Capilano Courier | Vol. 49, Issue 21.

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MEET THE CANDIDATES

ORDER IN THE COURT

Capilano Students’ Union elections take place this week, Mar. 15 to 17 in the CSU Members’ Centre (LB195). Before you vote, learn about each candidate and their platform.

Capilano Blues women’s volleyball team capture bronze at provincial tournament while men struggle through a tough season. We’ve got the recap from coaches and players.

VOLUME 49 ISSUE 21 MARCH 14 - 20 | 2016

DANCE DANCE REVOLUTION

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C O NTE NTS

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Cover Art

Editor's Desk

News

Special Feature

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Cap You

Opinions

Columns

Caboose

CRISTIAN FOWLIE

WHO YOU: JESSICA MARTIN

THE STAFF Andy Rice EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

editor@capilanocourier.com Carlo Javier EXECUTIVE LIFESTYLE EDITOR

carlo.capcourier@gmail.com Therese Guieb

THIS IS HOW YOU GET ANTS…

BUSINESS STUDENT EXCEEDS AT NATIONAL COMPETITION

CLEARING THE AIR ON CAMPUS

THE MUTE BUTTON: MENTAL MINDFULNESS

COLUMNISTS Marissa Del Mistro Marissa is a recent graduate from Dalhousie University, where she studied international development and law. She’s new to the Vancouver life and is using much of her free time to master the ins and outs of the big city. She loves studying but also having not to study – so she loves to study for the joys of learning. Her column will shine a light on the victims of injustices and discrimination in modern society.

opinions.capcourier@gmail.com Gabriel Scorgie FEATURES EDITOR

specialfeatures.capcourier@gmail.com Christine Beyleveldt

Cristian Fowlie ART DIRECTOR

artdirector.capcourier@gmail.com

THE CAPILANO COURIER

VOLUME 49 ISSUE NO. 21

Syd Danger PRODUCTION MANAGER

COVER ART

Austin Legg ART

Megan Collinson ART

ART

Calvin DeGroot From an early age, Calvin deGroot has worked to perfect the art of freeform dance in the realm of sweaty nightclubs everywhere.

You can expect the same hard work, flexibility and dedication in his radical new column, Down to Earth. He’ll be discussing environmental issues and will be using the sensibilities of freeform dance to illustrate why these issues matter.

He’s one with nature.

Taeyeon Kim ART

Dominic Guieb PHOTOS

Graeme Findlay WORDS

CAMPUS CORRESPONDENT

reporter.capcourier@gmail.com

Cristian Fowlie

Taylor Lee

news@capilanocourier.com Kevin Kapenda

HUMANS OF CAPILANO

CONTRIBUTORS

EXECUTIVE NEWS EDITOR

OPINIONS EDITOR

WHY WE ENJOY BEING SCARED

Syd Danger Hailing from Tamriel, Syd Danger, the rogue Khajit, traversed many mountains and seas to deliver her columns to us. With her +3 lightning damage Sword of Duquesne and +4 speed Infinity Cloak, Syd fought off numerous wyverns and goblins that stood in her way. Her mission is to relay cheat codes and answers to FAQs presented by n00bs regarding all things nerd.

Keara Farnan WORDS

pm.capcourier@gmail.com Alva Tang COMMUNITY RELATIONS MANAGER

community.capcourier@gmail.com Tianyi Bao BUSINESS MANAGER

businessmanager.capcourier@gmail.com Brandon Kostinuk WEB COORDINATOR

web.capcourier@gmail.com 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.

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EDI TO R 'S D E SK This is how you get ants…

Andy Rice EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

line. I’ve tried lemon juice, cinnamon, peppermint, coffee grounds, cornmeal, vinegar and a concoction involving borax, water and sugar. I’ve tried stepdancing over their little bodies like an evil Michael Flatley. I’ve even tried bringing our empty pop cans to the Return-It depot more often than once a semester. (I thought the latter would work for sure!)

I know the ants are convinced we have food here, but trust me, if there was food in this office I would know about it — not to mention I would have eaten it long ago. Until I convince them otherwise, I’ve been told they’re going to keep showing up in droves. I’m honestly not sure we have the capacity to handle that. The shallow grave we made them under the photocopier is almost full. My only remaining solution is gasoline and a match — and we all know how that’s going to end.

The exact source of our insect immigration problem has yet to be found, though we’ve narrowed it down to an exterior door and a small hole between our office and that of the CSU administration next door. I’m sure it doesn’t help that our walls are painted the same sandy colour as an ant hill.

They probably feel right at home in here. The problem is, this isn’t their home — this is our home, and we all want to be able to take naps on the couch without waking up with an earful of insects.

If the Courier were a fraternity then ants would be our hazing ritual. Anyone who can survive a bug infestation this bad is surely fit to be an editor here.

And with only three issues remaining in the 2015/16 publication year, I think it’s safe to say I survived — our entire staff survived. You may even see me and a few others back here next year doing it all over again. But for now, I’m just holding out hope that I’ll walk in here one day and they’ll all be gone.

The ants, that is. Not the staff.

THE VOICEBOX with Carlo Javier

Where was my invite for the dive bar adventure?

Sorry. It was friends only.

I came to the story meeting last Tuesday, there was like… four articles on the board? What the fuck? You guys aren’t even pitching!

Yeah but did you pick something up?

So wait, why is Captain America fighting Iron Man in that movie? Does it have something to do about shawarma?

THE CAPILANO COURIER

For more information, visit Spoiler Alert on page 18.

I really liked that article you wrote about taxes and I wanted to send a copy over to my cousin in Manitoba but for some reason, YOUR WEBSITE ISN’T UPDATED! Thanks! You can either send your cousin a link of our issuu file online or you can send your angry email to web.capcourier@gmail.com

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.”

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VOLUME 49 ISSUE NO.21

“The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah,” goes the famous nursery rhyme. Sure, that seems acceptable. A few ants. Great. No problem. They can go ahead and march.

That’ll be fine. We can co-exist. We’re all adults here.

But then they start marching two by two. And three by three. And before you know it, they’re arriving in the double digits. Panic begins to set in. You suddenly realize your biggest test as a leader isn’t going to be balancing your budget or firing your dopey arts editor.

It’s going to be ants.

Every spring, the Courier gets a formicidae infestation like no other. It happens like clockwork, around the first week of March. You know it’s coming, but somehow you never feel quite prepared enough. In all the years that I’ve worked here, it’s been customary for the outgoing editor-in-chief to warn the incoming one about the problem.

Leah Scheitel did it for me, and I’ll do it for the next crazy bastard who wants my job. But there’s a big difference between “Okay, here’s what you do about the ants” and “Well, you’re going to love this. Have fun, and don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Sure enough, the ants moved in two weeks ago. I arrived at our Mar. 1 story meeting to find our executive news editor, Therese Guieb, trying to bludgeon them to death with a broom handle. By the time she was finished it looked like someone had dumped a large bag of brown rice on the ground, but she hadn’t even scratched the surface.

The ants have been steadily marching in here ever since. One crawled across my computer screen just a moment ago before quickly disappearing into my disk drive. I’m convinced there are more in there.

Without any vegans or tree-hugger types on staff to protest my use of pesticides, I went to Canadian Tire later that week and picked up a fistful of traps. Gleefully, I set them around the room, just as my Courier predecessors have done for decades before me. The damned things didn’t work. If anything, they made the ants bigger, crunchier and more plentiful than before, their exoskeletons glistening defiantly in the afternoon sun. I even double-checked the label to make sure I hadn’t purchased Miracle Grow by mistake. Alas, I had not. Either the folks at Raid forgot to add the poison to this particular batch or the queen is one hell of a picky eater.

I’m currently accepting any and all suggestions as to how to get rid of her and her colony once and for all. I’ve tried the trick where you draw a chalk

CSU ELECT ORAL CANDIDATES OF 2016-17 GET TO KNOW THE POTENTIAL LEADERS OF THE STUDENT BODY Therese Guieb

THE CAPILANO COURIER

VOLUME 49 ISSUE NO. 21

EXECUTIVE NEWS EDITOR

The Capilano Courier sat down with each of the Capilano Students’Union (CSU) electoral candidates to learn more about their platforms if elected for the 2016-17 academic year.

Here’s what they had to say:

VICE PRESIDENT OF EXTERNAL RELATIONS

VICE PRESIDENT OF INTERNAL RELATIONS

SACHA FABRY

KEVIN KHAMSEH

FARHOOD FADAGHI

AMINA EL MANTARI

I've had the pleasure of serving the Capilano Students’ Union for the last two years in another role as our vice president of university relations and services. In this role, I've been successful in building and maintaining good working relationships with all stakeholder groups throughout Capilano University and have used those relationships to further projects that support students. If elected to the position of vice president of external relations, I'll use those skills to leverage government on projects like student housing, support for post-secondary institutions and advocate for students’ interests.

My goals are as follows: Ensuring to enhance the awareness of the student body by working closely with others. Making sure that diversity will be put forward at the forefront of all various opportunities and activities that are available to CapU students. Listening and putting forward a very consultative platform in order to recognize the very real challenges that we are facing at CapU. Just like every student, I want a more affordable education, a stronger voice in the government, a compressive health care and of course a greener environment. These can only happen with your support and vote.

The students are my number one priority.

I will listen to what services you want on campus, evaluate its benefits, costs, and implement a strategy that can yield the most favourable outcome. I will personally examine all of previous years’ work to understand its criteria and deliver the greatest benefits to students. Furthermore, the opportunities Capilano has to offer made me want to establish a system where committees and faculties have appropriate operating budgets that support expansion as student involvement increases. Keep in mind that this position speaks for thousands. A vote for me is a vote for you!

I have three years of diverse Human Resources experience that spans start-ups and established organizations. My passions include inspiring students to participate in a study life where the diversity can flourish. Currently, I am the president of Capilano Human Resources Marketing Association (HRMA), and I've also been an active international mentor at the Centre for International Experience (CIE).

I believe student success starts by creating the right environment on campus through well-developed programs that support their schooling. I am committed to help my colleagues succeed and I will make a difference in our community at Capilano University.

VICE PRESIDENT OF STUDENT LIFE

VICE PRESIDENT OF UNIVERSITY RELATIONS AND SERVICES

GLOBAL AND COMMUNITY STUDIES REPRESENTATIVE

ACCESSIBILITY JUSTICE COORDINATOR

BEATRIZ MIRALLES

JULLIAN KOLSTEE

CARMINA TIOSECO

ALYSA HUPPLER-POLIAK

I have been involved for the past year with the CSU. Also I have been actively working with two CSU liaisons to create Diversity Week, happening this month. This event has taught me that perseverance and determination will get you anywhere.

Planning a four-day event is not an easy task, while being on a budget and under school work stress. If I get elected, I will be motivated to organize as many events as possible. I am an energetic person that will bring my 120 per cent this coming year.

The past two years as Accessibility Justice Coordinator have been a challenging and rewarding experience. I’ve learned about the CSU and Capilano, and grown into a more pragmatic and decisive student leader.

This position intends to communicate with the university on behalf of the CSU. While there will be several new administrators to work with next year, Sacha Fabry has built relationships with the University for two years and I intend to follow with the work that he has done. I will reach out to members for feedback on existing services and prioritize new services for the CSU.

I intend to listen, learn and understand what this position entails. I am very focused and will give my undivided attention to students. I will strive to improve and make the necessary changes on our campus. I would also like to represent the students of the Global and Community Studies faculty to voice their opinions and concerns for them. These are just some of the reasons why I believe that I will be a good fit for the position of Faculty Representative. I think that these instances are why you should vote ‘Yes’ for me on the ballot forms.

I am running because I see the importance of having a student and peer support system on campus to advocate for members of the accessibility service. I personally understand the challenges of navigating post-secondary education with a learning disability. I want to create a robust accessibility services department and be able to advocate for the department and its members at the university level. I also want to learn about what the needs of our membership is within accessibility service and cater to those needs through the creation of support groups, greater job opportunity, workshops, panels, networks and forums.

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POLLING TIMES AT LB 195

THE FOLLOWING CANDIDATES DIDN’T RESPOND IN TIME FOR PRESS DEADLINE:

MARCH 15: 9:30AM-5:00PM

MARISSA LESIRE - BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL STUDIES REPRESENTATIVE

MARCH 16: 9:30AM-6:00PM

KYLE LEGROW - GLOBAL AND COMMUNITY STUDIES FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE

MARCH 17: 9:30AM-4:00PM ARTS AND SCIENCES FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE

SARAH ROSE KLASSEN

GUR JASSAR

As an Arts and Sciences student myself I know that we are faced with some of the toughest courses in this university.

A vote for me is a vote for much needed help, a more communal experience and a better chance at achieving your dreams. If elected I am proposing a “Student Mentor Program” which will provide returning students with volunteer experience and will alleviate some of the pressure which students may feel in school through the sharing their knowledge. Students will achieve potentially higher grades and will also be also offered the opportunity to create valuable and long-lasting connections.

I want to make a lot of the smaller issues of our school fixed because there’s a lot that I believe we can fix here. For example, a lot of people complain that during the morning classrooms are freezing which is a horrible time and I'd really like it if we could actually have someone push to have heating turned on before school starts so we actually have like heated classrooms. I really want to go into support for student life and student betterment.

I think students should vote for me because I’m resourceful and I’m great at connecting people from different backgrounds. My platform is mostly that I want to keep arts and sciences connected and recognized because I think that’s the foundation of where Capilano is built on. I think things like hosting more events that bring us together and posting professors’ hours on Moodle so we can actually talk to our professors. I’d also love to see the Capilano Review come back and I am an editor for The Liar as well

I want to run for the CSU because my friend put me up for it and he said I'd be really good for the job. This position would help me decide on a future career. People should vote for me because I want to bring positivity and help students have fun. I don't want them to be uninvolved in campus life where there's so much more you can do. I feel like I have a broader outreach to different programs and faculties to connect with them if I get elected.

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COORDINATOR

FIRST NATIONS STUDENTS’ LIAISON

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS’ LIAISON

SOCIAL JUSTICE COORDINATOR

HALEY KUZEK

GERONIMO ALEC

DARYA KOSTROMITINA

DIVYA NANRAY

Many of us have heard the phrase “Think Global, Act Local.” Environmental Justice is of increasing importance in our world, and in our own communities. As Environmental Justice Coordinator I would help enable Capilano University students to create a more environmentally conscious and sustainable community – an opportunity to “Act Local.” As a current member of the collective, working with them has been a fulfilling experience, and I wish to offer that experience to students who are passionate about the environment. I encourage students to elect me as I will continue many of the projects that the Collective has been working on in the past year.

I am re-running for the position of First Nations Students’ Liaison in the 2016 CSU Elections. As the First Nations Students' Liaison, I will work hard towards enhancing the experience for students at the university by continuing on collaborating with collective and club liaisons to create events that encourage student engagement. By working together we can make Capilano University a safe place for all students, no matter what race or gender.

I’m excited to become the International Students’ Liaison if elected. Since I moved to Canada from Ukraine, I continue to discover how awesome this country is as well as its local lifestyle. As a newcomer, I truly understand how many questions and issues international students have.

I believe that a strong International Students’ Collective will make our stay in Canada enjoyable, help to clarify the variety of social, immigration, school and government-related questions. I have a good experience of work with international travellers and I have a lot of ideas how to make our Canadian student life experience even better.

If elected Social Justice Coordinator, I aim to communicate openly and actively with my peers to ensure that the voice of the student body is heard and represented on the matter of social issues. I believe the students of Capilano University are change makers and that together, we can tackle problems in our community as well as issues related to inequalities of gender, race, orientation and economic status. We are fortunate to be a part of a diverse community and my goal is to help grow feelings of belonging, security, and representation amongst our student body.

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VOLUME 49 ISSUE NO.21

KALEN TARA

THE CAPILANO COURIER

ASHLEY KENNEY

QUEER STUDENTS’ LIAISON

SAHARA BRIDGES

CLARICE SCOP

EMILY SOLOMON

NATALIIA GOLOVANOVA

As Queer Student’s Liaison, I want to get more students into the resource centre.

It’s important to feel a sense of community and belonging in the spaces you spend the most time in. That could mean hosting mini events or having inclusive workshops because learning and celebrating doesn’t have to wait until Pride Week. I also want to create strong allies by not only addressing the queer students but their peers who want to contribute to a safe and healthy learning environment. I am willing to work hard to make sure that the students I represent are heard and feel safe.

As Queer Students’ Liaison, it will be my sole priority to create positive change within the queer campus community of Capilano University. I hope to continue the impressive work of the Capilano Queer Collective, of which I am a proud member of for the past year. I hope to facilitate meetings, events and a sense of community within the Queer Collective. I will do my best to ensure space for all voices to be heard. I also hope to work with other collectives as well, as I believe intersectionality is vital.

I am passionate about change, cooperation and pride.

I’m very passionate about women's issues, and would like to use my previous two years of CSU experience to benefit the Women’s Collective. I will develop three campaigns that will involve sexual assault and safety on campus, research and support for mature students and students with dependents. I believe that feminist issues are everyone’s issues, so I would encourage committed collaboration with all of Capilano’s stakeholders. A vote for me will let me bring the value of experience, passion and empathy to the position. I possess both the administrative background and the emotional intelligence necessary in advocating for these issues.

I will be focused on self-development of women to encourage every female to set their ambitions higher than they are. My main goal is to be practical. I know the importance of awareness of different issues women may face — for example, sexual harassment. But as a person who has been harassed several times, I know that the ability to protect yourself is way more important than theory. That is why I want to get rid of talks and begin to make actions.

I will be happy and proud to receive votes from women who share the same ideas with me.

representatives who were present at the forum included Ashley Kenney, Kalen Tara, Sarah Rose Klassen and Gur Jassar for faculty of arts and sciences.

The executive candidates were the first to take in questions from the attendees.

One of the questions asked was for candidates to share their past experiences that could benefit the CSU for the 2016-17 academic year.

“In terms of experience, I've been sitting on the board for two years heading up the Accessibility Justice Collective. In the collective, I've been interacting with the administration and the accessibility office but also at any level of membership on the board of directors at the CSU,” replied Kolstee.

Fadaghi shared that, “It’s my first time getting involved with the CSU and I think it comes from my past experience of wanting to try new things and being able to expand my knowledge and again further building upon myself.”

“I’ve had the pleasure of working with the students union for the last two years…

In my campaign, I’m going on three key words that I’m going to describe myself and those are dedication, experience and respect,” stated Fabry.

The responses concluded with Miralles.

“When I was a first year student, I was really scared to talk to people and in the past two years I actually got out there and I got out of my comfort zone,” she said.

“It’s something that made me change for better this past year. So all the experience that I went through like trying new things and being bold is something that I really want to bring to the CSU.” A question that was addressed to the faculty representatives was, “What are the specific things that they would do to make students’ voices heard amongst the faculty?”

Klassen was the first to answer, stating that she will host student forums and get professors to put up their office hours on Moodle for them to be readily available to students. “I think hosting a student forum would be great getting students to see exactly what they want from our faculty.”

Kenney agreed with Klassen that the forums would be a great idea to get students connected with the faculty. “I think hosting student forums would let students have the opportunity to spend time with their teachers. Even afterhours tutoring sessions would be good to get everyone to have the chance for professors to sit with students.”

Tara shared a different plan that he would use to get students to directly share their opinions to their faculty. “In my high school what we used is a Google program that could post questions to Moodle and show what are students actually needed and have a voting system to let them know what is the most important to their members in the class,” he said. “The teachers can go on there and see what their teaching.”

Jassar agreed with all three of them and didn’t give a response to the question asked.

The forum ended with the candidates stating their closing remarks and the CRO encouraging all students to vote in the coming elections.

the forum, running for Accessibility Justice Coordinator, as well as Haley Kuzek for Environmental Justice Coordinator and Divya Nanray for Social Justice Coordinator.

Current International Students’ Liaison representative, Erick Rojas, asked Kostromitina how she intends to integrate students on campus if elected. She stated that she intends to integrate the international community on campus by inviting international and local students to participate in the same events rather than hosting them separately.

A student then addressed a question to the Women Students’ Liaison candidates asking what would be the practical approach to bring safety onto campus for women specifically. Golovanova said that she aims to bring safety lessons, including self-defense, onto campus once per month for both men and women.

“I think that women’s issues are everyone’s issues,” commented Solomon.

“Emma Watson said it really well in the HeForShe campaign. ‘How can we expect change in the world if only half the people are part of the conversation?’”

Solomon hopes that by including men in the conversation the campus will become a safer environment for both genders.

Another question was asked by an attendee for the candidates to let students know what they do outside of school.

Golovanova spoke of her platform, “There are two main focuses I want to reach: safety and self-development… By the end of the year I want to improve my leadership skills.” Alternatively, Solomon drew on her personal experiences as a single mother, while Bridges stated that, “I’m not perfect.

I can’t promise I’ll be perfect at this job, but I can promise that I will put my absolute heart and dedication into it.”

CSU candidates debate issues on campus A recap of the All Candidates Forums, held Mar. 8 and 10 Christine Beyleveldt CAMPUS CORRESPONDENT

Therese Guieb

VOLUME 49 ISSUE NO. 21

EXECUTIVE NEWS EDITOR

THE CAPILANO COURIER

WOMEN STUDENTS’ LIAISON

On Mar. 8 and 10, the Capilano Students’ Union (CSU) held an all candidates forum to give the chance for students to ask the future campus leaders how they will tackle issues at Capilano University. Ron Laufer, chief returning officer (CRO) for the elections, facilitated the forum and gave each candidate one minute to answer to questions directed to them. The faculty representatives and executive candidates were the first to have the forum on Mar. 8, while the collective liaisons followed on Mar. 10.

MAR. 8 FORUM Candidates running for executive positions present at the forum included Sacha Fabry and Kevin Khamseh for vice president of external relations, Jullian Kolstee for vice president of university relations and services, Farhood Fadaghi for vice president of internal relations and Beatriz Miralles for vice president of student life. Students running for faculty

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MAR. 10 FORUM Candidates present at the forum included Women Students’ Liaison Emily Solomon and Nataliia Golovanova, Queer Students’ Liaison candidates Clarice Scop and Sahara Bridges, International Students’ Liaison, Darya Kostromitina and First Nations Students’ Liaison, Geronimo Alec.

Alysa Huppler-Poliak was also present at

NEWS Dynamic discussions Capilano Universe lecture series returns with new and diverse topics Christine Beyleveldt CAMPUS CORRESPONDENT

In 2010, chair of the Capilano University psychology department, Dr. Leonard George, created Capilano Universe, a lecture series that explores any and all areas of human curiosity. Faculty from all departments and all fields of study string their ideas together in order to tell a story, to explain their own interests and pique the community’s curiosity for the natural world.

“I get submissions of ideas from every corner of the university and then try and construct a series of presentations,” George explained, “So what I’m looking to

CapU student places among top 25 finalists in sales competition CUBES president Ali Abassi flies to Toronto to compete in final round, held Mar. 10 at Google HQ Christine Beyleveldt CAMPUS CORRESPONDENT

West Vancouver Memorial libraries. Each September, he begins recruiting faculty members to talk and partnering with the libraries willing to be a host. By January, they are ready to present.

George explained that getting faculty members to jump on board the Capilano Universe bandwagon wasn’t difficult. The public libraries were also enthusiastic contenders for the idea of promoting community engagement through thoughtprovoking lectures. “This is all voluntary by the way,” he said. The faculty are keen to create and present these topics on their own time because it serves their own interests.

George himself has given a number of talks over the years, including Behind the Lightning Mask: Modern Psychology and Ancient Oracles and The Medium's Apprentice: A Psychologist Explores Spiritualism from the Inside. One thing he tells presenters to keep in mind is to make sure talks don’t become too technical. “This isn’t like going to an academic conference, this is presenting to members of the general public who might have some level of interest,” he said.

“What I’m looking for is enthusiasm, so as long as it’s something that they’re passionate about sharing that’s what we’re looking for,” noted George. “I think it’s fed the buzz in the community about our university.” Not only is it good for community engagement, but also in allowing presenters to flesh out their own ideas and share to others what they are passionate about.

George is confident that the Capilano Universe is on a roll. The first lecture of this year, which he presented had an attendance of over 90 people. The presentation was called From Eden to Isil: The Eternal War for Control of the Imagination. “Even the low attendance events can be kind of exciting because then it’s kind of intimate,” he explained. “It’s a bit disappointing because the whole point is to connect the communities, but the people who do show up usually have a great time because they’re quite interested.”

were chosen and were then paired with a company and asked to pitch on their behalf in a two-minute video. “The challenge wasn’t necessarily with the initial pitch,” said Abassi, “So the difficulty was in that you had to do the two minute pitch and you didn’t have the option of editing your video or anything. It had to be in one take.”

Abassi was given the company Grand & Toy and rehearsed for three hours before submitting his video. He was then picked to be part of the final 25, who competed in Toronto at the finals on Mar. 10. As an incentive, each of the top 25 students were provided with free airfare courtesy of Air Canada to the competition.

This was Abassi’s first year taking part in the competition, which began two years ago. Some of Canada’s top executives were invited to sit in on the final round where students went through a mock sales meeting with a customer. The executives present were all sponsors of the competition, including Google, Dell, Air Canada and Purolator. “Each student has been assigned to represent one of the companies that are sponsoring, entering a mock sales meeting and facing a potential buyer who is actually someone from that company,” explained Sonya Meloff, founding partner of the Sales Talent Agency and co-founder of the Great Canadian Sales Competition.

Even in its short history, the Great Canadian Sales Competition has seen a spike in applicants. “There’s just been a tremendous amount of interest, we hope to build on the momentum for next year,” said Meloff. “I think one of the things we really want as a message is you don’t have to think you’re going into sales to realize how important sales is.” She explained that pitching applies to any industry and is an important skill to have to succeed in any field.

Abassi worked with a coach from Grand & Toy to prepare for the competition.

“Every finalist gets a coach,” he said. “And the coach is from the company that you’re pitching with, so in my case I’m working with the National Sales Director for Grand & Toy, and just one-on-one he’s going to be coaching me through FaceTime and video

chat so I can prepare for the final round.”

Each finalist was given seven to 10 minutes to present to a panel of five judges, and then a final five were selected to present again to another panel in a mock sales meeting.

“What I’m looking forward to is the networking event that’s going to be taking place right after the competition,” shared Abassi, “Where the finalists basically get to hang out with the industry professionals and network. Last year, every student that was part of the finalist round walked out

with a job offer, so it’s definitely a fantastic way to meet potential employers.”

He added, “I think the major benefit is I’m going to be meeting people all across Canada that are very like-minded, that are high achieving students so we’ve all been selected for a very similar skill that we have…and the ability to communicate effectively.”

For a list of all the upcoming Capilano Universe Lectures visit Capilanou.ca/ news-events/events/capilano-universe/.

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VOLUME 49 ISSUE NO.21

On Mar. 10, BCIT student Sarah Westwood was announced as the $7,500 grand prize winner of the competition.

THE CAPILANO COURIER

The Great Canadian Sales Competition is the biggest student competition of its kind, centred on grooming tomorrow’s business leaders through a series of rigorous challenges. Over 1,600 students across Canada participated in the first half of the competition, which started on Oct. 19 of last year. One of the students who succeeded in attaining a position among the top 25 finalists was Capilano University business student and president of the Capilano Undergraduate Business Enterprise of Students (CUBES), Ali Abassi. Last week, he flew to Toronto to compete in the final round at Google’s downtown headquarters.

As he explained to the Courier just days before he took off, there are three stages to the competition. “First you submit your initial pitch, which is 30 seconds on video. You can do anything you like. Me specifically, I pitched the profession of selling, like the ability to be persuasive,” said Abassi.

The competition guidelines told students to begin with a topic they already knew. If they succeeded in making it to the second round, they would be presented with a company to pitch for.

Out of the 1,600 students across the country that submitted pitches, only 338

do is create as broad a snapshot of all of the different interests here that I can.”

Topics can range from the broad expanse of the natural environment to the recesses of the human brain.

For several years he presented his idea at various university meetings until finally he was given the go ahead, and reached out to public libraries. “I happen to read a very important fact, and that fact was the per capita use of the public libraries on the North Shore is the highest in the country, which I thought is really quite amazing.

Folks in North Vancouver and West Vancouver generally love their libraries and they regard them as an important centre of the community,” he explained.

“Maybe Capilano University could team up with the public libraries to share what we love to do here, which is teach and share things that we’re passionate about.”

Six years ago he teamed up with the North Vancouver District Public Library’s three branches at Capilano, Lynn Valley and Parkgate, and the following year the lecture series further expanded to encompass the North Vancouver City libraries and

ARTS & CULTURE A dressing down The costumes of Cabaret Christine Beyleveldt CAMPUS CORRESPONDENT

In 1931, an aspiring American novelist travels to Berlin seeking out the inspiration he needs to complete his work. There he meets the young English performer, Sally Bowles, and will be cast into the wonderful yet terrible world of cabaret that reigns underground.

Exit 22 Productions will soon bring this titillating tale to life, for a limited run that begins Mar. 17 at Capilano University’s Blueshore Centre.

In the darkest corners of the raunchy Kit Kat Klub, Berlin’s filthiest crawl from the shadows. “They’re not the best citizens in the world,” explained Barbara Clayden, the show’s costume designer.

Making them look as such was a task that fell to Capilano University’s Costuming for Stage and Screen students.

“There’s a couple of ways you could do Cabaret.” Clayden continued. “You could do it all glitter and glitzy and showgirls, we’re not doing that. We wanted to do it really rough, really down, dirty — they’re not high-class citizens these people, so we’ve tried to do that in the costumes, just tried to make it really kind of sleazy.”

Clayden decided that the best way to emphasize the personalities of these unsavoury characters was to dress them in as little clothing as possible.

Their lingerie stands in stark difference to the more conservative dress of the time. While the good girls dressed down in floral smocks and cardigans, the naughty girls stripped to their flesh-toned undergarments. The Kit Kat boys are dressed alike in variations of black vests and boots paired with fish netting. The Kit Kat girls are personalized in peach toned undergarments.

“They’ve all got personalities,” said

Clayden. “She’s fancy,” she said, pointing out one character sketch, “She’s a little schoolgirl,” she said of another. One wears a corset paired with laced tap pants and a collar of black beads while another might wear a peasant blouse and a fringed skirt with a fur boa.

That’s just in the first act. In the second act the Nazis have consolidated power, and this cast of characters grows harder and more cumbersome. The girls change out of their peach skirts and blouses for identical black waistcoats and bobbed black wigs.

Based on the Berlin Tales, a musical written by Sam Mendes for the Donmar Warehouse in London, Cabaret is an explosion of song and dance interwoven with somber and dramatic acting. The costuming department has to take the actors’ movements into account each time they construct a costume. A Kit Kat girl, for instance, might be dancing on tabletops, so she needs access to a full range of body movements. Each actor will also have a microphone taped to his

PEPPERONI CHEESE VEGETARIAN MEAT LOVER’S HAWAIIAN BBQ Chicken DEMOCRACY.

VOLUME 49 ISSUE NO. 21 THE CAPILANO COURIER

— COURTESY OF BARBARA CLAYDEN

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or her back, and costumers have to plan carefully so that it will not interfere with the garments.

The biggest challenge when it came to clothing the cast of Cabaret, as Clayden explained, was creating garments that could be removed with ease. There are no wings and there is no changing area backstage, so all costume changes take place on stage. There’s a certain fluidity required to get characters in and out of costume in front of a live audience. “So you can’t have a bunch of velcro,” Clayden teased.

Another challenge was matching the period. “Some of those [period costumes] are really complex and the students especially will take weeks on an elaborate period dress, for instance,” explained Kim Bothen, a Costuming for Stage and Screen instructor.

Each costume begins with extensive research, and some pieces are made from scratch while others are bought from consignment stores and altered to match the design. “That has to be tempered with budget, because you just can’t go to the 1930s store and a lot of times vintage clothing is very

Grab a slice, help us out.

Quorum is 15. Pizza is delicious.

expensive,” she said. “We all kind of know what the period looks like, what the silhouette looks like, so we can find a dress in the thrift store… and make it look like it came from the 1930s.”

“It’s always a compromise,” added Clayden.

“A lot of the budget is going into Nazi uniforms, which we can’t make here.” But shawls and skirts and undergarments can be crafted and dyed by the costuming students.

With a crew of 35, the tremendous task of outfitting 25 characters is quickly divided and conquered. “They all have two changes, at least two changes, so that’s 56 separate looks with a little bit of interchangeability,” Clayden explained.

It has been a monumental task, but several thousand stitches later these costumes will be ready to make a spectacular entrance on the Blueshore stage.

Cabaret runs from Mar. 17 to 20 and 23 to 26 with showtimes at 8 pm and additional showings at 2 pm on Mar. 20 and 26.

Tickets range from $10 to $22. More information is available at Capilanou.ca/ blueshorefinancialcentre/15-Cabaret/.

Capilano Courier Editor-in-Chief Elections Tuesday, March 22 at Noon Maple 122

FE ATU R E S

Why we enjoy being scared out of our wits Christine Beyleveldt CAMPUS CORRESPONDENT

Squeaky floorboards and things that go bump in the night. It might be the wind, it might be a small animal, but it certainly won’t be anything that can kill us. So why do we find ourselves paralyzed with fear and drenched in a cold sweat every time a small sound echoes in the darkness? It’s because of the unknown.

Imagine you are traversing a dimly-lit corridor with nothing on hand. Something crawls over the floorboards, you might feel its spindly touch graze your toes, but as soon as you look, it has vanished.

Something may be there — you sense it, but can’t see it, and then you feel the hairs on the back of your neck prick up. A mouse might run in front of you, and then it will disappear into a crack in the wall again and you’ll breathe a tremendous sigh of relief. It was nothing to be worried about after all.

In terms of detecting and responding to frightful situations, the brain is hot-wired with two appraisal methods, one being threat appraisal and the other being coping appraisal. “I see the grasses moving a little bit and see that might be a sabre-tooth tiger moving behind there, so threat appraisal [is] very high, and it turns out it’s only the wind,” explained Leonard George, chair of the Capilano University psychology

fight or flight response mode kicks in, but you can’t fight your boss and you can’t walk out of your job because you need the money to feed your family. So you’re in an eternal state of fear.

“This gets us into trouble because we still have the old, Stone Age nervous system. It hasn’t changed that much,” explained George.

We’re designed to react to danger quickly, and when we can’t, all sorts of problems arise. “Those psychological processes can be damaged and then we’re in the domain of stuff like post-traumatic stress disorder.”

Stephen King is onto something good.

He’s’ one of the most widely recognized authors for horror in the world, and has emptied the bladders of fully-grown adults on more than one occasion. “What does he do? Well, he uses popular culture, ground zero for most people,” said Karen Budra, a Langara College English professor with a passion for horror studies. “But he also places his narratives in an alternate America — much as HP Lovecraft did [at] the beginning of the 20th century — which makes current life seem both familiar and yet unfamiliar, uncanny,” she said.

It’s what is unfamiliar to us that oftentimes scares us the most. Ghost stories in particular are a tremendous source of excitement, partly because the supernatural is something very few people understand. It’s a source of immense curiosity and fright. “They frighten us for many reasons, not the least being their ability to ignore the laws of time and space – they are amorphous and yet familiar,” said Budra. “Most ghosts ‘haunt’ familiar places and thus represent the burden of the past. They are often vengeful reminders of dangerous mistakes. And, as they are already dead, there is not much we can do to fight them.” Ordinary folks can’t see the ethereal either. You can’t fight something you can’t see, which only adds to the mounting tension and the capacity for fright.

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VOLUME 49 ISSUE NO.21

When a person scares, the prefrontal cortex jumps into action and neurons begin firing off in the brain, triggering the fight or flight response. Adrenaline courses through the bloodstream, palms grow clammy and the pupils dilate, and that’s where the excitement happens. Adrenaline junkies love the feeling and actively seek out thrills

to feel it coursing through their veins.

“Fear motivates us to take care of ourselves, to survive. So we want to be anxious, we want the capacity to have fear,” said George. Otherwise, our ancestors would have been eaten, and many of us would not survive to adulthood.

But people do have a desire to scare themselves.

There’s a certain thrill that comes with being frightened. “Many theories exist, but most people agree that the adrenaline and endorphin release is part of the primal reaction to reading [and] viewing frightening tales. And the fact that the lights come up, the pages run out, gives us the kind of catharsis achieved by classical tragedy,” Budra explained. “We surf on the chemicals the narrative triggers to a comfortable beach, knowing that we have ‘won’ the battle. For now.”

Misattribution of arousal theory describes the process whereby we mislabel psychological responses to fear for romantic arousal. The symptoms of fear – shortness of breath, a quickening heartbeat and dilating pupils – are similar to the sensation of arousal. Our brains are inherently primal, but they have evolved to the point where we can trick ourselves, sometimes purposefully, into mistaking one sensation for another.

“You put an ape on a roller coaster, they’re going to be absolutely terrified by being shaken around,” George described.

“So most of us are still an ape —we’ve just got a thin bit of modern cortex on top, you know, so the inner ape is totally freaking out. Some people hate those rides and some people love those rides. The people who love them are the ones who can sort of relabel that arousal as great fun.”

Part of the appeal of the horror genre stems from the fact that we know we will be safe. We place ourselves in frightening situations where the risk of actually being harmed is very low, so it is then up to the artist to provide the scare. According to Budra, it is pacing that makes for a frightening experience, as it allows for tension to be built. The classic movie Jaws was expert in pacing. A lone swimmer floats on the surface of the water. Not a very frightening snapshot. If the shark were to attack then and there, sure the audience would likely jump, but it’s the dramatic music, the tension and the buildup where one knows that something bad is about to happen, but isn’t sure when, that keeps us cowering with the blankets drawn up to our chins.

THE CAPILANO COURIER

department. In this case, our threat appraisal would have been completely inaccurate. It often is, but that’s what keeps us on our toes. “Or, I might say ‘Oh, that’s pretty grass, it looks like it’s windy out there,’ and it turns out there’s actually a monster behind it about to pounce, so threat appraisal [is] low and inaccurate.”

The other appraisal method is coping appraisal, which is our ability to cope with a potentially dangerous situation. Again, say there is a monster lurking in the tall grasses. We detect it with our threat appraisal, but genuine, uncontrollable fear only arises if we have no means of protection. “So I see the grass waving, I think there might be an animal hiding, so threat appraisal [is] high, but I’ve got my very best spear with me with a brand new sharpened tip and I’m really good with this thing so whatever it is I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to kill it,” George described. If one is well equipped to ward off the imminent threat, there’s unlikely to be an overt sense of fear. But say instead of a spear, the only weapon on hand was a toothpick. Threat appraisal is high and coping appraisal is low and suddenly there’s a very real cause for fear.

“The whole thing is designed so that if threat appraisal is high and coping appraisal isn’t high enough, we’re going to be motivated to take fast action, generally to do one of two things: attack the threat and take it out of commission, or escape the threat,” said George. However, the response is designed to deal with immediate threats to our safety that can be resolved quickly. We don’t live in a hostile world where we have to fear for our safety on a daily basis, but we can still be cast into threatening situations, and the problem is when we sense threat but have no means of taking action.

George gave the example of having a crummy job with a terrible boss.

You’re consistently in a state of fear and the

Therese Guieb EXECUTIVE NEWS EDITOR

THE CAPILANO COURIER

VOLUME 49 ISSUE NO. 21

Pomona Lake wasn’t born to be a dancer. But later on, during her teenage years, she discovered that dance doesn’t discriminate — it is simply a form of expression.

“When I was a kid, I thought dancing wasn’t cool. But when I turned 15, I had a couple of girlfriends that took me to a social dance, and after that night I was hooked on swing dancing,” shared Lake, graphic designer for the Vancouver Swing Society ― a non-profit organization that promotes swing and jazz music.

In the mid-1920s, jazz music was gaining popularity in the culture of North America. Though some considered it to be too avant-garde or refuted the genre because of its strong ties to African Americans, this ideology did not stop jazz from spreading across the continent, and later the world. The swing era of the 1930s and 40s gave birth to the big band sound, pioneered by composer/arrangers such as Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller and Count Basie. The groove was infectious and soon became the music of choice for those who loved to dance. Even today, it is still celebrated by many individuals who consider the activity an instant flashback to the past.

Swing dance is a street dance that originated in the late 1920s in Harlem, New York. “It was a dance created

by African Americans and for their community, and then during World War Two white people in the U.S. started dancing it too,” noted Lake. “There was a lot of movies in the 1940s that had white people swing dancing, which made it even more popular and gave it the aesthetics that it has today, but it’s not the original aesthetics,” she explained. According to an article by CBC News, the dance craze became popular in Canada in the late 1920s due to the prominent jazz scene in

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the country.

Six different variations of the dance were created as time passed. The variations include: Lindy Hop, East Coast Swing, Balboa, Shag, Savoy Blues and Slow Drag. The most popular type of variation attributed to swing dance is Lindy Hop. “Lindy Hop is sort of the granddaddy of swing. Created in 1928, it’s a very upbeat and bouncy kind of dance,” said Sanjana Akella, Lindy Hop coordinator at University of British Columbia’s Swing Kids, the swing dancing club at UBC. Lindy Hop is danced with a partner in the rhythm of six-eight-count step movement. “You need to have a pulse in your feet to dance the Lindy Hop since it is technically one of the most difficult types of swing dance,” noted Lake.

East Coast swing is derived from ballroom which only uses a six-count step movement. Balboa was also created at the same time as Lindy Hop but originated in Los Angeles, California. “It is similar to Lindy but is danced in a faster tempo,” explained Lake. The fourth type of swing dance is Solo Jazz and it is the only type of swing that can be danced solo or in a group circle. Shag takes on two different forms, called The Collegiate and St. Louis Shag, which are mostly danced with many hop and slide movements. Lastly, the Savoy Blues and Slow Drag are danced slower than Lindy Hop in alternative blues music.

Over time, even more variations of swing dance were created, but are now fused with other types of dances such as ballroom. West Coast Swing is a type of dance that was created in 1938 that has similar techniques as swing but is not considered a type of swing dance because it could be danced to rock and roll, RnB and pop music. “West Coast Swing draws inspiration from a lot of other dances. Dancers of this usually have ballroom dancing experience and they use the techniques they learned from that when they do West Coast Swing,” said Akella. “West Coast Swing is very focused on connection, and it looks a little less

improvised than Lindy Hop.” Akella explained that since West Coast Swing music includes top 40 hits of today, blues and even country music, Millennials are more inclined to learn this type of dance.

“Swing dancing is very much alive in our community today,” said Akella. “Eastern Canada definitely has a bigger Lindy Hop and Blues scene, and Western Canada is more into West Coast Swing.” Greater Vancouver is home to several swing dance clubs, including the BC Swing Dance Club, Rhythm City Productions, Suburban Swing, UBC Swing Kids and the Vancouver Swing Society. Information about each dance club can be found at Vanswingthing.com.

Apart from the lessons and classes offered within, these clubs frequently host social dances around the Lower Mainland.

Social dances are events held for people to gather and meet as well as to dance with others in an informal and relaxed setting.

“When you think of going to a social dance for swing dancing you think of old people with vintage clothing and hair but it’s really not like that. You get people from all ages coming to these dances,” noted Akella.

Though they differ in atmosphere, most social dances share a similar format.

“They have a beginner’s lesson at 8 [pm], the music starts at 9 and it will either be played by a live band or sometimes it’s a DJ,” said Lake. The evening typically wraps up around midnight. Hot Club Swing, hosted by the Vancouver Swing Society at the Roundhouse Community Centre, as well as the Coalescence Blues Fusion Dance, presented by the Vancouver Fusion Blues Dancers at Academie Duello, are some of the locally-run social dances that begin with a lesson.

The UBC Swing Kids also host social dances with a free lesson at the beginning.

The lessons and social dances are held at their Vancouver campus. “You get a lot of students who’ve never had any

swing experience come in and try it out, and then at the social dance, people from the community pop by so you can actually see what experienced dancers look like and dance it out with people who know what they’re doing,” shared Akella. “The teachers are always really friendly and fun. They sort of embody the dance themselves — our Lindy teachers are really bouncy and upbeat, and even though it’s just an hour-long lesson with the dance after, you get a feel for what it’s like. Even if you’re not able to participate immediately it’s a lot of fun to watch.”

According to Akella, social dances offer a glimpse into a bygone era. “It takes you away to a time that you did not have the privilege of being a part of. The atmosphere is great when you go to a social dance — you get to meet new people, most of them are there for the music and you just get caught up in the moment,” she shared.

“I think it’s a really welcoming space that is refreshing as opposed to going to a club where it’s edgy,” said Lake. “It’s not about picking people up and it’s also a

super effective way of meeting people.”

While many social dances still use a live band for the music, others use a DJ, allowing for a wider range of genres and variations. However, there are pros and cons to both. A DJ is able to play different styles of jazz music, while a live band can only play a certain style of jazz. However, the musicians are able to interact with the dancers, which can influence how they play their music. “There are only a certain number of jazz songs recorded between 1928 and 1945, hearing it done with a fresh take by a band is even better,” said Lake. “The band and the dancers can watch each other and take inspiration from one another.”

Another aspect of attending the social dances is that attendees can choose to wear clothing from the jazz era. “Girls dress up with a blouse, A-line skirts and do their hair in a pin up, while the boys wear a tie, tweed vest, slacks and suspenders,” said Akella. Most participants go to the social dance and use it as an excuse to dress up and relive the jazz age. What’s even better

is that clothing from the swing jazz era is affordable and can be easily spotted at thrift stores like Value Village.

Although previous dance experience is always an asset, it is far from a requirement. “What’s great about these dances is that everyone is so welcoming,” said Lake. “Basically the more the merrier for everyone. The people at social dances always love beginners. No one is judging you — just have a good time and connect with the people there because everyone is super friendly.

“There is inclusivity [in the dance] in terms of women wanting to lead and men wanting to follow,” she continued, “And many people who are also gender neutral participate in the dance.”

Like any other type of dance, swing requires both physical and mental

strength. Lake has been a swing dancer for six years and attests to the amount of training she needs to do in order to prepare her body for a competition. “I feel like preparing your body, like cross training is very important. I cycle everywhere and I run,” she said. “It’s very hard on your body, and it’s just a lot of things to think about at the same time, but it feels like the better you get, the less you actually do the steps and it [becomes] more about jamming to the music.”

According to Women’s Health magazine, dancing for 20 minutes three times a week can be beneficial to your cardiovascular health. “I actually got a Fitbit recently and when I put it on my ankle when dancing for three hours, I get about 6,000 steps,” said Akella. “Not only are you burning a lot of calories but it’s mentally stimulating as well.”

Swing dancing in particular requires you to make quick decisions while on the dance floor, which exercises your memory, coordination and focus. It can also boost your mood, as it can be danced with a partner to high-energy music which triggers the release of oxytocin in your brain ― a hormone that is secreted when an individual bonds with others socially.

In addition, swing dancing enables dancers to improvise on the dance floor unlike other partner dances like Ballroom. “Ballroom is very prescriptive, like ‘these are the steps and this is what you do and these are the songs that we are doing it to,’ whereas swing dancing is all improvisational,” noted Lake.

“Improvisation and playfulness are key — it’s more about creativity than it is about doing it right.”

Though years have passed since the golden age of swing, the tradition carries on in a whole new generation. “It’s truly a really beautiful form of expression and because of the way swing dancing is focused upon improvisation it really sharpens your brain in terms of creativity and being spontaneous,” said Lake.

“The dance itself is really relaxing, even though it’s very upbeat and bouncy,” added Akella. “I think people should just try it. It

would be good if they had an interest in a type of music and got into it that way or if they had an experience in dance, but either way it’s still very enjoyable.”

LOCATION: PAT’S PUB (2ND FLOOR- 1125 HOWE STREET, VANCOUVER, BC) ADMISSION: FREE WHEN: WEDNESDAYS, 7 TO 11 PM

LOCATION: THE YALE SALOON (1300 GRANVILLE ST., VANCOUVER, BC) ADMISSION: FREE WHEN: WEDNESDAYS, 7 TO 11PM

LOCATION: SAPPERTON PENSIONER’S HALL (318 KEARY STREET, NEW WESTMINSTER, BC) ADMISSION: $8 FOR REGULAR ADMISSION, $5 FOR STUDENTS AND AFTER 10 PM WHEN: 2ND AND 4TH FRIDAY OF EVERY MONTH, 8 PM TO 1 AM

LOCATION: ROUNDHOUSE COMMUNITY CENTRE (181 ROUNDHOUSE MEWS, VANCOUVER, BC) ADMISSION: $8 IF A DJ IS PLAYING, $15 IF A LIVE BAND IS PERFORMING WHEN: 1ST AND 3RD SATURDAYS FROM SEPTEMBER TO DECEMBER, 8 PM TO MIDNIGHT

LOCATION: ACADEMIE DUELLO (412 W. HASTINGS ST, VANCOUVER, BC) ADMISSION: $8 IF A DJ IS PLAYING. $20 IF A LIVE BAND IS PERFORMING WHEN: SUNDAYS, 8:30 PM TO MIDNIGHT

THE CAPILANO COURIER

— CRISTIAN FOWLIE

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VOLUME 49 ISSUE NO.21

— ANNIE CHANG

CALENDAR

14 MONDAY

MONDAY MOVIE NIGHT WEST VAN MEMORIAL LIBRARY

6:30 PM • $ FREE Let’s be clear here — you don’t have to venture all the way out to the West Vancouver Memorial Library just to have a proper Monday Movie Night. This is merely a suggestion to get you started. What We Did On Our Holiday is a movie about a couple who takes a family trip to Scotland in the midst of a divorce. We’ll let you decide if that’s worth going to West Van for…

15 TUESDAY

MONDAY MOVIE NIGHT V 2.0

WEDNESDAY

RIO THEATRE

7:30 PM • $5

Unlike the West Van Memorial Library, the Rio Theatre was actually designed to be a movie house. (That means you should probably go there tonight instead.) From what we can tell, they seem to be on a huge Charlie Kaufman kick right now because they’re showing his new movie Anomalisa alongside his cult classic Being John Malkovich all in the same evening.

The word “titmouse” is some misleading bullshit because it doesn’t actually have anything to do with tits or mice. Rather, it’s a type of bird, and Titmouse Inc. is an American animation studio named after it. They’ve produced all kinds of cartoons for the Adult Swim network, though you won’t see any of them here.

Instead, you’ll get a sneak peek at what’s on their cutting room floor.

BRAHMS, BRASS AND STRINGS PYATT HALL 7:30 PM • $42 Here’s the unfortunate thing about classical music: even if we were to print the names of all the musicians performing in this show, the odds that you’d know or care who they are would be pretty slim. So let’s just say that five horn players, four string players and a pianist from the VSO are going to entertain you, that it’ll be good, and that you should go — if only to learn their names.

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VOLUME 49 ISSUE NO. 21 THE CAPILANO COURIER

7 PM • $ FREE Just think — while your friends are all downtown drinking green beer and making questionable life decisions, you could be at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Richmond learning about the Northern Lights. Professor David Knudsen will be there to tell you all about the Earth’s magnetic field and ionosphere. Imagine how jealous the others will be when they find out he’s your new BFF!

VOGUE THEATRE

7 PM • $35-$50

Megaphone Magazine is a local publication that operates in support of its vendors — many of whom are homeless or lowincome — by allowing them to buy the magazine for $0.75 and then resell it for $2. Three of its contributors and vendors will be this week’s special guests for the Art & Spirit lecture series held at St. Anslem’s Anglican Church near UBC. Entrance is by donation.

Nothing screams St. Patrick’s day more than the Irish Rovers themselves. (Aside from leprechauns, four-leaf clovers, lucky charms, pots of gold and the colour green, of course.) We’ll give you fair warning: this is one of those legendary bands with almost no original members left — ya know, like Yes, Styx and Blood Sweat and Tears — but it’s their farewell tour, so suck it up.

FOOD NOT BOMBS FUNDRAISER WISE HALL

6 PM • $10 The Facebook event description for this fundraiser is very conflicting because it contains one of the most promising sentences ever written (“platters of food will be served buffet-style”) followed by two words that ruin everything (“all vegan”). Atrocities aside, this is a fundraiser for Food Not Bombs, a grassroots organization that gives out free meals in protest of war and poverty.

PERFORMANCE WORKS

SUNDAY

KPU RICHMOND CAMPUS

7:30 PM • $ - BY DONATION

VANCOUVER WEB FEST

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EXPLORING THE AURORA

THE IRISH ROVERS

ST. ANSELM’S ANGLICAN CHURCH

FRIDAY

5:30 PM • $ FREE Explore Downtown Vancouver and historic Gastown on this two-hour guided walking tour. It usually costs $20, but the folks at Vancouver Walks are feeling charitable this month, holding tours on Mar. 15, 16, 17 and 18 for a $5 donation in support of a good cause. If selfies and stories are your thing then make sure to register in advance at vancouverwalks@gmail.com!

6:30 PM • $10-$12

MEGAPHONE MAGAZINE

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DUNSMUIR & RICHARDS

TITMOUSE 5-SECOND ANIMATION NIGHT

RIO THEATRE

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WALKING TOUR FOR CHARITY

19 SATURDAY

THIS CITY IS OURS MUSEUM OF VANCOUVER

2 PM • $ - BY DONATION

This isn’t your ordinary tour of Downtown Vancouver. This is a thought-provoking look at the history of contentious spaces in the area — Waterfront Station, Oppenheimer Park, Carnegie Community Centre, Woodwards and the Lamplighter Pub to name a few. Your guides will be Adrienne Young, Jason Romisher and former Courier editor-in-chief, Samantha Thompson.

SISTER SPIT TOUR 2016 LOST + FOUND CAFÉ

ALL DAY • $15-$150

7 PM • $15

Vancouver Web Fest is a crash course in all types of Internet entertainment — except for porn. On this day, there will be workshops on storytelling, lighting, audience engagement, legal issues, brand building and software. Later in the evening there are screenings and social events as well. If your biggest goal in life is to be a YouTube blogger, you probably shouldn’t miss this.

Sister Spit is a feminist literary roadshow from San Francisco, travelling the West Coast with six emerging and established artists, including ‘fat activist’ Virgie Trovar and author Cassie J. Sneider. Brace yourself for a thought-provoking look at feminism, race, size, class, identity, technology, gender and sexuality. Plus, the opener is none other than CapU alumna Tiare Jung!

21ST CENTURY FLEA MARKET CROATIAN CULTURAL CENTRE

10 AM • $5

The term ‘flea market’ comes from the idea that the goods sold there are second-hand and may be infested with fleas. So with that little detail in mind, may we suggest you attend this one at the Croatian Cultural Centre before stopping by the veterinarian’s office for a few tubes of Frontline Plus? There will be 175 tables of collectibles, memorabilia and vintage finds! Also, fleas.

BARN BURNER BBQ

CHILLIWACK

11 AM • $ FREE

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Please forgive us for making you drive to Chilliwack on your day off. We promise there’s a good reason: free BBQ! This is the second annual Barn Burner BBQ Competition, where some of the best grill-masters in the area will compete for s $5,000 prize.

You’ll get to sample their creations — brisket, pulled pork, chicken and ribs — fresh from the smoker! (Right?! We’ll see you there.)

THE IRISH ROVERS

SHORTS

Swooner The Zolas Carlo Javier EXECUTIVE LIFESTYLE EDITOR

MADAMA BUTTERFLY Mar. 5, Queen Elizabeth Theatre

Well, The Zolas have finally done it.

It was a long time coming, but Swooner has the Vancouver-based band finally putting out that full-on pop record that was just the natural next step for their ever-evolving sound.

The pop classification isn’t a knock on The Zolas though. Swooner isn’t the watered down type of pop music, instead it’s an infectious and delightful collection of sounds that showcases a colourful mix of 80s-inspired indie pop, anthem hooks and beats that’ll make you dance.

The album opens with a blast, led by the aptly-titled opener “Molotov Girls,” a dynamite of a song that has “sing along” written all over it. Yet, the track also marks an end — for anybody looking for any slight slivers of indie rock flavours, that’s all you’ll be getting the rest of way.

The title track “Swooner” is an exercise of irresistibility. Its hook is so catchy, it’s almost like front man Zachary Gray is begging for you to dance, while “Get Dark” and its enchanting, falsetto-laden chorus surprises with robotic-like distortion that harkens to early Daft Punk.

“Fell In Love With New York” has already been one of the more popular tracks on The Peak’s airplay and its mid tempo vibes is no less appealing in the middle of the album than as one of the firstreleased songs from the record. Strangely, “CV Dazzle” sounds like a lost cut from Fall Out Boy’s pop-bending album, Folie à Deux.

It’s not always delightful, though.

Swooner somewhat falters with its repetition. Beyond “Molotov Girls” and “Fell In Love With New York,” no other track really stands out enough to dramatically distinguish itself from the rest of the pack.

Maybe it’s intentional, a move that puts the onus on the listener to look at the album as a whole, as opposed to a simple collection of singles. But it sure could’ve used one or two more killer songs.

Swooner closes with the album’s only down-tempo song, “Why Do I Wait (When I Know You’ve Got a Lover).” It has some smoky and near ethereal vocals from Gray, marking another stark departure from the sound that’s been established throughout the record. Yet, almost analogous to The Zolas’ overall evolution, the song transitions into something entirely different. About a minute before it ends, the song morphs into instrumentals of seemingly tropical house music, good enough to make Kygo blush. Maybe it’s a foreshadowing or maybe it’s nothing.

At least The Zolas are expanding their horizons.

Therese Guieb EXECUTIVE NEWS EDITOR

99¢ Cristian Fowlie ATE FOUR CUPCAKES TODAY

Santigold has always been a dilettante.

Part of the appeal of her 2008 self-titled debut was the ease in which she was able to navigate any genre. New Wave, Reggae or electronica, Santigold was able to make it her own. It was a fresh vision of older sounds.

Almost a decade later, Santigold's approach hasn't changed much. Her third album, 99¢, leaps shamelessly from sound to sound. Pop-sweet songs play next to some of her darkest work yet. The album is like a bag of assorted candy — each flavour is unique, and occasionally you're surprised by something sour or bitter.

The album covers much of the same ground as her debut. There is the heavily reggae-influenced song, "Big Boss Big Time Business,” as well as the sparkling New Wave "Rendevous Girl.” The distinction between genres aren't always clear-cut. Songs like "Can't Get Enough of Myself" switch from dancehall verses to sing-along choruses.

Santigold also explores newer avenues.

She trades rap bars with fellow pop-

weirdo ILoveMakkonen on the woozy "Who Be Lovin' Me.” On the other end of the spectrum is the sinister "Walking In a Circle,” or the screeching noise rock of "Outside the War.” Despite the wide scope of genres, Santigold is able to effortlessly adapt to any sound. She has an unique voice that is recognizable whether she is singing, mumbling, rapping, or when it’s pitched two keys lower.

The album as a whole can feel a bit jolting, even for fans accustomed to Santigold's genre-hopping. Musicians tend to grow organically, synthesizing their various influences into a personalized sound. Santigold seems content to do the opposite, exploring the furthest avenues of inspiration. Santigold takes credit as executive producer and writer on all the songs, but also brings in an eclectic mix of collaborators. Rostam Batmanglij of Vampire Weekend and Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs contribute, as well as producers like Hit-Boy (Kanye West, Beyonce, Drake) and Zeds Dead.

It's not the nicely packaged album listeners want, but a fascinating insight into the process and influences of Santigold. She is a jack-of-all-trades, and a master of some.

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performance but failed to show chemistry with Butterfly in the first act when he professes his feelings to her. It seemed as though Troxell was too focused on singing and his acting fell short throughout the show.

Mihoko Kinoshita played the role of Butterfly. Her effortless singing made her performance exceptional because the audience could feel the emotion behind her voice. However, her vocal performance was not enough to fully connect with the audience due to the absence of facial expressions.

Suzuki, Butterfly’s servant, was portrayed by Allyson Mchardy. Mchardy surpassed Kinoshita’s acting as she embodied the character impeccably. For Gregory Dahl’s portrayal of Sharpless, he acted naturally in comparison to Troxell and was able to balance his performance without overdoing it.

The ending of Madama Butterfly left the audience in awe due to the brilliant visualization that it exhibited. A red spotlight filled the stage while Butterfly committed the sacrifice behind her son, who played with a wooden ship not knowing what was happening to his mother. This scene painted the perfect portrayal of death and innocence as a result of betrayal, making it the most memorable experience the audience would take away after watching Madama Butterfly.

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Vancouver Opera’s production of Giacomo Puccini’s classic Italian opera Madama Butterfly transformed the stage of Queen Elizabeth Theatre into 20th century Japan.

The opera tells the story of Benjamin Franklin Pinkerton, an American naval officer who docks in Nagasaki and weds a geisha, Cio Cio San, known as Butterfly.

Pinkerton leases a house for Butterfly before they wed and assures her that he will come back in due time after he sails back to the U.S. Pinkerton arrives back in Nagasaki after three years to take their son away, only this time he brings his new American wife with him. Butterfly stayed faithful to her husband but before they meet again, she takes her life in sacrifice to her ancestors.

Madama Butterfly boasted elaborate costume designs by Patrick Clark which featured authentic kimonos — a traditional Japanese garment, military uniforms and western gowns. The opera’s staple setting was in a traditional Japanese house complete with a straw mat floor, sliding doors made of rice paper and wood and a Japanese garden accented with cherry blossoms. Several hand-paintedlike backdrops heightened the audiences’ experience, making them feel as though they were in Japan.

Pinkerton was played by tenor Richard Troxell. He excelled in his vocal

Santigold

CAP YOU WHO YOU

Jessica Martin

Defining and understanding feminism Carlo Javier EXECUTIVE LIFESTYLE EDITOR

Keara Farnan CONTRIBUTOR

Feminism is one of the hottest topics in modern society. For better or worse, the term has become a buzzword, a source of pride and belonging and a contentious word that can be perceived with both positive and negative connotations.

Jessica Martin is a third year communications student at Capilano University. She’s also an assistant editor at Feminist Current, Canada’s leading feminist website. For her, there are aspects of feminism that are changing and growing in prominence, yet at the same time, there are also parts of it that have remained stagnant. “I think the term feminism and the rhetoric that goes along with it is certainly becoming more visible in the mainstream media,” she said, “But the work of feminism and the analysis of feminism is just as invisible or obscured as in eras past.”

Martin began her work for Feminist Current as an intern, writing “Feminist Theory Fridays,” a bi-weekly series that

covers established figures within the movement, specifically with regards to contemporary feminism topics such as body image as a site of misogynist backlash, identity politics in academic institutions and Vancouver's class politics.

“The purpose of the series was to explore foundational feminist texts in a way that's accessible for people who don't have the time, energy, or resources to do so,” she said. The series also included Martin’s take and interpretation, opening avenues for discussion and critique.

Martin didn’t simply stumble upon the opportunity to contribute for Feminist Current. Her involvement came at the suggestion of Vancouver-based antiprostitution advocate, Trisha Baptie.

Baptie runs EVE (formerly Exploited Voices now Educating), a non-profit organization that is composed of women who do advocacy and public education from their places of experience in the sex industry. She has also spoken at numerous communications classes and events at CapU. “I was going through a personal crisis and gravitated towards [Baptie], as I found her ability to challenge and overcome difficult circumstances inspiring,” Martin said. “I have no business taking centre stage in this conversation as someone who's never had to sell sex to support myself or my family, so if I can be a resource to women in a way that lets them self-advocate, that's the approach I try to take.”

Although she finds herself very much

active with advocacy work, Martin didn’t initially consider herself as a feminist.

She graduated high school in 2005, during a time when a different kind of feminism ruled mainstream media, one that she describes to be “individualist, bourgeois and co-opted by capitalism. “I wanted absolutely nothing to do with it,” she said. “It took me several years of working alongside women like Trisha to realize that the feminists doing the majority of frontline work and activism worked for women as a collective, and were just as put off by pop-culture ‘feminism’ as I was.”

Defining a feminist is sometimes left at the perception and judgment of an individual, however, Martin opts to offer

a more calculated analysis. For instance, she argues that sometimes the principles of being a feminist still get downplayed, even simply by virtue of how people tend to define it. “I've heard people say that a feminist is just someone who believes that women should be equal,” she said. “I think that's selling feminists a bit short.”

Instead, Martin suggests criteria that can fairly and clearly define what it means to be a feminist. “I think to be a feminist, one needs to believe women should be treated as equals, acknowledge that we're not there yet, and that there's tons of difficult work to be done and be willing to do that difficult work.”

Still, Martin understands that there are more dramatic measures that remain before equal representation of women in media comes to reality. “Until we get rid of the media model which punishes or erases those who try to challenge patriarchal and capitalist strong-holds in ownership, advertising, and backlash, we're unlikely to see women more diversely represented in media content, and in positions of leadership and influence within media companies,” she said.

On top of her involvement in feminist advocacy, Martin also works as a copywriter and media relations specialist for Switchboard PR. Her work at the firm not only provides her with another avenue in the communications field, but it also gives her the opportunity to step away from the often-intense nature of her feminist work.

Between the lines Men’s volleyball coach reflects on challenging season Kevin Kapenda

THE CAPILANO COURIER

VOLUME 49 ISSUE NO. 21

OPINIONS EDITOR

At face value, it’s hard to see how the Capilano Blues men’s volleyball team could have gotten much out of their 5-19 season.

However, head coach Emmanuel Denguessi believes that success for his team isn’t just defined by numbers, but the personal strides his group made too. “Early on, we had to redefine what success meant for our team,” said Denguessi. “If you look in terms of numbers, we had an unsuccessful season.

But if you see things from a perspective of growing, maturity and confidence levels, we have done a very good job.”

There were many things his group struggled with this season, including eligibility issues, and parting ways with an important piece. “One difficulty was an unexpected departure of one of our key players who didn’t return for the second semester and the ineligibility of two players early on during the second term,” said Denguessi. “One of the ineligible players that was not able to start the second semester was one of the top scorers in the league.” Having a young squad, with five first-year players, also presented a challenge for Denguessi’s side. “One factor [regarding the team’s losses] was the quality of our opponents.

I think that they had more mature and experienced players than we had.”

Despite having so many young players, Denguessi was surprised at just how

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— PACWEST VOLLEYBALL PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIPS quickly they transitioned from high school, to college volleyball. He believes that this growth should give them an advantage over other teams because they’ve been given so much playing time early on. “To their credit, [first-year players] adjusted very well,” said Denguessi. “If I compare with other players with the same level of experience on other teams, our players are much more mature and confident in what we do.”

For Denguessi, his first days as head coach were mainly spent acquainting himself with his squad early on. “The first was to establish myself as the coach and build relationships with the returning and new players,” he said. After that, it was

getting used to CapU and getting his squad to buy into his culture. “I had to learn the environment in which I was working and also trying to sell my philosophy of coaches to the players.”

For anyone who wishes to play sports at the college level, Denguessi stresses that it’s important for recruits to remain fully committed to both their athletics and classes. If not, poor grades could lead to their careers being shortened.

While Denguessi is optimistic about next season, he isn’t disregarding any unexpected circumstances that could arise. “You can never know for sure. It’s not something you can predict,” he said, referring to how

he feels his team will perform next year.

“There can be unforeseen injuries and other uncontrollable factors that can also happen.” However, if his returning players can build on the progress they’ve made this season, he’s confident that improvement will translate to more wins. “The first thing you have to do is retain players,” he said, “But I’m certain that if I have the same squad and good recruitment, we will be better than what we were this year.”

Denguessi’s side will return to the court for the 2016-17 Pacific Western Athletic Association (PACWEST) men’s volleyball season in October.

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Back to back Women’s volleyball team claim second bronze medal in a row Carlo Javier EXECUTIVE LIFESTYLE EDITOR

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— PACWEST VOLLEYBALL PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIPS The team’s biggest threat this season has been their balance. The Blues boast star players on both the offensive and defensive parts of the game, and they’re a group that’s not easy to beat when they find their rhythm. “Our coach always says that we’re a scary team when we’re on,” Chow said. “Our defense is great, we have – I think – the best blocking in the league, and then we have some of the best attackers.”

However, according to Chow, the team very much feeds off of one another, and this high dependence on unity, can also be their worst enemy. “Unfortunately, we’re also all-around good at beating ourselves, so when one person stops performing, we kind of shut down as a group. But we also rise up as a group — it’s just, which one’s gonna show up?”

Over the past few years, the women’s volleyball team have made a name for themselves as one of the more consistently successful varsity teams in Capilano University. Though the program has yet to bring home provincial gold since CapU became a university, the team has boasted winning records in four out of the past five seasons.

One of the more significant factors to their sustained success has been continuity.

“For the past couple of years we’ve had the same group of girls,” Hughes said. The team has also benefited from outstanding play from their younger players, which not only offers a deeper rotation for the team, but also a more concrete succession plan when senior players graduate, “The rookies that we have, have been really strong for the past couple of years, too,” Hughes added.

Furthermore, the roster has had the fortune of having the same coach over the past few years in Cal Wohlford.

Moving forward, Hughes aims to help continue the Blues’ string of successful seasons, and hopefully, claim the gold. “I see our team being super successful still, next year and for years to come,” she said. “We have pretty much the same girls coming next year, our rookies will be older so that helps and we’re also getting some good rookies coming in. I think it’ll be good next year.”

Consistency and balance has been the key for the Blues and continuing their success for years to come calls for their mentality to remain constant: win.

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(COTR) Avalanche in an earlier round.

“I’m still very disappointed, but they played more consistently than us,” said Chow. The Blues lost the first two sets of match, but came roaring back with a big win in the third set. Yet the comeback wasn’t in the cards as the Avalanche took the gameclinching fourth set. “They’ve always been a good team, they came out to play and we didn’t, they deserved it,” said Hughes.

“We’re such a good team, but mentally we weren’t there,” Chow added.

The Avalanche, wound up winning the entire tournament.

This season, the Blues showed the league the vast array of weapons they have on both offense and defense. Sutcliffe, who received the PACWEST Player of the Year award last year, continued her stellar play on offense. The defensive-minded Chow showed, in her final year, that she remains among the best liberos in the game, while Hughes continued her rise as one of the most potent all-around players in the league. The team also featured a talented group of rookies and what Chow describes as the best blocking front line in the league.

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Capilano Blues Women’s volleyball team notched their second consecutive bronze medal at the Pacific Western Athletic Association (PACWEST) provincial championships, defeating the University of Fraser Valley (UFV) Cascades in three sets.

The team saw contributions from the across the board, with two-time AllCanadian right side hitter Kira Sutcliffe leading the attack with 12 kills, setter Sarah Hughes tallying four aces and the league’s leader in digs, Mika Chow, anchoring the defense.

Yet the bronze medal marks another bittersweet ending for the Blues. The team, which finished second in the league with 15 wins and 9 losses, was upset by the sixth-ranked College of the Rockies

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O P I N I O NS Boycott, divestment movement should target smoking at universities Kevin Kapenda OPINIONS EDITOR

Tired of holding your breath between Library and Cedar? There might be a solution to that. Many universities across North America are moving to ban smoking on their campuses. In Canada, 12 post-secondary institutions have already done so, with eight of those bans originating in Alberta. Like the divestment movement, which calls on universities to stop investing in industries that benefit unethical nations or climate change, many student and faculty groups across the continent are asking their schools to distance themselves from smoking altogether. Smoking on campus has been said to be bad for the environment, air quality and chronic illnesses like asthma, which is more prevalent with Millennials than any other generation. If Capilano University does eventually ban smoking, it won’t go over easy. But like any policy, it’s about doing what’s best for you’re the majority of students, faculty and staff on campus.

The divestment movement at universities is more or less about putting your money where your mouth is. Universities have led on the issue of climate change for over four decades now and don’t seem to believe it’s acceptable to talk about low-carbon solutions,

Frosted Flakes?

Not so great anymore Students ditch cereal for convenience and health reasons Graeme Findlay

THE CAPILANO COURIER

VOLUME 49 ISSUE NO. 21

CONTRIBUTOR

In recent months, cold cereal sales have fallen dramatically. And wouldn’t you know it, Millennials are supposedly the main catalysts behind boxes of Frosted Flakes and Fruit Loops collecting dust on grocery store shelves. You’d be hard pressed to find an adult above the age of 40 who purchases cereal for themselves on a regular basis —

while holding investments in fossil fuels.

Although these movements represent progress, they do not go far enough.

Universities should be against everything their research argues is bad for society.

And cigarette smoking is one of those things.

One of the reasons why cigarettes cost so much in Canada is because university research convinced lawmakers that higher taxes were needed to offset the burden smoking puts on the health care system.

This research came to light in the mid1960s, leading to sweeping reforms and increased levies on cigarette purchases.

Since then, there has been lots of research proving that cigarettes are not only bad for taxpayers, and those who smoke, but bystanders who share the same air as them.

Evidence-based decisions are never easy because good policies aren’t always well-received by voters. When the BC government introduced reforms to drunk driving laws in 2010, voters were not happy, and many residents still aren’t happy with their roadside prohibition strategy. Banning smoking on campus would also be met with ire. There’s no doubt that our designated smoking areas and cigarette butt poles have helped regulate consumption. The issue is, students are often get caught in clouds of smoke when entering the Library building, and walking to it from Cedar.

Furthermore, many people often smoke outside Birch, and Maple, exposing others to their fumes.

Ultimately, banning cigarette use on campuses is not about the people who smoke them. It’s not intended to antagonize consumption. These bans are about common values, and the

acknowledgement that cigarettes are bad for public health. No level of second-hand smoke is safe. Universities know that the only way to turn heads and advocate for progress is through boycotting cigarettes.

Sending a united message that the practice will no longer be allowed on campus, for public health reasons, is more than reasonable. Many progressive institutions have already done it, and ironically, most of these schools have also gotten their directors to successfully divest from fossil fuels. Dalhousie, in Halifax, NS, and Memorial University in St John’s, NL are

two examples of schools that have banned smoking. At least six colleges in Alberta have implemented bans, which could serve as models for CapU. Implementing these bans has been very difficult for large institutions. While Dalhousie and Memorial are large in stature, they’re quite small in terms of student population. Luckily for CapU, we aren’t UBC. We’re not a UniverCity like SFU. If CapU truly cares about the environment and public health, it should have no problem banning a product that poses a threat to both of those things.

the only time they’d buy it would be for their kids, or guests who have children — but surely young adults aren’t solely to blame. Or maybe they are, but for better reasons than you might give them credit for.

A recent survey conducted by the New York Times says that 40 per cent of Millennials find that cereal is far too much work to prepare in the morning. If that really is the case, then humanity is doomed for so many other reasons. How can pouring a box of cereal into a bowl, then filling it with milk, be too much work? It takes all of ten minutes to prepare it, wolf it down, and give the spoon and bowl a quick scrub with a soapy sponge.

I make eating breakfast a priority. If many students can find time in the morning to make an omelet with onions, tomatoes and peppers, with toast on the side, how can you not have time for cereal? If proper health and nutrition, including eating breakfast, is truly important to someone, they will make sure they eat before they leave home. If anybody finds that too

difficult, then that’s absolutely embarrassing.

With that said, this cereal recession could be positive, and not solely driven by student laziness. Proper health and nutrition is becoming more prevalent in our culture.

Most breakfast cereals are puffed and sugared. Millennials are simply becoming more health conscious and realizing that cold cereal isn’t that nutritious. The majority of cereals are loaded with GMO’s, and the vitamins and minerals in them are synthetic. In fact, it’s hard to find a brand that isn’t highly processed. Healthy eating among young people is one of the most common trends right now, and most cereals do not fall into that category. Cereal sales could be falling because Millennials are simply trying to eat healthy by cooking their own breakfast dishes.

Convenience could also be a reason why cereal sales are declining. To many young people need to get out the door as soon as possible, and it’s easier to make a stop at

Tim Hortons for a coffee and breakfast than having to clean up after your cereal at home.

It’s definitely less overwhelming and timeconsuming too.

Lastly, many students just aren’t eating cereal because it’s not really that tasty either.

Why eat processed grain when you can whip up a warm omelet or short stack of pancakes.

Preparing healthier breakfasts takes time, but it’s about knowing how to multi-task.

Cereal is unfortunately too inconvenient for those who can’t get ready in-time, and not healthy enough for people who don’t like sugary carbs with dairy for breakfast.

There are a number of reasons why Tony the Tiger and the Lucky Charms Leprechaun sit untouched as you walk by them in the supermarket. Could it be that when you walk

by Cap’n Crunch and remember all the times he cut the roof of your mouth, you just want to run off in horror? I mean, what did kids ever do to him? That evil son of a bitch. Curse you, and your unhealthy competitors.

— TAYLOR LEE

Clearing the air on campus

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Story meetings Tuesdays at noon • Maple 122 • We pay for your words! ✍

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Don’t make university free – for now Canada must prioritize innovation over student debt relief Kevin Kapenda OPINIONS EDITOR

On Feb. 25, the Ontario government announced that it would make postsecondary education free for families that earn less than $50,000, by increasing grants to students who qualified. Thankfully, not too many students are eligible for this program, as most families of three or more in Ontario earn more than $50,000. Had that province decided to make education debtfree for every student, it would have been catastrophic.

Canada has an innovation problem.

Things aren’t being made in this country anymore, and high unemployment, especially among young people, epitomizes

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this issue. Innovation is an issue that impacts nearly everything, from public health to renewable energy use. Addressing Canada’s lack of innovation largely rests on the shoulders of our education system and governments. Canada needs to invest more money into students who make things, regardless of whether they’re engineers or welders. In other words, we need people who have the minds and hands to create new technologies and products. To get there, it would be wrong to make every university program free, when some are clearly more innovative than others.

Many people have been talking about Germany, and how university is now free in that country. What very few are talking about is how long it took Germany to implement that policy. Unlike France, and other countries that made post-secondary education free on the backs of their colonies, Germany is not an imperial power. For decades, Germans paid university tuition, because the government simply couldn’t afford to make it free. Now in 2016, Germany has free education while six or so nations around it are being forced to close universities, and slowly implement tuition to raise government revenue.

Germany can now afford tuition-free college because they’re a world leader in innovation.

And before Canada can as well, we must become as innovative as Germany.

Innovation doesn’t come easy. It takes time. It took Korea a few decades, and Germany about four. But it’s the only way to build a more prosperous Canada for all its generations of citizens. Unemployment and income inequality tend to be low in innovative countries because residents are highly-skilled and well-paid. According to Cornell University’s Global Innovation Index, Switzerland is the most innovative country in the world, followed closely by the U.K., Sweden, U.S., Finland and Singapore.

Oppositely, Canada is 16. Among the countries leading in global innovation, half of them have free education, while the others don’t. The point is that Sweden, Finland and Switzerland can afford free tuition because they’re highly innovative nations with great economies that aren’t dependent on natural resources. On the other hand, Canada is too dependent on industries like oil and auto manufacturing that can’t be sustained without government bailouts.

According to Bloomberg.com, innovative countries typically excel in three of these five categories: manufacturing, high-tech companies, research development and personnel. At the moment, Canada is only

doing well with high-tech companies, of which many are in danger of being lured to Asia. Canada’s biggest issue has long been research development and manufacturing.

Factories are closing and government investment in research is waning. But not all manufacturing and research is innovative.

Making craft beer and potato chips won’t do us much good on the global stage. We need to become a nation that produces computer chips and boozy pharmaceuticals instead.

Post-secondary education will be free in Canada one day. But’s it’s something we shouldn’t implement until we’re innovative enough to support it. Our governments and colleges have to start prioritizing subjects that encourage the production of technology and engineering-related goods. For every iPhone that’s made, 34 percent of the $180 or so in component and assembly costs ends up in Japan, while firms in Germany and South Korea collect 17 and 13 percent respectively.

If Canada can stop bailing out Bombardier and begin making smart technology, our economy will begin to flourish again. In 1957, South Korea, Japan and Germany were nearly bankrupt, and under U.S. occupation.

Today, their innovative economies are kicking Canada’s butt.

around the ankles and kneecaps. Each requires a different degree of flexibility.

You wouldn’t use one for the other task.

Also, for the sake of convenience, women will pick up the pink razor because it is found in the same section of the grocery store as all of the other products she’ll need. All of the shampoos and other body products designed specifically for women’s needs are on the same shelf. There is no need to make a trip to the other side of the store just to pick up the blue razor, even if it will save her $2. It may seem like a small difference to be paying, but over a lifetime, those pink razors could amount to thousands more.

Of course, not all products can be switched out for the version that is marketed to men. Imagine a woman wearing Axe Body Spray because it’s cheaper than her deodorant? She can’t wear men’s jeans because they’ll fall down around her ankles.

Sure, it may be the cheaper option, but it’s definitely not practical.

A Buzzfeed study published in October 2014 found that a woman will pay $10 for a plain white t-shirt while a man will pay $8 for the same article of clothing, even though his requires more fabric to manufacture. You could also argue that women could simply purchase fewer articles of clothing, since our closets seem

to be bursting at the seams while a man rotates his four T-shirts for years. Also, if you take quality into account, our clothing is made of much thinner fabric and is more likely to show wear quickly. For some reason it’s still more expensive though.

Essentially, companies are taxing women because they’re women. They pay more than men for nearly identical products because they’re pink or marketed for women. While there’s little that can be done about it, it’s wrong because women don’t earn as much as men — but weirdly enough, corporate executives still think we have the ability and desire to spend more than them.

Paying more for pink Gender price gap disadvantages women in male-focused economy Christine Beyleveldt

VOLUME 49 ISSUE NO.21

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THE CAPILANO COURIER

Sure pink is a lovely colour, but does it have to be so expensive? Like the oftrefuted gender wage gap, the so-called pink tax is just another form of gender discrimination. It allows retailers to overcharge women for the same products that men buy. While the items you see marketed for him and for her are identical, the price tags often tell a much different story. Last January, the Times of London reported that women and girls are paying up to 37 per cent more for the same products just because they are pink.

To add insult to injury, women are paid less money than men, meaning that they have less money to spend. So when people argue that women don't know how to take care of their own finances, it's not because they don’t know how to budget.

It’s because retailers and employers are constantly extorting them.

Some argue that women can just buy the blue razor instead of the pink one. It’s not that simple. First of all, while nothing is stopping women from buying the blue razor, one needs to consider the effects of advertising. The pink razor is marketed to women’s needs. By labelling products, one is coerced into buying a particular brand or colour. Besides, razors these days are built with different areas of the body in mind. The blue razor is designed to trace a man’s neck and chin without nicking him, while the pink razor is designed to reach

— MEGAN COLLINSON

CAMPUS CORRESPONDENT

C O L U MN S The mute button Mental mindfulness Marissa Del Mistro COLUMNIST

Snuggled within a maze of perfectly matched bones, lies a continuum of everything, our realm of reality, a full-time operation and a blended mosaic of analytical sequences and visual creativity. The human brain is the unique and fascinating control centre of our body. It’s simultaneously strong and fragile.

On Jan. 28, Canada unified as a community and raised $6.3 million towards mental health research. This period of 24 hours created a utopian assembly of the masses and forged a safe forum for discourse.

Sprawled across media outlets, many Canadians bravely shared their stories and experiences with their brains in an effort to break down stigmas surrounding mental health. Some Canadian celebrities even joined the movement to further promote the awareness.

To regard the importance of this day, the conversation must continue as public conversation humanizes mental health and reminds people that they are not alone in their experiences.

Stigmas are an isolating barrier for people coping with mental health issues, as individuals can internalize and avoid seeking help, for fear of judgment or societal exclusion. More often than not, these stigmas present themselves in the form of fear.

Mental illnesses present themselves in many forms – similar to other physical illnesses. We all have a brain, so we all, in one way or another, will cope with a form of mental illness. Statistically, if it isn’t your brain, it will be the brain of someone you love. One illness in particular that has a tendency of being gravely misconceived with a twisted villan-esque aura is schizophrenia.

There is more media misconstrued information about schizophrenia than any other mental illness.

Muddled in the media are stories of violent crimes, common conversation

Down to Earth

THE CAPILANO COURIER

VOLUME 49 ISSUE NO. 21

Holy shit! The feds are talking about climate change!

Calvin deGroot COLUMNIST

It's positive Monday folks, and after a series of cataclysmic trainwrecks earlier, I think we all need it. This month alone, we have seen: Donald Trump handily conquer the Republican primaries (God help us), Kanye West declare bankruptcy (and really just be himself #ContinuousTrainwreck) and the Canucks are still losing to almost everybody (even to the Toronto Maple Leafs).

And yes, while barely anyone noticed, on Mar. 4 the earth’s climate hit a terrible milestone – for the first time in recorded history, average temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere rose two degrees

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— TAEYEON KIM

that uses adjectives describing words like “insane, crazy and psycho” and scripts of movies have lines such as “what a schizo.”

How reprimanded would one be if they aimed that same joke towards someone for being in a wheelchair?

Unfamiliar to most is the fact that there are two categories of schizophrenia: positive and negative. Positive schizophrenia presents itself with confused thought, hallucinations, catatonic behaviour, and disorganized movements or thoughts.

Negative schizophrenia presents itself through lessened emotional expression, lessened speech, and difficulty in goal setting and motivation.

The timeline and impact of the illness is unique for each person. For some individuals, they may experience one episode in their lifetime, while others may experience many.

Some feel or have insight to warnings to an episode, while others do not. With time and therapy, one can learn what triggers an episode and live a preventive life in order to reduce their occurrence.

Schizophrenia can affect anyone.

Indeed, it isn’t as rare as one may assume.

An estimated 1.1 per cent of people over the age of 18 are diagnosed. The costs are tremendous, approximately $62.7 billion in the United States. Yet, Schizophrenia reaps a small fraction of medical research dollars.

It doesn’t mean split personality. It doesn’t mean that someone’s behaviour will erratically go from calm to uncontrollable.

Despite sensational stories, the vast majority of people diagnosed with schizophrenia do not commit violent crimes. Quite oppositely, they are commonly victimized. The media should shed light upon the triumphs of

people living with schizophrenia. Change the lens and focus away from the blurred realities that perpetuate discrimination.

Further troubling, the assumption is that people living with this can’t live an independent or rewarding life – the reality is far from that. While not curable, schizophrenia is treatable and many people can carry on productive, meaningful lives.

celsius above the norm. This might not sound like a big deal, but it is widely accepted in the scientific community that if the average temperature of the Earth rises by more than two degrees, then the planet will be drastically different than the one we know today. The earth will look more like it did 10,000 years ago.

I could begin rambling here about the havoc this will unleash on the earth that will eventually lead us into the apocalypse, but as I said, this is positive Monday.

This Monday is positive because what also happened earlier this month was a historic gathering of our elected leaders to hash out a plan to take action on climate change. As promised during the federal election campaign, the prime minister met with the premiers and territory leaders (also called first ministers) to discuss concrete action to take on climate change, and for real this time.

There are many who simply celebrated the fact that the prime minister was able to sit down in the same room with every

first minister, but I think their standards are rather low after what Stephen Harper brought to the table – this was indeed the first meeting between all the first ministers on any subject in seven years.

My standards are even lower – I’m just excited to see an elected prime minister follow-through on a major commitment made during the election campaign. But it gets even better – an agreement to put a price on carbon in every single province or territory was actually made!

Sure, the specifics of how the provinces are going to pull this off are being put off until the fall, which, considering the urgency of the situation, is a bit of a problem, but my friends, we have a start.

This is democracy. It’s a little bit painful and just so slow. It’s the worst form of government and all the others that have ever been tried have failed (thank you Winston).

I hope in the meantime we can collectively take inspiration from this agreement and work towards cutting emissions in other

ways, in our communities, cities and in our personal lives. We can try to eat less meat (way less), ride bikes, and hopefully stop buying weird and meaningless crap (yeah I’m talking about you, SkyMall… fine, all malls).

Sometimes it can be easy for environmentalists to default to anger, fear and condescension as we lecture those around us to change the way they live - what gets lost is the fact that the kind of lifestyle changes needed to reverse this impending doom will make our lives better, more efficient, cleaner and healthier.

And if we somehow cannot get it together on climate in the next five years, well, at least winter won’t really be a thing anymore, we can just enjoy the heat.

“Please hear this: There are no 'schizophrenics.' There are people with schizophrenia.” - Elyn Saks.

Saks is a professor of law, psychology, psychiatry and behaviour science at the University of Southern California Gould Law School, mental health expert and winner of a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship. Saks lives with schizophrenia.

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Syd Danger LIKES MEN IN TIGHTS

With Infinity War looming on the horizon, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is scrambling to introduce all your favourite comic book characters just in time to have them do a cameo in what is sure to be a massive three-part conclusion.

In light of this, I thought ‘Hey, I’m a nerd. I know things about things people don’t really care about.’ So allow me to take you on a journey, a journey through the tangled web of Marvel’s current TV and movie adaptations.

Spoilers ahead, obviously (didn’t you read the title?)

Let’s begin with The Big Bang. I’m serious – we’re starting that far back.

At the creation of the Marvel Universe, the six Infinity Stones were formed. The stones: Mind, Soul, Power, Space, Time and Reality, are insanely powerful objects that can only be wielded by beings of extreme power (sorry, Black Widow.). Basically, get a hold of these suckers and you’ll be more over-powered than DC’s Superman.

Now there’s this super gnarly looking dark elf, Malekith, who realized that he has

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a chance to gain control of the Reality Stone, during something called The Convergence.

The Nine Realms, consisting of Earth, Asgard (where Thor hangs out), Jotunheim and six more that nobody cares about, align and cause a whole bunch of crazy shit to happen. During the shit show, Malekith failed really hard at controlling the Reality Stone, and it was locked away.

Fast forward a few thousand years and we get the Asgard-Jotunheim War. Jotunheim is where all the Frost Giants live, specifically, Laufrey, king of the Frost Giants. He decided to wage war against the Asgardians, which in retrospect may be the worst idea ever. Odin fucked shit up over there and found this little creepy baby, whom he named Loki. He decided to raise the baby as his own but made sure he always knew he loved Thor’s muscles best.

What year is it? It’s 1940! The year of chain smokers and the first real supervillain.

A dude named Johann Schmidt (props to the writing team on that one) decided he wants first dibs on the super-solider serum that is being made for the Nazis – I mean, Hydra. It burns him all up and gives him a creepy but very marketable red skull. He’s not very creative, and names himself Red

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Skull. A round of applause for Johann.

Two years later, a tiny loser named Steve Rogers finally catches his big break and gets chosen to be the first candidate for a new, less red skull-inducing version of the super-soldier serum. While Steve is hero-montaging and flexing his pectoral muscles, Red Skull uses the Tesseract (remember that glowing blue cube? Yeah the Space Stone is in there) to make some super cool weapons, they have a fun fight on a plane and Rogers ends up in the ice like a sexy popsicle.

During this time, and before Rogers’ crash, Hydra captured his best friend Bucky Barnes. The experiments they performed on him made it possible for him to survive his ‘death by dramatic train.’

After he falls, Hydra scoops him up again and brainwashes him into becoming The Winter Soldier, aka the reason Syd is a little worried about her taste in men.

Meanwhile, the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division (SHIELD) is formed.

Fast forward 48 years and we get to the abduction of Peter Quill, who managed to fail to reach out to his mother seconds before she died. He’s taken in by The

Ravagers and becomes the outlaw known as Star Lord. Concurrently, in Switzerland a man named Aldrich Killan tried to get an up and coming inventor by the name of Tony Stark to join this thing called Advanced Idea Mechanics. In classic Rober — I mean, Tony — fashion, he tells Killan to fuck right off and then sleeps with a botanist named Maya Hansen.

To conclude part one of my Marvel walk through (I should just make it a trilogy to fit in), I leave you with the image of General Thaddeus Ross, his daughter Betty and her boyfriend all experimenting together.

Experimenting with Gamma radiation, that is. The boyfriend, a man named Bruce Banner, is exposed to extreme amounts of the radiation, a few bad movie adaptations and transforms into The Hulk.

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VOLUME 49 ISSUE NO.21

— SYD DANGERR

CABOOSE HOROSCOPES

HUMANS OF CAPILANO Dominic Guieb

IF YOUR BIRTHDAY IS THIS WEEK: You will rent out an entire club for your party, vastly overestimating how many people care about you.

ARIES (March 21 - April 19):

Being the resourceful person you are, it’ll only take a few small problems for you to find a reason to be in a really shitty mood.

TAURUS (April 20 - May 20):

It’s all fun and games until Bloody Mary finally appears in your bathroom mirror.

GEMINI (May 21 - June 20):

Spend this week thinking of ways you can win arguments on the Internet.

CANCER (June 21 - July 22):

To do your part for Diversity Week, you’ll start swiping right on black and Asian people on Tinder.

LEO (July 23 - Aug. 22):

You’ll discover that the toughest part of being a vegetarian is finding new ways to feel morally superior than everyone else.

VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept. 21):

It’s not the crushing defeat that’s got you down. It’s the fact your parents changed the locks for the house after finding out you lost.

LIBRA (SEPT. 22 - OCT. 23):

ing out and lingering.

SCORPIO (OCT. 24 - NOV. 21):

Your week is going to be just as disastrous and embarrassing at it normally is.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22 - DEC. 21):

You’re starting to wonder if you’ll ever find true love. Not with that haircut you won’t.

"Learning a second language. What I noticed with learning a language is that you start to deconstruct yourself. I started learning French and I couldn't speak like myself. You can't use the phrases that you want, how you want it. It doesn't translate word by word.

Languages don't work like that. At first, I was talking like a baby – the only things I knew were fruits and objects. You basically, pick up a new identity."

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22 - JAN. 19):

It’ll be a confusing week after you decide that you’re against activism, but don’t know how to show it.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20 - FEB. 18):

Give yourself a hard look in the mirror this week. It’s been awhile and you’ve been eating a lot of ice cream lately, so you might want to buy a bigger mirror beforehand.

PISCES (FEB. 19 - MARCH 20):

Feeling lonely and lost, you’ll turn to your two favourite cats for reassurance that life is still going according to plan.

"The first time I heard Miles Davis' on the Kind Of Blue album, it changed my perspective in music. I used to always listen to pop music and mostly only that. When I heard Miles Davis, it was different and I loved it. That's why I'm in the jazz program now. It definitely changed my views on music and shows – it represents how I see music."

SUDOKU

VOLUME 49 ISSUE NO. 21

"What has been a turning point in your life?"

Your inability to pick up on social cues has you often blurring the line between hang-

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PHOTOGRAPHER

"Golf has been a hobby of mine for basically the entirety of my life. I love golf. It has players of all ages and cultural backgrounds. On any given day I could end up essentially going for a four-hour walk with a group of 65-year-olds or a group of people who don’t even speak the same language as me, and it’s completely normal. Some of my best friends are people I never would have spoken to if it weren’t for golf. It is refreshing to get out of the norms one grows accustomed to going to school, and golf will help you do that. Also, golf is a unique game because it truly is just you versus the course. It develops a lot of integrity in its players, because if you shave a few strokes off your score you are truly cheating nobody but yourself."