VOLUME 50, ISSUE 1 SEPTEMBER 5–18, 2017
BACK-TO-SCHOOL
Inside look at university's first off-campus residence
NEWS
CSU gets federal representation
EDITOR'S DESK
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Carlo Javier capcourier@gmail.com
TABLE OF CONTENTS Masthead
MANAGING EDITOR
Justin Scott manager.capcourier@gmail.com
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NEWS EDITOR
Christine Beyleveldt news.capcourier@gmail.com OPINIONS EDITOR
OFF-CAMPUS HOUSING News
Tia Kutschera Fox opinions.capcourier@gmail.com FEATURES EDITOR
Helen Aikenhead specialfeatures.capcourier@gmail.com ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR
Rachel D'Sa arts.capcourier@gmail.com
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SCHOOL MAP
Special Feature
CAMPUS LIFE EDITOR
Greta Kooy campuslife.capcourier@gmail.com ONLINE EDITOR
Jessica Lio online.capcourier@gmail.com
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THE PLACES YOU NEED TO KNOW
COPY EDITOR
Special Feature
Leah Scheitel copy.capcourier@gmail.com ART DIRECTOR
Rachel Wada artdirector.capcourier@gmail.com
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NEW CSU PRESIDENT
PRODUCTION DESIGNER
News
Cristian Fowlie pm.capcourier@gmail.com COMMUNITY RELATIONS MANAGER
John Tabbernor community.capcourier@gmail.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
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GROUP PROJECTS SUCK
Andy Rice andy.capcourier@gmail.com
Back to School
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COVER ART
Rachel Wada CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORS
Juliana Vieira Taylor Lee Cynthia Tran Vo
NEW STUDENT SURVIVAL GUIDE
Back to School
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Capilano Courier Publishing Society.
institution we serve happens on the unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples, including the territories of Musqueam, Squamish, Stó:lō and TsleilWaututh Nations.
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THE CAPILANO COURIER
VOLUME 50 ISSUE NO. 1
SCHOOL SPIRIT SKIT Carlo Javier EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
“When a lady walks to me and says ‘hey you know what's sexy?’ I say ‘no, I don't know what it is, but I bet I can add up all the change in your purse really fast." - Kanye West I used to skip classes regularly. I used to nonchalantly breeze my way through readings and regular assignments, only prioritizing papers, presentations and exams. I used to give up when missing buses, watch basketball games instead of attending night classes and sometimes, I would just sleep in. I still do. After high school, I thought I was going to attend the University of Victoria, where I had been accepted and even offered a scholarship. Then I saw the cost of housing, which if I remember correctly, was more expensive than the tuition itself. It didn’t make sense to me then and it doesn’t make sense to me now. I rejected UVic and went on to take my talents to the second school that accepted me: Capilano University. On my first day, I met editors of the school’s newspaper, the Capilano Courier. I became an irregular contributor, showing up once or twice a month. Like so many other students who attend Capilano, I was dead-set on transferring to UBC after my first year. I wanted to study political science and eventually work in international politics, or maybe even go to law school. My poor habits ultimately proved these initial intentions to be nothing more than simple fallacies, so I stayed at Capilano, and made a home out of the school’s communications program. Having what most other schools define as a “major” not only gave me a sense of direction and purpose, it led to meeting a core group of people to work and get along with. It doesn’t hurt that a former Editorin-Chief of the Courier, took a chance on me and brought me on as part of the fulltime staff. Habits improved, purpose became clearer and goals looked increasingly realistic. I learned that readings – for the most part – aren’t to be disregarded, and somehow research became a point of passion. This past spring, five years and 30 pounds since I first stepped foot in Capilano, I earned a degree to keep me warm and became the Editor-in-Chief of the Courier as a graduate.
The point of this all, however, is not the story of overcoming your struggles and learning from your mistakes. Sure, I did learn from my own set of bad decisions, but I didn’t struggle. I lived at home, my parents took care of my tuition and I found as ideal a job as possible for while pursuing my studies. School wasn’t supposed to be hard – I just made it so. We tend to figure our shit out a little too close to the end. By the time you learn every trick in the book, you’ll be inches away from the finish line. In my five years as a student, I met too many people who had no intentions of seeing that finish line. You would have a good chance in betting that from the host of students that Capilano welcomes this semester, a good portion fully intend on getting out of here after a year. Many of them probably faced some level of derision from friends attending bigger and more prestigious schools. Many joke that Capilano is a university only by name. Although the financial backing that the previous provincial government provided certainly fuelled that belief, it simply is an insult to every striving member of the school’s community. As Capilano inches ever closer to its monumental 50-year anniversary, you can see the concerted effort in shedding the assumptions that hurt the school’s enrolment and more importantly, retainment. Off-campus housing is here for the first time in the school’s history, bus service from Burnaby to North Vancouver has (slightly) increased and there are more and more resources provided for clubs and student associations. Despite it all, the biggest lesson I learned as a Capilano student has nothing to do with the amenities that boost “student life” and everything to do with education. Students truly do prosper here and professors do work to make it happen. Any number of poster ads on public transit can’t reach the scope of marketing that a successful student and graduate can bring an institution. You just have to suck up the commute. Keep it one hunnid.
-JESSICA LIO
NEWS
Partnership with Darwin Construction to address short and long-term residence plans Christine Beyleveldt NEWS EDITOR
After nearly 50 years of serving as the North Shore’s only post-secondary institution, Capilano University unveiled its premiere student housing accommodation. While students started moving in Friday, Sept. 1, the journey towards housing began a decade ago. CapU’s proprietor in the five-year lease agreement on the residence buildings, Darwin Construction, owned the university’s surrounding property 10 years ago, where townhomes reside today. President Oliver Webbe, who for a time also attended Capilano College, explains that they approached the school and proposed a housing project that the District of North Vancouver deemed to be premature. “That’s when I got introduced to [then CapU president] Kris Bulcroft and started to understand what their housing needs were. And I didn’t at that time that I was a student there, because I was living at home,” he said. Darwin bought the 2420 Dollarton
Highway property this past March in a partnership with the T’sleil-Waututh Nation. The buildings were occupied by the Bodwell School District until February. The living quarters can house approximately 250 students in 182 single and dual occupancy rooms. They’ve been in use for the last 15 years and were in good condition when they offered CapU the lease. “It definitely wasn’t going to be the most profitable choice, but I believe that Capilano University is the most undervalued asset that we have on the North Shore,” said Webbe. “So we thought if there’s a way we can help the University out and provide rents that make it viable for students to be able to afford the rent there, it might be a good idea. And especially if they can be part of this overall longer vision on a student housing project.” Based on best practices from other post-secondary institutions, the University’s hope is that residences will foster community on campus, one thing many students have said is lacking from the experience. “Overall, we want to continue to improve student success and the overall learning experience for our students,” CapU President Paul Dangerfield remarked. “We believe that residence will facilitate attendance…
while creating an atmosphere of shared learning and of spirit and shifting us from a commuter university to one with full experience.” Dangerfield declined to state how much the lease would cost the school. However, he assured that operating expenses including a housing manager, residence advisors, security and Internet system upgrades would be covered by housing fees. The University also expects to recover startup expenses and other onetime costs including legal and software systems within two years. Senate representative for the CapU Alumni Association Michelle Gervais said that the short-term agreement was initially a concern for the University. Darwin’s long-term plan is to redevelop the complex into an Innovation Campus inspired by MIT’s Kendall Square Innovation District. The new hub will provide office space to tech companies and small startup businesses. CapU and the Capilano Students’ Union (CSU) meanwhile hope to see on-campus housing become available in the future. Gervais added that although space is tight, it is a much-needed first step in the right direction. She campaigned alongside the CSU last September for affordable housing during Lobby Days
on the legislative lawn in Victoria. “For me personally it feels like a huge win for the campus, for the students, for the community,” she said. To accommodate demands for housing, Darwin hopes to prop up temporary structures on the property to increase capacity before CapU’s lease expires and begin addressing more permanent housing options for the school. The possibility of on-campus housing has previously been barred for CapU. Under a B.C. Liberal government ruling, colleges and universities could not obtain their own financing or take on debt from the provincial government for large-scale projects such as residences. However, at the start of his term in July, Premier John Horgan mandated the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Selina Robinson, to “create new student housing by removing unnecessary rules that prevent universities and colleges from building affordable student housing.” The mandate makes affordable student housing a priority for the BC NDP government as well as finding a longterm solution to the lower mainland’s housing crisis. With the first dorms open to CapU students, Dangerfield hopes it will be the start of building a lasting community.
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FEATURES
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NEWS
‘I’M JUST ANOTHER STUDENT AS WELL’ Perry Safari eager to start academic year as new CSU president Carlo Javier
Less than a year ago, Perry Safari was president of a brand new student club. Today, he’s the president of the Capilano Students’ Union (CSU). After helping create Learn and Connect in 2016, a business club intended to build relationships between industry professionals and Capilano University students, Safari quickly made his presence known at the CSU. This spring, he won the inaugural seat as vice president of finance and services and defeated Nesrin Bantan in the only contested executive role in the general election. The win was soon followed by an even bigger position. On Jun. 9, the CSU announced that Safari would also be serving as president for the 2017-2018 academic calendar. Safari’s selection bucks a growing trend with CapU student politics. The last four presidents – Brittany Barnes, Zach Renwick, Jullian Kolstee and Sacha Fabry – all served during the later legs of their education. Safari, 21, will take on presidency as a second-year business student. “It’s not a small deal at all,” Safari said about the magnitude of his roles. Even though Safari is young and relatively inexperienced in student politics, his affinity for finance and community service could help smoothen his transition from the preparatory summer to the busy fall semester. “I believe it’s quite complementary,” he said about the relationship of his two titles. As a VP, Safari will review all contracts that go through the CSU and will be responsible for ensuring their financial stability and sustainability. As president,
CSU GAINS REPRESENTATION AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL Lobbying efforts to continue through membership with the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations Christine Beyleveldt NEWS EDITOR
Capilano University students will now have a stronger voice in federal matters. This comes after three years of having no representation outside of B.C. On July. 26, the Canadian Alliance of Students Associations (CASA) announced that the Capilano Students’ Union (CSU) have been accepted as a new member of CASA starting Sept. 1. For Noah Berson, vice-president
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-JESSICA LIO
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
he will work in strategic planning and board development and orientation. “The financial aspects of it do tie in with the strategic aspect,” he said. “Also, both of them are quite administrative-heavy.” The CSU conducts an internal election to select a president from among its executives every year, with the chosen student assuming presidential role on top of executive responsibilities. This summer, Safari won the internal vote against Yats Palat, vice president student life. “Yats and I were at a consensus that we would be happy regardless of who got picked,” Safari said. This fall semester marks new beginnings for Safari, the CSU and the entire CapU community. Not only will this year be the first where five executive members as opposed to the usual four represent the CSU, but all five executives also happen to be new to their respective positions. Joining Safari and Palat are Andrew Willis, vice president academic, Noah Berson, vice president external and Owen Sigurdsson,
vice president equity and sustainability. As for CapU, the announcement of offcampus housing marks a monumental development for the University. “It’s completely new for Capilano University and we have a lot of respect for the direction they’re heading towards and making the University more accessible,” said Safari. Part of the CSU’s involvement with off-campus residence is through a residence relations committee set up by Willis, that is in place to provide care packages and other benefits to students using the residence facilities. The CSU is also in communication with Translink about improving the bus schedule from the residence to CapU. For Safari, his personal priorities and expectations are focused on building a stronger sense of accountability and transparency with the CSU. He expects every executive, liaison and staff member to be as accountable and as open to one another as possible. Moreover, he fully expects every member to be communicative
with everyone. “We have to be able to function together and know when each other is struggling,” he said. Most importantly, Safari intends to be approachable and accessible to every member of the CapU community. “I personally don’t see it [the presidency] as a position of sitting up here, while other students are down there,” he said. “I’m just another student as well.” The CSU will be kicking off the 20172018 school year with CAPtivate, a back-toschool celebration that Safari promises to be historic for CapU. In concurrence, they will spend the early parts of the year focusing on a sexual violence and misconduct campaign, continuing an annual trend of major initiatives orchestrated by the CSU during the height of back-to-school excitement. Safari may be a stark change from previous presidents, but time and the notion of a clean slate could very well foreshadow exciting things to come during his term.
external, the incorporation to CASA will not only provide CapU students with the much needed representation federally, but it will also allow the CSU to better serve its student body. “In order to be a true representation of – to truly work for – the students of Capilano, we needed a federal lobbying body,” he said. CapU students have not been represented at the federal level since the CSU left the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) after a referendum held in March 2014. The CSU began looking for a new federal organization soon after they left the CFS. Delegates were sent to sit-in on CASA meetings in 2014, as the CSU looked for an association that had a similar governance structure and embodied the same values as the Alliance of BC Students (ABCS). The ABCS, which the CSU joined as a founding member in 2013, is a not-forprofit advocacy group that serves their interests at the provincial level. While overseeing post-secondary education is a responsibility of the provincial government, the federal government provides a portion of funding for institutions as well as some financial aid and research grants.
Through the ABCS last year, the CSU participated in a province-wide housing campaign that they considered a success because it resulted in the provincial government including new student housing in their mandate. Berson explained that the ABCS has united students through common causes, and under the banner of an organization they have achieved one of their more pressing lobbying goals. “In the past, there have been many different voices coming to the provincial government, all students, but they weren’t united,” he said. CASA sets itself apart from other organizations that represent Canadian students by driving its members to create policy. All policy that CASA produces is put forward and passed by its student members, while the organization’s staff offer support. “We pride ourselves in making sure that our members are the ones engaging in the research, developing the policies and in the end of it leading the organization,” said Executive Director Michael McDonald. Each year in November, CASA also hosts an Advocacy Week in Ottawa, where representatives will meet with elected officials, senators
and public servants to discuss issues that are important to them. Membership fees paid towards CASA are also reduced. Former CSU president Brittany Barnes remarked that they were paying more than $80,000 annually to the CFS, and that the organization didn’t suit CapU students’ needs. The CSU was one of five founding members of the CFS in 1981. However, they felt they weren’t getting their money’s worth and held a referendum to decide whether or not to continue their membership as early as 1984. The CSU will be paying no more than a maximum of $53,029 per year to CASA, based off $3.26 per full-time equivalent, compared to the CFS’ fee of $8.98. “It’s not only important for our lobbying efforts but it’s also important for getting the Capilano Students’ Union name out there,” said Berson, “For making connections with universities all across Canada and to really show us what other campaigns work at other universities.” With success already behind them, the CSU is looking forward to making students’ interests heard nationally.
VOLUME 50 ISSUE NO. 1
BACK TO SCHOOL
GROUP PROJECTS SUCK
Exchange contact information and find any form of similar interests. You’ll never find success with group members you hate.
But your grades don’t have to
MEETING UP > WORKING REMOTELY
While some professors may say tha they prepare you for real world tasks and that they’re a great way of getting to know your fellow classmates, we all know that group projects are just one massive pain. Though it’s true that they can produce lasting friendships and solid grades, more times than not, you will be dragged through a fiery pit of hell by one lazy student who doesn’t bother to pull their weight. To help, the Capilano Courier has compiled a list of tips on how to get through or even avoid the tough time:
CONSIDER ALL YOUR OPTIONS
Is the class an elective? Is it absolutely necessary you take it? Weigh the options and if need be, create a flowchart or Venn diagram. If you come to the consensus that you truly need the class, categorize your group members: the average by-standers who don’t do any more or less than what’s asked of them, the lazy ones and the pushy, annoying keeners.
GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER
Divvy up the work right away and try to be friendly, get to know everyone on a more personal level. It will be difficult for the lazy group members to put aside the project if they make connections within the group.
MIND THE DETAILS
Have check-in dates before the actual deadline. Have your work ready to go with enough time to ask you professor for feedback. Throughout the group project experience, have coping mechanisms by your side at all times. This can include: food for stress eating, therapy balls, inanimate objects to yell at, etc. When in doubt, talk to your professor. If the prospects of the project are looking dire, there’s no loss in seeking external help. However, avoid waiting until the last minute, you’ll need ample amounts of time in case your group needs to restructure your work.
SUCK IT UP AND DO THE WORK
At the end of the day, your goal is to get
PEPPERONI CHEESE VEGETARIAN MEAT LOVERS’ HAWAIIAN MEDITERRANEAN DEMOCRACY. Grab a slice, help us out. Quorum is 15. Pizza is delicious.
-TAYLOR LEE
Rachel D’Sa ARTS AND CULTURE EDITOR
Face to face interaction is always more productive. There’s also the added pressure of embarrassment when your share of the work isn’t done. Set in-person work days and if you notice that someone has yet to do their part, approach them in a calmly manner – before going home to curse their name. Choose a quiet and familiar space to work – like the campus library – decreasing distraction and uneasiness when it comes to finding or trekking to the meeting place. If you find your group is on the ball, set up your next meeting in a café, where you’ll still be able to work while enjoying a more social environment.
as great a grade as possible, so just try your best to play well with others and do whatever it is you can to ensure a strong final product.
You might even come to terms with the fact that you’ve become the pushy and annoying keener of your group. At least you’ll get an A for effort!
Capilano Courier Annual General Meeting + Board of Directors Election Tuesday, September 19 at Noon Maple 122
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By Tia Kutschera Fox Illustration by Cynthia Tran Vo
Hello there! Is this your first semester at Capilano University? Welcome to being a university student! This means welcome to paying a lot of money to write excruciating papers and drive your health into the ground as you attempt to survive balancing school, work, life and sleep (just kidding, there isn’t any sleep). But, being a student does come with perks; you just have to know where to find them. This guide will show you how to save and make money, write a decent paper and just generally get through the semester like a boss.
ORGANIZATION IS KEY
In case you haven’t yet realized, university is a totally different ball game from high school. You aren’t in Kansas anymore and you’re going to need some tools to survive the workload. First, get a planner. It can be as fancy or as basic as you want – the Capilano Students’ Union (CSU) Members’ Centre has free planners, so there are no excuses not to have one. Second, use your planner. What a concept, right? Write down your courses and plan your assignments. Yes, you’ll need to do that. Also, you’re going to forget when your classes are, so a pro-tip: take a screenshot of your course schedule and use it as your phone background. You’re welcome. It’s also important to have a plan when it comes to your courses, especially when you’re paying thousands of dollars in tuition. Many a student has wasted precious time and money taking courses they didn’t have to take because they didn’t check their program first. You can go to the Academic Advising office – second floor of the Birch building – for a 30-minute drop-in planning session with one of the advisors. This is highly recommended to ensure you don’t take classes you don’t need, or skip classes that are required for graduation. This will prevent you from wasting time
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and money that could be better spent on delicious burrito bowls. That said, it is also a good idea to confirm your course plan with the head of your program. While academic advisors are a great resource, they have a lot on their plate and occasionally have outdated information.
HOW TO NOT BE BROKE
The broke university student stereotype is there for a reason, so here’s one easy rule to save money: always ask about student discounts. Seriously, there are countless businesses that offer discounts to students with valid ID. While Science World, the Aquarium and Amazon Prime openly advertise this, other businesses are a little quieter, so squeeze the most out of studenthood and ask. Another discount optimizer is the SPC card. Available at the CapU Bookstore for $10, the SPC card allows you to get 10-15 per cent discounts on products from tons of different stores from food to clothing, even Greyhound bus trips. Buying books is also expensive, so consider the CSU Used Book Sale at the beginning of the semester. You can also buy e-books at a fraction of the price for physical books. Don’t forget that you can resell your textbooks at the end of the semester to make some of your dough back. At CapU there is a ridiculously easy way to make hundreds, even thousands, of dollars and countless new students miss out on it every year. Here is the process: 1. Go to Capilanou.ca and click on MyCap. 2. Click on Student Information Web Service, log in. 3. Click on Financial Aid and Awards. 4. Click on Apply for Scholarships, Bursaries, Awards, and Fee Deferrals. 5. Fill out a form that takes two minutes to complete. Voila, you are now automatically considered for hundreds of
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scholarships without write a single essay.
MIND YOUR CLASSES
When it comes to attending your classes and writing papers well, there are some key steps to success. Number one: unless you are a morning person or extremely disciplined do not take 8:30 a.m. classes if possible. You’re not getting the most out of your education if you’re skipping or sleeping through half of your classes. Number two: don’t feel pressured to take more courses just because Wonder Wendy over there is taking six and auditing another, while working two part-time jobs. It’s much better to pass four classes than fail five because of a nervous breakdown. Once you have your classes, be sure to be on good terms with your professors. You don’t have to be teacher’s pet, but as one fourth year student pointed out, “These are the people you hope will write your references, give you advice and give you an extension… and one day the prof you built a relationship with might be the one to pick up the phone and get you a job in the industry.” This includes going to your professors’ office hours. Not only do professors tend to be more lenient on students who actively show they are trying, it’s much easier to get an A on a paper when the person marking it helped you write it. If you’re interested in getting A’s, look at free organizing software like Zotero and Citavi. Zotero helps organize citations and Citavi helps organize your notes saving hours of time and making writing great papers a snap. Don’t hesitate to ask librarians, they’re magical people who are basically walking fountains of priceless knowledge. Another pro-tip: proofread, proofread, proofread. Then give your paper to someone else to proofread before handing it in.
“If you are going to smoke a joint before class you might as well skip class and do it naked in bed,” - Second year student.