Capilano Courier | Vol. 51, Issue 4.

VOLUME 50, ISSUE 4

OCT. 22–NOV, 4, 2018

The Science of Superstition Knock on wood PG. 8

OPINIONS

Does this Pumpkin make me look Basic?

FEATURES

2018 Costume Predictions

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

VOL. 50 ISSUE 4 OCTOBER 22-NOVEMBER 4

COVER: RYAN MCDIARMID

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News

OPIOID RESPONSE TRAINING

Let's talk about the press and let's talk about Viktoria Marinova

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ANARCHIST ANN HANSEN

CHRISTINE BEYLEVELDT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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News

TRICK-OR-TREATING ETIQUETTE

Opinions

10 2018 COSTUME PREDICTIONS

Special Feature

13 FACING ADVERSITY IN THE THEATRE

Columns

14 WORK LIKE A ROCKSTAR

Columns

16 GETTING INTO CLASSICAL MUSIC

Arts & Culture

17 WORKING THE BORDERS

Arts & Culture

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VOLUME 51 ISSUE NO. 4

STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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Ana Maria Caicedo, Benjamin Jacobs, Emma Lewicky, Manveen Singh, Devon Simpson, Bridget Stringer-Holden

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OPINIONS EDITOR

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Cynthia Tran Vo CARTOONIST

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Ashleigh Brink copy.capcourier@gmail.com

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of the Coast Salish peoples, including the territories of Musqueam, Squamish, Stó:lō and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.

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iktoria Marinova, a 30-year-old Bulgarian journalist and TV reporter, was killed on Oct. 6, her body found in a public park in Ruse. She was the third victim of deadly attacks against journalists in the European Union so far this year, although there have been many more worldwide. It’s time we talk about how the press is treated around the world, and maybe as important, how the press treats the very people it is supposed to serve.

It’s supposed to be Halloween, but ghosts and ghouls are just a bit of fun. Censorship and attacks on journalists, which have increased at an alarming rate in recent years, are the real scary issues.

“Fake news” is a term brought up rather carelessly. I don’t believe the way people use the descriptor is always in the dismissive sense that they don’t trust the facts being reported so much as it is a call for a return to traditional reporting. By traditional reporting, I mean telling both sides to every story. That’s what I was taught the news was, and often it isn’t anymore. More often than ever I see the mainstream media peddling narratives to appeal to a demographic of consumers. When I hear “fake news” tossed around, generally it refers to a general lack of trust in the media. The numbers are looking better, but in 2016 overall trust in the press in the United States reached an all time low of just six per cent.

Journalists walk a fine line, tottering on the edge of an abyss. We need the independent press. It’s fine and well to cry foul of the politicians who hurl accusations at journalists of spreading misinformation or who would bar them from press conferences, but the media also needs to do better. There is a reason overall trust in reporting fell so low just two years ago, and I hazard that it has something to do with letting our emotions trickle into our reporting. If we don’t provide the public with a reason to trust the information we give them, then what is our purpose? Just six companies – that’s only a handful of mega corporations each with their

own agendas – own 90 per cent of the media organizations in the United States. Bell, Rogers, Shaw and Telus own 70 per cent of the Canadian media.

We’re accustomed to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in Canada and the freedom of expression laws protected by the first amendment in the United States. These laws keep journalists safe. Not free from consequences, but safe.

On the flip side, there are those who put their lives on the line to expose the truth.

In calling the public’s insurmountable lack of trust in the mainstream media an attack on the press at large, we’re undermining the risks independent journalists around the world take to expose the truth.

Police have only recently concluded that Marinova’s death wasn’t linked to her work, but for weeks it was speculated.

Before her untimely death, Marinova was investigating corruption within the European Union. Before her, in February, Slovakian investigative journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancé were gunned down – Kuciak was investigating tax fraud in circles of wealthy businessmen in connection with top-level politicians at the time of his death. And recently again, Saudi journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, was brutally murdered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Bulgarian Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, reacted to the mere speculation that Marinova was killed in relation to her investigation by lashing out against critics, calling what he read about his country “monstrous”. Bulgaria ranks lowest on the World Press Freedom Index of any European Union nation.

Ultimately, one of the markers of a free society is a free and independent press.

We’re not as free as we think we are, but in a perfect world, one without press censorship, journalists must remember that with great power comes great responsibility. We can’t let the public’s trust in faithful reporting erode. Let’s not let Marinova’s death, or Khashoggi’s or any other brave individual’s quest for the truth, be in vain.

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Mayoral Candidates Not Invited to Debate on Campus Make Appearance Erez Barzilay and Michael Willcock, both running in the municipal race, expressed their displeasure at not being invited to debate the election issues at CapU ANNALISSE CROSSWELL ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR PHOTOS BY KATE JARMAN

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we’ve been doing as a community is saying ‘yes’ to structures that are well above zoning that the community approved,” said Kelly Morris, who is concerned about spot zoning.

On the topic of leadership within a group of people who maintain a diverse set of opinions, the candidates spoke most of the need to work collaboratively with their colleagues and find ways to ensure all voices are heard. Guy Heywood offered his solution quite specifically when he said, “As Mayor I would make sure … that I offered the opportunity to everyone for a one-on-one meeting to talk about how they thought the council process was going [and] whether they thought their issues were being represented…” Others also spoke about the healthy nature of having a council that does not always represent a consensus on

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The candidates’ opening statements highlighted many North Vancouver-specific issues. Housing affordability, traffic congestion and transportation dominated the debate.

When asked about how they would ensure success of TransLink’s proposed B-Line for 2019 and handle the inevitable infrastructure changes, all candidates emphasised their support for added transportation and the need for collaborative efforts in dealing with it.

“Transit is not just a puzzle where you have to have all the pieces,” Mike Little, a previous three-term councillor and CapU alumnus, said. “You have to have all the pieces in the correct order and the problem with the B-Line coming in advance of express buses to and from the North Shore and directly into the skytrain system, is that it won’t have the ridership that TransLink is going to see for it.” On the issue, Rod Clark had already stated his belief that a depot in North Vancouver was an important step.

Candidates also agreed on affordable housing as integral to the success of North Vancouver. With 21 years of experience on council, Clark emphasised that this is not a new issue for him. “I’m on record as having supported affordable rental housing and I would continue to do that,” he said.

On the same topic, Ash Amlani honed in on inclusivity. “The key is to have diversity in housing options so that people of all ages and incomes can afford to live in our community,” she added.

Others raised issue with the current approach to zoning and accepting new developments in North Vancouver. “What

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he Capilano Students’ Union (CSU) facilitated a mayoral debate with some of the candidates running for the City and District of North Vancouver shortly before the municipal election on Saturday, Oct. 20. The event, held on Sept. 9, was moderated by CSU Vice President Academic Joshua Millard and Political Science professor Conrad King. The event drew a small crowd of North Vancouver residents, candidates and very few students – a fact that candidates did not hesitate to comment on as a reflection of the issues in local politics.

Four candidates running for Mayor of the City of North Vancouver – Linda Buchanan, Guy Heywood, Kerry Morris and Rod Clark attended the debate. The remaining two candidates participating in the debate were Mike Little and Ash Amlani, who are both running for Mayor of the District of North Vancouver.

According to CSU Vice President External, Noah Berson, it was not possible to include all candidates in the debate, due to the fact that a forum with so many candidates would only allow each person present to answer two questions and would not be beneficial for attending students. “We also looked to who was likely to actually become the mayor of either the city or the district…” Berson said, and took that into account when they invited candidates.

Two candidates who were not invited to sit on the stage, Erez Barzilay and Michael Willcock, were offered 60 seconds at the beginning and end of the debate to speak.

Both candidates expressed offense at not being invited to the forum. Barzilay left shortly after his initial opportunity to speak passed, while Willcock utilized both chances to speak despite the situation.

topics, given that the voices of the whole community should be represented.

While many of the candidates touched on youth as integral to success in local politics, particularly in engagement, Linda Buchanan, a public health nurse with 10 years of experience in public services, focused on youth to a larger extent. “Youth are our most untapped resource in the challenges that our cities face,” she stated in her opening remark, and continued to say that, if elected mayor, she would ensure a youth mayor’s council and bring youth into the mayor’s office.

In an interview following the debate, Willcock talked about his career as an environmental scientist and how the younger generation needs to be represented in local politics. He also talked about how he wants to tackle the environmental issues that we are witnessing globally and which he said the city is “greenwashing”.

“We are losing the things that define us as a community. So protecting the environment adds to the community in a bunch of different ways, it’s the social, economic and environmental sustainability process that I’m pushing,” said Willcock.

Though the candidates supported many of the same issues, they differed in their desired approach were they to be elected.

The pervading themes of youth engagement, transportation and housing, are all issues that impact CapU students and the North Vancouver community at large. Come Oct. 20th, the day of voting, the decision made will have an impact on students whether they are engaged in the politics or not.

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Anarchist Ann Hansen Speaks at CapU Women’s and Gender Studies instructor brings Taking the Rap writer to campus

injured 10 people. One Litton security guard was reportedly in serious condition with a broken leg and fractured skull.

The group reappeared under a new name, the Wimmin’s Fire Brigade, in November 1982. They claimed responsibility for the fire-bombing of three GRETA KOOY Red Hot Video outlets in BC. Red Hot NEWS EDITOR Video was a chain of video pornography stores, which fell under suspicion of selling snuff films and other videos depicting nn Hansen is a former member of violence against women, and was called out an underground anarchist group by feminist activists. called Direct Action. Known to the In January 1983, when the RCMP media as the Squamish Five, the troop was disguised themselves as road workers on the active within Canada in the 1980s.

Sea to Sky Highway, the members of Direct Direct Action consisted of Hansen and Action were arrested. four other members – Brent Taylor, Juliet Hansen was sentenced to life in Belmas, Doug Stewart and Gerald Hannah. prison. When she was escorted out of the The five anarchists started with small-level courtroom, she threw a tomato at the judge. activism, vandalizing a mining company She served eight years of her life sentence and remains on parole for life. called Amax.

Today, Hansen lives in Ontario as a Their infamous bombing campaign writer, farmer and public speaker. didn’t begin until May 1982, when Direct On Sept. 27, she spoke at Capilano Action travelled from the Mainland to University as part of the CapU Speaker Vancouver Island to detonate a bomb at a Series.

In Hansen’s “Taking the Rap” BC Hydro substation. The resulting blast lecture, she discussed her own experiences caused $5 million in damages. behind bars and being on parole, as well In October that same year, the group as her latest book, Taking the Rap: Women drove a stolen pick-up truck containing Doing Time for Society’s Crimes, which hundreds of kilograms of dynamite from was published earlier this year.

Her first Vancouver to Ontario. Direct Action reached a level of infamy when they then bombed book, Direct Action: Memoirs of an Urban Guerilla, was published in 2001.

Litton Systems, a factory in Toronto that “Enough time has passed, and people produced components for guidance systems are becoming more aware of issues about for cruise missiles. At the time, many, including Direct Action’s members, feared women in prison, about overrepresentation of Indigenous women, of the lack of that cruise missiles increased the risk of programming for women,” said Kirsten nuclear war.

McIlveen, an instructor of Geography and Although it was never the group’s Women’s and Gender Studies at CapU. intention to hurt anyone, the explosion

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McIlveen herself is part of a group called Joint Effort, an all-women’s prisoners’ support organization independent of the prison or the church.

“There was lots of support on the part of faculty in various departments to have her [at the school],” said McIlveen.

Hansen, a prison abolition activist, also spoke at Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) in Surrey and at UBC. “It’s always the more… radical community and the independent bookstores that are interested in listening to me speak,” Hansen laughed.

Hansen came to BC when a professor from the University of Victoria had reached out to her, asking her to come speak on Vancouver Island.

“I have to have passes to go anywhere that I go past 60 kilometres of my home,” said Hansen. She acknowledged that since Justin Trudeau became Prime Minister it is much easier for her to get the required approval to travel outside of Ontario.

“They’re much more respectful of your civil rights, they’re more open to giving you passes to do things like criticize the Correctional Service of Canada,” she said.

Hansen spends her lecture time discussing what prison was like in the 80s compared with now, and “whether it serves any purpose”.

In 2012, after being interrogated for information and not producing any names regarding EPIC (End the Prison Industrial Complex), other anti-prison activists and intelligence on future “bombings and arsons” conducted by activists, Hansen had her parole suspended and was sent to Grand Valley Institution for Women in Kitchener, Ontario.

“If you like to use that metaphor of ‘making lemonade out of lemons’, I had this sort of lemonade-y good fortune of going back,” Hansen said. While incarcerated in Kitchener, she began speaking to more women behind bars, learning about their stories and individual experiences. It was only after she was released that she began to work steadily on her second book.

“When you’re in [prison], you’re astounded when you talk to people about their histories. So many people in prison have really had extremely hard lives,” she said.

CBC News reported in October 2017 that the number of women behind bars in Canada had jumped 37 per cent in a span of 10 years, and many of the women behind bars were victims of crimes themselves.

“A lot of women who are in prison for murder are women who had to endure many, many years of some form of domestic violence,” said Hansen. “We do have to look at the root cause of problems in society instead of just taking a superficial look at it.”

Women like Hansen and McIlveen are not alone in their efforts in advocating for women’s rights. Groups like Joint Effort are continually working to abolish women’s detention centres and bring increased awareness to these issues, “but invariably,” said McIlveen, “that comes with reform.

University education, for example, can transform people … It also helps prisoners and has been shown to decrease recidivism rates, it gives people dignity, it gives them a voice and that in it of itself is so radical.”

Bursary Gifted to CapU by North Vancouver Shipping Neptune Terminals announced its financial support for the creation of an endowment bursary for Aboriginal students

BY MANVEEN SINGH AND GRETA KOOY PHOTO BY TAE KIM

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hipping company Neptune Bulk Terminals announced on Sept. 10 that they would be gifting $10,000 in matching funds towards the creation of an endowment bursary for Indigenous students studying at Capilano University.

The gift was announced during CapFest, the University’s 50th anniversary celebration, of which Neptune was the presenting sponsor.

“Neptune has been involved with CapU on a number of levels for many years,” said Claus Thornberg, the company’s newly appointed president. “First Nations are an important part of Capilano University’s history, and should be an even more important part of its future. This award is intended to provide financial support to encourage more Indigenous students to attend and graduate from Cap,” he said.

Located on the North Shore, the company is one of North America’s largest multiproduct bulk shipping terminals. They have been involved with CapU for several years,

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providing scholarships to Business students and awards that support students enrolled in study abroad programs. Neptune Terminals also hosts tours for students in the Supply Chain Management program several times a year.

Thornberg and Neptune Terminals hope that their contribution will attract more donors. “Beyond that,” he said, “We hope that more Indigenous students will attend Capilano University, and have the support and success needed to complete their studies and graduate in the programs of their choice.”

There are currently 13 scholarships, bursaries and awards available exclusively to Indigenous students at CapU.

“They are very, very generous in their support,” said David Kirk, First Nations Advisor at CapU. “$10,000 towards Indigenous Aboriginal student bursaries is wonderful because there’s this perception out there that if you’re an Indigenous Aboriginal student that your education is paid for. And that is a big myth.”

Kirk acknowledges Neptune’s gift as a step in the right direction, “but that will still only meet a portion of the needs of our students”, he said. One of the challenges outlined by Kirk, although he noted it is a positive one, is that certain bursaries are offered only to students from particular bands or nations.

This means that there are Indigenous students that are not able to apply for many of the

awards available. Kirk is currently working with the Foundations department on getting more donors to sponsor more awards that are open to all Indigenous students, and sponsors an award himself on behalf of his mother’s memory.

“We’re open to working with numerous companies, but I have to be cautious about how students will think … or what would the community think. But I know Neptune has built a pretty strong community relationship with our First Nations communities.”

Thornberg, along with Neptune and its shareholder companies, Teck and Canpotex, communicate that they are committed to and value their relationships with local First Nations groups, and intend on being positive contributors to their community, environment and economy.

“Post-secondary is very expensive, and any award or bursary that’s available for not only Indigenous students but nonIndigenous students is crucial to ensuring their student success,” said Kirk.

The purpose of this endowment bursary is not only to help students in affording their tuition but acts as an initiative to other individuals, organizations and corporations to recognize their social responsibilities.

“What we need to see is, not just at our institution but all institutions, if Canada as a whole is committed to reconciliation and making things better for Indigenous people, we have to provide opportunities,” said Kirk.

St. John Ambulance Provides Opioid Overdose Response Training The free workshops encourage individuals to participate in life-saving training GRETA KOOY NEWS EDITOR PHOTO PROVIDED BY AMANDA TRACEY

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in September read that 66 per cent of overdose cases were male and 49 per cent of cases were between the ages of 20 and 39.

“The individuals that are overdosing, no matter where they are, they’re not overdosing on purpose. These people aren’t choosing to die,” said Binette. “Opioid addiction isn’t a conscious decision, it becomes part of your body and it becomes part of your system, and you aren’t able to get away from that.” He also noted that people are more than likely to die alone in cases of overdose.

“There’s things like the Good Samaritan Act that everyone should be aware of,” said Binette.

The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act, for instance, provides immunity from possession charges to anyone who calls 911 to report an occurring overdose.

St. John Ambulance is the largest first aid provider in BC, training 70,000 people a year. Binette and the rest of the organization would like to see, moving forward, Opioid Overdose Response Training become part of the first aid curriculum – a national standard.

“What we have seen is a slight decrease in overdose deaths from last year, and I think that’s [because] of the hard work that the province has done towards harm reduction,” said Binette.

The next Opioid Overdose Response Training session in North Vancouver takes place on Thursday, Oct. 25 from 6-9:30 pm.place on Thursday, Oct. 25 from 6-9:30 pm.

To learn how to participate in one of these overdose response courses, visit startsavinglives.ca.

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care.

“At the end of that course you get a take-home naloxone kit,” said Binette. “So, we’ve provided you with the knowledge and now we’re going to provide you with the tools.”

The Opioid Overdose Response Training is a free course with no barriers according to Binette. “You don’t need to have any first aid training at all,” he said. “We work with you, and there’s a [maximum] size of 12 participants so we get a lot of one-on-one care.”

Individuals as young as 12-year-olds have participated in the Opioid Overdose Response Training program and, according to Binette, the reason that barriers like age are removed is to allow anyone who is interested in receiving training. In administering training, St. John Ambulance is attempting to reduce stigma and encourage involvement. “When we look at a 12-year-old taking the training, we think ‘Wow, that’s pretty young.’ But in 2017, 24 people died between the ages of ten and 18 from opioid overdoses, and this year alone we’re up to 12,” he said.

Overdoses are not what they used to be.

They’ve moved off the streets and indoors, becoming an invisible issue that’s harder to witness and react to. “It’s not just the junkies or the homeless that you see on the street, it can really be anybody,” said Binette.

Last year, Thompson Rivers University Vice President, Christopher Seguin, died as a result of an accidental overdose. He was just 39 at the time of his passing.

A report published by Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada

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C declared a public health emergency in April 2016 due to the alarming increase in deaths connected with drug overdoses.

In late July 2018, CBC News reported that 130 suspected overdose calls occurred in just one day. Despite this high number, there were no reported fatalities. Linda Lupini, an executive vice-president for the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) and BC Emergency Health Services, told CBC that the calls came two days after income assistance was distributed. Lupini also mentioned that officials were working on ways to reduce the stigma that surrounds drug use.

St. John Ambulance is one organization that has come forward to combat the crisis by providing free Opioid Overdose Response Training. The program began in April 2017 when St. John Ambulance received funding from the provincial government, and is now offered at 18 St. John Ambulance branches across the provinces, including one in North Vancouver on Mountain Highway.

“We’ve had a slow start because we’ve really been focusing on not-for-profit organizations and those who are likely to come across an overdose,” said Government Relations and Strategic Partnership Lead, Drew Binette, who heads the program.

Since then, courses have been opened up to more people.

“The opioid epidemic is getting worse, not better,” said Amanda Tracey, a social media and content coordinator for St. John Ambulance servicing BC and the Yukon Territory. “People need to be able to assess if someone is having an overdose, confidently administer naloxone and perform artificial respiration to save a life. St. John Ambulance has stepped up to provide this vital training.”

“We offer two training sessions, and our training is a bit more in-depth because we’re dealing with needles… a lot of individuals aren’t comfortable with that,” he said. Among other things, Binette’s responsibilities include overseeing the opioid overdose file.

The program offers a seven-hour course that, in the morning, approaches adult CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and AED (automated external defibrillator) training.

In the afternoon, the remaining three hours of the course address naloxone and opioid training.

During the afternoon session, professional instructors address the stigma and discrimination surrounding drug use. Their goal is to teach participants how to identify an overdose and, if they’re comfortable with doing so, how to administer naloxone, apply artificial respirations and assess ongoing

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They're Just Not That Into You Why ghosting is mostly unacceptable, even in the modern dating age ASHLEIGH BRINK COPY EDITOR ILLUSTRATED BY JENNY OAKLEY

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he wind howls. Tumbleweeds lazily drift across the sand as the sun beats down on the scorched desert landscape. A hawk’s cry can be heard trailing off in the distance. “U up?” The all-too-familiar refrain echoes across the barren wasteland. Sadly, this is all that’s left of romance in 2018. While older generations love to wildly accuse Millennials of killing off just about everything they love – cable, motorcycles and lunch, to name a few – we take credit where credit is due. We have irreversibly destroyed dating culture.

Thanks to the rise of online dating and apps such as Tinder, we can slip in and out of each other’s lives without so much as a hello or a goodbye. This newfound sense of anonymity has eroded previous social etiquette into nothing but a fanciful mirage.

The scariest thing, however, is that ghosts are no longer resigned to horror stories – they walk among us every single day.

Ghosting describes when one person cuts off a relationship abruptly, ceasing all forms of communication instead of delivering the candid break up speech. Ghosting is a once-rare phenomenon now rampant in modern dating. According to an article in

Psychology Today by Dr. Jennice Villhauer, nearly 50 per cent of men and women have experienced it. While it may seem harmless, being ghosted can severely affect a person.

“Social cues allow us to regulate our own behaviour accordingly, but ghosting deprives you of these usual cues and can create a sense of emotional dysregulation where you feel out of control… It essentially renders you powerless and leaves you with no opportunity to ask questions or be provided with information that would help

you emotionally process the experience. It silences you,” Vilhauer explained.

It’s not to say that ghosting is ghastly inappropriate. Ghosting is undoubtedly warranted in certain situations, like if two people have just been chatting online and aren’t really feeling the sparks. If someone is being a creep and won’t take a hint, or if your date starts naming your future children together the second time you meet, then by all means, save yourself and get the hell out of there. If you’ve been seeing each other

for a while and you decide you’re just not that into them, however, then grow up. Send them a text. We’re not even in the days when you have to call them and own up to it anymore. Take 30 seconds, and send them a single line. That’s all it takes to be a decent human being in this weirdly disconnected era of dating.

The term “ghosting” is especially fitting.

Like ghosts, they disappear as if they weren’t a part of your life. It haunts you.

The “maybes” and “what-ifs” will dance wildly through your imagination for weeks.

Ultimately, getting over them becomes harder. As any ghosting victim can tell you, it leaves you with this weird, empty feeling.

You slowly begin to tear apart each and every aspect of the relationship, desperately searching for where it went wrong. Sadly, that’s not the worst of it. Vilhauer explains, “One of the most insidious aspects of ghosting is that it doesn’t just cause you to question the validity of the relationship you had, it causes you to question yourself. Why didn’t I see this coming? How could I have been such a poor judge of character? What did I do to cause this?” Eventually, you manage to move past it, but every now and then the seeds of self-doubt will still gnaw away at you.

While it doesn’t look like ghosting will be flickering out of existence anytime soon, there’s still hope that with time, new etiquette will follow these new mediums of communication and dating. In the meantime though, if there’s something strange in your neighbourhood, whom are you going to call?

Trick-or-Treating Etiquette No more tricks, only treats EMMA LEWICKY CONTRIBUTOR ILLUSTRATED BY EMILY ROSE

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or most, Halloween is considered a night of fun and endless candy.

It’s a night that gives you a sense of anonymity, to dress as someone or something else with no rules to stop you.

However, it shouldn’t be all mayhem and madness. Have you ever seen the movie Trick ‘r Treat? The movie follows a demonic child posing as a trick-or-treater who punishes those who break the rules of Halloween. Now if this were something that actually happened, the rules should be as follows.

This first rule should be common sense: use your manners. People are handing out candy for free! The least we can do is use our please and thank yous like our parents taught us. The same courtesy should also extend to whoever is chaperoning you around Halloween night. Manners go a long way in making a person feel respected and appreciated.

Additionally, smashing jack-o’-lanterns would be a sure way to earn a visit from the Halloween enforcer. Another obvious rule should be respecting people’s property. This even includes something as small as blowing

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a candle out from their pumpkin. Now, if pumpkins are off limits, it should go without saying that decorations are off limits too. On Halloween night homeowners willingly let people come and go through their property. It should be treated with respect. If they have a pathway to their door, use it. Avoid walking across their grass and absolutely do not walk through their flower beds. The hydrangeas don’t deserve the abuse.

A common debate of trick-or-treating is when are you too old? What is that sad age

Respect the age limitations.

Something else to consider as a trickor-treater: is your costume appropriate?

When you’re planning your costume, make sure to consider a few things. Is your costume offensive in any way? Something as simple as a religious habit can be seen as distasteful and rude. Could your costume be considered too revealing? There is a sexy version to every costume, but maybe those should be saved for clubs or parties. Don’t forget, a large number of trick-or-treaters are young children and your outfit should be appropriate if you’re going to be around them.

Now for some chaperoning etiquette: don’t be a wet sock! If you’re escorting children around on Halloween night, have some fun and be happy. They’ll probably share their candy with you, as they should.

But while having fun, be mindful of safety as well. Halloween is a dark and busy night, when you’re just too grown up for it to be with people and hazards around every acceptable? With some places like Virginia corner. Make sure to keep a close eye on even threatening jail time for individuals your surroundings. over 12 caught trick-or-treating, it is a serious The last unwritten rule of Halloween conversation. It would seem to be most night, and the most important, is have appropriate to stop trick-or-treating once you fun! It’s likely that you understand all of reach high school. Trick-or-treating is an these rules already, but just needed some event aimed towards children, and what better reminding. The most important thing is to time to stop than when you’re starting at a be polite and aware. Now, remember these new school, evolving into a young adult. And rules or else: you may just be visited by the let’s be honest, adults only willingly hand out Halloween rule enforcer. candy because they want to see the cute kids.

Don’t Overuse Jump Scares Examining horror movie tropes and whether or not the genre has gone stale BENJAMIN JACOBS CONTRIBUTOR

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utilized well, but when overused throughout the movie, it becomes boring. Considering how overdone this trope is it’s not surprising it seems tired.

While there are still many good horror movies out there that work with the cliches presented, the genre could also experiment with some innovative new ideas. However, these too may be at risk of becoming wellknown cliches in the future. For example, despite many people hating the found footage trope within horror, it did start off as an experiment with The Blair Witch Project.

Despite the fact that it was slow and the characters came off as annoying, it was still utterly terrifying. As the experimental found footage element had never really been used before, it gave the film a sense of realism that was new to the genre.

There is still plenty of potential for growth in the horror genre. Since the film industry is continually expanding, who’s to say that the horror genre couldn’t break the mould and find some new techniques and themes to explore.

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magine this scenario: a group of teenagers with forgettable personalities explore an abandoned area. These teenagers will fit into one of the following categories: the jock, the fanservice girl, the nerd and/or stoner, the token minority character, the nice guy or the “virgin” girl.

Coincidentally, the area they are exploring has some connection to a dangerous force acting as the antagonist, ranging from the devil himself, to a serial killer that just happens to be in the area. As the teens explore and get acquainted with their surroundings, the antagonist kills our heroes one by one with jump scares and gruesome imagery galore, and by the end of the movie, either everyone is dead or the virgin girl is the sole survivor. Of course, while the protagonists are forgotten, the antagonist lives on, becoming the mascot for the inevitable franchise.

Of course, this summary can explain a run-of-the-mill horror movie such as Friday the 13th or The Blair Witch Project. Despite these two examples being classics in the genre, they are still filled with the stated cliches and follow the formula presented.

However, it is important to note that not all horror movies are like this, and that the horror genre is not stale, as there is still some room for creativity, even within these tired tropes.

One thing that the genre needs to do is scare the audience, triggering their deepest anxieties by creating tension throughout.

A brilliant example of this would be John Krasinski’s A Quiet Place. The movie is about a family living in complete silence in a post-apocalyptic Earth now dominated by human-hunting creatures with hypersensitive hearing. It works well because the lack of sound puts the viewer on the edge of their seat, waiting to see who will be the first to break the silence. The film uses jump scares effectively, slowly building tension throughout.

However, jump scares are typically used as an easy scare. Oh sure, they can be

Does This Pumpkin Make Me Look Basic?

VOLUME 51 ISSUE NO. 4

There’s no fairy godmother in these pumpkin patches, so why all the hype?

MEGAN ORR OPINIONS EDITOR PHOTO BY KIEL MAPOLES

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ike most things in life, I was expecting to be disappointed by my first pumpkin patch. Unfortunately, I was right. I tried really, really hard to like it.

There was even a part of me that was gleeful as I wandered around that farm, fiddle music and children’s laughter filling the air. I pet a horse, and admired the chickens and goats.

I saw a kid (human) fall and I laughed. It was a beautiful autumn afternoon, with the makings of a perfect day. My boyfriend’s hand in mine, I had every intention of enjoying this experience. I swear, I tried.

My first mistake was picking a pumpkin patch in the city, a rookie decision I now realize. All the real ones are at least an hour’s drive away, and I didn’t have time for that (I did, but I just didn’t want to). I didn’t realize that this meant it was a farm/ market lazily turned into a pumpkin patch, where they would just have little pumpkins haphazardly placed about, rather than my expectation of seeing monster gourds growing all over the place. Forget a horsedrawn carriage, these wouldn’t have even been big enough for Cinderella’s mice!

My second mistake was in thinking that I would enjoy this type of experience at all, when history has repeatedly told me that it’s really not my thing. I get anxious in crowds, annoyed when people walk slowly and am generally the type of person that says, “Is

this it?” a lot. That was it, as it turns out. It was fine, but nothing worth writing home about (although apparently worth writing about in the Courier). If I was the type of person to enjoying meandering or lazing about, then sure, maybe this would have been more my speed.

Even though I did sincerely try to have fun, I think my biggest mistake was in the judgment I was making about the types of people who do enjoy pumpkin patches.

I remember telling someone a few years ago that I really wanted to go to a pumpkin

patch and the guy scoffed and said, “Yeah I bet you do. Probably want to drink a pumpkin spice latte and wear your Uggs too, hey basic bitch?” First of all, rude. But secondly, what’s wrong with liking things that other people like? Pumpkin spice lattes are delicious, and Uggs are warm and comfortable. Still, the comment rubbed me the wrong way. I didn’t want to be like everyone else, I couldn’t be.

I think the pumpkin patch and I were destined to fail. There was too much internalization about what kind of person it

would make me if I enjoyed it. I understand the appeal, and I will maybe try again next year at a real pumpkin patch and see if the enlarged pumpkins peak my fancy.

Definitely a fun place for families, all the cute babies and kids – adorable! For me, however – meh. Overall, a pleasant experience, but not somewhere I would be overly eager to go again. Maybe I am more of a wicked stepsister than a Cinderella type anyways.

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Creepin’ It Real

Fun, spooky, irrational and sexy, superstitions span cultures and cross the boundaries of time

BY GRETA KOOY ILLUSTRATED BY RYAN MCDIARMID

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ithout even noticing, you’ve most likely participated in superstitious thinking or behaviour. They make us feel lucky, more confident and hopeful, and provide us with the comfort of knowing that perhaps we have some sort of control in our otherwise hectic lives. But superstitions don’t always bring positive vibes. On the flip side, they can make us feel anxious and frightened, or behave irrationally to a point where it can be debilitating.

Many commonly held superstitions date back hundreds of years, and vary from culture to culture. When science wasn’t available to our ancestors, they were used to explain what was otherwise unexplainable.

What we may consider absurd or foolish today was once accepted as truth, or at least as a way to understand why things happened the way they did. So why now, when science is so readily available to us, and most things

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have a valid, reasonable explanation, do we entertain the idea of superstition and partake in certain superstitious behaviours?

Most of the time we’re completely aware of how irrational a behaviour it is, but we do it regardless.

“One of my superstitions is I knock on wood every single time I say something that I don’t want to come true,” said Brett Young, a fourth-year Communications student at Capilano University. Young certainly isn’t alone in doing so, knocking on wood in order to prevent a bad outcome is one of the most common superstitions out there. Although it’s difficult to confirm, some believe its origins can be traced to the folklore of ancient Indo-Europeans who believed that spirits were housed in trees. When the tree was touched by someone, they were given blessings and offered protection by those spirits and thus considered a thing of good luck. While there is a belief by some that spirits inhabit trees still, the majority of us would disagree.

Despite this, knocking on wood is still a prevalent behaviour in the 21st century. In this case, it’s a superstition based more on habit than belief – something, somewhere along the lines of our lives, that we were told about and have become socially conditioned to do.

“We like a good story, we like something emotional, we like the drama”, said Dr. Lori Walker, an instructor in the School of Communication at CapU. “We’re all kind of

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drama queens in a certain way. Our brains get kind of a thrill.”

There are two different types of thinking that our brains experience. Walker explained the two parts as the “fast brain” and the “slow brain”. Our “fast brain” is responsive and emotional – it goes on impulse and doesn’t exactly think things through rationally. Our “slow brain” is the critical thinker, the part of the brain that does the analysis. “Superstition is fun because there’s a balance between those two brain systems,” said Walker.

Imagine a black cat crossing your path. Now, if you’re not a superstitious person you’d think “that’s a cute cat” or simply nothing of it. If you were indeed a superstitious person, or perhaps acting under the “just in case” principle, your “fast brain”, or System 1 brain, reacts – you’ve now consciously acknowledged the cat as a threat. Enter your “slow brain”, or System 2 brain, with its logical, rational answer to your fear, telling you that it’s just a cat and you’ve got nothing to worry about. “We love things that are negative and scary,” said Walker, “And when it comes to superstition there’s just the right balance of a threat that’s unrealistic.”

In Stevie Wonder’s 1972 classic “Superstition”, he sings to us “When you believe in things that you don’t understand/ Then you suffer/Superstition ain’t the way”.

But is Wonder right? Will we suffer if we’re believers of this kind of magical thinking?

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The eerier side of superstition appears in many different cultures all over the world.

In Cantonese, the word for the number four sounds similar to the word for “death” and is therefore unlucky. Meanwhile in Italy, the number 17 is a cause for the jitters because the roman numeral for 17 is XVII, and when rearranged forms the word VIXI which means “my life has ended”.

“While in Latvia,” said CapU student Tia Kutschera Fox, “we stayed in an Airbnb where the lady had cut off the legs of her wooden bed frame so ghosts couldn’t hide underneath.” Another CapU student, Anahita Moazami, explained that in Iran it’s believed that when someone sneezes, they must wait three seconds before they move or else the devil will “get them”.

Of course, ominous and chilling superstitions didn’t just come to be. They were once (and some still are) used to explain negative happenstance. Zulu mythology tells the tale of the Tokoloshe, an evil and mischievous creature capable of becoming invisible when it drinks water, who is summoned when a sinister someone would like to inflict trouble and pain on others. The beast has its origins in indigenous South African folklore, and is used as a way to explain the inexplicable deaths of people while sleeping at night.

One of the more the common superstitions, triskaidekaphobia, otherwise known as the fear of the number 13, can be traced back to the roots of Christianity.

Triskaidekaphobia is associated with the Last Supper, where Jesus Christ dined with his 12 disciples before being crucified.

This then led to the idea that sitting 13 people around a table was probably a bad idea, which gave way to the number being unlucky in general. This belief has become so widespread that buildings across the globe tend to skip labelling their 13th floor.

Next time you’re in an elevator take a look at the buttons. Did the floors jump from 12 to 14?

Now, as you know, superstitions are not always negative nor are they just anecdotes for explaining the world around us when we lack an explanation. In many cases, superstitions are our way of manipulating certain circumstances in our favour, or at least that’s what we may think. Athletes are notorious for this kind of behaviour.

“If somebody thinks that wearing the same dirty pair of socks, or not shaving during a game is going to continue a winning streak, they’re going to do it because it gives them a sense of control”, said Walker.

In mathematics, the term “spurious correlation” is used to describe a “relationship between two variables that do not result from any direct relationship but is wrongly inferred to be related to each other.” A similar term appears in the field of psychology: operant conditioning.

Operant conditioning essentially explains that something is learned through the consequences of a certain behaviour.

Although operant conditioning is formally associated with the American psychologist

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Edward Thorndike, it was another American psychologist and behaviourist that popularized the term. His name was B.F. Skinner. In the 1940s, Skinner introduced the “Skinner Box”, a box fitted with a lever, a bowl and a hidden chamber filled with food used to conduct scientific experiments.

The first exercise conducted by Skinner involved rats being placed into the box.

When the lever is pulled, food is released into the bowl, but, as expected, the rats did not know this. After spending some time wandering aimlessly around, the rat accidentally pulls the lever, immediately dispensing food into the bowl. This happens a few times until the rat learns that when the lever is pulled it will be rewarded with food – an example of positive reinforcement.

In 1948, Skinner conducted a similar experiment on pigeons. The same box was used, equipped with the same lever, bowl and food chamber. This time, however, Skinner himself would dispense food into the bowl every 15 seconds rather than the pull of the lever. This meant that whatever the pigeon did would have no consequence or influence on whether or not food would appear. The result of Skinner’s second experiment revealed that, like us, animals could develop superstitious behaviours. The pigeons began to develop their own unique movements, a ritual of sorts, which they would repeat thinking that it was the cause of the food being dispensed.

In humans, we see this superstitious behaviour often – good luck charms are a great example. Items like four-leaf clovers or a rabbit’s foot are carried in the wallets and pockets of people who believe that these trinkets carry some kind of magical power or influence. We associate these items with being lucky, when in reality the item had no effect on any positive outcome to begin with. For example, Maksim Rybarenko, a CapU student from Russia, has a piece of red string his mother gave him to put in his wallet to attract money. It doesn’t have to be a string, just something red. Will this result in money flowing into Rybarenko’s wallet?

Hopefully, but most likely no. Still, it’s a positive way of thinking that can result in a confident and beneficial outlook on life.

So, if you feel so inclined, throw that penny in a well (if you still have one) and break that wishbone. But maybe err on the side of reality here. You still have to put in the work.

“For me, superstition is the belief that one’s ideas, your thoughts, your actions or your words or certain symbols, can influence the cause of events in the real world”, said Dr. Alexander McIntyre, a psychiatrist originally from South Africa. McIntyre acknowledged that superstitions can be both positive and negative. “Sometimes it helps us to gain more control over things”, he said, “…we also know that superstitions provide people with a sense that they’ve done one or more things to try and ensure the outcome they’re looking for.”

The negative superstitions that people may have, explained McIntyre, can also

have negative real-world consequences. “It can cause a lot of anxiety. Some people may decide that they’re afraid of Friday the 13th and they won’t work or travel on those days.

Or they’ll skip an appointment…”, he said.

For McIntyre, it comes down to how much faith is placed in the hands of a superstition, good or bad. In the case of the Tokoloshe, he said “you don’t consider it a psychopathology, it is just a belief system.

But it depends with how much conviction you hold that belief system.”

Now that we’re nearing the end of October and fast approaching the spookiest time of the year, superstition could be considered to be at its most palpable.

Unfortunately, the superstitious beliefs that accompany Halloween are generally considered to be in the “bad luck” category.

Holding onto a touch of the unknown can, as Walker noted, give our drama queen brains a little thrill. Maybe a black cat will cross your path, or a crow will give you “the look”, but don’t let it ruin your day. Instead, try Walker’s approach: “Whenever I see a crow, I say ‘Hello crow, hello crow, hello crow’ three times. I don’t know why, I don’t know where it came from, but that’s my superstition and it makes me feel good”, she said. “Rather than feel like it’s scary or bad, my ‘Hello crow’ makes me feel like I’m going to have good luck.” So the next time you feel that little shiver down your spine, make friends with the feeling, and turn that frown upside down.

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Costume Predictions

We don’t need a crystal ball to predict this year's hottest trends ILLUSTRATED BY KARLA MONTERROSA

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savvy editors and contributors have put together a list of the hip, hot and hilarious costumes you can expect to see on the streets this Halloween season, and what you need to do to see it through to perfection.

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hether you can’t think of the perfect Halloween outfit, or simply want to avoid looking like everyone else, the <i>Capilano Courier<i> has you covered. Our trend-

Moth and Lamp MEGAN ORR OPINIONS EDITOR

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ast year it was all Bettys and Veronicas and slutty Harley Quinns, but 2018 boasts more interesting and nuanced outfits. You heard it here first (after I read it all over the internet) – the number one couple’s

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costume this year is going to be (drumroll) a moth and a lamp.

That’s right. The weird, nonsensical meme will be coming to life. Get ready to hear your internet-savvy friend say “Lamp,” for an entire evening as they flit around the party, running into everything, until they finally land on their significant other – the still and stoic fixture in the corner. Sounds super fun, right?

This costume is cool, trendy and on-point.

But don’t feel bad if you just don’t get why it’s funny, because it isn’t. The origins of this seemingly senseless sensation are from a picture posted to reddit this summer of

a giant moth. From there, the thing grew wings of its own (pun intended).

That being said, this costume is no laughing matter. Moths are fucking terrifying. From flying around like giant idiots and crashing into anything in their way, to laying eggs and leaving gross dust webs in everything you love, moths will get all up in your personal space. If you’ve ever had a moth infestation, you know what I’m talking about. No matter what you do, these assholes won’t leave you alone – much like your friends on the evening of your get together.

Pro tip: if you haven’t done this already,

put all your dry goods into sealable containers. You’ll thank me later. It won’t help with your weirdo friends who can’t take the hint (“Wow it’s getting so late”), but it will help get rid of the actual insects.

Your least favourite couple is likely to be wearing this one. I guarantee they’ll be the ones who show up two hours late, empty handed, eat and drink way more than everyone else and then destroy your bathroom before leaving at 2 am. You’re not even sure why you’re friends with them, but maybe your friendship is like a moth to a flame – it really doesn’t make any sense.

Venom BEN JACOBS CONTRIBUTOR

bonding techniques. For better or worse, Venom is going to find many hosts this Halloween.

Tina Belcher RACHEL D’SA COLUMNS EDITOR

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Edna Mode EMMA LEWICKY CONTRIBUTOR

of fabric in different shades of blue. Or the classic black, long-sleeved dress with a red v-neck from the first movie. Don’t forget to complete the look with some black tights, a cigarette holder and a dash of brazen arrogance. Be bold! Be heroic! But remember, no capes. Voilà, darling.

Donna the Dancing Queen FREYA WASTENEYS FEATURES EDITOR

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hether fictional or real, pop culture has delivered some kick-ass ladies worth emulating.

From Katniss Everdeen to Mia Wallace, and Tonya Harding to Lady Bird, the options are exciting and diverse. Finally, women’s Halloween costumes have evolved from hyper-sexualized outfits to strong feminist icons. Yet, despite the smorgasboard of costume options, there’s one lady in particular who won’t be overlooked this Halloween season, and that’s the one and only Edna Mode.

She may be a mere supporting character in The Incredibles, but the scientist fashion designer extraordinaire takes the spotlight when she can. What she lacks in height, she makes up for in spunk and a nobullshit attitude. With the new installment of The Incredibles 2, this half-German, half-Japanese dynamo is fresh in our imaginations. Independently wealthy and headstrong, who wouldn't want to be Edna Mode for Halloween?

Although this costume could be considered easy to put together, I think it would only do Madame Mode justice to finesse the costume to the last detail – with a black bob wig, ending right at the chin with bangs, and large, round black-rimmed glasses will be key to completing this look.

Now, for the rest of the costume, you’ve got some options, seeing as Edna appears in a few different dresses. On par with her fashionista side is be the tunic she wears in The Incredibles 2 with multiple layers

ou’re walking through the hallways of your university in a cap and gown. Beneath the conservative black robe, passersby might just hear the rustle of fabric and the thump and clack of your obnoxious gold go-go boots (which you’ve obviously bedazzled with blue stars and sparkles).

All of a sudden you reach your classroom and BAM – your gown is off, and it’s like that scene in Lord of the Rings where Gandalf the Grey does his big reveal (spoiler: he’s Gandalf the White).

Underneath, you’re decked to the nines in your best striped jumpsuit. You’re a young Donna Sheridan and, if you’re lucky, your two Dynamos, Rosie and Tanya, are right behind you.

Since CapU is a school bursting with musical, theater and musical theater talent, it’s pretty much a guarantee that this introductory scene from Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again is going to be played out at least once this Halloween season.

Instructors, prepare yourselves to be whirled around while students inappropriately sing that scandalous song from the opening act.

You know the one. Or, you should. Don’t flatter yourself though, you are just a prop.

This will not be an easy costume to pull off, but it’ll be well worth the effort. Believe me, not only will you be wearing a jumpsuit, which is a bonus in itself, but you’ll have free license to sing every ABBA song you’ve ever loved. Plus, it’s totally okay if you want to douse yourself in glitter. Just do it.

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f you frequent the main bus routes, it’s likely you’ve seen an intimate close-up of his face. Yes, I am talking about the bloodthirsty symbiote himself – Venom.

It’s hard not to notice the alien parasite that came to Earth to take a human host.

Marvel has been incredibly successful with film adaptations of beloved comic book characters, and it’s likely that the recent adaptation will be no exception. Of course, with great blockbuster success comes great Halloween costumes, so it would be totally unsurprising if people decided to dress up as one of Marvel’s spookiest characters to hit the big screen.

While it may not be cool to dress up as a comic book character, movies are fair game.

From Black Panther, which earned over $1 billion in the box office, Infinity War with its shocking finale had people spilling out of theatres saying “I don’t feel so good,” to the Deadpool duology and Logan, proving that R-rated “superhero” movies can be successful, the comic-con nerds are really sticking it to the man these days.

Of course, you’ll be able to separate the true comic book fans from the movie-goers in the comics, his first host was the one and only Spider Man (who was then rejected and traded for a better model), but in the new movie, his first host is Eddie Brock.

While perhaps not as charismatic as some of the better looking Marvel characters, Venom is one step ahead on the spooky-scale, as one of Marvel’s most horror movie-esque antagonists, like Freddy Krueger or Jason Voorhees. That being said, there are many characters that could be just as, or more, terrifying than Venom in the Marvel comics (*cough* *cough* Carnage). But since Halloween thrives on easily recognizable costumes, why not go for a character that has finally made it big time with a starring role in his own film and his face on a bus.

Whether Marvel fans have seen the new movie, or just watched the third Spider Man from Sony’s original trilogy, it seems fans will be practicing their best symbiote

ina Belcher is in all of our futures.

The butt-obsessed character from the hit animation series, Bob’s Burgers, has proved time and time again that she’s a force to be reckoned with this Halloween. Busting with hilariously awkward one-liners, it’s no wonder she’s on every costume list.

Though she has a few iconic outfit changes, her day-to-day ensemble is the most recognizable and oft-flaunted on Halloween. The signature Tina Belcher look consists of a lumpy, baby blue short-sleeved t-shirt, an equally lumpy navy blue skirt, white knee-highs, with a red band, black high-tops, clunky black glasses and the incredibly vital yellow barrette.

Despite the simplicity of this costume, there is no way in hell anyone would have that shit just lying around. Maybe, just maybe, you have black converse and remnants of those 3D glasses that everyone seemed to think were cool still lying around.

But the very particular shades of blue along with the subtle, but highly important, details such as the red stripe on the socks, the yellow barrette and the blob of black hair formed into a bob with bangs, is way too specific for such a plain looking costume.

This doesn’t seem to stop the show’s fans from rocking their best Belcher impressions.

Oh no, Bob’s Burgers fans aren’t the type of people to call it a day after popping on their Halloween ensembles. Even if you’ve never seen the show, it’s very possible you’ll be able to pick out the Tina Belchers in a room with all of them reciting her most notable lines, including, "I'm no hero. I put my bra on one boob at a time, just like everyone else," and "I've logged 3,000 fantasy hours into this relationship. You don't just throw that away." Not to mention the line from the popular gif, "Your ass is grass and I'm gonna mow it.”

I don’t blame anyone for wanting an excuse to pass off their awkwardness as a

character, especially if that character is the iconic Belcher babe. I don’t doubt that I’ll be hearing butt-related one-liners this Oct. 31, and I can’t complain. Tinas will probably be attached to the whole pack of Belchers – heck, maybe the entire clan on Ocean Avenue. While the Tinas of the world will overpopulate the streets this trick-or-treating season, I can’t help but wonder if butt jokes will ever not be funny.

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Naked and Not Afraid: Woman is a Word Why I question what has always been expected of me as a woman and as a performer

SCARLETT VANDERWOODSEN COLUMNIST

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ILLUSTRATED BY ALISON JOHNSTONE

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he first day I wore black lipstick to school in my junior year, I was told that I looked scary. I had made the dry, sludge-like cream the night before out of a black crayon and lip balm melted together. Smoothing it over my lips felt empowering in a way that I was never able to feel before. Despite the remarks from a few fellow classmates, including my close friends, I continued to reign as the blacklipped queen a few more times. I eventually retired the beauty statement after realizing that the boy I had my eyes on didn’t quite approve of the look. At home I was told that my appearance wouldn’t get me far in the professional world, and wouldn’t do me any favours in the romance department either.

After some personal growth, I learned to just not give one flying fuck about other people’s perceptions – you’ll always come out the loser. After adjusting my behavioural and stylistic instincts for years, I found that I hadn’t won a single battle against the comments regarding my appearance and the way I carried myself. Even after I had tucked away the black lipstick, even before I had ever worn it, I found myself on the receiving end of a continuous stream of critique. The constant nagging seemed to always revolve around what others believed a woman should look and act like.

There’s the argument that burlesque hyper-sexualizes women, regurgitates stereotypes of femininity and reinforces a degrading and submissive culture. While I can see how those who don’t know what burlesque really is could say that, it could not be further from the truth. The burlesque community is inclusive and constantly evolving. It’s becoming more geared towards taking back the word feminine, redefining it in an empowering way, and steering it away from the meek connotations often associated with it.

In shows, the performers hold all the power in the room. We can choose to play with the crowd with a strip tease or walk right up to an audience member and plop ourselves down next to them just to bring them out of their shell. Various personas come out of each show, not all of which are glamourous, but all of which remain empowered and beautiful in their own way.

Though we’re not permitted to swear, insult or be physical with audience members as we’d be kicked out of the club, we do have the freedom, and are encouraged to be, a bit cheeky in our performances. If someone is on their phone, we’re known to approach them mid-performance, sit on their table and, while simultaneously continuing the number, call them out on it. It’s all at

our own discretion and the responses are absolutely fascinating.

So much shame is placed on sex, especially when women are involved, but burlesque celebrates the sexual liberation of all genders and orientations. Shows are never centred around pleasing the audience, rather, they work to get the viewers to cheer for the performers who are understanding their bodies, having fun and what you could call “strutting their stuff.” Positive and encouraging responses always seem to be the norm after a show, and come from all demographics.

Although, off-stage and outside the club is a bit different. Waiting on the street for the performer’s door to be opened from the inside attracts derogatory comments and cat calls, all of which I brush off. My lifestyle isn’t for or understood by everyone, and I know that what really matters is what happens inside the club, surrounded by supportive friends and strangers – which is why I’m comfortable with sharing an intimate aspect of life.

The partners I’ve had in the past and my present partner all know not to expect me to put on a show for them.

To put it simply,

though intimate parts of my life are public, my life isn’t a stage show. In fact, all of the strong women I perform alongside have incredibly rich lives away from the spotlight – as engineers, biologists working in labs and mothers. I’m still not an overly feminine person, but I love my time dolled up on stage. I’m so much more than my on-stage persona, and there’s no need to limit myself to being one way or the other.

Burlesque acts as a creative outlet, a space for self-exploration and a way to give the golden finger to what others think is or isn’t acceptable for certain genders. And if you have something to say about it, so be it. Just know that golden finger is directed right at you.

least make an attempt to behave like one.

When I dare to venture outdoors, most of the time I have a good time. The sun feels warm and inviting on my pale, almost translucent skin, and the fresh air really is worth the throbbing pain I feel in my glutes. It’s also nice to see friends, families and couples out and about enjoying their weekends together, a truly wholesome atmosphere.

That feeling I relish is almost immediately lost, however, the moment someone shows up with speakers. Music is subjective, I know, but it’s always the worst type of music. There’s something so special and serene about being out of the city and up in the mountains where it’s so quiet that you can hear the leaves drop from the trees above. Silence, much like ignorance, is bliss.

Speaking of ignorance, which is apparently this column’s most overused word, I need to address something loud and clear (if you can even hear it). No one wants to hear your shitty music.

Again, music is idiosyncratic. I understand that and can appreciate the beauty in people having different tastes, especially when it comes to something

as personal as music. That being said, it’s unfair for someone to force their punk rock or melodramatic lyrics on others when we’re all just trying to be healthy human beings and enjoy a nice hike out in beautiful British Columbia.

Since I’m not one for hiking all that often, I decided to ask a couple of people who are.

My mom loves hiking, and it’s only because of her that I go out when I do.

When I asked her how she felt about the speaker issue, this is what she had to say. “I tell them to turn it off! But in fact, usually there’s someone much younger than me who tells them. You’re in the mountains for peace and quiet and to experience the beauty around you – not clubbing,” she said exasperatedly.

Our Features Editor, Freya Wasteneys, is an avid adventurer who finds herself outdoors far more often than yours truly.

“I find it a little bit obnoxious… especially when you’re in a remote area. It just feels inconsiderate,” she said. “There are places for [your music].” The outdoors simply isn’t one of them.

And she’s right. It’s completely inconsiderate, and the people who blast their

music are well aware of it. That’s the worst part about it all – that they’re cognizant of their annoying and disrespectful behaviour, but they just don’t care.

The inconsiderate punks with their speakers aren’t confined to the trails unfortunately. They’re even on the bus. I don’t hate people that blast their tunes, but it’s fair to say that if you do, be bloody well aware of your surroundings. You wouldn’t show up at a Lamaze class with your guns blazing and speakers blaring, so why do it on a public trail where you know others are most certainly going to be bothered by it?

I realize those are two entirely different points, but you get it.

I’m also not insinuating that if you’re out with friends, or whomever, that you can’t play your music out loud. It sets the mood and gets you pumped up for the hellishly long hike you’re about to embark on. But I just can’t stress enough that you need to pay attention to your surroundings and the mood on the trail. And if you can’t even do that, then I’m showing up at your Lamaze class with some classics you’re bound to hate.

Bitter and Better Take a Hike!

GRETA KOOY COLUMNIST

L

ast month, I read an article on the Daily Hive titled “Portable speakers now banned on Grouse Grind trail” and the misery loves company part of me immediately lit up.

Although I’m not known to be fond of the outdoors, I have dragged my butt up a couple of the mountains scattered around the outskirts of the city. I am a Vancouverite, after all. It would be a travesty if I didn’t at

12

Beats and Buckets Success doesn’t come without the right mindset

JUSTIN SCOTT COLUMNIST

W

Vancouver’s hip hop scene for example, has been thriving for years. But, only on occasion do artists break out of the community that’s supported them. There’s no version of the Peak Performance Project for up-and-coming rappers in the City of Glass. However, one local group has been hustling for a few years now and it’s clearly paying off.

So Loki have established themselves as an institution in Vancouver’s music scene and are continuing to get more successful with no end in sight. The duo hasn’t been working just for their own success either.

They’re fostering and promoting their city’s vibrant hip hop scene with every chance they get. The latest example of this took place on Oct. 6 in Chinatown’s El Kartel.

For one night, the clothing store transformed into a DIY concert venue that also hosted the launch of the group’s capsule collection with Obey Clothing.

Performances from local up-and-comers Yurms, Juelz and Raiden carried the attendees through most of the evening, making the event just as much a showcase of local talent as a clothing release. This style of party is nothing new for So Loki.

For the launch of their last EP Planet Bando, the group had a release party in the basement of Celebrities Nightclub.

Once again, the evening was filled with performances from local artists, sharing

the spotlight and the night with their fellow Vancouver creatives.

It’s this culture that’s grown in Vancouver’s hip hop community that’s so exciting. Rather than seeing their fellow artists as competition, Vancouver’s rappers, producers and DJs have embraced one another and are fighting for each other just as much as they are for themselves. It’s this same mentality that NBA teams embarking on a new season will need to find success.

Rather than belittling his teammates, Jimmy Butler should be taking them under his wing, mentoring them and trying to teach them to be as focused as he is. Half the reason this year’s Lakers are so intriguing is because every basketball fan in the world is curious to see how Lebron is going to lead his band of youngsters, castaways and misfits.

In the same sense, it’s an exciting time for hip hop in Vancouver. There’s no doubt that So Loki’s Sam Lucia and Geoff Millar are currently the city’s poster boys for their genre, but what’s really encouraging is how they’re clearing the way and facilitating for their fellow artists. If the duo can mentor Vancouver’s other talented up-and-comers and inject their work ethic and knack for viral marketing into their peers, there’s no telling what the future holds.

Being racially diverse is a gift that comes with setbacks, and going into the world of theatre is a whole new challenge to overcome

got the best of them. “Are you (insert any ethnicity)?” they’d say. “But you don’t look black,” they’d follow up. “Are you sure?

You really look (insert any ethnicity).” Or, “You can’t be German, you’re not white.” I felt alienated from others and from myself. It TRINITY VALERA-MERTINEIT made me question who COLUMNIST I was despite my selfcertainty. I became ILLUSTRATED BY EMMA HARRIS the “other”.

Eventually it got to a point where these questions am Trinity. Without labels, without desensitized preconceptions and, at a first glance, that is simply who I am before anything me from else. In many ways I have to remind myself some of the underlying of that, before my racial ambiguity and prejudice in before my talent. I’ve always had a dream their tones. and it’s a simple one that I’ve been sure of I became since I can remember. I want to sing. My aware that voice has brought me great passion, and my diversity singing is what has made me who I am.

Since I was young, I knew I was different. could affect my I always say that my grandparents visually life in ways represent me as the paint on a palette that weren’t just before it’s mixed together, making a always fair blend that compares to my cappuccino when I started complexion. My Granny on my father’s musical theatre. side was born and raised in Trinidad and As soon as I started, my Papa in Germany. On my mother’s I could never go back. side, Lolo and Lola Carmen are from the My passion for theatre Philippines. My racial diversity has set me sparked. Although musical apart from others and I’ve found myself theatre is something I love, it’s always trying to fit in. My skin is too light always held the power to bring me down. to be black and too dark to be white, and although I look half-Filipino, I never learned My skills didn’t seem to matter once I was ruled out for certain roles solely on my the language. People around me were always confused, and their curiosity always appearance, because I wasn’t in line with

I

the “traditional ethnicities” of many of these characters. I felt a constant need to prove my worth and to work harder than others just to get the same level of consideration. I knew I would never play the caucasian lead role even if the role was perfect for me.

Through all the self-doubt in the back of my mind I know I’m capable, even when people say otherwise to my face. It wasn’t until I was given the opportunity to perform an iconic role that I felt connected to my character, in more ways than one, as a person of color.

It was the opening night of my school’s production of Hairspray and I played the role of Motormouth Maybelle. The scene had started and I walked on stage for my cue – all I could feel was my gut twisting. I was about to sing my character’s main song called, “I Know Where I’ve Been”. The monologue before the song was a blur and all I felt was myself shaking. Then the first few notes rang from the pit orchestra below my feet, and everything changed. I can’t describe the

feeling I had as I sang my truth. I will never find enough words to truly give justice to the feeling. The artist and activist, Nina Simone, talked about this feeling in an interview, in which she could only describe it as “no fear.” That “no fear” was the only way to be truly free. I thought about all the adversity I had faced all my life, all the hardships I had gone through and how much I had overcome, and I had no fear. I know where I’ve been, just as it’s stated in the song, and I would never again be afraid of where I’m going.

Going into this industry as a person of colour is without a doubt terrifying and uncertain, yet the industry is constantly evolving. I remember the year Hamilton blew up and I thought, “Maybe I have a chance, too.” There are now places for people like me, opportunities that I can grasp. Musical theatre has always been my dream, and I know that I will never give up that dream. If there isn’t a place for me, I will find a place. My diversity sets me apart from others in a positive way, and I know that it will always be a strength rather than a weakness. I want to be able to represent people of colour going into this industry, and I want to be able to encourage people who are biracial to do what they love while being proud of their diverse background. I have never been anything but proud of my culture and upbringing, and I have never been someone to back away from a challenge – you could say I’m utterly fearless.

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VOLUME 51 ISSUE NO. 4

Facing Adversity in the Eyes of the Theatre

THE CAPILANO COURIER

ith the NBA now back in full swing, sports headlines are once again being frequented with names like James, Curry, Leonard and Butler. Although the majority of the narratives linked to the league’s premier players relate to predictions of successful seasons, Jimmy Butler has found himself in something of an awkward, yet familiar situation. Having demanded a trade a few weeks back, he’s been in team-limbo.

Rumors of potential trades have been swirling, but nothing’s happened yet and he’s started the season as a Minnesota Timberwolf. The thing with Butler is, this

isn’t a new story. He claims to be frustrated with his teammates not working as hard or being as focused on winning as him, yet he’s never really won anything himself.

It’s situations like these that show how special organizations like the San Antonio Spurs are. With a selfless work ethic that emphasizes a shared goal of achieving greatness instilled in every player and a strong selection of veteran leaders, the Spurs truly have a winning culture. It’s this kind of culture that many teams, including those Butler has played for during his time as a professional basketball player, simply don’t have – and it shows. Butler, who’s never had a strong leader to learn from, currently has two of the most naturally gifted young players in the league on his team and rather than working with them and trying to achieve greatness as a team, he’s demanding a trade.

The need for a strong culture to achieve success is no different in the music world.

When you look at cities that are the “home” of certain genres, it’s clear that finding success in the music industry is rarely achieved alone. Look at Nashville and country music, Atlanta and hip hop or hubs like Los Angeles or New York for music in general. However, what’s often more exciting than an artist coming up through an existing culture is when they make their own.

COLUMNS

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If She Ruled the World Why the former First Lady’s presence is needed more than ever

KEVIN KAPENDA COLUMNIST ILLUSTRATED BY FIONA DUNNETT

THE CAPILANO COURIER

VOLUME 51 ISSUE NO. 4

F

ox News and the alt-right have been giddy lately. In addition to the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, who has been accused of sexual assault by three women, it appears that the Republicans’ big and very white tent is getting a little more diverse.

Apparently, Trump’s favourability amongst African Americans has risen slightly, as milk does to a cup of tea. While it is difficult to know who to believe or trust in this age of “fake news”, this claim is one that I have no trouble buying given the Democratic Party’s current leaders, Pelosi, Schumer and Sanders. It is also why the Democrats need

to turn to the “real MVP” of the last decade, Michelle and not Barack, if they’re going to take back the House and possibly the Senate this November.

Just how does a biracial candidate with a Kenyan last name assemble the most robust coalition in American electoral history?

With the help of Joe Biden, one of the most important voices for the white working class, and his African American wife, whose story is as common to any slave-descending black family in the US. Michelle was born in Chicago, IL to parents whose roots can be traced back to slaves from pre-Civil War South Carolina and Georgia. Her life in Chicago was a result of the Great Migration, which saw hundreds of thousands of African Americans leave the “Jim Crow” South for the lure of non-agrarian jobs in the North and the Rustbelt. Discussing her family’s journey from the South to the North is something Obama discussed in many speeches, bridging her experience with the African American voters who propelled her husband to the Senate and later, the Presidency.

One of the questions that loomed over Obama’s rise between 2004 and 2008 was whether he was “black enough”. This query was further compounded by the fact that he was mainly raised by his white mother and her family. However, in defense of African American critics, including Tom Joyner and Tavis Smiley, the discussion was about more than just the colour of President Obama’s skin. While the US is home to large immigrant populations from the Caribbean and Sub-Saharan Africa, the majority of African Americans are descendants of

slaves from the South, the original builders of the United States. Therefore, Obama, the son of influential Kenyan liberationist Barack Sr., was effectively campaigning to represent a population of slave-descended people, of which he did not belong. The question was fair if you ask me, but was certainly problematic.

The solution to it? His wife.

On the night the Democrats won the presidency in November 2008, Charles Gibson of ABC declared that for the first time in the country’s history, African Americans will reside in the White House – which was built by slaves. In my view the most influential First Lady ever, or at least since Nancy Reagan (1981-1989), is who helped shut down any discussion of Barack not being black enough on her way to the White House, while proceeding to accomplish so much more as its past tenant. Whether it was due to her addressing the childhood obesity epidemic through outdoor play and sport, championing education for girls and racial groups that are underrepresented in post-secondary institutions or famously coining the empowering and contagious phrase “when they go low, we go high”, never has the loss of

an unelected voice in an unpaid ceremonial position been mourned more. A figure that was essentially beloved by most, except racist sexists, Michelle will be remembered as an apolitical figure in an era defined by extreme polarization.

Once again, the Democrats are in a familiar but scary place. They’re far more popular than the Republicans according to the generic ballot. Furthermore, as we’ve been repeating like parrots since 2010, the Democrats have a demographic advantage over the GOP, whose narrowing base is increasingly white, straight and old.

However, like in 2016 and the three election cycles before then, it’s proven that if your diverse and growing base does not trust your leadership outside of Obama, you end up with a nutjob Congress and a white supremacist President who won because the Clintons’ antiblack demons came back to haunt them.

The Democrats need to win back the House in November and stop Trump before he permanently destroys the country. I hope to see Michelle (and Barack) on the trail in the coming weeks. Lord knows they need her more than ever.

Rockstar Games and writer on the infamous Grand Theft Auto series just lobbed me a softball.

In a puff piece for New York Magazine promoting Rockstar’s hotly anticipated Red Dead Redemption 2, Houser bragged that his team was “working 100-hour work weeks.” Inside an industry notorious for unpaid overtime, or “crunch” time, it’s unfathomable that Houser thought this comment would go over well. A few days later, fans, pundits and media released a torrent of criticism. In response, Houser released a statement attempting to clarify his earlier comments. He said that he was talking about himself and a handful of members of the writing team, and that the absurd amount of overtime only stretched over a three-week period. “We don’t ask or expect anyone to work anything like this,” he iterated.

What Houser said could be the case, but it’s hard to know for sure. Many past Rockstar employees shared unflattering stories about the studio and its culture this week on social media. Some, like Job Stauffer, were damning in their accounts of working on Grand Theft Auto 4 over a decade ago. “It was like working with a gun to your head seven days a week. ‘Be here Saturday and Sunday too, just in case Sam or Dan [Houser] come in, they want to see everyone working as hard as them’.”

After relaxing its social media policies in response to this backlash, many current Rockstar employees added their voices to the conversation. “I've been working

on [Red Dead Redemption 2] for five years.

They've … actually done a pretty good job of avoiding heavy crunch (better than [Grand Theft Auto 5], which I also worked on),” Kaitlyn Burnell, a senior programmer at Rockstar, tweeted. Like most things in life, the truth is complicated. Every employee’s experience in Rockstar’s multiple studios across the globe is going to be different. From the accounts of those still with the company, the pace of work seems to be getting easier to cope with. However, this is the same company that spawned the infamous “Rockstar Spouse” letter in 2010, calling on Rockstar San Diego to improve working conditions while that team crunched on the original Red Dead Redemption. The unfortunate reality is that it can be hard for someone to say “my labour is being exploited” when you don’t even realize that it is.

This is especially true when it comes to young developers trying to get their start in games. These are people like you and I who love games. They’ll do anything to live their dream of creating and working in the gaming industry. They’ll put in long hours and work away their weekends all because they care – because they’re passionate. But that “passion” is exactly what makes them exploitable.

Managers and studio heads might say they don’t ask their employees to crunch, and often they don’t have to. If there is an existing culture that encourages crunch and overwork, it doesn’t matter whether it is explicitly mandated or not. Many workplaces often suffer from soft or unspoken pressure from colleagues and bosses. You want to “pull

your weight” and be “part of the team”.

The problem with the gaming industry is that if you don’t give it your all, there are thousands of other young kids out there, hungry for your job. They’re just as passionate and just as willing to put in the time that you won’t. The industry is especially good at snapping up these young developers, overworking them until they burn out, and spitting them out again when their motivation is exhausted. It’s the passion the industry sees and wants to snatch up, and developers are more than willing to exploit it.

Grand Theft Auto 5 is estimated to have made $6 billion. That makes it one of the highest grossing entertainment products ever made. It made more money than any movie, novel or album in existence. Red Dead Redemption 2 will likely be a comparable juggernaut. Rockstar can afford to take care of its workers, probably exponentially more than it currently does. I doubt that any studio, or Rockstar itself, is run by a cartoon maniacal capitalist, tapping their pale, spindly fingers while they watch their workers toil away into nothingness. Yet there still exists a culture in the industry that often turns a blind eye to harmful work practices.

Publishers and studios can, and should, do more. As consumers, we also need to do more. Boycotts are largely ineffectual.

Executives and shareholders can ride that wave and still be financially secure while developers suffer. As game fans, we need to add our voices to this conversation. We need to be loud, and we need to be angry.

Digital Hurdles Work like a Rockstar, because our love for video games might kill the industry

JOHN TABBERNOR COLUMNIST

I

t’s funny that we care so much about the conditions our coffee beans are picked and grown under, because we don’t want the guilt of exploitative labour practices souring our morning pick-me-up.

But we rarely care about how our video games are made. Last week in this column, we discussed the growing issue of labour concerns in the gaming industry after TellTale closed its doors and sacked its entire staff without severance. I said that the discussion around labour wouldn’t be going away anytime soon, and it turns out that Dan Houser must be a fan. The co-founder of

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CALENDAR

OCT-NOV

22 MON

23 TUE

WED

THU

26 FRI

27 SAT

28 SUN

VANCOUVER HORROR SHOW FILM FESTIVAL

THE CINEMATHEQUE 7 PM / $18.50

This – the inaugural Vancouver Horror Show – is rolling out the red carpet and a bunch of short horror films from both local and international filmmakers. If you’re an actor, the real fear factor here will be dodging all the film students you’ve bailed on after they asked you to appear in their short films.

GHOSTLY GASTOWN TOUR

599 WEST CORDOVA ST. 7:30-9 PM / $21

I think Gastown is spookiest between the hours of 12 and 5 am, but that could just be me. If you want to be scared in a more structured and

THE INTERNET: HIVE MIND TOUR WITH SPECIAL GUEST MOONCHILD

29 MON

30 TUE

THE COMMODORE BALLROOM

So, I lied before, this isn’t a Halloween event and it’s not the only one in the calendar, but the internet is a scary place, so I say it still counts. For the record, The Internet is an LA-based band passing through town on tour.

GOOSEBUMPS: AN EVENING WITH R.L. STINE

THE QUEEN ELIZABETH THEATRE 8 PM / $30-80

Remember all those nights you spent as a kid not sleeping thanks to all the shit this dude wrote? Or that damn doll? Now’s your chance to thank him for all those sleepless nights, and, while you’re at it, to find out what he wears on any typical day. It can’t just be me who’s always wondered, right? Anyway, I’m hoping a robe and a wooden pipe are involved.

HALLOWEEN COSTUME BALL AT SCIENCE WORLD (12TH ANNUAL) SCIENCE WORLD (DUH)

This seems bougie. There are going to be six DJs and performers spread out over two floors, five bars and performing for over 1,000 guests.

The organizers promise this to be one of the most “legendary” events in Vancouver, but we’re still waiting on confirmation of whether or not that’s just a plug for the White Spot located downstairs.

31 1 WED

THU

2

FRI

3

SAT

SCARY SUNDAY MORNING BRUNCH CARTOONS – TREEHOUSE OF HORRORS STORM CROW TAVERN ON COMMERCIAL 11 AM-2 PM

There’s not too much information on the event page for this thing, but it’s pretty self-explanatory – have brunch, watch cartoons. There was a picture of Marge Simpson dressed as a mummy though, so make of that what you will.

4

SUN

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER TRIVIA NIGHT THE PORTSIDE PUB 8 - 10 PM

This is a trivia night with a Buffy theme. Life is simple sometimes, isn’t it? They also encourage vampire slayer costumes, so expect a shit-ton of leather. I’m just hoping there are a lot of questions about Willow. We love a Bi queen!

THE OFFICE TRIVIA: HALLOWEEN EDITION THE PINT 7:30 - 10:30 PM / $15

To be clear, this is about the paper company in Scranton, PA – not your beloved editors in Maple 122. If you want to take a guess at just how many times our current Editor-in-Chief has watched The Greatest Showman, you’re just going to have to wait.

HALLOWEEN

ALL OVER ALL DAY / AS MUCH AS YOU MAKE IT

Why are you reading this to find out what Halloween is?

TASH SULTANA

DOUG MITCHELL THUNDERBIRD SPORTS CENTRE 7:30 PM / $47 AND UP

This marks the end of the Halloween events. Recover from a busy couple of weeks with some very vibey live music. If you don’t know who Tash Sultana is, just know that she is very cool. Maybe too cool for a calendar maker… Excuse me for a moment, there’s something in my eye.

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW AT THE RIO

THE RIO THEATRE 11:45 PM - 1:30 AM / $15 ADVANCE, $18 AT THE DOOR

I lied again! If you didn’t catch this Halloween classic at some point in October, the Rio’s got you covered. How did we nearly let them shut down?

VANCOUVER TEA FESTIVAL

CHINESE CULTURAL CENTRE OF GREATER VANCOUVER 10 AM - 5 PM (AND 11 AM - 4 PM) / PRICES VARY

Spill it, sis!

EASTSIDE FLEA MARKET

550 MALKIN AVE. 11 AM - 5 PM / $3 ADMISSION, $5 WEEKEND PASS

This recurring flea market is a real hidden gem. They always have a great lineup of local vendors, good food and reasonably cheap drinks. Plus, I once saw someone getting a tattoo at the top of the staircase. If that doesn’t scream

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VOLUME 51 ISSUE NO. 4

25

The 10-woman improv troupe, Nasty Women, is putting on a Mean Girls-themed night for this installment of their monthly Biltmore residency. Hot tip: acting students get in for only $7 with proof of enrollment. The rest of us will just have to jot that down in our burn books for later. Another hot tip: this is the only non-Halloween event in this calendar until November. Buckle up.

THE CAPILANO COURIER

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NASTY WOMEN COMEDY: FETCH

THE BILTMORE CABARET 7:30 PM / $10 ONLINE, $14 AT THE DOOR

ARTS & CULTURE

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How You Can Get Into Classical Music And why it should be more popular BRIDGET STRINGER-HOLDEN CONTRIBUTOR ILLUSTRATED BY CHRISTINE WEI

THE CAPILANO COURIER

VOLUME 51 ISSUE NO. 4

“

Any time you’re listening to ‘classical music’, what you’re listening to is mostly a historical oral document of that time and place,” said Dr. Wendy Grant, the coordinator of the Music Diploma program at Capilano University. “One of the really cool things about seeing the development of western music through that lens, is that you see the way that music reflected the culture for which it was written.”

Classical composers like Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky are well known, but people are often unfamiliar with how omnipresent their influences are in today’s music. In Star Wars, parts of Han Solo and Princess Leia’s theme resemble Tchaikovsky’s “Violin Concerto in D”. Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring” influenced the music that plays when droids C-3PO and R2-D2 are stranded on Tatooine. Classical music influences also appear in music scores for The Avengers, Armageddon, Star Trek, X-Men 2, The King’s Speech and numerous other modern movies.

Other than enjoyment, listening to classical music has a number of healthrelated benefits. Classical music has been proven to lower blood pressure, heart rate, cortisol levels, muscle tension and positively affect insomnia as well. The frequency of the music can aid concentration and retention, since inner ear tension is lowered.

Unfortunately for all of us, research is inconclusive regarding the “Mozart effect”, which ventures that classical music raises IQ. “They say they don’t understand it,” said Grant. “A lot of music in the 20th century is very challenging for the listener and it has to

be listened to on its own terms. They don’t even need to figure out what it means, they should just listen to it and they should listen to it actively.”

Cap Classics is a great place to start listening to classical music. It’s a series of free lunchtime classical music concerts featuring talented Capilano University instructors, students and alumni. Grant has been working to organize another year of concerts, the next being violinist Nancy DiNovo and Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO) pianist Monica Pfau. It will be held on Oct. 26 at the BlueShore Financial Centre for the Performing Arts.

The VSO has also hit their 100th season milestone. Their concerts are held in the awe-inspiring Orpheum, Queen Elizabeth Theatre and Chan Centre at UBC. Students and teachers are eligible for a free membership called the “TD All-Access Pass”, which allows them to buy affordable tickets. There are concerts for all tastes, from classical performances of Beethoven’s Ninth and jazz-influenced pieces like the “Naughty Limericks”, to concerts dedicated to music from movies such as James Bond, Harry Potter or La La Land.

Considering the variety of classical music styles and influences, it’s possible to take interests, such as Star Wars, and turn them into a love for classical music. “The interesting thing about it is that it doesn’t really seem to matter when it’s written, it’s so completely relevant and so powerful and so moving. It’s music that is not only beautifully crafted, but sort of emotionally … it has the ability to touch the soul of the listener,” said Grant.

How I Became a Makeup Artist on YouTube Tiana Lachnit is a full-time social media influencer studying Communications on the side MARIAH KLEIN CONTRIBUTOR

“

I would wear super black thick eyeliner under my eyes, and then I got called raccoon eyes by this boy, and I wanted to kill myself. But anyways, that’s how it started.” Tiana Lachnit, a first-year Communications student, is a 20-yearold business woman with over 12 million views on her beauty YouTube channel, and has 160,000 Instagram followers. Her most popular videos include prom makeup tutorials, product reviews and a “Brother Does My Makeup Tag.” “I’m just kind of playing it day by day,” she said.

The beauty community on YouTube has

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become a thriving industry, accumulating 88 million views on the platform in 2017.

Lachnit posted her first video in 2014, but when her peers at school made fun of her for it, she quickly deleted all her accounts.

“It wasn’t until Grade 10 [when] I was kind of like, ‘Screw it, I don’t really care what these people think’… it’s really what I want to do.” That mentality eventually became the driving force she needed to be taken seriously in the beauty world. From quitting her job at a restaurant, to going on brandsponsored trips and signing contracts with companies, YouTube and social media has taken the place of a full-time career. Lachnit easily spends up to eight hours a day on her platforms.

“Brands started contacting me basically when I started. I was so confused, I didn’t know that was a thing at all,” Lachnit said. A significant source of income for creators on YouTube comes from sponsorships or paid

promotions, either in videos or Instagram posts. As a senior in high school, Lachnit appreciated her friends in the industry who took her under their wing, giving her advice on how to bargain, stand her ground and know her worth. “You have to pick and choose [sponsorships]. A lot of people will try to lowball you,” she said. Depending on her contracts and content, every month’s income looks a bit different, but Lachnit’s success allows her to support herself.

As her audience grew, Lachnit soon realized she couldn’t please everyone.

People wanted her to fit the cookie-cutter mould of a typical beauty vlogger, with a “happy-go-lucky” attitude. “It’s so tiring, I don’t know how people are that excited all the time,” she said. “That would [have been] me being fake, if I was super peppy.”

Lachnit is able to be herself online, and that’s what her fans appreciate. “I like the interaction on Youtube,” she said. “You’re

actually able to talk to people, it’s not like you’re just posting a photo of yourself, you’re actually interacting with them. They’ll ask you questions related to something you said.”

The struggle to stay relevant, maintain relationships with brands and stay on top of social media content keeps Lachnit busy. “It gets harder and harder every year,” she said.

“Sometimes my creativity is down the drain, and I don’t know what to film.” There’s still uncharted territory and learning through trial and error, but there’s nothing else out there that gives her the same opportunities. Lachnit still gauges her sponsored content with care, promoting what she’s proud to be associated with, instead of who has the best financial offer. She has more experience under her belt, professionally, than any social media internship could ever give her.

Follow Tiana @tianacosmetics

Get Captivated by Gothic Lore An evening stroll amongst the Lost Souls of Gastown will not disappoint DEVON SIMPSON CONTRIBUTOR

W

e are fascinated with death – the mystery, the loneliness and the absolute reality that one day it will happen to each of us. We are thrilled by stories told of others and the horrors they faced, especially when they are based on reality. The drama, the suspense and the terror excites us all even if it does creep us out. Perhaps that is why so many people love Halloween.

While some dress in disguises and play

pranks, others honour and remember the dead. Folklore around this time of year has it that the veil between the world of the living and that of the dead is at the thinnest, allowing the spirits to walk amongst the living. Regardless of how we observe this time of year our minds often wander to the past and those that were left behind.

There are many haunted tours operating all over the city in October. From the Haunted Trolley Tour in Stanley Park to Forbidden Vancouver, which takes curious guests through the secret opium dens in Chinatown, Stanley Park and Gastown.

Forbidden Vancouver creator (and history buff) Will Woods has developed a “gothic theatre adventure” that leads tourists (and locals!) around Gastown’s cobblestone streets looking back through history with laminated photographs. Expert storytellers tell tales of murder, despair and tragedy

in the very streets where they transpired a century or more before.

“It's not a ghost tour, it is a gothic theatre adventure designed to take guests back in time,” Woods said of the walking tour that winds its way through the back alleys of Vancouver after dark. He created the company in 2012, inspired by similar tour companies in Seattle and Edinburgh. Today, 12 guides run Forbidden Vancouver, many of which are actors.

Cheap thrills and a gimmicky air of ‘ghost’ tour is not present on this walk.

Instead, the real enchantment is in the city’s history. Woods’ descriptions of Vancouver’s history captivates imaginations. “[People] escaped the Great Fire while flames licked the skin off their backs,” Woods dramatized at one point.

In the core of Gastown, perhaps after a pint of pumpkin ale from a local brewery

down the street, a group collects to start their evening. A guide dressed in authentic costume emerges from the shadows, carrying a historical picture book remembering those who walked these streets.

“Our storytellers are imagined residents of old Vancouver,” said Woods. “There are female leads and male leads – each tour is different, but based on documented accounts from our city’s earliest years.”

In a dimly lit alleyway just off Water Street, the hustle and bustle of the modern world slips away each night as the ghostly guide creates a bridge between the living and the dead.

Each stop on the walking tour holds a new story – told from the perspective of someone who lived through the event and, who quite possibly was responsible for it. Leaning against the brick walls, the stories come to life and it’s easy to feel the spirits of a cruel and harsh city.

Working the Borders: From Mexico to BC

PHOTO BY DEBORAH KOENKER

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ive women sit in a half-circle in the Mexican village of Tapalpa. They are connected by an ever-expanding cloth of bleached cotton muslin. Each of them holds an embroidery tambourine, their hands threading in and out of the cloth, as they embroider their enlarged fingerprints in black thread. They do this as an act of protest.

The disappearance and murders of Mexican women, women who come from villages and work in factories just like them, has become an epidemic. Viewing the photograph of these women embroidering their fingerprints in a half-circle, the underlying darkness of this imagery becomes apparent – there is a very real possibility that they could someday disappear too.

The women are part of a larger project organized by artist Deborah Koenker, where 84 villagers from Tapalpa, Jalisco handembroidered their own fingerprints. The project was later hung in an installation, along with the names and photographs of disappeared and murdered victims.

Koenker wants to bring awareness to the precariousness facing Mexican women working in textile maquilas – Americanrun companies in Mexico that import, manufacture and export goods duty-free, taking advantage of cheap labour. The hand-embroidered fingerprints refer to the lack of criminal investigation in the missing and murdered cases of the maquila workers, and present a sharp contrast between the individualized hand of the maker and the anonymity of factory work. “They had to sit in groups to do this embroidery because it was two long pieces of cloth, and it gave them the opportunity to talk about violence in their own community, because it exists in every community, everywhere. It’s just often not talked about because it’s considered a shameful thing. In Mexico, given the history

of colonization, you don’t complain. You just ‘put-up and shut-up’,” said Koenker during her Artist’s Talk at Capilano University.

In her most recent project, Grapes and Tortillas (2016), Koenker photographed 160 seasonal Mexican workers in the Okanagan.

The Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program (SAWP) is a program run by the Canadian government that allows Canadian farm employers to hire foreign workers from Mexico and the Caribbean to fulfill labour demands. SAWP brings over 2,000 Mexicans each year to the Okanagan, where they work in vineyards and fruit harvesting, among other things. Koenker gave her subjects a flattened tortilla and asked them to write their name on it, where they come from, and one thing they would like to say to the people viewing her work.

Parachuted into a different culture, the migrant labourers work 12-15 hour shifts six-to-seven days a week, with no overtime pay. One contract Koenker examined entitled the worker to two unpaid, 10-minute breaks in one shift. The migrant labourers work for up to eight months, separated from their families – missing births, quinceañeras and marriages, isolated in an unfamiliar town where they are pushed to work past the point of exhaustion. One worker writes on his tortilla, “We hope that one day, we will be recognized as good workers, and more importantly, as people, people who are undertaking the cumbersome, tiring work of this country.”

The workers are paid either minimum wage (currently $12.65 an hour), or if they are harvesting particular crops, are paid by piece rate (the rate for blueberries as of September 2017 is $0.483 per pound gathered). Income tax, Canadian Pension Plan (CPP) and Employment Insurance are deducted from their wages. “They cannot collect [employment insurance] because they’re contract workers, and when their contract is up, they’re required to leave Canada. So they pay into this plan that they can never collect from,” says Koenker. “The thing about CPP is, if you’re uneducated and you’re living in a foreign country, and you

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get paperwork, if you even can access the paperwork in Canada, it’s going to be in English. Most of them won’t ever collect their pension plan. So our government’s keeping a lot of money from them.”

Another worker writes, “We aren’t rapists or robbers, as Trump says. We are workers.” Yet another writes, “I would like to work without worry and be able to bring my family here. My wish is to have a better salary and better work opportunities.”

Many of the messages plead with the Canadian government to allow the workers and their families to immigrate. Koenker notes that workers could be coming to work in Canada consecutively for years,

and still have no path to becoming Canadian residents.

Despite the few dissenters, the overwhelming majority of workers express some kind of gratitude towards Canada on their tortillas, while revealing their intense frustrations in private conversations with Koenker. The hardship experienced by these workers is evident in their photographic depictions, their wary eyes and half smiles reveal a more complicated truth than the messages of thankfulness written on their tortillas. “They’re under the gun in terms of being able to come back and work every year. If they complain – like if they’re abused by an employer – they often won’t say anything.”

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How I Brought the Court to My Classroom Peter Holden’s unique style of teaching both entertains and prepares students BRIDGET STRINGER-HOLDEN CONTRIBUTOR ILLUSTRATED BY ERIKA MEDINA

“

“I had no teaching experience, I had legal experience and I had done court work.”

Although that could have proven quite difficult, he used it to his advantage and integrated all those years of practicing law into holding pretend court scenarios in class called moot court. This year, Holden chose the case of Regina v. Dudley and Stephens, which addresses the controversial issue

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Order in the court! Mr. Justice Holden presiding. All rise!” announces the student posing as the court clerk. Moot court is now in session. In walks long-time business law professor Peter Holden in his lawyer’s robes, ready to begin class. It has now been 31 years since Holden started teaching. “I think when I first started out I was probably quite boring.

However, with the help of other colleagues and just thinking back to that lawyer that taught me, I decided that I had to change my method of delivery,” said Holden.

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of necessity as a defence for cannibalism.

Students were selected to act as Crown Council, Defence Council and the Court Clerk. The rest participated as members of the jury and got to decide the ultimate fate of

Mr. Dudley and Mr. Stephens.

Bringing the court to his classroom didn’t occur to Holden until a few years into teaching. “When I first started, I just stood there and lectured.” Now, he still stands

there, but only after walking through the courtroom-like array of desks to his chair to begin proceedings. He invites Crown Council to begin their convincing summation and then allows Defence Council to provide a rebuttal, wondering if their speech will be enough to sway the jury otherwise before they make a final decision.

Holden’s teaching career began by chance in 1987 at Capilano College, as it was referred to until 2008. “I never intended to teach,” he said. “I did take the same law course that I’m teaching now, at UBC, and it was taught by a most entertaining lawyer, who subsequently became my mentor when I went to law school. And I thought, wow it would be neat to teach that course.” By chance, Capilano College called him years later to ask if he’d like to teach the same course with the exact same textbook. Inspired by the impact of his former instructor, Holden created moot court to engage his students. “My goal was to take a serious topic and make it accessible to students and give them a better understanding. If I could inspire only one student like I was inspired, I’ll feel like I did my job.”

The Best and Worst of Halloween Costumes ILLUSTRATED BY CYNTHIA TRAN VO

GRETA KOOY NEWS EDITOR

T

I had a ball putting this hot mess together, and I only call it my worst costume because of the impracticality of wearing it. But I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat, maybe with a better updo now that I’ve gotten the hang of a pair of curling tongs.

FREYA WASTENEYS FEATURES EDITOR

T

he room is hot, and so are the girls.

Sexy bunnies abound. It’s 2011, and I’m having a full-blown Cady Heron moment. But instead of the Mean Girls’ ex-wife look, I’ve chosen to go as the ever-batty Professor Trelawney – grapefruit crystal ball and all.

By my side, a rather feminine-looking Professor Snape (aka my petite red-haired friend who died her hair black to commit to her role), scratches under her chin-high robes, looking mildly uncomfortable.

Luckily, Snape is in a committed/stable/ loving relationship, so this kind of social suicide is just a necessary form of warding off unwanted male attention, but I, Professor T, am single and ready to mingle.

Somehow no boys make their way to our corner. Weird. As university students, I guess we’re supposed to know the age-old rule of “less is more” when it comes to Halloween attire, but apparently we missed that memo along with the one about the dress code for this party.

At one point, my friend and I are asked who we’re supposed to be, and my notso-inner diehard Potter fan literally dies… hard. What kind of party is this anyway?

Who are these people? I look exactly like my divination homie, Sybill. I’m quoting up a storm. I’m predicting all kinds of ill-omened futures. I’ve got some big hair, glasses and an unnecessary number of skirts on. I’m wearing a freaking vest on top of a vest. I went all out on this shit, and no one has the decency to know who the heck I am, or recognize that this is the best costume ever. I guess I should have predicted this...

I

t was Oct. 31, 2013. All my years of dabbling in DIY costumes had led me up to the moment I found myself in hipster Snow White getup. Was I a vision? Was I a beauty? Of course not. Hipster Snow White sounds just as cringey as it looks. Layering my mum’s floor-length sheer yellow dress from the 80s underneath a navy blue plaid shirt, complete with a red polka-dotted bow headband. I can say, though, that I at least captured the colour scheme, somewhat.

The lipstick was dry and incredibly stale, and so was my humour. In order to make the costume supposedly “quirky,” I fastened handmade paper “patches” with safety pins to my shirt and backpack with “hipster” related statements such as “I talked to birds before Twitter,” “I had apple before Steve Jobs” and “Coachella <3.”

The day just snowballed once I got to school. My first block was peer tutoring and I just so happened to be tutoring a Grade 8 gym class. Once the teacher noticed my costume, he offered to have me work organizing a uniform closet filled with stanky arse jerseys. The block resulted in me tripping over my dress and having a ladder whack the back of my head.

The costume was not cute, not practical and did not make sense in the slightest. I spent all day explaining what Coachella is, coming to the realization that I really was the type of person I was making fun of. It was the Halloween that I can’t quite remember, thanks to a minor concussion, and I’m quite alright with that.

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VOLUME 51 ISSUE NO. 4

here are all sorts of costumes you can improvise out of bedding if only you put your mind to it. Togas come to mind, I’ve managed it before and with a great deal less effort than my classmates (nerd alert?). But perhaps my most interesting – if that is even the right word for it – creation was my Marie Antoinette getup in 2010. Now Halloween is when the ghouls come out to play, so if I had really wanted to get into the spirit of celebrating the dead and all their ghostly accompaniments, I would have painted a gash around the circumference of my throat using crimson food gel. I didn’t. I strove for historical accuracy. So naturally when that option went out the window I got creative.

Laziness and lack of materials led me to create my panniers – those giant hip pads the ladies of Versailles used to wear underneath their skirts – out of bedding. I strapped two pillows to my hips using my dad’s belts and, when I couldn’t find a dress with a wide enough hem to fit over my improvised hoop skirt, I wrapped a dark green saree with gold pleats around the whole creation. My hair was another story entirely. I’ve never had three feet of golden locks in my life, so the ornaments came in handy after I only successfully teased my hair about three inches off my forehead. An application of blush later and the flourish of a fan I bought in Chinatown, and I was all dolled up.

I’m the type of person who likes to go big or go home, and sometimes in quite a literal sense. I didn’t have anywhere to go for Halloween when I was 13 years old.

I was too young for parties, too old for trick-or-treating and just too embarrassed to dress up for school. I resigned myself to handing out candy that evening, sneaking in the occasional glance in a mirror with a smirk and a swish of my skirt. A couple of hours into the evening, the impracticality of it all was evident. I couldn’t fit through the doorway very easily, leaning over to pick up the basket of candy every time one of the neighbourhood kids came knocking soon had me winded, nobody could figure out what I was going for and on top of it all, I was cold.

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I

was blessed to have been born in the early 90s, which meant growing up with the best of the best TV. Shows like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Rugrats, Daria, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Weekenders dominated my childhood.

Even now I still love talking about them, reminiscing over my favourite characters and episodes, and any time Urban Outfitters comes out with a new $50 throwback tee I immediately want it. Hell, I once dropped $20 on a pair of tighty-whities just because they were covered in a collage of Hey Arnold! characters. Yes, including the grandpa.

When it came time to choose my Halloween garb for 2017, I already knew that it was going to be a couple's costume.

My boyfriend and I went back and forth with ideas, not wanting to settle on anything too cliche. That’s when the idea hit me. I stared at that beautiful, bald head of his and thought to myself “how fucking perfect.”

Fillmore! How had I not thought of it before? I loved that show and had always admired Ingrid Third – she was such a badass – and I’d have an excuse to wear a wig.

The costumes didn’t take much effort, which was nice. We wore clothes we’d wear out on any other day, only now they were adorned with a bright orange Safety Patrol sash (made by my loving mother). I picked up a wig at a store in Gastown, and although it was a pain in the ass to wear, I loved how much I reminded myself of one of my favourite childhood characters. My boyfriend looked the part to a T, bald head and all.

Although less than half of the people at the party we went to, probably less honestly, could tell who we were supposed to be, it didn’t matter all that much. Dressing up as Cornelius Fillmore and Ingrid Third was by far my favourite of all my past Halloween costumes, even beating Lola Bunny from the previous year. The only regret I have is not having had a Vallejo to scream “FILLMORE!” at my boyfriend when he walked into the room.

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HOROSCOPES AQUARIUS (JAN. 21 – FEB.19)

It’s never too early to start thinking about dropping out. It’s not like anybody would miss you.

GEMINI (MAY 22 – JUNE 21)

I’m not sure what’s lower, your grades or your number of matches on Tinder.

CANCER (JUNE 22 – JULY 23)

PISCES (FEB. 20 – MARCH 20)

It’s a good thing you have lots of Facebook friends. We both know you couldn’t make real ones if you tried.

ARIES (MARCH 21 – APRIL 20)

Drawing on a nose and whiskers with a black marker for the third year in a row doesn’t count as a costume.

Just because you still look like you’re 12 years old doesn’t mean you can get away with trick-or-treating again.

Try going outside every once in a while.

Although on second thought, maybe it’s better to stay inside with a personality like that.

TAURUS (APRIL 21 – MAY 21)

VIRGO (AUG. 24 – SEPT. 23)

Your chances of getting lucky on Halloween are about as good as finding a cup of coffee on campus after 2 pm on a Friday.

SCORPIO (OCT. 24 – NOV. 22)

We get it, you just love fall, pumpkin spice lattes and Uggs. You do know it’s okay to have your own personality, right?

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 23– DEC. 21)

You’re not the favourite child.

The cat is.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22 – JAN. 20)

The one night a year you can pretend you’re actually attractive is coming up.

Use it wisely.

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VOLUME 51 ISSUE NO. 4

You’re lucky your mom has to love you.

LEO (JULY 24 – AUG. 23)

LIBRA (SEPT. 24 – OCT. 23)

Just because you can legally get high with your parents now doesn’t mean that you should.

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We are proud to offer discounts to non-profit organizations and North Shore customers. A full media kit with sizes, rates and deadlines is available on our website: capilanocourier.com. Classified advertisements up to 50 words are free for students.

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