Hannah Bontinen (she/her)
“Wood Wide Web”
@hannahbontinen.designs
FREYA EMERY (SHE/HER) Editor-In-Chief
“I’m graduating in the spring and moving to Nova Scotia in the fall!
Tis going to be a big year for me”
Growing up, I didn’t watch Disney movies or relate to princesses. Instead, I watched old movies like Funny Girl, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, or Wonder Woman. My princesses were Barbra Streisand, Audrey Hepburn, and Lynda Carter. I was naturally drawn to strong, independent women who weren’t afraid to be themselves. I would dress up in my handcrafted Wonder Woman costume, which consisted of gold cuffs and a headband made out of paper. In that costume, I would run around the house singing Taylor Swift (Yes, bb Freya was a Swiftie). I guess you could say I was a walking billboard for women’s empowerment growing up.
Naturally, that energy stuck with me throughout my life. In high school, my favorite t-shirt said “Feminism is my second favorite F word,” which I wore most of the time to piss off my teachers. I would walk around with my buzzed hair, head held high, full of IDGAF-type energy. I think I gained that energy from the collective of women around me.
When the time came for me to step up as Editor-inChief for the Courier, I looked at the past women Editors-in-Chief for encouragement. Seeing their accomplishments and the impact they made during their time motivated me to be the most encouraging and supportive boss I could be for this new crew at the Courier. Having a long lineage of women’s empowerment for any organization is really something special and should not be overlooked.
“Feminism is for everybody.” – Bell Hooks
In this issue, we discuss all things Women’s Empowerment, covering the history of International Women’s Day and how trans women fit into the narrative, the pink tax, and the dynamics of gossip culture for women. I hope that you are able to walk away from reading this issue feeling empowered, not only to empower women but all genders alike.
Your Editor-in-Chief
-Freya
COORDINATING EDITOR
Matt Shipley (he/him) matt@capilanocourier.com
“I finished high school in France.”
BUSINESS MANAGER
Terrance Alanis (he/him) business@capilanocourier.com
“I want to nominate that Andre 3000 flute album for Album of the Year in the 2024 Grammy”
NEWS EDITOR
Bridget Stringer Holden (she/her) bridget@capilanocourier.com
“I’ve studied at a local Mexican high school.”
SPORTS EDITOR
Mya Fraser (she/her) sports@capilanocourier.com
“Currently watching Game of Thrones”
FEATURES EDITOR Gates Annai (they/she) gates@capilanocourier.com
“I run a bookstagram account on the side and a relatively successful writing blog…”
ARTS AND CULTURES EDITOR
Gwen Pemberton (she/her) gwen@capilanocourier.com
“I want to have a very in depth conversation with Mya when she finishes Game of Thrones”
COMMUNITIES EDITOR
Avery Nowicki (they/them) avery@capilanocourier.com
“I’m re-reading Joan Didion this month! *woop* *woop*!”
OPINIONS EDITOR
Jayde Atchison (she/her) jayde@capilanocourier.com
“I’m either watching Real Housewives or gruesome murder shows, there is no middle ground”
COLUMNS EDITOR
Sara Brinkac (she/they) sara@capilanocourier.com
“My older sisters name is Teghan so, together, we are Teghan and Sara (we are not named after the duo my parents promise)”
ART DIRECTOR
Angelica Blanch (she/her) design@capilanocourier.com
“I’m obsessed with anything Minion or Snoopy related”
PRODUCTION MANAGER & CREW ILLUSTRATOR
Andy Poystila (he/him) production@capilanocourier.com
“I love life. I love the people around me, I love experiencing the green outdoors, the intricacies of nature and all that it has to offer”
VIDEO PRODUCTION & COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
Laura Morales Padilla (she/her) videoproduction@capilanocourier.com
“Shout-out to the people who share the space under their umbrella.”
Ely Davidson (he/him)
videoeditor@capilanocourier.com
Dylan Smith (he/him)
videography@capilanocourier.com
Lea Krusemeyer (she/her)
“I used to be a super fan of Ellen Degeneres. I still have two tattoos dedicated to her, I never really regretted getting them but I for sure wouldn’t do it again.”
Kirsten Wiltshire (she/her)
“I quoted Buster Bluth in my highschool graduation yearbook but it didn’t get printed because it was either too inappropriate or we didn’t have the rights. Either way, I love soup as much as he does.”
Chelle Lussi (Any)
“Chicken pot pie is one of the superior pies.”
Ana X. Lima, Mizuki Kinoshita, Liva Pica, Yasmine Modaresi, Jude DeVille, Ayla Maxwell, Janne Palencia, Jasmin Linton.
Sasha Lun, Cameron Skorulski, Ethan Woronko, Liza Borissova, Xaviery Roxas, Anais Bayle, Apsara Coeffic-Neou, Rachel Lu, Ava Shares, Jasmin Linton, Tasha Jones, Yohahnah Loker, Jerry Kambashi, Eva Staub, Siobhan Barry, Sol Yoon, Cassandra VP, Celina Zhong
Hannah Bontinen, Apsara Coeffic-Neou, Livvy, Rachel Lu, Ethan Woronko.
Freya Emery.
Email editor@capilanocourier.com for interested writers. For aspiring illustrators/featured artists, they are required to send a portfolio or sample of work to production@capilanocourier.com.
@capilano.courier
capilanocourier.com
*Correction from February Issue: Touching or Tacky was written by our Crew Writer Lea Krusemeyer.
Apsara Coeffic-Neou (she/her)
COORDINATING EDITOR MATT SHIPLEY (HE/HIM)
ILLUSTRATOR SASHA LUN (SHE/HER)
The Capilano Students’ Union (CSU) will be holding its annual General Election on March 12 to 14. These elections will be—for the first time since 2019—completely in-person, the online ballot will no longer be available. Preparations for the election, however, have already begun.
The nomination period, where prospective candidates nominate themselves for election, began on February 14. This period ends on February 28, at which point the nominations will be reviewed and either approved or denied based on the criteria outlined by the Elections Administrator. Prospective candidates are invited to join information sessions to aid in this process—one on February 15 and the other on February 27.
On February 29, candidates will attend a mandatory orientation meeting. Here, candidates learn the rules of the election: how to campaign fairly, common mistakes and infractions and so on. Only after this meeting can candidates begin their official campaign— campaigning before the meeting will result in disqualification.
From February 29 through March 14, candidates are permitted to place posters according to a clear set of rules, as well as get out on campus and talk to people in person about their platform. If a candidate is campaigning inappropriately, a complaint form is available on the CSU website.
Two candidate forums will be held before the elections in the CSU Library Lounge, hosted by the CSU and moderated by the Capilano Courier. These candidate forums, held on March 5 and 7 at 12 p.m., offer participating candidates the opportunity to speak to a wider audience about their goals. Students are welcome to attend in person, and a professional video recording of the event will be available soon after on the Capilano Courier YouTube channel.
Voting will take place exclusively in-person this year. There will be booths open in the CSU Library Lounge on March 12 to 14 from 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; and the Kálax-ay Campus Lobby on March 13, 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. This switch to in-person voting has been made in part to combat the rampant issue of election misconduct that has plagued the CSU since the 2022 General Election. This may create issues for students with scheduling conflicts or for those with long commutes who don’t have classes on campus on voting days, but it’s a step the CSU hopes is in the right direction.
“New changes, should I be concerned?”
CONTRIBUTOR
ANA X. LIMA (SHE/HER)
ILLUSTRATOR CAMERON SKORULSKI (HE/HIM)
Approximately 360,000 student permits will be issued, representing a decrease of up to 35 per cent compared to last year. This has raised concerns among many universities, schools, and international student agencies about the potential impact, given the substantial number of students arriving from other countries. According to The British Columbia Federation of Students (BCFS), in Canada, 20 per cent of the student population is international. Despite this figure being relatively low in comparison to domestic students, international students contribute to approximately 50 per cent of the fee revenue. Adding that this goes beyond just fairness, there’s a call to provide additional protection for international students.
At a recent President’s Perspective meeting, CapU president Paul Dangerfield emphasized that this will pose a challenge for all, yet it stands as a solution to a broader issue not directly tied to institutions like CapU. Rather, it stems from the escalating interest of students in Canada, creating a scenario where certain businesses view it as an opportunity. These businesses, as he pointed out, mislead students by pledging a certain standard of education in our country, only for the reality upon arrival to fall far short of those assurances. This, he asserted, is a significant problem that needs addressing. “I won’t even give them the benefit of calling them colleges or institutes, but businesses,” said Dangerfield.
One of the most frequently mentioned concerns by university students and the BCFS has been whether the tuition fees for international students will be affected, ensuring that this new rule does not impact the financial income of universities and colleges. The BCFS have voiced that the government should provide protection for international students. The province asserts that these measures were designed to enhance the quality and accountability of educational institutions in British Columbia and that the recent decisions are aimed at preventing institutions from taking advantage of international students. From our president’s perspective, despite the current challenging situation for prospective students trying to enroll, CapU as an institution will not be adversely affected. He assures that once the restrictions are lifted, things will continue to move forward. “I’m pretty comfortable that as a university, we will be fine,” stated Dangerfield.
Some of the major changes announced include an elevation in the required bank account funds for entry into the country (excluding students from Quebec). With an increase of up to 50 per cent, the annual funds required in previous years were $10,000, excluding tuition; However, as of January 2024, the necessary amount has risen to $20,635 per year. Furthermore, the partners of those studying in undergraduate programs will no longer be eligible for work permits, which was previously allowed. Students will now be required to apply for a provincial attestation letter before submitting their study permit applications, among other modifications. More information about these changes is available on official government websites like www.canada.ca.
On the official website of the Government of Canada, there is a statement acknowledging the significant contributions of international students to campuses, communities, and the Canadian economy. However, it notes that this has led to unsustainable growth in international students in recent years. The announced reforms aim to support a more sustainable growth of the international student population and enhance the integrity of the system. It is emphasized that these reforms are intended to ensure that international students have a positive and enriching experience during their time in Canada.
In response to these changes, there has been a growing call for greater transparency and communication between the government, educational institutions, and the student community. Many people believe a collaborative approach is necessary to address the challenges posed by the reduction in student permits. Students express the need for clear guidelines and support mechanisms to successfully navigate these changes. As the educational landscape undergoes change and adjustment, there is also an opportunity for institutions to reevaluate and improve their support services for international students. “Now is our opportunity to intentionally address the issues in the post-secondary system to find long-term solutions that protect and meet the needs of students,” said the BCFS in a statement.
The
CREW WRITER
KIRSTEN WILTSHIRE (SHE/HER)
ILLUSTRATOR
ETHAN WORONKO (HE/HIM)
More than 18,000 fans are set to fill the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Feb. 16, 2024, setting the record for audience attendance at a women’s hockey game. The opponents, a timeless rivalry, Montreal vs Toronto. These two teams are among the six that make up the inaugural season of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL). The league has seen record-breaking attendance, merch sellouts and an outpouring of fan support in its first year.
Women’s hockey has had a bumpy ride on its journey to growth. The PWHL comes as an upgrade from the previous league, the Premier Hockey Federation, which consisted of seven women’s teams across Canada and the U.S. but faced financial barriers and limited resources for players. The league folded in 2023 after it was bought by the Mark Walter Group and Billie Jean King Enterprises. The six current teams of the PWHL are all owned by Mark Walter. “In terms of the professionalism, the resources, the investment, the infrastructure, this league has things that we’ve never seen before in women’s hockey, and players know that and players are happy about that,” Hailey Salvian of The Athletic told CBC Front Burner.
College and university hockey is at the heart of high-level hockey for women. The international playing stage of world championships and the Olympics are where the biggest trophies in the sport are won. The PWHL is an avenue of competitive play for women beyond university and a home for hockey fans looking for something different than the mainstream display. “At the youth level, the big story is the growth of the game,” says Andrew Smyth, board member of the North Shore Female Ice Hockey Association (NSFIHA) and former coach.
Hockey Canada reports show that women/girls enrollment has risen steadily since 2007, with a record-breaking year in the 2018-2019 season jumping from 83,711 in the previous season to 102,959. The 2022-2023 season saw over 9 per cent increase from the previous season in registration for girls and women. There was a 4.5 per cent increase in boys registration from 2021-2022 to 2022-2023. Overall, boys registration has slowly declined by 18 per cent since the 2014-2015 season whereas girls have risen over 24 per cent from 2007-2008.
“Female hockey has changed dramatically in terms of the spectrum of programming, there’s everything from highperformance programming but also the growth of recreational hockey is exploding as well,” explains Smyth.
Hockey has a recognizable culture, it can be a beautiful thing but it can also be a troubling and traumatizing environment. In the last several years, various scandals and information have come out about sexual assault cases with the 2018 men’s Canadian junior national team or former Chicago
Blackhawks player Kyle Beach. The recent spotlight on assault within the sport unraveled a long-standing history of secrecy and sweeping misconduct under the rug. Black Lives Matter helped to expose the exclusivity of the sport and the ongoing racism faced by players and fans alike. Many Canadians, hockey fans and players don’t know this history, and others know this history too well.
The PWHL comes at a pivotal time in the lifespan of hockey, as people question the role of hockey in communities across the country, people question the purpose of the sport. “People are becoming aware of the rise of female hockey, which is bringing positive resources, skill, and opportunities,” explains Smyth, “but it’s also bringing some of the things that are the challenges on the boy’s side of hockey, which is big expenditures and big commitment and maybe an early specialization in sport and some of those things are maybe not the most positive parts of hockey.” For many young boys, the NHL is the ultimate goal, the dream families shell out thousands of dollars for and dedicate countless hours to, for the chance to get a taste of the show. Smyth admits this can be a barrier and a burden for families.
Hockey is a big business. A 2015 Scotiabank economic impact report found that hockey-related economic activity exceeds $11.2 billion per year in Canada. A 2019 Scotiabank Hockey Club and FlipGive report found that nearly 60 per cent of hockey parents spend at least $5,000 per season.
The PWHL is shining a light on a new aspect of hockey. The league brings with it an example of growth within the sport. A growth of the love of the game, an expansion of the connection and friendships. Smyth says the attention women’s and girls’ hockey is now getting because of the PWHL is creating more depth in the sport, allowing for broader experiences. Whether that’s more rec leagues, specialized coaching, or referee and coaching programs, hockey for women is expanding. “Our role is to build that initial love and an interest in the game,” explains Smyth, recentering the focus of hockey back on the love of the game and the connection the sport can foster.
Caitlin Clark is a senior on the University of Iowa’s (the Hawkeyes) basketball team. She is Iowa’s all-time leading scorer and the first Division-I player to record 3,300+ points, 900+ assists, and 800+ rebounds in a career. She is expected to be a first-draft pick for the WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association).
The 22-year-old American basketball player has been breaking records and sweeping awards her entire collegiate career, and even prior. In 2017, she represented the U.S. for the first time at the 2017 FIBA Under-16 Women’s Americas Championship where she helped her team win gold. She played twice in the FIBA Under-19 Women’s Basketball World Cup in 2019 and 2021. She helped her team secure gold both times and even was named Most Valuable Player and made the All-Tournament Team in 2021.
While Clark is currently a senior, she still has one more year of eligibility left which she may choose to use. If she does declare for the 2023 WNBA draft at the end of her season (early March), it is likely the Indiana Fever will use their first overall pick on the rising star.
According to an interview on Jan. 2, 2024, with Clark, she still seemed undecided about her decision and didn’t let off any indications. “I’m gonna go based on my gut. At the end of the day, I think that’s the biggest thing that I should trust. I’m gonna know when I need to know if I wanna stay or if I wanna go.”
On Feb. 15, 2024, Clark officially surpassed the women’s National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) career scoring record of 3,527 points, previously held by Kelsey Plum. The new record held by Clark is 3,569 career points and counting.
As of today, Feb. 16, 2024, Clark is only 98 points away from breaking Pete Maravich’s record in the NCAA men’s points. If Clark keeps up her average of 32.8 points a game for her final 4 games, she is on track to beat his record too on her final regular season game on Mar. 3, which would make her the all-time scoring leader in NCAA Division 1 basketball history.
Clark has earned herself quite the fan base already. Iowa achieved a historic milestone as the first women’s basketball program in Big Ten history to have every home game sold out. Ticket prices for the historic record-breaking night are up to $337, which is 206 per cent pricier than that same game in November 2023.
One fan of hers is quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Clark is a long-time fan of the recent Super Bowl winners, the Kansas City Chiefs. Mahomes, now a three-time Super Bowl champion, recently spoke highly of Clark and her passion for the game. “She loves playing at Iowa and is going to be one of the best women’s basketball players, one of the best college basketball players to ever play, and then go to the WNBA and dominate there as well.” Clark even went on to compare her game to the way the Chiefs play. “I think it’s kind of similar to how I play, offensive power. It’s exciting.”
With only a handful of regular-season basketball games left, Clark is looking to soak it in and enjoy it for what it is. She and Iowa are looking to end this season on a high note by securing their first-ever women’s basketball national championship. Regardless of the outcome to come, Clark has broken barriers and will continue to have an inspiring impact in women’s basketball and sports history.
CONTRIBUTOR
MIZUKI KINOSHITA (SHE/HER)ILLUSTRATOR XAVIERY ROXAS (SHE/HER)
Athletes are constantly balancing their responsibilities; training, overall performance, food consumption and/ or diets, juggling relationships and keeping their mental health in check. Apart from a demanding career, they must also determine how to balance their professional and personal lives.
For female athletes, they may come face to face with what could be a life-changing decision— their careers or motherhood. Pregnancy can take a toll on one’s body, one’s abilities and one’s mindset. It can often be assumed that female athletes have to give up their sport to pursue motherhood but that doesn’t always have to be the case. Many superstar athletes are pursuing both sports and motherhood.
One of the most famous athletes who demonstrated a good balance of navigating motherhood and her athletic career is Serena Williams. She was a professional tennis player in the U.S.A. who retired in 2022. She was one of the most popular and talented players in her sport. She has won tournaments like the Wimbledon Championships multiple times and has won four gold medals while competing in the Olympics.
She currently has two kids. Her first kid, Olympia was born during her career in September 2017. Upon her return to training and games, she did face some challenges. When she gave birth to her baby, she suffered from a pulmonary embolism. The effects of her pulmonary embolism continued after her baby was born, so her return to training was delayed.
Three months postpartum, she played in an exhibition match which she lost. Furthermore, she decided to withdraw from a tournament in January 2018 due to a lack of training. She
struggled that first year, balancing where she was previously in her career and her baby, but she never gave up. As a result, she placed No.10 in the female world ranking in 2019 after the US Open. Additionally in January 2020, Williams clinched her first singles title as a mother at the ASB Classic making history; the first woman in the professional era to secure at least one title in four consecutive decades: the 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s.
Another famous female athlete who is still actively navigating her career amongst being a mom is Alex Morgan. She is a professional soccer player in the U.S.A., currently playing for San Diego Wave FC in the National Women’s Soccer League (NSWL). She has made many appearances in tournaments like the FIFA World Cups and the Olympics over the years as a player on the American National team.
She gave birth to her baby girl in May 2020. After Charlie was born, she decided to withdraw from the NWSL Challenge Cup in June 2020. In September 2020, she returned to training. She was selected NWSL Player of the Month in May 2021. She was also named a FIFA FIFPro Women’s World11 (a fancy way of nominating the best players in the game) in 2023 for the sixth time in her career.
In the past, female athletes were often having to choose between motherhood and their athletic careers. However, it’s been proven it’s not necessary to make such a binary decision; they can successfully pursue both paths simultaneously if they please. It’s the support they obtain from their spouses, parents, nannies, club staff and team members that help make it possible.
Jeannie Morris was a trailblazer in the sports world. Starting as a columnist in the 1960’s for Chicago’s American, she worked her way into broadcasting, overcoming barriers along the way. In the early 1970’s she was barred from entering the Metropolitan Stadium press box because of her gender. She infamously reported a baseball game from outside, weathering a Minnesota blizzard. Morris is just one of several women who pioneered the role of female sports reporters.
Like all corners of the professional sports world, sports journalism has been largely dominated by men. The Institute for Ethics and Diversity in Sport published a Racial and Gender report card in 2021 outlining the make-up of Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE). It found that although female representation has risen it’s still abysmally low, only 14.4 per cent of sports reporters are women (77 per cent of whom are white women). The report gave APSE a failing grade in its gender hiring practices.
Women were and still are in some cases relegated to the role of ‘eye-candy,’ diminishing their skill and expertise in the field. They face disproportionate levels of online harassment and abuse and have to fight harder than most to legitimize their role in the industry.
With the rise in popularity of women’s professional sports leagues such as the National Women’s Soccer League, the longstanding Women’s National Basketball Association and the newly formed Professional Women’s Hockey League there comes a shift in the narrative around the sport.
As sports media’s coverage of women competing on national and international stages for more than World Cups and Olympic tournaments grows, it solidifies what many already know, but are waiting for the others to catch up; women belong in sport. Not only in performance and play, but in positions that analyze, report on and commentate on the competition.
Julie DiCaro has been actively speaking out against the rampant mistreatment of women in sports, shining a light on the disparity in treatment women face. Reporters like Cari Champion, Doris Burke and Kate Beirness have made major contributions to the industry, solidifying their place in sports journalism. While the inequality within the sport and the barriers to entry may still stand, women continue to create space for themselves and one another as professional sports expand its reach.
COMMUNITIES EDITOR
AVERY NOWICKI (THEY/THEM)
CREW ILLUSTRATOR
CHELLE LUSSI (ANY)
An SRO is a form of affordable housing unit, meaning single room occupancy. The majority of hotels which now operate as SROs were built between 1908 and 1913, mainly for Vancouver’s large influx of seasonal workers at the time of the city’s early development. However, as time has gone on, these hotels have not been maintained, now operating almost entirely as low-income SRO units in the Downtown Eastside. These units are primarily lived in by Vancouver’s previously homeless population, with very few hotels having been renovated and rented to middle-income Vancouverites often around the $950 to $1,500 range. With many residents in low-income SROs opting to remain in tenting situations to avoid the unhealthy living conditions, the disparity between these forms of SRO’s become clear.
SRO’s have been reported to have unusable washrooms, with ongoing cockroach, rat, and infestation issues. Many residents mention that while they have reported the issues to the external building managers, neglect seems to be at the forefront of the issue. Employees of these buildings often reported understaffing and frustration with building managers, in conversation with Global News. Residents have reported not only finding rats in the floor or common area of the SRO’s but inside their mattresses. SRO resident Jack Gates told Vancouver Sun in an interview, “Waking up to bathrooms that are full of feces, and
hallways smelling like feces, is really bad. It would only take a few thousand dollars to fix up some of the things that are necessary in the building.”
When bookkeeper Sam Dharmapala was asked to expand on how much these buildings were making, he told the Vancouver Sun “They’re making $80,000 per month [...] but I don’t think they want to spend $1,000 at least for the maintenance of this building. That’s why it’s in this condition.” On the other side of the issue, Wendy Penderson, a Downtown Eastside Community Organizer, told Vancouver Sun that, “the provincial government bought one-fifth of our housing-stock in 2007 and they’ve renovated them [...] and it’s stunning [...] These are places where people can heal.”
What is the true cost of these unsafe living conditions in SRO’s? For many, they can be deadly. In April of 2022, a fire erupted in the Winters Hotel SRO in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. At the time of the fire, the operating sprinkler system was turned off, resulting in the deaths of two residents and 140 housing displacements. One resident, Jenna Hansma, who lost all of her belongings, her home and her young cat in the fire, has filed a class action lawsuit.
Blaming the building’s owner, the operators of the residence, and the city of Vancouver. When asked to comment, she told CBC Vancouver, “I want them to know what it’s like to be us [since the fire], how many of us have panic attacks, how
our anxiety is up through the roof, how most of us don’t sleep anymore.”
Three days before the Winters Hotel fire, a smaller fire occurred in the building, the fire alarm hadn’t gone off. The smaller fire had been doused by sprinklers, and residents using fire extinguishers. In Hansma’s official claim, she reports that officials had turned off the sprinklers, and that no-one had taken steps to reset the sprinkler of fire alarm systems before the fire occurred three days later. Testifying that, ‘the residents had no warnings about the fire, and no means to fight it.” Finally, Hansma told CBC Vancouver, “we may be low-income, but we are people too and we deserve the right to live a comfortable life.” The Winters fire has left lasting scars on the community, only adding to the homelessness crisis in Vancouver, showing that affordable housing is not aid, if it worsens quality of life for low-income residents.
CONTRIBUTOR
ILLUSTRATOR
After enduring years of discomfort, pain and health issues, women are getting tired of the limited birth control options available, often resorting to the pill as their primary choice. While numerous questions persist in contemporary discussions, the overarching inquiry remains: is there any real change occurring?
Women have historically shouldered the weight and responsibility of preventing unwanted pregnancies. Despite living in an era of constant change and a generation that challenges established norms, it appears that many aspects of women’s reproductive health remain static. Contraceptive options have been around for decades, yet, despite advancements in health and technology, the perception persists that little improvement has been made. In her article for The Walrus, Nicole Schmidt highlights the dearth of crucial studies conducted over the years to fully grasp the symptoms induced by hormonal contraceptives. This has led to a growing trend among women worldwide choosing to abandon the pill after years of use. While one might assume there are alternatives beyond the globally recognized pill, discussions seldom touch upon the side effects experienced by women, despite its low efficacy.
Within the realm of hormonal contraceptives, we encounter options such as the implant, hormonal IUD, injectable DMPA, pills, vaginal rings and skin patches. All of these options, without exception, induce changes and unpleasant symptoms in the bodies of menstruating individuals. As we explore these effects, it becomes increasingly apparent that the impact on women’s health extends beyond mere contraception. Moreover, non-hormonal contraceptive methods, such as barrier options including the diaphragm, cervical cap, sponge, copper IUD, spermicide, vaginal gel, male condom and female condom, present additional choices.
However, a comprehensive examination of these alternatives reveals a shared responsibility in addressing not just birth control but also broader aspects of women’s health and wellbeing. Just because these methods are non-hormonal doesn’t mean they are exempt from having repercussions on the bodies of those who use them. While they are presented as alternatives, barrier methods and other non-hormonal options can also impact people’s health in various ways. It’s crucial to recognize that each individual may react uniquely to these methods, and what works for one person may not be equally suitable for another.
In Canada, 44 per cent of women use oral contraceptives, 54 per cent rely on condoms and 12 per cent opt for the pullout method. We recognize that individuals make these choices based on factors such as effectiveness, convenience, affordability and personal considerations. This new generation of young people benefits from an abundance of information, including anecdotes and experiences shared by other women. This wealth of information helps today’s youth make informed decisions and aims to instigate a change in the industry. The goal is to ensure that their experiences
contribute meaningfully to a genuine transformation rather than being overlooked. However, the question remains: what is currently changing?
Women determined to reshape the trajectory of contraceptive methods are actively researching, advocating, and striving for a future where a broader range of options is readily available without compromising health. Elina Berglund Scherwitzl serves as a notable example, having pioneered the first birth control app. This innovative tool utilizes body temperature to track and determine fertility status. Although launched in 2013, it gained approval from Health Canada in November 2023. Natural Cycles now stands as a beacon of hope, representing a pathway to the future envisioned by countless women. Despite its potential, it falls short of being a hundred percent effective method, as users must diligently input data each morning and adhere to perfect usage for optimal effectiveness.
Among the latest breakthroughs is Phexxi, FDA-approved in 2020. This gel, designed to lower vaginal pH, hinders sperm from reaching the egg, boasting an 86 per cent effectiveness rate. Despite its potential, the economic barrier of $25 per applicator renders it nearly unattainable for many women. In our exploration of innovative women seeking solutions, Deborah Anderson emerges. She has developed a topical intravaginal product featuring antibodies that immobilize sperm, with the added potential to prevent various sexually transmitted diseases. Concurrently, another company named Cirqle is experimenting with a similar approach that appears to yield promising results. Despite these advancements, thorough research and testing are necessary before these products reach the public market. Nevertheless, the outlook is optimistic and encouraging for the future of female contraceptives.
The landscape of women’s health and contraceptives is undergoing a transformative shift. The evolving choices, from innovative apps like Natural Cycles to gels such as Phexxi, exemplify a commitment to providing women with safer, more accessible options. While these advancements hold promise, challenges remain before widespread availability. This collective effort holds the promise of an optimistic and encouraging future for female contraceptives, ensuring heightened awareness, improved efficacy, enhanced accessibility and a broader range of choices for women worldwide.
For the joy of corporations, International Women’s Day is fast approaching. On March 8, like every year since CEOs realized women have spending power, we’ll be inundated with messages of support from not-at-all-murderous companies such as Amazon, Nestle, Samsung and Shell. I’m grateful that the people responsible for the first celebrations of Women’s Days have long passed—whatever gory death they died, it would have been more torturous if they had to witness McDonalds turning their logo upside down to form the letter W for IWD in 2020. International Women’s Day, in its modern iteration, could not be further from what it was intended to represent.
The first Women’s Day was held in New York, after years of unrest and mass protests for shorter hours, better pay and voting rights for women. A year later the Socialist Party of America declared February 28 National Women’s Day. This action inspired Clara Zetkin who proposed at the International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen in 1910, that one day, every year, in every country, should be dedicated to the celebration of women, with the objective of raising awareness for their demands. Her proposal was approved unanimously. The following year on March 19 the First International Women’s Day was held. Eventually, the day moved to March 8.. The fundamental sentiment of IWD was radical, and inextricably concerned with class struggle.
In 1894, Zetskin wrote for a piece for the magazine Die Gleichheit (Equality), criticizing bourgeois feminists for pushing for reforms, without questioning the capitalist system that enabled discrimination against women in the first place. Working women’s complaints against the misogynist society they were living in went further than their desire for independence. As Angela Davis explains in Women, Race & Class, “working women needed the ballot to guarantee their very survival [because] woman suffrage could serve as a powerful weapon of class struggle.” To working women the vote meant more than mere inclusion into political society—it represented a powerful transformation for their families and raised them from poverty.
While IWD became a fixture in the Soviet Union, it was forgotten about in North America. The radical socialist sector of the feminist movement did not survive long. Activists progressively allied themselves with capitalists to obtain capital and resources. Many fell into the temptation of catering to powerful conservatives by adopting racist stances. Black and Indigenous women were not truly considered women, and were often excluded from feminist
conversation. This, however, did not mean that they were not interested in it. Black women’s position in society was (and is) such that they suffer “the combined disabilities of sex, class and race.” This meant that they deeply understood the connections between these struggles, and the importance of tackling them together. Women like Ida B. Wells, Mary Church Terrel, Mary McCleod Bethune, Lucy Parsons and Claudia Jones produced a body of work on which today’s theory of intersectionality is founded. Their efforts to improve the conditions of racialized folk were inherently feminist.
Today, cis Black and Indigenous women are still largely excluded from the conversation—but in more subvert, covert ways. Trans women (many of which are Black) are the victims of the most explicit vitriol. Much like race and class, queerness is linked with feminism and its objectives. The movement for queer liberation is concerned with the dismantling of a system stubbornly committed to regulating gender and sexuality through the establishment of rigid, arbitrary binaries, and the exclusion of whoever doesn’t abide by them. Gender-queer folk, and especially trans-women, have been chipping away at these binaries for as long as they’ve existed (which is to say, for all of history). Their literal existence contradicts the validity of the rules in place.
This is the same system feminists have argued is intrinsically harmful and diminishing to women, and therefore should be fought against. The fight for gay rights is a feminist issue. Furthermore, trans women in particular were fundamental in the queer movement’s achievements. Two of the most heroic figures of the riots that followed the StoneWall riots were Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Riviera — two gender-non conforming and Black activists.
IWD was born out of a feminist movement that recognized the importance of class equality, and actively worked towards it. The movement was carried on the backs of perpetually ignored and disrespected racialized and trans women. They’ve always understood the need for intersectionality, and that the pursuit of true equality is a fight fought on multiple fronts. They are feminism’s protagonists. The celebration of International Women’s Day must be a celebration of these powerful, heroic, exhausted women.
Female EICs from the past 15 years share their thoughts about International Women’s Day and where they are now
NEWS EDITOR
BRIDGET STRINGERHOLDEN (SHE/HER)
ILLUSTRATOR FREYA EMERY (SHE/HER)
Over the past 15 years, there have been many powerful female Editors-in-Chief of the Capilano Courier. For the following Q&A, we spoke to Alisha Samnani (2021-2023), Ana Maria Caicedo (2020-2021), Rachel D’Sa (2019-2020), Christine Beyleveldt (2018-2019), Leah Mae Scheitel (2013-2015) and Samantha Thompson (co-EIC with Sarah Vitet, 2011-2012) about working for the paper, what they’re doing now and what International Women’s Day means to them.
What was the most rewarding or memorable part of working at the Courier?
Alisha: Being able to tell stories that reflect the lived experiences of underrepresented, marginalized and racialized communities.
Ana: Interviewing people from all walks of life and researching stories was very rewarding—I don’t know of many other jobs that give you an excuse to reach out to people you want to hear from and dig into things you’re curious about.
I’m also grateful to have had the chance to develop strong writing and editing skills with the help of my fellow journalists and friends. It’s enriching when you can work with someone else to edit a piece of writing—words carry our thinking, and in the process of editing with someone else, your thinking evolves. This was something that was very satisfying for me.
Rachel: The people I met and friendships I made. I had the opportunity to interview artists I looked up to and connect with vibrant communities outside my own. Attending the NASH conferences in Toronto, Calgary and here in Vancouver was a huge bonus. Hearing changemakers speak on design, investigative journalism, and freedom of information was inspirational to my career path.
Christine: The highlight of my time at the Courier was connecting with people from different departments all over campus. I’m grateful that I was able to have such a full experience.
Leah: While I’d like to say I had to think about this question, I really didn’t. It was the people I worked with—the other student journalists who became
friends in intense and meaningful ways. Working with them to create this wonderful student newspaper every week, even if it was riddled with mistakes, was absolutely the best experience, not just at the Courier but of my university experience at Capilano overall.
Samantha: We tried to utilize the Courier as a platform to do a deep dive into what I think were important stories that weren’t getting the publicity they deserved. I feel this is the critical role of a student publication.
Alisha: I am currently working on a couple Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council funded projects centred around polarization and decolonial practices in media production.
Ana: I am a few months away from becoming certified as an Elementary teacher!
Rachel: I’m currently doing freelance creative directing and photography coordination—something that always interested me during my time at CapU. I’ve also taken up pottery!
Christine: I got into dentistry about a year after leaving the Courier and to my surprise as much as anyone else’s, I loved it. I worked as an assistant for three years, came back to CapU briefly to take my health sciences and now I’m in the Dental Hygiene Program at Vancouver Community College.
Leah: Somehow student journalism morphed into a semiprofessional career as a stand up comedian. I’m based in Calgary where I still freelance write but also work in the film industry in the costume department.
Samantha: I am a feminist urban geographer and postdoctoral researcher at UVic, where my research explores renters’ experiences of housing crises.
Alisha: It’s a day to celebrate the power that we all hold, and likewise to reflect on how we are using that power in our own lives every day.
Ana: It’s not a day that I’ve thought about often. What I will say is that if we have a day to celebrate women and consider patriarchal violence and structures, then the lens we do this from needs to be intersectional. I think about the connections between capitalism, patriarchy and imperialism often. Consumerism is so normalized here; we rarely consider who is making the products we use, and as a woman living in Canada, I benefit from a global class system that disenfranchises and exploits the labor of women across the world. It can feel daunting to consider how we can resist and change this, but I think considering who we give our money and labour to is a crucial part of the work.
Rachel: To me, it means collectively acknowledging our individual accomplishments and those of the marginalized women (whose names are and aren’t in textbooks) who historically established women’s rights. I take it as a reminder to thank the women in my life for their care and give myself some grace.
Christine: International Women’s Day is a day of celebrating women’s accomplishments and strides made toward a more equitable society. But it’s also in recognition of the unsung work women have always done that holds society up.
Leah: In earnest, it’s of a mixed set of emotions for me. While I think it’s great that we take time to celebrate women as a culture and society, part of me gets rather depressed that we still need to set aside a day to remind ourselves to do it. But every year I’m reminded why we need to celebrate women and their achievements, especially in spaces that are still male-dominated, like stand up.
Samantha: International Women’s Day recognizes what has been accomplished so far and celebrates our communities. Importantly though, it’s also about recognizing structural ways gender hierarchies continue to shape who has access to power and safety. For example, trans women, trans men, and non-binary folks are all deserving of care and safety and yet many folks do not have access to those things. These impacts are shaped by intersections with other power systems, like structural racism.
As much as IWD is a celebration, it is also a day to remember those lost and continue to organize so that people of all marginalized genders are recognized, protected, and valued.
Who is a woman that inspires you?
Alisha: Alicia Garza
Ana: I am cheating and picking two—my best friends Monica and Tamia. They show me new ways of existing and engaging with the world, and they move through life with love and empathy.
Rachel: My mom is one of my biggest inspirations. She’s immensely strong, thoughtful and effortlessly creative. Somehow she makes friends wherever she goes and always finds ways to help others. Her compassion motivates me to be a better person. She’s that kind of mom that left “have a great day at school” notes in our lunch boxes. I’m very grateful to have her support.
Christine: Robyn Doolittle. She’s a Globe and Mail investigative journalist and everything I ever wanted to be while still in the publishing business. She asks tough questions and her reporting has influenced public policy for the better.
Leah: Professionally, writers and creators who have carved out spaces for themselves just by being goodold fashioned nerds, like Dana Schwartz who hosts a history podcast that I adore.
Personally, my grandmother and mother who never once let anyone tell them “No”.
Samantha: The Moms 4 Housing movement in Oakland, CA, a collective of homeless and marginally housed Black mothers who took possession of empty, investor-owned houses to provide immediate housing for each other and their children.
What advice do you have for women in leadership roles, or wanting to run/apply for one?
Alisha: It’s easiest to lead when you’re doing something you love and are passionate about.
Ana: Don’t underestimate the importance of building rapport and community with the people you work with. Actively make space for people to have agency over their work. Take care of yourself—if you’re not well, chances are you will have trouble responding to challenges in ways that are mindful, caring and considerate.
Rachel: Don’t let the fear of taking up space stop you from going after what you want and voicing your ideas. I would also encourage those in leadership
roles to consider their ability to actively listen and mentor to uplift those who are in the position they were in not so long ago—let’s create room for everyone.
Christine: Enjoy the journey. This was something former Editorin-Chief Leah Scheitel told me when I stepped into her shoes. Taking on a leadership role isn’t easy. Try to have fun while you’re doing it.
Leah: Take chances and fail a little. Not on purpose and not because it’s particularly fun, but because you won’t know until you try. And it’s okay— - not only okay but actually really productive— - to be a wee bitchy and bossy at times; that’s when the work gets done.
Samantha: A mentor once told me that you shouldn’t take yourself out of the game before you’ve even played—it’s always worth trying to do something even if you are not sure that you’re ‘good enough’. Value yourself and your labour.
“PLEASE DON’T TALK I REALY[sic] NEED A SANDWITCH[sic],” writes user DAB_05yt, “KITCHEN WHERE U SHOULD BE MAKING ME A SANDY BBY,” he adds right afterwards. While annoying, references to the kitchen when female gamers speak or participate in online games is on the milder side of the harassment women face just for doing something they enjoy.
In fact, harassment is the common and normalized reality of playing online games as a woman. User Strawbunnee posts about her experience playing Rainbow Six Siege (R6S) on Reddit forum r/GirlGamers, writing, “I had to stop playing R6S because I’d never gotten so many rape jokes and threats in any game ever. I also loved getting vote kicked every other game JUST because I was a woman lmfao.” Another user, Miss_Emmi (the one who had experienced the kitchen joke) added, “Now that vote kick isn’t a thing anymore, all they do is tk me. (team kill—friendly fire) I really wish I could play a game without being harassed.”
It’s not just annoying comments in chat rooms, however. Gamergate, the 2014-15 alt right movement against women and feminism in the gaming industry brought the harmful and dangerous harassment women face to the forefront, with video game developer Zoe Quinn receiving death threats, sexual harassment and facing accusations of sleeping with journalists to get good reviews on her games. Men online even publicly posted her home address (known as doxing) and threatened to kill and rape her, causing her to leave her home with her husband.
Online harassment, even as horrible as Quinn’s case, tends to
be brushed aside and trivialized. User LunarVortexLoL writes on r/GirlGamers, “Every time I bring this issue up with most men, they dismiss it with ‘but men experience toxicity too!!’” and user Thechosenmeow writes, “Omggg I hate when guys say that ‘it’s just a joke’ ‘can’t you take a joke’ ‘it’s just sarcasm’ as a bs reason to say something creepy or obnoxious.” Even in response to Quinn’s case, many gamers claimed the death threats were trivial, and women just needed to ‘ignore it.’
This expectation to toughen up and ignore the harassment women face isn’t rare, and many do—preferring to mute themselves online, or avoid gendering their online names to avoid facing this type of harassment. User Cajoyeh writes about her experience being mocked and harassed after speaking in game, “and his friend joins in to make fun of me and tell me to shut the fuck up and kill myself. The rest of the night I didn’t do any call outs.” Others share this experience, with girls on the r/GirlGamers forum advising each other not to use their mics and choose gender neutral names so they won’t get targeted.
When girls are accepted in the gaming community, it often comes with a backhanded compliment. User Nalala19 writes, “Whenever I am playing with guy friends they always seem so shocked I’m good and know what I’m doing… I’ve gotten a handful of comments being like ‘oh you’re actually good’.” Capilano University student, Laila Kasim-Parkinson receives similar comments from guys she meets in the gaming community, such as, “You’re one of the good ones” or, “Wow, you’re a girl who likes Doom? No way.”
Other than the obvious outlining of which girls are ‘good ones’ which implies the existence of ‘bad ones’ (what’d those girls do
FEATURES EDITOR
to deserve that anyway?) the statement also continues to alienate female gamers in a community that has no reason to be against them. Kasim-Parkinson adds, “Gaming has the potential to be a very accessible hobby for a lot of people of all kinds. The idea of it being for a certain kind of man is always so confusing.” Like many of the girls on r/ GirlGamers, Kasim-Parkinson tends to avoid speaking over mic in certain communities known to be toxic and prefers online co-op games that focus on collaborating with the people you’re playing with, rather than being in competition with them.
However, the toxicity isn’t all there is to the gaming community. Kasim-Parkinson relayed many long-term friendships she had made over online gaming in the right communities, naming Fallout and Grand Theft Auto (GTA) as some of the communities she feels most accepted and comfortable in. Girls playing games such as Valorant or Apex are also becoming more popular, making these communities safer for them to join.
Kasim-Parkinson says girls can feel intimidated by joining the gaming scene, whether because they feel like they’ll be bad at it, harassed, or otherwise had always grown up around the idea that gaming is a ‘boy’s hobby’ and shouldn’t be accessible to them. To that, she says, “if you’re afraid because maybe you feel like it’s not for you, there’s all these girl gaming communities that you can join,” she says, recommending girls find others who will offer to play with them to teach them the ropes. While there are many toxic communities, she acknowledges there’s also many
welcoming ones, and recommends girls not let the threat of harassment hold them back when considering getting into gaming.
For the future, Kasim-Parkinson dreams of the gaming community growing more diverse and a little less serious. “I think it would be very fun if people were more normal about it,” she says, “respectfully, touch some grass… It’s just a game, there’s no reason to make people feel bad.” She hopes the gaming community will turn into a place where people are kinder to each other, more accepting of diversity, and accepting of greater representation in characters and narratives. With more games being released that allow people to play as girls (who aren’t exclusively sexualized), or non-tokenized people of colour, or even pursue queer romances, Kasim-Parkinson sees this diversity growing in the fan base as well.
A deep dive into the porn industry and the challenges and opportunities it presents for women
CONTRIBUTOR
YASMINE MODARESI (SHE/HER)
ILLUSTRATOR AVA SHARES (THEY/SHE)
As a byproduct of free market capitalism, the ethics of modern-day pornography have been questioned by feminist theorists and human rights advocates alike. However, in these discussions, there is often little room left for nuance: there is a dichotomy where, within public discourse in media, organizations and individuals are pressured to divide into an extreme pro- or anti-pornography stance. Such a dichotomy can not only be counterproductive but oppressive to the idea that there is good and bad in every industry—including the porn industry.
A common sentiment on the anti-porn side of the argument is that, as a product historically created by men, for men, porn continues to perpetuate the objectification of women. The placement of women in porn, the point of view of cameras, and the roles of men in pornography have perpetuated a fantasy where women are a means to an end—man’s gratification—rather than an end in themselves. Sadly, this perforative narrative that manifests on the screen is also often a reality behind the scenes. According to human rights organizations like Exodus, a significant portion of pornographic content found on popular websites like PornHub are created by human traffickers as a way to manipulate and control their victims. Such content is sold to sites both on mainstream and underground sites, while victims are simultaneously exploited physically, through forced prostitution.
A common argument from the anti-porn perspective is that all pornography is coercive. This is a perspective that seems to only include consideration for women’s exploitation—perhaps rightfully
so, but that’s a discussion for another time: even if a woman think’s she’s engaging in sex work like pornographic content by choice, there is still a degree of exploitation. After all, once that content is out in the modern wild west of the internet, there is the potential of her being immortalized as an object of sex, and being stripped of her personhood in endeavours outside of pornography.
However, despite the dark reality of porn’s proximity to various forms of exploitation, many modern porn creators are attempting to solve ethical dilemmas by cultivating spaces where autonomy is prioritized.
Back in 2014 in an interview with The Guardian, adult content creator, Ms Naughty—a self-proclaimed “ethical and fair trade” porn creator—suggested that deconstructing negative stereotypes surrounding adult entertainment creators should be prioritized over terminating pornography. Ms. Naughty acknowledges that some porn is manufactured through tragic circumstances, but also stresses that it’s ignorant to suggest that all porn is unethically produced.
It seems infantilizing to the adults involved, regardless of their sex, to strip away autonomy in relation to how one uses their sexuality. Upholding the dichotomy of pro- vs. anti-porn stances almost seems to be a politicization of sexuality itself. What seems more productive is addressing the question of how legally sourced pornography (i.e., that content that is created by consenting adults) can be made more ethical.
To gain some perspective on how sex workers believe they should be treated when participating in public adult content, two Vancouver women who work in the adult content industry agreed to engage in a short interview. (Note that for the sake of privacy, the letters “A” and “B” will be used to represent the women participating in the interview):
Q: What would you say makes you feel most safe when distributing your content and interacting with consumers?
A: “I feel safest knowing that I have control over what type of content I produce, and how I behave. If I’m going to be doing these things for strangers to watch, I still want control over what customers can access.”
B: “With the viewers I get, and how I got them, I don’t know everyone who watches my content. They see my face, and I’m sure I’d be recognizable if I ran into any of my customers because let’s face it, I’m intimate with them in a way. But I work for me. There’s nobody telling me how to pose, what to shave, how to act and if I don’t want to do something, I don’t.”
Q: In terms of the agency you have over your body, your comfort and your privacy in OF content, there seem to be some significant differences when compared to mainstream porn. Do you have any ideas on how porn can be more ethical in protecting the performers?
A: “I haven’t ever worked in porn, but I know that you’re an employee, which is pretty different from being selfemployed. It’s not just about getting to choose what hours you work, but choosing what you do. I think that porn has always been more about getting men off than women—which isn’t necessarily bad, but it can hurt women in the production process. I think that there needs to be more collaboration between directors and actors. Directors need to actually care about the people doing the acts.”
Autonomy, self-determination, and collaboration between actors, directors and consumers were recurring trends in both past articles and conversations with sex workers. Porn as a profitable expression of sexuality can be made ethical, but to be ethical, industry leaders must be willing to see their employees as more than objects—more than cash cows.
Karina Bromberg keeps a busy schedule and a positive attitude CREW WRITER KIRSTEN
WILTSHIRE (SHE/HER)
ILLUSTRATOR JASMIN LINTON (SHE/HER)
“There’s being humble. And then there’s knowing your worth,” said Karina Bromberg, a 21-year-old dancer, undergrad student, part-time producer, choreographer and performer of Rishon, an immersive dance show. “Me being able to shine is letting other people shine too, because then we shine bigger together,” she added.
Bromberg was born and raised in Karmiel, a city of about 46 thousand people in northern Israel, known for the Karmiel Dance Festival. Dance is a crucial part of the city. Bromberg and her family came to Canada when she was 14 years old, landing in the lower mainland for grade 10. The discomfort of a new place, people and routine made her hungry for something bigger. She took summer courses, skipped a grade, graduated high school and started her undergrad at SFU having just turned 17.
To juggle all her responsibilities, Bromberg remains both meticulously organized and positive. Not many would be able to handle her schedule as both a full-time business student and dancer, all the while keeping a part-time job, but Bromberg’s secret is simply planning. “I even schedule when I eat and when I sleep sometimes” explained Bromberg. “I plan ahead. And I try my best to stick to the schedule.”
Bromberg thrives in a world of vibrant variety. Intersecting passion, creativity, drive and education to fulfill the hunger for something bigger than herself. With that comes a struggle to find a place among purpose. “I’m too much of a dancer for university,” Bromberg goes on to explain the inverse, that she’s too much of a university student studying accounting for the dance world. As someone caught between two worlds she has always had to create her own path, “I needed to find my own balance. My schedule didn’t look like [others] around me.”
Bromberg comes from a family of competitive athletes, her father and grandmother both trained as gymnasts. Her grandma brought her to an acquaintance’s aerobic dance studio at age seven, her first day she was taught how to do a cartwheel. The movement sparked in her a connection, “I’ll never forget that,” beamed Bromberg.
She trained her way to winning the championships in Israel, but the training took its toll, and by age 11 she had sustained several injuries. Her father urged her to find something else, leading her to try out the dance classes also held at her gym. She enrolled in hip hop—loving the music and the atmosphere helped push her through the rocky transition in style of movement. In 2015 her team won Hip Hop International Israel.
When she arrived in Canada, dance was on the backburner as she adjusted to a new life and a new language. “I did not know where to go dance, didn’t know the language, had no idea where I was,” explained Bromberg. After some time she found a studio and took a summer intensive course. Re-integrating dance back into her life forced her to consider the role she wanted it to take. She found her focus on the artistic side of things and dedicated her time and energy to all things dance.
“I [would go] everywhere, every studio and take a class. Every showcase that happened I would go see what that group was about… I was really exposing myself to a lot,” Bromberg said.
Over COVID Bromberg discovered Motus Dance Company, an LA-based dance studio started by prominent dance figure Diana Matos, whose ethos is based on connection and community. Bromberg danced on Zoom in her garage four days a week with Motus for three years. The training instilled in Bromberg an elevated relationship with dance. “I built a whole different set of resilience and discipline.”
Bromberg had the idea for Rishon, meaning “first” in Hebrew, two years before she brought it to life in 2023. Rishon is an immersive dance show that aims to connect with all five senses by having the audience and the dancers intermingle, allowing for the proximity of touch and smell. Bromberg first developed the show in 2021 but realized she wasn’t quite ready to present it as she had hoped and tabled it for a few years. “It’s always
going to be a risk. I was waiting for some sort of validation,” Bromberg reflected. “Until I gave myself ‘[the] OK’, I didn’t do it.” The first show in June 2023 was a multi-modal performance featuring local dancers, designers and artists, choreographed and produced by Bromberg. It ended up being a sold-out success. Rishon brought people together.
With Rishon.2 (on Jan. 27, 2024), Bromberg featured a new cast, a new set and more artists. The pressure of following up a success can be immense. Bromberg, ever the disciplined artist, however, approached it with an assured maturity. “It’s just inevitable that the product I give now is different. For the better for the worse, I don’t know, it’s up to the viewer.” Her approach to these shows has been to create creative opportunities for herself, her community and other young people within the arts. Rishon is a reflection of the new generation of the dance industry Matos had hoped for; deeply focused on connection and expression. Rishon weaves together different stories, experiences and perspectives to light up the senses.
“I realized what Rishon has built for me — it’s a sense of home. I built a home and I invited people in. I told them; do your thing.” Bromberg is determined to continue expanding that sense of home in her art, welcoming others in and creating space for fellow artists to step into their power and shine.
Rachel Lu (she/her)
Our Beloved Courier Elf
@rachel.lu.art
CONTRIBUTOR
JUDE DEVILLE (HE/HIM)
ILLUSTRATOR
TASHA JONES (SHE/HER)
Students are very familiar with the pain that is an empty Google Doc. Constant writing, rewriting, deleting and the flashing cursor waiting expectantly. Writing is a lot of things, but for most, it isn’t linear. So what goes into writing a complete literary work?
For Jenna Luscombe, writing has always been a deep-rooted passion. “I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was very young… I knew from the very beginning. I feel like I always excelled with writing and reading, whereas I struggled in things like math and science,” Luscombe said.
For her, one of the most satisfying parts of writing is in the opportunity to explore world-building. Luscombe explained, “I love being able to create different worlds and experience different worlds, and it’s almost a form of entertainment for me to be able to come up with.”
Last year Luscombe self-published her first novel, Electric Love, a romantic romp about a small-town girl and pop-punk singer. She credits encouraging and like-minded students and professors at CapU, alongside her opportunities working with the school’s literary zine The Liar with giving her the confidence to navigate the arena of publishing. “It gave me a lot of experience in the publishing industry and also being able to work on my creative writing in a workshop environment [was very helpful].”
EA Douglas is a Vancouver-based writer pursuing an associate degree in Creative Writing at CapU. Alongside that, she has had her work published in multiple magazines, including Sad Magazine, and ReIssue and has self-published multiple zines.
Douglas talked about how her writing is often birthed from intimate reflection and later expanded into something deeper. Douglas’ writing originates from her diary and reflective writing, and then evolves from there into a story or essay with a greater meaning.
“I feel like with creative nonfiction, the impetus is generally, a life moment that I feel like I can spread to a wider audience,” she said.
For Douglas, being at CapU has definitely impacted her writing, but she sees the experience as more multi-dimensional. “It’s been good and it’s been bad, I feel grateful for my time here, and I’m grateful for the Creative Writing faculty who, for the most part, are amazing,” she said.
However, there have also been challenges, from butting heads with instructors, to having to fight for a narrative voice in an educational environment. “Having an instructor have an opinion of something that you’re working on, [in which] you feel misrepresented can be brutal,” Douglas explained.
Still, she says that participating in the Creative Writing program directly correlated to not only the completion of her first novel, but also gave Douglas the time and space to revise that manuscript and prepare it to begin querying literary agents.
Douglas says that for all the ups and downs, her studies have moved her forward on her writing journey. “The best thing that has come out of Cap[U] is that I did an independent study with Andrea Actis of the Creative writing department on my novel… I’m sure other schools have independent studies, but the ease of getting that felt really, what’s the word? Serendipitous.”
What
CONTRIBUTOR AYLA MAXWELL (SHE/HER)
ILLUSTRATOR YOHAHNAH LOKER (SHE/HER)
In 2024, big steps have been taken toward women’s equality, but there are still many examples of systemic misogyny all around. One area where sexism is very apparent is in the pricing of many items marketed towards women, known as the pink tax. This price markup is widely seen on hygiene and personal items, and is just one way that women continue to face sexism in day-to-day life.
The term ‘pink tax’ was coined to refer to how products designed for, and marketed towards women are sold at a higher price point than similar products marketed towards men. Have you ever seen a woman’s razor that cost a couple of dollars more than a man’s? Yep, that’s the good ol’ pink tax. A study in 2021 conducted by the Canadian media scraping company Parsehub, found that on average, women pay up to 51 per cent more on deodorant and 65 per cent more on body wash (numbers are per 100g of product).
But the pink tax doesn’t only affect hygiene products; the way that women have been conditioned to pay more for the same products goes far beyond these relatively cheap items. The pink tax affects things like clothes, haircuts, children’s toys and even car insurance payments.
So why does the pink tax exist in the first place? While the term was only invented in the 1990s, women’s products costing more than men’s has occurred since at least the early ‘90s. The notion that women are naturally more consumeristic than men is a well established stereotype, dating back to the early years of Western society. Simply put, companies figured out they could raise the prices of women’s products without anyone noticing.
In their minds, women didn’t care about price tags. The hope was that women would be so preoccupied shopping that they wouldn’t see that they were being up-sold. While this was an extremely sexist and misogynistic take, it worked—to an extent. The prices of women’s products went up and up, and even when women noticed the inflation, there wasn’t much that they could do about it.
Still, today, women are getting paid less than men but are expected to spend more. In 2021, a study by Statistics Canada reported that women, on average, are paid 89 cents
for every dollar that men earn, and this statistic only gets worse when looking at the wages of Indigenous women and women who have immigrated to Canada. In addition, the pink tax predominantly affects lower-income women, as most products affected by the pink tax are necessities like soap.
Easy examples of the pink tax can also be found at any clothing retailer. For instance, at Levi’s, a pair of men’s 501 jeans would run you $99.95, whereas women’s 501 jeans cost almost twenty dollars more at $118.00. These two pairs of jeans are the same style, same size, and even the same wash, and yet the women’s pair is sold for much more.
Unfortunately, the pink tax affects children’s products as well. Canadian Tire sells a “Marvel Spider-Man kids’ bike” for $129.99 and a “Disney Princess kids’ bike” for a surprising $149.99, twenty dollars more than the bike targeted at young boys.
Some companies have begun to push for more inclusive pricing. Shoppers Drug Mart, for example, has ensured that any pain medication used to treat menstrual pain, like Advil and Naproxen, costs the same as the standard version of the product, marketed for headaches and inflammation.
In January of 2023, the state of California passed legislation banning price discrepancies based on gender; New York State has also passed a similar law. While minor changes like these are occurring, the Canadian government has not done anything federally to stop the pink tax.
While this topic can be incredibly discouraging, there are a few things that can make buying women’s products more budgetfriendly. Shopping around from store to store, while more timeconsuming, can ensure you get the best deal. Many women opt to buy men’s products instead, as this is a surefire way to avoid the tax.
While there is currently no pending legislation in B.C. discussing the pink tax, the best way to create change is by keeping an eye out for politicians and representatives who echo these concerns. Additionally, supporting stores that have eliminated these taxes will urge other companies to follow suit. While there is no black-andwhite solution for this issue, learning, discussing and advocating for change is the best way to ensure that change is made.
Some of Vancouver’s favourite establishments (and a great way to spend a weekend)
CONTRIBUTOR JANINE PALENCIA (SHE/HER)
ILLUSTRATOR JERRY KAMBASHI (HE/HIM)
If you’ve been looking to support women-owned businesses in Vancouver but don’t know where to start, you don’t have to look far. Women are behind many of Vancouver’s cornerstone establishments from boutiques to event venues, which make up this city’s unique culture.
In case you still aren’t sure, here’s a list of four women-owned businesses in Vancouver where you can eat, read, shop and have fun, all without breaking the bank.
8th & Main is a trendy boutique clothing retailer founded on the core value of affordability. With its origins in a vintage shop in Victoria, the owners set up shop in Vancouver in 2013 at their titular Mount Pleasant location. This independent chain carries Pacific-Northwest street staples, including brands like Vans, Obey, Jack & Jones and Levi’s. Their second location can be found in Downtown Vancouver, minutes away from YaletownRoundhouse Canada Line Station.
Sustainable goodies: 8th & Main’s online store features a vintage section, selling curated vintage and second-hand goods that can be shipped across Canada and the United States.
Known for their artisan coffee and bean-to-bar chocolate, this café is a 10-minute walk from Waterfront Station, right in the heart of Gastown. East Van Roasters is owned by the Atira Women’s Arts Society and was started by PHS Community Services Society as an employment program for women in treatment for addiction. Their award-winning chocolate is made on-site using organic and ethically-sourced ingredients. East Van Roasters offers vegan alternatives for their drinks, and vegan, nut-free, gluten-free and dairy-free options for their chocolate bars. Coffee beans and chocolate can also be purchased through their online store, which ships across Canada.
Pay it forward: East Van Roasters runs the Suspended Coffee program, allowing customers to pre-purchase a hot drink for community members in need.
Book lovers unite at Massy Books, an Indigenous-owned business located in Vancouver’s vibrant Chinatown neighbourhood. Massy Books boasts a wide collection from best-selling new releases to rare and out-of-print editions. Sales fund the Massy Arts Society, a non-profit organization hosting (often free) events led by Indigenous and under-represented artists. Massy Books also runs a book-buying program, which pays sellers cash and trading credits for their collections.
All about community: Massy Books hosts a yearly fundraiser selling excess stock, with proceeds going to local nonprofits and community organizations.
The Rio is the independent movie theatre in Vancouver. More than a single-screen cinema, this retro East Van fixture hosts live comedy, concerts, drag shows, burlesque shows and more. Bring your own costume to cult-classic screenings and enjoy delicious treats at their licensed concession stand and bar. The Rio is located across the street from Broadway/Commercial SkyTrain Station, making it easy to find your way home after a late-night show. Students enjoy a discount, so make sure to bring your CapU ID!
Accessibility matters: The Rio has multiple seating areas which accommodate wheelchair and scooter users and has renovated their women’s washroom to be wheelchair-accessible.
COLUMNS EDITOR SARA BRINKAC (SHE/THEY)
ILLUSTRATOR EVA STAUB (SHE/HER)
What
Approaches to art mediums, especially early in the development of the practice where material costs are high, are always affected by the interests, opinions and prejudices of those funding the project. In most art mediums, we have not witnessed this financial control in our lifetime, for example, the Church’s control over what painters could paint and the techniques they used for over one thousand years. When considering the history of film relative to other art forms, however, it is extremely early in its development.
Since 1888, people in power, typically men with capitalist ideologies, have developed, crafted and controlled the means of film production. They took the invention of a new art form and developed it into a mass entertainment industry with a litany of practices, procedures and expectations on set. As with any niche system created in a high pressure situation—the film industry has produced many behavioral expectations and assumptions on how work should be performed as well as what subjects are worth sharing.
“I feel like it comes with a capitalistic undertone,” says Kate Henderson, a second year CapU film student and director. “This is the structure, if you break the structure you break the system.” Henderson delved into a wonderful discussion on the barriers, expectations and practices of the film industry that can leave all marginalized people at times in a worn out, hopeless state. She shared all too familiar stories of people in leadership roles acting out macho attitudes of knowing it all, handling it all themselves and patronizing other team members. We agreed that this “set protocol that’s not necessarily spoken but enacted” can be easily traced back to the Hollywood system and continues to be an underlying tone or accepted attitude in film schools and on sets
Malka Martz-Oberlander, another CapU film student in fourth year, shared similar sentiments, after witnessing many upsetting instances of misogynistic behaviour on set. “We have a dominating male presence at Cap[U] in the film faculty,” she stated while going deeper into how that male presence presents itself not only in action but in the system of grading and evaluation within the
school. She shared an example of being described as “‘too pushy” saying the use of gendered language and difference in perception and treatment based on her gender was not uncommon. “I ‘manhandle’ and I ‘micromanage,’” she said.
Whereas her male classmate completing the same project was ‘really passionate,’ ‘really assertive’ and ‘really driven.’ With clarity, Martz-Oberlander made a poignant observation on a major cause of burnout amongst marginalized people, “Any kind of unheard voice in an industry, you have to be double as good. You can’t make a mistake.” This pressure of course can lead to an isolation and degradation in one’s worth if not connected to a greater system and community of understanding.
“[But] we have a voice and you can use it,” Henderson chimed in, her optimism and self belief radiating. “It can just be as simple as you saying ‘I don’t think that’s fair.’” Henderson argued that by kicking and squirming, making it known that you don’t like something you can enact change and stay true to your values. After all, what is the pursuit of art if your values are abandoned?
Martz-Oberlander, reflecting on her frustrations with sets that continued to carry the misogynistic/capitalist ideologies of old throughout them observed “It’s wrapped up in intention,” noting the importance for any director to seriously consider why everyone has come together to make create a project in the first place.
As film becomes more accessible it also becomes more open to influence from different perspectives, cultures and methods of creation. A feminine presence in film can mean a lot of change in things from subject, set protocol, to the overall emotional energy of the project. However, one thing remains certain, change is taking place. It may not be happening on a multibillion dollar hollywood scale right now, but it is taking place at a grassroots level. People are using their voices, those voices are being heard and as we find our people we find the courage to go forth in an artform we love without the constriction of values that are not our own.
@epworonko_art
@hannahbontinen.designs
You’re worried about Canada’s political relations, but I am worried for my life
CONTRIBUTOR
ANONYMOUS
CREW ILLUSTRATOR ANDY POYSTILA (HE/HIM)
Let’s catch up on what’s happened since we last spoke*.
The (unofficial) Khalistan referendum, the event that India so greatly despised and tried to prevent by assassinating Shaheed Hardeep Singh Nijjar on the grounds of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara (temple) in Surrey, B.C., happened at the end of October 2023.
I was anxious for weeks leading up to this event. It’s easy to squash anxieties when you know they’re irrational, but this one wasn’t. I wasn’t afraid of what could have happened—I was afraid of a repetition of what already had.
I went past the gurdwara as the event was happening. There were police officers stationed outside and for the first time in my life—as someone who’s had police trauma since being profiled at a young age—I was glad to see them. There was also a protest happening in the streets near the gurdwara to call attention to what was going on.
A U.S.-based Sikh activist and leader of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, is the organizer of these unofficial referendums, including the one in Surrey, B.C. SFJ claimed that the combined vote count surpassed 200,000.
Pannun is legally considered a terrorist in India for making threats against the Prime Minister and other government officials. Issuing threats of violence, whether they are to world leaders or otherwise, is objectively denounced by Sikhi as it is a pacifist religion.
In November 2023, a video was circulating wherein Pannun called for Sikhs to boycott Air India on November 19. He said that this was a call for a boycott, although he decided not to end his statement with, “There will be a global blockade.” He instead went a step further and stated, “on November 19, don’t travel by Air India or your life will be in danger.”
The RCMP began investigating these threats and Pannun was quick to clarify, “RCMP has every right to investigate a terror threat. And if they consider that calling for a boycott of Air India as a civil disobedience… is a terror, then so be it, let them investigate.”
The leaders of two countries have agreed on this now; India is posing a threat to Sikh citizens of the West. There was another attack attempted, with U.S. authorities confirming that they had to thwart an attempted assassination of Pannun. Officials of both the U.S. and Canada have confirmed that India is now cooperating with them to resolve these… “issues.”
Since Sikhism’s formal conception, Indian authorities have been trying to eradicate us. It started in 1762 with the Maharaja’s attacks on Sikhs in the state of Punjab after the religion rose to power there. It continued in 1984 with ex-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s destruction of Harmandir Sahib (our Golden Temple) and in 2020 with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s attacks on the livelihood of farmers (highly concentrated in Sikh-majority states). It is continuing now and they’ve gone global.
Along with a lack of political support of Sikhs, it’s rare to see social support—even online. Every video I come across of Indians in Canada, even if unrelated to politics, just has xenophobia in the comments. Off
the top of my head, I can recall at least four videos with over 5,000 comments and the grand total of positive comments I can recall is only six. It happens on any video that depicts a turban.
Maybe anything I say here is futile. Maybe I won’t change any opinions. Regardless, as a child of immigrants, I have a message for those commenters: may peace reach your heart soon. Hatred will rot you from the inside out.
With all of the confusion growing in my heart with this situation, all I can do is stick to what I know to be true: people should not be targeted for their religious beliefs; violence (unless in self defence) has no place in our religion; hatred will ruin your heart, mind and body; and with the state that Punjab has been reduced to, it would not survive as a country of its own. It is barely surviving now.
“You’re worried about Canada’s political relations; I am worried for my life.” That turned out to be pretty true, didn’t it? I know of a 15-year-old in B.C. who is on a hit list circulating a couple of cities in the province. All they did was make an online post in support of Khalistan. How is an Instagram story worth their life? Is this article worth mine?
*Last article published November 2023
**Article was written prior to the farmer’s protests of 2024
CONTRIBUTOR JASMIN LINTON (SHE/HER)
CREW ILLUSTRATOR CHELLE LUSSI (ANY)
This year we witnessed an injustice first hand as the nominees for the 96th Academy Awards were picked. Barbie, a profound, critically acclaimed feminist movie about the plastic doll, was nominated for an array of awards—but its leading actress and director were left out. The outcome of these nominations illustrated the commentary and criticisms Barbie made on today’s patriarchal society throughout the film. And though I am anything but surprised, I can’t help feeling disappointed by this news.
The movie provides valuable life lessons and messages, inspiring and educating viewers of all ages. From themes of empowerment and self-discovery to challenging gender stereotypes, promoting environmental consciousness, and celebrating friendship and collaboration, it covers a diverse range of impactful narratives. The movie works hard to prove that Barbie is more than just a toy, but a dynamic, thoughtful individual.
The masterminds behind this ingenious take on the surface level understanding of what Barbie represents started with director Greta Gerwig and lead actress/producer Margot Robbie. As one of the most anticipated movies of 2023, the cast was studded with the likes of Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, Simu Liu, Kate McKinnon and even Michael Cera. So much time and thought went into this movie it’s disappointing to see the two largest influences left out of the success that it so rightfully garnered.
To dive deeper into the Oscar nominations Barbie received, the film amassed an impressive eight nods making a resounding impact. Ryan Gosling secured a spot in the Best Supporting Actor category, while America Ferrera earned recognition for Best Supporting Actress, even including a notable Best Picture
nomination. The film’s excellence also reached beyond just performances, with nominations in Best Adapted Screenplay, Costume Design and Production Design.
These nominations not only highlight the film’s storytelling and acting skills but also acknowledge its meticulous craftsmanship in both its visual and thematic elements. Though this success is definitely a testament to the collaborative efforts of the entire cast and crew, Gerwig and Robbie, the two that started it all, didn’t receive any comprehensive recognition. Even Ryan Gosling had something to say about his win and expressed his disappointment that Robbie and Gerwig got snubbed. His exact words being “there is no Ken without Barbie.”
The Oscars serve as a prestigious platform that celebrates excellence, and acknowledges contributions from various filmmakers, actors, writers and other industry professionals. It represents the pinnacle of recognition within the film industry. It’s not keeping up with the times, choosing neither to acknowledge or honour individuals so obviously deserving of just that.
Barbie marked a milestone in femininity in the public eye and we can see its visceral impact on millions of little humans who identify with the doll. The Oscars failed to recognize the people behind such an immense impact in the way that mattered. In a way that would have a systemic impact. The film’s journey, though marked by disappointment, underscores the ongoing need for the industry to evolve and truly honour those deserving of recognition.
Let me begin by saying that I love womanhood and the support we give each other. 90 per cent of the time I would say that I am proud to be a woman surrounded by strong and amazing women in the world. This is not a piece about trashing women, I am simply wondering how the toxicity of our society has found its way into our minds and poisoned our thoughts about each other.
Let us attempt to analyze why women tend to bash other women for being too slutty, too fat or too ugly. Something that recently made me question the unity of womanhood was when I saw comments about Renee Rapp, the new Regina George in the Mean Girls remake. People were body-shaming her and calling her fat. First of all, she is by no means fat and even if she was, that is no one’s business but hers. This culture in which we tend to comment on each other’s bodies has been going on for far too long and should really be retired in 2024. Calling someone skinny is just as harmful as calling someone fat and there are so many other compliments out there that could be given instead.
We should call each other fabulous, gorgeous, smart or witty—I know that we do that already but we need to establish this as a culture of positive uplifting of each other. This world, which is ruled by men, is harsh enough as it is and women have the potential to unite and fight for their rightful space in society. If we only focus our energy on the positive, we could change the world. Systematic change is not
How living in a toxic society has made women turn on each other
accomplished overnight but every uplifting comment about a fellow woman is a step in the right direction. Renee Rapp is a triple threat, she can sing, dance and act and she does it all brilliantly. This is what we should focus on, a young woman’s performance and her ability to own the stage.
I firmly believe that it is not the intention of most women to hate their fellow women. It is something that we are conditioned into by growing up in a world that is obsessed with body image and competition. We are told from a very young age what a woman should look like and how a woman should act and these images that we are shown are only slowly beginning to change. If my Barbies are all skinny with long hair, that’s what I will grow up to believe to be a woman, and it takes a conscious change in thinking to get rid of this idea.
I also believe that women learned to compete for the few spots at the table that were available to them. Our world, which still is constructed in a way that mostly benefits men, has taught women that the few spots they can have need to be fought for. This led to a culture within womanhood that focuses on outdoing your fellow women instead of lifting each other up. Again, this is something that is slowly
beginning to change, with more women-owned businesses and a slow but steady change in mindset but we need to stay vigilant and make sure that one step forward is not followed by two steps back.
I urge every woman who is reading this to take into consideration what their comments might do to other women. We already get enough hate from the world, we do not need more hate from ourselves. There is great potential in womanhood and I want to believe that we are on the way to changing the world — one compliment at a time.
The author and philanthropist Gift Gugu Mona once said, “A wise woman does not keep her wisdom to herself. She shares wisdom with the world because she knows that through wisdom, many lives can be transformed.” Listen to what women have to say—many of us write and I urge you to read what we create.
To make it a little easier for busy students, who only sometimes have the time to wander through Indigo in search of the perfect book, I have curated a list of authors I believe should be on your reading list in 2024. Most of those authors and their books are available as audiobooks too, so even if you are not a passionate reader you can still enjoy the wisdom those women have to share.
My first recommendation is Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez. In this book, Criado Perez makes the reader aware of a biased world that most of us don’t even realize we live in. Of course, we know that women are at a disadvantage in our world but do you know the extent of it? With this book, an eye-opening read, the extent of injustice in our world is described beautifully. The medical system, the education system and even technology often use data gathered from men as the default in their research and women pay a heavy price for that. This book is also available as an audiobook so it can be enjoyed by everyone, even those of you who do not love to read.
Next up we have a personal favorite of mine, which is Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo. This is a longer and more intense book, but it is also available in an audiobook version so
it’s great for the bus ride to school or to listen to during a workout at the gym. Evaristo, in her unique writing style, tells the stories of twelve Black women living in Britain. Some of them are connected and some are unique stories of their own, but they all capture the life experiences of Black women of different ages, sexualities, and social backgrounds. Evaristo wrote Girl, Woman, Other in a style that provides authenticity to each of the 12 women portrayed in her book. It might be different from what you are used to reading, but it is worth your time.
Another book to add to your reading list would be You Exist Too Much by Zaina Arafat. In this book, the struggles of a woman who is queer and Palestinian are told, and the narrator does an amazing job at capturing the fight to find yourself while living in a world that does not encourage you to do so. It is within the title that the main problem of the protagonist’s life is already revealed. She is told on more than one occasion that she exists too much. She is too loud, too vibrant, too visible, and throughout the pages of the book she deals with finding her place in the world.
These three books I mentioned above are only a short selection of books that were written by women and that deserve to be read. It is impossible to list them all so I found a website that has a larger selection of books written by female authors. Let’s amplify our fellow women’s voices in 2024.
FEATURES EDITOR
GATES ANNAI (SHE/THEY)
ILLUSTRATOR
ANGELICA BLANCH (SHE/HER)
What’s the first thing you think when someone says gossip?
I assume one of the images that come to mind are catty girls (blonde, probably) standing in a huddle and whispering and laughing amongst themselves, casting slight looks over their shoulders at you specifically.
This image isn’t random, and it wasn’t a mistake. But it didn’t start like this. Originally, the word ‘gossip’ was used to describe sharing information with someone close to you, and it was used for both men and women. Evolutionarily, gossip has been important to human survival as sharing information told individuals who was trustworthy, and informed them of what actions were acceptable in society and which weren’t. Have you ever heard someone isn’t trustworthy with a secret and from that point on have been careful what you share with them? That’s a 3000 year old human tradition, working exactly as it’s meant to. Additionally, gossiping allows people to form close bonds with each other, and is such a natural instinct humans have that children as young as five are shown to engage in gossip. It allows humans to form larger groups, be safe within our community and trust those we’re close to—for this reason, it’s been likened to social grooming, practiced by our primate ancestors. From the 17th Century to the 19th Century, gossip transformed to meaning the sharing of secrets between close friends.
Then, in the late Middle Ages, women stuck at home began to host meetings to talk about their lives, their partners, political issues and the struggles and disappointments of their lives. Women had begun forming these large, close-knit friend groups
while the husbands were away at work, which men had started seeing as a threat. The stereotype was that women would begin to rebel against the rules of society if they had these close friend groups and the opportunity to talk about their problems, and women who gathered in groups were labelled ‘gossips’.
While men were also gossiping at this time, as is natural, they saw their own gossip as more important and noble than female gossip, and weren’t berated for it quite as harshly. The ‘gossip’ label worked wonders in shutting women up and keeping them isolated and thus complacent in their lives. Not only was it a social taboo to gather in groups to talk, but it was made into a law—in 1547, women were forbidden from meeting to talk, and husbands were encouraged to keep their wives in the house.
Punishments ranged from bridles hung over women’s faces to being accused of witchcraft, which as we all know, often ended by drowning or immolation.
While such punishments ended with the witch hunts in the 1700s, the negative connotations of the ‘gossip’ has stuck around to this day, used to put down young girls for forming bonds with their friends, building social knowledge and practicing a tradition as old as humanity (and in the case of social grooming, even older) itself.
Gossip can be hurtful, especially if you’ve found out people think poorly of you, but its demonization is far more harmful to women and female friendships, and by practicing the putdown of ‘gossips’ we’re really engaging in an old patriarchal idea that lost women their lives and dignity.
So gossip away—don’t let the patriarchy win. It’s not the horrible sin you’ve been convinced it is.
When we in Canada think of Amsterdam, I would guess that the first three things that come to mind are weed, bikes and tulips. In that order. But the city, and the Netherlands in general, are far more interesting than what you see on a postcard or hear rumor of from your stoner cousin.
Full disclosure, I’m far from an expert. I’ve spent a total of 10 days in the city, so I’m brand new to the place that I will be calling home for the next six months. I will say though, so much has happened to me in that time, I can hardly believe it.
I spent the first six days in a hostel in Central Amsterdam, called The Flying Pig. This is a great place to stay if you want to party and meet people when you arrive. The idea of spending my first week in Europe alone in a hotel wasn’t very appealing to me, so I opted for a more fun—and much cheaper—option. While I enjoyed my stay–in particular a memorable evening spent at Cafe Hoppe, one of the oldest brown bars in the city–I must admit I didn’t sleep much.
When it came to my temporary roommates, I drew the short straw. Between the snoring, sleep-talking (or yelling), the constant movement and the flashlights being shone around as people tried to find their beds, it was hard to get some decent rest. So instead, I stayed out and met people from Argentina, Spain, France, Sweden, Belgium and more. Whether we were chatting over breakfast or at the bar, everyone that I encountered was lovely, and we were all so eager to share our experiences and meet one another that making new friends came easily. Some I’ve even kept in touch with, and hope to visit later on in my travels.
For those on a budget, I have one piece of advice: go on a free walking tour. In just two hours a local guide took me and a small group all around the city center, showing us the landmarks, the parks, the canals and explaining the history and the culture of the city as we went.
We covered so much, from the significance of the flower bikes placed around the canals, to coffeeshop culture and the Dutch Golden Age in the 17th Century. I also came away with some fantastic recommendations for food, art and music. The tour was free
aside from a $2 booking fee, and it was an incredible way to get to know about the city quickly. Remember to bring some cash to tip your guide as well.
Between museum visits you can stroll in the Vondelpark and Amsterdamse Bos, or along the canals. In the morning they are blissfully quiet, especially a bit further from the city center. Grab a coffee and visit the tulip stalls, or one of the daily street markets.
In the evening, depending on your inclination you can go for a beer and some bitterballen at a bar, see a movie at the Pathe Tuschinski—one of the most gorgeous theaters in Europe—or go dancing at Club John Doe or Shelter. The options are endless. Trust me, my FOMO is so bad I have to convince myself to go to sleep every night.
Between school orientations, international student events, sightseeing and getting settled in a new city, these have been some of the busiest days of my life. As I type this, my eyes keep sliding closed, because I didn’t get home last night until 5 a.m. And I wouldn’t change it for the world. I’m sure after some time things will settle down, but at the beginning of this adventure I’m doing everything I can to soak in all of the new experiences in my reach.
Oh, and one more thing. Look both ways before you cross the street. As a pedestrian, even if you have the right of way, I promise you, you don’t.
To my fellow Canadians, think for a minute about what comes to mind when I say ‘hockey boys,’ Do you get a little scared? Me too. Maybe you think of their slang, and the combined accents they all share. Maybe you think of those big Bass Pro hats they wear, or maybe, if you are like thousands of BookTok readers, you think of hockey romance books like ‘Icebreaker’, ‘Behind the Net,’ or dare I say ‘Double Pucked’ *vomiting in my mouth typing this*.
While many who went through the Canadian high school experience think of hockey boys as former boyfriends, friends or instillers of fear, they’ve become caught in a world I don’t think anyone could have anticipated; BookTok. While I am all for making you read books, this time, I have to say, cut it out, this is embarrassing. I know, I’m being harsh, and maybe there is something fun for everyone in this book. Who doesn’t have fond memories of ice skating, going to local hockey games, getting bullied by that one hockey guy who told me I had a pig nose? I don’t know about you, but I’d love to revisit that in written form.
Now, what really is the problem here?
Most of us love a cheesy romance novel, and the thousands of teen and young-adult girls on BookTok do as well. What really is the harm in a cute book about a ballerina going ice skating with a hockey player and falling in love? That sounds adorable.
Well, I’m glad you asked. The problem is that the ballerinas are self-inserts for 16-year-old girls, and the hockey players they idolize as they read are not the ones in their highschools but real life NHL players with wives, who cannot be fantasized
COMMUNITIES EDITOR AVERY NOWICKI (THEY/THEM)
ILLUSTRATOR FREYA EMERY (SHE/HER)
about in real-life as they do in these books. I’m sure we all remember hearing snippets about BookTok girls graphic flirting with Seattle Kraken’s Alex Wennberg online, so much so he and his wife had to beg them to stop. If you vaguely remember this story, it’s likely because major publications like the New York Times, ESPN, NBC News, Rolling Stone, the Cut and CBC all covered the rise of BookTok’s obsession with hockey and how that influenced thousands of teenagers to sexually harass a married NHL player. You can make fun of these BookTokers all you want, but at some point must admit—they are also worryingly powerful. So let’s look closer into the books themselves, what could be all that bad in a cutesy little romance novel that a couple people read and discuss online?
First off, let’s crunch the numbers, remember how I said thousands of young people love Booktok? I may have been lowballing just a bit, #Booktok itself has over 203.7 billion views. With the highest grossing (also New York Times Bestselling) Hockey romance book ‘Icebreaker’ by Hannah Grace getting 247.8 million views on #hannahgrace alone.
When you see a book like this on your bookstore’s #Booktok table, with the cute 2D animations on the cover, I’m going to go out on a limb and assume you probably don’t expect to be reading fullon smut (graphic porn). To quantify some of these numbers into actual sales, Circana BookScan tracked over $760 million sales in 2022 for books from the top 100 BookTok authors, a 60 per cent increase from 2021. People are not only consuming this content online, they are purchasing
these books more and more every day. Now, is that such a bad thing?
If TikTok can be a platform that gets people reading again, we should be all for it. There also is no shame in the amount of hidden sexualization in these books, however with the innocent and misleading cover-art and the way readers have become full sexual harassers of real-life men, it does mean we need to question who exactly #Booktok is marketing this hockey smut too. So sure, maybe this is less about the cheesiness of the Hockey Boy being turned into the BookTok love interest, and maybe it’s more a question of ethics. When anyone can access #BookTok, and anyone can buy the books, how do parents know what their youth are reading, and much more importantly, how can it be taught that just because something exists in cute fiction packaging, doesn’t mean we can sexually harass real-life figures online?
There are a lot of moral questions that come into play when considering BookTok. While you think about BookTok and its effects, I’ll leave you with a quote from the famed ‘Icebreakers’ by Hannah Grace.
“I’m heavy,” she mutters as my arms scoop under her legs and around her waist. We leave Brady and Shithead behind us as I start the walk toward the locker rooms, where the first aid room is. “Shut up, Anastasia. You’re not even half my warm-up weight.”
Icebreakers, Hannah Grace.
It’s 2024, why am I still telling you to stop touching me?
As of 2024, aviation is a pretty diverse industry—there is a good mix of women, men and non-binary folks helping people get to where they’re going. In what used to be a fairly male-dominated world, we are seeing many more pilots who are women, and a majority of flight attendants who are women (at least where I work).
It feels pretty damn special to work alongside women for most of my shifts. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the company of my male colleagues, but I feel a sense of connection with the crew members that know how I feel on a daily working basis. They understand my eye rolls in the aisle when someone is being too weird or creepy. If I storm into the back galley, ranting about the guy that just grabbed my ass, they don’t try and downplay the event.
Not every male flight attendant would react that way, but it happens more often than I would like it to. Comments spill out of their mouth like an unexpected sneeze—maybe you misinterpreted his joke; don’t overreact, he wasn’t being serious; take it as a compliment; jeez, what’s the big deal, men aren’t allowed to make a move anymore?
I’ve heard those, and worse, coming from other employees around me. It belittles my experience and leaves me more embarrassed than when I started off, feeling like I wouldn’t be supported if things were to escalate. However, when my crew is predominantly women, or I have a woman I can reach out to, I feel safer to share my stories or ask for backup.
Despite what many seem to think, not all flight attendants want attention (other than during a safety briefing). I chose this career because I wanted to explore the world and be in a fast-paced environment where no two days were the same—not to be someone’s wet dream fuel. I am always friendly on board, but cautiously so. I try not to be overtly attentive,
because I’m wary that people will take it as an invitation to get too personal with me.
I heard stories about flight attendants getting their butts pinched in the aisles, rubbed up against, given offers to join the ‘mile-high club’ and other horror stories from past flying days. Call me naïve, but I believed those experiences had to have run dry as society progressed, especially after the #MeToo movement.
To my dismay, last month I was given two separate taps on my butt in one day. The first time, I turned around and looked the man directly in his eyes and spoke loud enough for several rows of people to hear, “do not touch a flight attendant again, especially there.” I was forced to not sock him in his nose because I am to remain professional (even when the guests are not). I followed him to his seat and decided his punishment would be embarrassment in front of the masses. I explained to him like a child that touching me was highly inappropriate and unwanted. If he needed something he could press the call-button. He sat with his head down for the remainder of the flight.
The second time, I was a little more prepared with a comeback. I told the person they should use their words and not their hands to get my attention.Thankfully my self-defence reflexes haven’t shown themselves on a plane yet. However, if people keep on insisting this is 1960s PANAM, I can’t promise I won’t react with a bit more anger.
Thankfully, in the back of my mind there is always a reminder that anyone could be filming me at any time. That motivates me to act with grace and a calm demeanour because I never know when my close up will be. Until enough people realize it’s generally more polite to keep their hands to themselves, I will just have to keep coming up with witty responses. Any suggestions?
When one gets a concussion, some emotional symptoms tend to follow. There are a few different factors which contribute to this, some can be the injury itself, some external factors and some can be low energy levels in general. When I received my concussion I believe I experienced all three. During this turbulent state I was confronted with a side of myself I was not comfortable with.
“Think of your brain as a snowglobe.” I’m reminded of an extremely helpful analogy from my occupational therapist. She explained the concussion meant a shaking of that globe where all the chemicals responsible for regulating and processing were disturbed. This meant that in the early days of the concussion, while healing, you may feel emotional symptoms you are not used to because you’re quite literally chemically imbalanced. As she neatly put it—the process of healing is the process of this globe settling.
But those initial days can cause a lot of damage and continue a cycle of pain long after your snow globe may have settled. The concussed brain is an anxious brain trying desperately to scan for and protect against danger. When I was hit I had heart palpitations for two days and felt the anxiety coursing through my veins and racing through my mind. I was spiraling through worrying thoughts, developing plans for worst case scenarios and overwhelmed by fears that were not present.
This immense concentration of stress and anxiety, of course, means a great reduction in one’s energy, which then leads to greater irritability and emotionality.
COLUMNS EDITOR SARA BRINKAC (SHE/THEY)ILLUSTRATOR
Emotional stress, especially while also needing energy for physical recovery, can quickly turn into a vicious cycle of pain, emotionality and confusion. This cycle can last for weeks, in my case months, as one tries to regain physical and emotional stamina from a state that was near zero.
Being someone who tries to distance themselves from negative emotions, this was an extremely turbulent time for me. Throughout my life I have become quite skilled at numbing myself from feeling as a form of protection. Only in the last few years had I made the conscious effort to start letting emotion in again and put myself in vulnerable states. These training wheels have meant a lot of confusion about what to do with my emotions and where to put the energy when overwhelmed.
As I examine the stress of my recovery I also notice a connection between my approach to the female. I was ashamed of my irritability and my sadness in some ways. I didn’t want to be seen as acting out or overdramatic. I noticed a pattern of trying to keep a calm demeanor not only to others but in my internal dialogue. I began to realize how much judgment I held inside myself over people who present negative emotions. I had labeled emotions such as anger, jealousy and fear as ‘useless.’ I hated the idea of being the sick girlfriend, or the girl that needs to be taken care of, the one who prevents others from going out. I bullied myself for feeling sad, for having anger, for being annoyed and of course that didn’t help those emotions go away. Around the second month of this turmoil, I realized my only way out was to accept these parts of me, not shove them down and exile
JASMIN LINTON (SHE/HER)them to a deep pit of ‘the crazy bitch I dont want to be.’
However, this is a process easier said than done. In fact it is a process I am still currently practicing. I am still met with daily neurosis, pangs of fear and rushes of anxiety at bumps to my head or mentions of previous anxious spirals. As I began a normal working life again I am relearning how to gain physical stamina and how my low physical energy affects my emotional energy.
It is a process certainly, one with many unexpected breakthroughs, and assumptions to be challenged. I never thought part of my concussion recovery would include an overhaul of my approach to and perspective on female identity. However, I have found a new awareness of the emotional suffering of myself and others which has certainly contributed to a substantial change in my perception of human beings as a whole. I suppose this is a new perception I will carry with me for the rest of my life … Huh … Now how ‘bout that.
CONTRIBUTOR ILLUSTRATORS
FREYA EMERY (SHE/HER)
ANDY POYSTILA (HE/HIM)
ANGELICA BLANCH (SHE/HER)
No matter the body shape or size - We can all dance! Partner your favorite fruit or funky item with a pair of dancing legs to bust a move! And dont forget to tag us on Instagram @capilano. courier, showing your new body-positive buddy strut their stuff!
1. Full of sass and flavour, this strawberry knows how to use her curves
2. Hey psst… I heard some new hot goss straight from the grapevine
3. Ooo watch out for her; Ms. Pineapple is tough to the core
4. I’ve got quite the crush on that orange
5. This Cocktail knows how to rock your socks off with a twist
6. Did you see that babe over there? I’m so drawn to them, like a moth to a flame
7. The juicy secrets of the pomegranate are like forbidden fruit, full of surprises
8. Dancing is always better with a friend
9. Who said you can’t be comfy on the dance floor? Not us!
10. Strutten your stuff, girl boss! Show them those moves!
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.
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