Capilano Courier | Vol. 49.5, Issue 3.

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VOLUME 49.5 ISSUE 03

MUSIC THERAPY AT 40

INDIFFERENCE MAKERS

Capilano University's renowned Music Therapy program celebrates four decades with a gala event and documentary screening.

Find out why "voluntourism" may not actually be helping anyone at all, and how you can make a real difference in the world beyond your Instagram!

SEPTEMBER 26 - OCTOBER 2 | 2016

FROM SYRIA TO CANADA

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CONTENTS

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04

07

09

Cover Art

News

News

Campus Life

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14

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Sports

Features

Opinions

Columns

MEGAN COLLINSON

ROOKIE BLUE: ARIN MCILDOON

THE STAFF Andy Rice EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

editor@capilanocourier.com Carlo Javier MANAGING EDITOR

carlo.capcourier@gmail.com

CSU LOBBIES FOR CAMPUS HOUSING

MUSIC THERAPY PROGRAM CELEBRATES 40 YEARS

MOVIN' OUT: RENTAL OPTIONS FOR STUDENTS

ARGUING FOR GENDERINCLUSIVE WASHROOMS

COLUMNISTS

NEWS EDITOR

Jessica Lio OPINIONS EDITOR

opinions.capcourier@gmail.com Gabriel Scorgie

Marissa Del Mistro Your favourite voice of reason is back, and this time, she’ll be a voice for the people and organizations making Vancouver the best Vancouver it can be. Titled “Reign Vancouver,” this column strives to inspire and challenge the meaning of happiness, community and inclusiveness with each individual interview.

ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

Christine Beyleveldt CAMPUS LIFE EDITOR

campuslife.capcourier@gmail.com

VOLUME 49.5 ISSUE NO. 03

Paul Boici ART

Fred Ulrich Jr. The irrepressibly bitter Fred Ulrich Jr. is back to spread even more of his angry, old-man observations. This time, he’ll be talking about all the crap he’s had to put up with from his wealth of experience travelling the world. This man has racked up his Air Miles, and that might be the only joy he’s gotten out of travelling.

Maria Centola ART

Vivian Li ART

Pamella Pinard ART

James Tevlin Leah Scheitel Leah Scheitel understands your pain and frustrations. School can be tough and life can be even harder. So the ever-gracious Scheitel has dedicated her time to searching the Internet for the saddest and most laughably terrible events, all for the purpose of reminding you that no matter what’s happening right now, someone out there is always having a worst time than you.

WORDS

Milana Bucan WORDS

Keara Farnan WORDS

Cristian Fowlie

Jacob Muir

ART DIRECTOR

WORDS

artdirector.capcourier@gmail.com

THE CAPILANO COURIER

COVER ART

ART

specialfeatures.capcourier@gmail.com

arts.capcourier@gmail.com

Megan Collinson

Wolfgang Thomo

FEATURES EDITOR

POSITION AVAILABLE!

'OH THE PLACES YOU'LL NO' WITH FRED ULRICH JR.

CONTRIBUTORS

Kevin Kapenda news@capilanocourier.com

THE COURIER GUIDE TO YOUR CAMPUS BOOKSTORE

Syd Danger LAYOUT DESIGNER

pm.capcourier@gmail.com Noah Penner

Max Ley More wine! One of last year’s most popular columns is back to expand your wine pairing horizons. As always, Max Ley will be keeping his choices to a student-friendly budget, making the pairings ideal for your pre- and post-exam drinking sessions.

Bonus: this year, Max will also be touching on the world of beer and cocktail pairings.

MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

multimedia.capcourier@gmail.com Therese Guieb COMMUNITY RELATIONS MANAGER

community.capcourier@gmail.com POSITION AVAILABLE! BUSINESS ADVISOR

Lars Henrik Ahlstrom If you like the psychologically-provoking ways of Mr. Robot and the subtle social commentary of Woody Allen, then Lars Henrk Ahlstrom is your man. He’ll be taking you on a deep dive into the grim politics surrounding the educational system and hopefully, by the end, we’ll all come out feeling a little optimistic – or inspired.

business.capcourier@gmail.com Brandon Kostinuk WEB COORDINATOR

web.capcourier@gmail.com

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THE CAPILANO COURIER is an autonomous, democratically-run student newspaper. Literary and visual submissions are welcomed. All submissions are subject to editing for brevity, taste and legality. The Capilano Courier will not publish material deemed by the collective to exhibit sexism, racism or homophobia. The views expressed by the contributing writers are not necessarily those of the Capilano Courier Publishing Society.

EDITOR'S DESK

FIRST CUP IS THE DEEPEST: AN ODE TO MORNING COFFEE Andy Rice EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

THE VOICEBOX with Carlo Javier

Is Christine your only committed feature writer? Or are you just overworking that poor girl?

Christine, you know I have your number... right?

You should get that lady Georgia to write your horoscopes, I bet she’d be good at it.

Christine, seriously, have you ever heard of caller ID?

THE CAPILANO COURIER

Like so many of you, I start each morning off with a cup of coffee. For me, it doesn’t really matter what container it’s being served in or whether it’s drip, french press, or espresso-based. It just matters that it’s coffee.

In those dozen dopey seconds right after my alarm kicks in, no other thoughts exist. All I’m concerned about is whether or not the potential is there to have this warm beverage flowing through my system in as little time as possible. The moment that mug finally touches my lips, I can actually feel my disposition changing, my world brightening and my body awakening.

Clearly I’m not alone.

The Coffee Association of Canada (yes, that’s a real organization) reports that nearly 50 per cent of the country’s adult population are coffee drinkers, and those of us who are over 16 actually drink more of it than water. Thursday, Sept.

29 is National Coffee day across North America, with the international version taking place two days later.

Among university students especially, caffeine is a beloved and versatile substance. Not only is it a convenient energy-booster, but it’s also an affordable social activity under just about any circumstances. Where else but a coffee shop could you do a few hours of homework, meet an old friend and woo a future boss all in the same day? (I dare you to try doing that at the Vancouver Zoo!) For many of us, our favourite coffee shop becomes something of a home away from home. Even here on campus, it’s not uncommon to see students just sitting in the cafeteria nursing a double-double or lounging in the pavilions outside with a to-go cup from Ethical Bean. Just last week, Good Earth Coffeehouse officially opened in the Capilano University library, adding even more specialty drink options for coffee lovers on campus.

By sheer virtue of its temperature and serving size, coffee forces people to stop and collect themselves, even if it’s just for a moment. I mean, when was the last time you watched someone order a large Americano misto and chug it back right at the barista counter? Unless they’ve got an esophagus made of chimney bricks, it’s not likely you’ll ever get to see such a thing.

They’re going to take it off the bar, walk it over to a table, sit down and slowly sip it back until they’re finished. They may even surf the web or flip through the newspaper a bit while they’re at it.

I’ve always viewed coffee and newspapers to go hand in hand, much like peanut butter and jelly, Sonny and Cher or Kanye and a mirror. Maybe it’s all those Hollywood films that begin with that dramatic sip ‘n flip opening sequence — you know the one, where some affluent, middle-aged patriarch thumbs through the New York Times with a mug in one hand and a cigar in the other. Or perhaps it’s the other classic movie cliché that depicts a newsroom full of journalists frantically mashing their stories into typewriters on deadline day as cigarette smoke and coffee steam become one on a journey skyward. Either way, there’s a strong connection there that has permeated several generations of human existence. It’s a wonder not more of us are smokers, too.

Last fall, the Courier began hosting a weekly event that taps into society’s collective love for this iconic coffeenewspaper combination. It yielded so many smiling faces and thoughtful conversations that we decided to do it again this year. Coffee with the Courier is back for the next four weeks — Sept. 27 and Oct. 4 in the Purcell Way bus loop and Oct. 18 and 25 in the Birch Cafeteria from 10 am to noon. We’d love to have you join us at our popup tent for a mug of something cheerful.

If you’re anything like me, the only thing better than that very first cup of the day is having someone else make it for you and put it in your hands for nothing more than the cost of a smile. My promise to you is that I’ll have my first cup before I arrive on campus so that I’m capable of smiling back!

I was passing by the old Studio Arts building last week and I saw something sparkling in your office, what are you guys doing in there?

Oh, that’s just the sliver of glitter in Christine’s hair.

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VOLUME 49.5 ISSUE NO. 03

The Voicebox is back! If you have any questions, concerns or any other bitchin’ to do, text it over to our boy Carlo at 778-865-2649. “Please text me,” he says. “No one else does.”

NEWS

CSU BOOSTS LOBBYING EFFORTS TO BRING RESIDENCES TO CAPILANO Student Union will hold housing demonstration in Victoria with other universities Kevin Kapenda NEWS EDITOR

THE CAPILANO COURIER

VOLUME 49.5 ISSUE NO. 03

On Sep. 27, the Capilano Students’ Union (CSU) will hold a demonstration on the lawn of the provincial legislature in Victoria to draw awareness to their campus housing campaign — but representatives won’t be showing up empty-handed. An assortment of colourful cardboard condos will be coming with them, similar to the ones

UNIVERSITY SENATE AND BOARD OF GOVERNORS MOVE TO FILL VACANT POSITIONS CapU students set to elect representative in October by-election Jessica Lio OPINIONS EDITOR

On Sept. 12, Capilano University began its search for student representatives to fill vacant positions on its Board of Governors (BOG) and Senate. The call for nominations for students to run in the byelection will be open until Monday, Sep. 26 at 4 pm.

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that have been making appearances at the CSU Carnival, Maple Lounge and Birch Cafeteria in recent weeks.

“We’re going to culminate by bringing all of the boxes to the lawn of legislature with each student association on Sept. 27 for a big demonstration,” said Michelle Gervais, a University Board of Governors and Senate student representative.

“We’re calling it a demonstration, not a protest, because we’re inviting the government to come and participate.”

This demonstration will be one of the key strategies the CSU will employ in the coming weeks and months to get a conversation on student housing started, something they’ve been doing since the start of the school year through a petition. According to Gervais, over 1,000 Capilano University students have signed their petition, which is part of a combined Alliance of BC Students Association (ABCS) lobbying tactic, in just under three weeks.

For both the ABCS and CSU, the objective of this campaign is really to address two problems with one cure, by getting student housing built on member campuses, and taking some pressure off of BC’s contracting rental market.

“Our tagline is ‘student housing, houses everyone,” said Gervais. “What we’re doing is that we’re providing a very simple solution to the housing crisis.

We’re trying to get students out of the rental market and get onto campuses to alleviate the very poor vacancy rate.”

As for the origins of this campaign, CSU vice president of external relations Sacha Fabry considers this year’s campaign to be just another step, after many years of hard work. “This campaign itself started this year,” said Fabry with regards to the planned demonstration and decision to launch a petition. “But it is part of probably three to four years of lobbying with ABCS. Every year, they go and lobby in Victoria on a few key asks

as put together by all its members.”

The project has been spearheaded by both Fabry and Gervais, who is the CSU’s envoy/representative to the ABCS. However, many other students and CSU personnel have also been involved during the campaign. “All of the CSU board, lots of volunteers and the external relations committee are involved,” said Gervais. “We are extremely fortunate to have hired Patrick Meehan. He is our new organizer in a staff position.”

Furthermore, having the opportunity to collaborate and pool resources with the ABCS, has also given the CSU its best chance in years to make progress on the residence issue. “This year we’re much more organized and that’s probably because we are not just working on our campus,” said Gervais.

“Having the support of the ABCS and working with UBC grads, SFU grads, Langara, UBCO and Kwantlen has just been amazing.”

“[BOG and Senate] are the highest decision-making bodies at the university,” explained CSU president and vice president of university relations and services Jullian Kolstee, who encouraged students to submit nominations. “[Students] are the largest and most important stakeholders of the university, so our representation there is paramount.”

When all nominations have been received, a list of candidates will be posted on the Capilano University website.

Voting for both positions opens Monday, Oct. 3 and will remain open for one week, until midnight on Sunday, Oct. 9.

In order to cast a vote, students will log into the MyCap Information Service website and submit their ballot electronically, through the ‘Elections’ page. All students who are enrolled in at least one credit course at Capilano University are eligible to nominate and vote in this election. Election results will be announced on Tuesday, Oct. 11.

Once successfully elected, one student

representative for each of the governing bodies will serve until July 31, 2017.

Michelle Gervais, who was elected earlier this year to serve on both the BOG and Senate, believes that her decision to get involved with student government has provided a community and an excellent way to build relationships. Gervais originally took interest in running because of her plans to work at a university in the future. “Otherwise, to get on this kind of experience on [a] high-level decision making body could take decades,” said Gervais.

The BOG’s responsibilities include overseeing the management, administration and control of business and university affairs. Eight of the 15 seats on this Board are appointed by government while the remaining seats represent the university’s staff, faculty, administrators and students. The Senate is an academic governing body responsible for policies concerning student evaluation, grading and curriculum content. There are no

government-appointed Senators, and students hold four seats on the Senate, which also offers recommendations to the BOG on a variety of matters.

“It’s a wonderful working opportunity,” said CSU vice president of external relations Sacha Fabry, “Not many people are able to say that they’ve been on a board of governors responsible for a multi-million dollar organization.” Fabry stated that being able to gain experience working with budgets and finances is not something that comes along easily. “The skills that you learn along the way are invaluable in any field you go into.”

To students who are elected to sit on the University’s BOG or Senate, the CSU will offer a position on their Board of Directors.

While students may choose to accept or decline the invitation, Kolstee stated that the knowledge and perspective that students on the BOG and Senate could bring to the CSU are valuable resources that allow for strong communication with every stakeholder group on campus.

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WHAT’S NEW WITH THE CSU Board of Directors reflects on September and votes to remove president Kevin Kapenda NEWS EDITOR

On Friday Sep. 23, the Capilano Students’ Union held a board meeting where much was discussed, including the removal of CSU President Jullian Kolstee, and several executive reports to the board from the different vice presidents.

The meeting’s reports included the standard VP reports, as well as each of their reports on the Student Union Development Summit, the SUDS

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conference.

In his executive report to the board, VP of external relations Sacha Fabry wrote about his plans to strengthen government relations by requesting that CSU Organizer Patrick Meehan meet with the mayors of both North Vancouver municipalities, in anticipation of student housing being approved by provincial legislators. During his report, Fabry also took time to congratulate his CSU colleagues and inform them that the housing campaign has surpassed its targeted goal of 1,000 signatures.

As for the VP of university relations’ report to the board, Jullian Kolstee highlighted the significance of the upcoming luncheon his committee will host on Sep. 29 in the Maple Lounge with key members of the administration, including representatives from the

university board of governors and senate. Additionally, Kolstee described the luncheon as beneficial to the CSU, and an opportunity for introductions with the university administration.

In other news, CSU VP of student life Beatriz Miralles talked about the possible consolidation of the Capilano University Business Enterprise of Students (CUBES), under their organization, similar to most clubs on campus. At the moment, CUBES is a separate student society autonomous of the CSU.

As part of CSU’s governance, all directors or staff who attend a conference, must present a report to the board after attending, which primarily outlines the benefits of attending the conference, and

whether or not personnel should attend in the future. The purpose of the SUDS, which is hosted by the UBC Alma Mater Society, the province’s largest student society, is to bring together student union representatives across the country to share their experiences, ideas and best practices for running a successful organizations. CSU representatives attended this conference in the summer between Aug. 11 and 14.

Perhaps the biggest news of this meeting was a motion to vacate the presidency and open nominations for the position, which is currently held by VP of university relations Jullian Kolstee. As per the CSU’s bylaws, decisions leading to an election or removal of a president can be discussed in-camera. Therefore, the Courier will release details of the vote once a new president has been selected.

a replacement in Good Earth, but construction had by then been reduced to a slow drip. Luckily, things picked up again over the summer and the café was ready for a soft launch in midAugust.

“I think that really helped because we got busy right off the bat and the staff knew what they were doing,” he said. “It’s a fairly tight space. They’ve kind of figured out their own rhythm — they call it the coffee dance.”

Three employees, all of whom are designated to the location and have been given the extra training required for specialty coffee drinks, currently operate the kiosk. Chartwells also sent a supervisor to Good Earth’s head office over the summer for a threeweek training course. “She did some

in-store training and she also did some back-of-the-house training so she’s the one kind of mentoring the other two and making sure everything is up to speed,” said Mohan.

“Our original idea was to just have two staff here, maybe send a third one in for covering breaks and covering busy times, but it’s been so busy that the third one has been just stationed here from day one,” he added.

“While we could not bring our full food menu to this kiosk, customers will enjoy our full line of direct trade coffees and espresso beverages, our handcrafted cold beverages and wholesome baked goods, soups and salads all produced directly on campus,” said Docherty. Bagged beans are also for sale, which staff are happy to grind to

customer specifications.

Despite the obvious competition for market share, Mohan said the impact to the other coffee providers on campus, such as Tim Horton’s and Ethical Bean, has been less than he expected. “It’s a pleasant surprise for me,” he said. “We’re serving more customers and we’re covering more of that coffee spectrum. Not everyone likes a double-double or a single-single, so this covers one part of that market that we weren’t able to cater to until a few months ago.”

Good Earth Coffeehouse at CapU is open from 8 am to 4 pm, Monday to Thursday, with a 2 pm closure on Fridays. For more information, visit Goodearthcoffeehouse.com or Dineoncampus.ca/capilano.

SUDS

GOOD EARTH COFFEEHOUSE CELEBRATES GRAND OPENING AT CAP U Library location has been well-received in first month of business Andy Rice EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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THE CAPILANO COURIER

The daily grind for a Capilano University student just got a little easier thanks to a new café in the CapU library corridor.

Just over a month ago, Calgary-based Good Earth Coffeehouse became the latest franchise to join Compass Group Canada’s expanded food service offerings at CapU. The location officially opened on Sept. 21 with a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony that was attended by executives from both companies, as well as stakeholders from the campus community.

“Good Earth Coffeehouse is very excited to welcome Capilano University students to our new 250 square foot location, conveniently located inside the library,” said Gerry Docherty, Good Earth’s president and chief operating officer. “This Good Earth location will be the third that Compass Food Group operates and of the 14 non-traditional Good Earth locations, Compass operates the busiest location and we are very proud of the excellent customer experience they provide to Good Earth customers.”

According to Sidharth Mohan, director of food services for Chartwells at CapU, the grand opening is grounds for celebration on many levels. “It fills a gap in our offerings that we’d been meaning to fill for a year,” he said, “and for various reasons it was a little late coming to campus, but I’m really happy that it’s here.”

As many students will recall, the café’s progress was plagued by a myriad of hangups over the past 12 months. The location was initially slated to become a Starbucks kiosk before structural challenges derailed design plans and caused the company to abandon the idea altogether. By the spring semester, Mohan had found

NEWS

FRONT-LINE CARE FOR CANADA’S AGING POPULATION CapU’s Health Care Assistant program is prepared for record demand Kevin Kapenda NEWS EDITOR

Carlo Javier MANAGING EDITOR

Capilano University’s Health Care Assistant (HCA) program is working hard to meet the demands of BC’s increasingly aging communities.

“As the population ages, the demand for health care assistants is going to continue to increase,” said HCA program Coordinator Carol Tanner.

On Sep. 13 and 14, the HCA program held information sessions on the North Vancouver campus, and in Squamish, at the Brennan Park Community Centre.

According to Tanner, one of the main reasons for hosting an information session in Squamish was to gauge how many students would be interested in completing their practicums in that community.

At the moment, the HCA program is offered at the North Vancouver and Sunshine Coast campuses. The program takes an entire academic year to complete and involves both theory and practical learning. “The program is about seven-and-a-half months long,” said Tanner. “For the whole first term,

FINANCIAL TOOLS FOR A PROSPEROUS ADULTHOOD CapU offers money management course to teens Kevin Kapenda

THE CAPILANO COURIER

VOLUME 49.5 ISSUE NO. 03

NEWS EDITOR

nstead of staying at home for a Pro-D Day, North Shore students will have an opportunity to take in a day-long workshop at Capilano University.

On Oct. 21, CapU’s continuing studies department will administer a personal development course for youth called Financial Planning & Money Management for Teens. Jim Francis, a North Shore resident and CapU instructor with over 30 years’ experience in corporate banking, entrepreneurship and personal finance, will teach the course.

MONEY MANAGEMENT FOR TEENS According to Francis, educating young people about financial planning isn’t as much telling them how to save as it is asking them what they want out of their money. “I start with the question, ‘what do you want out of life? What do you want five years from now? What’s life

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they take all theory courses.”

After three-and-a-half months in the program, students return to class for a few more weeks before starting two separate practicums. “In the second term, they come back and still have two theory courses to finish, and then they do two clinical practicums,” said Tanner.

“In the first [practicum], they are placed in a residential care facility to provide care for residents there under the supervision of their clinical instructor.”

After the 10-week complex care residential practicum, students move onto a shorter two-week experience in assisted living or home support.

In addition to residential and assisted living, Tanner and the HCA program have just expanded their curriculum to include hospital care. “The new curriculum which we are initiating this fall is also going to prepare them for the context of caring for people who are acutely ill, in hospital settings.”

“A health care assistant is an entry-level practitioner who primarily provides personal care to people who need help with their activities of daily living,” said Tanner. Activities of daily living include, but are not limited to, habitual tasks such as getting out of bed, bathing and eating. “A lot of people, especially elderly people, need help with some of those activities of daily living,” Tanner said. “Health care assistants provide personal care to take care of feeding, dressing, toileting, bathing and nutritional needs.”

AGING CANADA Across Canada, aging communities are fuelling demand for Health Care

got to look like for you?’” said Francis. “If you can get them think about that and convince them that they can achieve it, they’re going to have that motivation to start putting a plan in place.”

This value of identifying what you want before spending was instilled in Francis years ago when he was a child, and he believes it’s a question consumers don’t ask themselves enough today. “I bought my first boat when I was eight, but I saved up for it for two years,” said Francis. “I didn’t buy a lot of junk, because I was so focused on buying my boat. That’s what I really try and focus on. If they can find something that means more than an iPhone, they can start to build a plan and take steps towards it.”

In his workshops, Francis uses everyday examples to try and convince young people that being the odd one out when it comes to not having something isn’t the worst thing ever. “You want to be different. Do you really need the iPhone 6 when you’ve got a 5?” said Francis. “There’s not a lot of value in having what everybody else has it. But there is a lot of value in building wealth because you’re smart with your spending and your credit.”

While many young Canadians end up living paycheque to paycheque, Francis insists that most youth can take the largest of strides towards long-term financial comfort by taking the smallest of baby steps today. “Even if it’s a tiny

Assistants in a variety of roles. According to a recent Huffington Post article, more than one in five Canadians will be over the age of 65 by 2021, a figure that’s expected to climb to just under one in four in 2041.

There are several other factors contributing to rising demand for health care assistants. As seniors live longer and remain in their homes, health care assistants will be needed to make house calls to them as community health workers. Furthermore, hospital stays can also prove to be costly and be both disorienting and frightening to some elderly people. “If we can avoid hospital stays by improving our home support programs, I think it’s better for the quality of life of people,” said Tanner.

As for the HCA program, one of the things that isn’t offered by other schools is that when students are in their complex care practicum, a CapU clinical instructor always supervises them. Other programs have a clinical instructor for some of the hours, but then use a staff member [of the care facility] as a preceptor for the remaining hours.

“We feel strongly that our students benefit from having a qualified nurse as the instructor teaching them in the clinical area,” Tanner said. “Our graduates are sought after by the agencies and facilities on the North Shore and I think it speaks to the quality of their skills and performance when they graduate.”

little bit, it can be avoided. If you can put away one percent or two percent of whatever comes through the door, you’ll be far ahead of most [young] people,” said Francis with regard to saving and living paycheque to paycheque. “What really matters is time in the market and how soon you start saving. At my age, I need to save thousands of dollars to match the compounded interest on the $50 a month a kid in his 20s puts in.”

As for debt, Francis approaches the topic from a balanced “when to” and “when not to” borrow for perspective, rather than the “no credit at all costs” mentality, which often tempts young people into using too much. “One of the things I say is that you should only borrow if [the asset] appreciates in value or allows you to make more money,” said Francis. “Everything else, you should save for.”

On Francis’s list of acceptable things to borrow for include one’s education, home and investment that enable youth to start businesses. “You should save up for a down payment, but its okay to borrow for a house. It’s typically an appreciating asset,” said Francis. “For example, student loans are a [productive] debt. They’re an investment in your future earnings.”

a trainer by trade,” said Francis. “I worked for Bank of Montreal and HSBC for 30 some-odd years, most of which I spent in training and development, going over a lot of soft skills. Presentations, sales, marketing. That kind of stuff.”

After a long career in the private sector, Francis retired, but soon discovered that many of the skills he taught colleagues were just as relevant to students. “When I retired, realized I was a lousy golfer and needed something else to do, I started working for Capilano University and Ashton College,” recalled Francis. “I just carried over some of those things, like public speaking, communications, ethics, and entrepreneurial studies, then started doing stuff with youth.”

For Francis, hosting financial planning workshops for youth is important because many adults haven’t been good examples for their children when it comes to money management. “As adults we tend spend too much, we buy a lot of junk, we’re subject to peer pressure, only to throw a lot of it away,” said Francis.

Furthermore, this reality often leads to many young Canadians being illequipped for adulthood and the financial planning it demands. “This generation of parents has done a good job of providing for young people as best they can,” said Francis. “But they probably haven’t provided them with many opportunities to learn financial skills. At some point they’re going to have to leave the nest and make their own way.”

JIM FRANCIS Before ever teaching a university course or youth workshop, Francis racked up years of mentoring experience in his career in corporate training. “I’m really

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CAPILANO UNIVERSITY MUSIC THERAPY DEPARTMENT CELEBRATES 40 YEARS Key players reflect on the evolution and impact of the first training program of its kind in Canada Andy Rice EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The Capilano program has grown quite a bit since those early days, but has always managed to retain the unique intimacy and reflection-based philosophy it was founded upon. It doesn’t hurt that some of the faculty and past coordinators have been alumni and even members of that inaugural cohort, like Kerry Burke or Liz Moffitt, who orchestrated the shift from a diploma program to a bachelor’s program in 1990.

Current coordinator Stephen Williams has held the position longer than anyone else. “I was hired originally to teach three hours of piano improvisation a week to six different students,” he explained. That was 26 years ago. “And that’s how I became part of the team. I had no plans to be sitting in this chair, but I’ve been sitting in this chair for 21 years.”

Over the past two decades, Williams has worked hard to facilitate a balance between the academic and the practical. At the heart of it all, music therapy is about helping others on a deep and very personal level, and that goes far beyond the confines of a lecture hall.

“You’re coming in, you’re chosen because you already have the nature and the ability to be reflective,” explained McMaster.

“You’re already sensitive to people, you’re already musical, you already know so much about the world… We’re listening for musical chops and we’re looking for skill and musical awareness but not just that. We’re looking for musical sensitivity, musicality and we’re looking for an academic grade point average that we think will support an applicant to do our program, which is 18 credits, and it’s intense.”

Every year, between 30 and 45 applications are reviewed by Williams, McMaster and several other faculty members. “We have a seat maximum of 20, so we’re a niche program,” explained Williams. “In the last 20 years there’s been a lot of interest. People are looking for ways to use their musicianship and to help people, and those two things together, I think, is what draws a lot of people to music therapy.”

Kevin Kirkland was one of those people.

He first enrolled in the program in 1987, and in fact it was McMaster who auditioned him, barefoot. Today, he serves on the faculty and the two happen to share an office.

“Really, the core style of the program was the same then as it is now,” he said.

“Even though some faculty have changed and such, the character of what it was like hasn’t changed, so it was neat to come back to teach in it and sort of carry

on some of the same legacy that I’d been taught, years later.”

Kirkland recalls one lesson fairly early on in his training at Capilano. “They had music on and we were dancing with scarves and I thought, ‘What the hell have I done? I’m in the wrong program.’ But then I realized ‘OK, this is actually really interesting stuff, and so creative and expressive.”

He soon grew to love the program for being such a radical departure from the traditional offerings of a college or university.

And in many ways, that philosophy mirrors the idea of music therapy as a whole, a field which is not always the easiest to understand or define right away.

“If you asked me for a definition of music therapy I’ll just give you a different one every hour,” laughed McMaster, “Music therapy is often working with less tangible things than the physical — emotional states, concerns, challenges — and there’s such a broad scope of who we work with.

Scope of practice is something that’s in the professional language of any field, and our scope of practice is so huge that to answer the question, if you’re asking what is music therapy, it’s just too big. If I give the biggest definition then you don’t have any detail. I’d say well, we’ll work with premature babies and we’ll work with 105 year-olds and we’ll work with prisoners and we’ll work with addiction and we’ll work in medicine and we’ll work with the dying… It’s very individual-based.”

MUSIC THERAPY TOMORROW As research in the field improves, music therapists are always finding new ways in which to utilize their skills. “When I think back to the very early years there wasn’t any mention of music therapy research,” said Williams, “And now, across North America particularly, there’s a lot of really great research going into the efficacy of music therapy and its practice. So that’s been probably one of the biggest shifts.”

“We’re now in schools, prisons, hospitals, HIV/AIDS, mental health and addiction,” added McMaster. “That’s one of the growing areas, I think, for music therapy. It’s almost like it’s emerging as it’s emerging in the culture, so some of our growth is parallel.”

It also happens to be the primary focus of Kirkland’s practice. “I’m half time at Capilano and I work half time in mental health and addiction,” he said. “One of my top programs is rap [music] and recovery.

People are pretty wild about it… It’s

successful for them to engage in, and it gets out what their issues are a lot more easily than sitting down and poking and prodding them.”

Williams notes that Kirkland isn’t the only faculty member who maintains a direct connection to the industry, either. “All of our faculty are practicing clinicians,” he said, “So that means what they’re teaching in the classroom, what they’re teaching in private music instruction is still relevant.

They’re not sort of using 20-year-old memories of an industry that was different 20 years ago… I’m really fortunate to have a team of faculty that are really passionate about this profession and really involved in the profession. The students realize pretty quickly how passionate and how interconnected the faculty are.”

And for any who don’t yet realize it, there’s a chance to learn all about the program and the people behind it later this month. On Friday, Sept. 30 at 6 pm, the department will host its 40th anniversary celebration in the Bosa Centre for Film and Animation. Kirkland has even prepared a 40-minute documentary about the program’s first few years of existence, complete with interviews from its cofounders and key players during the 70s.

“Nancy and I got a sneak peek last week and we were really pleased with what we got to see,” said Williams, adding that he is looking forward to the chance to reflect on the past four decades. Alumni from both the very early years and the more recent years of the program will be in attendance to share their stories — some for the very first time.

“It just feels really big to have the awareness that we’ve been doing this for 40 years," said Williams. “Where my mind goes is the remarkable impact that all of our practicum students have had on clients and [that] all of our alumni have had on clients. That’s possibly hundreds of thousands of people who have had an impact by this program.”

“I always, always, always, every day, every hour find meaning in this field,” said McMaster, whose life's work has undoubtedly had an immeasurable impact in its own right. “I mean, that’s a good job.

I taste it, I really feel it, and that’s really cool — from picking up a hitch-hiker!”

For more information on music therapy at CapU, or about the program's 40th anniversary, visit capilanou.ca/music-therapy or email mtherapy@capilanou.ca. Tickets are available for $10 on Eventbrite.

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THE CAPILANO COURIER

Nancy McMaster will never forget the “light bulb moment” that illuminated a 46-yearlong career as a music therapist, educator and programming pioneer.

The year 1970 hadn’t been the easiest one for the 27-year-old schoolteacher, as she grappled with questions surrounding her professional calling. Inspiration and clarity came from an unlikely source that autumn, in the form of a bearded, barefoot hitch-hiker named Charles Justice, who she picked up on the side of a Vancouver street. As the two chatted about their interests, he told her about a workshop he was taking part in that trained adults in spontaneous improvisational activities for children with cognitive challenges. “Music therapy” was the term he used for it, and McMaster was instantly overcome by the power of its meaning.

“He put those two words together and I heard a click in my head,” she recalled.

“I thought, ‘That’s it. That is the only idea about work that has made sense to me in this whole culture.’”

Although the workshop was fully enrolled at the time, one of the students dropped out at the last minute which gave McMaster the chance to take part. It was there that she met Carolyn Kenny, a fellow participant who would later invite her to co-found what is now the Capilano University music therapy program.

After embarking on some personal and professional development activities throughout the early 70s, the two were finally ready to begin pitching their idea to Vancouver’s universities. Though they received a favourable response from UBC, the institution ultimately passed on the chance to offer the program. Instead, members of the music faculty decided to forward the information to Karl Koylanski, one of their alumni, who was the head of music at Capilano College at the time.

“It was a no-go everywhere else and we actually got called to set up a program here [at Cap],” said McMaster. “Harold Kirchner was the dean and he was just game. We had a meeting with Harold in April 1976 and in September 1976 there we were running the first cohort.”

With that historic move, Capilano boasted the only music therapy training program of its kind in Canada. Forty years later, only five others have come into existence. It’s still the only one in British Columbia.

MUSIC THERAPY TODAY

CAMPUS LIFE

BOOKSTORE REVIEW With several staff members living the double life as students by day, editors by night, we thought it might be a good idea to check-in with a couple of them. Like most students at Capilano University, they also frequent the bookstore for supplies, note packages and books during the start of the semester.

Here’s what they had to say about some products:

boot cut section and they also place an emphasis on whichever low-cut sneakers you may be wearing. They’re extremely versatile as you can comfortably use them for workouts, simple lounging and even Netflix and Chillin'. The only problem was that though the specific pair I bought measured in at a “small” waistline, the length seemed like it was meant for a 6-foot-tall man. As some of you may know, I’m far from a 6-foot-tall man. At least I found a piece to my Tyrion Lannister costume this Halloween.

critical thinking haven’t changed for hundreds of years now. Have they really come up with updates and developments surrounding the way we piece together premises, conclusions and black and white fallacies? I don’t think so.

- Carlo Javier, managing editor

Rite in the Rain All-Weather Universal Notebook 5x7” $10.95

it’s made with post-consumer recycled material, will make you feel deceptively smart and environmentally friendly all at once. For best results, don’t write with water-based pens. It doesn’t tend to work out well with the whole, you know, waterproof thing.

- Jessica Lio, opinions editor

This spiral-bound field book is the charming little favourite of earth

- Carlo Javier, managing editor

Intro to Logic and Critical Thinking $ - A bank loan

JVC ear buds $11.99

One of the keys to success in university is resourcefulness. For the most part, textbooks are going to be expensive and “expensive” is not something we can always opt for as university students.

For my Philosophy: Critical Thinking class, we were required to get the sixth edition of Merrilee H. Salmon’s Intro to Logic and Critical Thinking, a textbook that clocks in at a cool $205.60 for a new copy and a $154.20 for a used copy.

Now, it might sound uneducated and short sighted, but I’m pretty sure that definitions and studies surrounding

scientists, outdoorsy folks, construction workers and rainy-day lovers around the world. Since wet weather and clumsy coffee spills are inevitable, why not protect your never-shrinking to-do lists and bad song lyrics with a waterproof notebook? If you’re skeptical, rest assured that this company has been making waterproof paper for 100 years and take comfort in knowing that I’ve already spilled water all over it once. Its bright yellow covers make it easy to spot in a messy workspace, while the cool-toned blue lined pages inside just look really nice. The table of contents, grid format and handy backcover rulers, along with the claim that

If you’re like most students, college isn’t about books and notes. It’s about Spotify and making sure your phone is always charged – like always. Luckily for CapU students, our bookstore has recently turned one of its isles into a Best Buy/ phone accessories stall at the Richmond Night Market. Whether it’s headphones, ear buds or cheap plastic chargers, there’s no reason to ever go without “Closer,” Snapchat or Stranger Things on campus, because the bookstore finally has slightly overpriced gear you actually want to buy. It happened to me the other day. After getting out of my car, I quickly realized I’d forgotten my ear buds at home. After some careful perusing, I stumbled upon a great pair of ear buds in the bookstore, which allowed me to get my fix of Ed Sheeran and Fifth Harmony in between my almost six hours of classes.

- Kevin Kapenda, news editor

to attend their events, knowing that it may spark an interest in other fields.

Throughout the academic year, they host four or five events, on and off of campus that provides opportunities to connect with professionals and develop skills that can help students land jobs.

This year’s first networking event will be held on Sept. 29 from 6 to 8 pm at the Big Rock Urban Brewery. It is primarily geared toward fourth-year students and approximately 25 professionals from the field of HR will be in attendance for students to meet and connect with. The HRMA tries to schedule guest speakers who are passionate about people, “That’s essentially what [HR] is, you’re managing people,” said Tully. “It has definitely shown me that if you love people you’ll get through the job.”

As HRMA grows, members outside of the field have approached the organization with interest. Currently there are 12 members and two more being vetted for positions within the organization. Students who want to enrich their university careers can approach current members but sometimes the group opts to recruit students who they believe would be a better fit for the organization, much

like in the real world of business.

According to Tully, the HRMA is unlike any other business organization on campus because their aim is to have knowledgeable members of the HR field serve as mentors for students. “We don’t want to throw together an event where we are teaching [students], we want to have professionals in there to show them what [HR] is about and network with them and have students learn from them.” He hopes that HRMA will become synonymous with consistent events and workshops with a high attendance. It’s all about creating connections. “Part of the goal of the association is to kind of broaden the experience for HR students, so we definitely want to give them an opportunity to build their skills,” said Tully. Aside from networking events, HRMA also hosts several workshops that help students build their résumés and take advantage of LinkedIn.

Many of CapU’s business associations, including the CapU Marketing Association (CAPUMA) and the Capilano Case Competition Association (CCCA) take part in case competitions across the country each year, where students develop

innovative solutions to businessrelated case studies as part of a team. Last year, the CCCA’s junior and senior teams came in first place at the Western Canadian Business Competition in Kelowna. HRC West is an Alberta-based organization that orchestrated the first HR case competition in Western Canada, and this will be the first year that CapU’s HRMA participates. Tully believes that even if the HRMA doesn’t win, it will provide great exposure for CapU’s HR program.

HR is a valuable skill for anyone to have. There’s a misconception that a degree comes with the promise of a job and a stable career. The more knowledgeable a student is about the analytics of recruitment, the higher their odds of success will be in the extremely competitive field of business. HR provides students with the tools to ace an interview or draft a perfect cover letter. “We have a whole new team this semester, so once we kind of get some consistency then we can definitely accomplish some pretty spectacular things,” noted Tully.

“Students will know us possibly before they even come to Cap.”

Capilano University Joggers $24.99 Beyond the books and the typical classroom necessities, the bookstore also carries some pretty sweet apparel.

The CapU hoodies they’ve got at the bookstore are more varied than the ones they offer in your respective programs and the tees also experiment with a selection of designs and fonts. What really caught my attention though was this charcoal grey pair of joggers, mostly because I didn’t expect the store to have caught on with the trend. Boy, was I wrong! The elastic cuffs on the bottom of joggers eliminate the regular sweatpants/denim/chinos tendency to look like they’re straight out of the

WHO YOU: HRMA A look at Capilano’s Human Resources Management Association Christine Beyleveldt

THE CAPILANO COURIER

VOLUME 49.5 ISSUE NO. 03

CAMPUS LIFE EDITOR

Regardless of scope, businesses always have something in common — they rely on Human Resources (HR) to recruit employees, provide benefits and mediate disputes in the workforce.

Employees form the backbone of any organization, and usually an HR team is responsible for selecting the most competent workers and keeping them geared towards their goals.

Capilano University’s Human Resources Management Association (HRMA) is a student -driven organization that provides opportunities to network with professionals and make connections in the field of HR that can potentially lead to jobs after graduation.

HRMA is not restricted to HR students and President Luke Tully encourages students of all disciplines

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Q+A WITH CALVIN DEGROOT Capilano alumnus talks restaurant industry, activism and wine Carlo Javier MANAGING EDITOR

Calvin DeGroot thought he would have more time on his hands after graduating from Capilano University’s Communications program in 2016.

DeGroot, a keen and vocal activist throughout his time at CapU, split his time between his studies, work with issues like climate change and Kinder Morgan and the restaurant industry.

After just four-and-a-half years of working in restaurants like Fishworks and Pier 7, DeGroot found himself as the manager of Terroir Kitchen, one of West Vancouver’s fastest-rising dining spots.

When did you realize that you could go somewhere in the restaurant industry?

Honestly, probably the first day. I had such a great time, it was super fastpaced but it was also people-oriented and I’ve never worked a job like that.

What are your daily responsibilities at Terroir?

Every day it tends to change, but its mostly running the floor, doing the scheduling, doing the training, setting service standards, making sure we have everything that we need in terms of things like napkins, cutlery and glasses and also time to set up the bar, execution from the finesse perspective, hire staff.

I don’t have to deal with the kitchen because the head chef is the owner, so he kind of takes care of that and sort of the big picture marketing decisions.

Can you talk about the style and environment of the restaurant?

When you walk in the restaurant, the room is very minimalist in terms of design, but it’s still nice. It’s not very extravagant compared to Nightingale, that new restaurant opened up in Downtown, which is extravagant and the most beautiful room you could ever imagine. It’s the opposite of that, which I think in a way represents a lot of what we’re about. It’s not a lot of pretension, not a lot of flair with the food — it’s rustic, and it’s simple.

What would you recommend for first time visitors?

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We make a really great skirt steak.

It’s kind of like a flank steak, thin cut and it’s a working muscle on a cow so it needs to be cooked just a little bit more than a traditional steak, so around medium – or more.

During your time at Capilano, you were an active voice in both political and social issues. How are you keeping up with that part of your life?

Not really. It’s not the best. I think that, in a lot of ways my activism, it’s taking a bit of a break, because sometimes it’s been for, I think, the wrong reasons or I was doing it in an unhealthy way. I think its important to take time for reflection, for growth and to step back and think about why you care about the things you care about and hopefully you’re doing it for the right reasons, not by pride and arrogance and being self-centred, which sometimes tends to happen when I get into activism.

Do you think you’re going to return to activism at some point?

Yeah I think so. It’s a matter of how I want to do that, I get frustrated with working with NGOs in the city and I guess I’m still frustrated with the way of going about trying to engage citizens

and their cause. I think it’s very robotic, almost corporate.

What are the responsibilities of a sommelier?

It’s different depending on the restaurant and the size of the restaurant, but generally it’s in charge of the wine list, picking and ordering wine, also kind of the go-to person in the restaurant for recommendation, pairing with foods. When guests order really expensive wine you’re the one that brings it to them, you’re able to deliver a higher level of service both in knowledge and also the small things to help the wine that they order present itself in the best possible way.

What’s your favourite right now?

Fort Berens Winery, which is the first winery in Lillooet, and they’ve got great wine. It’s so hot there, it’s so sunny, it’s kind of like California meets France. I’d say Fort Berens right now.

Whether DeGroot finds himself surrounded by the ambience and the aromas of a rustic, southern European kitchen, or the bustling environment of activist work, one thing remains the same: his people-oriented philosophy.

THE CAPILANO COURIER VOLUME 49.5 ISSUE NO. 03

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SPORTS

BLUES KICK OFF TO A SCORCHING START Explosive offense and stalwart defense put the defending champs in a prime position James Tevlin

THE CAPILANO COURIER

VOLUME 49.5 ISSUE NO. 03

CONTRIBUTOR

Capilano Blues Men’s Soccer team is off to a hot start. The team holds a 4-0-1 record with 14 goals scored in its first five games. The offensive unit put together by head coach Paul Dailly is running on all cylinders and shows no signs of slowing down. According to forward Keith Jackson, the early success stems from Dailly’s implementation of a formation that plays to the team’s strengths. “We are playing in a 4-3-3 (four defenders, three midfielders, and three forwards). This formation allows us to spread the field on offense with two forwards out wide, but still maintain a presence in the middle.”

Beyond the new set, Jackson pointed out that this unit has a deadly combination of two important traits: size and speed. “Most defenses so far haven’t had enough speed to match us,” Jackson said. On top of their blistering speed, the Blues forwards also boast a size advantage against most opponents.

Forwards Jackson, Kristian Yli-Hietanen, and Salah Hawsawi all measure over six feet tall. These forwards are faster and taller than their opponents – combine the two and you get an explosiveness that is near impossible to outmaneuver.

However, in the wake of their early offensive success, Jackson thought that other units on the field haven’t been receiving enough credit. “Our offense gets a lot of attention, but our defense could easily be the strongest part of the field as well.” Jackson described the Blues defensive line as a diverse group where each member brings something different to the table. “Devan [Woolley] is a rock in the back. Nobody gets by him, and nobody beats him to balls in the air. Adam [Logan] is a workhorse, he never stops going,” Jackson said.

The team’s strong and sturdy centre backs are further amplified when considering the Blues’ outside defenders, a duo that bring in an entirely different dimension to the defense. “The Morellos, Nic and Daniel, provide us with an extra offensive threat, they help on rushes but they’re still able to hold down the line,”

Jackson said.

Intangibles and chemistry also play an important role in the team’s stout defense, as evidenced by the performance of the team’s four returning defensive players. For defender Nicolas Morello, the importance of returning players on the back line is immeasurable, “We know how to play together. We know how to play to each others strengths and weaknesses,” he said. “We don't have to find that chemistry that may come later to other teams. Its already there.” Moreover, Morello sees that the scoring mentality of the defensive unit has contributed to the early success of the offense. “We have a lot of attackminded players on our back line. Having the defense push up to those scoring areas gives us more of an advantage on the attack,” he explained.

In the past, the Blues have been haunted by slow starts, “The last three seasons we’ve started 0-4, 0-5,” Jackson said. As a result, the team made starting strong a focal point for off-season training.

“We worked so hard this summer. We worked hard in August and definitely deserve this good start.”

The Blues’ early success is a by-product of hard work and determination, but for Jackson, there is still plenty of room for improvement. “Yeah, we have done a good job of creating chances, but we’ve missed too many. We have six goals so far but we really should have ten,” he stated. Furthermore, Jackson pointed out one more area that the team has been struggling with – composure. “We have to stay disciplined. Drawing foul cards can be an issue in CCAA [Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association], so we have to do a better job at staying composed.”

Keeping these development areas in mind, the Blues plan to maintain their success through the latter stages of the season. If the Blues are able to keep up their momentum, they will want to win games early so they can rest key players and play their younger players. That will give the newer players valuable experience – experience that might make the difference during the end of the season, and even the postseason.

The Blues have areas to improve on, but their unparalleled ability to run and score keeps them in the discussion as one of the best offensive units in the league – if not the best unit.

The Blues play their next game on Saturday, Oct. 1 against the VIU Mariners, after winning their matchup against the Langara Falcons 4-0 on Saturday, Sept. 24.

— PAUL YATES

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ROOKIE BLUE: ARIN MCILDOON SETS OUT TO BE DIFFERENCE MAKER FROM THE MIDFIELD Carlo Javier MANAGING EDITOR

The Blues play their next game on Saturday, Oct. 1 against the VIU Mariners, after losing their matchup against the Langara Falcons 2-0 on Saturday, Sept. 24.

THE CAPILANO COURIER

Early this year, the Capilano Blues women’s soccer team found themselves in a 1-0 hole against the Langara Falcons. A loss in just the second game of the young season wouldn’t deal a debilitating blow, but for a team that’s hungry to start well and put last season’s sour memories away, a loss would be like a punch to the gut.

Despite the overtime clock rapidly waning and the realization of an early loss becoming clearer with each pass, the Blues never wavered. Led by a late goal by rookie midfielder Arin McIldoon, the Blues managed to steal a tie and avoid an early loss — a trend that continued weeks on as they also wound up finishing with a tie against the VIU Mariners and the Douglass College Royals, respectively.

The Blues currently stand with a 1-13 record, and one of the key pieces to the team’s start has been the play of McIldoon.

Though McIldoon has been playing soccer for 12 years, it was early in her career when she realized just how far she could go in soccer. “I think I was around 8 or 10 years old when [exWhitecaps player] Sarah Maglio, she called me up when I was out of the baby play, and I was on this academy team and I was always told that I was going to make it pretty far,” she said.

Prior to the start of the season, head coach Dennis Kindel told the North Shore News that despite being a rookie, he expects McIldoon to be one of the players who can make an immediate impact to the team, particularly with her play in the central midfield. Part of what makes her a terrific first-yearplayer for the team is her ability to contribute on both ends of the field. “I think it’s important for me to be both [offensive and defensive],” she said.

“All the time I have to get back behind the ball, like when were getting a counter and every single time when we’re going up I have to be back up there as well, so I think it’s important

for me to be fit enough to do that.”

The transition to the collegiate level, however, took more than just talent and skill. McIldoon had to prepare to adapt to a new standard of competition. “It’s a lot different because I’m now playing against girls who are four years older than me so I’m really focused on getting my strength up,” she said. “You can’t be pushed around on the field so I’ve really focused on getting stronger.”

Preparation and scheduling has also helped her transition smoothly into a full-time collegiate student-athlete.

Currently in the general arts and sciences program, McIldoon found that the biggest struggle she’s faced so far is the distance from her home in Coquitlam to Capilano University.

As for her place in the team, the expectation and pressure that was immediately placed on her only provided more motivation to be even better. McIldoon worked to claim a starting spot as a rookie, and she’s not looking to relinquish this spot any time soon. “My expectations? Just to not come off playing,” she said. “I feel like if I come off then I’ve done something bad, so just staying on the field and working hard.”

Passionate might be the best word to use when describing McIldoon’s play on the field. She describes herself as an aggressive player, one that takes it to heart when other girls beat her to the ball. “I work so hard all the time, I’m panting the whole game,” she said.

Though still a rookie, McIldoon is ready to help push the Blues past the tribulations of last season, and finally reclaim their spot in the playoffs.

— PAUL YATES

VOLUME 49.5 ISSUE NO. 03

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Christine Beyleveldt CAMPUS LIFE EDITOR

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— MEGAN COLLINSON

THE CAPILANO COURIER

VOLUME 49.5 ISSUE NO. 03

With so much controversy surrounding the Syrian crisis that has captured the attention of the world, never before has society been so unsure about the repercussions of welcoming thousands of refugees. Any time there is a large group of displaced peoples, it’s considered natural to wonder where they will go and how they will adapt to a new culture.

The Middle East is at the very heart of a diverse group of cultures where the east meets west. The region has been plagued by war and strife for decades, but only recently as more people have retreated from the conflict have western cultures considered the impact of true multiculturalism.

“As anti-foreigner sentiments escalate in some quarters, it is important to recognize the positive contributions that refugees and migrants make to the societies in which they live and also honour core European values: protecting lives, upholding human rights and promoting tolerance and diversity,” António Guterres, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said in a Dec. 2015 report.

WAR TORN SYRIA

any of my books, I couldn’t bring anything.”

He was permitted to fly through Heathrow, but there was no accommodation for him in Canada, everything had been booked. He found a place to stay only hours before he left his home.

FINDING A PLACE TO THE LONG JOURNEY TO CALL HOME CANADA After his ordeal, Akkad made the decision to move forward. He always wanted to study animation, and noted that CapU had an excellent program.

The next obstacle was finding a route out of Syria. Due to the ongoing war, there were no embassies within the country and no international flights, so he made the trip to Beirut, Lebanon to put in his application. Each trip should’ve taken two hours, but having to stop on every military border turned it into a gruelling

go on if refugees were settled. “There should be a constant crisis or people should still be displaced for the war machine to keep feeding.” Most of the refugees who fled Syria never wanted to leave their homes in the first place.

They have been expelled from their country of origin and are still struggling to find acceptance wherever they go.

“Many [Syrians] love Canada and want to become Canadian and give back to it,” said Colby. “Many want to return to Syria one day to rebuild it, but none that I’ve met strive to be a refugee”. Refugee status is not an identity, she explained, it’s a temporary situation. “The main question right now is, at what point do Syrians get to stop being refugees and get to become ‘Canadians’ or even return to being ‘Syrians’,” she said. Only time will tell, but until that day comes, the best anyone can hope for is harmony between these diverse cultures.

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five-hour journey each time.

Akkad estimated that 90-95 per cent of cases for student visas or work permits get rejected. He reapplied twice after his first rejection, and travelled back and forth between Damascus and Beirut five or six times, making each journey with more documentation than the last. In the end he took a gamble. He paid his tuition before the embassy judged his case, and finally he was issued a student visa just five days before the start of the fall 2015 semester. It was risky, he admitted, but he felt that it would prove he was serious about studying in Canada. He told the officers about his hopes and his dream of opening an animation studio where he would produce meaningful storytelling that would appeal to the goodness of humanity.

Then he faced another host of problems. Syrians were not allowed to transit through Europe, so he had to find alternate means of getting to Canada without setting foot in Europe. “They probably declined me because they [thought] I [was] not actually coming here to study, I [was] coming here to make trouble, because sadly that’s how governments think these days,” he said.

“I totally understand why European countries don’t want you to transit through there because they would think the moment I put my foot [down] I would tear my passport and would apply for asylum.” Over one million migrants fled to Europe across the Mediterranean in 2015 alone, the highest number on record since the Balkan crises in the 1990s when conflict broke out in former Yugoslavia.

With no time to waste, Akkad said goodbye to his friends and family. “I had to leave so many of my things, I couldn’t bring

Phoebe Colby is a student at McGill University who provides English lessons to students attending Al Salam in Turkey, a school for refugees just twoand-a-half kilometres from the Syrian border. The school is run by a Montrealbased charity called the Syrian Kids Foundation, which offers humanitarian relief, education and psychological counselling among other services to refugees. Colby and her classmates work with students via Skype. Their aim is to help pupils pass TOEFL (test of English as a foreign language) exams so they can apply to schools in Canada.

“Canada, by and large, has been pretty welcoming,” said Colby. Under Stephen Harper’s regime, virtually no refugees were able to claim asylum in Canada, but when current Prime Minister Justin Trudeau came to office approximately a year ago, Canada adopted a new open door policy that saw 25,000 refugees resettled in various communities. She stressed that Islamophobia is alive and present in rural Quebec. Given that France has been devastated in recent years by some of the most deadly attacks on its soil since the Second World War; more Francophones are growing increasingly wary of the rising population of those of Middle Eastern descent.

Montreal already boasts a large Syrian population.

“The Syrian community itself is extremely welcoming to arriving Syrians, and actually [forms] a lot of their support infrastructure,” Colby noted. “Resettlement processes look super different across Canada depending on where [they are and] whether the refugee is privately sponsored or publicly sponsored.” Of the 25,000 resettlement cases Trudeau promised, 10,000 of those were sponsored privately. Private sponsors of refugees often adopt a family, and they are responsible for providing funds for travel, living expenses and emotional support for either one year or until they have become self-sufficient members of Canadian society. Publicly sponsored refugees are brought to Canada on the government’s watch, and provided with homestead and basic necessities as they become accustomed to their new lives.

The largest obstacle to the successful integration of Syrian migrants is the language barrier. Akkad already spoke English and some French, but many of the refugees approved by the UNHCR and the Liberal government have poor language skills. “To avoid ghettoization, the [government] has landed Syrians in spread out pockets across any given city. For Montreal, which has a well-established Syrian community, this means massive social and even almost geographical networking must take place from the mobilized Syrian community,” she said. In a community such as Lethbridge, Alberta, which does not have an already-established Syrian

or Arabic community, integration is dependent on the Canadian Lethbridge population.

There are those who don’t support the influx of asylum seekers. Akkad has encountered people who have spat on him, but he doesn’t care. “I’ve been through way worse,” he said. “I don’t care, I know who I am.” Though he admitted he was surprised that in general, he was greeted with warmth and kindness. “I really didn’t expect that so I was super lucky, I chose the right place.”

One common misconception is that migrants don’t want to assimilate.

Over one million people have crossed over into the west since the civil war began in 2011, and it has reached a state where Europeans have begun to fear the collapse of western civilization and culture. Approximately four to five per cent of European citizens are of the Muslim faith, a substantially small portion of the population, but it is enough for some to perceive it as a threat.

According to the UNHCR only half of those who crossed the Mediterranean in 2015 were fleeing the civil war in Syria.

Others came from Afghanistan and Iraq.

Many European governing bodies felt prompted to welcome the refugees with open arms while others closed their borders against the surge of migrants.

The administration that chose to open their borders have faced insurmountable backlash. German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s policies have been blamed for the rise in violent crime across the country, and French President Francois Hollande is struggling to keep his people united in the wake of several deadly terrorist attacks that have shaken the country to its core.

“The superpowers want to keep the war going on,” said Akkad. War wouldn’t

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Khaled Akkad is a bright young man who was born and raised in Syria.

He was happily living and studying in Damascus when his life changed dramatically. A year-and-a-half before he left his family behind to attend Capilano University in Sept. 2015, he and his father were both arrested and imprisoned in a torture camp – the modern equivalent of a death camp in Europe under the Nazi regime. Akkad and his father were arrested after a snitch tipped off the Syrian military about their controversial political beliefs, and a squad of armed men came to their family home to take them away. “If there is even a rumour you have any political opinion against the government, they will barge into your house and arrest everyone, and that’s what happened in my case,” he said.

The camps were seven stories below ground, and approximately 300 prisoners would be taken, stripped naked, and crammed like cattle into a tiny room where they couldn’t sit or lie down, so they slept standing on their feet. This was a terribly humiliating experience, intended to break down those trapped inside. Every day, officials would make a random selection and take someone away to be tortured. The screams of tortured prisoners would echo off the walls, chilling everyone inside the camp.

Everyone was kept in a constant state of suspense and paranoia. Four of five bodies were discarded every day – the filth got into their wounds causing infections and gangrene. “Usually whoever goes inside, within three weeks they die,” said Akkad. “In my case it was a miracle. I should have been dead. I was extremely lucky getting out.”

After three days of sleep deprivation, Akkad’s ears were ringing with the screams of those who had been taken before him. He was at last released, and a few days later he returned to bribe the camp officials for his father’s release.

There is always a chance of being stopped. “Your name is similar to someone else’s name, your face is similar to someone else’s face, or he just doesn’t like you, or he had a bad day or he has a quota.” He is prescribed a certain number of people he has to arrest on a military border. Military zones are set up all over the country, and those who are forced to flee across them are escaping the threat of being bombed, tortured, raped or murdered. At one point, Akkad’s university was bombed, killing at least 12 people and reducing the architecture department to rubble.

Others fled military conscription.

Akkad regarded conscription as a death sentence. Basic training would last only four short months, and after that Syria’s young men would be sent to the front lines, right into the eye of the storm where they were sure to be slaughtered.

“It’s more to humiliate you than to train you,” he explained. The effective strategy was to create a herd mentality, and send the country’s youth to their demise.

If the looming threat of slaughter didn’t drive families out of their homes, they were driven away by starvation.

A massive drought that began in 2006 encouraged more than a million Syrian farmers to migrate to the cities, leaving

the surrounding landscape barren. The state of the war economy has made it even more difficult for families to put food on the table. The Syrian pound depreciated approximately 90 per cent of its value in five years, now trading at a rate of over 500 pounds to the US dollar while wages have remained the same.

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FEATURES

— PAMELLA PINARD

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Milana Bucan CONTRIBUTOR

Who doesn’t want to live in downtown Vancouver? It’s the heart of the city, steps away from the beaches and the best spots in the summer while being just a short drive to the ski-slopes in the winter. Along with some of the best coffee shops to walk to and turn into your office for the day, there is undoubtedly a high demand for housing in the area.

It is not surprising that Vancouver ranks as one of the world’s top ten cities to live in. With its picturesque surroundings, a mosaic cultural society and a variety of outdoor activities to capture the hearts of the most adventurous, it is becoming the ‘it’ spot to have a place to call home. However, the soaring cost of owning or even renting any property in the downtown area isn’t possible for the majority of students. In fact, many people are looking for alternate housing not far from downtown, yet close enough to still be able to stick around for last call with friends.

According to a January article in the Financial Post, “Vancouver ranks [as the] third most unaffordable housing market in study, worse than New York and London.” In the article, Wendell Cox, owner/consultant of the US-based website Demographia.com, suggests that “a trend can be seen in Toronto too as limits to ground-level detached housing in favour of condominium living are creating a shortage of housing as people refuse to move into high-rises.”

Many are opting for a lifestyle living in a condo as opposed to in a detached home or basement suite. The problem will become greater in the future, where couples will not want to raise their

cheaper housing and moving further and further from urban centres, where newer communities are developing.

Other areas such East Vancouver, North Vancouver, Burnaby and Coquitlam are more affordable but add to the morning rush-hour commute.

East Vancouver, as the closest option to downtown, offers housing at lower cost when compared to downtown. With a more diverse demographic of people living in the area, it is not unusual to see two widely different worlds collide.

Home to Chinatown as well as some of the most rundown streets in all of Canada, the area was once inhabited by immigrants and today is full of hipsters and artsy souls roaming the streets.

Hidden away in the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood are Slickity Jim’s, Campagnolo Roma and the House of Dosas, to name a few, if you’re looking for Indian, Italian or just want to enjoy a home-cooked brunch that will satisfy your tastebuds. Some of the better known parks in the area are the New Brighton Park overlooking the North Shore Mountains with access to the beach and an outdoor pool. Another is Strathcona Park, a dog friendly greenspace with a skate park and kids' playground.

that with a bit of luck, it is possible to find affordability now and then — but it isn’t going to get easier. “The rates are increasing every year, while more and more people are coming to study and work in Vancouver,” she said.

Other suburban areas such as Burnaby, Coquitlam and even Langley are more affordable, but don’t offer the same lifestyle that millennials might be looking for. “For some, that just means moving out to areas that they have never been to and moving further from where they grew up,” said Goran Bucan, a local real estate developer. For many students, staying within budget and finding reasonable housing within those parameters takes careful planning and organization. If staying with parents is not an option until one finishes higher education, “the rest becomes a struggle to figure out economically,” he said.

Moving outward from Vancouver might just be the second best option. With easy access to public transportation, parks and shopping centres nearby, accommodation can be found at more affordable prices. However, “99 per cent of cheaper accommodations are mouldy basements located in the suburbs,” explains Usmanova. “Anywhere you search, it’s always very competitive, even though you have brilliant recommendations from previous landlords, it might not help at all.”

If moving out is the next big move, making a list of what you’re willing to give up in the name of cheaper rent will help you decide where to move to. For some people, living close to campus is an absolute must, while others will trade that in to be close to some nice bars and restaurants. Doing research and getting to know the different parts of metro Vancouver and what each municipality has to offer will narrow down your option, but this requires planning ahead and giving yourself enough time to learn about what each area has to offer. Moving will be stressful no matter what, but it’s worth putting in the time to find a place that’s right for you and your budget.

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Across the Lions Gate Bridge at the foot of the North Shore mountains is North Vancouver.

Easily accessible by a 15-minute Seabus ride from downtown Vancouver, it’s got the best of both worlds — that is, a short drive to the Ambleside beach, quick access to various skiing trails and endless hiking possibilities. With the revamped Park Royal Shopping Centre for the ultimate shopping experience, it’s got all the stores you want without the busy crowds. In this neighbourhood, housing can vary from house basement suites to newer condos, all depending on your budget. Trying to move to North Vancouver will require some compromises and a bit of luck as most of the affordable places are basement suites and are quite a ways away from the Seabus. Katrin Usmanova, a Communications student at Capilano University, knows the difficulties of finding decent housing at affordable prices all too well. “Nearly a year ago, I was looking for a new shared apartment in North Van, so I could be closer to school,” she said. “I spent one month searching for a place on Craigslist and eventually I was only able to see a few places and none of them were actually 'livable', except for the one I actually moved to.” Usmanova added

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THE CAPILANO COURIER

children on the top floor of a building with little green-space around them.

The bigger issue, however, is that foreign investors are buying property all over the Lower Mainland, increasing the market value and thus creating ghost neighbourhoods. This ongoing pattern is making it impossible for many first-time homebuyers to become homebuyers at all. More Vancouverites are opting for

@CAPILANOCOURIER

SHORTS BUZZ-WORTHY FALL TV SHOWS

MR. ROBOT

THE NIGHT OF

BALLERS

USA Network

HBO

HBO

Gabe Scorgie

Carlo Javier

Kevin Kapenda

FEATURES EDITOR

MANAGING EDITOR

NEWS EDITOR

Mr Robot: the show that everyone couldn’t stop talking about this summer, despite actually premiering a year before. Nobody is sure what it was that made people start watching the show, but we sure are glad we did. Set in Los Angeles, Mr. Robot focuses on Elliot Alderson, a young, anti-establishment computer hacker who struggles to keep touch on reality after a homeless man on a train introduces him to a group of underground hackers trying to bring capitalism to its knees. The first season focuses on Elliot’s drug abuse, mental instability and uncertainty towards commitment to something that could harm so many people.

Season two premiered on July 13, 2016, seemingly only weeks after people first started talking about the show, and it managed to live up to the lofty expectations that fans and the media set for it. Mr. Robot was also nominated for six Emmy’s this year, and Rami Malek went home with the Emmy for Best Lead Actor in a Drama for his unnerving portrayal of the doe-eyed, clinically depressed and paranoid Elliot. In a summer where it was hard to hear over people screaming about Stranger Things, Mr. Robot managed to find a voice of its own.

WHAT I’M MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS FALL:

THE CAPILANO COURIER

VOLUME 49.5 ISSUE NO. 03

Rick & Morty, Adult Swim Because sometimes you’ve gotta get schwifty.

Admittedly, this summer’s television landscape was overtaken by the craze surrounding Netflix’s Stranger Things, but make no mistakes, just because Stranger Things was all over your social media feed doesn’t make it the best show of the summer.

That title belongs to HBO’s eight-episode masterpiece, The Night Of. The story revolves around PakistaniAmerican college student Naz (beautifully played by rising actor/rapper Riz Ahmed). On his way to attend a party, Naz gets caught in a series of events that lead to him becoming the primary suspect of a brutal murder.

Throughout the miniseries, Naz finds himself in every utility role in a masterful crime operative drama. At one point he’s a puppyeyed victim of racial profiling, at another, he’s an adaptive member of a vicious prison that evolves for the sake of survival. He even finds himself in the position of the red herring.

Yet despite being the focal point of the story, Naz isn’t even the brightest light in The Night Of. Criminally overlooked and underrated actors like John Turturro and Michael K. Williams damn near own every scene they’re in, while Bill Camp, playing the by-the-book but conflicted detective, delivers what might be the most gravitating detective performance on television since Dominic West in The Wire.

On top of having the deepest roster on television, outside of Game Of Thrones, The Night Of also packed a wallop with the themes it tackled: the post-9/11 perception of Islam in America, the unforgiving criminal justice system and the barbarism that still persist in modern day prisons. You might come out one day, but you’ll never be the same again.

WHAT I’M MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS FALL: Atlanta, FX Created, written and produced by hip-hop’s foremost polymath, Donald Glover, Atlanta is already getting rave reviews and labels as the best show this fall. Not only does it take a deep, melancholic dive into black America, it also tackles rap music, LGBTQ issues and, as depicted in episode two in easily one of the year’s most poignant scenes: mental illness in less privileged areas. Do not miss this show.

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Television can get quite lonely when summer arrives. Aside from the lack of shows, there are basically no sports on the air until late August. Luckily for those who love both sports and television, HBO’s Ballers, starring Dwayne Johnson and notorious funny-man Rob Cordry, quenches both desires – it’s like the NFL season started two months early in July. Ballers brings our greatest suspicions and thoughts about professional athletes to life, with compelling story lines that make TMZ’s and Sporting News’ stories about players utterly tame and boring. In fact, Ballers is so realistic that fans banter for days online about the real-life athletes the characters are based on. The difficulties players have dealing with fame, relationships, entitled family members and rejection is on full display in the series. However, instead of reading about these cases online, in which players are constantly ridiculed for situations most will never be in, these stories are presented in ways that make you shed a more human light on the rising problem of athlete bankruptcy – something articles just can’t do.

As financial planners, Johnson’s and Cordry’s characters go through heaps and bounds trying to get athletes to save their money, shedding a much more positive but uncharacteristic light on the importance of advisors. Ballers will make you laugh, cry, wince and experience just about every other emotions people feel when you put yourself into shoes of any of the many relatable characters. Besides, with all of the show’s cameos, spanning from Golf to Tennis, Pro Football to Basketball, it’s safe to say the show had me at Jay Glazer.

WHAT I’M MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS FALL: Designated Survivor - ABC Canada’s best export before Trudeau is back on TV and ready to raise your blood pressure once again with an action-packed drama that combines the never boring dynamic of US politics and counterterrorism. As always with Kiefer Sutherland, the homeland is under siege, and he’s is tasked with protecting it, but unlike 24, he is now doing so from the oval office as president. Yes folks. That plot twist you were all dying to see in 24, has finally been realized in Designated Survivor. I can’t wait for it to take off.

CALENDAR

26 MONDAY

FIRST PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE EVERYWHERE 5:30 TO 8:30 PM / $ - FREE Who would’ve thought that the US Presidential Debate would feature hair icon Hillary Clinton and another hair icon in Donald Trump? This campaign season has arguably been the most social media-friendly one ever and the first debate is bound to produce some classic vines and memes — such is the state of American politics.

30 FRIDAY

TUESDAY

VOGUE THEATRE

VOGUE THEATRE

EPIC SUSHI/SAKE PAIRING BROADWAY INTERNATIONAL WINE SHOP 7 PM TO 9 PM / $70 Masayoshi is one of Vancouver’s premier sushi chefs, after all he did spend 10 years under the tutelage of the legendary Hidekazu Tojo in his famously (expensive) restaurant. This event pairs Masayoshi’s art-like cooking with two of Japan’s most exciting sake breweries.

I predict that in less than year, all of us will be accustomed to bearded, twenty-something, white dudes introducing themselves as a “sake sommelier” at parties.

8 PM / $30+

Kaytranada recently became the first black artist to win the prestigious Polaris Prize for his ultra funky record, 99.9%. That alone should be enough incentive to go see him live. If it’s not, well, here’s the thing. This guy managed to get the first solid music out of Craig David since like, “7 Days.” Fun fact: one in three Filipinos knows every word to “7 Days.” Trust me, I know.

01 SATURDAY RIO THEATRE

THE COMEDY MIX

VANCOUVER TACO CRAWL VARIOUS

6 PM TO 10 PM / $45+ I thought this was about a bunch of people crawling around the city while dressed up as tacos, but its much cooler. You get to run around having some of the finest tacos in the city. Finest being a stretch, considering I don’t see Tacofino or La Taqueria in the participating restaurant lists. Nonetheless, expect to see Andy Rice here.

BC HOP FEST

02 SUNDAY

PICASSO: THE ARTIST AND HIS MUSES VANCOUVER ART GALLERY

10 AM TO 9 PM / $22.85+ This is the last day of the well-received exhibit of art’s most famous playboy. It’s a visual undertaking of how several women played an integral role in the storied life of one of art’s most celebrated legends. The showing has also been hailed as the most significant exhibition of Picasso’s work ever held in Vancouver. I wonder why they didn’t just call this “The Life of Pablo.”

DJ SHADOW

THE ORPHEUM

COMMODORE BALLROOM

8 PM / $32.50+ DJ Shadow has been around for a while, but despite his longevity and history, he seems to have flown under the radar with the influx of DJs left and right. I wonder if these “pressplay-on-your-laptop-and-wave-your-hands-in-the-air” types of new DJs annoy him, like those top notch douche bros called The Chainsmokers. God, they’re the worst.

VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

THE CAPILANO COURIER

THURSDAY

ROGERS ARENA

4:30 PM / $35 TO A SMALL BANK LOAN This might as well be known as “Bandwagon Bowl.” Canada’s lone basketball team plays a meaningless preseason game against basketball’s new number one villain. Regular tickets to this go as high as $450, which is a bad sign considering they’re all sold out and are probably selling for three times that on Craigslist. These scalpers don’t even watch basketball.

LINDSEY STERLING 8 PM / $32.50+ I know a few things about Lindsey Sterling. One, she’s a pretty talented violinist. I know that because I’m a pretty talented eye for spotting talents on the violin. Two, she became a household name for her work with John Legend. Three, she’s our campus life editor’s favourite artist ever and she can’t wait to see her, omg.

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RAPTORS VS. WARRIORS

1893 COLE RD, ABBOTSFORD 1 PM / $33+ This is the second ever BC Hop Fest and as with any second iterations, this can be either really good, or well, suffer the sophomore slump. But it’s a fresh beer festival so there’s absolutely no reason the Hop Fest will disappoint. Beer tastings, farm tours, live entertainment and a presentation on “all things you can do with hops”? I’ll hop right on board.

8:30 PM / $8 The best things about every amateur night at any discipline is when people start laughing at the amateur for being, well, an amateur. That’s also the exact reason why so many amateur comedians, singers, dancers and slam poets have never even tried to perform in front of a genuine crowd. Wow that got autobiographical real quick.

WEDNESDAY

8 PM / $29+ In honour of the heartbreaking loss of one of music’s most iconic figures, the Cap Global Roots series is following up last year’s Rolling Stones tribute, Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out! with The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust. Featuring some of BC’s most celebrated musicians, be ready to take in a jam packed presentation and see how David Bowie became one of rock’s foremost legends.

KAYTRANADA

PRO/AM NIGHT AT THE COMEDY MIX

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KAY MEEK CENTRE

TA-KU 8 PM / $25+ Ta-Ku is a pretty talented producer who focuses primarily on hiphop and r&b tunes. He’s released some fine remixes for rappers like Childish Gambino and has collaborated with slick vocalists with JMSN. He’s pretty underrated with his beats and he’s also apparently a burgeoning hairdresser! He’ll be coming to Vogue with singer Wafia so this show is sure to bring the vibes.

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THE RISE AND FALL OF ZIGGY STARDUST

MULTIPLE LOCATIONS

MULTIPLE SCREENINGS DEPENDING ON DAY / $15+ The annual celebration of film in Vancouver is back! I’m not the biggest film buff, but looking at the line-up, there are definitely some eye-catching titles on this list: Demon, Miss Hokusai, Class Enemy!? What about this one: Pan’s Labyrinth? I feel like I’ve seen that one before.

QUEEN ELIZABETH PLAZA 6 PM TO 10:30 PM / $35+ There aren’t many things in this world better than a cornucopia of meats like crispy slices of pork belly, schnitzels and bratwursts. That’s more than enough reason to visit the annual Harvest Haus – if that can’t persuade you to celebrate German culture, then I don’t know what will.

LINDSEY STERLING

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HARVEST HAUS GRAND OPENING

OPINIONS

KAEPERNICK DISTRACTION BAILS NFL COMMISSIONER OUT

page out of the “patriot book”, while minimizing, ignoring, or in some cases, totally refuting the discrimination that players are speaking up about.

In years when fans were more receptive and players weren’t so adamant about wearing good-looking cleats, Roger Goodell and his muchvilified office wouldn’t have hesitated to fine Kaepernick and his gang of spoiled brats. Here’s the problem though. Being the smart capitalist he is, Goodell knows that no amount of fines dished out by him can exceed the millions that he and the NFL are in-line to save in player salaries, given the fan outrage

that’s being directed towards many African-American players right now.

Negative reactions to NFL players who are already massively underpaid for the risks they take and time they put in is only going to create an anti-labor sentiment among fans who don’t want to see primarily black players earn more, because well – they just don’t. This resentment, while bad for the players, is the best thing to happen to owners for some time. After all, when you get most of your fan base labelling the players as unpatriotic, race card playing brats, there’s no way these players can win a media war against the league’s white

owners and executives.

Race relations in America are reaching a boiling point and it seems that no arena, whether politics (hello, Trump), entertainment (“white” Oscars), civil society (BLM) and now sports, can remain distanced from these conversations. With the recent police killings of two black men, one in Tulsa, OK and Charlotte, NC, two cities marred by highly segregated pasts, it’s not like Kaepernick and his fellow athletes have nothing to complain about.

The NFL and its owners don’t want a soft cap or truly free market where players run the show and earn what they deserve. They want to preserve their existing compensation structure where an artificial amount of money is dangled in front of the players to fight amongst each other for.

With all the ways in which activists’ and critics’ of police brutality comments are being taken out of context, silently protesting America’s national anthem was probably thought to be great way to get a message across without being overlyscripted or cautious. Unfortunately, letting actions speak without words always gives your detractors room to define them for you, and define “white America” did.

African-American NFL players will need a long time to recover from this conflict, despite an outpour of support from alternative media and minority communities. This debacle will likely hurt NFL players in five years, when they renegotiate a new collective bargaining agreement with their stingy owners and steadfast commissioner. It’s just too bad that 10 years after their last agreement in 2011, fans may not be on their side, if racial tensions in the league, and the country, continue to deepen.

wondering why we need multiple-stall bathrooms to be all-gender-inclusive, consider how ridiculous it sounds when people say, “the gays are asking for too much.” Single-stall washrooms can serve as a safe space for queer, trans and non-binary folks, they are still seen as private spaces that separate and deem users “different.” An article published by the New Yorker earlier this year even connected the tradition of gender-segregated washrooms to the criminalization of homosexuality in a heteronormative world and condemnation of sexual behaviour.

Inclusivity isn’t supposed to be a matter of political correctness, it’s about basic decency and realizing that the legitimate fears of one group shouldn’t carry more weight than those of another group.

When the University of Victoria introduced gender-neutral washrooms in 2012, the National Post reported that the university was criticized for being “selfish and inconsiderate” by converting the washrooms “as a political statement at the expense of vulnerable women.”

Although this remark echoes one of the most commonly held concerns, it is problematic to think that de-segregated washrooms put women at higher risk of

being targeted by perverts and sexual predators.

The argument is dangerous in that it assumes rape will inevitably happen and that segregating washrooms by gender is actually a plausible way to avoid it. To perpetuate the idea that women are vulnerable and need to be hidden from the dangers of the world, as well as the unhealthy notion that men just “can’t control” their sexual desires, is just irresponsible. Neither ideas are true, nor do they effectively help create a world in which men, women and gender non-binary folks can respect each other’s bodies and peacefully co-exist.

Ultimately, they insinuate that women should be responsible for not putting themselves in situations that allow them to be subject to sexual assault, rather than demanding that people who choose to sexually assault others should actually be held accountable for their actions. Maybe if concerns about gender-neutral washrooms were directed towards advocating for accountability and transparency in sexual assault investigations, we’d have policies that ensure perpetrators would be reprimanded. Instead of separating by gender “to protect,” perhaps campuses could teach that there are

many acceptable ways for one to identify and express their gender.

This type of assault can and does occur among every gender – why not work towards the de-stigmatization of survivors speaking out against sexual violence, rather than pitting the interests of one group against another? Those who are genuinely concerned about the safety and wellbeing of women and all sexual assault survivors on campus would understand that gendered violence is motivated by the very same toxic ideas that hurt and endanger trans and non-binary folks.

This is not about putting one group of students’ safety above another’s.

The phenomenon of gender-segregated washrooms is an antiquated practice from the Victorian era, and yet, sexual assault still happens. If you have multiple groups of students who don’t feel safe on campus, keeping things the way they’ve always been isn’t going to make things safer for anybody – you will still have groups of people who don’t feel safe, only now they are being divided in a way that doesn’t allow for them to be supportive of each other.

Gender-inclusive washrooms are not only for transgender, non-binary and queer folks, they are for all of us.

Backlash to recent protests will impact players’ wages and rights in future Kevin Kapenda OPINIONS EDITOR

If you’re still wondering why the NFL’s archaic commissioner hasn’t suspended Colin Kaepernick and other stars for kneeling in protest during the national anthem, you’d best move on. The NFL, which has the emblematic stars and stripes featured in its logo, wouldn’t dare fine a few loudmouths for protesting serious issues, because they’ve got bigger fish to fry (like players wearing Yeezy cleats), right? Not quite.

The NFL couldn’t be happier with the response they’ve gotten from fans (primarily white Americans) regarding protests of the national anthem.

Plastered underneath protest-related articles are thousands of comments criticizing almost everything except the reasons why African-American players are protesting the anthem in the first place.

Rather than scrutinizing the issues that players are trying to call attention to in the public sphere, fans have instead jumped out at the AfricanAmerican players who are using their platform to protest widely-held notions of racial inequality, and unfair police treatment towards their community.

Insisting that they’re disrespecting their country, fellow citizens, capitalism and the currency that feeds them, fans and critics of the protesting players have torn just about every

AN ARGUMENT FOR GENDER-INCLUSIVE WASHROOMS Opposing forces shouldn’t pit marginalized groups against each other Jessica Lio

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VOLUME 49.5 ISSUE NO. 03

OPINIONS EDITOR

Another year, another attempt for on-campus groups to advocate for gender-inclusive (or gender-neutral) washrooms. Despite appeals to equity, public health and safety concerns related to transgender, non-binary and queer folks, there is still a lot of fear about what gender-neutral washrooms would mean for public spaces, including universities.

While the prevailing argument against these washrooms may come from a place of good intentions, the centuries-old norm of segregating washrooms by gender are anachronous and beneficial to nobody. Yes, Capilano University does already have all-gender, single-stall washrooms on campus. Why couldn’t that be enough? If you are

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TAKING A STAND AGAINST BULLYING Why a teamwork approach is the most helpful for young students Keara Farnan CONTRIBUTOR

Bullying is a serious issue and should not be taken lightly. Many young children experience bullying early on in elementary school, which may follow them through high school as well. Often, young adolescents especially don’t even realize the effect of what they say, or that their words can be hurtful towards other individuals. When teasing and taunting get out of hand, parents, teachers, and counsellors should step in and help solve the problem.

According to an article published by

VOLUNTEERING TO SAVE THE WORLD Are your efforts abroad really making a positive impact?

Jacob Muir CONTRIBUTOR

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the Globe and Mail, “What to do if your child is being bullied at school”, bullies like to target the “social misfits” who are lonely and have no friends. Often times, bullies are the popular kids. Those who believe that they are more superior to others may, consequently, try to control and manipulate those who cannot stand up for themselves. However, this is certainly no reason for kids to pick on one another. Students come to school to learn and have fun (in a safe environment), not to be tormented by their classmates.

It’s no wonder children cling to their parents or refuse to go to school — they are scared of being constantly teased.

Although some parents believe that it’s best to let kids figure out how to deal with bullying on their own, the reality is that many kids are not mentally or socially prepared to do so. If kids aren’t educated on bullying early in life, their situation may get progressively worse. School can feel like a battlefield sometimes, leading the shy and timid

students to take the most precaution.

Bullies prey on the weak, therefore they are more likely to get a reaction out of these students as opposed to a popular kid who is surrounded by their posse.

Without parent intervention, kids may not know to look for safety in numbers or be able to comprehend why they are being individually targeted.

Teachers and counsellors should also intervene in these situations. With the help of parents and educators, kids can learn to form friendships and alliances with others, making it harder for a bully to single one person out. If a bully begins attacking someone, they’ll have “bodyguards” to back them up. Better yet, there will be witnesses to help when seeking a teacher’s assistance.

In order to stop bullying, parents and educators should actively teach students coping strategies. No one likes to experience bullying, especially at a vulnerable stage in their life — when kids are growing up and going through

hormonal changes. Even though bullies may appear to be strong and macho, inside they are probably hurting, and feel a need to take out their frustration on other people. If bullies really stopped to think about what they were doing, perhaps they would be able to realize how their words and actions have a negative effect on those around them. Sometimes people get too caught up in their personal lives— they don’t think about other individuals.

If parents want to teach their kids to be more inclusive, they should challenge them to be more empathetic towards their peers and consider the way their actions or words will make others feel. Everything that you say or do is a reflection of who you are, therefore teaching kids that how they behave towards others is a choice that they make will allow them to better understand the consequences of their actions.

Bullying can be prevented. All it takes is teamwork and good communication between adults and children.

to hire qualified, local workers to tear everything down once the volunteers leave and build some functional houses.

By this point, you probably already know (and feel bad knowing) that orphans were mentioned for a reason. Reports of for-profit orphanages that generate profit from volunteers are not even as sad as the fact that the children are often not actually orphans, but rather children whose parents couldn’t afford to keep or care for. In fact, their parents often visit them.

What both these examples show is that often what is really needed is money.

Think about how many houses could be built or how many “orphans” could go home if they were given the equivalent of the cost of the airfare it took to get there instead of the couple hundred that the volunteers forked up to stay there.

This is not to say that volunteering is bad, but rather quite the opposite. Most volunteering is good, however it should not be led by blind faith. If you’re thinking about “voluntouring” yourself, make sure you think about the impact you’re leaving. This means giving consideration to what it would cost for your host to feed you, the duration of your stay and your actual qualifications for the job. Think of all the English “teachers” working with kids in Nepal for two weeks at a time, teaching them the alphabet yet again.

What do you really have to offer?

As a young person, you probably can’t offer much more than your labour. As incredibly valuable as this may be, make sure that you are actually going to be giving more than you get.

If you are thinking of volunteering to actually have a positive impact, refer to the phrase “Think global, act local.” It is beneficial to look abroad to see what the impacts of local actions have on the world, or to see what people in other places are doing to solve problems similar to those in your own community. It can give you a good idea of what is needed in your community, or at least put you in a position to find out. However, you most likely don’t know what people in another country need.

Many local organizations are in need of volunteer labour as well. Maybe it’s something mundane like handing

out flyers or tending to a registration table, but it’s often essential to help an organization run smoothly, and you don’t have to worry about taking more than you give.

So get out there and make the world

a better place. Find out what’s needed — it could be abroad, but there’s lots to do locally as well. Build those trails, clean up those beaches, walk those dogs at the shelter. But please, make sure your impact is a positive one.

THE CAPILANO COURIER

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Volunteering is a noble endeavour.

Whether you want to build some trails, feed the homeless or take care of some orphans in Malawi, volunteering can help strengthen our society and our world.

These good deeds are well worth the effort. However, in the age of Instagram and poverty porn, sometimes we need to take a dose of the age old wisdom of “everything in moderation.”

It seems like there are a million opportunities to volunteer overseas these days. Perhaps you even have a friend who went and it “totally changed their life” and now they can’t stop telling you how hard things are for people in Africa — as you go out for drinks late into the night without having to worry about getting home. Or maybe they humble-brag to you about how they were helped far more than they could ever help (which is truer than they think).

Voluntourism is a growing sector where rich people travel abroad, and as part of their stay in a country, do some volunteer work. The work is usually Insta-worthy stuff like building houses for the poor or tending to those orphans in Malawi. Volunteers will often pay a host organization for the opportunity to help out, which usually covers room and board.

Here’s the problem: the host organizations are incentivized to bring in more rich folks, not because of their astounding volunteer service, but because they’re willing to pay to do it.

This can wreak havoc on good intentions.

For example, many home-building projects in central America will bring in unqualified volunteers (that’s right, even in central America it takes skills to build a house) and then use the proceeds

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COLUMNS

Max Ley COLUMNIST

THE CAPILANO COURIER

VOLUME 49.5 ISSUE NO. 03

CHEF BOYARDEE + 2014 MONTE TONDO CORVINA VENETO

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Somewhere out there exists a grand hall.

It’s a beautiful and ornate building with buttresses, arches and various other luxurious descriptors that I'm sure you brilliant art history students could fill in for me. It’s a special place that’s been around since time immemorial. It’s the Hall of Student Foods filled with cheap, filling and goods with questionable health benefits.

One of the kings of this hall is none other than the classic canned goodness of Chef Boyardee’s Ravioli. These cans are full of tomato sauce-coated stuffed pasta squares that have become one of the great symbols of easy student meals, resting in the same realm as instant noodles and Hot Pockets. They’re good – sinfully good. Or, as my partner Victoria “punnily” chimed in, “More like, Chef Boy-Are-Dees good!”

The wine I chose to pair with the ravioli is a favourite of mine. The 2014 Monte Tondo Corvina Veneto is an awesome Italian red that just kills at $16.99. Corvina is one of the star grapes of the Veneto region in north-eastern Italy, often blended with other grapes to make the deliciously fruity wines of Valpolicella.

However, Corvina is most famous for its starring role in Amarone. Amarone is often known as one of the “Kings” of wine. The grapes are dried in the sun for an extended period of time and once made into wine, it creates a decadent, juicy and alcohol-heavy dry red. The Corvina has all kinds of depth of flavour.

The nose is redolent of vanilla and cedar, with hefty aromas of blackberries. It has a medium to full mouth feel, tons of dark cherries, plenty of acidity, moderate but well-integrated tannins and a long lingering finish. It’s an elegant wine, full of great possibilities for pairing with food, but easily sippable over the course of an evening. Most importantly, how did the wine pair up with this salty sweet can of pasta?

Chef Boyardee, much like many other

types of popular canned foods, contains vague approximations of flavours like tomato sauce, beef and pasta. The sauce is tomato...ish. It's very dense, saltheavy and bears a sweet element that totally negates any acidity or character you’d normally expect from tomatoes.

The beef filling adds a little savoury kick, and the pasta adds a slightly starchy note that helps ground the dish.

The wine, although delicious, proved to be just a touch too much in the acidity department for the ravioli. This is an interesting issue to have, as a good balance of acidity is usually great to pair with big, dense foods where the acidity can just slice through and bring up the flavours of the dish. However, this is an instance where the food just needed to have a bit more “oomph” of flavour to match the wine.

The wine, being pretty bright and acidic, cut through the sauce and stomped all over it with the initial few bites. This improved after a while as the wine had a chance to open up and mellow out. At this point, the best element of the pairing had to be the sweeter nature of the wine, the vanilla and cedar notes, put up against the pseudo-sweet tomato of the sauce. It worked. It wasn't perfect seeing as the wine had to mellow out a bit, but it did work. The bright fruit flavours did help to lighten up the ravioli, and I think if this wine were a few years older it would have helped to mellow out some of the acidity and would have been an even more perfect pairing.

If I were to do anything differently, I'd probably pair this dish with a deep red from California where the sweeter flavours could be more prominent and a bit easier to integrate with the Boyardee tomato sauce.

Although this pairing wasn't absolutely spot-on, I would definitely recommend trying it. One of my favourite parts of doing this column is introducing these pretty classy wines to such simple and affordable foods. A beautiful Italian drinking red paired up with a steaming bowl of canned ravioli is almost too perfect.

For more, follow Max on Twitter and Instagram @sipsiphurray

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THE UNLEARNED SOCIETY A short history of mandatory schooling Lars Henrik Ahlstrom COLUMNIST

“I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.”

Mark Twain It seems foolish to argue negatively about the reach of public education. We need only think back a couple of hundred years when most of the population was illiterate and doomed to a lifetime of manual labour in farming, a craft, or at the dawn of industrialization, in a coal mine or a factory... We credit universal education with bringing us out of a dark age, giving us literacy, freedom and knowledge to surmount any difficulties that may arise.

A closer look at the history, however, shows that governments' intentions with universal education weren't purely benevolent. The rise of public education occurred hand in hand with the rise of nation-states. And nation-states, drawing imaginary borders around multiple ethnicities, languages and cultures, really needed to find equalizers: a common religion, a common language, a common enemy, a common sport... Seeing children as blank slates, impressionable to whatever ideas were to be fed to them, states began to see universal education as a powerful tool in the creation of loyal, useful and hopefully harmonious citizens within their borders.

The rise of basic public education in North America, in 17th century New England, was an effort driven by the Puritan church to stall all ideologies that posed a threat to its rule. The main purpose was to teach children how to read, so they could read the Bible and understand the laws of the land. All across the North American colonies, as

REIGN VANCOUVER Building Qmunity in Vancouver Marissa Del Mistro COLUMNIST

/CAPILANOCOURIER

homes by government officials and placed in a “proper” school. Giving children a halfhearted gift, one they mustn't dare refuse, government gave birth to a new crime: truancy. And its implications continue to affect children and parents to this day.

Admittedly, things have changed quite a bit since colonial times. For the most part, we have succeeded in separating church from school, and we have come to embrace the blanket term “liberal arts education” to define our system, allowing a wide variety of topics

parents and masters of apprentices to legally provide basic literacy and numeracy to children, under the threat that otherwise children might be removed from their

to be taught in order to provide a wellrounded education and a modicum of choice – even though the programs are still vastly controlled and restricted

by governments, and very inflexible to divergences suggested by either teachers or students. Those whose learning abilities that do not match those of the “majority,” and who choose to skip school because they are convinced that it's not working for them, are also often punished unless they obtain an official diagnosis for “special treatment” (a benefit always very vaguely defined).

Truancy laws continue to be punitive towards those in society who are already victimized. Families plagued by bad mortgages, debt, stagnant wages, lack of health care... are yet again victimized.

Truancy laws and education policy need to evolve in order to address this deep irony: that education is supposed to provide all with the guarantee of a better future, safe from scarcity, but should a life of scarcity prevent you from keeping perfect attendance, you will be further punished.

Truancy laws do not significantly improve school attendance or grade attainment, do nothing to address the budget shortages that schools increasingly face and only serve to perpetuate and accentuate the cultural and economic inequalities that education is supposed to help combat. Truants are created mostly by undiagnosed or mistreated learning disabilities, fear of bullying, mental health issues, and family issues – not by juvenile delinquent behaviour that needs to be criminally punished.

Our current laws are a poison to the myth of equal opportunity we profess to support, and an arrogant marginalization of millions of people whose health and learning capabilities are curtailed by a crumbling welfare state, coupled with the fear-fuelled, force-fed and restrictive punitive methods that define official schooling.

Truants, either by choice or necessity, are not proto-criminals. Like “wellbehaved,” “law-abiding” children, they are worthy citizens with unfulfilled passions, curiosities and potentials.

We shouldn't want to kill anything in the child. Only through indulging those passions freely and responsibly, with or without formal academia, can we be truly educated.

Rowe, a new addition to Qmunity, acting as the executive director. Rowe began the interview with a discussion on preferred pronouns, describing their preference as “they or them” – an important discussion Rowe hopes to normalize for everyone. Despite their soft-spoken, peaceful demeanour, Rowe’s passion was resonant with each word. Having an extensive educational background, Rowe drove the importance of the education programming that Qmunity provides, “We all come with our own frame of reference, our own lived experiences.

Sometimes, we can think that’s all there is in the world.”

Striving to provide resources in order to expand one’s point of reference, Qmunity hopes to create opportunities that recognize and understand the diversity and wide range of experiences that individuals have. Knowledge develops the openness for people to see the world in a way that they may not have had the chance to before.

Intersectionality is significant. Rowe described the theory as a “key point of

knowledge acquisition.” Identifying that each individual’s diverse background – which includes race, social class, disability, gender identity or sexual orientation – impacts one’s lived experiences. Qmunity strives to remain aware of these complexities that impact individuals in order, as Rowe described, “to provide the most holistic support and services.” There isn’t a flawless answer – it’s a continuous and interchanging journey toward understanding the complexities that impact everyone.

Everyone includes our aging population.

Seniors in the LGBTQ2S+ community are facing tremendous barriers right now.

Those individuals, who came out in the 50s and 60s and who fought for many of the opportunities present today, are facing great isolation. Some are moving into care facilities and treatment homes and are unable to reveal their true identity for safety or inclusiveness reasons. Moreover, some without blood family relations are facing lack of support. Qmunity strives to recognize this and help support these individuals.

There are over 100 active volunteers that help run Qmunity. As a not-forprofit organization, volunteers are highly regarded and always welcomed. Those in allyship to the LGBTQ2S+ community are regarded by CJ as “champions.”

They can be the difference when there is nobody within the community to speak up for them. It’s a powerful role and creates a louder and more powerful voice.

Individuals of all ages, backgrounds and identities are welcome to explore the extensive programming Qmunity offers. Rowe insisted that the nerves accompanying the first visit to a program are worthwhile and beneficial. Everyone will be welcomed.

“I would like folks to know: we are not post-queer. We have not achieved full equality,” Rowe said. “In fact, I think that we are at point right now that we are actually seeing more barriers. So, my challenge to the folks [of Vancouver and British Columbia] is: how can you help us to move and grow?”

We can all prosper from a more inclusive Vancouver.

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settlers continued to conquer land from Indigenous people, residential schools were also created and enforced for a very explicit purpose: to kill the Indian in the child. Likewise, compulsory universal education was not instituted to bring freedom, literacy and knowledge to all.

Maybe it did bring a bit of those things, but its main purpose was to kill the immigrant in the child, the “wrong” religion in the child, the communist, socialist and anarchist in the child.

The law of 1642 in Massachusetts forced

THE CAPILANO COURIER

As I walked up the 23 steps of Qmunity, I was greeted by a smiling gentleman who welcomed me to their office, which is settled in the heart of the West End. Qmunity’s doors are open to serve as a reminder to queer, trans and Two-Spirit communities that you are not alone.

Qmunity has been providing resources and services for trans, queer and TwoSpirit individuals across BC since 1979, with no end in sight. Primarily based in Vancouver, there is a large focus on providing assistance and outreach to smaller, more rural communities in BC. It’s a safe place for diverse communities to come together, support and celebrate one another.

The Capilano Courier met with CJ

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OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL NO Don’t bite off more than you can Charleston Chew Fred Ulrich Jr. COLUMNIST

We Canadians often make the mistake of imagining “America” as being a single big homogenous melting pot of guns, freedom eagles and medical bankruptcy.

We make sweeping generalizations about what we perceive their culture to be, while forgetting that the good ol’ US of A is in fact a patchwork of countless distinct and varied cultures, all of which I could probably say something uniquely terrible about. Today, I’m going to skip over the A-list cities to focus on a particular corner of America that you may not have previously given much though to: Charleston, South Carolina.

Before I really rip into this place, let me start by saying that South Carolina

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does have some pretty good things going for it. Their barbecue is unlike anything else, and the people are super friendly.

That’s really all I can remember, because the humidity turned my brain into porridge within the first half hour.

I thought I was just feeling slow and heavy because of the thick moist air, but then I realized I was actually heavy with the weight of all the water that had been absorbed by my clothes. Hope you enjoy having a massive sweat stain perpetually situated on your everything.

There was no escaping the endless state of swamp-ass, you must become one with the soupiness.

I figured I couldn’t be any wetter if it were actually raining, but then South Carolina gave me a lesson on what’s what. We Vancouverites like to think we know a thing or two about rain, but that’s like Jon Snow thinking he knows a thing or two about anything. We’ve actually never seen rain before, not really. Those subtropical downpours are easily enough to make you believe in both the story of Noah’s Ark and the sudden need to build

a second one right now.

Between the rain and the humidity and the constant barbecue sauce stains, you’d think that the official attire would just be to wander around naked all the time and let nature take care of the details. Yet somehow this place is quite dressed up. In fact, my buddy and I tried to go catch a jazz show at a downtown restaurant one sweltering evening and were denied entrance because we weren’t dressed up enough. Who the fuck is dressing up in this hot soupy hell?

Here I was, barely managing to tolerate some baggy shorts to cover my dripping wet underwear and thinking that’s the epitome of class given the circumstances, and this place was full of dudes in sharp suits and ladies in classy gowns.

Not easily dissuaded, we wandered through the downtown until we found a more humble-looking spot with a sandwich board out front advertising “live jazz tonight!” “Are they good?” we pointed at the sign while asking the man seated outside the bar. “Yeah, they’re real good.” the nice man replied. The

nice man lied.

The band was a trio with a pitchy singer/keyboardist, a screechy saxophonist unnecessarily amplified to stadium volume in our intimate room and a drummer who looked like he showed up for the wrong gig but decided to just go with it since he already had his eight toms, double-kick and shield screen set up. They butchered songs by Steve Miller and Stevie Wonder to a near-empty room while we tried our best to not be visibly distraught. Our only other company was most definitely a drug dealer, given the frequent visits made by the bartender to covertly hand him cash after each time a new person from the street would make a quick stop at the bar without buying a drink. It was not a good time.

a more articulate and intelligent insult than “lick my butt.”

This isn’t the first time this specific teacher has been in hot water for her actions in the classroom. In 2015, Green-Johnson was suspended after allegedly slapping a male student and telling him to “grow some balls.” While the article doesn’t reveal the age of the male student, if he was anywhere near the puberty stage, then that is probably exactly what he was trying to do.

Along with this, the Brantford Expositor reported that Green-Johnson openly admitted to hurling other

vulgarities at her beloved students, specifically “stupid idiots, gay and a bitch.” After seeing one male student piggy-backing a classmate, she asked, “So you like it from behind?” This lady’s vulgarity matches Andrew-Dice Clay, and people protested when he hosted Saturday Night Live in the 90s.

The other causality of this story — the first, of course, being the intelligence level of this “teacher” — is the reputation of the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT), the institution that governs and authorizes teachers in Ontario. Despite offences that date back to 2011, the OCT

keeps allowing Green-Johnson in the classroom. For this latest offence, she’s only suspended for one month, and while it is without pay, this situation begs the question: what would a teacher have to say to a student to actually get fired?

So no matter how shitty your week is going or how much you dislike your English professor, keep two things in mind: first, your teacher hasn’t asked you to lick them where they fart, because they’re not disgusting. Secondly, and probably most important, you will always be able to conjure up a better insult than asking someone to lick your asshole.

Fred’s local substitute: Wear a suit in a steam room, then take a tepid shower while still dressed. Repeat. While still wet, go to an amateur jam night at a super scuzzy bar and eat barbecue while trying not to make eye contact with the drug dealer.

NEWS TO MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD Don’t lick anyone where they fart Leah Scheitel

THE CAPILANO COURIER

VOLUME 49.5 ISSUE NO. 03

COLUMNIST

Now that the semester is three weeks old and you are getting used to your classes, I bet you’ve formed some opinions about your teachers. There are always the ones that talk with their back to the class so you can barely piece together what they’re saying, while some others give you their entire credentials on the first day, making them seem to be too qualified to be just a professor. Sure as shit, there are some professors that some of you won’t get along with, and that’s fine. That’s part of the university experience.

What isn’t fine, however, is a teacher asking you to “lick me where I fart.” Yet, one Ontario teacher still managed to do just that to one of her students. Jennifer Green-Johnson was suspended without pay for one month after asking one of her pupils, “why don’t you lick me where I fart?”

When I first read the story, I had to double-check if some farce news site had baited me, because I would rather that than actually be writing about this.

However, to my disdain, Metro reported the story, and it has been verified, making people question the ethics of Canadian teachers.

There are so many things wrong with this story. The most glaring is that a person, who we can assume has been professionally trained to mold young minds, is telling a student to lick her butt. Not only that, Green-Johnson is telling this to someone whom she is supposed to guide, teach and help prepare for the world outside of the school boundaries. Instead of imparting wisdom, she is doling out hints on what sex act she prefers most in the form of an insult. A four-year-old could make

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HUMOUR

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HOSTAGE SITUATION ROCKS BIRCH BUILDING AFTER GROUP PROJECT GOES ROGUE Students capture classmate upon failure to do his share of workload Gabriel Scorgie FEATURES EDITOR

The “I Just Got Paid” Playlist START PLAYLIST

Where Have You Been

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Party At A Rich Dude’s House

...

Hey Ladies

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Purple Lamborghini

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Started From the Bottom

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Straight to the Bank

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We Fly High

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Make It Rain

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C.R.E.A.M

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Return of the G

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A Christmas Fucking Miracle

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Leonard Cohen

Rihanna Kesha

Beastie Boys

Rick Ross

Drake

50 Cent

Jim Jones

Fat Joe

Wu Tang Clan

Outkast

Run the Jewels

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...

Brandon’s professors shared the same sentiment. “I’m really not surprised.

This was bound to catch up with him eventually,” said Ted Walker, a Communications professor who has taught Brandon for the past two years.

“In my two years of knowing him he’s had three relatives pass away, gotten every kind of illness imaginable and even had four pets get hit by cars. At some point you have to stop, examine the facts and come to the conclusion that he’s either the most unfortunate person on the planet or he’s full of shit.”

This is the first recorded incident of a hostage being taken on campus, with the closest comparable event being the riots surrounding the Great Coffee Shortage of 2010. People who have been watching the situation develop from outside the Blueshore Centre have been assured that Brandon is being given adequate provisions and is under no real danger.

“He has a battery charger for his laptop and we’re bringing him small Subway sandwiches with a bottle of water every two hours,” said Clemming.

Walker warned people that Brandon may still be down there for quite some time. “I can’t remember him ever really doing his work, so it could take him a very long time to actually do anything,” he said. The most recent update is that Brandon has started a GoFundMe page where people can donate paragraphs to his group project.

Brandon was still in captivity as of press time. For updates throughout the week, visit capilanocourier.com/humour.

THE CAPILANO COURIER

Hallelujah

NORTH VANCOUVER – What started as a routine third-year Communications project turned into a hostage situation at Capilano University after Brandon Lebowski failed to do his part of the assignment for the third time this semester. Brandon’s three partners, Steven Malik, Marcus Pruner and Peter Clemming, reportedly spotted Brandon on campus after he had earlier claimed to be too sick to work and locked him in the orchestra pit of the Blueshore Financial Centre for the Performing Arts, refusing to let him leave until his part of the project was finished.

“It was one of those serendipitous things, where the three of us were talking about how to save our project, and then there he was. We viewed it as an opportunity to teach him a lesson,” said Clemming. “Some may see this as an overreaction, but we wouldn’t have done this if it was the first or even second time — this is the third time he’s tried to get out of doing his part. He was even given the easiest job.”

Though Brandon himself was unable to comment on his predicament, family, friends and professors were willing to weigh in on the situation. “He really is quite brilliant at getting out of responsibilities,” said Marty Lebowski, Brandon’s brother. “He’ll act like something out of control happened, making his absence excusable. Once he pretended our uncle died so he could get a day off work because the lake had frozen over and he wanted to play hockey. We don’t even know our uncle.”

CABOOSE

HOROSCOPES

THINKING CAP

Q

IF YOUR BIRTHDAY IS THIS WEEK:

Congratulations, your parents have now forgotten more of your birthdays than they’ve remembered.

What’s your favourite thing about fall?

“I love the colour of the leaves.”

LIBRA (SEPT. 22 - OCT. 23):

ARIES (March 21 - April 19):

You’ll realize how bad your sex life is after a stranger bumping you on the street gets you

You’re in shape. A circle is a shape.

Nicole Cousin, third year business administration

far too aroused.

TAURUS (April 20 - May 20):

SCORPIO (OCT. 24 - NOV. 21):

Your three cats are the closest you’ll ever get to real love.

What the hell made you think that was okay to wear in public?

“Halloween.”

Camila Stankevicius, third year accounting

GEMINI (May 21 - June 20):

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22 - DEC. 21):

Everyone has their secrets, but it’s especially important you don’t tell anyone yours.

If reincarnation exists, have fun living your next life as an earwig.

CANCER (June 21 - July 22):

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22 - JAN. 19):

It’s just another week of failing at everything you attempt.

Apparently you can go a whole week without saying anything interesting.

“The best part of fall is when you’re walking on the leaves and you can hear them crush under your feet.”

Ekaterine Japardize, third year communicartions

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20 - FEB. 18):

LEO (July 23 - Aug. 22):

Only you can manage to be so stressed and so unproductive at the same time.

At least your mom still loves you.

VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept. 21):

PISCES (FEB. 19 - MARCH 20):

That 25 per cent tip you gave your waitress will definitely result in her falling madly in love with you.

Enjoy University while you can, it’s the only chance you get to be an alcoholic without scaring your friends and family.

“The outfits that I can pool. I suck at dressing myself in summer and in spring, but in fall and winter I get my A-game on.”

Beatriz Miralles, third year marketing

HUMANS OF CAPILANO TO ADVERTISE in the Courier’s pages, please contact us by phone at 778-855-9942 or email Andy Rice, our editor-in-chief, at capcourier@gmail.com.

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

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SUDOKU

THE CAPILANO COURIER

VOLUME 49.5 ISSUE NO. 03

Puzzle 1 (Hard, difficulty rating 0.75)

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9

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7 8

8 7

1 8 1 9

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4 2

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5 6

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Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/sudoku on Sat Sep 24 03:42:02 2016 GMT. Enjoy!

— DOMINIC GUIEB PHOTOS

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"I truly believe that positivity start from oneself. So when I am able to love myself and have that positive mentality, it will be contagious to others, too."