VOLUME 51, ISSUE 2
SEPTEMBER 24 – OCTOBER 7, 2018
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
VOL. 51 ISSUE 2 SEPTEMBER 24 - OCTOBER 7, 2018
ON THE COVER: MARIA CENTOLA
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SAUDI STUDENTS IN CANADA
News
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MURAL FEST
CHRISTINE BEYLEVELDT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
CAPU'S HUMBLE START
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Arts & Culture
Cover Feature
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SNAPSHOT OF CAMPUS
Photos
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THE CONTROVERSY WITH ANNIVERSARIES
Opinions
NAKED AND NOT AFRAID
Columns
THE BLUES' DEAD TEAMS
Sports
VOLUME 51 ISSUE NO. 2
STAFF
THE CAPILANO COURIER
How I found my sense of belonging at Capilano University
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
ART DIRECTOR
Christine Beyleveldt capcourier@gmail.com
Cynthia Tran Vo artdirector.capcourier@gmail.com
MANAGING EDITOR
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Helen Aikenhead manager.capcourier@gmail.com
Melissa Gibbons pm.capcourier@gmail.com
NEWS EDITOR
BUSINESS MANAGER
Greta Kooy news.capcourier@gmail.com
Jessica Lio businessmanager.capcourier@gmail.com
ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Annalisse Crosswell associatenews.capcourier@gmail.com
Chase Mair, Alexander Derbas, Darien Horwood, Devon Simpson, Annie Zhou
FEATURES EDITOR
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Freya Wasteneys specialfeatures.capcourier@gmail.com
Jonathan Buffone, Noah Penner CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORS
Nivedan Kaushal arts.capcourier@gmail.com
Andrea Alcaraz, Maria Centola, Sarah Haglund, Heather Haughn, Alison Johnstone, Ashley Loo, Ryan McDiarmid
OPINIONS EDITOR
EDITOR & COLUMNIST PORTRAITS
Megan Orr opinions.capcourier@gmail.com
Cynthia Tran Vo
ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR
COLUMNS EDITOR
Rachel D'Sa columns.capcourier@gmail.com COPY EDITOR
Ashleigh Brink copy.capcourier@gmail.com
INTERESTED IN CONTRIBUTING?
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Visit us in Maple 122 on Tuesdays and Fridays or
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email capcourier@gmail.com.
visual submissions are welcomed. All submissions
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are subject to editing for brevity, taste and legality.
Submit your portfolio or examples of work to
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deemed by the collective to exhibit sexism, racism or homophobia. The views expressed by the
We acknowledge that the work we do and the
contributing writers are not necessarily those of the
institution we serve happens on the unceded territory
Capilano Courier Publishing Society.
of the Coast Salish peoples, including the territories of Musqueam, Squamish, Stó:lō and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.
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was at work at Canada Wide Media a couple of weeks ago, and the entire office staff gathered in the lunchroom to hear our Editorial Director Anicka Quin’s Ted Talk, which she gave at the Chan Centre the prior weekend. “What’s it like to work in a dying industry?” she said plainly. She spoke of magazines as a keystone species in a world where we are more connected than ever, yet isolated by technology, evoking a sense of pride in the attentive staff. Magazines celebrate communities. Western Living celebrates inspiring design across the West. The Capilano Courier celebrates the Capilano University community. Though I’ve often heard it said that CapU has no community, it does if you only look for it. This month, the University celebrated its 50th anniversary. The Capilano Courier is also celebrating this milestone. This democratically run independent student newspaper was established in 1968, which is cause to celebrate. We put this project on the back burner for a while, after editors started keeping a running tally of the number of times I brought this issue up in conversation at the office. We started combing through our archives last year in preparation. We found ads for bell-bottom jeans and anticommunist propaganda printed in the 1970s and story after story on rising tuition fees. Over the years, we’ve changed as dramatically as the school we serve to better inform and entertain our community. Despite the dismal reality that the government reneged on proper funding after Capilano College made its transition 10 years ago, and bitter comments about its status as an institute of higher education, CapU has always persevered. I remember one encounter I had in my first year of university. An older woman who I bumped into at Park Royal asked me why I wasn’t in school and I explained
that I only had class later that afternoon, so I was spending the morning with my mom. I’ll never forget her comment when I mentioned that I went to CapU, it was something along the lines of, why does that community college still insist on calling itself a university? She told me I was wasting my time and that I’d get a better education at UBC. But CapU is the best of both worlds. It grants degrees but it has a teaching mandate – requiring faculty to put teaching before research, and has the feel of community college. Your instructors not only know you by name, they also know what you’re most passionate about, and where you want to end up. It is a community. In my first year, I was, like many others, a student who just attended class and went home right after. But once I found my home in this corner office in Maple 122, everything changed. I’ve sat through costume fittings with actors in the Nat and Flora Bosa Centre basement, and later watched them perform on the BlueShore stage in Exit 22 productions. I’ve stood on the bleachers in the Sportsplex on a Friday night cheering on the Blues women’s basketball team with my coworkers as they crushed their opponents, and I’ve performed horribly in Battle of the Bands against the Capilano Students’ Union (CSU) executives next door to us. My point is, home isn’t something that the University can provide for you. It’s what you make of your experience here. Just like you wouldn’t call a roof over your head home unless the space below it holds significance. A lot of blood, sweat and tears have gone into turning an old community college into the North Shore’s only University. On behalf of the staff of the Capilano Courier, we wish CapU a very happy birthday.
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THE CAPILANO COURIER VOLUME 51 ISSUE NO. 2
The Trans Mountain Pipeline Faces Even More Controversy The latest developments in the Trans Mountain pipeline issue put Indigenous groups first ANNALISSE CROSSWELL ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR PHOTO BY MICHAEL WHEATLEY
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n the latest development in the ongoing Kinder Morgan company saga, the Federal Court of Appeals has unanimously overturned the federal government’s approval of the project. The court deemed the National Energy Board’s (NEB) report on the Trans Mountain pipeline to have too many flaws to be relied upon for federal approval of the expansion. The ruling came Aug. 30 and highlighted the lack of consultation with affected Indigenous groups, serving as a gentle reminder to Canadians that indigenous relations are still a central issue. The proposed expansion to the pipeline, which currently runs from Edmonton to Burnaby, would cut through the land of many indigenous groups, including the Tsleil-Waututh and Squamish nations on whose land Capilano University resides. Given Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s comments on the topic of reconciliation the promises he's made to the Indigenous peoples of Canada, a large part of the conversation surrounding the pipeline has
come to be about the responsibilities owed to Indigenous groups. Since Kinder Morgan’s 2012 announcement of their intention to expand the Trans Mountain pipeline, the western provinces of Canada have been heavily voicing their opinions on the project. On the latest ruling Alberta Premier Rachel Notley recently commented, “I know I speak for everyone here in this room and every Albertan in saying that we are frustrated and, let’s go with it, angry about the recent court decision on Trans Mountain.” On the other hand, the BC NDP and Green Party coalition was clearly influenced by their mutual desire to end the project. The effects are being felt even closer to home than this however, with the City of Burnaby’s fight to put an end to the project. In the spring of 2017 the city took a lower court ruling to the Supreme Court of Canada over a decision that did not allow them to block pipeline construction, though the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal. The initial ruling allowed the company to bypass local bylaws in the construction of the pipeline. With a May 30 announcement that the Trudeau government intended to purchase the pipeline from the Texas-based company for $4.6 billion, the debate has only gained more attention at the national scale. At Capilano University, the ideals surrounding the topic have aligned closely with those of the BC government. A statement released by the Capilano Students’ Union (CSU) stated that they “applaud the decision”. “We need to consider the harm that this increased traffic may cause to an area that is important to Indigenous people and that
all of us rely on for our livelihoods today and in years to come,” said Anna-Elaine Rempel, president and vice president of equity and sustainability. Rempel also commented on the importance of this issue for CapU students: “It’s not very far out our back door and we need to be aware of the issues that are happening so close to us,” she said, “I think it’s an incredibly critical step for us to make sure that, when we’re doing consultations, we’re not just doing it to say we had a consultation, but for that to really mean something.” As a university located on unceded land that is constantly working to maintain a positive relationship with local Indigenous groups this is important not only at a national scale, but also locally. Whilst the ruling comes as a positive turn for Canadian indigenous relations, Rempel acknowledges there will be negative impacts for those families who financially rely on the work that the expansion would create a labour demand for. Despite the controversy that has followed the Trans Mountain pipeline and the Aug. 30 ruling, Finance Minister Bill Morneau remains insistent that the purchase of the pipeline will go ahead. In further developments, the NEB has reportedly been issued a federal cabinet order to reconsider its initial ruling on the matter. As of Sept. 21, the board has 155 days to complete the work, but it's still uncertain as to when construction will begin. While to focus has previously been on Indigenous consultation, the board has now been instructed to take environmental impact into account.
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CSU Monitors Ongoing Diplomatic Friction Between Canada and Saudi Arabia Saudi students in Canada face an uncertain future GRETA KOOY NEWS EDITOR
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he Capilano Students’ Union (CSU) continues to monitor the situation on behalf of the international students from Saudi Arabia affected by the diplomatic spat with Canada. “Because this has to do with international politics, we’re fairly limited as a student union in what services we’d be able to provide. We’ve tried to open ourselves up to students and make them aware that they could come to us if they had questions,” said AnnaElaine Rempel, president and vice president equity and sustainability. Saudi government officials announced that students from Saudi Arabia studying in Canada were required to leave the country following a statement made by Dennis Horak, Canada’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia. Students were told to either return home to the Middle East or transfer to other countries to continue their studies. The Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs turned to social media to speak out against the Saudi government after a series of human rights activists were arrested in the Middle Eastern country. “Canada is gravely concerned about additional arrests of civil society and women’s rights activists in #SaudiArabia, including Samar Badawi. We urge the Saudi authorities to immediately release them and all other peaceful #humanrights activists,” read Horak’s Aug. 3 tweet. Samar Mohammad Badawi is a 37-yearold Saudi Arabian women’s rights activist who, according to Human Rights Watch, was arrested on July 30 by Saudi authorities along with fellow activist Nassima al-Sadah.
Badawi’s sister, Raif Badawi, was arrested in Saudi Arabia in 2012 for insulting Islam in a blog post. She was sentenced to 1,000 lashes as punishment and given a 10 year prison sentence. This followed a series of arrests starting in May 2018. Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Abel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir said on Aug. 8 that a retraction of the original tweet and an apology from the Canadian Government would sufficiently repair the diplomatic damage done. “Canada started this and it’s up to Canada to find a way out of it. A mistake was made, a mistake needs to be corrected,” he said. In response, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement that “Canada will always speak strongly and clearly in private and in public on questions of human rights,” standing by Horak’s original statement. Canada’s closest international allies have shown little public support during these disputes, with the United Kingdom Foreign & Commonwealth Office stating that “Canada and Saudi Arabia are both close partners of the UK, and we urge restraint.” Spokesperson for the US Department of State Heather Nauert also commented that “both sides need to diplomatically resolve this. We can’t do it for them, they need to resolve it together.” The Saudi government responded to Horak’s message by giving the ambassador 24 hours to leave the country, and then suspended all new trade and investment deals between the two countries. Canada also took an economic hit when the Saudi government ordered asset managers to ditch all Canadian shares, bonds and other assets. Diplomatic officials and all medical patients in Canada were also ordered to leave. Only oil exports were unaffected. Among those affected by the dispute are the some 16,000 Saudi Arabian students who were studying in Canada. When the Saudi government immediately terminated
scholarships and study abroad programs, students, many of whom were in the middle of their studies or nearing the completion of PhDs, were left scrambling. According to CBC News, approximately 20 students have officially filed claims for asylum. “We kindly urge … the government to immediately reverse its decision and work to stop the repercussions of the Saudi government’s policy which will affect the future of thousands of graduates,” a statement issued by the Coordinating Committee for Saudi Students in Canada read. CityNews Toronto reported in early August 2018 that 115 Saudi Arabian students would not be returning to York University in the fall, with similar statements echoed by the universities of Toronto, Calgary, Manitoba and British Columbia. The effects of the CanadianSaudi Arabian conflict are also felt at Capilano University. Canadian students’ unions nationwide are offering any assistance they can at this time, and the CSU is no exception. “This is a tense situation for students who don’t know if they can complete the studies they’ve undertaken here. Our key message to our members is that we are looking into it and working with the University to ease the burden on these students,” the CSU issued in a statement on Aug. 14. One student, who consented to speak to the Courier on the condition that they remain anonymous, said “I felt very anxious and frustrated. Should I stay and lose my scholarship? Or go back to the uncertainty?” The unpredictability of the situation regarding students from Saudi Arabia and their studies in Canada has left many feeling pressured to make quick decisions that will ultimately change their lives forever.
With very little time to make these pressing choices students were left scrambling, especially with looming tuition fees and rent costs. “I’ll have to adjust accordingly … I’ll be losing my scholarship which means I’ll have to cover all my expenses, the international tuition fees and finding a job in a span of a couple of weeks,” they said. International students must be enrolled in full-time programs at CapU, which means taking more than three courses per term and paying an international tuition rate. International students typically pay $584 per credit, compared to the $130.26 per credit that Canadian citizens and permanent residents pay. A total of 37 students from Saudi Arabia were accepted at CapU for the fall semester, and although this is a relatively small number, the CSU is aware of the impact the decision made on their academic futures. “We’re reaching out to them and letting them know that we are going to be their representatives and that we are there for them if they need anything,” said Rempel. “I believe that [the CSU is] trying to figure out a way to help them transition with the least amount of damage,” said the Saudi student. A statement released on Aug. 23 by the Saudi Arabian Cultural Bureau said students on government-funded scholarships would have their stay in Canada extended until Sept. 22, although their scholarships were officially terminated on Aug. 31.
New CapU Service to Repair Electronics at Cost CSU to implement new Personal Electronics Repair Service (PERS) for students after securing funding through spring referendum
ALEXANDER DERBAS CONTRIBUTOR
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new resource has been unveiled for students that would enable them to repair certain electronics at cost at Capilano University’s North Vancouver campus. On Sept. 7, 2018, the Personal Electronics Repair Service (PERS) was approved for funding by the Capilano Students’ Union (CSU) board’s majority. PERS promises to bring students a costfriendly solution to rival electronics repair rates offered by competing businesses in
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the Lower Mainland. “The PERS program was created to assist students in their success by providing a repair service with little to no additional costs on top of the initial fee of $0.57 per credit, up to a maximum of 15 credits,” said Dilnavaz Dhillon, senator of CapU and CSU vice president finance and services. PERS was designed to ensure CapU students will pay solely for the price of the damaged or defective parts (plus shipping and taxes) to repair a device, without profit to PERS itself. Labour costs relating to diagnosis and repair will not be included, affording students a much lower price. PERS will be available around midOctober, once all necessary tools arrive and the preparations are complete. By comparison, Apple would typically charge roughly $300 for an iPhone screen replacement, unless AppleCare+ was purchased beforehand. The launch in mid-October is a limited trial
run – however, the formal opening of the service is scheduled to unfold sometime in January of 2019. IT’s goal is to offer the program to students Monday through Thursday. The proposed schedule roughly aligns with the current operational hours for CapU’s IT services. PERS will also likely operate alongside traditional IT services in the Member Centre located in the Library. Technical services offered to students will include screen replacements for laptops, MacBooks, iPhones and Android devices. Additionally, diagnostic and repair services will cover data recovery for laptops, desktop PCs, MacBooks, iPhones and Android phones, as well as iPad and Android tablets. Although there is an IT department at CapU, no electronics repair services are currently provided. Given that technology has become fundamental to student success in the classroom and the workplace, this is an important step forward for the University.
“The hope is that the students will not need to pay any additional costs towards basic repairs, and anything needing to be ordered specifically for the repair will just be charged at cost – labour will always be free,” said Dhillon. The PERS program is a welcome addition to the many services already provided on campus to further student satisfaction, and to create a more comfortable, affordable, and accessible student life. PERS gives CapU students the ability to repair their devices easily and ensure that their coursework will not suffer at the hands of a broken or malfunctioning device.
THE CAPILANO COURIER
As a former Capilano College student, the owner of Darwin Construction looks to give back to the community ANNALISSE CROSSWELL ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR PHOTO PROVIDED BY RICHELLE HARPER
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hen Oliver Webbe left Sechelt High School, he knew he would go on to be a part of the family construction business. Within two weeks of graduating, Webbe was on a construction site, working during the day and gaining an education during the evenings. Before Webbe attended the Business Technology program at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) he took several night classes at Capilano College that were not offered at BCIT. Now an owner of the family business, Darwin Construction, Webbe describes his time at Capilano College in 1999 and 2000. Much as CapU does today, Webbe says the school offered opportunities for
due to demand for classroom space at Dorothy Lynas Elementary. The day care, along with the preschool currently operating out of the same location, would transition into the proposed Innovation District with minimal disruption as CapU’s residence is set up, ensuring North Vancouver families need not go without childcare. Of this positive business model Webbe said, “We kind of take the approach that if there’s a way we can help, we should.” Evidently true, given that the company is currently allowing residents to continue living at their property in Maplewood, which is slated for redevelopment. Though a corporate project, Webbe is also working on a few new foundations. He hopes to establish family centres across two or three of Darwin’s facilities and partner with the YWCA to provide housing for mothers and their children in North Vancouver. Aside from a plethora of business endeavours, Webbe is also a father of two boys aged four and six. Family being his priority, he is heavily involved in their sports, coaching and North Vancouver high school graduates to himself, but also his employees. “A lot of transition into a post-secondary education the people that work for Darwin live on the supporting their teams. During their downtime, Webbe and his wife, whom he met in high affordably and locally. This made it a North Shore and I think they get a sense school and attended Capilano College with key spot for those who grew up in the of pride in projects that are a part of their prior to continuing his studies at Simon Fraser surrounding area to attend. “I know that was community,” he said. University, take their children to their property a real appeal for most of my friends – that Darwin is not only responsible for in Whistler. Webbe will also be running the New it was the perfect transition for kids on the the current residence – and soon to be shore,” said Webbe. York Marathon this November as a result of the Innovation District if approved again – on January bucket list he writes annually with his Community has clearly remained a Dollarton Highway, but also a number of priority for Webbe, who has lived in North other projects that benefit North Vancouver wife. With all of these personal and business endeavors at hand, it seems Webbe’s sense of Vancouver all his life and whose business residents. The Dollarton Highway location community has not dulled since his days at is focused in North Vancouver. Webbe has a space set up for the private daycare feels this is a source of pride not just for that was possibly going to be forced to close Capilano.
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VOLUME 51 ISSUE NO. 2
One-on-one with Oliver Webbe
ARTS & CULTURE
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CapU Gets a Facelift IDEA students, among other talented artists, spruce up the North Vancouver campus with nine new murals CHRISTINE BEYLEVELDT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF PHOTOS BY NOAH PENNER
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VOLUME 51 ISSUE NO. 2
sually meticulously dressed, Cristian Fowlie is a sight in a pair of paint-splattered navy jeans and a safety harness. He’s leaning over the side of the lift in the loading zone between Birch and Arbutus, casually painting long blue brush strokes to define the hairline of a figure. The heavy traffic along Greg Lee Way doesn’t distract him. He is in his element. Below, three first year Illustration and Design (IDEA) students roll blue, red and yellow paint over the blank spots on the wall.
“I actually just met him,” one of the students at ground level laughs when asked if Fowlie is a good mentor. The artist himself takes a break from his work and comes down to the parking lot, occasionally glancing up at the clouds. It’s supposed to rain, and he worries the sky will open before his paint dries. Fowlie is one of 14 artists painting one of nine murals on CapU’s North Vancouver campus to celebrate the University’s 50th anniversary. Several of the artists are working in teams, but Fowlie braved his piece solo despite his self-described inexperience with murals, and put out a call for help painting the massive piece on his Instagram well into the process. Last year, he painted a wall in a Mount Pleasant neighbourhood for Vancouver Mural Fest. “This mural was inspired by a sketch that I did when I was a student in 2013,” said Fowlie, who grew up in Burlington, Ontario before coming to study at CapU, where he graduated from IDEA in 2015. The four geometric figures, inspired by people Fowlie went to school with or saw around him, pop out of his sketchbook in bright colours now being splashed on the primed concrete walls. The University, he said, liked this particular submission because the colourful
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figures showed the diversity of the CapU community. Before Fowlie could start painting, he needed to project the original image onto the wall to preserve its proportions. “I can draw a face easily when it’s in my sketchbook but when it’s 10 feet tall it’s easy to lose the sense of proportion and if something is off people can see it.” The work is also very physically demanding, painting al fresco requires him to be on his feet for seven to eight hours at a time. With $100,000 in anonymous donor funds, CapU partnered with Vancouver Mural Fest in June to recruit artists and make the campus more vibrant and colourful. The chosen artists began painting in August, and the nine murals on the North Vancouver campus were unveiled at CapFest – the University’s 50th celebration on Sept. 22. IDEA talent includes Brynn Staples, Emily Huynh and Courtney Lamb along with graduate Tierney Milne. Veteran Drew Young, who has more than 30 murals to his name, was also commissioned to bring the walls to life across campus from the former Studio Arts building at the north end to the concrete façade of the Birch building. “From what I understand IDEA has a lot of great ties with things like Mural Fest and whatnot, and I’ve always wanted to learn how to paint a mural so getting into something like this today was a huge opportunity as a learning experience,” said John Pachkowsky, one of the first year students rolling paint on the lower section of the wall. The three students happily return to painting and Fowlie climbs back into the lift, determined to pain as much as he can before the dark clouds overhead begin to pose a real hazard. Fowlie’s work is now complete, but CapU moves ahead with its murals, having procured an artist just last week to add a mural to the k̲ álax̲ -ay Sunshine Coast campus who's name has yet to be announced.
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How I Became an Artist
Taka Sudo shares his past while painting one of CapU’s murals NIVEDAN KAUSHAL ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR
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See more of Taka Sudo’s work at takasudo.com
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I think I’ve been painting in these clothes for six months.” Taka Sudo’s black Nikes, black jeans, black sweatshirt and black snapback are splattered with crusted blobs of vibrant, rainbow-coloured pigment. He steps back, carefully scanning the striated muscles of the twin phoenixes facing Capilano University’s eastern walkway. With his right hand, he deftly gestures the next brush stroke like a golfer performing his pre-swing routine. Each motion emanates intent. For the last two weeks, Sudo has been tucked between the Willow and Fir buildings, painting one of 10 murals, nine of which are on the North Shore campus and one which will be on the Sunshine Coast, to commemorate CapU’s 50th Anniversary. Native to Saitama, Japan, the self-taught artist apathetically graduated from Rikkyo University’s law program in Tokyo 18 years ago. “At the same time, I also studied filmmaking,” he said. “I was working on lots of storyboards and scripts everyday, but one day I just thought that a whole two hour film – I can make that on the canvas.” Or in this case, more than 40 square metres of wall. Three boldly variegated land animals – a mountain lion, a horse and an elk – greet passersby as they approach the mural via Fir’s northernmost exit. They are then welcomed inside Willow by two phoenixes. “Those neon, bright colours – they're representing urban elements – and are building up the animals' organic shape,” said Sudo. By mixing metropolitan
characteristics with organic features, Sudo’s mural manifests the essence of CapU’s landscape – veritable greenery balanced by concrete façades and fluorescent lights. The mural also captures a taste of Sudo’s extreme sport background. A former competitive freestyle skier, Sudo fell in love with British Columbia in 2002 after ripping down Blackcomb’s double black diamond runs. He visited each year after, and finally moved to the Great White North in 2007. Sudo’s passion for extreme sports has naturally led to artistic collaborations with Endeavor Snowboards, Faction Skis, White Gold Snowboards, and Landyachtz Longboards. “For me, being a skier is my biggest identity. My skier identity always gives me inspiration and also motivation. That way, my identity defines my artistic style.” Sudo squats beneath the twin phoenixes, joggling an aerosol can of scarlet paint. Last year, he drained nearly 30 paint containers completing a mural behind Our Town Cafe on East Broadway as part of the Vancouver Mural Festival. “So far, this one’s not too bad. Maybe six empty cans?” he said. The anniversary mural, however, has taken longer than he expected. “The painting process is usually much quicker. But this wall has strong textures. It’s been really tricky to paint on.” Despite the wall’s coarse surface, Sudo effortlessly finishes shading the phoenix’s body and wipes his hands on his jeans. “It’s probably time to get new painting clothes,” he laughs.
FEATURES
Capilano University's Humble Start
When compared to other schools in the Lower Mainland, Capilano University is still the new kid on the block. The first registrar reflects on how far the school has come in 50 years. BY FREYA WASTENEYS ILLUSTRATED BY ASHLEY LOO
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apilano University may be 50 years old, but according to Tim Hollick-Kenyon, the university's first registrar, “age does not matter, unless you are a cheese.” At 90, he holds a special place in the history of the school, and has been involved since its inception. Yet, despite drastic changes over the years, the college-turned-university seems to have stayed true to its original mission. "When we first started the school, we had three requirements," said Hollick-Kenyon. "You had to be 19 years of age, and you had to be able to hear thunder, and see lightning." CapU is nothing, if not inclusive. As a former social worker with a PhD in higher education, Hollick-Kenyon remains passionate about the accessibility of education. For him, the only indicator of success is the willingness to work hard. So, when Peter Jones, then mayor of North Vancouver, headed a campaign that promoted “a college for the children,” Hollick-Kenyon jumped in with both feet. “We had no clue what we were doing,” he admitted. Over the years, Hollick-Kenyon has observed that the best things often come from the unknown. Like many who attended the college in that first year, he figured out his position as he went, and met the challenges as they came. After the plebiscite was passed, he was hired on a Friday, and on Monday he wrote down the name, address and courses of 578 students on 4x6 cards. When he was unsure of what to do next, he asked for help. “I phoned Stan Evans, the registrar at Simon Fraser, and he said he could see me that afternoon,” he recalled. “He said I could go into their system, and he gave me every single one of the forms. I crossed out Simon Fraser, put Capilano College, and said ‘there’.” Of course, starting a college from scratch does not come without challenges. With no idea how much interest they would receive, the bare-bones faculty had to hire instructors as the students came in. For each course, Hollick-Kenyon put the students’ names into a box. When each of the boxes were full with cards from 20 students, Les Brooks, the academic administrator, dashed upstairs to officially hire the new instructors with a quick phone call. “We ended up with an amazing faculty,” said Hollick-Kenyon. “It was during the Vietnam War, so a lot of Americans opposed to the Vietnam War were looking for work. It just so happened that a lot of them had PhD’s.” Since CapU only offered two-year programs at the time, the next challenge was ensuring that courses were transferable.
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Initially, UBC was disinclined to oblige, but with PhDs teaching classes of 20, Hollick-Kenyon eventually swayed certain faculties. When the students had been run through the system, Hollick-Kenyon was surprised to see that – far from being the “kids” he had envisioned – 40 per cent of those registered in the first year were mature women. “A lot of them were highly qualified women from Britain, whose credentials weren’t recognized in Canada,” said HollickKenyon, who maintains a vivid memory of many of the students who walked through the door that first year. At $20 a course, with five courses offered between 3 pm and 10 pm, parents on the North Shore would send their 19 year olds down to West Vancouver Secondary School, where classes were held during the first year of operation. Hollick-Kenyon would perform the intake interviews. One student was asked why he was there, and what he wanted to do, to which he replied “I dunno, my father gave me $100 and told me to get my butt down to Cap College and get an education.” Hollick-Kenyon
countered, “well, we heat the building, the roof doesn’t leak and the cafeteria does a reasonable job. Take something and you might like it. Why not anthropology?” The same student later ended up getting a PhD in Anthropology at UBC. The welfare office in North Vancouver sent him students too, many who were mature, single mothers. The contact at the welfare office would arrange it so that their tuition, lab fees and books were taken care of. Hollick-Kenyon recalled several who came through, one who ended up with a PhD in English, and another who ended up going to law school. “I got a lot of satisfaction out of that,” he said. When asked what, for him, the indicator for success was, Hollick-Kenyon merely replied, “academic rigour.” And, after thinking for a moment said, “you’ve really gotta bear down. It’s hard work, but faculty
loves good students. If they see you’re invested, they’ll help you. They want to see students do well.” He also maintained that it’s okay for students not to know what they want. “University is what I call your salad days,” said Hollick-Kenyon. “First of all, you can party, and to that I say hallelujah. But you’re also exploring a lot of ideas, and questioning who you are. When I ask students where they want to be in ten years, a lot of them say ‘I dunno’ – and that’s a good thing. That’s what university is for.” Another student who made a lasting impression was Carolyn Grass. HollickKenyon fondly described her as “quite the gal,” with a proclivity for organizing great costume parties. At 69, Grass is retired, but remains 25 at heart. Grass was one of the original charter students in 1968. After three months as a
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Needless to say, it was quite the contrast to her time at CapU, where she recalls finishing class and heading to the pub with her instructors. “I can point a finger at Bill Schermbrucker as being one of those. And Tim Hollick-Kenyon was just as guilty,” she said. Hollick-Kenyon took the blame happily, and stressed the importance of outside contact. “We were a very small group,” he said. “I had interviewed every student, so I knew them all pretty well. But besides that, we were all party types. We would assemble down at the old Coach House. That was our old pub.” At UBC, Grass completed a degree in Special Education, and worked in vocational services until she married in 1981. In 2005 however, she came full circle, and found herself back at CapU in a course for Executive Support and Office Management. Upon finishing her degree she was offered a job in administration, where she spent the last eight years of her career until the Squamish campus closed down in 2016. “Working at Cap was absolutely awesome,” Grass recalled. “It was quite small, so you really got to know everybody, and the students. I loved it. I worked there until I
retired.” Her story is not uncommon either. Cheryl Rossi, CapU’s senior communications officer, has been touched by how many people have come forward with their stories for the anniversary. “A lot of people really found their way at Cap,” said Rossi. That being said, the students were not the only ones finding their way – she described the original faculty as true trailblazers. “There was a lot of just figuring things out,” said Rossi. “They were doing things for the first
time, but people were passionate.” And as Hollick-Kenyon can attest, being retired is no indication of slowing down. With a car outfitted with bumper stickers about fishing, he remains young at heart, despite his professed loss of memory, hearing and sight. “And I’m only ninety,” he laughed. “In ten years... well, then we’ll have a really good party.” So maybe in the best ways, age does matter. Like cheese, or a fine wine, CapU’s getting better with time.
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sales clerk, Grass decided she disliked how limited her options were with just a high school education, and decided to upgrade. “I hated high school,” she said, “but I was told that I basically had three options. They told me I could be a sales clerk, a secretary or a waitress.” Like most who went to CapU, Grass only attended for a year before transferring to UBC, but it was Capilano University she credited with turning her life around. Grass admitted that she came to CapU with low confidence, and very few expectations. It wasn’t until the week before classes started that she plucked up her courage and her guitar, and attended a retreat in Squamish for the new students. “They strongly encouraged us all to attend,” she recalled. “I think it was at the UBC forestry camp.” In the evenings, the students would gather for what Grass happily remembered as “big jam sessions.” Many of the students hit it off, and have stayed in touch to this day. With small classes and friendly instructors, Grass has fond memories of her time at the college. Moving to UBC the next year was, admittedly, a shock, but less daunting thanks to those first classes at CapU. “At Cap, the classes had been smaller than my high school,” she said. “[At] UBC, you’re in a whole theatre. Especially for the basic courses.” She remembered climbing down layers of stairs in the giant auditoriums, with the instructor at the bottom. “I had to join clubs so I could find a smaller group of people to connect with,” she said. “Otherwise you’re really isolated on such a big campus.”
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VOLUME 51 ISSUE NO. 2
FEATURES
PHOTO BY JONATHAN BUFFONE
Photos from the Capilano University archives Opposite page left to right, top to bottom: 1. The Birch building under construction in 1996. The building opened on Apr. 4, 1997. 2. Students at Capilano College in 1968. 3. Capilano University President Paul Dangerfield’s investiture ceremony on Oct. 17, 2016. – Photo by Andy Rice
4. A band plays at Capilano College’s 10 year anniversary open house in 1978. 5. The ground breaking ceremony for the Nat and Flora Bosa Centre for Film and Animation in 2009. The
building, which received over $30 million from the federal and provincial governments and $6 million from Nat and Flora Bosa for construction, opened its doors on Feb. 17, 2012. Left to right: MLA Jane Thornthwaite, Capilano University President Greg Lee and MP Andrew Saxton.
6. 1975: The Capilano College Rugby Team mooned the press when asked to comment on the then-NDP
government’s stance on community college funding. “Subtlety is important in political commentary,” The Courier reported. “The Rugby Team knows this.” – Photo from the Capilano Courier archives
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OPINIONS
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An Anniversary Worth Remembering Capilano University’s 50th anniversary marks an important moment in Canadian history ANNIE ZHOU CONTRIBUTOR MEGAN ORR OPINIONS EDITOR
THE CAPILANO COURIER
VOLUME 51 ISSUE NO. 2
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0 years is a long time. Capilano University was born of a need to have a post-secondary institution on the North Shore, and in five decades it has grown from its modest beginnings as a small college into a full-fledged university. Students went to the college to upgrade their courses before going on to bigger things at universities with more attached to the name, schools like SFU and UBC. A lot has changed in the last 50 years, and like so many significant events in Canadian history, it wasn’t without growing pains, but is still worth celebrating. Anniversaries are important. Whether it’s a wedding, religion, country or a school. The celebration of Canada 150 in 2017 gave Canadians the opportunity to celebrate the achievements of this nation
Like Canada itself, CapU is continually working to be better, and that is worth celebrating. and to get involved in their communities. However, the festivities were met with criticism due to high costs to the taxpayer, as well as a general disregard for First Nations communities who have been here for far longer than 150 years. However, these controversies do not take away from Canada’s many accomplishments before and after becoming a nation. The Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) is one of Canada's greatest achievements. The railway, completed in 1885, connected Eastern Canada to BC and played a significant role
in the development of the nation. Cutting across rivers and through mountains, the railroad is a representation of the Canadian spirit of perseverance and resilience. Over its long history, the CPR diversified, establishing shipping lines and parks. With the creation of national parks and more and more adventure seekers being drawn out west, Canada’s tourism industry began to prosper. Like the Canada 150 celebrations, this conversation about the railway is rather one-sided, considering that it was built on the backs of Chinese workers and ran up a death toll of an estimated 1,500 people. That’s the thing about history – the story is often one-sided. However, anniversaries are still worth celebrating, including their good, bad and ugly. Acknowledging triumphs as well as failures is what allows true growth. We now have the opportunity to reflect on CapU’s success stories, although they were not without their own hardships. From struggling with student enrollment and program cutbacks, the University has not had an easy go of it. This does not
Ethical Branding and Nike Or, should you burn your Nikes, too? DARIEN HORWOOD CONTRIBUTOR ILLUSTRATED BY RYAN MCDIARMID
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nless you’ve been living under a rock for the last year or two, you might have heard of two major things. First, Colin Kaepernick, the former quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, started taking a knee during the American national anthem as a form of protest against the deaths of unarmed black men at the hands of the police. More recently, Nike used him in their new advertising campaign. Whether the piece is meant to make a bold political statement in support of the Black Lives Matter movement or is just smart marketing is up for debate. The ad, simply put, says, “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.” Inspiring, right? There is nothing inherently wrong with the advertisement. If anything, it is on the surface level motivational. However, it’s the use of a serious political movement to sell products that is iffy. Nike is guilty of commodity activism, which is defined as, “The process by which social action is increasingly understood through the ways it is mapped onto merchandising practices, market incentives, and corporate profits.”
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Nike isn’t the first organization to do this. Companies like Dove, with their Real Beauty campaign, and the Gap’s RED campaign are other examples. The reality is that it works – people like buying products that support a cause. Although the ad is powerful, Nike is not using their stance to promote change unlike these other examples of commodity activism. All they are doing is generating publicity and profiting from it. The question stands – is what Nike is doing morally wrong? Unlike the ad, the answer isn’t black and white and requires further examination. If you look at Nike’s troubled history and their lack of action in other instances you would see that they don’t care about anything but profit. Let’s start with sweatshops. Since the 1970s, Nike has been accused of employing sweatshop labourers. The issue came to light in 1991 when activist Jeff Ballinger published a report, discussed in Good On You’s piece on Nike’s ethics by Lara Robertson, that revealed the low wages earned by workers and poor manufacturing conditions in Nike’s Indonesian factories. Although Nike has become more accountable, it was only after extreme pushback against the company that they changed their practices. Now, according to Robertson, “Nike has recently taken a big step backwards. In March, the International Labor Rights Forum reported that Nike has turned its back on its commitment to the Worker Rights Consortium (WRC),
which effectively blocks labor rights experts from independently monitoring Nike’s supplier factories.” Another point Robertson made was that other campaigns that fall under commodity activism aim to make a difference. Nike, on the other hand, does not. They are not donating a portion of their profits to Kaepernick’s cause. They are simply taking an issue and giving it a platform. The problem with that is this issue doesn’t need a platform. Nike appears to be taking advantage of the publicity to promote their brand, shamelessly profiting off of an issue that is dividing a country. Now, should you burn your Nikes? Probably not, but how about donating them to a local shelter? Or better yet, buying products that are ethically made and actually support good causes? Brands that aren’t all talk, because if you’re going to believe in something, it should be something worth believing in.
diminish the school’s accomplishments though, it allows us to celebrate them. First, the sports program at the school is beyond exceptional. Capilano University Blues athletics has a long history of success. Since 1973, CapU has won many provincial and national titles, as well as Coach of the Year and Athlete of the Year. Additionally, CapU students have an impressive record of going on to fulfilling careers in many different sectors. Students are taught valuable skills that are highly desirable in any job market. From film and animation, to early childcare and everything in between, CapU grads are highly soughtafter employees. CapU has a lot be proud of from the last 50 years. While it is still growing, the next 50 years promise to be full of achievement. Like Canada itself, CapU is continually working to be better, and that is worth celebrating.
Hubs, Not Pubs Rather than endorsing a campus pub, Capilano University should focus on other ways to build community ANNIE ZHOU CONTRIBUTOR ILLUSTRATED BY HEATHER HAUGHN
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impaired and convenience is at stake. This is not to say that drinking is bad in all contexts. However, as a place of learning, it seems counterintuitive to promote a drinking culture, especially in an environment where there are minors. If students are looking to create an inclusive and social space, the school would be better off investing in more common areas. A campus pub may seem “cool,” but it’s unnecessary. Providing easy
access to alcohol is just one more thing to be distracted by – far better to connect over a coffee in the cafeteria, take a hike with a few friends or work on that assignment that’s due in two days. And if the urge for a beer is too great, walk 10 minutes and hit up Seymour’s Pub. It’s not that far. Let’s promote a thinking culture rather than a drinking culture.
are worth supporting. Anyone can create a campaign. It only takes a compelling story and a couple of minutes to start receiving donations. However, many worthy causes go unnoticed, and evidently there are people out there taking advantage of the kindness of strangers. The reason this story leaves a bad taste in one’s mouth is because it speaks to how desperate so many people are for help, and how desperate the rest of us are to feel like we’re helping. It’s a perfect example of the idea of armchair activism, where people on the internet feel like they’re saving the world from the comfort of their own homes. In a society already overrun with apathy, the GoFundMe’s of the world tend to get lost in
the noise. While the GoFundMe campaign for Bobbitt raised more than $400,000, plenty of other campaigns went unnoticed. People all over the world are suffering, yet from the comfort of home people get to feel like they’re making a real and positive difference in the world by donating a few bucks and sharing a link. Who gets to decide what causes are worthy and why? And finally, will Bobbitt’s life actually improve as a result? Sure, money is a start, but will he truly have the resources that he needs to live a fulfilling life? Only time will tell if all of this was worth the trouble.
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ver the years, Capilano University students have actively pushed for a student pub. The rationale is that it would provide students with a place to socialize, unwind and connect over a drink or two. But, as educators, should the University promote the consumption of alcohol on school grounds? While a pub would provide another spot to socialize, overwhelming research shows that drinking at school can affect academic performance, as well as health. In fact, a publication from the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism states that students who consume alcohol are more likely to miss class, do poorly on their assignments and receive lower grades. In addition, students who drink also put
themselves at risk of other things such as health problems, injuries, unsafe sex and even involvement with the police. When a person uses drugs or alcohol, it interferes with the regular traffic patterns of their neurotransmitters, which are essential for sending information from one part of the brain to another. This can result in messages being sent to the wrong part of the brain, and plays a role in how we act and react. This is not by any means new research, and yet we tend to normalize drinking as a social activity despite the known harmful effects. Unsurprisingly, an article in the New York Times also shows that students who drink on a daily basis at school are more likely to end up in bad situations. Sadly, this ends in tragedy all too often. According to a fact sheet from the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism in the US, “about 1,825 college students between the ages of 18 and 24 die from alcohol-related unintentional injuries [each year]”. A further 97,000 experience alcohol-related sexual assault. Another issue that arises is students driving under the influence. As a commuter school, allowing a campus pub would significantly increase the likelihood of drunk driving, since many students use cars to get to school. We all know how poor decisions can be made when judgement is
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The Trouble with GoFundMe The good and the bad behind digital crowdfunding campaigns MEGAN ORR OPINIONS EDITOR ILLUSTRATED BY ALISON JOHNSTONE
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hat started as a heartwarming story of good karma quickly spiralled into an idiot cluster. GoFundMe recently found itself at the centre of an unfolding drama when a young couple, Kate McClure and Mark D'Amico, asked for $10,000 from the public and ended up raising more than $400,000. The money was intended for homeless veteran Johnny Bobbitt after he lent McClure his last $20 when her car ran out of gas. “Awww,” hey? Mysteriously though, McClure and D’Amico only gave Bobbitt $75,000 and withheld the rest. Where it went, one can only guess, although $325,000 could hardly have disappeared into thin air. The two cited concerns about how Bobbitt would spend the money as their reason for not handing over the lump sum. Although, after their house was raided by the police, it became evident that they never intended to release the money anyway. A little less “awww” now. Part of the issue lies in their reasoning. If they were truly so concerned about how Bobbitt would spend the money
then why did they even launch the campaign in the first place? These people don’t have the right to dictate how Bobbitt gets to spend the kindly donated funds. Bobbitt didn’t ask for any of this. Sure, he needs it, but he likely didn’t give his consent to be involved in a media shitstorm. Now, with the money being withheld, Bobbitt is suing the couple for what is rightfully his. GoFundMe stepped up to the plate and assured Bobbitt and the concerned public that he would receive the money that was donated. Although this story is already fading into the back of the public’s mind, it does bring up concerns about the nature of crowdfunding. Bobbitt was worthy of help, but the viral campaign, Paying it Forward, went above and beyond. In a market oversaturated with people desperate for help, it’s hard to figure out which causes
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COLUMNS
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Putting Pedal to the Metal What it means for me to clash jazz and metal
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THE CAPILANO COURIER
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PAUL YANOMÉ COLUMNIST
A r o tat i n g
spot with personal
r e c o l l e c t i o n s o f va r i o u s s t u d e n t s r e f l e c t i n g o n t h e i r a rt i s t ry . i s s u e : j a z z g u i ta r i s t ,
This Paul Yanomé,
c o m pa r e s h i s m e ta l h e a d b a c k g r o u n d to h i s f u t u r e a s a m u s i c i a n .
y dad used to be embarrassed of me because I would wear black T-shirts to school every day. These shirts, proudly emblazoned with heavy metal logos, were what drove my dad’s coworkers, who were fellow teachers at my school, to tease him for having a weird “goth" kid. In a way, he only had himself to blame, since he was an avid fan of music himself. From Mötley Crüe to Metallica, my dad had fed me a strict music diet since I was a toddler. He had successfully made music a part of my identity and now he began to regret it. Looking back now, I can see that I was only looking for a way to express who I am to my peers, and I guess I eventually decided that playing the electric guitar would be the way to do it. I was around 11 years old when I started learning how to play, and I quickly encouraged all my friends to learn an instrument so that we could perform at our school’s talent show. To put it bluntly, we sucked. We didn’t even make it past the auditions, but later we performed at a small showcase inside a shopping mall. Throughout the years, my guitar proficiency advanced and I found myself always craving more knowledge, always wanting to improve in every way possible.
Still, if someone had told me back then that I would end up studying jazz in Canada, I would probably have laughed in their face and put my headphones back on. It’s kind of tricky to look back and analyze how exactly my tastes slowly evolved into what they are today, but a few select records can change your entire perception of what music can be in an instant. Early on in my musical education, I was lucky enough to take lessons from Werther Ellerbrock, a Berklee College of Music alumnus, who taught me that there are incredible guitar players in genres other than rock. The music I was listening to at the time was, to my ears, incredibly complex and sophisticated. Progressive metal bands such as Dream Theater and Animals as Leaders used chords and rhythms that sounded like nothing I had ever heard before. In the hopes of understanding this kind of music, I decided to delve into the world of music theory. I still remember showing up to a guitar lesson one day and Werther had prepared a lesson in harmonic analysis by looking at the famous jazz tune “Autumn Leaves”. For a few lessons we talked about jazz and improvisation over chord changes, but I didn’t think too much about it until years later. Fast forward to my family moving from Mexico to Canada, I finished high school here in Vancouver, and later auditioned for the
Capilano University Jazz program because I thought that learning jazz harmony and improvisation would help me understand everything I would ever need to know in music. Going into the program, I thought understanding jazz would merely be a tool that would allow the music in my head to materialize through my instrument. A year later, I’m still learning that jazz is its own musical language and has a unique set of challenges and characteristics. In the past, writing and composing music has been a vehicle for me to convey my emotions. Now that I’m learning how to play jazz and, consequently, how to improvise on my instrument, the emotions and thoughts I express come in the form of spontaneous melodies with no filter on what I want to convey. Learning this art form makes me think of improvisation as an immediate composition that was never premeditated, and to my ears it sounds a lot more honest and lyrical. Nowadays, I don’t wear Slayer T-shirts as often as I did in my teenage years, but the music I grew up on remains a part of my identity. Right now I’m entirely devoted to learning, appreciating and playing jazz, but I don’t doubt that in the future I will find a way to bring back the rock, and put the pedal to the metal.
it’s part of the service, like, “Here’s your coffee, enjoy your bath!” I don’t understand it. Tim Hortons is a Canadian icon. It was named after the late Miles Gilbert “Tim” Horton, a professional hockey player, naturally. Horton, a co-founder of the company, opened a single location in Hamilton, Ontario in 1964. They offered up just two different kinds of donuts, Apple Fritters and Dutchies, and sold coffee for just $0.10 a cup. I bet they had nice cups, and even nicer lids. A lot has changed for the company over the past 54 years and as of Dec. 31, 2017, there were more than 4,700 Tim Hortons franchise locations in over 10 countries. In Canada, it’s the largest restaurant chain, has over 3,000 locations and serves more than 2 billion cups of coffee each year. Unfortunately the Timbit kingdom, as purely Canadian as a BodyBreak commercial, was sold to Burger King and 3G Capital in August 2014 for $12.5 billion. With its visible signs of community engagement, an extensive menu at affordable prices and addictive promotions like Roll Up the Rim, it’s easy to understand why Tim Hortons became as popular as it did. Timmies made such an impact that the word “double-double” was added to the Canadian Oxford Dictionary in 2004. You’d think a place known for its coffee would have the decency to use functioning,
somewhat quality cups. But no. Recently Tim Hortons put a rather cheap face forward, so I shouldn't really be surprised. Despite its history sponsoring community outreach programs, the Tim Horton Children’s Foundation and its annual Camp Day, the company certainly isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. In early 2018, Ontario increased the minimum wage from $11.60 to $14 an hour. Both the Tim Hortons corporation and the individual franchise owners decided to cut employee benefits to cover the cost of increasing employee wages. Even if franchisees wanted to raise prices just slightly to cover their costs, they couldn’t because their contracts would not allow it. Needless to say the company is just surviving in the court of public opinion. The only moment of somewhat positive publicity they’ve received in the last year was in a viral video when an enraged woman threw a literal shit at an employee. Talk about a crapshoot. While the lids are truly the least of their concerns, it demonstrates a lack of caring about the customer. While I do not intend to hurl my own feces any time soon, it does inspire a primal sort of rage in me. As a billion dollar company, how can they not have somewhat reasonably performing lids?
Greta’s Grievances My love-hate relationship with Tim Hortons five forever. I think about that often, wishing the same thing now as I did then. I was hopeful and enthusiastic about life, excited by each passing birthday and the allure of growing older and getting wiser. Now I’m 25 years old and bitter, and I have no idea what happened.
GRETA KOOY COLUMNIST
O ur
news editor writes about her
encounters with the
“ real
world ”
and how she ’ s managing to take it by the horns , all the while eating off the kids ' menu .
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here’s a vivid memory I have of sitting in the back of my mom’s car when I was five years old. I told her I wanted to stay
Although I’m constantly reminded to not sweat the small stuff, it’s really the little things that irk me the most. I’m referring to those fleeting moments of minor inconvenience that can mess up your whole morning, like sitting in traffic or dropping your keys down the elevator shaft. Or, and this one irks me especially, going to Tim Hortons and getting a cup of coffee fixed with the worst fucking lid in take-out coffee history. That one really gets me going. Don’t even get me started on the whole sleeve thing. I love Tim Hortons coffee, I really do. A double-double to be exact. I grew out of hot chocolate and moved on to the adult version with slightly less sugar and double the trouble. Each morning on my hour-long commute to campus I stop at Tim Hortons and get a large double-double and a toasted everything bagel with plain cream cheese. It’s that one constant I look forward to every morning. What I don’t look forward to is having a scalding cup of coffee in my hands for two seconds and having it soak the sleeves of my sweater and run down my arm. Most of the time I haven’t even peeled back that damn lip on the lid. It’s almost like
Naked and Not Afraid
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Confidently strutting my stuff SCARLETT VANDERWOODSEN COLUMNIST
by day , burlesque performer
by night .
S carlett
reveals the mind
of a strip - tease and all the scandal ous conversations that come with it .
inevitable then that I would fall in love with a movie starring Christina Aguilera herself, singing her heart out, half naked. It was all so alluring to me – the effortlessly sexy performers, the balconette bras and leather corsets flying off the picturesque bodies, doing a playful dance and teasing the crowd on their way to the stage floor. My admiration for Aguilera’s seamless vocals and Cher’s utter lack of regard for ageing had me fixated on the possibility of experiencing the glamour of the burlesque stage for myself. The challenge was conjuring up the drive to make the first move. At a young age, my parents put me in ballet and piano in an effort to breed a well-rounded girl with the potential to be a child prodigy. As I was a rather shy kid, this tactic did not work out in the slightest for my parents. Despite having a passion for music and performance, I never built up the courage to showcase my talents to my family. I let myself stand in the way of my own creative freedom, stunting my growth as a person and as a performer. As a familiar face to mental illness from a young age, I grew to learn more about coping mechanisms over the years. One of these being the formation of a list of goals and life aspirations. Among a few seemingly insipid and futile objectives stood out my curiosity for the burlesque stage. In the thick of restlessness last October, I decided to turn to
my list to help push through the haze that I felt myself floating in every day. A few months prior, I had played drums alongside the lead singer of a Vancouver duo whom one of my then-bandmates had seen perform a sultry rock number in a cabaret show. Reaching out to her I got the contact information to set up an audition at the club, and I was lively and I was golden. Some may think that my performing burlesque is an adverse effect of my mental history. Others could even say it’s one of the sources of my mental state, but really, it’s a remedy. Like arriving naked to a party, I used to continuously have the dream where I would attempt an escape from my fears only to find myself stuck in slow motion. While the different manifestations of my fears come and go, I find myself in a healthier mindset, accepting my place in the burlesque community. I now find myself dreaming in silk and lace, gracefully outrunning my monsters in a dazzling bra and garter. With beauty comes pain and immense critique. Destigmatizing sexual liberation and the glitz of burlesque isn’t a waltz through the park – or in this case, a strut past the pole – but it’s a step towards understanding. And the conversation’s just begun.
Beats and Buckets
JUSTIN SCOTT COLUMNIST
the worlds of music and sports and how they often tell a far greater story. Perhaps the best example of this in recent years was re-ignited recently when Nike announced that Colin Kaepernick would be the face of the company’s 30th anniversary campaign. While a sports company announcing that a famous athlete will be at the forefront of their marketing campaign usually wouldn’t even draw a second look, Kaepernick hasn’t been relevant as an active athlete in a few years. On Aug. 26, 2016 Kaepernick didn’t rise for the national anthem – he sat. He sat on his bench in protest of the injustices faced by minority communities in America, especially police violence against black men. His original protest took place during an already heated political climate surrounding the very issues he was protesting. Eventually, after dozens more players across the league joined him, the story of the kneeling players became bigger than the games they were preluding. The NFL had a real chance to embrace their players’ voices and aid in social change. Instead, they did the exact opposite.
Although there were moments where the league tried to portray a supportive image B eer , basketball and music enthu – like when Jerry Jones, the owner of the siast . J ustin unfolds the deep - set Dallas Cowboys, knelt with his team in what dialogues and stories in the worlds appeared to be a cringe-worthy PR move – it of music and sport . was clear that the NFL had no intention of supporting the movement. Houston Texans owner Bob McNair was even quoted as t’s no secret that athletes and musicians saying that allowing the protests was like have an incredibly strong influence on “letting the inmates run the prison.” society. However, in the current digital It was moments like this that Kaepernick’s age, those with any cultural influence have protest showed just how far behind the a new-found power and platform. Over the NFL and many of its fans are from other next few months, this column will discuss professional sports leagues. the dialogues and stories revolving around The NBA, for example, seems to almost
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encourage its athletes to use their platforms for more than selling products and pushing endorsements. It also has no time for owners or employees, be it players, coaches or administrators, who exhibit poor values – just think Donald Sterling. That’s not to say that the NFL doesn’t also have the same approach, as the Carolina Panthers’ ex-owner Jerry Richardson found out, the league just doesn’t seem to have a problem with an old white owner comparing his mostly black players to prison inmates. And why would it when America’s president is one of the loudest opponents of the protest? The main reason that the NFL has taken the stances they have though, is money. Roger Goodell can’t risk alienating most of the league’s supporters, who at this point are convinced that the protests are disrespecting the US Army – even after Kaepernick met with fellow players who were also Army veterans and concluded that kneeling would be the most respectful form of protest. The issue with the NFL then, is that they’re willing to be on the wrong side of history in order to stay alive. In September 2017, the NBA’s commissioner, Adam Silver, was asked whether he was worried about the political comments and actions of the league’s players and coaches and how it would affect the Association’s business. His response was, “I believe that there’s a huge gap in our society right now, and it’s incredibly divisive. I believe this league can play a role in attempting to unify people.” A few years earlier, when Lebron James and many other players wore shirts that read “I can’t breathe” right after the Eric Garner tragedy, the NBA did nothing even though the shirts were a clear uniform violation. None of this is to say that any league is perfect or that the NFL has it all wrong. Adam
Silver has said that he doesn’t want players to kneel during the anthem. And after the NFL announced that it would likely be fining players who chose to take a knee during the anthem, Christopher Johnson, the President and CEO of the New York Jets, said that he and the team would be covering any fine a player incurred (for kneeling). There have been positive and negative moves made by the players, owners and officials of all leagues. So, what makes the NFL worse? When Donald J Trump, the “leader of the free world” decided it shouldn’t be so free, saying that players who knelt “maybe shouldn’t be in the country,” the NFL bent over and followed suit. They clamped down even more on protests and went all-in on the president’s populist messaging. The NBA on the other hand, saw players and coaches alike openly criticize the president, with logical and thought-out statements. And Lebron James, the face of the NBA, has been the loudest player of all – refusing to shut up and dribble. As social figures whose opinions were discounted and filtered in the past, athletes now have the power to connect directly with their fans and a wider audience, something people like Lebron James have taken full advantage of. Although the NFL’s fan base is drastically different than the NBA’s, Goodell should follow Adam Silver’s lead and risk losing some of his league’s fans if it means doing the right thing. And who knows, a move like that could actually help the NFL – after all, Nike’s sales went up 30 per cent after the Kaepernick campaign was announced. In a time when society is as divided as it is now, it’s not necessarily a league’s job to take a stance on important social issues, but they shouldn’t stop their players from doing the same.
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Exploring the overlap between the worlds of music and sport
THE CAPILANO COURIER
S tudent
can’t be the only one to have had the recurring nightmare in which I somehow end up at a social event completely naked. The thought of baring every inch of my physical existence to complete strangers sounds just as daunting as it is, and doing it confidently is even more challenging. Strutting what your mama gave you in front of your mama is a rather unspeakable act – which is part of my reason for being a closet burlesque performer, among being a daughter, sister and student subject to the constant message that my chosen after-school activity is not generally considered quite so “after school activity” appropriate. Never an overly-confident, feminine nor graceful individual, burlesque had never been on my radar. This all changed in 2015, when I first watched the 2010 Cher and Christina Aguilera film centred on the art. Despite my rock and reggae roots, pop music managed to weasle its way into my adolescence, and with it came the Aguilera craze. In elementary school, I was glued to lyric videos for “Fighter” and “What a Girl Wants”, upon discovering that it was Aguilera who sang that one song in the “bonus content” on my Mulan VHS. Songs like “Dirrty” and “Lady Marmalade” oozed empowerment and confidence, and I could only dream of being that smooth. It was
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If She Ruled the World An ode to Sports Journalist Jemele Hill KEVIN KAPENDA COLUMNIST
T his C ourier
alum continues his
column about race and current
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affairs , hitting topics that need to be discussed , from the comfort of
T oronto .
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henever I’m asked what I like most about journalism, I respond that it allows us to discuss matters that are uncomfortable but relevant. One can engage with issues that people struggle to discuss with colleagues,
friends and loved ones. One area that desperately needs such journalism is sports. More often than not, sports articles exploring larger social issues like gender, LGBT and racial bias are dismissed as irrelevant or chastised on social media as being propaganda. ‘Stick to sports!’ is the all too common response from the ‘silent majority’. While matters of identity and power are not always relevant to sports stories, it’s important to discuss them when they are. Sports journalism is arguably the most consumed and easily accessible form of news and has just as much burden of responsibility as the rest of the media to expose injustice. In August, it was revealed that long-time ESPN personality Jemele Hill would be leaving the network in September. With Hill’s departure, ESPN is losing someone who understood that sports did not exist in isolation from larger societal challenges, such as economic, gender and racial inequality. Sadly, it is probably because of those views that she is leaving the network. I first watched Hill back in 2011 on a show called Numbers Never Lie. At first, Hill would occasionally appear on the show, which was initially hosted by her future SportsCenter colleague Michael Smith, former NBA player Jalen Rose and NFL standout Hugh Grant. However, by mid2012, Rose would move on to other roles with the network and Grant would part ways with ESPN, making Hill a regular host of the show with Smith. The show was later renamed His and Hers in 2013. Hill and Smith became known for their pop-culture references to films and music,
predominantly hip-hop. But what I liked most about Hill was that she wasn’t afraid to discuss nuances that her colleagues, most of whom were white and male, did not see or were unaffected by. One of Hill’s controversies was calling Donald Trump a white supremacist on Twitter in 2017. Her comment was met with furor from ESPN’s loyal "silent majority", who claimed that it wasn’t Hill’s job to delve into the President’s dogwhistle response to NFL anthem protests. Instead, they argued she should “stick to” anthem protests in isolation of the reason they were happening in the first place. Of course, I can see why people would be uncomfortable with sports media discussing racial inequality. With music, film and television paying increased attention to these questions, and news media frequently covering the racial divide Trump’s politics have wrought, sports was the only thing many could seek comfort in and not be constantly reminded of their privilege. In Jan. 2018, Hill left Sportscenter at 6 pm (SC6) with Michael Smith to run The Undefeated, an ESPN-owned online publication that would explore the intersections between sport, popular culture, gender, race among other matters – similar to Bill Simmons’ The Ringer. Despite the launch of The Undefeated, the real story has been Hill’s tweets about the issues she has gotten so much racist and sexist flack for discussing. On Sept. 4, just after Nike announced that they would make former NFL QB Colin Kaepernick the face of the “Just Do It” slogan's 30th anniversary campaign, Hill tweeted that “When it
came to WNBA players wanting to get a fairer share of the pie, everybody suddenly was an economist. Now with Kaepernick, everybody is suddenly a stock market analyst and went to Wharton.” Earlier this year, WNBA players stated they deserved a 50/50 revenue share with owners like NBA players had. This was met with backlash from predominantly male sports fans saying that like most female sports leagues, the WNBA did not earn as much as the NBA and that the players were unrealistic to expect higher wages. According to an August ESPN article, WNBA players earn 22 per cent of league revenues, less than half the pie of NBA players. As for Hill’s future, it hasn’t taken her long to land on her feet. On Sept. 19, it was announced that she will collaborate with LeBron James on his Showtime venture ironically titled Shut Up and Dribble. The title is a jab at Fox News host Laura Ingraham and members of the “silent majority” who, like Hill, want James to refrain from discussing politics and race relations. Luckily for me and countless others who want to speak out about racial injustice, but are afraid doing so will jeopardize their professional life, Hill doesn’t appear to plan on “just sticking to sports” anytime soon.
these spaces are still predominantly male. In the last year, we’ve seen more demand for accountability in the public sphere and in the workplace. It was only a matter of time before the spotlight of movements such as #MeToo would shine its light on the corners of game development. This summer, that spotlight revealed the dark recesses of one of gaming’s largest and most influential developers: Riot Games. The makers behind the massively successful League of Legends have had a tumultuous summer after a damning report from Kotaku exposed the rampant sexism and fraternity culture of the studio. Leaving aside the sexist comments, harassment and “locker room” talk, Riot seems to have fallen into the trap of gatekeeping even in its hiring practices. Many women recall having their “gamer cred” tested during the interview process, something that was rarely, if ever, brought up with male hires. Riot Games had an internal policy of hiring “real” or “core” gamers as they felt that would ingratiate them to their fans while also contributing to a superior product. In reality, this discounts the experiences of developers, artists and engineers who didn’t like the “right” games. A love for franchises such as The Sims or Cooking Mama somehow had less value than a love for Call of Duty or World of Warcraft.
Whether conscious or unconscious, this type of gatekeeping reflects a biased portrait of who is allowed to exist and participate within this space. The tragedy is that if we believe the spaces around games are or should be homogenous, then we deprive ourselves of the breadth of the human experience. We see this in every facet of games culture, whether that be targeted harassment of women and LGBTQ folks in development, policing who can live-stream on Twitch or even the tirade of misogynistic and racist slurs being thrown around by some rando in your last Overwatch match. These behaviours compound on each other and culminate in the only possible conclusion one can draw: if you are not a white cisgender man, you do not belong here. What’s most frustrating, is that this rote argument has existed for decades. Hope lies in the knowledge that this is not, and has never been, the case. Gaming is diverse. It has always been that way, and the lamentations of regressive factions on the internet have little chance of changing that. We’re talking about this now, and we’ll probably be talking about it again in a few months time. The problem of gatekeeping won’t go away any time soon, but every time we have this hard conversation, things change. And little by little, it’s for the better.
Digital Hurdles Fandom is a riot – gatekeeping hurts games culture JOHN TABBERNOR COLUMNIST
F o u rt h y e a r C o m m u n i c at i o n s s t u d e n t , g a m e s p u n d i t a n d wa n n a b e e s p o rt s s ta r . D i g i ta l H u r d l e s e x a m i n e s h o w w e n av i g at e t h e m e s s y
i n t e r s e c t i o n o f g a m e s a n d c u lt u r e .
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f you spend enough time paying attention to the video game industry, you’ll notice that the conversations become cyclical. Whether it’s scapegoating games for acts of real world violence or separating art from artist when discussing your problematic fave, stick around long enough, and it’ll be the same shit, different day. The most tired but pressing conversation around games culture and video game development has always been one of inclusion. Who gets to make games, who gets to play them and who gets to talk about them? At least those are the questions being asked by certain segments of the games community. As altruistic as it might be to say, “well, everyone can love games,” reactionary and toxic corners of games fandom would disagree. They’ll lament the erosion of their favourite pastime thanks to the onslaught of “social justice warriors” and liberals strong-arming their values into these spaces. Gatekeeping has been an issue in fandoms and nerd culture for decades, but it continues to be challenged as society becomes more progressive. It’s no secret that games development, much like Silicon Valley and the tech industry, is dominated by men. Though many companies are making great strides to include marginalized voices in their organizations,
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Students and alumni get a chance to have their films featured CHASE MAIR CONTRIBUTOR ILLUSTRATED BY ANDREA ALCARAZ
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s part of Capilano University’s 50th anniversary festivities, the brand new Capilano University Film Festival (CAPUFF) is an opportunity for filmmakers and enthusiasts to screen, discuss and celebrate a variety of locally and independently produced documentaries. “I think the reason why we chose documentary films is that it’s a great way to learn,” said Tourism and Outdoor Recreation (OREC) instructor Chris Carnovale, who is spearheading the endeavour. “They create conversations and you can find themes within documentaries that relate well with the CapU brand.” Set for March 31, 2019, the festival will feature four film categories. “Travel, Adventure and Exploration” encourages filmmakers to share their personal journeys with the world. “Indigenous Film and Filmmaking” hopes to highlight the experiences and skill of indigenous filmmakers from across Canada. “Inspiring Change” gives activists an opportunity to spread their message. Finally, “Mockumentary” embodies the lighthearted and humorous aspects of film.
Carnovale’s involvement with the University’s film community isn’t limited to his organization of CAPUFF. He has worked as a producer of several projects led by alumni from the Motion Picture Arts and Documentary programs. “I pass the Bosa Centre every day walking from the parking lot to where I work so I’m always thinking about film,” said Carnovale, “I think we have a great community of filmmakers here
in Vancouver and at Cap.” CAPUFF will have two main screens: one in Bosa and the other in the BlueShore theatre. Carnovale also hopes to have several smaller screenings in the Maple, Cedar and Library buildings. The goal for the festival is to screen about 20 hours of film between these different centres. Food will also be available, with plans for a beer and wine garden. Student involvement is a major focus at
CAPUFF. Students enrolled in the University’s film-related programs will have the opportunity to submit their works to be screened as part of a student showcase. Carnovale hopes to collaborate with many of these students in preparation for the event. Carnovale also envisions a “Day of Film”. Instead of having several individual screenings like other film festivals, Carnovale plans to showcase dozens of films in just one day. Carnovale stated that instead of paying for individual tickets, there will be one flat fee for access to all of the festival. These tickets are also intended to be inexpensive for all attendees, although a price has not yet been finalized. If the festival is well received, Carnovale hopes to make CAPUFF annual as he believes there is a growing niche in North Vancouver for this type of event. “I think arts and film are big parts of not only North Vancouver culture but the culture of the Greater Vancouver Area,” Carnovale said. “There have been some great films made by the CapU community, and the North Vancouver community, yet we never get to see them so let’s bring them here and celebrate!” CAPUFF is currently accepting submissions with no established deadline. The festival will prioritize pieces from Vancouver filmmakers, especially CapU students and alumni. Preference will also be given to filmmakers from the Lil’wat, Musqueam, Sechelt, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. Ticket information will be available shortly.
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CapU Film Fest to Premier March 2019
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CapU’s Dead Sports Teams The Capilano Blues athletics program is a powerhouse, but a lot of that talent has been cut over the years CHRISTINE BEYLEVELDT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF PHOTOS PROVIDED BY MILT WILLIAMS
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apilano College hired its first Athletics Director, Neil Chester, in 1973. He was flabbergasted when the Dean of Student Services showed him a wooden cupboard stocked with six rubber balls. That was the athletics program. Undeterred by the lack of equipment, facilities, athletes and coaches, Chester named the team for the school’s brand colours – the Capilano Blues – and carved out a sporting empire at Capilano College during his 20 year tenure. The men played basketball, soccer and rugby. The women – who were called the Lady Blues – curled, played volleyball and badminton. 45 years later, Sport Information Director in Athletics, Milt Williams, marvels at how far the Capilano Blues have come despite the obstacles. Capilano University is unique in BC for not having an athletics fee. According to Williams, the department reuses uniforms and tries to subsidize entrance fees, but over the years several teams have been cut, including curling, hockey, rugby, and more recently badminton and golf in 2011 and 2012 respectively. They were lost in the first round of the now infamous budget cuts after the College transitioned to a University. “In 2008 we became a university and we never got the funding from the government as promised so a few years later we felt the impact of that,” said Williams. The athletics program was left with just three sports – soccer, basketball and volleyball. Curling fell off the radar in 1982 when several members of the Canadian Collegiate Athletics Association (CCAA) stopped putting teams forward. “You have to have representation from each province and some
of the provinces weren’t putting forward teams so the program for the universities went into decline,” said Williams. The sport was rebuilt, however BC didn’t have sufficient representation. Some of the sports have been reintroduced as clubs. “But that’s where it stops,” said Williams. A team needs to have a national championship to qualify for the CCAA, and sporting clubs can only advance to the provincial level. At CapU it’s also a challenge getting students into the athletics program now because it’s a commuter campus. “Every year students come and go.” And Chester faced the same obstacle when the program launched in the 1970s. CapU’s community isn’t the only thing affecting the athletics department. Before the Sportsplex was built in 1991, nearly 20 years after Chester started with six rubber balls, teams practiced at Mickey McDougall Recreation Centre and the rugby team at the Capilano Rugby Club. “It was pretty tough for those kids,” Williams remarked, since they’d be practicing at 3 am. Now teams also have use of the Lillooet field. But there wasn’t and still isn’t an ice rink on campus grounds, so the hockey and curling teams picked up ice time at Harry Jerome Recreation Centre. The former rugby team, which was cut from the roster of sporting teams at Capilano College in 1989, was a powerhouse. “In the 80s we were a formidable power, we won a lot of provincial championships,” Williams reflected. From 1974-79 alone they won five provincial titles. Previous Athletics Director Joe Iacobellis was very much a soccer guy in Williams’ words. Under his direction, the Blues won many national championships, and they’ve just received their rankings this year - the women’s soccer team ranks eighth in Canada and the men’s soccer team second overall. But Iacobellis also built up the volleyball, basketball, golf and badminton teams later in his career, and Williams, who considered Iacobellis his mentor, wants to see strength across the playing field.
Basketball (1984), Vo lleyball (1978-79), Curling (1979)
Communist Propaganda
"Spratt defends faculty" published in the Capilano Courier Sept. 2, 1975 Photo from the Capilano University Archives: Peter Spratt, principal of Capilano College from 1974-76.
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rincipal Peter Spratt defended the faculty of Capilano College before College Council during the summer, in response to charges that Cap College is a “spawning ground for Communist propaganda.” Laying the charges was Endla Rhetlande of West Vancouver, who said, “Maoists were teaching that capitalism is corrupt and that communism was for the people.” She claimed that reading lists were slanted “against our way of life,” and gave as an example a book claiming to be an inside look
at the workings of the RCMP. Spratt sprang to the defense, pointing out that in “the social sciences, you can not deal with it without touching on Marx. It is the ethics of our profession to give the balanced view.” He said he would not be in favour of a College Council advisory committee on course content. He pointed out that teacher evaluation forms are handed out to each student allowing students to judge the faculty.
CapU 2030 President Dangerfield outlines his vision for Capilano University CHRISTINE BEYLEVELDT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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n 1987 the staff of the Capilano Courier predicted what the world would look like in the future. Now, we’re doing it again. These are past and present answers to the question put to staff: What will the world look like in the future?
1987
2018
Bryan Gagne, News and Production Coordinator: Bancruptcy in the Courier's future.
Christine Beyleveldt, Editor-in-Chief: The Courier will continue to lose referendums and print media will be totally abandoned.
Michael Radil, Distribution Coordinator: Bill Bennet (then-BC Premier) will run for and win federal Torie leadership and Bob Skelly (thenBC NDP leader) will buy a struggling used car dealership.
Melissa Gibbons, Production Manager It will take extraterrestrial assistance, but Canada will finally qualify for the World Cup.
John Richmond, News Coordinator: An increase in public awareness and support for the Green Party. Chris Thatcher, Sports Coordinator: Ronald Reagan will resign as President of the United States in disgrace and take the job of a backup placekicker for the Seattle Seahawks. Janice Irving, Typesetter: The Vancouver Canucks will win the ‘87 Stanley cup with the help of a Soviet defector. Imtiaz Popat, Advertising Coordinator: Special Gestapo-style vigilante groups will emerge and attempt to wipe out sexism, racism and homophobia. Gina Forsyth, Office Coordinator: A concorde crash on campus. ILLUSTRATED BY SARAH HAGLUND
scolaire francophone de la ColombieBritannique would lease the facility. To this day, however, the Squamish regional campus remains closed. Dangerfield wishes to reopen the campus and offer better support for the k̲ álax̲ ay Sunshine Coast campus. While the Squamish facility only offered one program, the Sunshine Coast campus, which opened in 1987, offers courses in Business, Adult Basic Education and Health and Human Development. “I have a little bit of an idea that every course we offer here you should be able to take at those campuses and I think technology can help us resolve that,” he said. Before CapU transitioned, it had the tagline great programs, great teaching, great future. “University with an experience second to none,” is what Dangerfield now envisions, with opportunities for research, work opportunities on campus and new programming.
Mitch Sheedy, Production and Entertainment Coordinator: Aliens will land on earth in an unsuccessful attempt to disrupt the Superbowl.
Greta Kooy, News Editor: In 2023, the Editorin-Chief of the Courier will forget to renew rights to the stock photo in this issue. Annalisse Crosswell, Associate News Editor: The news will no longer be trusted, phone lines will no longer be trusted and the apocalypse will be upon us. Freya Wasteneys, Features Editor: In the not too far off future, unitards will monopolize the fashion industry. Nivedan Kaushal, Arts & Culture Editor: Physical money will be discontinued. Megan Orr, Opinions Editor: While attempting to save the bees, humans will accidently create a giant super-bee that will take over the world and force mankind, I’m sorry, peoplekind, into slavery. Rachel D’Sa, Columns Editor: Indigo Indigo will be on its third world tour. Ashleigh Brink, Copy Editor: Trump will be re-elected in 2020.
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Psychic Predictions
to repair damages. In its place, Woodbridge proposed townhomes, condominiums and a student residence with 60 beds that would be directly accessible from campus. As for the future look of campus itself, last year, the University started gathering feedback from students and the community to put together a 2030 campus master plan that looks at ways of efficiently using all 34 acres of land, and a couple of acres that are district land within CapU’s borders. “Not surprisingly, it’s telling us we really need to embrace where we are – the fact that we’re in the trees, we’re on the side of a mountain and we need to celebrate that,” said Dangerfield. One idea that really gets him excited is outdoor classrooms that would make the best use of the scenery to encourage learning. While the North Vancouver campus continues to grow, one of the others hasn’t fared as well. In 2016, CapU’s Squamish regional campus was closed when its only program, the Advanced Wilderness Leadership Program (AWLP), was abruptly cut from the University’s course offering. At the time, instructors worried that it spelled the end for the program. Unlike Studio and Textile Arts, which were gutted in 2013 in the aftermath of budget cuts, CapU revealed that they only intended to close the campus for one year while they developed a postbaccalaureate in Adventure Management, which would begin accepting applications in January 2017. In the interim, Conseil
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resident Paul Dangerfield sees himself as a builder. He was installed in October 2016, but 10 years earlier, as Dean of the Faculty of Business and Professional Studies, he saw Capilano College through its transition to a University. Dangerfield describes CapU as a universitycollege. The school awards degrees but has the atmosphere of a community college. In 2003, five years before officially transitioning, Capilano College became the first of its kind in BC to grant applied degrees independently. “We have a teaching university designation but that doesn’t exclude us from being able to do applied research and that’s one of the activities that I’d really like us to be able to embark on,” said Dangerfield, and to fulfill that desire, CapU seeks membership with Universities Canada. Building the physical campus isn’t all that’s on Dangerfield’s radar. He envisions new programs, including postgraduate studies. Currently the University offers 12 Bachelor degrees and a joint Masters program with the University of Hertfordshire in Science and International
Business, but doesn’t offer complete credits for postgraduate studies. Dangerfield has a solid number in mind: 30 Bachelor degree programs. The Engineering program at CapU is also only a two-year program, and students wishing to continue need to transfer. He noted that there is a Bachelor of Science in development, but the University needs to look at the market and ensure that the industry can absorb any graduates. “What I was really interested in doing [when I returned] was helping the University finish that transition that we’d started, and I’ve always been excited about opportunities to be a builder and grow things,” said Dangerfield. And build he has, despite the fact that CapU still doesn't receive the funding it was promised at the time of its transition, and even as a college was one of the three lowest funded colleges in BC. CapU partnered with Darwin Construction and opened an off-campus residence at 2420 Dollarton Highway last year at the site of the former Chung Dahm Immersion School. Despite the need for affordable housing, the residence was only at half capacity by the time the academic year began. This year, the residence hall was at 95 per cent capacity a month before move in day. Another developer, Woodbridge Northwest Communities, took possession of the northeast lot of Purcell Woods. The residents agreed to sell the block of flats after being quoted approximately $100,000
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I'll celebrate my 50th birthday in style, as told by... DEVON SIMPSON CONTRIBUTOR
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onestly, I’m just getting over my quarter life crisis, so I don’t even want to think about the anxiety that’ll come with hitting the half-century milestone right now. I just hope I’m not boring by middle age. I mean the day I don’t laugh at a fart is the day I want to die. I envision it already: for my 50th birthday I’m going to work my way through all of my favourite wines and share it with the same friends that I have today. I can say that I am excited for the wisdom I will be able to share by the time I am 50. Wisdom such as: that the perfect bra is a sweatshirt. Oh, and let’s not forget the joys of menopause. Mind you, my hot flashes will probably set off the smoke alarm and sprinkler system by then, as my mother tells me now and I’ll probably share then. But hopefully on my birthday I will be somewhere I want to be, with a couple of people I want to be with. And just between you and me, I already think a sweatshirt is the best bra.
MEGAN ORR OPINIONS EDITOR – QUESTIONABLE SOBRIETY
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s a single mother of four going through divorce number two, mama needs a getaway for her 50th. Although I’ve been sober for some years now, what my kids don’t know can’t hurt them. On my flight to Vegas I order three double rye and cokes, fall asleep and arrive at my destination loudly chanting “VIVA LAS VEGAS!” as the plane bounces on the tarmac. It’s just three of my best girlfriends and me, and we are ready to tear Vegas a new one. Almost immediately, we get separated and the trip turns into a Hangover-like drunken nightmare. It’s fine though, I can make new friends. The bartender cuts me off after my fifth cosmopolitan. Blacked out and alone, I lose $600 to a Sex and the City themed slot machine and celebrate my 50th birthday at the stroke of midnight. I am sitting on the floor in the hallway of my hotel, eating leftovers I found outside someone else's door. Sorry, what? I mean… I spend my 50th birthday surrounded by my lovely children
and adoring husband. It’s a quiet evening. We order in from my favourite Italian restaurant and my darling husband and I split a nice bottle of chardonnay. The kids clean up after dinner and then go to their rooms to study. My husband and I go to bed at 10 pm, where we make love for exactly six minutes and promptly fall asleep. I don’t know which one sounds more believable, but 10 out of 10 either way.
Thanks for read ing u s for the las t 50 years!
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