing their opinions.

TO SKI OR NOT TO SKI

It’s worth an open discussion, with eyes on all sides of the story

One of my core memories from when I was 17 years old was the moment I was standing in BC Place stadium, shoulder to shoulder with the crowd around me, as the world’s top athletes strolled into the centre of the room, holding their flags and representing their nations with smiles spread across their faces. I was lucky to have snagged seats with my family for the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Other than participating in a few sports growing up, I have never been someone that follows sports or keeps up with the medal count of the Olympics. I will not go out of my way to watch anything, but if I’m invited to an event that revolves around sports, food and friends, count me in. I love the spirit and excitement that comes with watching sports, especially when people are just excited to cheer on the people from their country. Even though I have never heard of their name before, it does give me a weird sense of pride hearing they grew up in a district not far from my own. It is the most fleeting form of hopping on the bandwagon and I will plead guilty to the act.

When the 2010 Olympics were hosted in Vancouver, I remember a large divide in how people felt about the whole affair. We had sports (and party) enthusiasts that were all for the chaos and sportsmanship that the city was subjected to, but we also had people that hated the crowds, the tourists, the noise. I can see the frustration of simply trying to get to work and the streets being closed off for events, causing delays to the day. I can also see the excitement of a whole new group of people visiting the city, making more opportunities to meet people from all over the world.

With the rumours circulating about Vancouver potentially being the host for the 2030 Winter Olympics, it is sparking the debate once more about whether we should ignite that flame again (or torch, if we want to use Olympics lingo). Pushing the bid for another Vancouver Olympics are the Four First Nations. This would bring an opportunity to have the first Indigenous led Olympics and showcase

a partnership with the Indigenous communities and the athletes around the world. While there is still the debate of whether resources should be put towards other avenues in Vancouver, this would undoubtedly be a historic moment for everyone involved.

My memories around the preparation of the 2010 games were the improvements to the Sea-to-Sky, the completion of the Canada Line, and Olympic-sized facilities that made it possible for younger athletes to access for training once the games were over. Aside from the transit upgrades, I do recognize the downfalls that the Olympics brought to the city.

We brushed the houseless population under the rugs, displacing them momentarily until our guests were gone, then pretended like nothing happened and left things to “go back to normal”. The city spent a lot of money to make these enhanced upgrades, which was felt by the people left behind to pay for them.

For very selfish reasons, I would love to see the highest performing athletes under the same roof again, and hope that COVID restrictions would be gone by then so that there would be ample opportunities to mingle with people outside my typical Hinge feed. However, if I remove myself from the equation I think it’s more important to look at a study of the CO2 emissions, the taxes we were left with, a more appropriate and long lasting solution for our houseless population and the rental increases that could happen from Vancouver being another hotspot destination (as if our rental prices aren’t ridiculous enough already). If the bid is up for debate, a serious investigation is needed to be able to see the entire picture, and not just the juicy “lots of job opportunities and more housing!!!” that we have heard over the last 12 years.

I am all for creating new core memories surrounding the baddies on and off the ice, but with everyone within Vancouver in mind.

JAYDE ATCHISON (SHE/HER) Opinions Editor

HANNAH BONTINEN (SHE/HER) Illustrator

COLUMNS

HOW BAYWATCH RUINED MY LIFE

Relaxing with a spicy marg in hand? Not on my vacations

JAYDE ATCHISON (SHE/HER) Columnist

While walking my friend's dog along the English Bay Seawall, I noticed a battle happening between a black SUV and a man on a bike. What appeared to be simple road rage turned into a full blown Jason Bourne movie, as I watched the biker leap off his bike, mid-ride, and jump into the passenger side window of the moving SUV. They were not driving the full speed limit, but I was no less impressed.

As this was the wildest sight I had ever come across in the quiet West End neighbourhood, I felt compelled to go check out what the hell was going on, and perhaps discover which Dwayne Johnson movie was being filmed in our city at this time of night. To my surprise, I was met with a man driving while slipping into unconsciousness. The man on the bike had jumped into the car to put it into park so the driver would not hurt himself or anyone else.

I quickly went into lifeguard mode and did steps A-Z to ensure this man, who it turned out was going into diabetic shock, was going to be okay. I have been training for first aid for more years than I haven’t and it felt natural to go into rescue mode — well, as natural as an adrenaline-fuelled event can be.

The first thing most people ask me when they hear that I am a lifeguard is: have you ever had to save a life? The answer is never as glamorous as they are hoping for, because most of the time their idea of lifeguarding stems from TV shows and movies, where there is a body floating in the water every episode — or little Johnny is bitten by a shark and needs an immediate arm transplant.

My answer tends to be a bit more grey, in which I try to explain that yes, I save lives quite often but it is almost never dramatic at the pool itself. Lifeguarding, if done right, is about prevention. Every second of my shift is spent people-watching and thinking ten steps ahead about what could go wrong with any scenario. We offer lifejackets, noodles, basically anything that will help a weak swimmer stay afloat and keep us from jumping into the pool with all our clothes on.

Spending 12 years staring at a pool and keeping my lifeguarding certifications current has made me confident in a crisis. I have had more major first-aid incidents while walking downtown than I have while on the pool deck. I am calm, steady and locked into autopilot until the ambulance drives away — leaving me to process my new sweat stains.

The level of attention that I give while on shift has slowly trickled into my everyday life. I never realized the impact the pool had on me until I was just settling onto a lounge-chair freshly slathered in SPF 800, pina colada in hand-when I thoroughly shocked and embarrassed myself by yelling, “WAAAAALK” to a random child that was running around the pool at my resort in Mexico. At that moment, I realized that I was no longer able to separate myself from my job, even on vacation. It was time for me to pack my bags and find a spot along the resort where I could properly relax, instead of constantly feeling the need to scan the people around me. The stress of people diving in the shallow end, unsupervised toddlers and the constant running was the opposite intention of the trip. I’m sure when an accountant goes on vacation, she doesn’t want several in-depth conversations about tax season, all while suddenly sitting in a tropical version of her exact office. Where most people find serenity and a place to cool off, I find ways to raise my blood pressure.

Maybe with enough all-inclusive drinks, I would be able to finally sit poolside without worrying about the safety of everyone around me, but I have yet to test that theory. For now, my back is turned away from all bodies of water, a book covering my peripheral vision and a reminder that I am not being paid to be here, it’s okay to not be “on duty.” Pools, whether indoor or outdoor, trigger a work response that I do not enjoy, but I have found peace in beaches around the world — simply because I am not qualified to work on the beach and have yet to be tainted by the environment.

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)

Structure is important, but it’s time to liberate yourself from the stagnation, restrictions, surrounding your dreams, intuition and childlike wonder. You are being called to explore the possibilities that can be born out of going with the flow.

SCORPIO

(Oct. 23 – Nov. 21)

Standing your ground can be exciting, but have you thought about how it’s also exhausting to be in survival mode? Allow yourself to be open to seeing the beauty that surrounds you. I promise the world can be beautiful.

CAPRICORN

(Dec. 22 – Jan. 19)

You may have felt disappointed, as if nothing was going how you had pictured. You were supposed to be happy, right? The universe is asking you to redefine your idea of happiness. Choose to see that beautiful things can blossom out of disappointment.

PISCES

(Feb. 19 – Mar. 20)

Being a control freak won’t get you where you want to be, Pisces. Remember that manipulating the outcome for our desires is only lying to yourself. You deserve authenticity.

TAURUS

(Apr. 20 – May 20)

March may be revealing some long buried secrets the universe and others have kept from you, Taurus. No need to worry, these may be shocking but not in a way that should be the cause of worry.

CANCER

(Jun. 21 – Jul. 22)

Wishes come true when you are at peace with the abundance of growth you’ve had in your life lately, Cancer. Sometimes we just need to honour how far we’ve come in order for new opportunities to come in.

LIBRA

(Sep. 23 – Oct. 22)

Your heart may be a bit heavy this month, worry surrounding connections and people showing up for you could be a central theme. Remember that the past is not necessarily repeating itself, sometimes things are exactly what they seem.

SAGITTARIUS

(Nov. 22 – Dec. 21)

Has your passion reached an all time low?

Not to worry, Sagittarius! Your body is simply asking you to reconsider how you spend your energy. When you least expect it, you will be back to your fiery expansive self.

AQUARIUS

(Jan. 20 – Feb. 18)

It’s important to appreciate where you are this month, Aquarius. Not everything has to be tall and mighty accomplishment wise. When you begin to see this, the milestones will come.

ARIES

(Mar. 21 – Apr. 19)

Aries, this March brings an abundance of new horizons and surprises your way. What previously seemed murky or impossible is here right in front of you. All you have to do is receive and be bold.

GEMINI

(May 21 – Jun. 20)

A deep awakening this month will bring you into a deeper connection with yourself allowing genuine communication and deepening of bonds with those you love. Someone may also come into the picture. Allow the truth to rise.

LEO

(Jul. 23 – Aug 22)

You may be feeling overwhelmed with dreams and aspirations this month, Leo. Creative projects or opportunities for collaboration could be all coming in at the same time. Take a deep breath, you know your heart.