Growth
CSU directors have given up on their own board
Capilano Blues Roundup: Wins and Losses | Melted Pages
Learning Creative Writing in Prison | Surrey Jazz Nights and All Femme
Fronted | To The Night I Was Drugged | The Capilano Courier Has a Problem, and its Name is Testosterone
What are you cultivating in your mind?
On the idea of “Growth”
Co-Editors in Chief
Avery Nowicki (they/them)
Sara Brinkac (She :) They :D He :0)
As a species, ‘growth’ seems to be a preoccupation of ours. We love growth in ourselves, our knowledge, our capital, our technology, our economies, the list goes on. We try to adopt a ‘growth mindset’ for a happier life. Our economic models are founded on the assumption that growth is success. When one reflects on the vocabulary and priorities of the present day, it becomes clear a vast majority of us believes growth is synonymous with good.
However, despite our love for growth, we still have the concept of ‘overgrown,’ where growth begins to strangle the good around it. We sometimes forget that there still exists negative growths, such as cancers, tensions, weeds, all growths that are damaging to other forms of life. As we are seeing with our current economy, perhaps the preoccupation with growth from nations has not accounted for the idea of overgrowth. Perhaps, the goal of a collective to grow and control all scarce resources, breeds excessive pain and stress. Those who wish to grow at this rate may think this control will create immunity from the negative, but we are all beginning to see that this excessive growth is strangling other necessary modes of life such as peace, freedom and empathy. The result of this hunger for infinite growth will in time rot and destroy the very hoarded resources that we once wanted to grow.
Therefore, I believe, simply to grow is not the focus of a healthy species, rather, to grow well, or to nurture is essential to the wholeness of humanity. We must understand growth is an art form, not an uncontrolled act, if we wish to exist without ignorance and live in harmony with our world. To dance the dance of growth, is to begin to realize that life is a garden to be cultivated, where every part is vital to the ecosystem. In the garden of humanity there is no growth that must be removed completely because it is bad and there is nothing we must solely grow because it is good. Rather, every part of life plays a role. The duty to nurture this reality is up to us; to compost that which is overgrown and feed it back to the plants that are promoting health amongst all in order for the whole ecosystem to blossom.
So, what are you cultivating in your mind? Are you focusing on resentments, anger, sorrow, regrets? Are you growing energies of fear or narratives of pain? How can you begin to cultivate happiness, calm, joy or equanimity in the face of pain instead?
I think it’s important to remember that in cultivation, it is not our goal to be rid of these negative emotions completely. Although we may be quick to believe it, it is not the case that simply because pain exists no joyful emotion can. Our positive emotions are always there, they are always in reach. However, by constantly focusing on our pain, feeding it with our attention and letting it grow wild, we allow it to become so large it begins to shadow our joy. We forget our joy exists, and in the shadows, it rarely gets the sunlight it needs to prosper. We do not need to ignore or force our negative emotions to be gone for our joy to live, rather, we must allow both our joy and pain to grow in harmony, ensuring they live a symbiotic relationship. To begin this process is to change our relationship with pain, to acknowledge it as it is.
To acknowledge our pain, to care for our pain, to understand our pain is to begin to love ourselves and transform very potent energies into even deeper life experiences. However, to focus only on our pain, to wait for it impatiently to transform, to berate ourselves for feeling pain, is to only grow one part of our mind and forget so much more.
Remember, dear one, the garden of our mind is vast and there is often so much more to experience right now than you realize. Hold and love your pain, but don’t forget to also touch joy, smile and grow the seeds of happiness around you as well. These are all the workings of a healthy garden and the buds of life’s mysteries. Blessed are our bodies, blessed is the moment we have to be reading this note, blessed is the light that reflects around me, blessed is the air I breathe, blessed are my hands, blessed are my feet. How very lucky I am to be alive.
Grow with purpose.
In loving tranquility,
Sara Brinkac (Co-EIC)
Business Manager
Prem Monpara business @capilanocourier.com
Social Media Manager
Glitter Esquivias socialmedia @capilanocourier.com
Crew
Video Production Manager
Laura Morales videoproduction @capilanocourier.com
Zine Manager
Mia Lancaster zinemanager @capilanocourier.com
Production Manager Andy Poystila production @capilanocourier.com
News Editor & Beat Reporter
Yasmine Modaresi newseditor @capilanocourier.com
Art Director
Angelica Blanch design @capilanocourier.com
Sports Editor
Lea Krusemeyer sports @capilanocourier.com
Members
Humour Editor
Adam Wallace humour @capilanocourier.com
Crew Writer
Kate Henderson crewwriterkate @capilanocourier.com
Crew Illustrator
Cameron Skorulski crewillustrator @capilanocourier.com
Videographer
Lucas Isidoro videographerlucas @capilanocourier.com
Crew Writer
Lily Rosen crewwriterlily @capilanocourier.com
Crew Photographer
Sophie Serendip crewphotographer @capilanocourier.com
Videographer
Christien Di Angello videographerchristien @capilanocourier.com
Crew Writer
Sean Finan crewwritersean @capilanocourier.com
Advising Manager
Freya Emery
Videographer
Kiki Evans videographerkiki @capilanocourier.com
Crew Illustrator
Jordan Richert crewillustrator @capilanocourier.com
& Contributors
Contributors
Luciana Mastrangelo, Mizuki Kinoshita, Raphaël Gasc, Ashlea McRae, Jasmin Linton, A.K Broznitsky.
Illustrators
Andrei Gueco, Eugene Lee, Keira Schick, Rachel Lu, Max Stutman, Riley Simmons, Sol Yoon, Ava Shahres, Jasmin Linton, Neeka Yazdani, Scarlett Side.
Cover Art & Photo Series
Sophie Serendip.
Head on over to capilanocourier.com for more featured articles!
Interested in contributing?
Email editor@capilanocourier.com for potential writers, and production@capilanocourier.com for interested illustrators and/or photographers. Illustrators and Photographers are required to send a portfolio or sample(s) of work.
Contributors :)
The last straw: Why a 5 per cent increase on international tuition
is likely to backfire
International students stand together against the proposal to increase their tuition by 5 per cent for the 2024/25 academic year
Laura Morales (she/her)
Video Production Manager
Anonymous
Illustrator
Capilano University’s Finance Committee proposed a five per cent increase to international tuition at the last Board of Governors (BoG) meeting in 2024, a change that would go against a commitment that President Paul Dangerfield had reiterated only eight months before the proposal came along—to keep international tuition increases at par with domestic increases.
The Capilano Students’ Union has launched a campaign to oppose this proposal by encouraging international students to send letters to the Board about how this increase would impact them. As of the time of writing, 267 letters have been sent. If Board members assumed that international students would simply have their parents cover the next term’s tuition without noticing the increase, they are now confronted with the harsh reality of their debt, precarious housing, food insecurity and night shifts at fast food chains or other entry-level jobs. This is mainly because most international students currently in Canada applied for study permits before the cost-of-living requirement doubled from $10,000 (set in the early 2000s) to $20,635 for applications received from 2024 onwards. Many had to adapt quickly to afford their daily expenses, raise money for their next term tuition and even send money back home to pay for loans.
Even if the Board is indifferent to how a five per cent increase would aggravate the struggle of hundreds of international students, the fact that many would have to graduate with twoyear diplomas instead of pursuing four-year degrees as initially intended, or would be unable to continue studying at all, should prompt them to reconsider whether the university can afford this increase if it ultimately results in a loss.
To be fair, raising international tuition is not an uncommon practice among post-secondary institutions in Canada, since international students are not included in the government’s policy to limit domestic tuition increases to two per cent, at par with inflation. After the cap on international enrolment as well as other policy changes around immigration were announced at the end of 2023, institutions like the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT), Thompson Rivers University (TRU), University of British Columbia (UBC), and University of Victoria (UVic) implemented increases between 3 and 6.75 per cent. To alleviate financial uncertainty, some included fixed tuition rates for program lengths, differentiated rates for new and returning students, or longterm planning assistance to help international students manage rising costs over the duration of their programs. On the other
hand, along with Langara College and Douglas College, CapU maintained a two per cent increase for both. Still, due to the disparity between domestic and international tuition, two per cent is still problematic, as it further exacerbates the gap between both. Taking the Business Administration program at CapU as an example, a domestic student taking a full course load would have to pay $88 more in their second year than they did in their first year, while an international student would have to pay $394 more with the same tuition increase. Additionally, with a five per cent increase, international students would have to pay $985.35 more—eleven times more than domestic students.
In an interview with the Courier in March 2024, President Dangerfield assured students that the budget for the next three years had already been set based on a two per cent increase. He also addressed concerns around how the cap on international enrolment would affect the university’s budget, stating that the number of international students the provincial government is allowing CapU to have fits the reduced international number they had planned anyway, during the President Update on March 4, 2024.
So, if it’s not inflation nor the cap set by the government, then why is CapU considering a five per cent increase on international tuition? And why would international students be willing to pay this inflated price?
Canadian universities compete to recruit international students, and at the same time, Canada competes worldwide, mainly with the U.S., U.K. and Australia, which together accounted for 34 per cent of all student imports in 2017. Whether it is the Temporary Graduate visa offered to international students in Australia, the Graduate visa offered by the U.K. or the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) offered by Canada, the marketing of education as the first step towards permanent residency has allowed international fees to increase unreasonably—”no foreign student was going to sell the family farm and go into generational debt because of the intrinsic value of a Centennial College certificate. The winking promise of a pathway to permanency was the entire selling point,” stated Nicholas Hune-Brown in an article published by Toronto’s The Local. The article featured a 24/7 encampment held by international students in Brampton for 143 days, protesting an extension on their PGWP under the slogan, “Good enough to work, good enough to stay.”
As post-secondary institutions increasingly relied on international enrolment, recruitment became more competitive and more expensive, not for the Canadian government or post-secondary institutions, but for international students. The services of international recruitment agents are often presented as free of charge, but as mentioned in the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration in February 2022, “A third to a quarter of tuition money is being offshored,” in the form of commissions to recruitment agencies, who often act as, “unauthorized immigration practitioners,” according to Canadian Immigration Lawyer William Tao. Since the financial burden is not borne by either postsecondary or government institutions that could set a reasonable standard for recruitment fees, international students are left at the mercy of the unstable standards of this unregulated industry.
In other words, the cap on international enrolment is not the direct cause for the proposal to increase international tuition by five per cent, because the problem is not a low allocation number given by the provincial government, but the university’s recruitment efforts not reaching this number. This problem, however, is not unique to CapU. Potential students worldwide are receiving conflicting messages—Canada’s cap on international enrollment signals to them, “Canada doesn’t want you to come,” and the narrative from international students already here, such as those who protested in Brampton, indicates, “Canada doesn’t want you to stay.” When board members cast their vote at the BoG meeting on February 25, they should keep in mind that many international students at CapU are also aware of these messages, and if a five per cent increase is approved, it would not only be disheartening—it could be the last straw.
“Potential students worldwide are receiving conflicting messages—Canada’s cap on international enrollment signals to them, ‘Canada doesn’t want you to come,’”
Why weren’t research assistants included in CapU student’s application to unionize?
During June of 2023, students frequenting Capilano University’s campus likely passed the sea of protesting support and administrative staff: the Local MoveUP 378 Workers Rally. Over the course of events that MoveUp Vice President Christy Slusarenko defined as “nothing short of union busting,” the CapU full-time staff protested to protect the workflow they became not only familiar, but proficient with during the COVID-19 pandemic; they protested to protect remote work in faculty collective agreement. From trying to “get [CapU Administration] back to the bargaining table” and feelings of “anger, betrayal and disappointment,” an agreement was eventually reached in August of 2023. Including everything from a flat wage increase of $0.25, wage hikes to adjust with the future costs of living, there was still no inclusion of, “contract language around remote work.” Altogether, it’s clear that MoveUp’s history with CapU is not only extensive, but in a lot of ways, strained. This strain has only grown recently with CapU Research Assistants being left out from CapU Student Employee’s application to MoveUP for unionization. The Courier spoke with student employee Niko Williamson and Research Assistant Raphaël Gasc to further investigate.
As explored in the Courier in a February 2025 piece, Student Employees Are Organizing to Join the MoveUP Union, CapU student employees are eager to improve their wages– this being more likely if student employees unionized. “I first started
thinking about our need to unionize knowing Simon Fraser University (SFU) and University of British Columbia (UBC) student employees are unionized,” shares CapU Student Life employee, Niko Williamson. Through her years of work as a student employee, Williamson, “made close to two dollars above minimum [wage]” watching this trickle to, “10 cents above minimum” to now making “just minimum wage.” With the impact of the MoveUP strike in summer of 2023, CapU’s student employees spearheaded their own application to MoveUP.
Employees collected 41 cards from their pool of employees and submitted said cards on October 6, 2024. In order for the application to be approved, the number of signed cards (by student employees) has to add up to more than 45 per cent of the total employees. Williamson explains that, “the union also asked our employer to provide a confirmed list of all our student employees.” The employer, CapU Administration, provided a list to the BC Labour Relations Board that declared 108 student employees, the list generated by the student employees contained, “74 people total” Williamson clarifies. With the number from administration causing the signed cards to amount to less than 45 per cent, the application was in danger. “If our application were to bounce, it would take six months for us to be able to re-apply, so our MoveUP representative suggested we withdraw our application, a move that would allow us to keep all of our cards” Williamson shares.
The Courier continues our investigation of Student Employees pursuit of unionization, and the role of Research Assistants in this process
Kate Henderson (She/They)
Crew Writer
Andrei Gueco (he/him)
Illustrator
So where do Research Assistants (RAs) play into this? Well, the inflation of the CapU administration’s list was due to the inclusion of RAs, whereas the student employee’s list did not include them. Why didn’t the student employees incorporate Ras in their list? The primary complication has to do with the conflict of who RAs are paid by versus how student employees are paid. RAs’ funding comes from scholarships and grants, specifically through CapU’s Creative Activity Research and Scholarship (CARS) department. This same complication of payment has contributed to RAs’ pursuit of unionization at the UBC, being taken as far as a reason to not constitute them as employees at all: their Director of University Affairs stating “the monies [Research Assistants] receive are scholarship awards and are treated as such and do not constitute wages received for work performed.”
The Courier spoke with Biology Research Assistant Raphaël Gasc, who elaborated CapU’s $1 million grant they received from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NESRC). “Last summer we set up over a hundred cameras on game trails in the Shannon RIver Basin In Squamish” Gasc shared, highlighting the field research possible with these grants. Overall, Gasc speaks positively of his work as an RA; “it’s a great way for me to maximize my time as a student, expanding my network in conjunction with school.” He doesn’t only share contentedness with the schedule and functions of his position, but also with the conditions and
pay of his position; “I get paid mileage on top of my wages which makes a huge difference.” When it came to the topic of Research Assistants unionizing, Gasc shared “I didn’t feel the need.” However, when his friend Laura Morales, a student employee at the Centre for International Experience, shared about how work conditions for less fortunate student employees may only be able to improve if all student employees come together, Gasc said “knowing she’s a good friend, I trusted where this could go and what significance this [unionization] could make for future Research Assistants.”
It’s clear Research Assistants have been fighting multiple institutional barriers to unionize. In CapU’s process, it is clear there was a gap between administration’s understanding of who is defined as a student employee. This gap increases the hurdles it consistently takes to unionize within the workscape of this university. However, it is also clear that this gap does not entail CapU Student Employee’s preventing Research Assistants from unionization. Morales and Gasc plan to form a Capilano Student Union club between Research Assistants to build a community, share concerns and advocate together. “Nothing is going to get better unless there is something bigger to advocate for us,” Niko Williamson shares.
CSU directors have given up on their own board
Started with a slate and ended in corruption— Student senator speaks up against selective accountability
within the Capilano Students’ Union
Laura Morales (she/her)
Video Production Manager
Eugene Lee (she/her)
Illustrator
The CSU staff monitors board members’ performance by tracking attendance at Board of Directors (BoD) meetings and timely report submissions. A member can be removed for three consecutive unexcused absences, six non-consecutive unexcused absences, or failing to submit three reports within 30 days of receiving a notice. However, removal requires a motion and a two-thirds vote with at least two weeks’ notice. This means the Board can choose not to remove a member even if they have nine unexcused absences, as was the case with Anmol Sharma, the Mature & Parent Students Liaison, who retained their position after a vote on the January 24 BoD meeting. Importantly, this is for unexcused absences, meaning that if a board member provides an excuse (sends a two-line email) for missing a meeting and the board accepts it, there are no consequences.; “There is no policy on how many excused absences we mark. We work on a judgment basis,” explained CSU president Angad Brar.
Another aggravating factor is the lack of guidelines for report quality. As long as the board member submits a document titled “Report” on the date it’s due, it can simply state something like, “November and December have been quiet months, so there’s not much to report. I had my final exams, so I couldn’t participate much,” as seen in Dilkaran Singh’s report, VP Equity & Sustainability, and still receive full pay. The executive director explained, “Aany reduction in pay connected to hours worked would need to be an action/decision taken by the board of directors.” Brar acknowledged that additional measures are needed to ensure quality, since the current policy only focuses on having reports handed in on time, and assured that “reports will be good next year.”
As stated in the Board Ethics and Conduct policy, “The board may, at its discretion, impose sanctions” for violations of the conduct standards set around the principles of good governance, commitment, respect, responsibility, and accountability, among others. Still, no sanctions are placed automatically, and the reality that was brought to light in the meeting held on January 10, 2025, is that some board members feel powerless when it comes to keeping their board accountable. During the meeting, Senator Priya McMurtrie was indignant to learn that the two other senators, Sarang Deep Singh and Amanjot Singh, had not only failed to submit their reports for the past three months but had also plagiarized Priya’s reports almost word for word when they finally submitted them. McMurtrie told the board, “I put so much work into the Senate” and was upset to “have these two student senators just take what I’ve done.”These reports included
“Some board members feel powerless when it comes to keeping their board accountable”
updates about their work in SAPPRC—a committee where Priya is the sole student representative—as well as two one-on-one meetings she had. The reports were removed from the agenda, but no sanction was put forward.
During the question period, the Courier asked what other actions could be taken to prevent this from happening again. Sophia Kara, the Board of Governors Representative, responded, “There are sanctions that can be placed on board members, but as we’ve seen in the past, they don’t typically happen because of the lack of accountability that has been precedent on this board.” She explained that even when a motion to sanction a director is proposed, it goes to a vote, and whether accountability takes place depends on who is present at the meeting. So, what is the rationale behind this vote-dependent accountability system? And why might selective accountability be considered problematic?
Leaving decisions like sanctions to the board’s discretion allows for flexibility and case-by-case consideration, ensuring contextsensitive outcomes through deliberation and voting. In theory, this system balances accountability with informed decision-making. In practice, however, it allows executive members to earn over $24,750 annually while doing minimal work. “I’m fighting against a wall of corruption that is the executives, and that is a lot of this same group of people who are all very clearly friends and will vote for each other no matter what,” stated Senator McMurtrie.
According to the CSU Election Policy, slate-like behaviour is prohibited, meaning “two or more candidates who run together for elected offices for mutual advantage.” This rule is meant to reduce the risk of block voting and ensure that board members represent diverse perspectives. The Courier asked President Brar how he manages to separate friendship from CSU work; he shared, “It was hard for me in the first few months, to be honest. But now, as I’m learning with time, I would say I’m in a better position.”
The current president of the CSU Board was temporarily disqualified from elections last year due to multiple complaints filed against him—two for aggressively campaigning and two for participating in a slate. In the decision to disqualify Brar, the elections administrator stated, “I find on the balance of probabilities that Angad Brar Gill has campaigned as part of a slate and that he encouraged voters to vote for the slate.” Shortly after, the arbitration panel overturned this decision as they deemed the evidence insufficient. Then, Gill went from being prohibited from participating in an election campaign for the next two cycles to being the president of the CSU.
Evidence may have been insufficient by the end of the last campaigning period; however, if a slate is successful, then further evidence is yet to come, as their voting power is inevitably reflected on the board’s policy priorities and track for accountability. To date, they have repealed the “Board Accountability Policy” put in place by the previous board, amended the Board Meetings Policy to cancel unexcused absences during the summer of 2024, held a Special General Meeting to remove the minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA requirement to run in the upcoming election, and allowed board members full pay without fulfilling the expected 80 hours, among other decisions that show why campaigning as a slate is prohibited.
20
CapU’s Sustainability Goals: Are We On Track?
Two years after securing a major research grant, is CapU delivering on its sustainability promises?
Luciana Mastrangelo (she/her)
Contributor
Freya Emery (she/her)
Illustrator
Back in 2023, Capilano University was “poised to lead the way on important research into the impacts of climate change,” according to an article by Jane Seyd in the North Shore News. with a thrilling $1.5 million grant by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. What has been done with that money during the two years? Is CapU living up to the high expectations it’s been given?
CapU’s strategic vision, outlined in the Envisioning 2030 plan, emphasizes sustainability as a core theme. The plan sets forth goals such as developing sustainable actions to minimize the university’s ecological footprint and fostering a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion in all operations. Specific goals include developing and implementing infrastructure plans in accordance with the Campus Master Plan framework and guidelines, as well as instilling a culture of reflective practice and continuous improvement for learners and employees. Supporting this vision, the Illuminating 2030 academic plan commits to contributing positively to people and the planet, highlighting the university’s dedication to environmental stewardship.
The 10-year Campus Energy and Emissions Plan (CEEP) aims to maintain a 50 per cent reduction in emissions from the 2007 baseline through 2030, despite anticipated growth in enrollment and infrastructure, according to the B.C. government. Although the plan’s finalization was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the university continues to align its operations with provincial goals and requirements for emission reductions. Prioritizing the completion of this plan could provide a clearer roadmap for achieving emission reduction targets, ensuring that CapU stays on track with its sustainability commitments. Without a finalized plan, there is a risk of missed targets, inefficiencies in resource allocation and slower progress toward long-term environmental goals.
One example of an action made in 2023 which directly affects students are the increased accessibility to mobile sources. School work, exams and tuition alone act as a heavy, stressful burden upon numerous students’ shoulders. And with many living hours away, such as in Surrey or elsewhere in Greater Vancouver, transportation is a silent killer which eats up precious time and money. Liam Howse, a Burnaby-born first-year student shared his frustration, “Transit takes three hours out of my day—sometimes just for an hour-long class. That’s the worst.”
In response, CapU brought down emissions, as shown in a 2024 survey conducted by the Capilano Students’ Union, gathering that 73 per cent of the total students use more sustainable commuting options as their primary mode of transportation. How was this done? Due to a partnership between institutions, there has been a noticeable increase in Evo Car Shares around the school’s parking lot. In addition, an increase in tuition due to the controversial U-Pass BC, which is a great deal for students (if you take the bus). However, if you’re someone who drives to school, you should know CapU implemented a Carpool policy in which having three other people in your car means you don’t pay for parking. On their website the university states that they have done this in an effort to “[r]educe the number of single occupancy cars arriving at the campus each day and decrease the strain on our limited parking resources”— not to mention free parking!
CapU has made significant strides in sustainability, particularly in reducing emissions, reducing paper usage and spreading awareness on the matter of sustainability. The introduction of new Bachelor of Environment and Society degrees in 2024 further demonstrates the university’s commitment to environmental education. These interdisciplinary programs aim to equip students with the knowledge and skills to address pressing environmental challenges.
When reflecting on CapU’s environmental ambitions, it is clear that sustainability remains a key focus, with notable progress in emission reductions, sustainable transportation options and environmental education. However, challenges persist, including the delayed finalization of the Campus Energy and Emissions Plan and the need for continued efforts to meet long-term sustainability goals. As the university moves forward, the question remains: Is CapU doing enough to create a truly sustainable campus, or is there still more ground to cover?
Meet Coach JP
Getting to know the man behind CapUs basketball successes
Mizuki Kinoshita (she/her)
Contributor
Jason Price, known as Coach JP or simply JP by his players, brings years of experience, a deep love for coaching and a commitment to both athletic and academic excellence to his position as head coach of the Capilano University Blues men’s basketball team.
Price’s athletic roots extend beyond the court. He was a multisport athlete in high school, excelling in volleyball and track. This led him to play volleyball at Douglas College before his passion for coaching moved him to the sidelines. His coaching journey began at Britannia Secondary before he moved to Burnaby South Secondary, where he spent six years mentoring young athletes. Along the way, he guided two teams to gold at the BC Summer Games, a biennial sports competition for B.C.’s high performing athletes.
Price’s collegiate coaching career started as an assistant coach at Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU), eventually steering him to Douglas College again under head coach Joe Enevoldsen. During his time as assistant coach, the team secured two Pacific Western Athletic Association (PACWEST) championships, though they fell short in the national finals. When Enevoldsen took a head coaching position at the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV), Price followed, spending two seasons with the program before eventually making his way to Capilano University.
His arrival at CapU marked a significant chapter in his career. Initially co-coaching alongside former head coach Alex Van Samang, Price helped lead the men’s basketball team to a PACWEST championship and secured the team a spot at the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Associations
Keira Schick (she/her)
Illustrator
(CCAA) nationals—an unforgettable experience. Last season, he took a step back as an assistant coach while coaching a prep team in Abbotsford. Now, as head coach, he is fully committed to shaping the program’s future. “Georgette Reed was gracious enough to offer me the position,” he said, thrilled about the opportunity.
Price described his days as long but fulfilling. His commitment to CapU basketball starts before sunrise with an hour-and-20minute drive from Chilliwack. Once on campus, his schedule is packed with practice planning, film analysis and scouting reports as he searches for future talent. “There are never slow days in coaching,” he said, and after listening to him, it truly seems like it.
For Price, success is not just measured in championships; it’s all about growth. He takes immense pride in watching his players push each other and develop on and off the court. His goal is clear: to ensure the Blues men’s basketball team is always in contention for the PacWest title. But just as importantly, he wants to see his athletes succeed academically. “We have put a big emphasis on education,” he noted. “Last year, the team had the highest GPA in men’s basketball history at Capilano University, and that is something I am really proud of.”
With Price at the helm, Capilano University’s men’s basketball program is in good hands. His dedication, work ethic and passion for the game continue to push the team forward, both on the court and in the classroom. As the season unfolds, there is no doubt that his leadership will leave a lasting impact on the players who proudly wear the Blues jersey.
Some teams soar and others struggle, but all of Capilano’s studentathletes fight to the finish. Here’s the second recap of our Blues’ performance this season
Capilano Blues Roundup: Wins and Losses
Crew Writer
Lily Rosen (she/her)
Illustrator
Rachel Lu (she/her)
As the season winds down, Capilano University’s basketball, soccer and volleyball teams have netted their fair share of peaks and valleys. Some teams rallied confidently, while others fought tooth and nail against imposing competition. Here’s how the Blues have fared since the last roundup.
Men’s Basketball: Standing Their Ground.
The men’s basketball team has held steady, securing nine wins and seven losses. Since their strong start, they’ve had standout victories against Okanagan, Douglas, and Langara but struggled against Vancouver Island University (VIU) and Camosun throughout November. A noteworthy highlight was their stunning 98–65 win against Douglas on January 25, the highest victory margin this season. They remain a formidable force heading into championships, currently placed third in the Pacific Western Athletic Association (PACWEST) standings.
Women’s Basketball: Pursuing Consistency.
With seven wins and nine losses, the women’s basketball team has shown flashes of brilliance but struggled against fierce opponents. Back-to-back victory weekends over Okanagan and Langara demonstrated their potential, particularly on November 8, when the team took a 10-point lead in the game’s first 10 minutes. However, recent losses to Columbia Bible College (CBC) and Douglas have slowed their roll to fourth for PACWEST.
Men’s Soccer: A Reliable Reputation.
The men’s soccer team carries a respectable 6-4-2 record, establishing their ability to hold down the fort. A 2–1 victory over VIU on October 19 ended their regular season on a high note with excellent defence. However, their championship run ended in the semi-finals when Douglas shut them out 3–0, cutting their gold-medal hopes short.
Women’s Soccer: A Series of Stalemates.
The women’s soccer team continued with its mixed bag of results, wrapping up with a 2-4-6. While they have strained to secure wins, they also proved difficult to beat with six total draws. The team had a shot at gold after tying against Douglas with a winning penalty shootout in the semi-finals, but ultimately lost the final championship to VIU 1–0.
Men’s Volleyball: Overcoming Obstacles.
It’s been a rough season for the men’s volleyball team with three wins and 13 losses. Despite some hardfought matches, including a momentous 3–2 win against Camosun on January 25, they have struggled to find their rhythm. After a seven-game dry spell through November and early January, they may need a radical turnaround to finish out strong.
Women’s Volleyball: Full Steam Ahead.
The women’s volleyball team boasts an impressive record of 11 wins and five losses. After early setbacks in October, they’ve been on an outstanding nine-game winning streak, including sweeps against Douglas, College of the Rockies (COTR) and Camosun. Their recent match against Camosun on January 25 was a nail-biting back-and-forth to an eventual 3–1 win, cementing their second-place position in the PACWEST standings.
From the courts to the field, the Blues show superb grit, skill and teamwork across the board. The women’s volleyball team leads the charge as our strongest championship contender, so stay tuned as the Blues push forward in their respective seasons and postseasons. Want a deeper dive into the action? Check out the Capilano Athletics website here.
Laura Morales (she/her)
Video Production Manager
Max Stutman (he/him)
Laura Morales (she/her)
Illustrators
The life cycle of a memory is determined by two factors— Relevance and Coherence. Without them, we would be flooded by the continuous stream of potential memories that pour in through our senses. Relevance captures what it decides to capture as soon as it happens, as an instinct triggered by the outstanding; however, what it perceives as outstanding depends on the countless variables of subject, context and timing. That’s how we sometimes forget critical parts of a discussion we had the day before but remember the dialogue of an unremarkable movie we saw two years ago. Relevance freezes certain moments and allows them to float in the sea of non-memories; but, over time, these frozen moments are bound to melt… unless Coherence gives them meaning. Relevance doesn’t work without Coherence because it’s not about what we remember—it’s about why. That is us in a nutshell; a memory is the basic unit of self, as a grain of sand is the basic unit of glass.
However, everything changes when we go to sleep—the melted pages of our incomplete narratives evaporate. Then, when we dream, it hails.
I woke up the other day and I could almost feel my mom’s old jeans wrapped inside my arms, as my brother and I held onto her legs—there was one for each. Through the turbulent ride, I would stare at strangers’ faces until they stared back, and then switched. It wasn’t easy to get onto the bus in the first place; they were often packed, and kids didn’t pay so bus drivers pretended not to see the woman with two toddlers. Our transit system was barely a system, probably because the vehicles that served public transportation were privately owned, and since there were no bus stops, they could stop anywhere.
Revisiting a memory is almost like walking through a room in a modern art gallery. Relevance provides the snapshots, usually blurry at the short notice spontaneity provides. We wouldn’t get much meaning beyond these aesthetic images without the small white squares kindly provided by Coherence—it places them next to each snapshot with the title and description of the piece. When we dream, we walk into a gallery with no walls and mismatched titles; with snapshots we don’t recall taking and many that seem to be upside down. For better or worse, we never enter the same gallery twice. That night, I stared at the un-matching curtains that hung from a nylon string above the passenger’s windows, the coloured route signs that covered half of the windshield, and the driver’s arm waving vigorously out the window to announce a risky left turn.
Buses were far from fancy, but they came every five minutes and stopped even when they were full—whether to squish in or not was a personal decision. They usually had a mismatching door, seat cover, rubber matt, door handle and other pieces that belonged to buses from different generations; all held together by dirt. I didn’t mind holding my mom’s leg, but I preferred sitting in her lap. I couldn’t understand how she knew which bus to take, or maybe we got lost a few times and I just couldn’t tell the difference. She always opened the sliding door effortlessly, even when I reached it first and failed to open it using both hands. Anyway, after I woke up, I found myself walking through all these random snapshots without really understanding why I recalled so much about bus rides that happened so long ago. So, if I don’t remember this because it made sense, maybe I retained it because it didn’t.
It’s not about what we remember—it’s about why. But maybe why doesn’t have to do with logical meaning, and Coherence is not there to preserve the consistency of our narratives, but to challenge them.
All of these slightly outstanding occurrences that stuck around in my memory are there because, even though I didn’t understand many things, I was sure about one. Something was wrong. What little ones don’t understand they can often feel, and that feeling is enough to retain the details. It didn’t make sense to that little girl holding her mom’s leg, because she was too small and her perspective too narrow to understand that she was not the main character. This story is about the woman who was trying to get home in a country she didn’t know, with buses that wouldn’t stop for her, strangers that wouldn’t offer their seats, and two little people that obliged her to stand because they needed a leg to hold on to. She would hold herself from the handles that my brother and I couldn’t reach, but even so I would have chosen her leg any day.
Look Inside CapU’s Ghana Field School
Raphaël Gasc (he/him)
Contributor
Riley Simmons (she/her)
Illustrator
It is December in Ghana, and a group of Capilano University students are on their way to a funeral.
The turns and potholes made us lean into each other. The proximity is comfortable; we just napped on each other’s shoulders. Earbuds are shared, listening to personally selected songs. The playlist evolves continuously as we get to know each other more intimately. Today’s 6:30 a.m. “wake-up-tolife” dance session was energizing, but the group is beginning to crash, still hungover from a late night at the pool.
Despite functioning A/C, our skin is developing a layer of dusty sweat, to which our clothes are perpetually glued. We can’t escape the heat and accompanying sunscreen smell. Locals are napping on makeshift benches in the shade, and we begin to hear distant music. Those who catch our glances greet us warmly. The music amplifies and a rhythm can be distinguished. As the bus slows down, some of us lock eyes with kids outside. We are acknowledged with gleeful smiles. The bus comes to a halt and they gather in large numbers.
Jovial villagers meet us as we step off the bus and onto the reddish-brown sandy soil. Although the sun is fading, the humidity is omnipresent. We are ushered to the heart of the ceremony and instantly noticed due to our lighter skin tones. “Yevu!” they call, meaning ‘outsider.’ A large tent shelters the epicenter of the celebration, the drummers. People of all ages are thrusting and shaking in quasi-coordination. We are familiar with their moves by now and join without hesitation.
The students who sit receive a baby in their arms since their mothers have been waiting to dance. Elders gaze at the crowd, nonchalantly seated around the square. Shortly after getting into the groove, some of us get singled out by older ladies who cover us in garments. Our movements become synchronized as they stare into our souls. We remember the reason for this gathering and address the elephant in the room, carefully approaching a smaller tent where people yell, animated at an inanimate entity. We don’t know how to feel, anticipating our first glance. Stiffly posing on a throne and wearing loudpatterned clothing is the body of Jimmy Sago, the drummer whose funeral we are attending. It’s no secret we didn’t know this man or the customs of this celebration before today.
Over the holiday break, 24 CapU students from 12 programs attended the university’s first Ghana Field School (GFS). The journey began last summer with an email inviting applications.
“Our movements become synchronized as they stare into our souls.”
Students participated in an interview and, once accepted, attended four pre-departure sessions, got several vaccines and signed numerous documents. The trip was part of a course titled JAZZ 422: Cross-cultural Pedagogy and Orff Afrique. As became evident when attempting to articulate the nature of this trip to friends and family, students were unsure what to expect in Ghana.
When the course was underway, they dove into the traditional music of the Ewe people of West Africa. Students were guided through this immersive cross-cultural experience by Kofi Gbolonyo, a Ghanaian at CapU School of Performing Arts ethnomusicology instructor, performer, music educator and founder of Nunya Academy. Nunya, an elementary to high school with an after-class music academy, is Gbolonyo’s brainchild, in his hometown of Dzodze, Ghana. Gbolonyo has been hosting groups for decades, but this was his first CapU student-exclusive trip.
Our stay began with a massive social overwhelm in the bustling market of Accra, Ghana’s capital. Our limbs and, in consequence, our attention were pulled left and right by vendors inviting us into their small boutiques. Saying they were eager to make a sale would be an understatement. This set the tone for a recurring sentiment throughout the trip: we felt like rare desirable Pokémon, which fostered a feeling of ‘otherness,’ solidifying our group’s unity. A few nights later, we ditched the urban craze to reach the infamous White Dove Hotel in Dzodze. I say infamous, due to advertisements for two stripper parties hosted during our stay, and our live dinner running from the butcher’s hands through the hotel grounds before meeting its fate.
Nearly every evening, Gbolonyo invited groups to perform for our learning and enjoyment. Exposure to these ethnocultural musical traditions was paired with regular lessons covering the drums, xylophone, shakers, bell or gankogui in Ewe. The constant group setting and activities created closeness among
students. Olivia Cox, an Indigenous Digital Filmmaking (IDF) student bore witness to this, speaking to a, “cohort feeling,” among the students. We also engaged in conventional tourism, visiting sites like Elmina Slave Castle, where schoolchildren swarmed us. Jeremy Fornier-Hanlon, a Jazz Studies student, explained, “What felt like a solemn experience for us was just another field trip to them.” We also stopped by the highest waterfall in West Africa (filled with guano from overhanging bats), the Tafi Mona Monkey Sanctuary, and the home of Gbolonyo’s 93-year-old father-in-law who has nine wives.
Gbolonyo described the trip as successful. He said, “All students participated in a sense of family.” While he is not easily phased, Gbolonyo did say, “My biggest concern was that everyone remained healthy, so I am happy there were no surprises.”
Jared Burrows, a guitarist, composer, producer and CapU Jazz Studies instructor, also accompanied students on the trip. Having been to Ghana several times with Gbolonyo’s groups, Burrows was, “pleased and grateful that nobody did anything stupid.” He also mentions post-trip, “My hope in humanity is always renewed when I go to Ghana.” What keeps Burrows coming back are the Nunya Music Academy kids, who he witnessed dedicate focus to their studies and heart to their performances year after year.
Friday, January 31, 2025, the GFS students commemorated their experience by singing and dancing with 50 other performers at CapU’s Celebrate Africa Night. Stasa Andric, Manager of Global Engagement commented, “With no seats left in the theatre, there was a sense of sharing and community, participation and learning. Our CapU students performed with vigour and passion, but also lightness, confidence and playfulness.” Likely the first of many, the trip proved enriching to students and beneficial to CapU and host communities.
“Our limbs and, in consequence, our attention were pulled left and right by vendors inviting us into their small boutiques.”
Learning Creative Writing in Prison
Walls to Bridges (W2B) transformed a penitentiary classroom into a shared space for storytelling, connection, and rewriting assumptions between Inside and Outside students
Lily Rosen (she/her)
Crew Writer
Jordan Richert (he/him)
Crew Illustrator
Walking into prison for the first time isn’t exactly the average start to a university class. For most students, first-day jitters involve finding the right building and hoping for no group projects. But for Alice Cavers, stepping into her ENGL 190 creative writing course at the Fraser Valley Institution for Women came with unique uncertainties.
Before taking the Walls to Bridges course—an educational program that brings university students (“Outside”) and incarcerated individuals (“Inside”) together in classrooms across Canada— Cavers had only seen prisons on American television. “Most of us have never stepped foot in a prison,” she remarks. “Walking into the class, we don’t have any idea what it would translate to in reallife Canadian prisons and what the people are going to be like.”
That first day was intimidating and exciting. When entering the federal prison, Cavers encountered the anticipated correctional officers, a metal detector and an intense atmosphere. “It felt like airport security,” she recalls. But beyond the main building, expectations began to bend. The prison grounds were not a series of barred cells but a collection of small houses arranged in a circle. “I walk around, and it looks like a little community,” Cavers says. Turns out, it’s not like Litchfield Penitentiary in Orange is the New Black
Inside the classroom, her assumptions continued to shatter. “Then, you walk into the classroom, and there are all these
women not wearing uniforms or anything. They’re wearing normal clothes. They’re sitting down in a classroom. And in that moment, you kind of forget where you are,” Cavers asserts. The course rules also reinforced equality. Students weren’t allowed to ask about each other’s crimes or share full names, ensuring that every student, Inside and Outside, could engage without preconceived judgments.
Over time, the initial apprehension in the room melted away. “By the end of that first class, I got a vibe that the Inside students are some of the most hardworking people I’ve ever met,” Cavers beams. “They were all very genuine, very open, and I realized there was absolutely nothing to be concerned about.”
She describes how creative writing became a tool for vulnerability, breaking down the invisible walls that might have separated the incarcerated from those who were not. “Maybe when I first walked in, I felt a divide,” Cavers says. “But very shortly after, those barriers were completely dismantled.” At first, many Inside students hesitated to share their writing, but it didn’t take long for participation to flip. “We’d run out of time because everybody wanted to share. Everybody was proud of their work and really excited to hear what their friends had to say.”
Beyond reshaping her understanding of incarceration, the experience profoundly changed Cavers’ perspective on education and human connection. “It was more than just a class. It was like
a shared human experience,” she reflects. “It showed me how creativity and learning can break through some of the strongest barriers in society, i.e. the incarceration system. And that was an experience I will never forget.”
For students considering the Walls to Bridges program, Cavers offers thoughtful advice: “If you’re the type of person who’s openminded, non-judgmental and thrives in an environment where you can share and be vulnerable with others, then I think that this course is for you. But if you’re coming into it just for the novelty of it and have no interest in connecting with people like human beings, then it’s not.”
What seemed intimidating on the first day transformed into deeply unexpected connections and personal, creative growth. More than just prose and poetry, Walls to Bridges gave Cavers a rare opportunity to challenge her assumptions and find empathy and compassion on both sides of the prison walls.
Learning: The Life-long Process
CapU students spend most of their time in the classroom, but just as much learning is happening outside the walls of the university
Ashlea McRae (she/her)
Contributor
Sol Yoon (she/her)
Illustrator
“Learning can feel like a daunting and tedious task, but the objective of alternative forms of learning is less about an end-goal and more about the experience.”
For many university students, learning is associated with hard work, labour, blood, sweat and tears. But that isn’t the way it has to be.
The meaning of learning is beginning to shift focus from the traditional idea of institutionalised books and schools.
Now, embracing real-life experience and alternative ways of knowing is on the rise. Students come to Capilano University to learn specific skills to help them develop their careers, but outside of school and work lives there is a struggle to become the lifelong learners many wish to be.
A large part of this struggle is due to time constraints, financial constraints and general uncertainty about interests. Learning can feel like a daunting and tedious task, but the objective of alternative forms of learning is less about an end-goal and more about the experience.
Sometimes, it’s easier to think about how the activities and hobbies that students already have access to might enhance opportunities for learning or growth. At the end of a long day of academics, many students are stretched to their limits of both time and energy, but it is so important to find time for interests outside of school or work. Being physically active, mentally stimulated, finding ways to wind down and to be social with friends, family or peers are just as important for lifelong learning and growth as academic success.
Many of the opportunities for learning outside of school and work are limited because of time constraints. Seasonal activities are a great way to keep both the body and mind
engaged. Luckily, the environment of the West Coast offers many opportunities to get outside and experience the natural beauty that British Columbia has to offer. Destiny Moody, a student in Early Childhood Care and Education states that when she has time outside of work and school she enjoys seasonal outdoor activities. “I like to get out and be active. In the summer I spend most of my time at the lake. I love paddle boarding, or soaking up the sun while reading a new book. In the winter I love to snowboard. I wish I could be up there a lot more than what I am,” says Moody.
Similarly, Business Administration student Alejandra Fajardo finds ways to stay active by hiking or hitting the gym. This is a great way to stay active individually, and it is even better if you can round up a group of friends or loved ones to join. As an alternative way to stay active and stimulated, CapU Psychology student Annah Kassen participates in African Drumming and Dance Ensemble on campus, a course offered by the Jazz department. The ensemble performed alongside many talented performers on January 31st at the BlueShore Theatre for the beginning of Black History Month. This specific focus on music and dance was an interest that gained traction from Kassen’s recent trip to Ghana with the university, and has become a big part of her hobbies.
However, for those that might be less outdoorsy, staying in or finding ways to be social with friends might also be great ideas for learning and wellness. Destiny Moody suggests that sometimes winding down is important too. “I also tend to journal a lot, which leads me to writing songs. I like to get my
“Some of the greatest memories of these times will come from connections made, relationships built and skills or interests explored.”
thoughts on paper. But one of my favourite things to do is just to take time out of my day to visit friends. I go on late-night drives, listening to music and just talking with friends. This is a way that we can wind down from our crazy lives,” says Moody.
For other options, Fajardo suggests that reading, photography or having a personal jam session to favourite songs can also be a great way to find life balance, unwind and discover new aspects of yourself that might not be visible in the classroom setting. Another suggestion from Annah Kassen for individual enrichment is painting, or any form of visual art. If singing in the shower is more appealing, why not get out into the community and join a choir group like the one Kassen meets with once a week. Kassen has found that this is a great way to be immersed in a community, meet new friends, and enjoy herself. This may even lead down unexpected life paths and create networking connections along the way.
These discussions prompt the question of why learning within the classroom is so disconnected from learning outside school settings. How can the knowledge learned in school be applicable to everyday existences and vice versa? By creating space for learning in all of its forms, there are more opportunities for growth, enrichment and
connection. Moody states that, “Humans are inherently social creatures, we need to make sure that we’re taking time out of our days to enjoy those around us and the world that surrounds and nurtures us.”
The two, three, four, five… 10 years of university may just be a small part of the learning that will occur in one lifetime. Some of the greatest memories of these times will come from connections made, relationships built and skills or interests explored. These memories and moments may just be the things that inspire hope for the future, and spark joy for years to come. Trying something new might be overwhelming on busy days, but enrichment doesn’t have to be something huge. It can mean calling a friend or writing in a journal, learning a new recipe or getting off the bus one stop early to walk a little further home (or doom scrolling and missing the stop entirely).
Remember to have compassion during busy periods, and dedicate a little extra time to self-care and growth when times aren’t as hectic. Chosen academic paths may require commitments that stretch beyond limits of time and energy in a given day, but making the effort to dedicate just a few minutes to something that really excites, calms, intrigues or inspires can add so much to the overall experience of life.
How the projects of former music students Harmeet Kaur and Amanda Mulder have tilled musical gardens for emerging women and gender-diverse musicians
Surrey Jazz Nights and All Femme
Fronted
Kate Henderson (she/they)
Ava Shahres (they/she)
Crew Writer
Illustrator
Capilano University’s website describes the school as one of “Canada’s top jazz training institutions,” exploring “performance, composition and music education.” For former students Harmeet Kaur and Amanda Mulder, their pursuits bloomed through CapU’s Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies and Arts and Entertainment Management Diploma (AEM), and fully blossomed after graduation. Kaur and Mulder’s musical pursuits deserve admiration as seeds that grow platforms for emerging women and gender-diverse musicians of Greater Vancouver.
Kaur, a double bass player, spent her first and only year in CapU’s Jazz program from 2020–2021. “My plan at that point was to possess any knowledge I could, get my degree, get my teaching degree and teach,” Kaur explains. “That’s just kind of what you do as someone who [has] to convince [your] parents to go into music.”
Kaur’s impression shifted once joining the School of Music at the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO). Through this, Kaur learned the importance of headshots, website building and maintaining gigs. “Another person at the VSO recommended I look into the Arts and Entertainment Management Program,” Kaur shares. “I had already reduced my courses to Private Music Instruction and electives,” she says, noting that she felt ready to make the shift to AEM.
“I initially didn’t want to go to post-secondary,” Mulder admits, noting that she was working as an audio technician at Canucks Sports and Entertainment when considering applications. “Everything in the music industry is connected; if you’re an audio technician it’s important to be able to talk to musicians or management,” she says, explaining her journey to CapU’s Jazz program to diversify her skills in 2021–2022, majoring in guitar and bass. She soon shifted to AEM in pursuit of greater variety.
Kaur and Mulder entered lab groups in AEM, with Kaur launching winter markets, music mixers and CapU’s very own RISE Film Festival. Surrey Jazz Nights, Kaur’s current project, started at the end of her first year in 2023. “At this time, I was also working as a Jazz Administrator at the VSO,” Kaur details, explaining the connections that came from this role, including a student from her area of Surrey. While working on his Capstone project, the student asked her how to find gigs in Surrey. “I remember thinking, ‘Ah man, there’s nothing over here,’” Kaur sighs, “I was about to tell him there was nothing, but instead of doing that, I thought, ‘Okay, I’ve run a few events at this point, I have enough knowledge to make something happen.’” Kaur reached out to her friend’s uncle, owner of Sullivan Heights Blenz Coffee, to gauge his interest in hosting live music. The Blenz Coffee series began on May 17, 2023, with Kaur hosting 40 musical events since then, including a series at Finest Cup.
On top of audio tech work, Mulder worked at Rufus Guitar Shop, connecting with numerous musicians. “Everyone needs a bassist and I said yes to as much as I could,” she says, outlining her journey to meeting Jess Taylor, a member of the band Spectra. The pair bonded over the shared frustrations of working in femmefronted bands among groups of mostly men. “We showed up to some shows where people didn’t even think we were on the bill,” she explains, going on to say that they were, “treated like crap by other musicians on the bill.”
Mulder and Taylor decided to seek other local femme-fronted and gender-diverse bands. Coincidentally, Mulder’s 2023 AEM lab was searching for a project topic, and she recalls, “I had a booking at this venue, so maybe I could do something with that.”
With their first show at Red Gate Arts Society on February 2, 2023, All Femme Fronted (AFF) flew: “I remember it was a Thursday night, and I’ve been to Red Gate when it’s been shoulder-toshoulder, but that’s, like, a Saturday night thing… Well, it was shoulder-to-shoulder that night.”
With the successes of these projects, Kaur continues to bloom Surrey Jazz Nights with an application to the City Of Surrey Arts and Culture Grant in October 2024. Mulder is onto her third volume of All Femme Fronted, expanding her work to Music Yukon in the summer of 2024.
“I can’t brag enough about how good the AEM program was. I was drawn to the hands-on learning,” Kaur reflects. “While I was working at Music Yukon, I realized my avenues for supporting artists could extend past live opportunities,” Mulder explains. “I can build community; these people need to feel like they have a place they can go, it needs to be more accessible. I want to make myself more accessible,” she says, referring to AFF’s highlights, such as a release radar and event calendars.
Kaur encourages an open mind in one’s music career. “There isn’t really a limit to what you can do as a job,” she says, “I wouldn’t have thought out of university, I would have my own business and be in a position that wouldn’t have existed if I didn’t create it.”
“Even though society looks at art as progressive, there’s still a lot of backwards stuff towards any sort of minority. Look out for your people, if you believe in it, advocate [for] it and keep lifting other people up,” says Mulder.
Black-Owned Businesses in Vancouver
Community among the neon lights
Jasmin Linton (she/her)
Contributor
Jasmin Linton (she/her)
Illustrator
Black-owned businesses make up a good portion of go-to spots in Vancouver. Organizing and curating one such gem is Isa of Isa & Friends, an arts and entertainment organization set on creating an inclusive safe space for all. Isa describes her work as, “DJ events and art shows in the Vancouver scene, and just a little bit of everything.”
“I also do creative and art directing for photoshoots and freelance artwork,” she says, continuing to list, “ Booking management, promo, social media management; a little bit of everything.”
Through her hard work, Isa has put on a wide variety of art shows, curated DJ nights and used her talent, connections and art to carve out a safe space for any Vancouverite misfits.
“When I was 16, I would always have these hall parties because I was friends with a lot of different friend groups that didn’t get invited to things,” Isa recalls, “Hundreds of people would come. I would make posters.” Although those parties were recreational rather than a business prospect, the COVID-19 pandemic halted any consideration of business plans when Isa graduated from high school in 2020.
Feeling low on options and wondering what to do next, Isa recalls her thought process at the time, saying, “What am I good at?
Fuckin’ throwing parties!” After that, the decision for her birthday party changed the tides. “I decided—when I turned 19—to just have this random suit and tie party-like art show at The Modern, and then when I did that, it blew up!” After seeing the success of her hard work, Isa decided to, “take it seriously” in her words, and started focusing on building her brand.
The two biggest challenges Isa faced were determining demographics and recruiting a team. “I was kind of on the edge about having specific music at [events] because specific music brings specific crowds,” she says. This challenge goes handin-hand with the organization’s main message of inclusivity, with Isa stating, “I wanted it to feel safe for whoever’s coming. No matter what age you are, what you know, what you’re into; I just wanted it to feel safe.”
Having started the event with her friends, Isa is focused on using her platform and space to elevate other artists. She spotlights the local community, finding venues, opening talent and local DJs like @jonahwingelman, @ssamuelcarter and @_soundcache_. Along with local communities, Isa is focused on the empowerment of the Black community, holding Black History Month events and donating to charities that uplift people of colour. “I would like to do something with music and kids,” Isa says, insinuating there is more to be done. “I definitely want to reinvest in the community and in the music world,” she says.
While she mentions never having trouble with individuals or organizations due to her identity, prejudice is built into imposter
syndrome. “I’ve had pretty positive experiences so far because of boundaries I set, and my professionalism when I go into these rooms,” she asserts before considering the other side of things, “I have felt like I haven’t been good enough in certain creative spaces. I don’t think that’s credited to me being a Black artist, but I have experienced that as a Black artist.” She continues to say, “I struggle with, as a Black artist feeling like, ‘Oh, because I’m already an individual as it is, I have to keep leveling up, leveling up.’”
Isa’s journey with Isa & Friends is a testament to her resilience and passion. By creating a space where inclusivity and artistry thrive, she has not only built a platform for herself but also uplifted countless other local creatives.
Isa & Friends can be found on Instagram @isaplusfriends. Some Friends include @miimilli who does video recaps, @kotto.labs who created the logo and @carollinelu, a sponsor and event photographer.
The weekend after sitting down with the Courier, Isa & Friends hosted Free For All, an event at the Pearl photographed by @ joe__salmon and @_erv_____ with DJs like @vvackaflocka and @imdaniellin, as well as an upstairs safe space hosted by @ iamstillhealingg and @glow.byaura. Find photos from this event in the Courier’s mini zine, C.C. Crumb across campus.
Want some other influential Black-owned businesses in Vancouver? Check these out:
1. Hogan’s Alley Clothing
Clothing that tells the stories of the beautifully blended cultures of the prominent Afro-Canadian neighborhood, Hogan’s Alley. As a prominent POC neighborhood in the 50s and 60s, Hogan’s Alley was a blend of flourishing cultures, sadly demolished by the city. Hogan’s Alley Clothing brings these cultures back to life in a fusion of African culture and western styles. Be sure to pick up a cool design at hogansalleyclothing.com.
2. Stoxx Vintage
Owned by a local family, Stoxx Vintage is located in Kingsgate Mall, Metropolis at Metrotown and Woodgrove Mall in Nanaimo. It is home to some of the best thrift finds in Vancouver. Self-described as a “treasure trove” Stoxx is your go to spot for all things 80s and 90s vintage. Check them out on TikTok @stoxxvintage.
3. Miscellany Finds
Miscellany finds is run by the lovely Portia Sam and is a local social enterprise focused on helping women and children in East Vancouver. Located on Commercial Drive, Miscellany is the perfect spot to donate clothes, trinkets and knick knacks. Find them on miscellany finds.ca.
An Exploration of Persian New Year in Vancouver
The tradition of Persian New Year lives on thousands of years later across the Pacific Ocean in downtown Vancouver.
News Editor
Yasmine Modaresi (she/her)
Illustrator Neeka Yazdani (she/they)
What
Throughout most of the Western world, the dawn of a new era emerges at midnight on January 1— in the middle of winter. I always thought celebrating new beginnings and rebirth, a personal renaissance, was odd to do on an arbitrary day following the Winter Solstice. After all, the natural world in the northern hemisphere sleeps deeply through nights that last more than half of the day’s duration, but I digress.
A long time ago, when they were a more pragmatic people, the Romans, like the Persians, celebrated New Year in March. This made sense for most ancient cultures as March was the month housing the world’s awakening by bringing the Spring Equinox. The ancient world had such a poetic way of aligning tradition with nature’s natural rhythm, until 46 BCE when Julius Caesar decided that the entire Roman world needed a new calendar.
While change arrived and persevered across the Western world from 46 BCE onward, in Western Asia, the 3,000-yearold Zoroastrian tradition of Nowruz (literally meaning “new day”) thrived on, and to this day, despite displacement and cultural erosion, Persians continue to nourish this tradition of rebirth, renewal, rejuvenation and the harmonious balance of nature.
With epic tales of religious rivalry, invasion and, today, the mass displacement of Persian people, I’m sure that the celebrations have changed significantly from what they were 3,000 years ago. Still, across continents and seas, the tradition perseveres here in Vancouver after all this time.
Growing up as a first-generation Canadian, I distinctly remember the festivity that permeated the city leading up to the first day of spring. Vancouver has a natural proclivity to rainy, dreary weather that tends to leave everyone rather depressed, but the promise that winter would soon break and new life would begin to blossom created an anticipation that was undeniable. Nowruz isn’t just a single day the way New Year is, but rather a collective frenzy that percolates in the community for weeks before erupting into grand celebrations.
What Nowruz means to me today as an adult has evolved significantly from what it meant to me as a child. Being someone with a dual identity, the entire holiday was shrouded in mystery to me, foreign and native simultaneously. The Persian diaspora is diverse, with many religious sentiments, cultural backgrounds and nationalities.
We are a people far removed from the traditional beliefs of our ancestors; hardly anyone I know celebrates Nowruz as the religious festival that it is meant to be. As a displaced person, this makes sense to me now, but everything was much more nuanced throughout my childhood.
The tangible shift in energy leading up to the break of spring was undeniable: in a collective frenzy, pretty much everyone you knew was obsessively cleaning their homes in a ritual called khooneh tekouni (literally ‘shaking the house’). At the same time, we were all getting fat. Culturally, Persians are known for eating mounds of burnt rice in sweet and savoury sauces and sweet treats packed with sugar and fat with crystalized sugar ( nabat ) for snacking on the side. This drunkenness on good food only escalates in the late winter, when various dried fruits, honey-candied nuts, and pastries become so abundant in shops and homes that wearing jeans or tight-button-ups is impossible.
The duration of the actual celebrations is typically 13 days, and the traditions filling these days all create a constant reminder of the themes of the natural world around spring to help members of the community personify the natural rhythm of life in each breath, with rituals emphasizing purification, renewal and community building. As the days slowly stretch longer and the cold nights grow shorter, people begin to come out of their long hibernation and seek excitement—at least, that’s the case for me. As we collectively move into the new season, anyone can engage in the anticipation of spring alongside the Persian community by gift giving, get disciplined to overcome bad habits and set goals for success, spending time in nature, and partying hard at Ambleside Beach’s annual Persian Fire festival between March 18 and March 20, 2025.
“Being someone with a dual identity, the entire holiday was shrouded in mystery to me, foreign and native simultaneously.”
To The Night I Was Drugged
An emotional retelling of the night someone spiked my drink at the club while finally making my peace with each element of the story.
To the memories I lost
I didn’t have a chance to know you before you were taken from me.
I have this fear of forgetting things. I forgot a lot that night, or the experiences never made it to my memory in the first place. I don’t remember going backstage with the drummer, but I remember his hands on me when I opened my eyes and asked where I was and what was happening. I don’t remember cutting my finger, but I remember seeing the blood on my phone screen when I tried to text my friend, Ross, and find him. I don’t remember walking out of the venue, but I remember being on the street. I don’t remember walking into the bar next door, but I remember sitting next to Ross, who wrapped two Band-Aids around my finger before trying to get me home. I remember seeing the bloodstains on my white shirt when I got there.
I remember not remembering. I remember opening my eyes in these places without the memory of walking there. I remember walking to places having forgotten where I was last, mere seconds ago.
Everything I need to remember in life is written down somewhere, or repeated thrice mentally in a desperate
Arts and Culture Editor
Jasmine Garcha (she/her) Crew Illustrator
Cameron Skorulski (he/him)
attempt to keep my memories sealed. You weren’t meant to be different; I didn’t mean to lose you. I wouldn’t have wanted to, but I wonder if you left me because you know something I don’t.
To the guy who was trusted to get me home
You told me you hadn’t driven that night, but you’d get me an Uber. I should have listened, but I was afraid of making you spend money. I was afraid in general. I was afraid of moving, of leaving the spot in which I stood, and so I was afraid to go home.
I was afraid when I felt your hands on me, although I couldn’t quite stand on my own otherwise. I was afraid when I got home and in the morning after waking, when I pieced together what had happened, and I remembered that feeling.
I regret meeting with you again and thinking that I could forget my fear.
To the person who spiked my drink
I don’t know you and I hopefully never will. You knew me, though, in some weird, twisted way. You knew I wasn’t in a large group, and you waited until we both walked
away. Sometimes, I wonder if I’ve stumbled across you unknowingly. I wonder if you hide in plain sight, lurking in my life without me ever noticing. You may never admit to it, and I may never know.
To the venue where I got drugged
Sometimes, I go back. And, sometimes, your floors haunt me. I wonder if my spilled blood lingers. I doubt you’re cleansed often enough.
I feel my own ghost walk through me when I enter the door. I see her walk to a table, on which I never set down my drink. I dance until I can’t feel my feet, and my gaze searches your perimeter for eyes that look as if they know me.
Sometimes, I look for your door through which I might have been led by that drummer. I still don’t know where I was when I opened my eyes, and I don’t remember getting there or what happened when I did.
To the girl who got roofied at a club downtown in the summer of 2023
Almost 20 years old and stupid during your first night out clubbing. Stupid enough to leave your drink unattended on the table while you used the washroom, then to continue
drinking from it when you returned. You hear the horror stories, but you never think that it could be you.
I wish I’d taken those stories to heart. I wish I’d protected you better. I’m sorry that I didn’t.
I wish you wouldn’t blame yourself.
I’m sorry that it happened to you. It shouldn’t have happened at all.
To the night that somebody drugged me
You met me in my nightmares recently. I wonder if you remember. I wonder if the streets remember my stumble, if the universe has etched it into the sidewalk.
I wonder if my night was stamped into the stars, if you left an imprint. If the parts I forgot were remembered by the universe in a way that makes it matter. The worst thing you could do is not matter. Maybe it’s selfish and hypocritical, because I don’t even remember you that well myself, but I hope that somebody or something holds those memories for me. I hope the universe remembers you.
The Simple Four-Step Guide
A.K Broznitsky (he/they)
Contributor
Freya Emery (she/her)
Illustrator
Hey you. Yeah, you! Act natural, maybe cover this article up a little so someone can’t look over your shoulder or find a private spot to read it.
Are you good? Okay, read carefully as I let you in on a little secret: the people over at the Capilano Courier are easy pickings. Those rubes got stacks of cash just sitting there, waiting for an entrepreneur such as yourself to come sweep it all up. It’s not rocket science—they’re English majors after all. Here’s the plan:
Step 1: The Cover
Get an easy degree. Any degree will work, but aim for an English degree, ideally a creative writing degree. These work best, as no sane person would ever acquire a degree in English, let alone creative writing, and as is well known, all writers and editors are insane. The goal is to make yourself look appealing. Maybe write a few stellar essays for one of those English classes, or do some personal work. Fiction, nonfiction, poems, an autobiography in the style of autotheory; doesn’t matter. As long as you have a portfolio with a few finished pieces to show off, it’ll work. Now if you’re thinking, “But that takes money,” or, “But then I have to study,” no worries! Student loans are just temporary, and you’ll probably be so rich in the future that you’ll be able to pay them off without a second thought. And never forget C’s get degrees.
Step 2: The In
Scope out the situation. Most of those idiots are super talkative. Pick a mark—an editor or staff writer—and become their friend. Ask them about, say, their favourite indie film or the decline of print as a medium, and they’ll start spilling their guts. Play it cool, nod along, express interest in their interests. Be convincing. Once you have successfully tricked one of them into liking you, that’s when you make your play.
Step 3: The Disguise
Here’s the trickiest part. You gotta get a job at the Courier Working as a contributing writer is the easiest way in. You gotta implant yourself in their system. If you get in, they won’t notice the money being siphoned out. Use your contact to vouch for you. Trick them well enough and they’ll let you in on the Courier pitch doc. This is where you want to be. Every month
they send that little Google doc out with a handful of article ideas. Pick one; doesn’t matter the topic, and start writing. Just whip something up in two minutes and send it over. If they comment on it being ‘amateurish’ or ‘unprofessional’ just say that it was a stylistic authorial choice. Mention Hunter S. Thompson for good measure. The editor will suggest you make a few revisions. Do all of these, and compliment the editor on how talented they are. The more they like you, the more they won’t suspect what you’re up to.
Step 4: The Payout
Keep working there, keep writing articles, maybe become a staff writer or editor, and all the while the cheques keep rollin’ in. Just pick some up at the Courier office and cash it at your nearest ATM. It’s foolproof; they literally hand the money right to you. This con is so much safer and simpler than, say, straight-up burglary. If you do that, people will notice, but if you keep working quietly, picking up that cheque each month, they won’t even realize they’re being robbed. And the best part is, when you graduate from Capilano with whatever useless degree you signed up for, they’ll probably throw you a little celebration for your work with the magazine. They’ll never even know what you were up to the whole time. It’s genius.
The Capilano Courier Has
a
Problem,
and its
Name is Testosterone
An opinion essay by Adam Wallace criticizing the Capilano Courier for
Humour Editor & Male Feminist
Adam Wallace (he/him)
Illustrator
Scarlett Side (she/her)
It’s 6 p.m. on Wednesday, the day the Capilano Courier contributors meet to check in on how the month is panning out. I stand around the corner from the entrance to the Courier office, nervously biting my nails. I know I must go in, but I fear the chaos that stands beyond the front door.
After finally gaining the confidence to enter the meeting, I am promptly struck in the groin by the coarse hands of an insecure athlete. “Nut Taps!” my Editor-In-Chief declares, causing the room to erupt in a chorus of rowdy laughter. Immediately, I am faced with a dilemma: Do I play along, pretend I’m okay and that I’m in on the joke? Or do I reveal my true feelings? The following words wrack my mind on loop: “Stand up to them. Just for once Adam, tell them how you really feel.”
I broaden my shoulders, I tug on my shirt to straighten it a little, and I turn my chin up. I say the words aloud.
“I don’t like nut taps. I don’t find it funny. It makes me uncomfortable, and I want them to stop.”
The room falls into an uncomfortable quiet. Unfortunately this quiet is not dominated by self-reflection and guilt, but rather of annoyance and aggression. People roll their eyes, they shake their heads, they scoff, they stare. The Courier news editor (who shall remain nameless) takes a step closer to me, the brim of their fitted sports team hat in my face.
“Bro. It’s just a fucking joke. Don’t be such a p*ssy about it. God.” At this point, I’m not surprised by their crude choice of politically incorrect terms, but am offended nonetheless. I long to correct their tasteless parlance, but I’m simply too physically intimidated to do so.
A knock at the door interrupts our discussion, and I turn to see a Skip The Dishes delivery person. Dinner time. See, as a part of our monthly meeting, we’re fed dinner. You might be thinking that this is a nice break from tense discussions, but as a vegetarian, it opens up a slew of insults hurled towards me from my colleagues. “Burger King time, boys!” our Editor-In-Chief declares. It’s always Burger King. And no, they never get vegetarian burgers, so my dinner is relegated to a measly side of beige french fries, nothing more.
After dinner, the meeting continues. We begin to discuss the literature column for next month’s issue. Inevitably, the conversation steers towards promoting what is arguably right wing propaganda. I wish I could speak up, but my self-preservation is too strong and I fear being physically assaulted by another nut tap. But when the conversation turns to Joe Rogan and his recent slew of reprehensible podcasts, I decide to do it again: Do it, Adam. Stand up for the truth.
“Joe Rogan is a misogynistic right-wing propagandist.” I say proudly. The air goes ice cold. Not surprisingly, but disappointingly nonetheless, the Courier crew is not in agreement.
“Why do you always have to get like, political and stuff, man?” asks our literature editor. “It’s just a podcast dude, if you don’t like it just don’t listen. Let people enjoy things and stop being a b*tch about everything.”
“I’m sorry, but I have to stand up for the truth.” I state defiantly. “We have a responsibility to our readers to be fair and just, and I simply cannot sanction any sort of untoward rhetoric.”
I end the story here, for it drags on as you would imagine it might. My goal with this vignette is to paint a simple point: something needs to change. Unfortunately, the testosterone fueled frat-like culture of the Courier is hardly the outlier when it comes to student publications. Walk into any university campus, find their student publication offices and I guarantee you’ll find a slew of conservative young men spewing Fox News-like rhetoric. In my lived truth and informed opinion, we cannot simply have these hooligans be the arbiters of truth in our day and age, and if I get fired for stating my truth, for standing up for females & gender nonconfirming folx and for speaking on my lived experience, well so be it. But the male dominated, right-wing world of student journalism is long overdue for a reckoning.
Craving for more?
Here are some more articles to expect published on our website, capilanocourier.com:
• Why a 5% increase on international tuition is likely to backfire (lengthened)
• Drug Decriminalisation and Harm Reduction
• CapU’s Mental Health Resources
• Yoga and How It Can Help Us Grow Our Inner Peace
• Your Name (Literature)
• No More (Literature)
• Marquee Madness
• From The Streets of Our Unfair City
• Don’t F**k With Rats
• Student Abroad: But This Time It’s Sean
• A Girl, a Dream and A Long Way to Go
• Jasmine Garcha’s Ultimate Survival Guide to Driving in Vancouver.
• Adam Solves your St Patrick’s Day Conundrums
Illustration by Kit Vega for From The Streets of Our Unfair City
CAPILANO UNIVERSITY is located on the traditional unceded territories of the LíỈwat, xʷməθkʷəỷəm (Musqueam), shíshálh (Sechelt), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and SəỈílwətaʔ/ Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
We recognize our presence here as guests on this sacred land and deeply appreciate the privilege to work, study, and reside in this remarkable place. The Capilano Courier acknowledges that this gesture is just a starting point on the path to reconciliation, and we are committed to amplifying Indigenous voices and sharing their stories.
THE CAPILANO COURIER is an autonomous, democratically-run student newspaper that encourages literary and visual submissions. However, all submissions undergo editing for brevity, taste, and legality. We are committed to not publishing material that the collective deems as promoting sexism, racism, or homophobia. The views expressed by the contributing writers are not necessarily those of the Capilano Courier publishing society.
Additionally, we prioritize a human-centered approach to content creation and do not support the use of AI in our editorial processes. We believe in the value of human perspectives and storytelling in our publication.
CAPILANO COURIER
What are you cultivating in your mind?