03
VOLUME 49 ISSUE 22
08
ATTENTION, DEFECIT!
CSU REPORT CARD
In the wake of more program suspensions, CapU’s Mar. 15 Board of Governors meeting ends with faculty's plea for further budget review.
Renwick, Fabry, Wilson and Phifer. Find out which of the Capilano Students' Union’s top executives made the grade in 2015-16!
MARCH 21 - 27 | 2016
OH, THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!
09
C O NTE NTS
01
02
04
07
Cover Art
Editor's Desk
News
Cap You
12
15
17
18
Arts & Culture
Opinions
Columns
Humour
PAMELLA PINARD
REGISTRAR'S OFFICE GETS READY FOR EGG HUNT
THE STAFF Andy Rice EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
editor@capilanocourier.com Carlo Javier EXECUTIVE LIFESTYLE EDITOR
carlo.capcourier@gmail.com Therese Guieb
GETTIN' SHREDDED
CAP U PLANS TO REFRESH ITS CORPORATE IMAGE
RIDDING THE EARTH OF PLASTIC BAGS
SIP SIP HURRAY! COCKTAILS & CHIPS
COLUMNISTS
Kevin Kapenda OPINIONS EDITOR
opinions.capcourier@gmail.com Gabriel Scorgie FEATURES EDITOR
specialfeatures.capcourier@gmail.com Christine Beyleveldt CAMPUS CORRESPONDENT
reporter.capcourier@gmail.com Cristian Fowlie ART DIRECTOR
artdirector.capcourier@gmail.com
THE CAPILANO COURIER
VOLUME 49 ISSUE NO. 22
Syd Danger
MCBARGE TO BECOME NEWEST CAP U CAMPUS
CONTRIBUTORS Aidan Moulliec
Aidan Mouellic is a low-key veteran in the world of student journalism. He’s written words of wisdom and of satire for Douglas College’s The Other Press and yours truly. Ever the music aficionado, Aidan will be writing his critical analysis and thoughts about the current state of music, while amalgamating ongoing musical developments with treasures from the past. What up, Pitchfork.
EXECUTIVE NEWS EDITOR
news@capilanocourier.com
A LOOK BACK AT DIVERSITY WEEK 2016
Pamella Pinard COVER ART
Austin Legg ART
Dominic Guieb PHOTOS
Scott Barkemeyer
Caitlin Manz This semester, CapU student Caitlin Manz will take the reins of our traditional political column. She’s an arts and sciences student with a focus on English and Biology, so naturally, she’s writing about politics. Caitlin will be discussing political issues around the globe and she’ll be sure to put the science in political science.
WORDS
Tomáš Dančo WORDS
Steve Tornes WORDS
Mike Allen Mike Allen is our very handsome columnist writing about absurd news stories you may have missed. He’s a selfproclaimed train enthusiast and he stands firmly by his utter lack of belief of Iceland (he doesn’t think the country exists.) Mike also has an inherent fear of long commercials, which means his columns will get straight to the point.
PRODUCTION MANAGER
pm.capcourier@gmail.com Alva Tang COMMUNITY RELATIONS MANAGER
community.capcourier@gmail.com Tianyi Bao BUSINESS MANAGER
businessmanager.capcourier@gmail.com
Max Ley Back by popular demand, Max Ley is here to help. Much of the student population tends to live on a limited budget, which creates a hunger for cheap and accessible “student” foods and the occasional glass (or bottle) of wine. What Max will be doing is finding the perfect budget bottle to pair with your go-to snacks. Yes, we know, we should have this column every week.
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.
1
EDI TO R 'S D E SK Gettin' shredded Andy Rice EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
a car — all activities which offer next to nothing in the way of exercise. The 15 per cent of our country’s population that does manage to reach 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise is a rare breed. And if we’re not careful, they’re going to outlive us all and take over the world. For me, personal fitness has long been a matter of procrastination. There’s always an excuse. I’ve got a cold. I’ve got an article to finish. I’m tired. I’m meeting a friend. There’s a large plate of Foundation nachos that needs my attention. That’s a big one for me. I use that last one a lot. All of those excuses need to stop — and I’ve promised myself that they will, come April. As soon as the Courier is done publishing for the year, I’m going to have far more free time on my hands. I’ve told all my closest friends that if they see me doing anything else with that time other than exercising that they have my full permission to smack me upside the head. And no, it’s not because I want to use migraines as my newest reason for lazing around the house. It’s because I want to start improving my health once and for all and I know I don’t have the will power to it alone. Thankfully, many of my fellow editors at the Courier are in a similar spot, cheering each other on in the neverending quest for abdominal fortitude. Lately, I’ve been receiving a ton of Snapchats documenting their progress using the hashtag #CourierCrewGains. Unfortunately, my gains haven’t been of the muscular variety and I’ve elected to spare their eyes from the jiggling food baby that currently follows me everywhere. I know that personal fitness is going to require a major lifestyle change for someone like me, who is so far behind. I also know that at the end of the day no one else can do on my behalf — at least not until the Foundation succumbs to a vengeful food inspector or Cadbury stops making delicious Easter treats. I’m going to have to do this the hard way, one hike at a time. I only wish I enjoyed exercise as much as I enjoy melted cheese. Wouldn’t that be grate?
THE VOICEBOX with Carlo Javier
Went to Brassneck brewery this weekend for the seafood fest, I was expecting to see you and Andy but you guys weren’t there! What kind of food and beer aficionados are you? What seating were you? Who’s the best rapper in the Courier office? It’s a toss up between Cristian and Syd, but once I get back in the game it’ll be a different story.
THE CAPILANO COURIER
So I hear that you’ve got an ant problem happening in the office, I bet it’s because of all the snacks Therese brings and doesn’t share. Nah its because of the sweet art we get from our great pool of artists. Absolutely fantastic coverage on the CSU Elections, guys! Nice to see our student newspaper cover something that matters. Are you completely unable of giving proper compliments? 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.”
2
VOLUME 49 ISSUE NO.22
You can’t see me as I write this — thankfully, but I’ve just returned from a hike around the Lynn Valley Loop. It’s not often that I walk into the forest with a sense of purpose or belonging, but I did so today at the request of my girlfriend. Lately, we’ve been making an effort to get outside more — to step away from our computers and take a few minutes each day for our health. It’s been going, uh… alright, I guess. She’s definitely doing a lot better than I am. Her first step was joining a gym back in February and taking long walks every day after work. Mine was buying a matching grey Adidas tracksuit from Winners. I’ve only worn it once. The damn thing makes me look like a cross between the Michelin Man and a wannabe white rapper from Deep Cove. Trust me when I tell you that it’s not a pretty sight. Today, we were sitting on the patio at Raglan’s Bistro just past noon when she had her big epiphany. “Let’s do the Lynn Loop,” she said. “It’ll be fun.” I’d just eaten a massive 540 Burger and washed it down with a pint of beer. Although her timing was impeccably bad, the sun was shining and I was inclined to agree. Surely, it would be a lovely way to spend the afternoon. It wasn’t. Without a word of a lie, I lost half my body weight in sweat, watering the trails as I went. Anyone running behind us could have been easily convinced that a monsoon had rolled through just moments earlier. By the time we got home, it looked as though a fridge-sized water balloon had popped violently in the passenger seat of her car. I chugged so much Gatorade this afternoon that I probably could have consumed less sugar just by staying on the couch with my jumbo bag of Mini Eggs. Still panting almost half an hour later, I’ve come to the realization that I’m completely and pitifully out of shape. It’s gotten to the point where you could probably roofie a sloth and it would still beat me in a race. After four years of working jobs that involve sitting down as their biggest requirement, it doesn’t surprise me at all that this has happened. But now it means I have to do something about it. According to a 2011 report from Statistics Canada, 85 per cent of Canadians aren't getting enough exercise, although 50 per cent consider themselves to be moderately active people. For the record, I’ve never claimed to be among them. Nearly half of all Canadians, myself included, don’t even achieve the bare minimum of 30 minutes of dedicated moderate-to-vigorous exercise in a week. In fact, most adults spend 70 per cent of their waking hours sitting on a chair, laying on the couch or riding in
NEWS Budget approval met with disagreement from faculty members After more program cuts, Board of Governors meeting ends in plead for reconsideration of budget Therese Guieb EXECUTIVE NEWS EDITOR
Capilano University’s budget for 201617 has been formally approved by the Board of Governors during their meeting on Mar. 15. The overall expenses stated in the budget are $93,345,712, which meets the expected revenue without any deficit for the upcoming fiscal year. Last year, the University’s expenses totalled $92,112,999, which shows a difference of $1,232,713 in comparison to the new budget plan. CapU president Kris Bulcroft stated during the meeting that the budget was carefully reviewed by the Senate Budget Advisory Committee, Cindy Turner, who is the vice president of finance and administration, and the Board because the school will face a $1.3 million shortfall for the next fiscal year. The budget was the main discussion of the Board as they allowed public presenters for the first time to give comments and reconsiderations of the motions to be made at the start of the meeting. Carol Depatie, co-chair and instructor of the Tourism and Outdoor Recreation department, expressed her concerns on the suspension of the Advanced Wilderness Leadership Certificate (AWLP) program. She argued that the Tourism and Outdoor Recreation department has experienced its third program cut since 2013. These programs include the Scuba program
CSU election results New Board of Directors for 2016-17 academic year Therese Guieb
THE CAPILANO COURIER
VOLUME 49 ISSUE NO. 22
EXECUTIVE NEWS EDITOR
On Mar. 18, the Capilano Students’ Union (CSU) announced its new Board of Directors for 2016-17. Listed are the results from the election, held Mar. 15 to 17. VICE PRESIDENT OF EXTERNAL RELATIONS
which was cancelled in 2014, Mountain Bike Certificate program cancelled last year and the suspension of the AWLP for next year. Depatie noted that there are 40 faculty members who disagree with the decision to suspend the program because a similar action was taken by the Board in 2013 when the Studio Arts program was cut. It too was announced as a suspension, but has not been reinstated since, and Depatie fears the AWLP will suffer the same fate. As the only program currently being offered at CapU’s Squamish campus, she believes it could mean the closure of the campus altogether. Brent Leigh, member of the Board, replied to Depatie’s request stating that, “I find it frustrating that the faculty wrote letters calling out the Board about our leadership… Should we be approving the budget relative to this component? I don’t think this material is fundamental to postponing the approval of the budget tonight.” Depatie claimed there was no proper consultation to the faculty when the final budget draft was released a month ago. “We were surprised when it came out and it would’ve been nice to have gotten consultation. There was simply not enough time to react.” Brent Calvert, Capilano Faculty Association (CFA) president, also voiced out his comments regarding the budget. He pointed out that the budget came out
VICE PRESIDENT OF STUDENT LIFE
earlier than usual and it should undergo 60 to 90 days of review before being approved. During the suggested period, Calvert stated that the Board could review other options and alternatives that doesn’t include cutting a program. “Only Cindy [Turner] can make alterations [to the budget] — it’s frustrating to discuss this on the board. Do you think time would benefit the institution? We’re not fine tuning, we’re policymakers,” replied Leigh to Calvert’s request. Since Turner will be retiring on Mar. 30, the Board did not want the budget to be reviewed again without Turner, who spearheaded its creation. “I feel that with the program cuts it’s not entirely accurate and I don’t want [the board] to make the same mistakes,” said Calvert. “We can’t make a mistake because we’re not going against the University Act,” argued Leigh. Eric Roberts, MoveUp executive councillor staff representative, also pleaded with the Board for a further review of the budget. “There needs to be a gesture of acknowledgement of the front line work for the benefit of the students,” noted Roberts. Bulcroft reminded the Board that three years ago the Board asked for a Strategic Plan. The plan was taken into consideration when the budget was prepared by Turner as the plan is essential to the success of the university. “We’re doing as much as we can with as little as we have,” said Dr. Richard Gale, vice president of academic and provost. “Programs that were really core to Capilano College have changed. Two years ago, the need to morph the program [AWLP] to the direction of the institution was crucial,” he added. Gale further explained that one of the reasons
why the AWLP has to be suspended is that CapU needs the finances to create a post baccalaureate degree in adventure management for the Outdoor and Recreation faculty in the future which aligns with the Strategic Plan. “There were letters from the faculty not agreeing to the suspension and I’m concerned that we are not appealing to the University Act. Do you expect the program [AWLP] to run again?” asked Michael Fleming, Board member. “I don't know but it's an expensive program and historically the program has had low enrolment. It really depends,” articulated Gale. Board member Aurelea Mahood asked the board to contextualize the request of the faculty of Outdoor and Recreation again before making any decisions. However, six of board members disagreed to the suggestion. After a lengthy discussion amongst the Board regarding the budget, the budget was then approved with Fleming and Mahood voting against the decision. Following the approval of the budget, Turner presented the fiveyear Capital Plan. The Ministry of Advanced Education requests postsecondary institutions each year to create a capital plan which includes a list of the institution’s capital needs and requirements such as new priority projects, whole asset replacement, and renewal projects. Among the construction plans stated in the document is phase two of the Nat and Flora Bosa building, where $15 million will be allocated to its construction over the span of two years. The next Board of Governors meeting is scheduled for April 19. For more information visit Capilanou.ca/Boardof-Governors-new/.
GLOBAL AND COMMUNITY STUDIES REPRESENTATIVE
QUEER STUDENTS’ LIAISON
KYLE LEGROW
139 votes
BEATRIZ MIRALLES
401 votes — YES 34 votes — NO
CLARICE SCOP
45 votes SAHARA BRIDGES
VICE PRESIDENT OF UNIVERSITY RELATIONS AND SERVICES
CARMINA TIOSECO
41 votes
JULLIAN KOLSTEE
ACCESSIBILITY JUSTICE COORDINATOR
387 votes — YES 37 votes — NO
ALYSA HUPPLER-POLIAK
ARTS & SCIENCES FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE
356 votes — YES 38 votes — NO
SARAH ROSE KLASSEN
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COORDINATOR
119 votes SOCIAL JUSTICE COORDINATOR DIVYA NANRAY
359 votes — YES 21 votes — NO WOMEN STUDENTS’ LIAISON
90 votes
EMILY SOLOMON HALEY KUZEK
SACHA FABRY
ASHLEY KENNEY
401 votes
75 votes
396 votes — YES 23 votes — NO
243 votes NATALIIA GOLOVANOVA
168 votes KEVIN KHAMSEH
KALEN TARA
108 votes
52 votes
VICE PRESIDENT OF INTERNAL RELATIONS
GUR JASSAR
FIRST NATIONS STUDENTS LIAISON GERONIMO ALEC
40 votes
224 votes — YES 15 votes — NO
AMINA EL MANTARI
280 votes
BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL STUDIES REPRESENTATIVE
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS LIAISON
MARISSA LESIRE
207 votes — YES 20 votes — NO
FARHOOD FADAGHI
147 votes
3
DARYA KOSTROMITINA
184 votes — YES 13 votes — NO
@CAPILANOCOURIER
@CAPILANOCOURIER
/CAPILANOCOURIER
Capilano University plans to refresh its corporate image Local firm hired to establish a new brand for the institution moving forward Therese Guieb EXECUTIVE NEWS EDITOR
“It’s Capilano University, not Capilano College” is a phrase often used whenever the institution is brought up in conversation. In 2018, CapU will be celebrating its 50th anniversary since its conception — and its 10th as a university. The school will use the milestone as an opportunity to reintroduce CapU to the public with a different image through a rebranding process. On Mar. 14, 16, 21 and 22 the school invited stakeholders — which includes the administration, faculty, staff and students — to a series of two-hour-long Brand Summit workshops. Attendees of the workshop were able to share their thoughts on the rebranding process and meet the marketing team leading the project. “We’ve been through a dramatic transition from college to university, since 2008. We’ve been in that transitioning period, and really what we’ve arrived at is the need to assert ourselves much more clearly on the local and the international stage as a university,” said Victoria Miles, director of marketing and communications at CapU. According to Miles, since the institution became a university, it has changed drastically with the programs and services that are offered by the school. “We need our brand to work hard for us, and represent us in a strong way we operate in an environment of choice. It’s competitive out there, and we want to make sure that our identity is aligned with our service offering,” she continued. The marketing and communications department at CapU has hired Ion, a marketing and design company based in Vancouver, who will do the rebranding work of the school. CapU had a bidding process for companies to spearhead the project. Miles stated that Ion was chosen because the company presented the most cost-effective model for the project. She declined to disclose the amount of funds
$3k going to promotional items like umbrellas and breath strips Chrstine Beyleveldt
After a hectic week of elections, the Capilano Students’ Union (CSU) Board of Directors met on Mar. 18 to discuss new business regarding CSU operations. The directors immediately broke off into three focus groups and critiqued the CSU’s
“Ideation takes what we heard into concept development and then reviews it with focus groups and moves into an improved direction. They start creating that collateral, the material, of the things that we want to represent — everything from signage to brochures to website presence,” explained Miles. “Implementation continues on after September but in a second phase which lasts for another year, where we are just looking around, people bringing things to our attention like we need to update this, this is not our brand.” Miles stated that CapU and Ion will continue to implement new factors to the process along the way but she didn’t reveal when the new brand will be completely ready. The marketing and communications department at CapU will develop an online input channel in the upcoming weeks to accommodate stakeholders who weren’t able to attend the workshops. This includes stakeholders in the Sunshine Coast and Squamish CapU campuses.
values, mission and vision. President Zach Renwick explained that the feedback would be presented to the executive committee. The outgoing executives reflected on the Union’s work this year, which will be reported to the incoming executives for the upcoming year. Vice president of university relations and services, Sacha Fabry is finalizing the updated costs of the CSU student health and dental plan. He motioned for $3,000 to be released from the university relations and services budget for promotional items such as breath strips, hand sanitizers and umbrellas with CSU logos. These items will be part of a marketing campaign to remind students that the Union is a separate organization from the university and is responsible for providing health
and dental coverage to students. Fabry also explained that the university was receptive to releasing exam schedules earlier in the semester and implementing a fall semester reading break after he presented both amendments. Both will be decided upon after consulting students. De-Stress Week was introduced last semester and it drew enough success that vice president of student life Kate Phifer will be hosting it again from Mar. 21 to 25. The event will feature many of the same activities, such as musical de-stress courtesy of the Jazz Studies program and art therapy provided by IDEA students, who have also prepared adult colouring books that will be sold to students. According to Phifer, the CSU currently has $4,375 remaining in the student life
budget because many of the CSU’s 26 clubs had not yet claimed their grants from the fall semester. As a result, the Capilano Climbing Club, a group of student rock climbers, was granted $271.20 to fund a team of six to compete in the University Bouldering Series on Mar. 19. Finally, the Board resolved to form a Joint Steering Committee with CapU. The purpose of the committee is to collaborate with the university to help oversee the progress of a new student union building (SUB). The project is to be completed by 2019, if it passes a referendum to be voted on by students. The Board has already met with Stantec Architecture and is preparing to conduct student stakeholder consultations to further shape their vision for the building.
For more information regarding the refresh, email Sarah Parker at brandrefresh@ capilanou.ca.
4
VOLUME 49 ISSUE NO.22
CAMPUS CORRESPONDENT
for a branding project like this,” he added. Tourism and Outdoor Recreation student, Alysa Huppler Poliak was also in attendance at the workshop. “I was at Cap when it was a college. Now I’m back as it's a university so I have a very unique perspective as someone in the student body who is still there. I feel that the institution is operating in a way that they are trying to be effective as possible but they don't have the resources. They are doing this in such a way that it still feels like a third-tiered university to me,” she said. “What I think about branding is that it is essential because I think it still has remnants of a college, and that's still the connotation that's out in the community. But it is really essential that we focus on the things that set us apart from other small universities.” There are six stages of the rebranding process which are discovery, ideation, refinement, implementation, deployment and review. As of today, the rebranding is in the first phase of the process where the company is looking for information and suggestions from CapU’s stakeholders through the Brand Summit workshops.
THE CAPILANO COURIER
What’s New with the CSU?
being used for the rebrand project because the school wants the stakeholders to focus on the creative process and not be distracted by its cost. Projects of this kind typically run between five and six figures. The Vancouver Sun reported that a rebranding project executed by Ion for the North Vancouver School District in 2010 cost $20,000 and an additional $15,000 to implement. Miles, who was employed as communications manager for the District at the time, told Sun reporter Janet Steffenhagen that the design alone may have cost nearly double if not for pro bono work donated by one of the firm’s partners, a parent in the District. Toronto’s Ryerson University underwent a brand refresh last year with a different company which cost the school $200,000 for its new logo alone. At the Mar. 16 workshop, attendees participated in the following activities: semantics, Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis, scattergraph and a group presentation of what CapU should look and feel like by 2020. The semantics and SWOT analysis enabled attendees to voice their answers on what they thought of CapU by describing it in one word. Participants were grouped together to create a scattergraph and present to the audience what they thought CapU should look like by 2020. “In my opinion, the branding of the school is kind of iffy. It is lacking in terms of direction as to what they want to present themselves as, considering that we are a university but we don't have much of a process of explaining that to the general public — and also the website is needs work too,” commented Kyle Papilla, an IDEA student who attended the workshop. “I said during the [SWOT] analysis that there is lack of communication from people who are higher up or from the school itself to the students and the faculties. Proper information and proper notice to the general public is really critical especially
@CAPILANOCOURIER
@CAPILANOCOURIER
CapU students garden indoors through aquaponics New system will enable hands-on learning with innovative farming techniques Therese Guieb
THE CAPILANO COURIER
VOLUME 49 ISSUE NO. 22
EXECUTIVE NEWS EDITOR
Once used as a darkroom for developing photos, Maple 103 is now the breeding ground for fish and vegetables on campus. On Feb. 29, it was turned to a space fit for agriculture with the installation of an aquaponics system. Ben Glassen, a student in the Outdoor Tourism Management program, was the recipient of the Chartwells Campus Projects competition last year. His winning proposal called Aquaponics Sustainable Food Pilot suggested the creation of an aquaponics garden at Capilano University which will grow vegetables that could be used by the school’s food service provider, Chartwells. Following the implementation of his proposal, Glassen was able to start the Capilano Students’ Union (CSU) Chartwells Aquaponics club that is comprised of eight members that helped build and maintain the aquaponics garden on campus in collaboration with CapU facilities department, Chartwells, EarthWorks, PatchWorks, PowerWorks and You Grow Food Aquaponics. Aquaponics is a technology that combines aquaculture, fish farming and hydroponic food production. It is an organic closed-loop symbiotic system based on natural pond biology and nitrogen cycles. Last week, Glassen took the Capilano Courier on a tour of the aquaponics system in which he explained how everything works.
5
“The system itself is a big fish tank which is actually like a feed tank for horses. From the tank, the water goes through a filter which is big enough for [an aquaponics] system quite a bit bigger than this. Then the water goes up to the grow beds,” said Glassen. There are two different kinds of grow beds that are installed in the system for planting: media beds and deep water culture. “The media beds are made up of clay, so we can plant root plant and stalk plants right into there, because this imitates the dirt,” noted Glassen. “The other kind that we have is the deep water culture — this is more common in large-scale systems — so the Styrofoam raft floats on top of the water, and then the roots hang into the water and the plants sit on top of the raft.” The water from the fish tank is dispersed to the grow beds and then drains back into the tank again. The entire system is built on a mounted work bench that has highpowered lights which contain ultraviolet rays that imitate natural light. These are installed on top of the grow beds which can be raised as the plants grow. “We have three different levels for [growing] the plants. The first, we’ll start with incubating them, just like anyone would with their garden plants. Then we will put them in our starter sprouting table and from there we will transfer the plant into the real grow beds,” said Glassen. As of today, there are no seedlings that have been planted on the sprouting table or the grow beds and there are no fish
/CAPILANOCOURIER
placed in the tank because it takes about six weeks for the system to fully cycle. The club is waiting for ammonia from fish feces and nitrites to build up in the water of the system. Although these chemicals are toxic to both the fish and plants, there are also nitrates in the water which serve to neutralize them. Once the nitrate level exceeds 100 parts per million (ppm), the nitrites will be eliminated and the water will be left with only 0.25 ppm of ammonia. “We want the conversion between fish poo ammonia into the nitrates to be so quick that we don’t register any poison by the nitrites,” explained Glassen, “So we are waiting for that period to happen so we avoid losing fish. Four more weeks from now and then we will put our fish in there.” Glassen said he expects to start seedlings this week, sprouting them outside the system as a way to begin the process. “We can actually start growing the plants before we can start the fish, because the plants won’t be damaged by the nitrites,” he said. “The issue right now is that the system doesn’t have enough nutrients in it to for the plants to be very successful.” The system is checked daily by members of the Aquaponics club, Haley Kuzek and Zoe Matthias, who measure the chemicals. “Right now we’re just testing water to sort of create the environment that is optimal to their [the fish and plants’] health and we will introduce fish,” said Kuzek. “The plants that are successful to grow are leafy greens in this environment. We can’t grow a potato, for example, because it needs soil.” Plants that the club is currently discussing to grow include lettuce, lemongrass, cherry tomatoes, basil, kale and bok choy. The type of fish that will be used for the system is koi. “It’s too difficult for us to get a permit to do tilapia or do edible fish, so if we do koi, we can buy them at
$5 each,” noted Glassen. Using koi for the system will double as a revenue stream for the club. “Koi is a very lucrative fish, and when they grow to almost full size, we are going to sell them for people's meditation ponds in the community and then use that money to put back into the club to regenerate our stock to support the club,” said Alysa Huppler-Poliak, who shares the leadership role of the club with Glassen. “We are looking at having a grand opening once we have the fish in, once we have the plants started by the end of this term, but it’s something we have not yet discussed with the club yet,” said Glassen. Soon, the club hopes to launch an educational component, market the initiative through a series of promotional materials and set up a video feed in the Birch cafeteria. Members will also be reaching out to CapU professors to encourage them to take their students to visit the aquaponics system and learn about how it works. In addition, the plants grown will be given to Chartwells to use in their dishes. “Maybe one day a week Chartwells will introduce a dish that says that it used salad greens from the Aquaponics Club up at the Maple building, so we can also create publicity that way,” explained Huppler-Poliak. Kuzek encourages students who would like to get involved or simply learn about the system to join the club. “We want to create an environment where we can facilitate multiple disciplines and be able to have business students involved, whether they see this as a commercial opportunity, or science students or film students,” she said. “It is a great opportunity for experiential learning and teaching people in sort of how a closedloop ecosystem works.” For more information on the CSU Chartwells Aquaponics Club, readers aren encouraged to contact Ben Glassen at ben. glassen@hotmail.com.
CAP YOU Rebound and regroup Blues men’s basketball team looks to come back strong next season Carlo Javier EXECUTIVE LIFESTYLE EDITOR
A heartbreaking loss in the bronze medal match against Quest Kermodes has the Capilano Blues men’s basketball team looking to address their needs this offseason. Despite their uneven season, marred with the perils of youth, inexperience and lack of size, the boys still found themselves fighting and clawing their way through the Pacific Western Athletic Association (PACWEST) provincial tournaments. The team started their playoff run on a strong note, defeating the Douglas College Royals in the first round. They then faced the league-dominating Vancouver Island University (VIU) Mariners. The Blues hung tight for most of the game, but the Mariners displayed their experience and size advantage in the fourth period, and closed the doors on the Blues’ chances of reaching the gold medal game. “I think VIU is a much physically stronger team
than us, they’re also a more veteran team than us and so when they take it to that next level, that sort of closing veteran finishing game level, we weren’t able to match that level of intensity,” said head coach Cassidy Kannemeyer. “It’s not like there was a lack of effort, we just don’t have that sort of veteran scorer, or veteran defender, to lock up in certain situations or get us a big bucket in certain situations.” Inexperience has been a running theme for the Blues this season. The roster featured no third or fourth-year players who could provide the veteran on-court guidance and leadership that a young team always needs during a rocky season. Eventually, the Blues’ youth will develop and the long-term plan will come to fruition. The team already has one of the most promising backcourt rotations in the league with second year guards Martin Bogajev and Graddy Zubaidi. The two were this season’s co-captains and Kannemeyer expects them to continue growing as leaders. “They’ll have individual basketball skill development plans and they’ll have weight programs that they’re supposed to follow,” he said. “Leaders will always take those jobs seriously and lead by example in terms of what they do off the court, so I expect them to come back stronger and smarter, it’s as simple as that.” The Bogajev-Zubaidi duo gives the Blues a dynamic blend of offense that
few opponents in the league can match. Bogajev finished the season as the league’s top scorer and 3-point-shooter. His potent assault from outside the arc and unwavering confidence can bend defenses like no other player in the league. On the other hand, Zubaidi is demonstrative in terms of balance. The athletic guard can finish at the rim with the best of them, and for the most part, he’s been a levelheaded figure on the court. The two are also complemented well by Brendan Bailey. The lead guard is equipped with a virtuoso ball handling and his ability to create space and scoring opportunities will be integral for seasons to come. Another consistent theme for the Blues this season is size – particularly, the lack of it. No Blues player cracked the top 10 in rebounding and the team also faced challenges in protecting the rim. Though it’s a disadvantage now, Kannemeyer hopes that the Blues can use their guardheavy lineups to outrun teams in the future, but in order to succeed at that, he acknowledges that the team first needs to address their lack of rebounding. “If you’re not rebounding the ball and you’re always picking the ball out of your basket it’s very difficult to play fast,” he said. Furthermore, he looks to recruit versatile big men this offseason, to help boost the team’s length. With rebounding comes transition. The Blues are loaded with guards who can
run, attack and shoot, and Kannemeyer hopes to use this offseason to maximize the team’s potential as a run-and-gun, small ball team. “We’re gonna work on two or three different things to get us to play a bit faster,” he said. “Try to get the ball moving up the floor quicker.” Small ball basketball (having four or five smaller but skilled players at one time) has taken centre stage in the NBA, and Kannemeyer sees the revolution having success at the collegiate level of athletics as well. “I think we can play small ball in terms of we don’t have size, but we have to be able to have people at the rim that can block shots or take charges to protect the rim,” he said. “Offensively in our league the 4-position is essentially a guard position anyway, he has to make decisions that are like a bigger player but he still has all the freedom to make the plays just like a guard would.” For now, the Blues basketball team are in the prime position to continue growing. Time is on their side and sooner or later, the youngsters of the team can blossom into bona fide all stars. “I’m not going to put it out of the question for them, they all have potential to be impact players again next year,” said Kannemeyer. They may have fallen short of medalling this year, but at least the Blues know what they’re capable of. The team oozes potential, and its not hyperbolic to expect bigger things on the horizon.
THE CAPILANO COURIER
6
VOLUME 49 ISSUE NO.22
— VANCOUVER SPORTS PICTURES
@CAPILANOCOURIER
@CAPILANOCOURIER
Spring cleaning encourages a make-do approach to living Student group looks to raise awareness on zero waste lifestyle Carlo Javier EXECUTIVE LIFESTYLE EDITOR
Big changes can come from small groups. A collective of second year Global Stewardship students are hosting a clothing swap and a zero waste workshop on Mar. 30 and 31 to increase campus awareness on reducing, reusing and recycling. Students Zoe Matthias, Kara DubniakGreen, Vanessa Ramsden, Braya Quilty, Raquel Schmutter and Kiah Davidson are using their Public Engagement class as a platform to inspire members of the Capilano University community to be
Global phenomena Successes of Diversity Week showcasing CapU’s culture Christine Beyleveldt CAMPUS CORRESPONDENT
THE CAPILANO COURIER
VOLUME 49 ISSUE NO. 22
From Mar. 14 to 17 students at Capilano University showed off their culture and traditions during Diversity Week. International Students’ Liaison, Erick Rojas had been planning the event since the start of the year with the help of Students of Colour Liaison, Harold Williams and First Nations Students’ Liaison, Geronimo Alec. The entire international community chipped in to make the event a success. “I wanted to do this first myself but then, you know, talking about that word diversity, it’s all about including everyone else, which is all the groups, all the minorities,” Rojas explained. “It’s not even just about culture, but gender and colour. “I feel there’s this stereotype of students and people don’t realize how similar they are, how they live in their own cultures,” he continued. “[It’s] also to help students integrate, to understand that we live in a diverse country and this
7
mindful of waste. “We did the waste audit and we actually saw the impacts of the mistakes that people were making,” said Dubniak-Green. “We saw how many coffee cups came out of the one that was gong into the landfill when they’re not actually supposed to be in the landfill container.” One of the bigger waste management initiatives that CapU has seen was the implementation of the zero waste systems nearly two years ago. Since then, individual garbage bins have nearly vanished throughout the campus, replaced by stations that feature multiple labelled bins that help segregate waste. Despite the program, the group still saw that a great portion of the campus community
is 2016 and instead of being reluctant to those ideas accept that the way it is and, you know, welcome all the students from parts of the world.” There are over 900 international students at CapU who have come from across the globe, which is a little over 10 per cent of the campus population. Over 50 current and former international students collaborated to make the event a success. Nataliia Golovanova is a student volunteer representing both Russia and the Ukraine. “Canada is a very multicultural country, especially British Columbia and Vancouver, so I think like to get familiar [with] different cultures is very important on the communication level,” she said. Each day of the week was categorized, with Monday being devoted to Asian countries, while Tuesday focused on Africa and the Middle East. Wednesday saw an emphasis placed on CapU’s European cultures. Finally, Canada’s First Nations communities as well as Latin American students celebrated their cultures on Thursday. Booths had flags and pictures or signatures of their landscape, snacks and traditional hard candies and activities to engage students. Artifacts were on display and many international students came in their traditional attire.
/CAPILANOCOURIER
still neglected to abide by the waste system. “We have such a great garbage system, it’s pretty simple and its labelled, but people aren’t following those steps,” said Dubniak-Green. “Maybe if something was a bit more action-oriented and they could learn a little bit more about it and maybe we could have a little bit better results.” The first the event that the students will host will be a clothing swap on Mar. 30 in the Capilano Students’ Union (CSU) Maple Lounge. Participants will be able either trade clothes or buy available clothing for $2. According to Matthias, the main coordinator of the event, the clothing swap was inspired by her own experiences with trading items, “I’m kind of moved just by, personally, you give up a lot of things you have attachments to and it’s the personal realization that you’re okay if you don’t get something back of equal value, but its just the matter of being happy that someone else might find happiness in that piece of item.”
Clothing swaps are often cited as an effective avenue promoting eco-fashion, and Matthias emphasizes that ‘thinking green’ isn’t limited to recycling, it also encompasses other sectors like the clothing industry. “I feel like I was raised with an anti-consumerist vibe and being in Global Stewardship, I’ve come to realize the harsh realities of the garment making trade and the global south,” she shared. “How terrible it is that people just throw out stuff and cycle through things at such a fast speed without even realizing the stuff that’s happening. I think a way to counteract that is to stop buying as much and trade, make do with what you have.” The second part of the project will be a zero waste workshop on Mar. 31 in the CSU Library Lounge. The workshop will be hosted by Jacquie Rolston of the Zero Waste Club Vancouver and will delve into how students can incorporate a zero waste lifestyle in their everyday lives. The workshop will also count as an EarthWorks credit for all Biology students.
Carlo Javier EXECUTIVE LIFESTYLE EDITOR
CSU REPORT CARD
Therese Guieb EXECUTIVE NEWS EDITOR
addition to other issues like the UPass or core funding. I would hope that the person who comes after me would continue housing advocacy and that’s one of the big plans for my outgoing training.”
have their whole lives dedicated to either teaching or administration. It's a tough job and you need to be kind and respectful but also be willing to have a backbone and stand your ground when people try to push you.”
ZACH RENWICK, PRESIDENT / VP, INTERNAL RELATIONS
SACHA FABRY, VP, UNIVERSITY RELATIONS & SERVICES
KATE PHIFER, VP, STUDENT LIFE
COURIER’S GRADE:
COURIER’S GRADE:
COURIER’S GRADE:
As the year draws to a close, we checked in with the four executives of the Capilano Students’ Union (CSU) to look back and grade their tenure in student politics.
like ‘oh Zach is really grumpy.’ But I’m not grumpy I really just put a lot of emphasis on my work to get things done.” WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES YOU HAD WITH BALANCING THE TWO POSITIONS?
A-
Although Renwick excelled in organizing the CSU’s internal operations, he fell short in his role as a president. Much of his work was behind the scenes and he wasn’t as visible as the other executives, but evidently, Renwick made changes that could benefit the CSU’s operations in the long run. WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU DID WELL DURING YOUR TENURE?
“The biggest thing I did well was helping to change the culture of the CSU. Things were pretty disorganized with our committees. We also had a policy manual that was contradicting itself in many ways. When I first came into the role it took a few months to figure out what my role is because there was no VP internal before I started. Over the summer [of 2015] I strategized what my priority should be and I viewed the disorganization and lack of accountability in the CSU. I also completely rewrote our policy manual. I did that by benchmarking another student association and just applying the policies that I thought would work best for the CSU. On the internal side I think the CSU runs a lot smoother now and I definitely hold people accountable for things they did that’s against the policy.”
“Before I started there was no regular financial report. Now there is a yearly financial report and it outlines what our fees are and budget areas and does an explanation of what the budgets are for. Also, we have strict spending authorities now too, for example there are now specific committees who are look over how much money can be released.”
“I think what I should’ve done more was to be sociable with directors because I know sometimes I’m a work-oriented person and I like to get into focus mode and get the work done. People just always see me working on my computer and thinking
Fabry succeeded in developing a voice for the CSU amongst the governing body of Capilano University but was ineffective with developing better CSU services for students. WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU DID WELL DURING YOUR TENURE?
TAYLOR WILSON, VP, EXTERNAL RELATIONS COURIER’S GRADE:
A+
Wilson led the wildly successful Get Out the Vote Campaign. He was a true man of the people and was actively engaged with the campus community. Wilson also made instrumental progress with CapU’s longrunning call for residences and off-campus housing. WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU DID WELL DURING YOUR TENURE?
“I would say it would be a toss up between our huge Get Out the Vote campaign for the federal election and our housing push for residences and off-campus housing for students. WE LOOKED AT HOW WE COVERED THE ELECTIONS LAST YEAR AND EVERYTHING YOU MENTIONED THERE, YOU DID IT.
“That’s me, baby.” DO YOU HAVE ANY REGRETS?
“There were a lot of times where I felt like I wasn’t standing up for certain people in external organizations that ultimately were getting a bad rap and thrown under the bus, either because I was so insanely busy, so overwhelmed, but at the end of the day, you get really guilty and you wish you could’ve done more for these particular people.” THIS IS A ONE-YEAR TERM, AND ANYTHING THAT DEALS WITH RESIDENCES, PARTICULARLY THIS SCHOOL, IS NOT A ONE-YEAR TERM. OBVIOUSLY, YOU STARTED SOMETHING — WHAT’S YOUR FUTURE PLAN FOR THIS?
“In our procedures manual and in our bylaws, the VP external is specifically mandated to advocate on housing, in
“I think I did well at the university relations side because when I started we [the CSU] had a rocky relationship with the university and we weren’t trusted. Some of the relationships had been pretty tense in the past years and we had gone through a new government structure. It was my job that the university knew that we were willing to partner and to make sure that everyone knew that we were here and we were organized.” IN AN INTERVIEW WITH THE COURIER LAST YEAR, YOU SAID THAT IF ELECTED TO THIS POSITION YOU WOULD ADVOCATE FOR STUDENTS. HOW DID YOU FULFILL THAT GOAL?
“A lot of the advocacy that I do I can't really talk about because it's private stuff between the students and the admin. I like to think that I’m doing a good job even if I don't have to do a big campaign and protest the university. Every week I get students coming to me with issues and concerns, some of them relating to academic appeal, relationships with their prof, looking to help navigate the counselling support, or they don't know about the policies with the university that let them do or don't do certain things. I helped students find their path in terms of what options are available to them.” WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU COULD HAVE DONE BETTER?
“I wish that I had more time to focus on more of the services side of things. The VP of UR services really should be two people's job, or it should be organized in a different way. We didn't know this when we started and I wasn't part of the group of people who made the structure what it is today. I wish I had promoted the [CSU] app a bit more. I wish I could have gotten more downloads.” WHAT WERE THE CHALLENGES THAT YOU FACED?
“The person that takes on this role has to, from day one, start talking with people who
A
Phifer started the year off with a bang. The Back to School BBQ and a multitude of programs breathed a new life into the campus community. She was easily the most visible member of the CSU and was also able to maintain consistency despite the expected lulls in engagement that come with the winter semester. WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU DID WELL DURING YOUR TENURE?
“I really wanted to empower and enable other students to plan events, as well as kind of really celebrate everything that we have in this campus.” WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU COULD HAVE DONE BETTER?
“I know right now we have Diversity Week and we had Sexual Assault Week and Pride. I would’ve loved to see them a little bit more active throughout the year. Even with our clubs, our clubs have definitely grown a lot this year, but we’re still working on formalizing a clubs policy, so that’s something that could’ve been done a lot better, ensuring that clubs were more active and engaged and that we supported them better.” WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?
“Sexual Assault Awareness Week. We got to host a ChatLive that featured a film made by current film students and acted by previous acting students, and we had a panel discussion. It was just really a powerful event and kind of brought the campus together that isn’t just partying and fun. CAMPUS COMMUNITY ISN’T SOMETHING YOU CAN CONTROL. NO MATTER WHAT EVENTS YOU DO AND HOW YOU PROMOTE THEM, YOU DON’T REALLY KNOW IF PEOPLE WILL ATTEND. WAS THIS ULTIMATELY THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR YOU?
“Yeah, that’s always a struggle… Its really challenging because we got a lot of ‘we want pub nights, we want this’ and then nobody shows up. You hear a lot of what people want, but it’s really hard to create and make things that people will actually attend and engage people. Campus community, especially with us being a commuter campus, it’s the worst.”
8
VOLUME 49 ISSUE NO.22
WHAT COULD YOU HAVE DONE BETTER DURING YOUR TENURE?
B-
THE CAPILANO COURIER
IN AN INTERVIEW WITH THE COURIER LAST YEAR, YOU STATED THAT YOU WOULD FOCUS ON THE CSU’S FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY. HOW DID YOU FULFILL THIS?
— CRISTIAN FOWLIE
“The president role is a tricky one because I don’t know a lot of other student associations that you’re the VP and the president. But stemming from that I tried to be a good example to other directors — again, that goes down to accountability, professionalism and preparedness. What I focused on is what the organization needs at the time and I think we needed to work on our internal workings, like our organization and staff morale build up. I should probably have been more of a prominent person on campus.”
THERE AND BACK AGAIN DIFFERENT WAYS TO SEE THE WORLD Steve Tornes // CONTRIBUTOR
THE CAPILANO COURIER
VOLUME 49 ISSUE NO. 22
"THE FREEDOM AND EXCITEMENT I GET FROM PUTTING ON A BACKPACK AND BOOKING A ONE WAY TICKET TO ANOTHER COUNTRY IS THE MOST AMAZING THING IN THE WORLD."
9
— PAMELLA PINARD
The Travel Bug Once a person has been bit by the travel bug, they feel an irresistible pull to venture into unfamiliar worlds. In the words of blogger Melody Truong, “I’m in love with cities I’ve never been to and people I’ve never met.” After traveling under a sprawling sky and feeling the immensity of potential, one’s home becomes cloistered and unnaturally limiting. The traveller returns changed. They have discovered new brushstrokes of thinking, marking their inner life with the vibrancy of new colours. They gain a confidence that can only be found far away and through selfreliance. In short, they return restless, for what is life but the opportunity to be amazed. It is always recommended that someone travels the world, however, the first time is often daunting. One must contend with a lack of experience and the cost of travel. The rewards are worth it though. “The world is a book,” wrote St. Augustine, “and those who do not travel read only one page.”
Whenever a person goes on a trip, the possibilities of what they can experience are endless and there are many different ways one could plan a trip depending on their interests. One could travel between cities, focusing on history, culture, and landmarks. One could focus on hiking the natural landscapes, traveling the less taken paths. One could even focus on meeting other fellow travellers and locals in little hideaways. Whichever way you may want to travel, here are some tips to planning your trip.
Financing Your Travels
While hotels and motels are options, you should not overlook options like hostels. There are often packages that a person could get, if you intend to travel for a long period of time. For example, Hostel International offers 10 per cent off their
You should look upon travelling as an opportunity to meet new people. “One time,” continued Jolliffe, “I was moving and happened to have three couchsurfers who all helped.” Part of what makes travelling so appealing is that you often have to take chances. Once you put yourself out there, you can be rewarded with new friends and irreplaceable memories.
Fun Ways to Travel There are many ways in which you can make your travel experience memorable. One way is to take a pilgrimage, a trip specifically focusing on the spirit. For example, Yimin Wang, a traveller from Shanghai currently in Indonesia, became a dual pilgrim. A dual pilgrim, explained Wang, “means people who have walked
both Camino de Santiago and Kumano Kodō. If you can prove it at the destination checkpoint, you will be rewarded with a dual pilgrim’s pin.” Wang is the 33rd Dual Pilgrim in the world. The trips were memorable for Wang. “For Camino de Santiago, I made lots of friends. Many old people on the road, walking the route must have been on their must-do list. The young
people wanted to challenge themselves. I met one guy, his budget was €8 per day and he made it.” For Kumano Kodō, “It’s really beautiful, just not so many people know about it. Even in Sakura season, not so many people were there,” and the “daily budget is much higher. Food is great, hostel location is also nice. One room per person. It’s more like talking to yourself.” The amazing thing about doing a walking pilgrimage is that you are experiencing your trip at a new, slower pace. By carrying your backpack and feeling every step on your trek, you feel the basic, undistilled essence of travelling. The focus becomes far more on the journey, rather than the destination. You learn to appreciate the landscape around you more as you get to see it in different perspectives. The memories of the trip become more real because you can feel every moment. “It’s my way of experiencing life,” said Wang about her pilgrimages. Another great way to get more out of your trip is by geocaching. With geocaching, all around the world, people have hidden caches. They post the coordinates online. There is an app that lets you find any nearby caches. If you find them, you can write your name on a logbook. The thing that makes geocaching an interesting addition to travelling is that people place them in fun locations. Often, these are places that only locals would know. If you go geocaching, you will be exploring the nooks and crannies of cities and landscapes. It will take you away from the beaten paths and travel guide books. It is a fun supplement to your travels.
What Are You Waiting For? Life has so much to offer and some of it can only be found by travelling. It opens your mind and you realize how vast, yet close, the world is. “The freedom and excitement I get from putting on a backpack and booking a one-way ticket to another country is the most amazing thing in the world,” said Reifsteck. That very excitement brings new vitality to one’s life by giving them purpose. Travellers live in order to experience and their trips gives them better understanding in this world of assumptions. You need to “open your hearts, embracing everything on the way,” said Wang, waiting in the airport. Oh, the places you’ll go and the people you’ll meet. “Everyone is unique and fun in their own way,” finished Jolliffe “and it’s really fun getting to know them.”
10
VOLUME 49 ISSUE NO.22
Finding a Place to Stay
prices if you buy their yearly membership, which is $35. You can also buy a lifetime membership for $175. Additionally, hostels often have cheaper rates if you want to sleep in a dormitory, rather than a private room. Most hostels offer rooms for $30 a day, however, sometimes you can find places even cheaper. A good way to find hostels, or any accommodations, is to go online or to your library and check out a travel guide book. They often can provide you with a list of varied accommodations, some of which may be hard to find online. Depending on the area, camping can also be a great option to consider. Another cheap way of getting accommodation is by couchsurfing. Couchsurfing.com is a service which connects travellers with a place to stay when travelling. There is no cost to couchsurfing, although it is customary to thank the host, sometimes with food or beverages. The host is also often willing to show the surfer around the city. Bret Jolliffe, a couchsurfing host in Vancouver, described it as “sort of regulated karma. You have the opportunity to help people who need a hand, and in turn, you build a profile that will help you in the future when you’re looking for some help. If you go to Montreal and ask someone to sleep on their couch, they’re going to be a lot more likely to let you if they can see you’ve let 10 or more travellers stay with you in the past and all 10 had a great experience.” Although Couchsurfing.com is a great option, especially because you can look at the host’s profile beforehand, there is always a risk involved, though it is incredibly rare anything bad happens. “I’ve never had any safety concerns,” assured Jolliffe. “I think the best advice in that regard is just know who you’re hosting as best you can. If someone made their profile the day before messaging you, you might want to be a bit more cautious. If they have 20 positive reviews, I’d say you’re in good hands.”
THE CAPILANO COURIER
Probably the most important thing about travelling is money. You need to be ready to either save up money beforehand, earn money while travelling, and/or be frugal in your spending. The better your finances are in order, the better you will be able to enjoy your travels. If you plan to travel for large periods of time, a good option to consider is to find work while travelling. There are a few different ways that you can find work. If you’re staying at a hostel, sometimes they offer employment in exchange for free lodging. If you’re planning on travelling outside of Canada, there is also a program called the International Experience Canada (IEC) which, according to their website, “provides young Canadians the opportunity to travel and work abroad.” There are 32 countries which have a bilateral mobility arrangements with Canada, which provides you with some travel options. Besides the IEC, depending on the country that you are going to, it can be very easy to get a holiday work visa.
This is great if you’re looking for work which is relatively long-term. A person can also take part in volunteer projects, such as Help Exchange and World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF), whereby travellers can work a few hours a day in exchange for food and accommodation. This can also be a great opportunity to learn more about agricultural pursuits, such as winemaking, cheese making, and permaculture. This can be a worthwhile experience, especially as you bond with other people in your small group. One thing to consider is that because of the close nature of travellers, it is completely normal to run into the same people on different parts of the trip. Sometimes you will even make plans to run into each other again. It’s also important to be frugal. According to Melissa Reifsteck, a backpacker from New York State currently in New Zealand, “Every backpacker knows it, but it’s easier said than done. Stay away from the drinking scene. Yes, it’s nice to explore the beverages from different countries and enjoy a pint of Belgian beer or a glass of red in France, but keep an eye on how much it adds up when you start going out often with all those new friends you’ve met.” It is easy to caught up in the atmosphere and spend all your money in one city. “Keep a notebook and write down your daily expenses,” suggested Reifsteck. “You can see where your money is going more clearly every day and keep better track of it.” When travelling, it’s important to do your research. Many countries and businesses have created cost saving travel plans in order to promote tourism. A classic example is the Eurorail Pass, which, depending on the option you pick, allows you to visit up to 28 different countries within a chosen time frame. It’s pretty useful because you can customize it based on your budget. Another example is in Japan. All Nippon Airways (ANA) offers domestic flights to foreigners for roughly $125 CDN. Japan also provides the Japan Rail Pass which can be customized to your timeframe and budget. It’s important to do you research beforehand since they can come with certain requirements. For example, the Japan Rail Pass cannot be bought while in Japan. You need to have bought it before travelling. Another way to save money while travelling is by hitchhiking. “I recommend it,” continued Reifsteck, calling it “the ultimate money saver and one of my favourite things to do while travelling. You meet a variety of different people who will give you a lift… I’ve hitched on every journey I’ve been on and always had fun. Some people I’ve met hitching are even friends now that I have gone back to revisit in Europe.” It should be noted that hitching is not always safe, and in some places, against the law. However, an incalculable number of people have hitchhiked across the world without issues. When you’re on the road, and it’s raining, sometimes people do altruistically offer rides. It is the kind of thing which renews one’s faith in the world.
CALENDAR
21 MONDAY
URBAN WILDLIFE GARDENING HOMESTEAD JUNCTION
6:30 PM • $15 Ever wonder why the seeds you put in the ground last spring never amounted to much? No, it isn’t because the guy at the Marc Emery Headshop ripped you off. It’s because you might be trying to grow something that doesn’t belong in your soil system. In this workshop, you’ll learn about all the major soil and eco-types native to the Vancouver area, and what grows best where.
22 TUESDAY
THE LAUGH GALLERY
WEDNESDAY
FOX CABARET
7 PM • $6-$15
The Laugh Gallery isn’t your average comedy night. Host Graham Clark (CBC’s The Debaters) is an avid flea market-goer who personally collects each of the prizes given away at this event. Every Monday boasts a new roster of up-and-coming talent, followed by an Antiques Roadshow-style liquidation of secondhand treasures. Could you get more hipster?
This is one of those events where the title doesn’t really do it justice. Nerd Nite is a nerdy lecture series held in a bar, covering three different topics a night. This instalment features a talk from a former Disney animator about all the women who were to badass to be princesses. Then, you’ll learn all about Darwin’s sidekick, Alfred Russel Wallace, before receiving a crash course on yeast.
EXPLORE BC’S SEA OF GLASS SCIENCE WORLD 6:30 PM • $6.50 Back in the late 80s, scientists hit the mother lode off the coast of BC when they found a series of gigantic reefs made of fragile glass sponges. These things cover more than 1,000 square km of the ocean floor, some 200 metres below the surface. On this evening, a bunch of marine geoscientists are going to show you all kinds of pretty pictures and tell you how to protect them.
24 THURSDAY RIO THEATRE
RIO THEATRE
FRIDAY
VOLUME 49 ISSUE NO. 22 THE CAPILANO COURIER
MUSEUM OF VANCOUVER
6 PM • $11-$15 “Grab a drink and test your knowledge of Vancouver’s pressing issues,” reads the description on the Museum of Vancouver’s website. You had us at “grab.” Using materials from a recent exhibit called Your Future Home, curator Andy Yan will challenge teams or individuals to tackle critical issues like affordability, livability and sustainability in a playful game show quiz format.
A GREAT BIG WORLD RIO THEATRE
7 PM • $27.50
Get ready for a female-focused version of The Fictionals’ popular lmprov Against Humanity series, live on stage at the Rio Theatre! Some of the top comediennes in the city will bring this iconic card game to life with help from Vancouver TheatreSports League, Instant Theatre and Phantom Signal. There will be prizes too, and someone will be crowned Most Horrible Person in Vancouver.
New York pop-rock duo A Great Big World is probably best known for their drawn-out whine-fest of a single, “Say Something,” which featured Christina Aguilera. It reached #1 in Canada — but then again so did that awful “I Believe” song from the 2010 Winter Olympics — so proceed with caution, folks. Anyways, they’re on tour promoting their new album, When the Morning Comes.
CANADA VS. MEXICO BC PLACE
7 PM • $25-$60 + SC If you’re getting a little sick of Trump vs. Mexico, this could be the event for you. On Mar. 25, Canada will take on our neighbours to the south’s neighbours to the south in the a qualifying match for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Apparently, Mexico has a pretty good team so this could be a challenge. Canada’s strategy: have its players build a wall of defense, and make Mexico pay for it.
SLICKITY JIM’S CHAT ’N’ CHEW
SUNDAY
THE VANCOUVER QUIZ SHOW
8 PM • $10-$12
SONGS OF BOB WESTFALL & MINILLITERATTY
27
8 PM • $35 + SC If there’s one thing this world has too many of, it’s Elvis impersonators. That’s why we were a little skeptical of endorsing such an event. Steve Michaels, the dude performing in this particular tribute, looks more like Liza Minnelli than Elvis (Liza Minnelvis?) but don’t hold that against him. He’s very good at what he does, so just close your eyes and let him step all over your blue suede shoes.
9 PM • $5
LADIES AGAINST HUMANITY
25
QUEEN ELIZABETH THEATRE
NERD NITE V18
HAVANA THEATRE
23
RETURN TO GRACE
26 SATURDAY
BC DISTILLED CROATIAN CULTURAL CENTRE
6:30 PM • $50
BC’s craft distillery scene is a force to be reckoned with and this one-day festival is a testament to that. BC Distilled features 27 artisan distilleries offering samples of gin, whisky, vodka and all sorts of fancy liqueurs. Admission includes all bites and beverages — a total bargain when you think about it — and there’s even a popup Legacy Liquor Store on site for all your shopping needs.
BIG LEBOWSKI BREWERY & BOWLING TOUR BIG ROCK URBAN BREWERY + EATERY
8 PM • $ - BY DONATION
12 PM • $85
Our editor-in-chief once travelled Europe with singer-songwriter Bob Westfall, drinking many a beer along the way. An alumni of CapU’s music therapy program, Westfall has a country twang and a Neil Young warble you can’t help but love. Plus, he’s pretty handsome and stands about a billion feet tall. On this night, he’ll be joined on stage by CapU prof Sue Baines and Steve Cottrill.
The guys at Vancouver Brewery Tours have outdone themselves with this one: a Big Lebowski-themed trek through East Van beer country. It starts with a trivia contest at Big Rock, then a costume contest at Storm and finishes off at Grandview Lanes with some bowling. If you love The Dude, Walter and everything about this Cohn Brothers classic then we’ll see you there!
VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW VANCOUVER CONVENTION CENTRE
10 AM • $16-$18
For 96 years, the Vancouver International Auto Show has been the premier consumer car event in Western Canada — so unless you gave up driving for Lent, you have no excuse not to check it out. It runs from Mar. 23 to 27, featuring all the leading global names in auto manufacturing. Go see the new McLaren before your Asian neighbour buys it and starts parking it in your spot.
EASTER FUN RUN + WALK
STANLEY PARK
1 PM • $10-$25
11
Make history this Easter by participating in the first-ever Family Fun Run and Egg Hunt in beautiful Stanley Park. This fivekilometre event will have you hopping from Lumberman’s Arch toward the seawall for picturesque views of Coal Harbour and a few chocolate treats along the way. Register at Easterfunrun.com if you’re a fan of running on asphalt and staying out of the mud!
BIG LEBOWSKI BREWERY & BOWLING TOUR
ARTS & CULTURE Registrar’s office gears up for fifth annual egg hunt Event offers Easter fun and prizes on Mar. 25 Andy Rice EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Capilano University’s Registrar’s Office has hatched a plan that might make getting up a little easier on Mar. 25. It’s an Easter Egg Hunt, running from 7:30 to 11 am in the Cedar Courtyard — and there are plenty of prizes and caffeinated beverages to make it worth your while. For the past five years, registrar Karen McCredie has organized the event, with help from Kimberly Read, Maria Valiouk and Janine Smith for this latest instalment. Participants show up by the hundreds, often heading to class later in the morning with a prize and a sugar buzz for their efforts.
“We have students, faculty, staff and the Children’s Centre come and join in,” said Smith. “It definitely brings back a lot of memories. And who doesn’t love chocolate? We will also have coffee, hot chocolate and Easter Eggs to enjoy.” “It is so much fun to watch students when they see the eggs,” said McCredie. “Every year is something new but one of our favourites is the student who jumped up and down when she got off the bus yelling, "The Easter Bunny has been here! The Easter Bunny has been here!” Eggs are hidden from the back side of the Birch Building all the way to the top of the staircases leading to the Maple and Bosa buildings. The West Walk forest is fair game too, providing lots of nooks and
OREC program to host film fest Mar. 22 event showcases work of students and Beyond Boarding collective Christine Beyleveldt CAMPUS CORRESPONDENT
On Mar. 22, Capilano University’s Outdoor Recreation (OREC) students are hosting an outdoor-themed film festival that will run the course of the day beginning at 11:30 am. OREC student Natalia Pisarek and three classmates — Maggie Yu, Susie Steinhagen and Mason Roy — were required to organize a campus event as part of an organizational leadership course, and chose to display films. “It’s
a fun way to reach out to many students across campus,” said Pisarek. “This project was initiated by a course requirement but we've really made it our own and we're excited to host it.” The team of four was sponsored by the Capilano Students’ Union (CSU) and has been working since January to bring the event together. “This year's theme is ‘explore your limits.’ We want to encourage the student body to reach high and persevere,” said Pisarek. “This event has been running for many years and we wanted to continue the legacy. More than that we wanted to expand and
A day in the life of a budtender Opening the doors of Vancouver's pot dispensaries Tomáš Dančo CONTRIBUTOR
The official hashtag for this year’s event is #CapUEggHunt.
Lelu and A Paddle for the North. “Both of these films are about overcoming odds and about advocating for the environment – central themes of this year’s event,” explained Pisarek. Jumbo Wild and a number of shorts will also be screened, including The Theory of Human Motivation, Pain and Pleasure and A Tribute to Discomfort. “These all fit very well with ‘explore your limits’ and touch on perseverance and grit. For student films we really encouraged themes of appreciating nature, connecting with nature, personal reflection and environmental stewardship,” she said. “They are relevant, interesting and inspirational. I think students will be left with a feeling of awe at some of the films and perhaps even fired up about some of the environmental issues.”
not induce any psychoactive effects on the mind. In other words, strains with increased CBD content provide the user with the same medicinal benefits as a THC-rich strain, hence enabling the user to proceed about their day as usual without any mind-altering effects. Having grown up in Deep Cove, let’s just say I’m accustomed to the smell of marijuana. Immediately upon entrance into the dimly lit shop, a plethora of familiar sensations washed over me. A wave of concentrated marijuana scents wafted down the corridor as I walked towards the customer interaction window. After a brief introduction, Martinovic invited me to the back of the counter where we set up for the interview. Beneath the clear glass stood numerous glass jars filled to the brim with fresh buds of all sorts. He told me that smoking weed was not just about the act itself, but rather the experience associated with it. It is essentially a culture in its own right, one that is not constricted by the typical social laws with which we are governed by. In a city as colourful and vibrant as Vancouver, it is important to note that even under the fire of the previous government, the people of the city chose to act on their own progressive beliefs. Nonetheless,
marijuana remains an illegal substance that is categorized under Schedule 2 of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. The possession, production, distribution and recreational use of marijuana are still deemed illegal activities. In a Sep. 2015 report to the Vancouver Police Board, Doug LePard, deputy chief constable of the Commanding Investigation Division stated that “Selling marijuana from a storefront dispensary… constitutes the offence of ‘Trafficking’ under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.” However, The Vancouver Police Department continues to treat Vancouver’s medical marijuana dispensaries with an open-minded enforcement policy. Simply put, “Using the criminal law to close marijuana dispensaries is generally ineffective,” wrote Le Pard. Instead of coming down with an iron fist, in June 2015 the City of Vancouver rose to lead the nation in being the first Canadian city to license and regulate medical marijuana dispensaries. In an issue that is portrayed both positively and negatively in the media, it is clear to see that the end result has brought the people closer to the government, further solidifying Vancouver’s position in world opinion as a progressive city.
12
VOLUME 49 ISSUE NO.22
re-invent the Film Fest which is why we included the student film contest this year to showcase student and alumni talent.” Motion Picture Arts (MOPA) students and alumni provided several films, which the student organizers were disinclined to reject. “The focus is on recognizing student talent and inspiring other students - rather than on technical skills,” she said. The MOPA films will be screened and judged, with the winner announced at the end of the event at 7:00 pm. However, offcampus organizations were also invited to screen. Beyond Boarding, a collective of snowboarders who strive to eliminate environmental and social injustices, provided a feature film for the showcase, and members of the collective will speak to students after the screening. The feature films are A Last Stand for
THE CAPILANO COURIER
If you ask a tourist what things come to mind when they think of Vancouver, the most common responses will almost certainly contain: beautiful mountains, oceanside strolls, craft beer, yoga tights, East Van and marijuana. Just as evident as climate change, the medical marijuana business has boomed in recent years. Last June, the Globe and Mail reported that the number of medical marijuana dispensaries now exceeds the number of Starbucks locations in Vancouver, a clear sign that the population has its priorities set on a more open-minded and alternative form of regulation and healthcare. For a closer look at the day-to-day operations of a medical marijuana dispensary, I elected to visit one myself. That’s where I met Josh Martinovic. Martinovic first began working at The Healing Tree a year-and-a-half ago as a budtender. Similarly to a bartender, a budtender supplies his or her customers with the products that they desire.
Furthermore, a budtender provides recommendations to the customer on the type of marijuana strain best suited to alleviate their ailments. Now he manages the facility, located on Hastings Street just a couple of blocks up from Main. “[We] get all sorts of folk coming in to the dispensary,” he said, adding that daily visits include people all the way from the world of business and suits, to the underprivileged residents of the Downtown Eastside. “It doesn’t matter who you are... or what social class you come from, marijuana is enjoyable… and helpful for you medicinally.” Due to the sheer volume hours spent physically exerting oneself, some of the more common customers include labourers and trades workers. For sore muscles, joint pains and arthritis, Martinovic recommends indica dominant strains. Upon intake, an indica strain tends to produce the sought-after muscle relaxation of the “body high.” These type of strains are theorized to be rich in cannabidiol, or CBD for short. Unlike tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, CBD does
crannies for colourful eggs to rest in. “We hide hundreds of eggs to start,” said Smith. “We make sure to keep refreshing as they are brought in, so that there are always plenty to find.” Participants are encouraged to collect a maximum of 10 eggs, trading them in for prize ballots at a central booth. “We have five gift cards for the winning students and a gift basket for staff and faculty,” she said. “Last year, we introduced golden eggs and will be having them again this year,” added McCredie. At any point there are up to five hidden amongst the regular eggs. Trading one in yields an instant bonus prize, courtesy of the Easter Bunny himself. To join in the fun, simply show up at the Cedar Courtyard this Thursday and start searching. And don’t worry if it’s been a while since your last hunt — McCredie and her staff will be there to egg you on.
SHORTS
Vroom Vroom Charli XCX Cristian Fowlie ART DIRECTOR
THE CAPILANO COURIER
VOLUME 49 ISSUE NO. 22
Vroom Vroom is a victory lap for Charli XCX. The 23-year old singer-songwriter broke out onto the radio with features on two massive summer songs: “I Love It” by Icona Pop and “Fancy” by Iggy Azalea. She quickly followed up with her own hit “Boom Clap” for The Fault In Our Stars soundtrack, and her successful sophomore album, Sucker. The album saw Charli combine Spice Girl anthems with a riot grrl snarl. Instead of pushing forward with this successful formula, Vroom Vroom sees Charli XCX turn a complete 180. She teams with mysterious electronic producer SOPHIE for four tracks of weird, synthetic pop songs. SOPHIE is coming off of a highly successful year as well. With only a handful of slick singles released in 2015, the producer saw his song “Lemonade” soundtrack a national McDonald’s ad campaign, and was tapped to co-produce the Queen of Pop for her single “Bitch, I’m Madonna.” It feels like another case of Madge being a culture vulture,
whereas Charli XCX feels like a proper match for the producer. Charli built her debut, True Romance, with indie electronic tracks from Gold Panda and Blood Diamonds, while SOPHIE samples the sounds of pop and distorts them into warped electronic tracks. Both artists straddle the divide between mainstream and underground, and with this collaboration they blur the lines even more. The pair complements each other well. SOPHIE takes pop sounds and pushes them to their extremes. Beats become mechanical and jarring, while the synths are squeaky and rubbery. Cartoon-like sound effects show up as well, like the engine-revving on title track “Vroom Vroom.” Charli XCX matches every move with her wide repertoire of personas. She barks cheerleader chants on “Trophy”, and is wistful and yearning on “Paradise.” On “Secret (Shh)” she evokes Britney Spears in her "Slave 4 U" era — sultry and shameless. While the songs are heavily indebted to pop music, it's unlikely they will make it to the top of the charts. The songs are too aggressive, too odd. They're a bold move for a pop star poised for a successful career. It will interesting to see whether these songs end up on Charli's next album, or if they're some creative flexing before her next run for the pop crown.
Cabaret Mar. 17, Blueshore Centre Christine Beyleveldt CAMPUS CORRESPONDENT
On Mar. 17, Exit 22 Productions unveiled their final show of the 2015-16 season on Capilano University’s Blueshore Centre’s stage. Cabaret was an endless parade of song and dance and sleazy costumes that proved a wonderful finale to the season. Exit 22’s version was an adaptation of Cabaret by Sam Mendes, which was performed at the Donmar Warehouse in London originally, and considered by some to be the liveliest take on the story. Emcee, played by Zachary Lamarche, welcomes the audience to Berlin, and introduces his bevy of girls and boys who run the notorious Kit Kat Klub. At the same time, American novelist Clifford (Cliff) Bradshaw arrives in the city and takes up residence in one of Frau Schneider’s rooms. Schneider naively believes she runs a respectable business, yet her patrons sneak strange men in and they themselves sneak out to the Kit Kat Klub at night. The star of the cabaret is Fraulein Sally Bowles, who soon finds
herself out of work and takes up residence with Cliff, turning his world upside-down when it is revealed she may be carrying his child. As the Nazis rise to power, the cabaret girls and boys scatter. Before they know it, it will be too late to run away and their loose morals will land the entire cast in trouble with the officers who now roam the streets. The technical set was incredibly seedy and run down. Propaganda posters were scattered across the grungy brick walls and the wooden door frames appeared to be rotting off their hinges. The sleazy undertones brought the Kit Kat Klub to life in a magnificent manner — however, at times they detracted from the development of other scenes. Clinking shot glasses and shrill telephones ringing at tables all around took away from the tense dialogue between Cliff and Sally. It’s well known that CapU’s Musical Theatre and Acting for Stage and Screen students are masters on their feet and have powerful singing voices. With countless musical numbers, the stage was a whirlwind of acrobatics and perfectly synchronized tunes provided by the Kit Kat girls. Interwoven with very real drama in a dark and dangerous time in Berlin’s history, Cabaret was perhaps Exit 22’s most energetic and thought-provoking production to date.
story meetings ☞ 13
Story meetings will resume in September. Thanks to all our contributors! ✍
O P I N I O NS Summer of Superheroes Marvel vs. DC in the battle for box office supremacy Syd Danger SPANDEX ENTHUSIAST
Do you like explosions? Witty banter? Magic? Attractive people in spandex? If so, then this is the blockbuster movie season for you. Premiering this week is the highly anticipated Batman vs. Superman (BVS) film, where, well, Batman is going to fight Superman, basically. Other spandexfilled movies this summer will include Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War, (where Captain America is going to fight Iron Man, basically), DC’s Suicide Squad, and FOX’s X-Men: Apocalypse (who are we kidding?). It’s going to be a bloody battle to the top of the box office charts, making it hard to predict which franchise will emerge victorious. Personally, I don’t like Superman. Are you upset? Tough. He’s extremely overpowered, and literally has one weakness that you can’t exactly find at the local pawn shop. That being said, I'm a huge Batman fan. I love every adaptation of him, from the gritty The Long Halloween comics to George Clooney’s erect nipple catastrophe. We all know DC has been bombing in comparison to Marvel, with their last great movie being Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. That being said, the trailer for Batman vs. Superman had me on the edge of my seat, even after I figured out the only way Batman could ever hope to beat Superman is in a kryptonite-lined Batsuit. Does it have any hope of unseating Marvel’s current reign? To put it bluntly, no. Marvel’s movie roster is really bringing out the big guns, and they have to, with all the build-up to Infinity War. Captain America: Civil War, which hits theatres this may. The film is centred on the moral conflict of superhero registration. Should heroes be forced to reveal their secret identities and be held accountable for their vigilante actions? It’s this central conflict that sets Civil War
Fighting poverty in Canada
Kevin Kapenda OPINIONS EDITOR
intricate web Marvel has weaved for fans. Honestly, my bar is set pretty low for Batman vs Superman. I just want to see a movie where I kind of care about Superman and Batman uses his gadgets and doesn’t punch villains in broad daylight. As for which of the comic companies will come out on top, Marvel will probably continue to dominate. At the very least, people will tune into Civil War to see Scarlett Johansson kick ass in black spandex.
all citizens basic income. Guaranteed annual incomes would give Canada’s poorest citizens enough to survive, and keep them in their communities. Furthermore, equipping all Canadians with sufficient purchasing power would also stimulate our economy and increase jobs in the service industry. We’ve all stood in line at a McDonald’s or Tim Hortons and seen a homeless person paying for food or coffee in dimes and nickels. In fact, you might see it every day, depending in which neighbourhood you live in. Giving Canadians basic income, so they can afford to eat and drink clean water every day, is the humane thing to do in a country where income disparity is growing wider by the year. Guaranteed annual income is not about giving individuals a free ride. It’s more about lifting our society’s most vulnerable people out of extreme levels of poverty. Providing our poorest residents with basic income would alleviate the need to sit on the sidewalk and beg for change. It would also prevent people from saying that they can’t afford food and
other necessities, which is what panhandlers complain about. Even though basic incomes are paid to the poor, that doesn’t mean they don’t benefit all of society. Guaranteed income programs stimulate the economy because consumption increases. If you give a homeless person two quarters, they still need eight more to buy a slice of pizza. However, if you give them enough income to eat every day, that money gets spent at your local eatery or grocery store, creating jobs. Basic income also reduces the strain poverty puts on our government and social infrastructure. Fare evasion will surely decrease, and TransLink will no longer be able to use freeloaders as an excuse for poor service. Police interactions with homeless people will also drop because people will have more money for shelter. When Manitoba tested a minimum income program in the 1970s, they found that hospital visits and 911 calls in the remote town of Dauphin decreased significantly. Furthermore, mental illness-
related incidents also dropped, and more high school students graduated because they no longer had to work to survive. Minimum incomes give people the safety net they need to get trained and become employable. Those who choose not to better their lives should eventually become ineligible for minimum income. However, it is rare for people who receive such benefits to not want to earn more. After all, who wants to make just enough income to scrape buy? “Mincome” benefits are not meant to be infinite. They’re intended to be temporary, like rehab is for those struggling with addiction. At the very least, Canadians should have the compassion to lift up those who need a hand, so they can have a fighting chance at a better life. Like most non-violent crimes, poverty shouldn’t be a life sentence. Unfortunately, if you hit rock bottom, you and your descendants risk never getting up again. Minimum incomes would give those who are down a hand-up, so they can start working toward a better life.
14
VOLUME 49 ISSUE NO.22
When Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson promised to eradicate street homelessness by 2015, he was doomed to fail. His plan was never going to work because poverty is a national problem that can’t only be addressed with homeless shelters and cheap rental units. Indeed, Robertson blamed homeless people from other provinces for not being able to deliver on his promise. If Canada wants to reduce homelessness, there’s only one thing it can do. Guarantee
keeps Marvel on top is its ability to speak on real-world topics like the corrupt police environment in Netflix’s Daredevil and the effect of military weaponry on civilians shown in Iron Man. The sheer amount of planning that has gone in to their current cinematic universe is frankly astounding, with all the films linked together with the Infinity Stones. While DC may have some crossovers between BVS and Suicide Squad, with Jared Leto being Ben Affleck’s Joker, it doesn’t compare to the
THE CAPILANO COURIER
Guaranteed annual income can reduce homelessness
classes above its DC counterpart, whose basis to the superheroes fighting is that “Superman is like, crazy strong.” Don’t get me wrong though. For what Batman vs. Superman has been marketed to be, an all-out brawl between the two, it’s right on the money. If you go into that theatre expecting to see anything more than Batman and Superman fighting and trading blows, as well as some gratuitous Wonder Woman up-skirt shots, you’re going to be sorely disappointed. What
@CAPILANOCOURIER
@CAPILANOCOURIER
/CAPILANOCOURIER
Ridding our environment of plastic bags It’s time other Canadian cities followed Fort McMurray’s lead Scott Barkemeyer CONTRIBUTOR & ALBERTAN
THE CAPILANO COURIER
VOLUME 49 ISSUE NO. 22
Plastic bags are one of those items people don’t often think about. That is, until you have to clean up a landfill site and the surrounding tree line. Years ago while working for a municipality, I had the pleasure of walking through mud and bushes to pick up remains of plastic bags that were strewn about by the wind. Plastic bags that I could have potentially distributed to customers as a supermarket cashier many months earlier. A few years later, I began working at a retail store whose city council started musing about banning plastic bags for most uses. To get ahead of this issue, that company started using paper bags. Countless studies outlining the effects of widespread plastic gab use have been published. The World Economic Forum has stated that plastic bags will outnumber fish in the sea by the year 2050. Knowing what I know about humans it will probably happen many years prior to 2050. The first city in Canada and North America to ban plastic bag use was Leaf Rapids, MB in 2007. Ironically, Fort McMurray, AB, the city that many of progressives bash on a weekly basis for not being environmentally friendly, banned plastic bags in 2011 after a unanimous vote by council. Toronto was set to go plastic bag free in 2013, however, council repealed the motion following legal advice. It should be noted that 2012 estimates for Toronto claimed that the city consumed 1,400 tonnes of plastic, which amounts to roughly 215 million bags. On a global scale it is estimated that over one trillion bags are used annually with only
Clark hikes the minimum price of booze Province uses guise of public health to foster its moonshine monopoly Max Ley CONTRIBUTOR
As anyone who works in the private sector of the BC liquor industry can attest, the provincial government and Liquor Control Board really like to make things difficult for anybody who isn’t them. I’m sure everyone remembers last April when prices on liquor store shelves suddenly appeared to not be as expensive as before, as if the normal alcohol tax had vanished, only to
15
a small percentage being recycled. So where do most plastic bags end up? Most get used for what they are, bags. Many people use grocery store plastic bags to dispose of household garbage. Others use them as lunch bags, or bags to carry items to and from school or work. However, most people end up disposing them after they’ve unpacked their groceries or items, increasing their presence in landfills. Montreal is slated to be the first major Canadian city to ban the plastic bag,
officially planning to do away with them by January 2018. Vancouver is currently considering banning plastic bags as a method to ensure that 2008 waste levels are cut in half by 2020. Now I understand the idea of using the plastic bags as garbage bags. It’s surprising how there’s an entire industry that produces bags that are designed to only be thrown out. After you’ve removed all the organics and recyclable materials from your trash, there shouldn’t be much
left that would require large garbage bags. It is refreshing to see that many people only need grocery store-sized bags to dispose of their weekly waste. Therefore, one must ask why it has taken Vancouver, a city that prides itself in being green, so long to ban the use of plastic bags? Is it because Vancouver residents and their municipal council are too busy bashing places like Fort McMurray? It’s funny how actions speak louder than words.
be reintroduced at the till. This was a very trying time for the industry, which had to desperately figure out this new system, and find out how to re-price products. That was just one of many curveballs the Liquor Board likes to throw at the BC residents who enjoy a drink every now and then. As of May 1, 2016, new minimum pricing laws are coming into for all forms of alcohol, depending on their volume. For example, beer will now have to be priced no lower than $3.19 per litre, or $6.79 for a six-pack of cans, while a bottle of wine will have to have a minimum pricing of $6.44 a litre or $4.83 per 750 ml bottle. Spirits will be priced at $27.88 a litre, or $20.91 for a 750 ml bottle. All these prices are before sales tax. The aim of this new pricing is to discourage problem drinkers from being able to get their hands on high-strength alcohol for cheap. While the policy’s approach is respectable, making prices higher for an already expensive alcohol market isn’t exactly going to fix a public
health issue. Does the Liquor Board honestly think that by increasing prices, addicts will suddenly stop their habits, see the error in their ways and go sober? Of course not. Any prohibitive act against a particular substance will not stop an addict from getting their hands on it. Just like with full alcohol prohibition, where people began brewing out of their bathtubs, or the ineffective war on drugs, which has done absolutely nothing to diminish the flow and consumption of narcotics, people who desperately want substances will find a way to get them. Granted, there is a difference between full prohibition and increasing prices, but the very nature of this policy is prohibitive. If an unhealthy drinker is prevented from purchasing a full bottle of their favourite liquor that’s suddenly more expensive, they will either purchase smaller bottles of something else, or just simply find the money to buy the more expensive bottle. In the end, increased pricing will not dissuade
people, and is just another way for the Liquor Board to earn more money from their cash cow of a monopoly. After all, if public health is such a concern for the Liquor Board and BC government, why not take away some of the needless spending that gets lost in the chaos that is our liquor industry, and redirect to those services? Wine writer Anthony Gismondi made mention in a February Vancouver Sun article of a Hornby Island Brewery and pub that share the same block. For the beer to get to this pub, less than 50 metres away, it must travel across the ocean to Vancouver, where it is processed by the Liquor Board, and then sent back to Victoria, where it is trucked up to Hornby Island, and shipped to the pub. To be served in that pub, the beer needs to travel over 300 km for two weeks — a waste of government resources that could be spent elsewhere, like the health care system Premier Clark and the Liquor Board supposedly want to support.
C O L U M NS A time for political turmoil Caitlin Manz COLUMNIST
People sure do love a good political upheaval. Riots, revolutions and radical leaders are popping out from all corners of the world. As we brace for the possible rise to power of Donald Trump and his radical hair-do, let’s take a moment to look back at the many events of recent months, all of which led us to where we are today. This year began with the peak of the European migrant crisis. Over a million Syrian refugees fled their country to seek solace from the violent civil war. The turmoil began after a brutal dictator refused to hear out the unhappy people for fear of risking political power – Syrian president Bashar al-Assad chose instead to order his militia to open fire on his people. A part of the Arab Spring revolutionary movement, over 100,000 civilians flooded the Central Square of Homs, peacefully
The beat that I’m bangin’ I feel a change comin’ on Aidan Mouellic COLUMNIST
as well as keeping peace during public events in their cities. Mass robberies and sexual assaults took place on New Year’s Eve in Germany and other European countries. These brought to attention an unexpected problem: the migrant’s social integration. The forceful attacks on women, and the violence they consisted of, proved that many migrants were left struggling to adapt to a foreign social policy after escaping years of brutality, violence and a totalitarian government. In South America, particularly Brazil, the mosquito-born Zika virus has been rendering pregnant, infected mothers’ newborns severely disabled. This has spawned the pro-choice movement in an area where legislature and culture is heavily influence by religion. There, where abortions are illegal and contraceptives are hard to obtain, the government is advising its people to avoid pregnancy for two years. People, however, are standing up and taking their issues to the Brazilian Supreme Court, where groups of activists, teachers, lawyers and civilians are fighting for women and families’ rights for choice in terminating pregnancies, especially to avoid Zika’s detrimental effects on their future children.
North of this is the US Presidential campaign, where a xenophobic, sexist, fearmongering business crook such as Donald Trump is winning the majority of American’s votes to become president. Surprisingly, his popularity is quite telling of citizens’ current attitudes and states of mind. All of these issues share a common factor of people fighting back, and in most cases rejecting their government’s political structures: Assad’s totalitarian rule over Syria, the absence of freedom of speech that inspired the war and the resulting desertion of his people, the lack of reproductive liberty for women in Catholic-influenced South America — inspiring regular citizens to go to court and fight the issue — and finally, in America where someone like Donald Trump is who the people want to govern their country. Throughout global crises and political events, there appears to be worldwide unrest and dissatisfaction with the way things are currently run, and people in different countries, for different reasons, are standing up to be initiators of the change they so desire.
there were very limited avenues for artists to get their music to the public – the technology just was not available. Nowadays, streaming has become one of the most efficient ways to get your music to your listeners. However, from a profit standpoint, there is little room for an artist to make a living off of streams. Since making any money from streaming is hard – it’s easy to see why there is a revolt against it from a lot of artists – selling hard copies is much more profitable, but this business model is all but dead. The only thing that matters is adaptation. Adaptation allows us to survive. It’s at the core of evolution. The musicians that come to mind as being successful in 2016 are the ones who are making the most of the changes within the music industry and tailoring their approaches to the current scene, not the scene of 1995. Artists such as Chance the Rapper and Run the Jewels have managed to propel their careers despite releasing all of their products for free, while established musicians like Radiohead have sustained their relevance while doing the same. They are adapting to the new music landscape where ticket and merchandise sales are kings. To some musicians it may seem like a hopeless time but I hope that those talented ones find a way to adapt and survive. Record labels are not the answer — you are. The tools needed to create music are more accessible then ever. Every iPhone and Apple computer comes loaded with Garageband – an incredible piece of software that many may not take seriously, but get yourself a plugin keyboard and an idea and you have everything you need to make music. It launched the career of Grimes. The landscape of the professional industry is dramatically different. A degree or diploma used to be close to
a guarantee of a job. Life used to be more structured, but the theme that is emerging now is DIY. If you want something, you must do it yourself and find a way. Graduating from university with a degree is no longer enough, just like being a good guitar player or horn player is not enough. You need to be
creative and find a way to differentiate yourself and prove your worth. I’m not lamenting the past, because I know that the current atmosphere in the arts world will soon bring forth a revolution that will introduce us to a new crop of amazing artists. It’s already happening, just keep your eyes and ears open.
THE CAPILANO COURIER
18
VOLUME 49 ISSUE NO.22
Change is something that provokes fear almost as regularly as Donald Trump. As students, we are about to embark on some pleasant changes soon — summer, a time when we will struggle to find decently paying work and some semblance of a tan. Change is on the way. The air will soon smell sweeter and the sun will still be out after our afternoon classes. But sometimes we resist change, even if it’s good for us – what lies on the other side is the unknown and that’s scary. The music industry is at a point where the changes that are happening are instilling fear, cynicism and hopelessness at unprecedented speed. It’s understandable. It used to be relatively easy to siphon money from a record label, back when having a cocaine budget was a thing. Now in 2016 we have Kanye West, one of the biggest stars in pop music, not even releasing his newest album in hard copy. Not only has West made his album strictly available through the Tidal streaming platform, he has been consistently updating the album’s mix – treating it almost like a “living album.” This new delivery model is a big deal but what’s somewhat surprising is how little people care about this shift in how we are now consuming music. No one seems to care that they can’t have a copy of The Life Of Pablo. What the consumer cares about is the music. How it gets to our ears doesn't seem to matter. Michael Jackson’s Thriller sold 32 million copies. During that time,
protesting for Assad’s resignation. Assad’s violent response killed many innocent people and turned what began as a nonviolent protest into a righteous, all-out civil war, as numerous factions of ‘Rebel Groups’ formed and attacked the government’s military. Soon, the rest of the world weighed in, picking sides to endorse with provision of weaponry and supplies, further perpetuating the violent struggle. From this surged ISIS – a radical Islamic extremist group who proclaimed war against all of the Western World. ISIS views the West as the enemy and they’ve committed numerous acts of terrorism, including the infamous attacks on Paris. They’re also in the midst of a bloody conflict with both Assad and the Syrian rebels, as the groups fight for territory in Syria. Attacks such as the one on Paris were made possible because of the mass influx of refugees into Europe. So many were in desperate need, and being let through borders so fast that proper screening and paperwork became impossible. Germany took in the majority of refugees, despite the criticism that Chancellor Angela Merkel faced. Germany’s police force grew over-tasked. They were unable to handle monitoring the refugee camps, the borders,
— AUSTIN LEGG
Global state of affairs
@CAPILANOCOURIER
News you haven’t heard Artist accidentally astounding Mike Allen COLUMNIST
For many in the world of art, the path to prestige is a long and hard one filled with perils, distractions and hardship. Many people who set out on this path don't ever reach the end, disheartened by years of struggling to get their art into even a small local gallery. Even those who find a small modicum of recognition still often fail to gain international notoriety like their heroes. For one artist, however, the story has been quite different. James Galdwin grew up in a small house on Shelton Road in Mendham, New Jersey. By any account his upbringing would be considered normal by most people. Neither of his parents came from any sort of artistic background. In fact, Galdwin never even expressed any interest in art at a young
@CAPILANOCOURIER
age. “I remember when he was in about Grade 4, we asked James if he wanted to take art classes that were being offered at the school,” said his mother, Theresa. “He didn't seem very interested and so instead we signed him up for baseball.” Galdwin focused mostly on sports in his early years, the thought of becoming a professional artist never even crossed the New Jersey native's mind. Years later, upon his graduation from high school, the artist-to-be focused on a more concrete career path, enrolling in the Stevens Institute of Technology School of Business, aiming towards a BBA with a focus on “either business or accounting” according to Galdwin, as he attests he “wasn't quite sure what to do with my life at that point.” It wasn't until almost six years later when Galdwin's life took a turn for the artistic when a chance opportunity from a friend presented itself to him. “A buddy of mine was trying to open up a coffee shop, totally bare bones from the ground up. I dunno, it was cool, I guess,” explained Galdwin. Sam Franklin, the friend in question, convinced Galdwin to create a few
/CAPILANOCOURIER
paintings to temporarily hang on the wall. “I don't know, we were drunk in James' basement one night and I joked that he should do the art for the place,” said Franklin. Apparently the temporary art struck a chord with the patrons of the coffee shop. Soon, people came to the shop not to buy coffee, but to admire the paintings on the wall by the unknown mysterious artist. At the recommendation of a friend, Galdwin painted more, and soon had his first art show at a small gallery in downtown Hoboken. The art was well received and praised by many, but Galdwin tells a different story. “See, here's the thing, I hate art. It's fuckin’ bullshit. Honestly, I tried to make that stuff as bad as I could but everyone loves it for some reason.” However, Galdwin was making enough money selling his art that he was able to move to New York and get a studio in downtown Manhattan.“It's all garbage, I honestly don't even know what I'm doing,” Galdwin insisted. “I keep trying to make the art worse and worse but people keep eating it up. I don't get it.” Galdwin's latest series is a collection of 12 canvases all painted the same colour
green from top to bottom. It is being hailed as a new movement in dada-ist abstract minimalism. New York art critic Amanda Terrence said that, “Galdwin is a genius, a genuine genius. This latest slew of work from the master painter harkens back to the abstract expressionism of Rothko with his use of slow moving landscapes of colour, and yet it also is a nod to the identical mass-produced pop art of Warhol, except in this case, each painting is done by hand to look identical, not merely printed. Truly the work of a genius.” “I don't like art. I don't understand art. I hate painting. One time I tried just squeezing the paint out of the tubes and letting it drip onto the paper stuff, but then people started comparing me to some Pollock guy? Was that his name? I don't even remember, but like, look, I wasn't even doing anything! I literally just dripped paint onto the paper and everybody loved it,” explained Galdwin. “I think next time I'll just draw, I don't know, melting clocks or some bullshit.” Galdwin's work can be seen next month at the Museum of Modern Art.
Sip, Sip, Hurray! Cocktails and chips Max Ley COLUMNIST
was just not prominent enough to match the booze of the cocktail. We eventually tried cracking some pepper into the bowl of chips just to try to match the cocktail in terms of flavour, and even then, the cocktail still dominated all the flavour.
Like coming to the end of a good bottle, we’ve arrived to the final entry of the year. It has been a fantastic two terms pairing wines with all manner of student foods and I hope I’ve spurred you all into a ravenous passion for learning more about that delicious fermented grape juice. In this column, we’re re-collaborating with Deep Cove Brewers and Distillers to pair some of their cocktails with the most classic flavours of potato chips. Now, we’ve got a lot to cover, so let’s get to it!
NEGRONI & RUFFLES SOUR CREAM AND ONION
THE CAPILANO COURIER
VOLUME 49 ISSUE NO. 22
HANKY PANKY & OLD DUTCH KETCHUP First off the bat was the Canadian classic, ketchup. I was never aware that ketchup flavoured chips seemed to be a Canadian exclusive until I started dating an American who would become ravenous at the very sight of ketchup chips. Old Dutch Ketchup chips are airy and light, rather insubstantial in terms of body. There’s a sweet, tomato/ketchup type of flavour with surprisingly heavy notes of vinegar. The cocktail we decided to pair with the ketchup chips was the Hanky Panky. The Hanky Panky is akin to an old style martini, composed simply of gin, sweet vermouth and Fernet-Branca. The nose is full of lemon citrus, sweet with a hefty herb garden aroma. At first sip, it’s dry with notes of bark, which we eventually pinned down as hints of rosemary stalks. The whole cocktail comes off as very green with fennel and licorice elements. When paired with the chips, more of that bitter bark came out. The oil of the chips thankfully smoothed out the dryness of the cocktail, while the acidity of the cocktail blended
19
well with the sweetness of the chip. GIMLET & DORITOS ZESTY CHEDDAR Our next chip combo was the early star of the evening. In honour of our proud Canadians from Trailer Park Boys, I brought in some Doritos Zesty Cheddar, (or Zesty Mordant as Ricky would say). The Zesty Cheddar is a little triangle of savoury, heavy cheddar flavour that’s accentuated by a dash of that “mordant” spice. The chip was paired with a Gimlet, a drink that was around even before the idea of a “cocktail” was invented. Popular with sailors in the 18th century, the gimlet is composed of relatively simple ingredients: gin, simple syrup and lime-juice. The cocktail itself was a harmonious dry combination of gin and lime. It’s basically summer in a glass. This combination was like taking a trip down to a sunny Mexican beach. The “pseudo” cheese and spice of the Zesty Mordant coalesced with the summery goodness of the cocktail in a big way.
This pairing was the star of the show as it fully transported us to a different time and place, with a whole lot of sun beating down on us as we drank. LEMON DROP & KETTLE COOKED SALT AND PEPPER Our next chip was the Kettle Cooked Salt and Pepper. It featured some light spice from the pepper with an even lighter salt freshness. It was a good palate cleanser halfway through the tasting. We paired this one with the Lemon Drop, an infamous cocktail harkening back to juicy drinks of the 80s. The Lemon Drop is a fun little cocktail that’s composed of lemon juice, syrup and orange bitters. It’s oozing with aromas of lemon juice and has a light touch of vodka vanilla. Unfortunately, The chip and cocktail combination was a bit of a disaster. The idea of the pairing was perfect and the flavours definitely belonged together, but the cocktail totally bulldozed the chip. The problem was that the pepper
Our final chip was the Ruffles Sour Cream and Onion. There was a little bit of the creamy sour cream flavour with a light bite of onion within the chip. The flavours, although inherently strong, were not immediately intrusive. The chip was paired with the Negroni, a classic drink that’s composed of gin, sweet vermouth, Campari and lemon peel garnish. Once again, it smells of lemon peel and more of that huge floral gin herb garden ooze. It’s a dry drink full of herbs, bitter citrus and hints of black liquorice element. This is an intense cocktail with a pretty flavourful chip. The chip mellowed the harsh bitterness of the Negroni, while the drink complimented and brought out all the onion, butter, and sour cream flavours of the chip. A fantastic pairing that may not have been as ideal as the Doritos-Gimlet pairing, but came in as a very close second. Once again, thanks to everyone at the Capilano Courier for supporting my crazy column. Also, of course, a big thanks to my readers, for reading my writing and hopefully gathering and learning different elements about wine and food pairings. I’ve had a blast helping you out and hope to hear from you @SipSipHurray for more questions and comments.
HUMOUR From VP to MVP: Wilson saves multiple lives from office fire Quick thinking extinguishes microwave inferno in Maple building on Mar. 18 Carlo Javier EXECUTIVE LIFESTYLE EDITOR
Occupants of the Capilano Students’ Union (CSU) Maple lounge were evacuated out of the building on Thursday, Mar. 18 at 2:30 pm due to an apparent office fire. According to Capilano University security, the CSU office was almost set ablaze after a microwave caught on fire and threatened the lives of everyone in the vicinity. Fortunately, no one was harmed, thanks to the calm and quick actions of CSU vice president, Taylor Wilson. “We just finished up our external relations meeting and everyone had pretty much just left, except for a few staff members and I think one or two directors,” Wilson recalled. “I was tapping at my computer when somebody who was in our little backroom mildly exclaimed, ‘Fuck,’
which kind of woke us up.” After a brief commotion within the office, the remaining people in the CSU walked towards the backroom to see the their microwave getting incinerated. Wilson immediately ran to grab the fire extinguisher at the lounge – completely ignoring the fact there was already one in the office. Then, in a seamless display of expertise, Wilson took the safety pin out and as he waited for CSU general manager to open the microwave. “Pssssshhhhhhhhh,” Wilson said, mimicking the sound of the extinguisher. “And that was it.” Capilano University Security said that the CSU was fortunate that the fire was extinguished with haste, as a few more moments would’ve led to the sprinklers going off. Had the sprinklers began to spout out water, the CSU would’ve ended up
facing a greater problem: water damage to laptops and computers. A member of the security was keen to point out Wilson’s act of courage. “The guy was quick — the fire was already gone when we got here,” he said. “I don’t know why he ran past the first extinguisher though. Maybe if he used that one, the microwave would still be functioning.” Once the dust was settled, Wilson’s heroic act immediately made news on social media. CSU vice president of university relations and student services, Sacha Fabry, was vocal about his praise for Wilson, commenting on a Facebook post about how Wilson was his “hero ☺.” Edil Hundubëy, a CSU staff member, wasn’t present during the incident, but stated that she definitely wishes she were there. “I was working at the Members’ Centre when all of a sudden staff from the office showed up,” she said. “Fire in the office, but Taylor handled it.” Wilson, who once claimed to be the most adored man in student politics since pre-scandal Jian Ghomeshi at the U of T, constantly tried to downplay his actions. “It was so weird. It was like, ‘oh, this needs to be
fixed’ — it was like answering the doorbell.” When asked whether Wilson’s actions were surprising, Hundubëy said, “Yes and no. With Taylor Wilson comes bewilderment. You think you know what he’s all about but then he’ll do something like this.” At the end of the day, what truly matters is that no one was hurt. The CSU is now putting forward a motion to purchase a fireproof microwave to replace the burnt one.
Abandoned McBarge to become new CapU Sunshine Coast campus Fall opening hinges on $4.5 million retrofit Andy Rice EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Since then, it has collected graffiti near the Chevron refinery in North Burnaby. With a concrete hull, steel superstructure and porcelain-dipped aluminum cladding, the McBarge was built to last 100 years. Whatever Meakin has in store for it is a closely-guarded secret, though he promised it will make a comeback later this year after extensive renovations which are currently being completed at a secure marine facility in Maple Ridge.
“I can’t tell you what the plan is,” he told the Vancouver Sun back in December. “We’re under a non-disclosure agreement, but it fits in with the 30th anniversary of the Exposition.” That begs the question: if not a floating campus then what should be CapU’s tip of the hat to its outgoing president? Send your best suggestions to humour.capcourier@ gmail.com and you could win a McDonalds coffee card!
20
VOLUME 49 ISSUE NO.22
have yet to confirm their partnership. In fact, they may never confirm it because this story was completely fabricated to fill empty space in our humour section. But if they do, just remember you heard it here first. The McBarge was a star attraction of the 1986 World’s Fair, serving up to 1,400 people in one seating. The restaurant ceased operations shortly after Expo concluded, remaining empty in False Creek until 1991 when it was towed to Burrard Inlet.
THE CAPILANO COURIER
The iconic floating McDonalds from Expo 86 is set to make a triumphant return this fall, 30 years after the final Big Mac came off its grill. However, the Friendship 500 won’t be serving up burgers in its new coastal home. Instead, there will be several bachelor’s degrees on the menu. Over the weekend, the Courier learned that owner Howard Meakin recently inked a rental agreement with Capilano University that will see the derelict Friendship 500 become the new Sunshine Coast campus later this year. Following a $4.5 million retrofit, the 15,000 sq. ft. hulk will be towed to the Gibsons Marina, just steps from the iconic Molly’s Reach building of Beachcombers fame. It will open in September as the home of CapU’s new Bachelor of Bagpipes program, along with several other degrees currently in their final stages of development. “That’s so cool!” said Natalie Finkel, a fourth-year Jazz Studies major, upon hearing the news. “The McBarge is a Vancouver legend. My parents were line cooks there back in the day. Funny story — I was actually conceived in one of the staff bathrooms.” A faculty member, who requested not to be named, speculated that the project may be intended as a legacy piece for current CapU president Kris Bulcroft, who is set to retire in July. “It’s customary to do something to honour the president upon their departure,” he said. “They named the bus loop after Greg Lee when he left. I would imagine this new floating campus is their tribute to Kris. Bulcroft Barge has a fairly nice ring to it, don’t you think?” The terms of the lease have not been disclosed, as both Meakin and the University
CABOOSE HOROSCOPES
HUMANS OF CAPILANO Dominic Guieb
IF YOUR BIRTHDAY IS THIS WEEK: Due to lack of interest, that cake is all yours.
ARIES (March 21 - April 19):
No amount of light jogging is going to repair the heavy abuse you’ve regularly put your body through for years.
TAURUS (April 20 - May 20):
Though you’re glad your parents are supportive of you moving out, you didn’t expect them to start crying, pack your bags and push you out the door so quickly.
GEMINI (May 21 - June 20):
Dress up extra nice on Thursday, because a picture taken of you then is going to be used as the ‘before the accident’ photo.
CANCER (June 21 - July 22):
It’s not that true love doesn’t exist, just that it doesn’t exist for you.
LEO (July 23 - Aug. 22):
An apple a day keeps the doctor away, but that head-on collision has the paramedics running right at you.
VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept. 21):
Though your parents always said you could be Superman, you’re finding your limitations are more Ant-man like.
LIBRA (SEPT. 22 - OCT. 23):
You won’t fall for the oldest trick in the book, which is too bad since it’s the one where everyone lives happily ever after.
SCORPIO (OCT. 24 - NOV. 21):
Your hatred of cliff-hangers will have you risking the 20-ft fall instead of waiting until next week to see if help arrives.
SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22 - DEC. 21):
Your life will come to an abrupt end after you like someone’s Facebook picture from
SUDOKU
VOLUME 49 ISSUE NO. 22
"Life is not about the material things, it's about the experiences that you have. I've been sober four years. I started when I was 18 all the way to when I was 36. I lost my kids for a bit and went into rehab. After that happened, I started to think that working in jobs that have a future in a paycheck doesn't make me happy. Doing things that I want to do makes me happy, and if it means going to school at 40, that's what I'm going to do."
2009.
CAPRICORN (DEC. 22 - JAN. 19):
People understand you wear your heart on your sleeve, but maybe getting a tattoo of your brain tumour was taking it a bit far.
AQUARIUS (JAN. 20 - FEB. 18):
For precautionary reasons, it’s best you wear a helmet and water wings at all times.
PISCES (FEB. 19 - MARCH 20):
For the first time, you’ll find yourself in a relationship that doesn’t end with you leaving a tip after they serve you.
TO ADVERTISE in the Courier’s pages, please contact us by phone at 778-855-9942 or email Alva Tang, our Community Relations Manager, at community.capcourier@gmail. com. We are proud to offer discounts to non-profit organizations and North Shore customers. A full media kit with sizes, rates and deadlines is available on our website, CapilanoCourier.com. Classified advertisements up to 50 words are free for students.
THE CAPILANO COURIER
PHOTOGRAPHER
What's the most important lesson you've learned? "Cherish your family." How did you come to realize that lesson? "When I was 14, my dad passed away. Since then I wanted to be closer to my family. I was an only child. Before when I see my grandparents, they always said that they could see him in me. My dad always cared for them and I felt that it is my responsibility to do the same. At a young age, you never really care about these things but you start realizing it when you get older. Now, every SINGLE Saturday, I'm always waiting for my grandparents to call just to see or talk to them – if they don't, I call."
Help Us Make the courier great again Take our survey at www.surveymonkey.com/r/capcourier