Capilano Courier | Vol. 49.5, Issue 5.

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VOLUME 49.5 ISSUE 05

OCTOBER 17 - 23 | 2016

THE SPORTS ISSUE

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DANGERFIELD 1 ON 1

POUTINE & PINOT NOIR

Get to know J. Paul Dangerfield, Capilano University's new president, and his plans for the future.

Wine columnist Max Ley finds you the perfect bottle to accompany this delicious French Canadian classic.


CONTENTS

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05

07

09

Cover Photo

News

Sports

Sports

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SPORTSPLEX TURNS 25

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16

BEER LEAGUE HOCKEY

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Sports

Sports

Features

Opinions

ZOLTAN IIKU

THE STAFF Andy Rice

EARTHWORKS LECTURES

STUDENT-ATHLETES AND THE ACADEMIC BALANCE

BEHIND THE BLUES

BLUES BASKETBALL SEASON PREVIEW

COLUMNISTS

CONTRIBUTORS Marissa Del Mistro

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

editor@capilanocourier.com Carlo Javier MANAGING EDITOR

carlo.capcourier@gmail.com

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

Jessica Lio opinions.capcourier@gmail.com Gabriel Scorgie FEATURES EDITOR

ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

arts.capcourier@gmail.com Christine Beyleveldt CAMPUS LIFE EDITOR

campuslife.capcourier@gmail.com

ART

Syd Danger

Natalie Murray Lars Henrik Ahlstrom

ART

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

Ali Bruce

specialfeatures.capcourier@gmail.com POSITION AVAILABLE!

Maria Centola

ART

NEWS EDITOR

OPINIONS EDITOR

Zoltan Iiku COVER PHOTO

Kevin Kapenda news@capilanocourier.com

SPORTS BETTING

ART

Annie Chang ART

Dominic Guieb PHOTOS

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

Hassan Merali WORDS

Jacob Muir WORDS

Cristian Fowlie

Smiely Khurana

ART DIRECTOR

WORDS

THE CAPILANO COURIER

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artdirector.capcourier@gmail.com Syd Danger LAYOUT DESIGNER

pm.capcourier@gmail.com Noah Penner MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

multimedia.capcourier@gmail.com

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

Max Ley

POSITION AVAILABLE!

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

Brandon Kostinuk WEB COORDINATOR

web.capcourier@gmail.com

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Leah Scheitel WORDS

Doris Pinkerton WORDS

WORDS

COMMUNITY RELATIONS MANAGER

community.capcourier@gmail.com

BUSINESS ADVISOR

WORDS

Graeme Findlay

Therese Guieb

business.capcourier@gmail.com

Justin Scott

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


EDITOR'S DESK

BENCHED FOR THE SEASON Andy Rice EDITOR-IN-CHIEF most of these Monday nights wobbling lamely around the ice, flopping a half dozen pucks toward an empty net before sneaking off to the hot chocolate machine for a treat. Soccer was another perfect disaster. While all of the other kids were glued to the ball like a swarm of killer bees, I was about 10 paces behind, shuffling toward the action in no particular hurry. By the time I arrived a few minutes later, things had already shifted back to the opposite end of the field. Oftentimes, I’d just plunk myself down, pick a few daisies and wait until business picked up in my end again. I might sing a few songs if the mood struck me – or until the ball struck me. That second thing happened a lot. To my father’s credit, he never once made me feel as though I had disappointed him by shirking the athletic path he’d chosen for himself growing up. He just wanted me to be happy and to find an activity I enjoyed equally as much. Funny enough, I did, but that activity ended up being music – something he knew as little about as I did sports. By the time I was eight years old, my weekday afternoons were so full of piano lessons and choir rehearsals that I didn’t have time to embarrass myself on a peewee team any longer. I’m sure my coaches and my parents all breathed a huge sigh of relief, knowing that I’d finally found my niche. I’m still glad I gave competitive sports a try when I was younger, but I think I made the right choice of hobbies in the end. Had I pursued soccer, hockey, baseball or just about anything else that involves running or stickhandling, I would have spent most of my time sitting on the bench anyways. In the world of athletics, that’s not so good – but for a piano player, that’s the object of the game!

THE VOICEBOX with Carlo Javier

Currier sucks now your Instagram post your Snapchat stories and specially your issues are boring af Do you want to make it better? Come write for us… again. The only thing that doesn’t suck is the artwork Cristian really is talented Yes, Cristian is our crown jewel

THE CAPILANO COURIER

This twist of irony may be lost on you, but I find it absolutely hilarious that someone with my athletic ability happens to be editor-in-chief during the year that the Courier publishes its first-ever sports issue. To be completely honest, I couldn’t be more unqualified when it comes to this subject. My athletic ineptitude dates back to my early childhood, when I dabbled in sports like most other kids my age, but with far less success. I think it was a combination of my body type and a brain that simply couldn’t understand why a plastic ball or a rubber disc was so important – let alone important enough to chase for hours on end. It wasn’t food and nobody was in immediate danger, so why all the unnecessary running? I couldn’t seem to figure it out. Or maybe I didn’t care to figure it out. My father was an exceptional athlete in his younger days – golf, hockey, baseball, you name it. I still meet people in my hometown who regale me with stories about all of the records he broke and the playoff games he clinched. Eventually, they ask me what my athletic specialty is, and I have the shameful duty of telling them how I once got a C-minus in Grade 10 PhysEd. “Pfft, you can’t be that bad,” they say. “Oh, but I am.” And here’s how bad: While everyone else on my little league tee-ball team was actually playing the game we’d all signed up for, I was off in my own little world, hosting a make-believe cooking show at third base. “Oh, hi there. Welcome to the program,” I’d say, whenever someone came running past me on the way back to home plate. “Today, we’re going to prepare a lovely fillet mignon with a festive rosemary and mushroom gravy. Won’t you help me season the beef?” Hockey practice didn’t go much better. In fact, I don’t even think I made it onto an actual team – just a nondescript weekly meet-up known as “Hockey Skills”, which served as a holding tank for all the nose-pickers and daydreamers who clearly weren’t going to make it to the NHL without some divine intervention. I spent

Where was the coffee tent last week? I was wondering the same thing. I woke up early to help set up then I get a message from Therese that she made a mistake. Smh.

Did you ever go to band camp Carlo?

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

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Yeah I was there for the bass trombone. Everyone else was there for my bone.


NEWS

NEW PRESIDENT RETURNS TO LEAD CAPILANO INTO NEXT CHAPTER J. Paul Dangerfield excited to help build community at special, tight-knit university Kevin Kapenda

THE CAPILANO COURIER

VOLUME 49.5 ISSUE NO. 05

NEWS EDITOR

After helping Capilano College earn university accreditation eight years ago, Paul Dangerfield is excited to be returning as president, where he can bring the many lessons he’s learned at other post-secondary institutions with him too. “Eight years later, I feel I’ve gained a lot of skills and experience, and other understandings from at least two other institutions that I think I can bring back to continue to advance the ideas that Capilano has as a university," said Dangerfield. “I was on the team that worked on the accreditation initiative for Cap College to become a university, so it’s now a great opportunity to come back and keep that ball rolling.” Dangerfield first came to Capilano in 2005, teaching in the business and global stewardship programs. He later became dean for the Faculty of Business and Professional Studies, before leaving the newly-designated university to become vice president for the Vancouver campus of the New York Institute of Technology. For Dangerfield, the unique opportunity CapU provides to develop close relationships with faculty and students, both as an instructor and dean, is one of the main reasons why he decided to return. “When I first got here in 2005, I was actually faculty teaching in the business programs and global stewardship. I had a lot of time to spend with faculty and of course on the frontline with the students,” said Dangerfield. “Another thing I always remembered as a dean was that even when it came to things like graduation, I knew all the students names. As a dean that’s kind of rare that you get to know that and I think that just spoke to the kind of place that Capilano was.” In terms of his short-term goals, Dangerfield wants to spend lots of time getting to know the campus and its people, as well as the other players who have a large role in shaping CapU from a distance. “I think that most presidents when they come into their roles, they pretty much say the same thing. My initial goals are to spend as much time as I can with the Capilano community. That includes the internal community, faculty, staff, students and our administrators, all those that are inside the university,” said Dangerfield. His other immediate priorities include facilitating correspondence between the President’s Office and the campus community, so he can begin collaborating with CapU’s various stakeholders as soon as possible. “The other thing I’m working on right now in terms of my immediate priorities is looking at how we can set up lines of communication,

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able to integrate those ideas into the planning for the overall campus,” said Dangerfield. As for what the administration can do, Dangerfield plans to work with CapU’s incoming associate vice president of student success to find ways in which their offices can work together to foster a sense of community on campus. “I’m hoping most people are aware of this, but it’s a good chance to mention is that we have just hired a new AVP of student success, and there is no doubt that one of the best ways to ensure that students persist is that they’re feeling like they are a part of the community,” said Dangerfield.

A STUDENT OF LEADERSHIP

so how do we actually communicate with the President’s Office and how do we communicate with one another, so that we can get our ideas out there, and start moving projects forward,” said Dangerfield. “However, in order to do that, we need to figure out how to talk to each other and how we want to communicate, so if you have an idea, you can get it to me.” As for what Dangerfield hopes to bring to CapU, he is confident that his leadership qualities can help the university’s community members see their suggestions and ideas for the university through. “I feel pretty good about the fact that what I’ve actually been able to do over the last number of years is work very well with people and help people lead,” said Dangerfield. “I’m a leader of leaders, and when I say leaders, I mean leaders at all levels. It doesn’t matter if it’s a faculty member in a classroom, a student on the CSU, or whether it’s the vice president of finance. What I think I would like people to know is that I’m here to help them achieve things that they want to achieve. That’s what I think leaders should do.”

ISSUES FACING CAPU According to the Ministry of Advanced Education, enrolment has been in steady decline over the past few years. After topping 8,500 students in 2008, CapU has seen its enrolment drop by

almost 2,000 students to 6,635 in 2015. Dangerfield views this problem as regional, rather than unique to CapU and believes that modern programming is the key to getting students to attend, and graduate from the institution. “Declining enrolment is not something that’s unique to Capilano University. A lot of universities and colleges are facing similar challenges. Part of it is related to demographics, other parts competition. Lots of other institutions are trying to get their students to come to their universities,” said Dangerfield. “So what we need to be able to do here at Capilano is really two things. One is to continue to be able to attract students – but then keep them. So the second is really around the degrees. Really what we need to do is continue to develop appropriate, relevant, new programming that is going to meet the needs of our communities – but also going to be in demand by students.” One of the concerns frequently raised by students at CapU is the school’s lack of community. While this is not always a large part of a president’s mandate, Dangerfield recognizes that this feeling of isolation is a problem, and is prepared to work with students and their various representatives on campus address it. “My plan would be to work with the CSU and the students to make sure their ideas are part of the overall Capilano University plans for where we want to go in the future. So if they have ideas, making sure they’re

Before entering academia in 2005, Paul Dangerfield spent 20 years with the Canadian forces, where he served in a variety of roles. After helping CapU earn university accreditation in 2008, Dangerfield served in vice presidential roles at BCIT and the Vancouver campus of the New York Institute of Technology. While his experience is quite varied, transitioning from the military to academia, one of the qualities Dangerfield has brought from role to role is his ability to lead teams, and help others reach their full potential. “What I would say is in hindsight, and it probably started even before I was in the military – I think every experience that someone has, if you use that experience and you’re courageous enough to push yourself outside of your comfort zone, I think every experience prepares you for the next experience,” said Dangerfield. “What I have learned, but not just from the military, is becoming a student of leadership. Starting with leading teams, whether it’s two or three people in class for a project, all the way up to getting involved with clubs or communities outside of school, but really getting to that point where you focus on leadership.” Dangerfield hopes to lead CapU by ensuring people know he is here to learn from them and support their goals is of the utmost importance to him. “I think I would like people to know that I’m openminded,” he said. “I’m here to listen to their ideas, bring them in and turn them into reality.” Paul Dangerfield’s formal investiture ceremony will be broadcast for free on Monday, Oct. 17 at 4 pm through the Capilano University website.


@CAPILANOCOURIER

SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION SCREENS NATIONAL DEBATE Retired Republican and Democratic Congressmen weigh in on VP candidates Christine Beyleveldt CAMPUS LIFE EDITOR

On Tuesday Oct. 4, Republican Congressman Steven Kuykendaal and Democratic Congressman Martin Lancaster joined the Capilano University School of Communication for a live screening of the 2016 Vice Presidential Debate in the Blueshore Financial Theatre, followed by a discussion forum. This election is unlike any other because both candidates have highly unfavorable ratings. Historic elections either lead the public out of a tragedy or into one as Kuykendaal described, and the 2016 election is no exception. Lancaster believes that Trump would become frustrated in the role of president and likely resign from his duties before his term was over. Clinton’s job would be

made difficult by the anti-woman feeling in the United States. The vice presidential candidates in the 2016 election, however, have more favourable ratings with the public, and both were afforded the opportunity to appeal to the American people for their votes on Tuesday night. In the 90-minute debate between Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) and Mike Pence (R-Indiana), taxes, healthcare and government ethics were the primary points of discussion. Both candidates were questioned about their struggles to differentiate their personal religious beliefs from the best interest of the American public. Six students from the School of Communication prepared questions for the congressmen to engage in a thoughtful discussion following the debate. Students asked about the potential repercussions of having a president that does not have the support of his own caucus, and what the future might hold for the Republican Party should Trump lose the election. Those students were Thorin Loeks, Sarah Gowe, Eric Hanna, Rosanna Chipkin, and the Capilano Courier’s own Kevin Kapenda and Therese Guieb. Lancaster and Kuykendaal agreed that the Republican Party might not be able to reconcile their voters and maintain a

@CAPILANOCOURIER

/CAPILANOCOURIER

stable position in politics in the event of a Clinton presidency. However, friction between congress and the White House is common because the public prefers power to be split between the two parties so that one may not have more influence than the other. “For split government and democracy to work requires compromise, and in recent years there’s been almost no compromise,” said Lancaster. He added that for Clinton to successfully perform in the role of president she would have to compromise with Republicans. This is also the first time in American history that a woman has been nominated as the presidential candidate of a major party. The United States is on the verge of potentially seeing a female president, but viewers were concerned with what she could do to convince women everywhere that she can create lasting change. Another topic of concern was the feasibility of Trump’s plan to build a wall along the border with Mexico, which Lancaster explained would not be possible without adding billions of dollars to the national debt. Kuykendaal reaffirmed that Trump would not be able to succeed in building a wall without congressional approval. Moderator Elaine Quijano opened the debate by stating that the vice presidential debate is not about the

EARTHWORKS ENGINEERS ENVIRONMENTAL DIALOGUE

The last of the three presidential debates will be screened in the Blueshore Financial Theatre at CapU on Oct. 19 from 5:30 to 9 pm.

use to the wild salmon on the BC coast. The second EarthWorks event, Capturing Carbon, will take place on Oct. 18 in the BlueShore Theatre at 7 pm, where Geoff Holmes will talk about a Squamish, BC pilot project by the company Carbon Engineering that aims to pull carbon dioxide (CO2) out of the atmosphere, and turn it into fuel. The field of carbon capture and storage/sequestration is a burgeoning one, which could mean the presentation of cutting edge solutions to tackling climate change. The third EarthWorks event, Go Local: The Story of Howe Sound will happen on Nov. 1 in the BOSA Theatre, with Bob Turner talking about the return of species like whales and dolphins to the region after decades of industrial pollution driving them out. The fourth and final event of the term, called Creating A Climate for Change: Pipeline Politics & Protests, is due to take place Nov. 15 in the BOSA Theatre. Tzeporah Berman will discuss her new book about climate change advocacy and the environmental as well as economic disasters associated with fossil fuels.

Students, faculty and community come together for series of environmental discussions Hassan Merali CONTRIBUTOR

Earthworks is free and open to the public. To learn more about any of these events, you can visit capilanou.ca/earthworks. that focus on current environmental issues affecting our region. Various experts are then brought in to speak on issues such as biodiversity, climate change, environmental advocacy/activism, and so on. This term’s lecture series consists of four events: the first, Wild Salmon in the 21st Century: Energy, Triage & Choices, was on Sept. 27 and featured Dr. Ken Ashley talking about his paper of the same name, which links our marketdriven economy, the lifestyles we live, the types of energy and how much energy we

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they didn’t know before. “I hope they feel connected to the issues in our region, and I hope they feel empowered and inspired to learn more about something and contribute positively to ongoing efforts,” she said. EarthWorks is a collaborative association between students, staff and faculty that promotes environmental education throughout the curriculum and provides educational experiences on environmental issues and sustainability at CapU. One way that EarthWorks does this is by organizing two lecture series each year

THE CAPILANO COURIER

Every fall and spring term, Capilano University EarthWorks puts together presentations focusing on the environment and sustainability. The theme of this term’s lecture series, Catalysts and Conservation, came in part from looking at some of the achievements of recent conservation efforts in Howe Sound. Howe Sound has seen a resurgence of some key species due to conservation efforts, and in a time where there’s pressure on the region to reindustrialize, it’s important to highlight current successes, according to founding faculty member Cheryl Schreader. Both Schreader and Earthworks student Tessa Janzen think the EarthWorks lecture series is a unique opportunity for students and the public alike to learn about local environmental issues on campus. Janzen believes that a lecture series on regional efforts is important because global phenomena can be harder to relate to. “People are speaking about efforts close to home, and on things that people can get involved with. There are a lot of solutions [being] proposed and talked about, companies that are doing things right here, right now,” said Janzen, a second year Tourism Management student. Schreader hopes those attending will take away something

candidate’s qualifications for the job, but for their ability to seamlessly step into the president’s shoes at a moment’s notice. Those who viewed the debate remarked on how they portrayed each of their respective presidential nominees. “Both [candidates] had some good ideas but it was overshadowed [by] them talking over each other,” noted Cassandra Brondgeest, a third year student of Communication. The Times and The Daily Mail estimated that Kaine interrupted Pence a total of 70 times throughout the debate, and according to most online polls, viewers were generally in agreement that Republican candidate Mike Pence won the debate. Lancaster noted that Canadians are surprisingly knowledgeable of the election and of the candidates. “It is important to be aware of what is going on in the world,” said Brondgeest, “Especially when the USA is so close to Canada.” As America’s longest and closest relationship, Canadians certainly feel the impact of their politics, and that seems to be no exception here at CapU.


CAMPUS LIFE

HUNGARY FOR ADVENTURE CapU Field School offers new experiences for students Jacob Muir CONTRIBUTOR

Split by the sparkling waterways of the Danube River and surrounded by the lush, green Buda hills, Budapest is a jewel of a city. It is also the destination of Capilano University’s field school excursion in 2017. From Apr. 25 to May 7 of 2017, instructors Mitra Kiamanesh and Stephen Williams will be leading a group of CapU students on a cultural and educational journey through Hungary and some of its most beautiful and important sights. In addition to “the rich history, amazing architecture, interesting culture and food and beautiful landscapes,” Kiamanesh noted that Hungary has a distinct character to offer visitors. Students will have the opportunity to visit Pécs, a UNESCO world heritage site, and Budapest, one of the most beautiful cities in the world, the Zsolnay Cultural Quarter, Pannon Philharmonic Concert Hall, the Villany wine region and much more. In addition, Kianamesh recommends Hungary because it’s “relatively less expensive than the rest of Europe while offering [the] same or better [quality] on many things.” The final itinerary will be developed once students have been selected. That way Williams and Kiamanesh will be able to provide the most meaningful opportunities to participants. However, Kiamanesh explained that students can expect a varied daily schedule filled with “sightseeing and cultural activities, presentations by local industries and company visits, free time to soak in local life and socialize, organized meals [and a]

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CSU TO HOST FREE SCREENINGS OF CANADIAN FILMS ON CAMPUS North of 49 Films partners with UBC, SFU and CapU to showcase Canadian content Therese Guieb COMMUNITY RELATIONS MANAGER

Canadian content in media and entertainment is being placed on the back burner as more American content makes its way into our country. James Cameron, David Cronenburg and Norman Jewison are Canadian filmmakers and lauded as some of the greatest directors of all time — but few are aware of that. The Capilano Students’ Union (CSU) is hosting four free film screenings at Capilano University in partnership with North of 49 Films to showcase Canadian content on the silver screen of Nat and

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—MARIA CENTOLA

visit [to a] winery… "The Hungary and London field schools are as different as Hungary and London are”, said Kiamanesh. “In addition, the field school leaders for each are different people bringing their approach and personalities to the experience.” Kiamanesh brings with her a wealth of experience ranging from architecture and urban design to international business consultation, mediation, and instruction in the CapU School of Business. Williams also brings a diverse understanding to the field school with a rich history in music

therapy practice as well as publication in numerous academic journals. In addition to the varied experiences of the field school leaders, Kiamanesh hopes to "create a mix of students from different fields to create a richer and more interesting experience for participants.” She also noted that this is a great way for students to gauge whether or not they wish to do an international exchange for an entire semester. Furthermore, students are allowed to continue on their own travels after May 7. The application deadline for the

field school is Oct. 28. “[We] make sure applicants from different departments are considered before we reach the 20 participants limit,” said Kiamanesh. The total cost of the trip, which includes airfare, accommodation, planned excursions and one to two group meals is $2,950. Tuition fees, most meals, and passport and visa fees are not included. A number of scholarships and bursaries are available, and applications can be found online.

Flora Bosa Theatre. “We are having the screenings mostly to bring awareness to Canadian films that are made by some Canadian producers,” said Beatriz Miralles, CSU vice president of student life. There will be four films that will be featured on different days throughout the 2016–17 school year at 5 pm on Oct. 20, Nov. 17, Jan. 19 and Mar. 2. “This whole thing started with North 49 Films with their campaign ‘North of 49 Movies on Campus,’” she noted. North of 49 Movies on Campus is an initiative that shows free movie screenings of Canadian films on campuses across the country with the aid of Telefilm Canada and the Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF). According to Miralles, the campaign has been successful in Eastern Canada and as a result, they brought the opportunity to the west coast. This year, North of 49 Movies on Campus will be screening similar movies to the one being shown in the CapU Bosa Theatre on the same dates at UBC and SFU. “They implemented this idea of free movies on campus that every single campus screens at the same time because

they feel that bringing the awareness will have a bigger impact on the screening of Canadian content,” said Miralles. The movies selected by Telefilms Canada that will be shown are Haida Gwaii: On the Edge of the World, No Men Beyond This Point, Violent, and Edweard. Haida Gwaii: On the Edge of the World is the third and final documentary in an environmental trilogy by award winning director Charles Wilkinson. It follows the story of a group of individuals living on the archipelago of Haida Gwaii in BC, and the clash between the island’s residents and the logging industry over the years. This will be the first film to be screened on Oct. 20. No Men Beyond This Point is a satirical mockumentary by Mark Sawers about what women would do to reproduce when men become extinct. Hint: they procreate asexually, and in a woman’s world where there is no need for men, one of them will struggle to survive. The film will be screened on Nov. 17. Violent is an indie film directed by Andrew Huculiak that won best BC and best Canadian film at VIFF in 2014. It follows young Dagny’s transitition into

adulthood and her interactions with what is most important to her. The premise of the story is that violence can be beautiful. It will be shown on Jan. 19, 2017. Edweard is an indie biopic film about an English photographer in the late 1800s directed by Kyle Ridout. The screening will take place on Mar. 2, 2017 and it follows the fascinating story of Edweard Muybridge, one of the earliest filmmakers who captured controversial subject matter, including the murder of his wife’s lover. There will be free refreshments and guest speakers in attendance, arranged by North of 49 Films at the individual screenings. Miralles believes the free movies will benefit students as they become exposed to Canadian content and she also plans to feature short films by the students of School of Motion and Picture Arts (MOPA) at CapU. “I just want everyone to encourage their friends to come because it's a great opportunity to be bringing awareness to the Canadian film industry,” she said, “and at the same time to your fellow friends at Capilano that might be doing an awesome job in the MOPA program that we don't know about.”

More information is available at www.capilanou.ca/Hungary-Field-School.


SPORTS

FETCHING ICE AND MAKING NICE

AWAY

Going behind-the-scenes with a tight-knit core of Blues’ support staff Andy Rice EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

It’s 2:30 pm on a Thursday in the Capilano University Sportsplex. The Blues Women’s Basketball Team are doing drills at centre court, with coach Ramin Sadaghiani putting them through their paces. On the other side of the glass, athletics attendants Deano Oppermann and Tom Smith greet each other with a smile. Divisional department assistant Rosanna Olynyk hears their voices and soon pops around the corner to join in on the banter. Although their shifts overlap by just a few minutes, it’s clear that the Blues’ support staff are a tight-knit bunch. Olynyk has worked in the department for 12 years, Oppermann for nine and Smith for 22. While their home base may be stagnant, they agree that each day in the Sportsplex brings something new. “The friendships and ‘team’ environment down here makes it a fun place to be,” said Olynyk. “Staff, athletes, coaches — they want to be here, so it makes it a fun and ever-changing dynamic environment.” Apart from their physical duties involving the setup and management of equipment, Oppermann and Smith maintain a visible presence at the front counter. Olynyk’s position is administrative by comparison, tucked away in a back office behind the scenes. “I wear a few different hats,” she said. “I work with coaches and their teams with things related to athlete eligibility, awards, team travel arrangements, scheduling the facility for league and exhibition events.” Olynyk also takes care of external bookings, a significant revenue-generator for the department, preparing all of the necessary contracts, invoices and logistical details. Athletic events officer Chris Raeside oversees the weekly league events, while tournaments and provincial championships are typically an all-handson-deck kind of affair. “Being a small department we all tend to wear many hats and work together to ensure that an event is executed properly and as we intended,” explained Olynyk, “So everyone pitches in to ensure that goal is met.”

noting that of course, what goes up must come down. Maintaining equipment can also be tedious at times, although most items are retired and replaced before they reach the end of their useful life. Milt Williams, manager of Athletics and Recreation, takes care of the bulk of the ordering, with Olynyk joining in as needed. “The department obviously accumulates gear that we need to replace for a variety of different reasons – league requirements, wear, et cetera,” said Olynyk. But instead of destroying these items or tossing them in a disposal bin, the Blues donate them to those in need. “We actually have sent old balls, uniforms and cleats to third world countries. It’s kind of neat to know that we have ‘CapU Blues athletes’ wearing our colours elsewhere in the world.”

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On this particular day, there are no games or tournaments on the calendar — only a series of regular practices— and Oppermann is already one step ahead of Smith. Before heading out the door, he’s loaded a few duffle bags with mens’ soccer jerseys, freshly laundered after the muddy onslaught they’d received during their previous outing. Smith will return the favour at the end of his shift, getting volleyball nets and runaway basketballs all tidied up for the morning. The two operate much like a relay team, passing off information and swapping tasks in various stages of completion. “Whenever we get someone

new starting out here we really stress the importance of always thinking ahead for the next guy,” said Smith. “We train them on that right away. The challenge is, you’re often trying to start and finish one job and you no sooner get pulled away to another job somewhere else — if you’re in the Sportsplex they’ll need you down on the field, and vice versa.” Thankfully, there’s a logbook located at the front desk to help the department’s multiple attendants keep track of which jobs get done and which ones still need completion. Glancing at the schedule as he begins his shift, Smith learns he has a couple hours before the gymnasium must be converted from a basketball configuration to the one used for volleyball. At the end of the night, he’ll dry mop the hardwood floors to get rid of any dust, debris and slippery spots. “We have this bar that’s about six feet long and about 35 pounds,” he said. “It hooks up to a rope and you drag it behind you sort of like a horse and buggy.” The contraption looks like a cross between a giant whiteboard eraser and a Swiffer mop, with long velcro strips that are used to attach special towel pads to its underside. According to Smith, it offers a workout that simply can’t be beat. “I remember the first time I did it, I was sweating bullets by the end,” he laughed. The collapsible bucket seats are a challenge, too. Whenever the Sportsplex hosts a special event involving spectators, each backrest must be flipped up, one by one. “That’s quite a job,” said Smith,

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Did you know? Over the course of a single season, Capilano Blues' athletics attendants, including Deano Oppermann (pictured), will do more than 180 loads of laundry!

When it comes to travelling for league and exhibition games, Olynyk is in charge of that aspect of day-to-day operations as well. “This includes booking hotels, vehicles or buses, ferry reservations, meal per diems and travel advances to coaches,” she said, adding that special considerations are made with regards to cost and budget. League travel is covered by the athletics department, while exhibition travel is paid for through the fundraising initiatives of the teams themselves. “The department tries to keep the travel as efficient as possible so that the minimum amount of class time is missed by our athletes,” said Olynyk. Oftentimes, it takes a few trips to other universities – or even a few years as a graduate – before student athletes truly realize the scope of what goes on behind the scenes in the Sportsplex. However, it’s not something the staff take personally. “A lot of people don’t see what goes on behind the scenes but there are so many good people that support the athletes and the coaches and the faculty on campus,” said Williams. “Even though there’s never a thank you, or maybe there’s the odd thank you, there’s a lot of personal satisfaction that goes into it. It’s my job to bring that out and to celebrate those accomplishments with the staff and to make them feel worthwhile and that what they’re doing is a lot of good work for a lot of people, and it has an effect down the road.” “At present, the athletes are high strung and more focused on their coach's instructions than to notice a lot of what the Sportsplex attendants and staff do in support of the athletes,” said Oppermann. “If you let it get to you, it's thankless. But remembering [that] the rewarding times outweigh the thankless times makes it far from drudgery… The athletes will appreciate it after leaving Capilano University.” And in fact, many do come back each year to revisit the spirited atmosphere of the Sportsplex, still staffed by the same dedicated team of employees who once set up their nets, booked their road games and made their muddy laundry disappear. “It's the thrill of the teams being victorious and coming away champions, and on the melancholy occasions it's the agony you feel for them in their defeats,” said Oppermann. “You just know they gave everything they had in the tank. It's the athletic vibe here that's enjoyable and addicting.”


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BALANCED OFFENCE AND DEFENCE KEEP BLUES IN CONTENTION FOR TOP SEED Capilano team look to carry momentum well into second half of season Carlo Javier MANAGING EDITOR

It’s only halfway through the season and the Capilano Blues women’s soccer team have already exceeded their total points output from last season. Although it speaks about last year’s forgettable outing, for defensive midfielder and team captain Jessica Price, the strong comeback this year is about the changing culture of the team. “The biggest change for this year has just been our overall attitude,” she said. “Last year we had certain players that played a totally different playing style than what our coach Dennis [Kindel] plays. I think that this year all the girls bought into our system and are willing to work hard and put everything out on the field and give 110 per cent.” Arguably the biggest factor to the strong performance in the first half of the season has been the team’s balanced play on both ends of the field. Price has led a strong backline that has deprived opposing teams of clean scoring opportunities, and if opposing players do get past the defense, rookie goalkeeper Brittney Roussy has been one of the premier keepers so far this season. “Brittney is just a great keeper honestly,” said Price. “She's quick on her feet, she has great communication, I think that our team as a whole has a lot of confidence in her. For her first

ROOKIE MIDFIELD DUO POWERING MEN’S SOCCER TEAM TO SUPER SEASON

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VOLUME 49.5 ISSUE NO. 05

First year players Najm and Genet use childhood chemistry to fuel Blues Kevin Kapenda NEWS EDITOR

Football gods often say that behind every championship soccer team, there’s a great midfield pairing. For first year midfielders David Genet and Edris Najm, that adage couldn’t be more true. The Blues men’s soccer team is firing on all cylinders this year, winning seven of eight games, and scoring more than three times as many goals as they’ve conceded. It’s safe to say that things are going to plan, both offensively and defensively, but as anybody who knows the game will tell you, great teams thrive by

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— PAUL YATES

year, she is playing phenomenally.” Thus far, Roussy ranks second in the Pacific Western Athletic Association (PACWEST) conference in goals allowed per game with only 0.75. Offensively, the play of the midfield unit has been one of the most exciting elements of the blues. Both second year midfielders, Taylor Einhorn and Shaelie Bramley rank in the top 10 in scoring, and both players have come through for the Blues in several clutch situations this season. “Taylor and Shaelie are just work horses, they will give 110 per cent out on that field,” said Price. For her efforts, Einhorn received the Blues Player of the Week award for week five, after she continued her ascent up the rankings of goals scored. Price describes Einhorn as a natural goal

scorer, her ability to find the back of the net has also created many scoring opportunities for the rest of the Blues. As for Bramley, her work this year seems to be attributed to better positioning. Last year, she found herself bound to the midfield quite a bit, but this year she’s been able to go out to the wings play up front. “She dribbles through and tries to find that net and it’s nice to see her coming out of her shell and working so hard,” said Price. This season, the Blues have been caught in some tense matches and have tied in games they should’ve won, and as the team captain, Price sees it as her responsibility to keep her teammates positive and confident in their abilities. “I try to make sure that everybody is fired up. I tell them to forget about the losses that we’ve had,

or the ties that always feel like losses,” she said. “ I think that’s one thing as a captain for me personally is to make sure that everybody is tightknit and theres no conflicts, nobody feeling like anybody is getting at them.” As the PACWEST Provincial Championships draw near, the Blues look to continue their momentum on both ends of the field. The team aims to further fortify their defence and allow even fewer goals moving forward, while their offence looks to sustain its consistent attack. The top seed is still in play and the Blues know they have a shot at it.

dominating the midfield. “Basically nowadays, if the midfield is doing well, you basically win the game. With us doing well, I think it determines the outcome of the game,” said Genet. Part of what made Genet’s and Najm’s transition to collegiate soccer so smooth was the fact that they have known each other, as well as some of the other players on the team, for quite some time now. “It hasn’t been too bad, because I’ve knew some of the players since U-13 and U-14. I’ve known David [before], even though he’s not my age, I’ve played with him before for a long time,” said Najm. “So adjusting in the middle of the park hasn’t been too bad.” For first year players, settling into a team can be quite daunting, but that hasn’t been the case here at Capilano for Genet, who has found the team very easy to work into. “It wasn’t really a big adjustment,” said Genet. “The team welcomed me and Edris from the first day. Paul [Dailly] has been good to us. It hasn’t really been hard.” As for what has been different between collegiate and club soccer,

Najm believes that the pace of the game has certainly been quicker in the Pacific Western Athletic Association (PACWEST). “I think the game’s a little faster. Just the way our team plays, was a little faster than I was used too,” said Najm. As for why the Blues’ midfield has been so good this year, Najm and Genet attribute that to their fun memories playing with each other as kids, in the gymnasium at Edmonds Community Centre, and wherever else they could get kick a ball around. “I think [David and me] have chemistry on the field. When we were younger, we used to call it the connection. Always linking up with each other and staying close. Making those short, nice passes,” said Najm. “I’ve played together with Kuroush [Faritous] since we were like 12 years old and we knew David, who we played with in the winter and summers, was a good player.” While Genet and Najm are happy to be reunited with each other, and the other member of their midfield trio, Faritous, ending up on the same collegiate soccer team wasn’t exactly

something they had planned to do. “We went our separate ways for a bit. I moved somewhere else, but then we just randomly came together here,” said Genet. As for their personal objectives, Najm, who usually serves as the Blues’ attacking midfielder, would like to continue scoring as much as he can to help his team win. “Since I’m more of an attacking midfielder, I expect to score goals, right. Midfield always has to score. You can’t have a team without midfielders scoring,” said Najm. “I also want to pass through balls, pass nice long balls and play one-twos with David. Just anything to break down the other team really.” For Genet, who normally operates as a holding midfielder, continuing to dictate play from the back, and helping his team score, is what he is primarily focused on this year. “Basically being a playmaker, because it starts from the centre-backs and goes through me to Edris,” explained Genet. “I want to start getting some in the back of the net. I’m more of an assister, but it’s always good to have two or three goals to your name.”

Capilano University will host this year’s PACWEST Provincial Soccer Tournaments at the Burnaby Lake Sports Complex West on Oct. 28 and 29.


SEASON PREVIEW: MEN’S BASKETBALL Maturity and versatility could push team to uncharted waters Carlo Javier MANAGING EDITOR

The Blues open their season on Oct. 28 against the Douglas College Royals and will host their season opener on Nov. 10 against the CBC Bearcats.

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— PAUL YATES

This year’s roster boasts numerous multi-faceted players who can contribute on several aspects the game. This versatility across the board could be the team’s meal ticket to greater success this season. For Kannemeyer, capitalizing on that versatility is essential to the team’s game plan. “We have a lot of allaround players. We have people that can do a little bit of everything,” he said. “Sometimes we can roll out with five guys who can handle the ball, so they don’t have to defer to one guy to get him the ball to get up the floor – they can just go.” As the season tip-off draws nearer, Kannemeyer aims for the team to work on conditioning, first and foremost. The Blues feature a host of explosive athletes who excel in transition, whether it’s for a strong finish at the rim, or backbreaking corner three. However, the team does need to get in tip-top shape to be able to consistently push the pace for an entire game. For Bogajev, the goal is simple: win. “Although I had a big year I'm looking to move forward with my team,” he said. “The goal this year is to win PACWEST and move on to Nationals.”

THE CAPILANO COURIER

Did you know? The Capilano Blues varsity teams use over three kilometres of tape, pro wrap and other elastics every year!

A mix of time, growth from returning players and a host of versatile recruits has Head Coach Cassidy Kannemeyer excited for the upcoming season of the Capilano Blues Men’s Basketball Team. Despite not having a single player with at least three years of experience in collegiate ball, last year’s team still managed to fight its way to the provincial bronze medal game, illustrating a promising squad that could one day be a serious threat in the Pacific Western Athletic Association (PACWEST). Also evident last year was the tactical ability of Kannemeyer, who managed to build an effective offensive and defensive game plan, despite his late addition to the team. “Last year, we spent September getting in just the basics of what our base defence and our base offense was,” he said. This year, the guys that were in town, had essentially from April to August to prepare in our base motion offense and our base defence.” This season could well be the turning point for a program that has increased its win total in each of the last three years, but also fell short of the bronze medal in the same span. Part of the promise could be attributed to the team’s mix of veterans, both as returning players and new recruits. “I have older guys who advocate for attention, they want everybody to pay attention so they can let me teach, whereas last year, I had to teach discipline,” said Kannemeyer. “[The players] are firm believers in mental discipline and what we’re trying to do here. Everybody is really on the same page.” One of the brightest spots from last season was the play of sweet shooting combo guard, Martin Bogajev. Now in his third year, Bogajev looks to continue terrorizing opposing teams with his ability to shoot from distance and from the foul line. At the end of last year, the guard was recognized as one of the best players in the league with an inclusion to the PACWEST First Team All Stars. Bogajev also finished the season leading the league in numerous categories, including: points per game, three point shooting and free throw shooting. After already making a name for himself in the conference in just two short years, he aims for this season to be the year where the Blues start claiming medals. “I don't really have any personal goals other than doing everything I can to help my team win. If my team is winning my individual stats will speak for themselves.” This season, Bogajev expects teams to deny him any space from the arc, and in order to better prepare himself from the defence, he spent much of the off-season working on rounding out his entire game. “It’s a process. You can’t

settle, everything needs to be fine tuned,” he said. As student-athletes who represented the Blues colours last year, Kannemeyer expects his returning players to not only show the improvements they made over the off-season, but also to exhibit leadership across the team. “I expect them to help me teach the things that we’re bringing back from last year, to be flexible to learn the new things that we’re bringing in and to continue to champion all the things that we talked about last year like our core values, punctuality and the things that I really harp on,” he said Another exciting aspect of this year’s team is the addition of several new players. Forwards Greet Gill and Caden Rowland look to add dynamic playmaking ability from the team’s front court. Both are capable of playing insideout basketball, as well as stretching the floors to the three point arc. “The new roster has really come together as a team early on,” said Bogajev. “With the addition of the new forwards who are very versatile I could see many different guys causing trouble both inside the paint and out.”


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THE SPORTSPLEX AT 25 A look at the past, present and future of Capilano University’s athletics facility Andy Rice EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Neil Chester wasn’t mincing words in a January 1990 interview with the Capilano Courier. “This is the only province I know that builds colleges without physical recreation facilities,” lamented the former director of the Blues athletics department. “I can’t conceive of a college not having one.” Plans had been in the works for a gymnasium at Capilano College since its earliest days, but provincial recessions kept derailing the project. In 1984, the institution reached out to the North Shore’s three municipalities for funding, in addition to a $5-per-term student levy that helped greatly to fill its coffers. But even in early 1990, construction was still a few months away. The Blues were thriving on the field but lacking continuity when it came to indoor court sports – understandable considering basketball and volleyball teams had to commute across town to the Delbrooke Community Centre for all of their home games and practices. “Because we haven’t had a gym our program has suffered in some ways,” said Chester at the time. “We can’t have intramural sports because who the

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hell wants to go to Delbrooke between classes? You can’t. It has to be convenient otherwise they can’t be competitive.” After 16 years of begging and pleading, Chester finally got his wish on Sept. 20, 1991. The Capilano College Sportsplex cost approximately $3.5 million to build ($5.4 million in today’s figures) and boasted a 1,700-seat capacity gymnasium with 30foot ceilings, moulded studio seating and a hardwood floor that remains the envy of most other facilities in the province today. Squash and racquetball courts were in the original plans as well, but were shelved after funding fell short by $280,000. They were estimated to pull in about $80,000 per year in extra income for the department. Chester’s successor, Joe Iacobellis, helped to pick out some of the final furnishings, including the tiered seating system. “I came in at the later stages,” he said. “We were in the athletics field so we worked with the architect to help him have an idea of what kind of design would be best suited for our institution – things like where we would situate the volleyball courts versus the basketball courts, how many dressing rooms we needed, where our equipment rooms would be. All of those things, the nature of those things we would always discuss with the architect and continually work with the architect during the building phase.” The Sportsplex transformed not only the campus, but the entire Blues organization, almost instantly. “Whenever you have a home, it makes a big difference,” said Iacobellis. “You can imagine what a difference it was to our athletes to be able

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to go from class to be able to practice in your own facility without having to go off campus was a huge benefit.” Twenty-five years later, the facility is living up to its state-of-the-art status remarkably well. And while current athletics director Milt Williams admits he does have a list of wishes and what-ifs, he’s quick to shed light on the building’s best attributes — literally. “It’s one of the best lit gyms in the province,” he said. “We constantly have compliments from television crews, photographers, people coming through here on rentals with national events and international events and they constantly comment on how fantastic the lighting is in the facility and secondly what an excellent floor it has.” A lack of meeting areas, storage space and the fact that only two of the four team rooms listed on the blueprints made it to the final stages of construction have made it a challenge to attract larger tournaments over the years. However, the new score clock, sound system and lightning-fast Wi-Fi that exist today have helped to soften the sting a little. “There are a lot of things that are antiquated but then there are other things that we’ve implemented that are state-of-the-art,” said Williams. “In comparison to all of the other facilities out there I would say with the high and the low points we’re in the middle of the pack, but we certainly have a very good facility.” Despite its limited funds, the department does the best it can to utilize the Sportsplex in ways that serve the entire campus community, not just the

Blues’ star athletes. “One of the things we did is we brought the weight room over from the decrepit old field house… and we brought it over to the multipurpose room in the Sportsplex,” said Williams. “Now you have newer equipment, cleaner facilities, it’s brighter, there’s more security, it’s a much better environment for all involved. We also open the facility up earlier, so now we’re open at 7 am so that people can work out before class.” In addition to the Sportsplex, Capilano University athletes have the use of Lillooet Field, which has been home to the men’s and women’s soccer teams since the early 70s. Although the grassy pitch belongs to the District of North Vancouver, the Blues are given booking priority for the majority of the year. In the future, Williams hopes covered bleachers may be installed there, in addition to the creation of an artificial turf field nearby. “Another thing is I’d like to see a climbing wall at the facility and squash and racquetball courts down the road so that we could start to diversify in the services that we offer,” he continued. “It increases your recruitment potential for students as well as athletes but also staff and faculty… When people are active and they’re engaging they’re meeting new people and making new friends and that’s what we need for all of our students here – more of a student life. “I’m looking beyond just the athlete,” he continued. “I want to encompass the entire student body. And of course, with the support of the CSU and the administration, if we can get all the bodies talking and working together in a common direction I think we can go a long way.”

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VOLUME 49.5 ISSUE NO. 05

Did you know? It takes a lanyard with nearly 40 different keys to open all of the locked spaces in the Sportsplex.

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NEIL CHESTER, FORMER CAPILANO COLLEGE ATHLETICS DIRECTOR, CIRCA 1977

THE ORIGINAL PLANS FOR THE CAPILANO COLLEGE SPORTSPLEX, CIRCA 1987


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THE MAKING OF A COLLEGIATE DYNASTY A look at the successes of the Capilano Blues and the driving forces behind them Christine Beyleveldt CAMPUS LIFE EDITOR

became interested in physiotherapy after he broke his left foot, which took him out of soccer for two years. Between his time playing for the Capilano Blues and the UBC Thunderbirds, he ultimately went on to attain a PhD in physiotherapy. He was the chief physiotherapist and medical officer for Team Canada at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics and now works for both the NBA and NHL. Soccer player Silvana Burtini also played a brief stint for the Capilano Blues. In her time on the women’s soccer team they took home a national championship. She continued to play soccer after graduating from Capilano College and is right behind Canadian soccer legend Christine Sinclair in the most goals scored in world championships She also played on the Canadian team in the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 1995, 1999 and 2003. The Blues have shown remarkable talent throughout all of their sporting events from the 1970s up until now. The 2016-17 season began on a high note with the men’s soccer team ranking second on a national level five weeks into the season. If history is any indication, the Blues will continue to dominate the fields and the courts of varsity sports for years to come.

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well as athletes,” he said. “I think we had good support from our academic advisors in those days. They really helped us to guide our students to do well in school and stay in school and I think we had some awesome coaches in those days as well.” Outstanding coaches such as Frank Pupp, who developed women’s soccer, and Doug Abercrombie, who led the team to five National Soccer Championships, were instrumental in shaping the legacy of the Blues. Head Coach Greg Sharp took the women’s basketball team to nationals several times and volleyball coach Nora Marconato took the women’s team to a national championship in 1986 where they placed fourth. However, it has always been the athletes who have shone on the pitch. “We’re proud of those people that we were able to recruit to Capilano College in the early years,” said Iacobellis. “A lot of these students came here for a year or two. They were athletes for us and then they moved on to university.” Rick Celebrini was one of the more memorable athletes Iacobellis coached in his time at CapU. Celebrini played on the men’s soccer team for two years from 1985-86 before moving on to UBC. He

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Joe Iacobellis has seen the Capilano University Blues varsity program through many of their finest moments in the world of collegiate athletics. He coached the Blues men’s soccer team through multiple championships from 1978 to 1990 and then formally took the position of athletics director in 1991. By then, the Blues had already been competing as one of the best post-secondary varsity programs in BC for almost 20 years. “Certainly in terms of performance we have to look at some of the national championships that we won, and that would be in both women’s soccer and men’s soccer,” Iacobellis explained. The men’s soccer program was developed in the late 1970s and women’s soccer in the early 1980s. Both teams were stacked with strong players and the Blues started

to win championships right from the get go. Between the time of their inception and the 1990s the men’s soccer team brought home 10 Provincial Championships and four National Championships. “I’m rather proud of that legacy,” said Iacobellis. “We started to win championships right from the start. We had a strong program right from the start.” Both teams were also the recipients of the Quarter Century Soccer Supremacy Award for outstanding performance from 1974 to 1999, awarded by the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). The Blues also had a stellar rugby team in the 1970s and some of the players ended up on junior national teams. Although the volleyball teams have come close several times to winning a National Championship, they have yet to claim one, and the men’s and women’s badminton teams, which were discontinued after the 2011 season due to the first round of infamous CapU budget cuts, performed remarkably well over the years as well. Iacobellis credits the support the athletes received from Capilano College as the driving force behind many of their successes over the years. “There’s a level of pride for the institution that we were able to develop some high level students as


U IIK N LT A ZO

FOR CAPILANO BLUES STUDENT-ATHLETES, SPORTS ARE JUST HALF THE BATTLE

Carlo Javier

THE CAPILANO COURIER

VOLUME 49.5 ISSUE NO. 05

MANAGING EDITOR

Salah Hawsawi did not come to Capilano University to play soccer. When he first enrolled for the School of Business in 2013, Hawsawi intended to do one thing, and one thing only: study. “I used to come to school just for school,” he said. “Study and go.” For a while, Hawsawi split his time on campus between classrooms and the library. Competitive soccer seemed like an afterthought, as most of his days were spent with books and PowerPoint presentations. Enlisting for the Vancouver Metro Soccer League (VMSL) provided Hawsawi with the opportunity to continue playing the sport he loves, but it also introduced him to Desmond Tachie, a former assistant coach for the Capilano Blues men’s soccer team. At the time, despite being a full time student, Hawsawi had no idea that the Blues even existed. Now Hawsawi is part of a team that came a penalty goal away from claiming the national gold medal at the 2015 Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Championship. He is an integral part of a dominant offense that has wreaked havoc at the Pacific Western Athletic Association

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(PACWEST) conference to start the the 2016 sporting year. He is, by all accounts, a top-flight athlete, but when the cleats come off, Hawsawi is no different from any other student at CapU. He often finds himself reading chapter after chapter, unpacking theories and studying for exams. After all, he is a student, too.

EDUCATION WAS AN INEVITABILITY Long before he donned the colours of the Blues men’s soccer team, Hawsawi was already making his way up the ranks of “The Beautiful Game” in Saudi Arabia. He started at five, collecting little stones to build makeshift goal lines. As a child, he found solace in the space that an open alley or an empty parking lot offered. At 10, a neighbour instilled in him a mantra that resonates to this day, “If you keep doing that, you’ll be something big one day.” And he kept at it. At 12, Hawsawi was competing in a league dominated by players three years older than he was. At 17, he was recruited to play with the Al Ahli Saudi Football Club, one of the highprofile clubs in the Middle East. At 18, he started getting offers from professional teams in other cities and other countries. Any 18-year-old athlete would salivate at the opportunity to play their respective

sport for a living, but Hawsawi understood his youth. Although he thought of the decision deeply, he knew what his parents wanted him to do. “My father and mother decided I wasn’t going to go,” he said. “I was young at the time and I didn’t want to disobey their choices and they’re more experienced than me and they know more about life than me.” Hawsawi comes from an educated background. His father is a teacher, and in his house, education was not an option – it was requirement. After some careful deliberation, he accompanied his sister to Canada. Though soccer was still a significant part of his identity, a Bachelor’s Degree was starting to become increasingly inevitable.

PUTTING THE “STUDENT” IN STUDENT-ATHLETE Student-athletes do not have it easy. They are essentially bound to up to six days of athletic commitments on a weekly basis, practicing for three or four days a week, and playing two matches over the weekend – some of which include long drives to other campuses across the province. On top of the athletic responsibilities are the same academic assignments that any regular student at CapU faces: group

projects, midterms, papers and what have you. According to Milt Williams, manager of athletics and recreation at CapU, the baseline GPA required for athletic eligibility is 2.5. Eligibility also requires student-athletes to take at least nine credits per semester. “You have 18 credits within the year and you have to pass all of those,” he said. At the end of each year, the Blues athletic department hosts a banquet that celebrates the student-athletes that work tirelessly to represent CapU on both the provincial and national level. The banquet also takes the opportunity to recognize the student-athletes who make outstanding contributions in both their athletic responsibilities and their academic achievements. One of the most revered awards given on this night is the trophy handed to the team that posts the highest collective GPA average – a bragging right that the Women’s basketball team has claimed in the past few years. “Our coach [Ramin Sadaghiani] expects us to continue that legacy,” said Amber Kavanagh, fifth year forward for the Blues women’s basketball team. Though coaches are not allowed to set a GPA mandate for their respective teams, they are free to challenge and inspire players to strive for more in the classroom.


For example, this season, Emmanuel Denguessi, head coach of the Blues men’s volleyball team, has openly challenged his players to achieve a 3.0 GPA. Like the other coaches in the Blues program, Denguessi is noted as a big proponent of academia. He routinely meets with his co-captains, Simon Friesen and John Dela Cruz, to maintain a grounded relationship with the team, and he also provides the players with convenient study hours, particularly when the team is playing away. “We all have to bring homework with us, and we all have a couple hours per day before the games just as a rest period as well where we can do homework in the hotel room,” said Friesen. Although Friesen admits that Denguessi’s challenge can be difficult to meet, he does see it also as a barometer for success. “It can be difficult to reach sometimes because he does have very high expectations from us,” he said. “It's good to have that because you have a driving force to get you to reach that goal.” Time management is arguably the most important skill in a studentathlete’s arsenal. It is what allows them to maintain peak athletic levels, academic responsibilities and a semblance of a personal life. “It’s all about balance, it’s very difficult because you have to balance school, your outside life and your sport,” said Kavanagh.

CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF, BALL IS NOT LIFE

AN UPHILL BATTLE Last year, the women’s basketball team claimed the silver medal in the PACWEST Provincial Championships. Martin Bogajev of the men’s basketball team won the provincial scoring title, Kira Sutcliffe and Mika Chow of the women’s volleyball team both cemented their names in the PACWEST record books. Kristian YliHietanen of the men’s soccer team won both the MVP and the Rookie of the Year, while the team claimed gold at Provincials, and silver at Nationals. These are just a handful of the accomplishments that the Blues student-athletes achieved last year alone. After the men’s soccer team returned from the CCAA National Championships, Salah Hawsawi handed a paper to a professor who asked how they did. Upon finding out about the silver, he vividly recalls her saying, “Really! Are you guys

that good?” That moment serves as a perfect microcosm for the never-ending

battle with apathy at CapU. Earlier this month, Blues soccer teams were supposed to play their final home games of the year against Quest Kermodes. The men’s squad in particular stood one game away from fulfilling one of their goals for the season, “Win Every Game on Home Field.” It also marked the final home game for their fifth year captain, Devan Woolley, making it an incredibly special moment for the championship-calibre team. A rainstorm earlier in the day had rendered the CapU field ill-fitted to host a competitive soccer match, and both games were ultimately postponed. Nothing was new for the teams, though. The bench was as barren as always. The field was quiet. The school was all but abandoned. There was not much to say for any of the student-athletes during that day, but there was much to do. For the studentathletes of CapU, sports are just half the battle. When each and every one of them gets home, there will be papers to write, chapters to catch up on and midterms to study for.

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“People think we have some privilege or bonuses or something, that we get treated differently by professors. No. Actually we don’t,” Hawsawi exclaimed. “The only privilege we have is the earlier registration than all the students. The reason for that is because they want us to organize our schedules based on the practice time.” The jock stereotype is all but nonexistent at CapU. For many years, the Athletic Department has worked towards creating a space where student-athletes are able to cultivate both of their athletic talents and their academic goals. The Department has taken pride in incubating student success, particularly in education. "So when we’re saying student success we’re really focused on graduation before championships, so we really push for that,” said Williams. “It doesn’t always happen but our goal is always to have a zero failure rate at Christmas time.” The Sportsplex community has also benefitted from the family-like atmosphere that permeates across the teams. “We have little families, but we have a big family altogether. It brings us together,” Kavanagh said. When it comes to student-athletes, the intense focus on education might be a reality that many students have had the tendency to ignore. According to Kavanagh, she has met students who actually openly assume that student-athletes like her are just at CapU to play sports. “I know a lot of students that think that teachers are more lenient, that we have a lower GPA than most, but we have as much expectations as they do, and plus, we have expectations on playing well during school,” Moreover, Kavanagh relies on her performance in the classroom as much as she relishes performing well on the court, “If I didn’t have basketball, then I wouldn’t be in school because I wouldn’t be able to afford it, but if I don’t have good grades then I don’t get the scholarship for basketball.”

Every year, the CCAA recognizes nearly hundreds of student-athletes across Canada for their achievements off the court with the National Scholar Award. This past year, 15 Blues student-athletes were included in the prestigious group. “We support our athletes in our academics as much as possible and also try to compensate them some financially by giving them awards and things like that that we can help out with,” Williams said. For Kavanagh, the equal focus on education is not simply to meet scholarship requirements – it’s an understanding that although she very much loves basketball, there is more to life than hoops. “My degree is what’s going to get me job, so it's super important,” she said. “Ramin is very understanding, and he knows that school is first, he’s very understanding that there’s everything else outside of basketball.”

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“I’m not very good at [time management], admitted Friesen. “I’m trying to be better this semester, I have to work ahead and plan out my time, you have to be really diligent with that.” For Friesen, time management is not just a simple skill – it’s survival. The men’s volleyball players are often the last group to leave the Sportsplex on any given night. On Mondays and Wednesdays, the team practices from 6:15 pm to 8 pm. These practices are often followed by weight training sessions, further extending their time on campus. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the team is on the courts until about 10 pm. Friesen’s class schedule is not exactly the best fit for his athletic commitments. The General Arts and Sciences student attends an 8:30 am class on Monday and Wednesday mornings – that means that after a late finish on Tuesday nights, Friesen is back on campus for an early Wednesday class, which is then bookended by another practice at the end of the day. “You just go home eat as much food as you can and sleep right away,” he said. Time is of the essence for nearly every student-athlete at CapU. Juggling athletic and academic responsibilities, and doing well in both, is already challenging in its own right, but there are others who still

manage to maintain part-time work, in spite of everything else. Kavanagh began her collegiate athletics career at Kwantlen Polytechnic University to play for the Eagles. Two years ago, she transferred to CapU to study in the Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) program and, of course, play basketball. Nearly everyday, for the past two years, Kavanagh has had to drive from her home in Langley, all the way to North Vancouver to attend classes, practices and games. The exorbitant and cumulative price of toll fees and gas has made it impossible for Kavanagh to get by without a part-time job. “It’s just the time. There’s so much time in a day, but when you’re a student-athlete and you don’t manage your time, then you’re not getting any work done,” she said. “I have to do homework, I have to go to school, to work, practice, so I have to make sure that I have enough time.” Although the women’s basketball team holds practices from Monday to Thursday, and plays matches on Fridays and Saturdays, Kavanagh still manages to spend her Tuesday and Thursday mornings working as a receptionist, and her Sundays working with people with disabilities.


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HE SHOOTS… HE SCORES! Paul Yates of Vancouver Sports Pictures talks about the industry of sports photography Smiely Khurana CONTRIBUTOR

Sports photography seems to have been pushed aside with the advent of Instagram. It is a unique and different branch of photography, because it challenges the photographer to capture the perfect moment, despite having limited control over the subjects. Nowadays, less and less companies are hiring designated photographers for sports, thus more photographers are taking the freelance route, selling and sharing their work online. This is because of how fast technology is changing, and also because equipment is becoming cheaper and more resources are available for anyone to pick

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up a camera and start shooting. There are many factors one must think of before they dive into the world of sports photography. Some of these things include knowing what gear to use for what sports, how social media helps with promoting your work and making sure you are able to earn money from your photos. “As a freelance sports photographer, you have to be really flexible,” said Paul Yates, owner of Vancouver Sports Pictures. “There’s not a lot of money in it, so you have to have a broad range of opportunity. The more you have to offer, the better.” Yates has been in the business of sports photography for over 12 years, and his company, Vancouver Sports Pictures, is now the premier sports photography company around. He has been capturing a wide range of sports, from football to badminton, to anything in between. For Yates, the business began after a casual desire to take photos of the teams he coached. He then was asked to photograph other teams, and eventually chose to start doing it as a job. “When just starting out, you learn by just doing it. See

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what works and what doesn’t,” he said. Since then, Yates has photographed teams such as the BC Lions, Basketball BC and Capilano University’s own, the Capilano Blues. Calibrating your gear to match the sport you are shooting is one of Yates’ biggest pieces of advice for sports photographers. If it is an outdoor game, such as football or soccer, having a big lens is important, but if it were inside a gym, such as for basketball or volleyball, you need to be able to shoot in a low-lit environment with a faster shutter. If needed, you can even rent out cameras for a short time to photograph the game, and slowly put the money you earn back into purchasing equipment. “It is important to have good gear if you want to do this professionally,” Yates said. Storytelling through images is not also always about getting the action shot. According to Yates, sometimes the emotions of people involved in the game can make for great photos as well. “If you can capture emotion, you captured a great sports photograph. Sometimes the bench is more interesting than the play. Or the coach. It

doesn’t have to be the kick or hero shot.” Over the years, social media has evolved and has played a large part in promoting work for businesses and people. In a way, it’s free marketing. However, one must be careful when choosing what photos to post online, “Posting your money-shot, that you could compensate for, online is giving it away to public domain,” Yates said. “Even though people will know it’s you that took the photo, it can get tricky when it comes to selling the photos.” Yates advises you look more into what you are delivering online versus what you are trying to sell and see all the possible outcomes involved. Overall, the sports photography industry can be unforgiving but hard work is key to keep you going. Yates mentions that any photographer would be able to capture a specific shot, but a good photographer is able to do that repeatedly. The keys to being successful as a sports photographer include knowing your sport, your gear and your business. And if there was one piece of advice that Paul Yates could give again and again, it is as simple as they come: “You have to work hard.”

last 15-plus years developing Capilano’s basketball program, as well as a myriad of amateur basketball programs across the country. “I had made a deal with my coach, that I would help him develop Capilano,” he explained. “So most players, if you excel at the college level, you go play university, but I kind of liked that I was helping build the Capilano program, so I made a deal with my coach that I would stay and then go pursue Portugal.” After Capilano, Brown had his eyes set on playing professionally in Portugal. However, after four months of trying to get his Portuguese citizenship (a requirement for the majority of the league’s players) and failing, Brown had to evaluate his situation. Already 29, he saw himself with two options, “either stay and play division

two, or just get on with my life.” While his professional career had already reached the end of the fourth quarter, Brown was not ready to say goodbye to the game he loved, or the Blues for that matter. “So I ended up going back to Cap, and working in the [athletics] department a little bit, and I figured out a way to start streaming the games,” he recalled. Brown decided he would try to make a difference in the underexposed world of amateur sports in Canada, and created Sportscanada.tv over a decade ago. Today, Sportscanada.tv is Canada’s largest amateur sports broadcaster. They broadcast over 6,000 games a year, in over 30 sports, with broadcasts coming from all of the country’s provinces. “In Canada, it’s so different than in the US. We do UBC football, and there’s something like 500, 1,000 people there, and they’re the number one team in the country. You look at Ohio State or Michigan, 100,000 people. And they’re not even number one.” he said. Brown has used the past 15 years to develop, promote and support amateur sports in Canada. It started with a commitment to his coach with the Blues, to stay and help improve the program. Then, once he had given the game he loved all he seemingly had to give, he found a new way to give another assist. Sportscanada.tv started by broadcasting Blues’ basketball games, and has since grown to become the country’s largest broadcaster of amateur sports. Much has changed over this time – in terms of PACWEST basketball now, compared to when Brown was playing. “It’s a bit different because the CIS [Canadian Interuniversity Sport] expansion, it’s taken all the big guys. On my team, we had a seven footer, we had six guys over 6’6. Now if you’re 6’6, you’re a post player,” he said. One thing that hasn’t changed is the man on top of the scoring list. “It’s kind of funny that I’m still the all-time leading scorer, but athletes now have five years, we only had four. It’ll get beat, I would think, fairly soon.”

LIVE: FROM COAST TO COAST Capilano Alumnus Choyal Brown discusses his life, Blues basketball and Sportscanada.tv Justin Scott

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CONTRIBUTOR

Capilano University students may not recognize the name Choyal Brown, but a deeper look into the record books show that his contributions to the school are unforgettable. Brown has built a lasting imprint on both the Blues basketball program and entire ethos of Canadian amateur athletics. Not only did he spend four years at CapU as a member of the Blues basketball team – he is also the all-time scoring leader in Pacific Western Athletic Association (PACWEST) basketball, with 1,278 total points scored in his four-year collegiate basketball career. Since then, he has gone on to play professionally overseas, and created Canada’s largest amateur sports broadcasting network, Sportscanada.tv. Brown, a 6’3 small forward, modelled his game after Scottie Pippen of the famous 90s Chicago Bulls, and like Pippen, Brown’s game was highlighted by his athleticism. “Dunking has always been kinda my thing. I won dunk contests in Europe. Back in the day I could watch an NBA dunk contest, go to the gym and practice, and do it,” he said. Brown was recruited to play for the Blues off the courts of Kitsilano Beach at the age of 24, but his first season with the team was both underwhelming and interesting. “One of the guys on my team actually had threatened to kill me at Kits beach like a month before, with a gun – an American guy,” he recalled. The two later grew to become friends. Though his first season at Capilano wasn’t anything for the history books, things for Brown and the rest

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of his Blues teammates were about to change. In his second season, the team acquired a new head coach in Paul Eberhardt. To this day, Brown credits much of his personal achievements and the team’s success to Eberhardt, whom he cites as the man that “changed the team’s entire culture.” Though Brown never won a championship for the Blues, he did help prepare the school for one. The year after his departure, the Blues won a provincial title. “I felt like a part of that,” he said. “My biggest regret to this day,” he continued, “I feel like the reason we didn’t win championships was because I didn’t know how to make my teammates better. I didn’t learn that until a couple of years later.” Brown is more than just a record holder, though. He is a man who spent the


FROM CAPILANO STUDENT TO CURLING SKIP Communications grad Kayte Gyles aiming to represent BC on national stage soon Kevin Kapenda NEWS EDITOR

While Capilano University athletes are typically known for their exploits on courts, fields and slopes, the institution’s next sports legend could emerge from one of the places you’d least expect – the curling sheets of BC. Kayte Gyles, a 2016 School of Communication graduate, has been curling for almost 14 years, and is now ready to lead her own team as she enters the next chapter of her life as a marketing professional.

A CURLING FAMILY

21ST CENTURY BLUES

Andy Rice EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The athletes on the Capilano Blues varsity teams may be strong, but the internet connection that envelops their gym and weight room is a whole other

sometimes is just a very frustrating sport. You always have to remember to play the rocks and not the team, or else mentally you’re going to be so intimidated.” As for her short and long-term goals, breaking through at BC’s annual provincials is something she hopes to accomplish very soon. A win at provincials would either send Gyles’ team to the illustrious Scotties Tournament of Hearts, Canada’s national curling championships for women, or see them through to a fourregion playoff for the 12th and final spot in the tournament. For now though, Gyles is happy to compete for a medal finish in BC this year, with future goals of leading her team to provincial glory in the not-toodistant future. Obviously my ultimate goal is to become Team BC, then win the Scotties and represent Canada at worlds – to say that I want to be Team BC this year is an unrealistic goal,” said Gyles. “Realistically, my goal for this year is that I really want my team to qualify at the provincials, which means that we’re one of the last four teams standing out of a round-robin of eight. That would be a huge thing this year because a lot of people aren’t taking us seriously as we’re a new team. After we’ve qualified, to medal would be awesome.”

level of powerful. One might even say it’s pretty fly for a Wi-Fi. When the University updated its internet connection in the summer of 2015, the Sportsplex received a technological boost that paved the way for some major marketing mojo, including a slick new online presence and the ability to live-stream all of the Blues’ home games, tournaments and special events. “We’ve been granted the ability to have our own website,” explained Milt Williams, manager of athletics and recreation at Capilano University.

“It’s still housed within the university website but we use PrestoSports, which means that our statistics and things like that come up automatically from courtside rather than having to wait 24 hours or 48 hours for publication, which is standard for the university.” The Blues’ social media sites have been integrated as well, allowing the department to deliver up-to-the-minute information across all platforms. “All of our photos can be uploaded immediately, game reports can be done automatically. Now we also have a mobile app for the website so people can watch games

on their phone or they can get all the data on their phone,” said Williams. “Improving our social media presence as well as our website has been a real boost for us and we’re seeing the traffic increase steadily.” Check out the Blues’ new website at athletics.capilanou.ca, and stream the latest games at Sportscanada.tv/ pacwest/capilano-blues.

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Athletics department embraces technology to expand its audience

After playing positions lead through two as a senior curler, Gyles is now skipping (captaining) her own competitive team. Skipping a competitive curling team often requires sponsors and a lot of logistical organization, as well as the qualities that all athletes need to lead their teammates in competition. “I definitely like being the leader of the team now, and I find that part really humbling and fulfilling,” said Gyles. “It’s definitely a business and a lot of work too. Luckily, sponsorship-wise, it was actually not that difficult to find sponsors, but it’s definitely is a business in the sense of managing my team and their different personalities.” While being a skip is certainly more work on the sheet, Gyles has found the challenge quite exuberating so far. “I’ve curled every position competitively now

but this is my first year being skip,” said Gyles. “It’s definitely a unique position. It’s very rewarding but at the same time it is a lot of work. It’s mentally the hardest position I’ve ever had to play. Out there, you’re thinking up the strategy for your team and you’re also having to think up the ice [sheet]. If you make a mistake [as skip], it can jeopardize the shots of your teammates.” One of the interesting things about curling is that unlike other team sports, many up-and-coming teams often play against squads who have competed at the highest levels of the game. For example, Gyles has competed against Canadian 2014 Olympic Gold Medallist Jennifer Jones, and 2010 Olympic Silver Medalist Cheryl Bernard, two athletes who have held the attention and aspirations of living across the country during their careers. Gyles admits that while it’s only human to get a little star-struck, it’s important to focus on the game rather than your opponents, because the sport itself can be very unpredictable. “I actually played Cheryl Bernard shortly after she had won silver at Olympics and it was the exact same team. I just remember going like ‘ohmy-gosh, we’re playing them,’” recalled Gyles. “You go in nervous, but then kind of realize that any team can beat any team on any given day, because curling

good and I actually had a lot of the coaches tell me that I should possibly consider trying any other sport because I wasn’t naturally talented at it,” she explained. “I just took that as a challenge when they said that to me, and said ‘you know what, I’m going to be the best.’ I started practicing all the time. I would practice in the mornings before high school and in the evenings after school.”

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Gyles first began curling after her parents suggested she try it out. Though curling isn’t often at the top of most parents’ activity lists, the sport is almost a part of Gyles’ DNA. “My entire family, they’re all from the Prairies, and so they grew up with curling being a really big sport, whereas here in BC it’s not really a big sport,” said Gyles. “When they first told me they wanted me to try curling, I was like ‘I don’t even know what that is,’ and then they showed me, and I was like, ‘that looks like something that losers would do.’” In the very beginning, Gyles was unsure if she would like the sport. However, after a semester’s worth of curling, Gyles was hooked and didn’t want to do much else other than sweep ice and throw rocks. “The season started in September, so [my parents] were like ‘if you still don’t like it by Christmas time, you can quit,’ but by Christmas, I had absolutely fallen in love with the sport and I wanted all my presents to be curling-related,” she said. “That’s kind of my earliest memory of the sport. At first not really liking it, then falling in love with how challenging of a sport it was and really enjoy that aspect of it.” For Gyles, curling wasn’t as easy in the beginning as it is today, mainly because the sport is much harder to master than most would assume. However, after some tough love from her coaches, Gyles used that constructive criticism as motivation to become an elite curler. “Its funny ‘cause when I actually started out, I wasn’t very


FEATURES

Gabriel Scorgie FEATURES EDITOR

When Rick Lacelle woke up, he had a lot on his mind. His girlfriend had just gone back to Vancouver Island for school a couple of days before and he was one week into his new job driving trucks at Standard Trucks. The fact that his men’s hockey team would play in a life or death semi-finals game that night was not a concern. “All I remember is that Jim was having a BBQ before the game and that it was Bab’s turn to bring the beers,” recalled Lacelle. Even though it was the biggest game of the year, some people still wouldn’t be able to make it due to work or family obligations because at the end of the day, it was still only beer league.

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THE LEAGUE STRUCTURE

— SYD DANGER

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The Adult Safe Hockey League (ASHL) is the most popular men’s recreational hockey organization in the world with over 63,000 people playing in one of their many leagues across the country. With constantly updated stats for teams and individuals, year-end playoffs and even national tournaments, it’s easy to see why so many people choose them. Each league is broken up into several divisions in an effort to keep an even playing field for people of all skill levels. For those in the lower divisions, beer league is likely the only hockey they’ve ever known. It’s full of people who discovered the game later on in life or never could afford to play. Often times there are immigrants who didn’t know anything about hockey until they moved to Canada and now look forward to their late night games every week. The highest level is completely removed from the rest of the league. Most people that play in Division A are either former semiprofessional or professional players, or young guns who just finished playing NCAA or CHL hockey and are still looking to play against top competition. This summer, my team played in Division B, the second highest in the league. Our team, like most others in that division, was filled with young players who used to play at a high level, but either lost the desire to keep going, or suffered major injuries. “I used to play AAA hockey for the North Shore Winter Club,” said Jimmy Frandsen, the captain of our team. “A few of the boys played Junior hockey for a few years, but I think almost all of us played Rep hockey growing up.” Nearly everyone on the team was either a friend from school or a former teammate, except for two people: 65-year-old goalie and team founder, Julian Banci, and his friend and long-time teammate, Roberto Formisano. “I’ve had this team for a long time,” said Banci, “But I think I’ve only got one more season left in me. I want to win one more time. Then the team will be Jimmy’s if he wants it.” Lacelle, Frandsen and I, along with teammate Brendan Wilson, pull into the arena an hour before puck drop knowing there’s time for a few beers and a pound of hot wings in the bar above the rink before the game starts. Those who didn’t participate in the pregame drinks show up five or ten minutes before the game,

smelling like either the cigarette or the joint they finished in the parking lot. When we eventually step onto the ice and the puck drops, what will unfold can only be described as hockey by the loosest of definitions. There is little in the way of coordination, strategy or teamwork and flashes of individual brilliance are few and far between. This isn’t the NHL, or anything close to it. This is late night men’s beer league and we know it.

PAY TO PLAY Anybody who has looked into playing hockey, either as a kid or an adult, knows all too well how expensive it is. Even on a budget, the gear alone will cost nearly $1,000. For high-end gear, $1,000 will only get you a pair of skates. It’s worse for goalies, who spend close to $2,000. As a way to encourage goalies to play, most leagues charge them a lower fee and it’s common practice for teams in need of a goalie for the night to not charge them to sub. Once you’ve got the gear, you still have to pay to play in the league. For the 2016 ASHL Winter Season, the rate was $11,140 per team, which works out to around $760 per player. “The league has set dates for when teams have to have their payments in and it’s broken up into three separate payments to make it easier on the players. I also pay the fee upfront and let players pay monthly, or share their roster spot with someone else to cut the costs,” said Banci. It’s not uncommon for teams to be short players. Nearly everybody in the league has work, school or family to balance, as well as their late night drinking hobby, so it’s hard for people to make every game. When a team knows it’s going to be short players going into a game, they often look for subs to fill in for the night. “I send out an email the week of the game asking if who will be there,” said Banci, “If not many people reply I send another one to a list of subs to fill the holes. I charge subs $25 a game, that way each full time member gets to pay a bit less at the end of the year.”

THE FINAL BUZZER At the end of the day we fell short of the mark, losing 4-3 to a buzzer beater in overtime. There were no goal sirens or screaming fans, only a short celebration from the other team before we shook their hands and skated off the ice. Both teams stood outside adjacent dressing rooms waiting for someone to bring the keys to unlock the doors. Any anger or frustration about the game is quickly diffused once the Molson Canadians start being passed around the room. A few people shower and get dressed quickly because they have to be up for work early. They say their good games and goodbyes before heading out. The rest of us are in no rush. We had the last ice time of the night at 10:45 pm so we know nobody will need this room. We sit and talk and drink for hours, and when we finally step out of the dressing room all the lights in the building are off. We all fumble our way into Lacelle’s truck, our designated driver for the night, signing off on another good season full of beer, hockey and friendships.


HUMOUR

I SAW YOU Leah Scheitel LOOKING FOR LOVE

It was a White Sox game in late September. It was cold out and the rain made people huddle under the roofed sections to watch the last innings of the game against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Sox were losing, but you didn’t seem to mind. The beer was plentiful and cold, and the atmosphere was romantic. My mom said she had to go to the bathroom. I turned around to show her where it was and that is when I saw you: tall, blonde and handsome. You had two friends with you on either side, and I think you noticed me as well. We locked eyes and I felt my cheeks and ovaries blush. Your nose was crooked, but in a good way, not a way that looked like your boogers would run down your cheek. My

first thought was, “Wow, he would fit in well with the next roster of contestants at on The Bachelorette.” My second thought about you was wondering if you were the American baseball player I have been waiting for ever since the Ouija Board told me that was my soul mate when I was nine. My third thought was, “Fuck, I can’t get hit on in front of my mother.” So I turned away and pretended to be more interested in the baseball game. Truth is, all I wanted to do was back right on up into you. I was nervously sipping my beer when I first heard you speak. “I’ve been doing a lot of squats these days. My quads are defined.” “We’ve all noticed,” replied your friend to the right. “Those steroid injections are

paying off.” At this point, my mother returned, just in time for the next comment. “You know what is a good exercise?” you asked, “Twerking. It’s been so great for my butt muscles.” “Ah, yes twerking is great,” your one friend agreed. “But only on Fridays. Twerks only work on Fridays.” My mother turned around, and I think her eyes bulged out a bit when she noticed you. “He’s cute,” she said under her breath. “But don’t you dare turn around.” So I stood there, giggling into my already foamy beer at what you were saying. “I really want them to get a home run so I can go home and care to my collection of Troll dolls,” you said. “Yeah, you spoil those trolls. And the Sox haven’t gotten a home run in the last seven innings.”

“That’s what she said,” your friend piped up. My mother and I were convulsing with giggles. Your friend noticed and took the opportunity to leave on a high note. “And I’m out,” said the one to the right. “Ladies, this was all for you.” I turned around to see your two friends leave you behind. You looked me in the eye, and said, “I hope you have a great evening,” sauntering out of my life as easily as you came into it. To the cute guy who made me laugh like a Tickle Me Elmo doll, let’s go twerk on a Friday sometime. Even my mom thinks you’re cute. If anyone knows who this lovely man is, please tweet it to @Leah_Schei.

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OPINIONS

OVALTINE, OOMPA LOOMPAS AND THE OVAL OFFICE Why America needs to have more faith in its elderly this November Andy Rice EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Anyone who believes that Hillary Clinton (69), Donald Trump (70) or even Bernie Sanders (75) are too old and feeble to serve their country as president should look no further than their fa-vourite classic rock stars to see how wrong they are. The parallels between globetrotting politicians and grey haired singersongwriters can’t be ignored. Both spend a lot of time on buses and planes, reading things off of teleprompters and pushing their vocal cords to the limit in front of ravenous crowds — and don't forget about fancy hotel stays, catered

THE VALUE OF CANADA’S MONARCHY A Commonwealth worth preserving Doris Pinkerton

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CONTRIBUTOR

The dust has settled since a recent visit by Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, but it has once again brought up the conversation on the status of Canada’s monarchy. More than ever, Cana-dian people are apathetic to the Queen’s activities, leading to a wealth of opinions on why Can-ada should become a republic, and sever the last of our ties with the United Kingdom. The monarchy may well be an old, if not ancient, system of government – certainly older than that of a republic. But can we not remember why a monarch is important, and the vital task they per-form? The Canadian monarch’s powers are limited, yet they protect us, so to speak, from our own government through the power to dissolve parliament and call an election. In Canada and other Commonwealth Realms, these powers are exercised through her personal appointment of a Governor General. The Queen doesn’t have the ability to decide what party takes control, nor directly control the country herself – she appoints a Prime Minister after a general election, as per who has the most support in the House of Commons. By separating the ability to directly control government from the position of being the fig-urehead of the entire country, we are left in the remarkably calm position of not having to guess whether our next head of state will either build a wall on the border or introduce new broadcast-ing regulations. As an added bonus, there are no costly and

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meals and therapeutic luxuries. They're also shrouded by tight securi-ty and employ a large entourage to take care of all the peasantly obligations that seem to age the rest of us prematurely. We’re living in an era when Crosby, Stills and Nash are allowed to travel the world in style, bitching and moaning about foreign policy to stadiums full of people. These guys are 75, 71 and 74, respectively. What’s wrong with a president doing the same at that age? Absolutely nothing. America’s inherent ageism is worse than Trump’s inherent everything else-ism – and that’s saying something. Since Clinton contracted a case of pneumonia in September, her health and ability has faced scrutiny but it’s been Virginia senator Tim Kaine that she’s been replying on for support throughout this campaign, not the medical cane her critics would have you believe. Trump has even taken it upon himself to repeatedly criticize Clinton’s lack of “stamina”, an obsession that the New York Times links to the problematic view of older women as “sick, weak, unat-tractive and useless”. The reality is that people half

divisive elections to worry about. Sure, Prince Charles might not be the greatest, but the country can rest assured that he won’t, say, deport all illegal immigrants and effectively ban abortion. Now, it can be argued that the Prime Minister does effectively perform all these tasks, and does to an extent represent Canada on the world stage. Nobody recalls “good old Canada, ruled by the Queen!”, but rather “good old Canada, ruled by Justin Trudeau!” Increasingly, the Canadian media has focused on party leaders in election coverage, emphasizing their personali-ties and public image, rather than reporting on the concerns of individual ridings or examining policy platforms. However, the distinction must still be made that citizens don’t elect a Prime Minister, but rather Members of Parliament. The Prime Minister, appointed by the party with the most seats, is also accountable to the monarch, who can pull the plug and dissolve parliament if the need arises. While monarchism has traditionally been a staple of right-wing politics, it is certainly compatible with left-wing ideas – just look the so-called “bicycle monarchies” in Scandinavia. Canada’s connection to the British monarchy connects us to the history of Britain itself, and it’s rich and storied past. Most vitally, it connects us to the Empire’s many crimes of the past, and forces us to resolve them head-on. The country cannot deflect any of the blame to a foreign power. Through many languages, cultures, ideas and traditions, Canada is united by a unique set of shared values, laid out in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Above parties and political leanings, the monarch is designated as a politically neutral representative of these values. She is the personification of Canada that all citizens can respect, through decades of action and loy-alty, not through pandering, scripted words recited at a political rally.

Clinton’s age get pneumonia, just like peo-ple half Trump’s age get the sniffles when answering pointed questions from Lester Holt on live television. Let’s not forget that in 1992, a flustricken George Bush Sr. – America’s president at the time – full-on vomited into Japanese prime minister Miyazawa Kiichi’s lap during a state dinner. The 68-year-old then proceeded to run the country for another year or so after that and did a fine job of it, at least by Bush standards. It is completely unfair to correlate age with frailty for as long as Willie Nelson, Kenny Rogers and Paul McCartney continue to sell out arena shows. Dolly Parton embarked on a 60-city North American tour this past spring – her first in more than 25 years. In 2014, Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac rejoined her bandmates and went on to play 120 shows. She has even told Rolling Stone that they plan to go back on the road in 2017. Every one of these iconic rockstars are over the age of 70, and still manage to look graceful on stage. Billy Joel can play the piano remarkably well at 67, Barry Gibb can sing ball-crunchingly

high at 70 and Carole King can put on an energetic two-hour concert at 73. Famous musicians aren’t the only crowd finding success after 60 either. Actors, politi-cians and even newscasters have clued in to the trend. TV personalties and news anchors in their 70s and 80s are still out there soliciting their age-old wisdom with no expiry date in sight. Baby boomers are a highly resilient and self-aware bunch. While they may be deafer, blinder and in more need of a midday nap than ever before, they’re still more capable and more qualified than most of the young whippersnappers out there who can’t seem to get off their damn iPhones long enough to get any work done. If we can trust these any of these “decrepit” specimens to put their facts before their cataracts well into their golden years, then what’s wrong with Crooked Hillary and the abrasive Oompa Loompa in the red tie? The political lifespan of those two clowns should be at least an-other decade each. Sadly, that might outlast their country itself…


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THE HIDDEN DANGERS OF SPORTS BETTING Think twice before you throw down those crisp maple-scented bills Hassan Merali CONTRIBUTOR

Much like everything else in our consumption-driven society, the options available when betting on sports games are endless. Do you want to bet on the Habs beating the Leafs? Depends, what’s the moneyline? What about the Cavs beating the Warriors? That game is supposed to be close. Better to bet the spread. Blackhawks and Penguins playing each other with back-up goalies? Bet the over/under, and for God’s sake, take the over. Or maybe you fancy yourself a sa-vant, and think you know who’s going to finish on top of the league this season? This is only traditional sports betting. We’ve yet to mention the burgeoning world of fan-tasy sports, where you can take increasingly specific prop bets on statistics and scenarios of all kinds. Whatever kind of wager intrigues you, you can be sure you’ll be able to make it on any given sporting event, be it basketball, baseball, hockey, football, soccer, et cetera. All from the comfort of your own home! So if I grab a Sports Action ticket from a lotto booth, or click away at my laptop while numbers change on the screen, it’s not the same thing as leaning over a black-jack table in some shady casino across from some robot in a bow-tie and other players who make me question my life choices, right? Not quite. The catch with sports betting is not that it is a form of gambling. While gam-bling itself is an addictive activity, not everybody enters

DO YOU REALLY NEED SOYLENT IN YOUR LIFE? A meal replacement that nobody’s missing out on Graeme Findlay

campaign has even managed to become the most funded food-related project in its three years. Silicon Valley went nuts. The company has grown exponential-ly since then, with their corporate headquarters in downtown Los Angeles. By 2015, Soylent was shipping all over North America and began popping up in computer labs and start-up offices everywhere. Soylent’s appeal to those who want convenience, affordability and optimal doses of nutri-tion found fans in entrepreneurs and engineers who may consider traditional fare too timeconsuming for their on-the-go lifestyles. The product is accessible in solid form as a Soylent bar, or in liquid and powder form for maximum customizability. To appeal to young professionals who tend to skip breakfast, the company even created a product named “Coffiest” which provides a dose of caffeine along with plant-based nutrition to give consumers a kickstart to their day. For some, it could be a dream. But for most caffeine-loving people who desperately seek their morning coffee, nothing can replace the real thing.

With techies as some of their highest consumers, their brand image most definitely works out in their favour. Soylent employs sleek, minimalistic packaging and litters their website with clever slogans to appeal to the need for simplicity and a sophisticated consumer experi-ence. What better demographic to target than the one that is very hardpressed to find the time to cook their own meals from scratch? For those who are working sixty hours per week with barely any time at home, Soylent is a viable “engineered” solution to that problem and it could almost be their own science experiment at the same time! The company also claims their products require less work and resources to manufacture than traditional agriculture, making it a responsible choice for young consumers. There’s nothing like a medley of memes and videos of men in giant animal costumes to make bioengineered algae, fatty acids and lipids more appealing to young millennials who spend most of their days behind computer screens rather than talking to other humans. In this regard, Soylent appears to have

their target demographic figured out. Unfortunately, for those who are interested in health improvement or weight loss, Soylent just hasn’t been a hit. According to Forbes, the word “soylent” has become known as a generic umbrella term for DIY versions of the meal-replacement product, with passionate nutri-tion lovers at the heart of an online community where homemade recipes are shared and discussed. This has even prompted the formation of competitor companies that appeal to less technologically-inclined individuals who want nutritious meal replacement products tailored for optimal health. Soylent’s marketers are undoubtedly spirited in their marketing and techniques, but they’ve failed to connect with the majority of potential consumers. Sure, the stuff looks convenient, and this meal-replacement trend could very well be the future of food, but does it really have the appeal of a real fruit smoothie or a home-cooked meal? Nothing can replace real food, nor should it. And who the hell would want a coffee substitute?!

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Soylent is the “intelligently designed” food creation that has been taking over the meal-replacement world since 2013. The product has become a ubiquitous staple for techies and pro-fessionals who don't have the time or desire to eat real food. Yet, despite their success with this demographic, a product that uses memes as advertisements on Facebook just won’t hold up in a market for everyday consumers or even fitness junkies. What was first created in 2013 as an experiment by 26-year-old software engineer Rob Rhinehart had successfully won over the hearts of crowdfunding donors and venture capi-talists. Soylent’s crowdfunding

harmless one-off occurrences. For others, however, they can grow into some-thing more regular, and more controlling. The same people who would find it hard to stop going to the casino find it hard to stop placing sports bets. And even though they’re not watching a roulette ball find its way to black with their last chips on red, the same problems that stem from traditional gambling start cropping up in their lives: losing too much money, trying to win the lost money back, stress, interference with social relationships, and so on. Sports betting sites often feature

— NATALIE MURRAY

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CONTRIBUTOR

into a toxic relationship with it. There are plenty of people who gamble here and there, not letting it rule or ruin their lives. No, the problem with sports betting is that it presents itself as something else. It is portrayed to us as unadulterated fun, something far different and milder than traditional gambling. Who hasn’t made a bet with their friend that their favourite team was going to win the hockey game, or made a Super Bowl bet? Or made a bet on the outcome of a game they were actually participating in? Does the saying “losers buy drinks” sound familiar at all? For some, these seem like

ads encouraging visitors to join multiple betting sites to maximize the possibility of wining and to have a more enjoyable experience. Daily fantasy sports sites FanDuel and DraftKings even face a class action complaint that accuses them of false ad-vertising, consumer fraud and even negligence, according to NBC Sports and Bleacher Re-port. Some former sports betters have even tried to sue such gambling operations for their exploitation of “financially desperate” and addicted fans. Stories of bankruptcy, lost homes and destruction of entire families plague the net scape of sports betting, and while the activity itself can’t be blamed for directly causing loss, there’s no denying that the industry profits off the worst of our human instincts. These stories are to be expected with going to the casino. But with sports betting, not many place a bet on the Canucks to win against Calgary and think, “I’ve got to pace myself.” After all, those bets are just informal wagers we’ve all made with our friends growing up actualized onto a piece of paper. But few friends are willing to bet you as many times as you want, for as much as you want, when you want to and on what. That’s the problem with sports betting. While it seems harmless to play Sports Action once a week, ask yourself this: would you feel the same way about it if it meant going to the casino once a week?


COLUMNS

Max Ley COLUMNIST

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VOLUME 49.5 ISSUE NO. 05

POUTINE & 2014 PAYS D’OC PINOT NOIR

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I come from a very French-Canadian family. The Marceaus, on my mom’s side, are as stereotypically FrenchCanadian as they come and I love it. As a first generation Quebecois family, the Marceaus are fountains of knowledge of the history and culture of the province. The most important cultural impact being, of course, the world famous pile of gravy potato goodness called poutine. Poutine has permeated all throughout Canadian bars, fast food joints and restaurants as an integral staple of any menu. And honestly, how could it fail? A pile of french fries, some squeaky cheese curds and a boatload of hot steaming gravy is a recipe for pure delicious happiness. Poutine is affordable, super easy to make (three simple ingredients) and a surefire party pleaser. I wasn’t really sure initially what to pair with the poutine that I grabbed from Belgian Fries on Commercial Drive, but after a quick little trip to Liberty Wines nearby, I found the perfect option. I decided to go with a 2014 Pinot Noir from the Pays d’Oc. The Pays d’Oc is a region on the southern coast of France which produces an enormous amount of wines. The variety is staggering, ranging from Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Grenache, Cinsault, and of course Pinot Noir. The Pinot in question was an absolute delight. Although young and inexpensive, there was a wonderful amount of complexity and vivacious brightness to the wine. The aromas were light and graceful, full of fresh strawberry notes and bright flavours. The wine itself was light-bodied with integrated tannins and good acidity. The flavours were elegant, full of ripe berries and floral notes with a short finish. The wine was a lovely example of how one doesn’t have to spend a whole lot of money to be able to get a great French wine. It sits on the shelf for $18.99 and if you ever want to impress without breaking the bank, this is the way to go.

The real question is, how well did it fare with the pile of gravy-soaked fries and cheese I had on the plate in front of me? Although the fries and the cheese are relatively neutral flavours, the gravy was the real challenge in trying to pair poutine with a wine. Gravy is fatty, salty, savoury and extremely dense. My goal with this wine was to find something that could effectively slice through the fat density of the gravy while retaining a certain freshness so that the whole dish wouldn’t get weighed down. This Pinot was absolutely perfect as a pairing to a classic poutine. In fact, I would go so far as to say that this pairing might be one of the best and most delicious pairings I have done for this column so far. The acidity of the wine was ideal as it sliced right through the poutine. The natural brightness of the Pinot helped to clean the palate, making the next bite all the more fresher and more manageable. Arguably, the most appealing aspect of the whole pairing was how fresh the wine kept the poutine. The bright berry flavours worked enormously well at making the poutine light and clean, a dish often guilty of making one regret their every decision in life once they’ve reached the final few bites. The poutine got devoured and the wine enjoyed to the point where halfway through dinner, I realised I hadn’t even written down a single note about the pairing! All in all, this pairing was a perfect 10 out of 10. The classic poutine was heightened and elevated by the wonderful and inexpensive French Pinot. This was a great example of what a good wine and food pairing is supposed to do. The experience of eating should be elevated in terms of flavour while the wine should not be encumbered by the food. I would highly recommend this pairing to any of you and definitely suggest you try this as well. Be sure to check out my upcoming issue as I move into the world of Vancouver craft beer again! And also check out @sipsiphurray on Twitter and Instagram!


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REIGN VANCOUVER Art by Ali Marissa Del Mistro COLUMNIST

East Vancouver-based artist Ali Bruce is prolific. To look at her artwork is to regard something unique, strong and becoming increasingly recognizable around the city. The Capilano Courier visited Bruce in her apartment where the walls are adorned with canvases and various art with kaleidoscopic colours – the perfect backdrop for our conversation. Art for Bruce has always been an important element to her identity. “I was a little crafter kid,” she explained. “I was always drawing.” With confidence and experience, her style progressed. “When I would just relax and let loose, the approach to different projects becomes more confident,” Bruce said. After attending art school and working on different elements of art, including sculpture and mixed media, she has become interdisciplinary. Her latest venture has been tattooing. Since 15, she’s enjoyed collecting other artists’ work as tattoos and has lost count of how many she has. “The first time I tattooed [someone] I wasn’t nervous,” Bruce admitted. “Instead, I wanted to get better faster.” Bruce is learning her new artistic endeavour is strengthening her other artwork and instinctive confidence. In fact, she finds that they complement each other nicely

OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL NO You'll Take the High Road and I'll Take the "No" Road Fred Ulrich Jr. COLUMNIST

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and with a stronger hand, she draws even more. Tattooing is therapeutic and Bruce loves to see the finished product happen within a few hours. Bruce emphasized the inspiration she encounters with other Vancouver-based creative folk she chooses to surround herself with: “People in Vancouver can really be their true selves and are true to what they create.” Creating art has allowed Bruce to meet and collaborate with different artists and she believes in the sense of inclusiveness that art can create. A sense of community is formed with art, especially in public. “The more paint, pattern, colour, hand-made art the better, on anything,” she said – which is why the recent Vancouver Mural Festival was so exciting. More than 35 artists, including Bruce, created permanent, public art on life-size canvases. Working like choreography across the large canvas, Bruce said it was a big challenge but there were no time for any self-doubt. With confidence and considerable organization, the murals transformed Vancouver into a public gallery, exposing Vancouverite to works of numerous talented artists. “The art is replacing trends and making Vancouver look a little more unique,” she said. When prompted about being a female in the art world, Bruce adhered to herself and explained she hopes one day it will no longer be a theme. “I never stop and think that I’m a woman and things should be different,” she stated. Bruce is proud to be a strong, female artist and she has a sense of pride and camaraderie when working with other women. However, she believes that

gender shouldn’t be something pointed out and made a subject within creativity. Being true to yourself and your art, your unique talent, will take you places. As an artist, Bruce is continuously mastering balance, never wanting her work to feel like just that: work. She’s conscious on how many projects she can handle. “Keep making art” is something she tells herself. “Make art whenever. Reflect on accomplishments to remind yourself you are doing better than you may believe you are, on some days,” Bruce said. Never getting too attached to something she makes has been an important lesson as an artist. One should be okay with creating something and not seeing it again.

Bruce encourages everyone to be creative. “Humans like to make stuff, draw and sing – even if they’re bad at it,” she said. “It is a form of expression and it is necessary.” These types of natural remedies can help alleviate bigger problems. They make people happy, interact with one another and help deal with stress, throughout life. Bruce’s artwork can be seen displayed around the city and once you see her unique style, you’ll be hooked. When she isn’t creating, she loves adventure, especially when it involves snowboarding in the mountains or biking around the city. Make sure to support local artists and see more from Bruce at Alibruce. com and on Instagram: @alitbruce.

without the super hot parts, the super cold parts, or the tanks rolling through the streets due to radical separatists in the 70s. Sounds perfect to me. However, if we’re going to be making comparisons to my fair home and native land, Scotland does start to fall short when you look beyond the list of bad things that it doesn’t have and instead try to find some reasons to actually visit. There are no breathtaking snowcapped mountains, only sheep-speckled hills. There are no majestic forests that I saw, just creepy all-too-perfectly squared rows of farmed trees. There are no Loch Ness Monsters, just empty cold lakes. The food is drearily familiar, nobody wears kilts and I encountered hardly any bagpipes. Sure, there are plenty of barren wind-swept cliffs and the occasional castle if that’s your kind of thing, but is that alone really enough to warrant a transatlantic voyage? In my case, I had a few gigs that led me to find myself dodging oncoming traffic and grinding the gears of some unfortunate rental van with a left-handed shifter through the single-car-wide roads that snake their way through the desolate highlands of northern Scotland. After a disastrous equipment failure the night before, the band was in desperate need to find a music store somewhere in one of these small towns before the show we were scheduled to play that evening. Replacing the faulty equipment was out of the question (too expensive and hard to find), but we had devised a workaround that we would be able to jury-rig

with the addition of a relatively common audio cable adaptor that we didn’t happen to have. It was through this little side adventure that I discovered just how much more uncomfortably different this land really could feel. Pulling into a small coastal town, we found a mom-and-pop electronics shop. Not exactly what we were looking for, but it was the closest thing we had seen in a couple of hours and there was a slim chance they might have what we needed. I volunteered to check it out while the rest of the band parked across the street to leech Wi-Fi from a coffee shop and hopefully find directions to a real music shop. A small bell rang from the top of the door as I entered the dark store, and I’m pretty sure a man greeted me. I’m only pretty sure because of the contextual clues provided by the situation, the actual words he spoke did not register any meaning in my mind. I said hello, explained what I was looking for, and was met with a blank stare. He asked me to repeat myself. I’m not sure what part of Scotland we were in, but this man’s accent was so thick that I was unable to even guess at what half the words he spoke were meant to be. I was apparently equally unintelligible to him. After some exhaustive linguistic bushwhacking to arrive at a basic level of mutual understanding, he returned from the back room with some items that were very similar to what I needed, but not quite close enough to get the job done. I tried asking if he had any more of these with the important difference that

we required, he tried asking me some clarifying questions, and we were back at square one of comprehension. “We’re both speaking English, but we’re not communicating!” I exclaimed in frustration. He definitely understood that, and didn’t seem to take it so well. Silently, he picked up a pen and a pad of paper. He wrote for several seconds before tearing off the sheet and presenting me with the name of a music shop and an extensive series of directions. His handwriting was about and comprehensible as his accent was to me, and all I could really make out besides the name of the store was the large “GOOD LUCK” underlined at the bottom of the page. Feeling defeated, I thanked him and left. Returning to the van across the street, I asked the band if they had been able to look up directions to a music store. “We tried asking inside for the Wi-Fi password, but we honestly couldn’t understand a word she was saying” my bandmate replied. “She got a bit frustrated with us after the third time asking her to repeat it, so we just bought some muffins and left. It’s all good though, turns out I had one of those adapters in my guitar case the whole time.”

— ALI BRUCE

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Fred’s Local Substitute: Get your dentists to anesthetize your tongue so nobody can understand you, wear headphones playing two foreign language podcasts simultaneously so that you can’t understand anybody else (don’t take them off!) and then go about your normal day in Vancouver.

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With Vancouver's weather turning cold, dark and grey, I figure you must be in the midst of planning a trip to somewhere equally miserable. I'll be honest with you, dear reader, I have absolutely no faith in your ability to plan a sensible vacation. Thank me later for not believing in you, because right now I'm about to dissuade you from that illconceived trip to northern Scotland that you have totally been considering. I can't rip this place apart without first acknowledging its better qualities, so let's get that out of the way. It's the first place to be featured in this column where perpetual crotch-sweat from heat and/or humidity is not an issue, so good job Scotland for setting up shop in an environment suitable for comfortable human habitation. You'd think more countries would have considered that aspect of the neighbourhood before settling down. It's also a rather safe place, boasting low levels of crime, a healthy and stable democratic government, and what is probably the most civilized national separatist movement in the last couple centuries. It’s pretty much like Canada

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THE UNLEARNED SOCIETY

freedom and are forced teach to the test. Curricula are dramatically deprived of superfluous disciplines such as philosophy, anthropology, sociology, psychology, literature, arts... Schools sometimes face budgetary cuts tied to bad performance from students. Test-makers intentionally write questions not to test the most relevant knowledge in any discipline, but the marginal stuff that would set apart those who know more than just the essential. “Education” becomes mostly a scientifically unsound exercise in memorizing and reciting hard facts, mostly obscure, hardly relevant data, or learning to solve complex mathematical problems with no demonstrable utility in real life. Educator Gerald W. Bracey, who once called the US law No Child Left Behind a “threat to national security,” made a great list of qualities that standardized tests simply can't measure:

"creativity, critical thinking, resilience, motivation, persistence, curiosity, endurance, reliability, enthusiasm, empathy, self-awareness, self-discipline, leadership, civic-mindedness, courage, compassion, resourcefulness, sense of beauty, sense of wonder, honesty, integrity." Nothing too important! Anxiety, sleep deprivation, feelings of insecurity, and crumbling self-esteem tied to one's academic performance, among a host of other health problems, become endemic to the demographic that should logically be the healthiest. The higher the stakes, the more this is true. When a computer “grades” a test, students get no feedback and do not learn from the questions they got wrong, or the questions they accidentally got right. Asking for someone else's help (possibly one of the best ways of learning!) is considered cheating, a misdemeanour worthy of extreme punishment, such as

failing the entire test, or worse. A few sneaky cheats, however, or a few lucky rolls of the dice will get you through. This is knowledge, Casino-style, for the age of Capitalism and Entertainment. If not through testing, grading, ranking and comparing, how else would we sieve through the ones who “deserve” to move on? And how would we train our little robots to compete in the global economy? In some countries where public universities cannot accept all students graduating high school, ultrahigh-stakes standardized testing poses as a “legitimate” way to “award” spots based on “merit” and thus serves as an excuse to keep the “less educated” in a class society from achieving the higher education they need in order to better their condition. Education, like many things in unequal societies, is rigged to conveniently favour the rich under the myth of merit. Standardized testing could have just become a tool for statistics or selfreference. Then, it might've been rather harmless, like the notorious IQ tests. But worldwide, it has become a destructive instrument putting youth at the height of their cognitive development onto a conveyor belt, and pushing off those who don't adapt to the route towards economically useful, conformed citizens. It is quite horrific to see how oldfashioned and unjustifiable our attitude has remained, both in parenting and schooling, in putting extreme, unjustifiable pressures on children. Children do need guidance and a degree of authority exercised over their occasionally bad or foolish decisions. But they also need their natural curiosities to be engaged and not curtailed. Children are not guinea pigs, nor vessels to be filled with meaningless data. Before we turn another entire generation into selfish, competitive, arrogant creatures in our image, we should confront our suicidal means of acquiring (and measuring) knowledge not for survival, but arguably, for the exact opposite: collective destruction through selfish greed. Factory-style indoctrination brought us to the brink of disaster. Only true education can lead the way back to a society that at least attempts to survive.

in a row. Although Donaldson’s 10th inning slide may have slid into every fans’ heart, I was more interested in something else: Odor’s error that allowed him to score in the first place. The Rangers and the Jays have quite the coloured history. Jose Bautista’s infamous bat flip – which, according to my baseball fanatic friends, is the equivalent of a giant “fuck you” in baseball – was against the Rangers in 2015, allowing the Jays to advance to the American League Division Series (ALDS) finals. This laid the groundwork for some intense animosity between the two teams, specifically between Odor and Bautista, which boiled over when the teams met each other in May. Odor, who is only 23 years old, took the opportunity say “fuck you” back to Bautista in May, when Bautista

slid into second between Odor’s legs. Odor was quick to push the Blue Jay right fielder before punching him so hard his helmet, and what looked like a couple of teeth, flew out of his face. A classic baseball brawl followed, and the verdict was unanimous – Bautista got fucked up. What wicked irony follows, as it was Odor’s throwing error at second place that caused the Rangers first baseman to drop the ball, allowing Donaldson to steal home plate. What bitter irony for the guy to throw the first punch to be the one to disappoint his team, excluding them from any more playoff games. That is a level of disappointment for drug dealers who rat out their friends when they are busted or ex-girlfriends who see their old flame happier with their new girlfriend. It’s an extreme

disappointment that not many of us have felt. According to Sportsnet.ca, Odor was the last of his team to head into the locker room, as he was embarrassed to face his teammates. He was barely audible when he told reporters, “It’s hard to work and have the season end this way.” His team tried to rally around him, including Elvis Andrus, whose fumble caused the Rangers demise against the Jays in 2015. However, no amount of consolation or sympathy could ease Odor’s embarrassment, with hoards of Blue Jay fans taking to Twitter to rub it in. No one has had a worse week than Odor, and the only way his could get worse is if his locker room talk included the phrase, “grab her by the pussy.”

The curse of standardized testing Lars Henrik Ahlstrom COLUMNIST

“Do not train a child to learn by force or harshness; but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each,” - Plato

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The luxuries of our modern, affluent civilization have engendered a troubling addiction to entertainment, and a disorienting detachment from that ultimate guiding star in our quest for knowledge: survival. In evolutionary terms, knowledge has always been tied to survival, but now we like to think, selfishly and dangerously, that surviving isn't really hard enough that it requires any effort anymore. So rather than focus our knowledge on our personal and collective survival, we've come to see knowledge as merely another measurable asset to guarantee us careers and lives of material comfort. At the heart of our rotten attempt at “educating” the young, standardized testing continues to be implemented simply due to a deep-seated denial towards the need to restructure the whole system away from a production line model. We've all heard wonders about Finland's progressive education system (which veers away from testing, homework and rigid discipline) producing artistic, tolerant, wellrounded citizens with a grounded sense of moral and social responsibilities. Also, they are not simply tree-hugging hippies, but score near or at the top at those very same highly competitive tests that they don't study directly for! Though we like to recognize their success as something rather alien belonging to a completely different culture, their educators will gladly share their advice. And across the board, they will tell us to abolish standardized testing. As soon as mandatory standardized testing is applied, teachers lose

NEWS TO MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD Odor left on the ball diamond Leah Scheitel WAITING FOR A BASEBALL PLAYER TO MARRY

Regardless of how shitty your week is or how many midterms you are cramming for, I can guarantee that Rougned Odor is having a worse week than you are. On Oct. 9, in the third playoff game against the Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays bad boy and third baseman Josh Donaldson made sure that the Jays were headed to the championship game for the American League division for the second year

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— ANNIE CHANG


CALENDAR

17 MONDAY

18 TUESDAY

KANYE WEST ROGERS ARENA 8 PM / $$$$$$ The last time that Mr. West was in the building, he cancelled, twice. So the precedent is set in what could really be an electric show from the GOAT (yeah I said it) or another heartbreaking disappointment. Judging by the setlist from his earlier stops, the Saint Pablo Tour seems to feature a pretty generous amount of music from Ye’s classic hits, and of course, the top tracks from The Life of Pablo.

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SUNSHINE COAST ART CRAWL LANGDALE TO EARL’S COVE 10 AM TO 5 PM / FREE Over 130 galleries and art studios will be participating in this weekend-long art crawl on the Sunshine Coast. I don’t know much about the Sunshine Coast, but I do know that School of Business icon, Scott Barkemeyer, is also an icon over there.

FRIDAY

PRESIDENT’S INVESTITURE CEREMONY

BLUES VOLLEYBALL SEASON OPENER

YOUR LAPTOP SCREEN

SPORTSPLEX

4 PM / FREE Investiture means “the action of formally investing a person with honours or rank.” I didn’t look that up, I actually knew it. This is for the new Capilano University President by the way, and has nothing to do with the American elections that we can’t seem to get away from. Check the CapU website closer to the day for a link to the broadcast.

6 PM / $2

NORAH JONES QUEEN ELIZABETH THEATRE 6:30 PM / $55+ Full disclosure, back in the day when I used to regularly go out and party, I would listen to Norah Jones’ Come Away with Me as pre-hype music. Then I would follow it up with some early 2000s hits from Nelly, Ja Rule and Ashanti. So that means on this Tuesday, after you see Norah, you go hit up one of the downtown clubs and take a shot for me.

VANFUNDING 2016

Speaking of Scott Barkemeyer, the Blues Volleyball teams will be hosting their season opener against their eternal rivals, the Douglas College Royals, on Oct. 21. Women’s team will be playing first, and the men’s immediately after. Come out and support your Blues teams and be inspired. All these guys have like 40-inch verticals.

22 SATURDAY RIO THEATRE

ROUNDHOUSE COMMUNITY ARTS & RECREATION CENTRE 6 PM / $44+

THE IMPERIAL

“Beer” and “Lesque” are two of our web editor Brandon Kostinuk’s favourite words. So I totally expect him to leave his bunker to attend this event. The show will feature a “titillating” lineup of burlesque dancers and breweries such as Bomber, Steel & Oak and Strange Fellows. Wow, looks like Brandon and EIC Andy Rice are going to a burlesque show together.

It’s a networking event for crowdfunders – amazing. $295 for standard tickets make it sound like they’re crowdfunding on the spot, which, to be honest, is a damn genius move. Speaking of crowdfunding, my laptop just broke last week and I’m going to be needing a new one. Isn’t that a noble cause to support?

19 WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

6 PM / FREE This event is poised to complete the greatest trilogy since the Rush Hour trilogy and boy I don’t think there’s going to be anything on TV that night that can top this one. Look out for Trump to complete the greatest ever “WTF did he just say?” compilation in American political history and for Clinton to continue rocking those power suits that our News Editor absolutely adores.

23 SUNDAY

SPOOKTACULAR NEWTON 7327 137TH STREET, SURREY 12 PM TO 4 PM / FREE You might be wondering why this Halloween celebration is happening so early in the day, then you realize where it is and understand that shootings and stabbings are more likely to happen at night. The first 1,000 people get free pumpkins and they’re telling everyone to be on the lookout for surprise dances. If I were you, I’d be on the lookout for anything.

IMPROV AGAINST HUMANITY

AUTISM SPEAKS CANADA WALK

RIO THEATRE

1001 HUDSON STREET, RICHMOND

8 PM TO 10:30 PM / $10 The Cards Against Humanity-inspired improv show has been one of the most sought after comedy tickets in the city since its inception and it looks to continue its winning ways. The Vancouver Sun has routinely described Improv Against Humanity as one of the best events in the city – and, as we all know,Vancouver Sun never fails.

9 AM TO 12 PM / FREE According to the event page, autism prevalence has increased by 1,000 per cent in children over the past 40 years. This event aims to shed more light on one of the more important issues that often gets pushed aside by the societal lovefest for political correctness. If you were looking to do something that matters this week, this wouldn’t be a bad choice.

SHAKEOUT BC

THE CAPILANO COURIER

20

BLUESHORE THEATRE

PNE FORUM 7 PM / $52.50+ Despite being one of the worst venues in town, the PNE Forum still somehow manages to score some of the dopest acts around. This time they’re bringing in Schoolboy Q and apparently, Joey Bada$$ is going to be joining him. Too bad this place has a non-existent ventilation system so bring some military-grade thermal goggles to see the rappers behind the thick cloud of smoke that’ll inevitably cloud the venue.

BEERLESQUE

7:30 AM TO 5:30 PM / $295+ (LOL)

THIRD US PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE

SCHOOLBOY Q

CAPILANO UNIVERSITY 10:15 AM / FREE This is a province-wide earthquake drill that is getting increasingly more ominous each year it happens. I know it’s important to understand proper procedure amidst an earthquake but I saw San Andreas last year and I know that when it happens, the only proper procedure you’ll need is The Rock coming in to save yo ass.

GASTOWN, I THINK 4 PM TO 9 PM / “FREE” I’ve always wanted to go to this and cop some of the best pieces of Gastown’s premier shopping stores but then again, I couldn’t really afford any of them – that was about three years and 20 lbs ago. The boutiques here are really terrific, though. I feel like last year’s Arts and Culture Editor might have scammed a few of them for some cardigans, too.

KANYE WEST

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VOLUME 49.5 ISSUE NO. 05

GASTOWN’S FALL SHOP HOP


CABOOSE

HUMANS OF CAPILANO — DOMINIC GUIEB

HOROSCOPES IF YOUR BIRTHDAY IS THIS WEEK: Yay for you.

ARIES (March 21 - April 19):

LIBRA (SEPT. 22 - OCT. 23):

When life seems to never get better, maybe stop and consider if it’s your fault.

The person you met at the bar didn’t lose your number, they deleted it in disgust.

TAURUS (April 20 - May 20):

It’s not easy being attractive. It’s a good thing you don’t have to worry about that sort of stuff.

SCORPIO (OCT. 24 - NOV. 21):

A week is only seven days, but it’s going to feel a whole lot longer than that this time.

GEMINI (May 21 - June 20):

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22 - DEC. 21):

When things get rough, look for your friends. You’re going to have to look really hard though because they’re all hiding from you.

The nice thing about a power outage is that if it’s dark enough, people can just pretend you aren’t there.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22 - JAN. 19):

CANCER (June 21 - July 22):

Four years of school and all you’ve got to show for it is a bunch of rejected job applications.

You’ve mooched so much food that nobody really feels bad about your recent bout with the stomach flu.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20 - FEB. 18):

LEO (July 23 - Aug. 22):

Your sense of humour is your most attractive trait. Sadly, even that is only average at best.

VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept. 21):

Eventually you’ll be able to look back and laugh at this. It’s just going to take many years of therapy first.

You’ve become so bad at your job that your name is now used as a verb to describe an unfathomable level of incompetence

PISCES (FEB. 19 - MARCH 20):

They say there’s no such thing as failure, but you definitely make a strong case that there is such a thing.

TO ADVERTISE in the Courier’s pages, please contact us by phone at 778-855-9942 or email Andy Rice, our editor-in-chief, at capcourier@gmail.com. We are proud to offer discounts to non-profit organizations and North Shore customers. A full media kit with sizes, rates and deadlines is available on our website, CapilanoCourier.com. Classified advertisements up to 50 words are free for students. Puzzle 1 (Medium, difficulty rating 0.53)

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SUDOKU

THE CAPILANO COURIER

VOLUME 49.5 ISSUE NO. 05

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Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/sudoku on Sun Oct 16 06:06:48 2016 GMT. Enjoy!

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"Respect your elders. I realized this at an early age because of the values my parents instilled in me. I go through everyday trying to help the elderly, doing little things like opening doors for them or asking how their day is going."


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