Capilano Courier | Vol. 49, Issue 6.

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VOLUME 49 ISSUE 06

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CAMPUS CANDIDATES

A LIVING LEGEND

A look at platforms heading into this week's CSU by-elections, held Oct. 13 to 15 in the Library Lounge.

Neil Young and his new band, Promise of the Real, deliver an electric show at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.

OCTOBER 12 - 18 | 2015

POLITICAL ATTACK ADS: THE SUPERCUT

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CONTENTS

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03

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Cover Art

News

News

Cap You

09

12

15

16

Features

Arts & Culture

Opinions

Columns

SYD DANGER

TAKING AIM: A HISTORY OF POLITICAL ATTACK ADS

FEDERAL CANDIDATES VISIT CAMPUS FOR DEBATE

CAP U ESSENTIALS: JJ BREWIS RETURNS

MEET THE CSU BY-ELECTION CANDIDATES

THE COLBERT REPORT CARD

VARSITY VOLLEYBALL

WHY THE ENTIRE MONTH OF OCTOBER SUCKS

THE STAFF STAFF THIS ISSUE COURIER COLUMNISTS Andy Rice

Therese Guieb

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

EXECUTIVE NEWS EDITOR

Carlo Javier

Gabriel Scorgie

EXECUTIVE LIFESTYLE EDITOR

FEATURES EDITOR

Kevin Kapenda

Mark Crickmay

OPINIONS EDITOR

ARTS + CULTURE EDITOR

SABRINA KUHN Props to Sabrina Kuhn for being the most eager columnist of the year! Bonus points for being the first one to apply! After spending some time last year writing for the Courier to fulfill the obligations of the Arts and Entertainment Management program mandate, Sabrina is now writing without the requirements of her professor. Exciting!

LEAH SCHEITEL

Christine Beyleveldt

Alva Tang

CAMPUS CORRESPONDENT

COMMUNITY RELATIONS MANAGER

Cristian Fowlie

Syd Danger

ART DIRECTOR

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Tianyi Bao

Brandon Kostinuk

BUSINESS MANAGER

WEB EDITOR

THE CAPILANO COURIER

VOLUME 49 ISSUE NO. 06

CONTRIBUTORS JESSICA LAING

MEGAN COLLINSON

KEITH SINCLAIR

ZED ALEXANDRA

BRIANNA ENGLAND

MEGAN DIETRICH

MILANA BUCAN

ZOE SOFIANOS DANIELLE MAINMAN TOMAS DANCO

Leah Scheitel is really quite the polymath. She flew under the radar as one of the top students in the CapU business program last year, was a former triathlon superstar and knows the histories of both Saturday Night Live and each of the American secretaries of state by heart. However, in this column, she’ll talk about the two things she loves most — politics and men.

FRED ULRICH JR. Fred Ulrich Jr., commonly known to the staff as F-U2, is a disgruntled alcoholic who once achieved his 15 minutes of fame playing the accordion for a now-defunct band whose name we cannot publish due to, uh, standards. In this column, he’ll be talking about things that society just might be too caught up in. So he’ll be talking about a lot of things.

MEG M CHUGH This column will feature the members of Capilano University’s international education community. Each writer will come from a different culture and each of them will talk about their experiences being immersed in a society much different from where they came from. This week, we’ll be starting with Meg McHugh from Scotland.

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

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EDITOR'S DESK

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TROUBLE BREWS WHEN YOU MIX BEER AND POLITICS Andy Rice EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

What happens when one of the worst things on earth takes a keen interest in something you love? No, I’m not talking about the Canada Revenue Agency and your brand new Ferrari or a tenacious case of herpes and that stripper you were thinking about finally putting a ring on. I’m talking about Stephen Harper and craft beer. Last Thursday will go down in history at East Vancouver’s Red Truck brewery as probably the biggest “Fffffuuuuuuuuuu” moment they’ve ever had to deal with — all because they let Stephen Harper use their facility as a meeting place in the middle of an election campaign. Here are the facts: the event was a private gathering between Harper and a few select “minority media” outlets representing various ethnicities. CBC and CTV weren’t told or invited. According to one of the journalists who was permitted inside, Harper touched on the economy, TransPacific Partnership, Bill C-24 and refugees, answering questions screened and chosen by the Conservative party in advance. Several Conservative candidates were also in attendance, including Jason Kenney, Alice Wong, Wai Young and Jojo Quimpo. Red Truck Beer Company maintains that it did not invite Harper or the Tories directly. “It was all business to our knowledge. They were only using our brewery as a meeting space, not for social purposes,” said a posting on the brewery’s official Twitter account that tried in vain to calm an unruly horde of incensed customers. “Red Truck does not identify with any political ideology but we support industry in BC,” read another. “We don't stump for anyone… As a new business that has created numerous new jobs, they came to us for our space. We are independently-minded.” In an attempt to even out the playing field, Red Truck’s brave keyboard warrior fired off another tweet later in the day. “We are also hosting a Liberal event

at our our brewery next week,” it read. But does that really matter? Until the leaders of the Marxist-Leninist, Rhino and Marijuana parties are all gathered around the bar crushing six-packs, I’m not sure every sub-demographic within the beer-drinking public will be satisfied. Thursday’s incident begs an important question: should people and businesses be more wary of becoming collateral damage during an election campaign? Can a political candidate really go anywhere without being accused of endorsing (or being endorsed by) someone or something while they’re there? Can Stephen Harper drink a beer without his brewery of choice being dragged into the throes of politics? Can Justin Trudeau hike the Grouse Grind without becoming a walking Nike ad? Can Thomas Mulcair drop a deuce in a gender-neutral washroom without inadvertently making NDP-supporters out of our entire country? Harper, like each of the other party leaders, has covered a ton of ground over the course of this unprecedentedly-long election campaign. He’s been to schools, cemeteries, factories, museums, Tim Hortons franchises and just about every airport, big or small, from North Bay to Nunavut. It’s also worth noting that he visited Yukon Brewing for a pint on Sept. 3 without any incident whatsoever. If he had been drinking socially at Red Truck on Thursday rather than rattling off a bunch of talking points to journalists, would things have turned out differently? Maybe, but maybe not. It is Harper we’re talking about here. In reading through the many comments posted on Twitter that day, it’s clear that Red Truck found itself in hot water not because it opened up its space to politics, but because the party in question happened to be the Conservatives. Had it been literally any other political outfit — especially the NDP — the outcome would have been drastically different. The riding of Vancouver East has been undisputed NDP country since

1997 with Libby Davies serving as MP that entire time. She’s probably BFF’s with the brewmaster, but nobody’s making a stink about that, now are they? I wouldn’t be surprised if Red Truck’s Twitter sitter had to buy an orthopaedic wrist brace once the angry mob subsided enough to permit a safe exit to the nearest Wal-Mart. I also wouldn’t be surprised if I get an disgruntled letter to the editor this week lambasting my apparent endorsement for Wal-Mart in this editorial. You can’t win. Without even knowing it, a little beer company in East Vancouver gave Ipsos Reid and Abacus Data a run for their money. Imagine if there was a Red Truck brewery in every riding across the country, hosting political meetings left, right and centre for parties left, right and centre. Maybe then we’d have a clearer idea of who our next prime minister will be. Or maybe we wouldn’t, because a Twitter brigade is probably about as representative of the population as today’s newest poll — which is to say, not very, unless stay-at-home moms and seniors with landlines are the only ones turning up to vote next Monday. (Read more about that on page 17.) Whether or not you agree with Red Truck’s political stance or the way its marketing rep attempted to diffuse the situation, there is something to be learned here. Breweries should be nonpartisan, but individuals don’t have to play by those rules. Do this country a favour on Oct. 19 and drink to democracy, even if someone disagrees with your choice of candidate. I promise you won’t get grilled on Twitter for it.

Who designs Andy’s weekly editorial pictures? They are hilarious.

THE VOICEBOX with Carlo Javier

Where is NASH being hosted this year?

Out in Toronto! T-Dot! The 6! Noted Drake-fan Kevin Kapenda will be enjoying the views from the 6 this January.

#ELXN42

Who should I vote for at the CSU ByElections? It’s up to you my friend. Just don’t vote with your eyes. Cool playlist! Too bad you guys don’t know your hip-hop. It’s “Little Weapon,” not “Little Weapons.” smh. If you say it with a Filipino accent it sounds like Lethal Weapon. Oh, and don’t be a dick. The Voicebox is back! If you have any questions, concerns or any other bitchin’ to do, text it over to our boy Carlo at 778865-2649. “Please text me,” he says. “No one else does.”

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We can’t afford that kind of luxury. We’ll take one though! If anyone out there is willing to give us a Keurig machine, or a Tassimo cuz we don’t discriminate over here, we’ll take it! * insert coffee emoji

TWEETS OF THE WEEK THE CAPILANO COURIER

Why doesn’t the Courier have their own Keurig machine? It would be nice to sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee with the crew, while listening to another one of Andy’s pitches.

Cristian Fowlie, our art director. He’s a grad of CapU’s IDEA program. According to artists I’ve met, Cristian is some kind of living legend – he does some magic with that art.


NEWS

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BURNABY NORTH—SEYMOUR ALL CANDIDATES FORUM Federal MP Candidates visit CapU for Oct. 7 debate Therese Guieb EXECUTIVE NEWS EDITOR

TERRY BEECH

LYNNE QUARMBY

CAROL BAIRD ELLAN

BRIAN SPROULE

anti-terrorism laws in this country, we have not renewed our anti-terrorism laws in this country since 2001.” The forum ended with closing statements from each candidate. “Let’s be clear, this [Conservative] government has put $150 billion of new debt onto our backs,” claimed Beech. “The only way that we can actually make changes on any of these [issues] substantially is to have a strong economy and that is what the Liberal platform is about.” “The election itself won’t change Canada very much but by defeating the Conservatives and keeping the Liberals out, it opens a path forward so there is space for change in this country but the working class of people should occupy the space for change,” concluded Sproule. “I could never run for the other parties

for another reason and that is because the other parties have whipped votes,” said Quarmby. “As a Green and as a scientist I have enough anti-authoritarian blood that I’m going to consult my constituency and I’m going to be a representative.” Baird Ellen closed out the remarks. “I’m also a pragmatist,” she said. “I picked a party that has the best chance of forming a government. The current polls in this riding say that Lynne [Quarmby] is polling at three or four or six per cent. I’m sorry to go strategically. We need to defend the empty chair.”

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On Oct. 7, federal electoral candidates from the Burnaby North—Seymour riding came to Capilano University for an all candidates forum hosted by the Capilano Students’ Union (CSU). The candidates who attended included Terry Beech (Liberal Party), Carol Baird Ellan (New Democratic Party), Lynne Quarmby (Green Party) and Brian Sproule (Marxist-Leninist Party). Mike Little from the Conservative Party did not attend the forum. Taylor Wilson, the CSU’s vice president of external relations, served as moderator. Questions were asked by spectators and each candidate was given two minutes to answer. The first enquired as to whether candidates would be willing to form a coalition against the Conservatives if Harper were to be re-elected. “The NDP have always said that they will leave the door open to that possibility. This, in my view, is our last chance to get Stephen Harper out,” said Baird Ellan. “Yes, Elizabeth May has approached Trudeau and Mulcair in advance to the election, she tried to work out some preelection cooperation… If any of us let Harper form another government it would be a political suicide,” answered Quarmby. “I do hope if there is a minority situation that the parties in the House will ensure that the Harper dictatorship doesn’t continue,” said Sproule. Beech took a more diplomatic approach. “If I’m elected as an MP, I want to not go to Ottawa to fight against the Conservatives and the NDP,” he said. “I want to put those people around my dinner table and work together on making Canada better.” Plans for addressing student debt and guaranteeing full-time employment and benefits was the next issue that the candidates tackled. “We’ve committed to…a grant up to $3,000 a year to students in need,” answered Beech, “One of the things that we

are going to do if we’re elected is you don’t have to start repaying your student loans until you make over $25,000 a year. The Liberal Party has allocated $1.3 billion for youth employment programs. That includes subsidies for co-op.” “The situation we have now is students are graduating from program with huge debt and the jobs that they are expecting simply aren’t there,” Sproule pointed out. “We have a fully requested budget, we know we can afford these things — no tuition for any post-secondary education,” said Quarmby. “The government already pays 70 per cent, we can pay 100 per cent…When you’re a student and if you file your income taxes and you are below a livable income for where you live in Canada you will receive a cheque in the mail for that difference.” “The reality of our stupid electoral system is they [Green Party] won’t get as many seats,” said Baird Ellan. “The NDP stand a greater chance and we have a really good plan as well. One of the things we will do is raise the corporate income tax rate we are going to do it by two per cent.” The candidates were then asked about their thoughts regarding Bill C-51 and Bill C-24. “Bill C-24 that makes [them] second class citizens if they're naturalized or dual citizens who have never been to the country and can be deported, it’s completely unacceptable,” said Baird Ellan. “The NDP despises it and we will repeal that act. Bill C-51 is the one that criminalizes lawful assembly. That also is completely unacceptable.” “There’s no need for it [Bill C-24]. It makes my son a second class citizen and it makes me a terrorist under Bill C-51,” said Quarmby. “There’s nothing in either of those bills that we need in this country.” “Our party immediately analyzed and gave a call coast to coast to put a stop on those legislations,” said Sproule. “We were unable to put a stop to it.” “In terms of Bill C-51 let me start there, this horrible legislation, we need to get rid of it,” said Beech. “There are some things that we need to do to upgrade our

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— TOMAS DANCO


NEWS

THERESE GUIEB

— TOMAS DANCO

EXECUTIVE NEWS EDITOR NEWS@CAPILANOCOURIER.COM

FORUMS GO FROM ALL-CANDIDATES TO MOST-CANDIDATES Lack of participation from select few is hurting student politics at CapU Carlo Javier EXECUTIVE LIFESTYLE EDITOR

Christine Beyleveldt CAMPUS CORRESPONDENT

Last week, the Capilano Students’ Union (CSU) hosted two iterations of its by-elections All Candidates Forum in the CSU Library Lounge. The first forum, held on Oct. 6, displayed faculty representative candidates, while the second forum, held two days later, featured candidates from the liaison pool. In the span of two forums, several candidates failed to show up with only 12 of the 20 candidates making an appearance to participate in the question and answer forums meant for students to gain a better understanding of their respective platforms. Candidates in the first forum took the time to answer questions that were primarily focused on building campus community through events. Fine and Applied Arts representative candidates Olivia Wachter and Melissa Plisic promised to work toward opening

events for all students on campus. Plisic also vowed to create an environment that would promote and help sustain an artistic atmosphere, citing her experiences from the secluded Bosa building as motivation to bridging Capilano University’s various programs. Michelle Gervais and Sheldon Slonski both emphasized their goals to break down the assumption that CapU’s School of Business is exclusive. Jazica Chan stood as the lone candidate for the Arts and Sciences Faculty representative. Chan spoke about her goals to bring the campus together by increasing the presence of clubs. On Oct. 8, the student candidates running for liaison positions on the various CSU collectives met to address the student body. Seven candidates made an appearance: Noor Nandha and Alysa HupplerPoliak for Women Students’ liaison, Erick Rojas and Hank Chan for International Students’ liaison, Ramneet Kang and Harold Williams for Students of Colour liaison and Geronimo Alec for the First Nations Students’ liaison. The first questions were directed at the candidates for the Students of Colour li-

aison, specifically what could be done for students of colour. “What I want to do is create a safe and inclusive space for students that identify themselves as being of colour,” stated Kang, “Because I find that a lot of them sometimes may feel like they are outsiders.” She continued on to discuss the implementation workshops and educational events covering the effects of colonialism and cultural appropriation so other students could be made aware of the situation faced by students of colour. Next, the International Students’ liaison candidates were addressed. “What resources would you make available for international students?” was one of the questions. Rojas addressed the issue of international students being excluded from campus and North Shore events, and his aim to bridge the gap between domestic and international students. Chan spoke about finance and immigration, and his aim to create additional scholarships and bursaries that would allow more international students the opportunity to travel. Each of the candidates was asked whether they were running for their position to genuinely make a difference for stu-

dents, or to reap personal benefit. Nandha started the discussion by stating her desire to make women feel safe and empowered. “I’m willing to do anything, anything that it takes for the girls to be empowered,” she said. Huppler-Poliak added that she has also been an active participant in women’s groups over the years, and her first choice would be to organize a day of sexual assault awareness in conjunction with International Women’s Week next semester. Williams admitted that he was running for himself, but his motive would be inclusive and bring students together. Chang agreed, noting that he was campaigning based in part on personal motives, but also stating that he wanted to bridge the gap between CapU’s students. Kang, on the other hand, was more personal, claiming that she wanted to share her experiences with other students. Rojas said he wanted to see the integration of international students, and Alec had similar motives to encourage First Nations students to become more involved in the CapU community.

THE CAPILANO COURIER

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— SCOTT BARKEMEYER


NEWS

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CSU By-Election Candidates

The Capilano Courier caught up with several CSU by-election candidates. Here’s what they had to say in regards to their platforms:

☞ Voting Times: Begins Oct. 13 at 9:30 am – Ends Oct. 15 at 4:00 pm THE CAPILANO COURIER WAS NOT ABLE TO CONNECT WITH THE FOLLOWING CANDIDATES IN TIME FOR PRESS DEADLINE: • REBECCA WATSON – ARTS & SCIENCES FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE

• SAIAH GILSON – FIRST NATIONS STUDENTS' LIAISON

• OLIVIA WACHTER – FINE & APPLIED ARTS FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE

• SARAH ANN VILLENEUVE – SQUAMISH CAMPUS REPRESENTATIVE

• NICHOLAS MARTINEZ CATCHPOLE – BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL STUDIES REPRESENTATIVE

• STEPHANIE HAHLEN – WOMEN STUDENTS' LIAISON

BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL STUDIES FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE

BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL STUDIES FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE

FINE & APPLIED ARTS FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE

ARTS & SCIENCES FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE

SHELDON SLONSKI, SECOND YEAR BUSINESS STUDENT

MICHELLE GERVAIS, FIRST YEAR BUSINESS STUDENT

MELISSA PLISIC, SECOND YEAR MOTION PICTURE ARTS

JAZICA CHAN, THIRD YEAR ARTS & SCIENCES

“I plan on being involved with the CSU for the remainder of my time here. If elected as the representative for Business and Professional Studies students, I will be accessible and I want to be approached with ideas from students. As a Board member, I would give a voice to those ideas to build upon the strong foundation Cap already has. If elected I will eliminate the barriers that discourage business students from getting involved. I aim to make our program the most cohesive in the University.”

“#iLoveCapU! No seriously, I do, so you should vote for me so I can continue and get even more involved in student issues that matter to you. Some projects I've been working on with the CSU include lobbying government for affordable housing on campus, advocating for Open Textbooks, and planning kick-ass student-led events. If elected I will support getting new workout facilities, implementing a sustainable reusable dish program and getting polling stations at Cap for future elections. Plus, I'll plan a business and professional studies event that spans all programs. Oh and by the way, I'm a Pisces who loves spicy food, sunshine, meandering walks on beaches and foreign places.”

“Melissa Plisic here, second year MOPA student with only 100 words to convince you to vote for me, so I’ll just tell you all the ideas I had for different campaign slogans: 1) A vote for Melissa is a vote for bees? 2) Go small or go home. 3) What are those? Melissa Plisic has answers for you. 4) I can probably get you a new kettle and a second microwave. 5) Let’s make some cooooooool art *thumbs up*. But seriously, I want to provide the artists at Cap with an environment that fosters creativity with the help of the CSU.”

“As an Arts and Sciences student for two years now, I am prepared to take on the active position as Faculty Representative. I am going to focus on engaging and bringing students of the faculty closer together through campus events and increasing awareness of the clubs at Capilano University, one of which I am the President of (the Chess Club). As a relatively small faculty, it is important to me to encourage enrolment and to raise awareness of the many opportunities and interests that could be explored in the wide variety of courses within the programs.”

THE CAPILANO COURIER

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• AMANDA VICK – FIRST NATIONS STUDENTS' LIAISON

• ALORA WALLACE – SQUAMISH CAMPUS REPRESENTATIVE

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NEWS

THERESE GUIEB

EXECUTIVE NEWS EDITOR NEWS@CAPILANOCOURIER.COM

WOMEN STUDENTS' LIAISON

WOMEN STUDENTS' LIAISON

FIRST NATIONS STUDENTS' LIAISON

ACCESSIBILITY & JUSTICE COORDINATOR

ALYSA HUPPLER-POLIAK, THIRD YEAR TOURISM MANAGEMENT

NOOR NANDHA, FIRST YEAR BUSINESS

GERONIMO ALEC, TOURISM

JULLIAN KOLSTEE, FOURTH YEAR COMMUNICATIONS

“I have chosen to run because supporting and empowering women is an extremely important element of my everyday life. As CSU Women’s Liaison I will strive to empower the female student body to learn tools, skills and resources so they can be the most powerful women they can be. Additionally, I would like to bring relevant speakers to speak to the women’s coalition. Finally, I would like to create a support group for single moms. I have a solid background in woman’s empowerment. For the past two years I have been working in this area in different locations around the world.

“I’m running for the [Women Students’ Liaison]. What I’m going to do on it depends — I do have an essential plan in place, but again it all depends on what the people want, and that’s why I’m running, is to aid the people. So whenever the girls tell me, “Like hey this is what we want” we have a page in place, the women’s centre has a board for the girls to write whatever it is that they need and I will be willing to implement whatever they need.”

“I’m running for the First Nations Student Liaison position, I’ve been wanting to run for this position for a while now. I do have a little bit of experience with student council. I was a student council president at the Native Education College, and I brought a lot of change. It’s because of me that they now have a basketball team, and we did win project change and Generation Green awards for our garden project, so that was quite the experience, and I want to bring here to the University, to spread more awareness about First Nations culture, their issues, and just create awareness.”

“Working in the role of Accessibility Justice Coordinator has been a challenging and rewarding learning experience. I'm happy to have had this opportunity to work with my counterparts at Accessibility Services, and my colleagues on the CSU board, in an effort to make Capilano a better place for students with disabilities. The next step continues to be bringing members into our collective, and building a community on campus around accessibility. I'm committed to that, and our CSU.”

STUDENTS OF COLOUR LIAISON

STUDENTS OF COLOUR LIAISON

HANK CHAN, FIRST YEAR ARTS & SCIENCES

ERICK ROJAS, SECOND YEAR BUSINESS

HAROLD WILLIAMS, FIRST YEAR BUSINESS

RAMNEET KANG, SECOND YEAR COMMUNICATIONS

"Hi, I'm Hank. Transferring from the east coast but originally from Taiwan, I’ve been in Canada for about two years. I’ve experienced and understand every obstacle international students have to go through alone. However, this time you don't have to be alone. With my ambition to major in political science, I'm here to help. My 4+1 manifesto is aimed at dealing with big issues facing international and domestic students: Financial resources, immigration, cultural exchange events, anti-racism and more choices for Study Abroad programs. So vote for Hank, the man with the plan.”

“Each time I see that there’s more potential for international students. This position is for internationals, they’ve been here one or two years, I’ve been here for five years, I’ve gone through a lot, that’s why I’m not a resident or a citizen yet. The ones that want to emigrate or the ones that want to stay here, stay or help them get through that path easier. No one tells you where actually to go here. Share experiences, and that and also contribute more to the international [experience].”

“While it's normal for a particular ethnic club/group to strive in serving their own, we shouldn't turn a blind eye to the concerns that individuals of differing ethnicity face. I believe the best way to tackle this matter is by inclusion and not exclusion. I plan to bring forward a variety of cultural issues and present them in a way that make people feel a part of the solution. Only then can we truly understand, relate and appreciate the views of others. I hope that my genuine passion for solving multicultural issues, love of interacting with people and my drive to keep moving forward will resonate with my peers during the election period.”

“Over the past few years, I've been quite active with the various collectives within the CSU but in terms of taking on a leadership role and dealing with administrative work and all that jazz, it's all pretty new to me. However, I'm completely up for the challenge and look forward to the learning as much as I can about the process of the student body government. I think I'm worthy of this vote because I believe it's really important to have a safe and inclusive space for students of colour to voice their opinions and bring what they feel is important to the forefront. If elected, you can expect a lot of different events — Bollywood movie nights, maybe a tango workshop, as well as educational workshops on various topics surrounding race, colonialism and cultural appropriation. I like to think of myself as simply a representative for the multicultural community here at Cap and want to bring their ideas into execution.”

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INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS' LIAISON

THE CAPILANO COURIER

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS' LIAISON


CAP YOU

CARLO JAVIER

EXECUTIVE LIFESTYLE EDITOR CARLO.CAPCOURIER@GMAIL.COM

GOING FOR GOLD

Women’s Volleyball team aims to reach the top

— VANCOUVER SPORTS PHOTOS

Scott Barkemeyer CONTRIBUTOR

After a year of relative success, the Capilano University Varsity Blues Women’s Volleyball team is focused on Nationals — and not just attending, but winning. For the Blues, this year is filled with changes. In addition to some new faces, the entire team has adopted a new outlook. “There is a drive and focus coming from the entire team,” said head coach Cal Wohlford. Returning setter Sarah Hughes agreed. “The rookies all have the same determination as we [veterans] do,” she said. The Blues already had a chance to play together during a trip to Santa Barbara, where they competed against teams that had been together and trained extensively prior to the competition. As a result, the Blues understand what they need to work on. All of the players are dedicated to not only their individual improvement but also the improvement of the entire team. “We’ve seen loss, we’ve had our differences, we’ve moved on,” said All-Canadian rightside, Kira Sutcliffe. “On the flight back to Canada I took out my laptop to review game footage and a player asked to see it, then it was passed around for the entire flight,” Wohlford added. According to Wohlford, the goal for the team is to achieve gold at nationals. “I

believe that this year’s team is more than capable of it,” he said. He further notes that Hughes and Sutcliffe, two of the returning athletes, are the players to keep an eye on for the season. “I think it’s true, receiving player of the year last year and All-Canadian and not being able to play at nationals lit a fire in me,” said Sutcliffe. When talking to the players and coaches, it’s apparent that the emphasis to build on the drive will be on the everyone’s minds this year. The returning coaching staff — head coach Wohlford, assistant coach Lauren Stockstad and setting coach Mike Hughes — will have to steer this year’s program. “Having the three coaches that are all individuals, including one female coach, they all have a different way

of explaining it, so it is perfect if anyone learns differently,” said Sutcliffe. One of the largest issues that plagued not only the volleyball teams, but also all of the varsity teams, was the low turnout of fans at games. Over the past month, the team has focused on building community engagement in the North Shore by doing fundraising efforts and hosting a high school tournament. Another benefit is that three of the Blues’ players come from a volleyball club on the North Shore that has already maintained interaction with the community. Building on the success of last year is important to the team. Each of the players is dedicated to improving not only their individual abilities but also the collective

skill of the team. “When people come out they are going to get a good game this year,” said Hughes. The Capilano Blues open their season on Friday, Oct. 16 against the Douglas College Royals. The two teams will face off again the following day for the Blues’ home opener at 5 pm in the Capilano University Sportsplex.

RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES ON CAMPUS How to be athletic without playing varsity Carlo Javier

THE CAPILANO COURIER

VOLUME 49 ISSUE NO. 06

EXECUTIVE LIFESTYLE EDITOR

Words like “varsity” and “competitive” might wave red flags in the eyes of many students, particularly those who enjoy participating in sports and other exercises, but may not be so inclined if it’s performed at a very high, competitive level. The Capilano Blues varsity teams are composed of highlevel performing athletes who are just quite a bit better at what they do than you and I. For those who aren’t at the collegiate sports level of fitness and athleticism, but still enjoy playing the sport they love, not being on varsity doesn’t mean the end of the world. There are many recreational programs offered at Capilano University. More surprisingly, they’re usually free – or affordable.

SPORTS DROP-INS The shiny hardwood floors of the Sportsplex aren’t reserved only for the school teams. The gym is open for use throughout the week and equipment is also provided. Indoor soccer, basketball

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and racquet sports are the main sports offered in the gym, although there are no reasons why you can’t play Red Rover and Octopus, other than the fact that you’ll have to run.

be present, have fun and laugh a little while you're at it, you're doing it right. So come in and be willing to play a little in your practice. My classes are a judgementfree zone.”

YOGA

MOVEMENT CLASS

One of the flagship programs available on campus is yoga. For a small fee per session ($5 for students and $7 for faculty) members of the university community can achieve their zen in CapU’s surprisingly neat multi-purpose room. “My classes are hatha-inspired, which focus on alignment, flow and breath,” said Anahita Barryman, yoga instructor and second year international business student. “Each class runs for an hour and follows a sequence with a different focus each time you come,” she added. For Barryman, the benefits of yoga are more than just getting in some physical activities during school days, “It’ll help you de-stress, get your blood flowing, get your body moving. And also you get to meet people you probably otherwise wouldn’t have met. “Everyone is at a different level in their practice and that's okay,” she added. “As long as your willing to put ego aside,

One of the seemingly more obscure programs offered in CapU’s pool of recreational activities is the aptly-named movement class. Taught by kinesiology student and movement coach Logan Quinn, the class focuses on reaping the combined benefits of gymnastics, aerobics and meditation. “The concept goes back to gymnastics,” said Quinn. “A gymnast is basically the kind of person who would excel in any sport because they practice every possible permutation of movement — they won’t be great, but they’ll be better than the average person.” Movement class focuses on maximizing flexibility by putting practitioners in the most organic form of motion. For example, Quinn emphasized the benefits of practicing the same movements that a baby would do. As the crawling motion provides a full range of motion and extension on an individual’s back, “it’s rehab for students with back injuries,” he said.

This semester, the course will start with general movement. In November, students will get to practice gymnastics and circus arts and in December, Quinn suggested the possibility of either creature or animalistic movements or stunt choreography. On top of his responsibilities as a student and as a movement coach on campus, Quinn also coaches at Vancouver Circus School. “As a movement coach you kind of have to study various disciplines and part of that means I need to coach both actors and athletes,” he said. CapU’s recreational programs also include karate classes and table tennis. Beyond that, all that remains is room for expansion and participation. “The more the better. I mean, to my understanding all of these classes are student-run, which I think is amazing,” said Barryman. “It's a really cool way of getting people to integrate their school life with their work life and share a little bit of their passion with others.”


CALENDAR NEWS

12 MONDAY

THANKSGIVING

YOUR MOM’S HOUSE 5 PM • $ - EXTRA CALORIES

If you’re like me and you happen to love Turkey and pumpkin pie then this is probably your favourite holiday of the year. If you don’t then you likely have one of the only two disabilities on earth that I’d ever consider making fun of you for — veganism and lactose intolerance. Have fun with your tofurkey, you lonely freak.

THE COURIER GETS PRINTED

COQUITLAM 5:45 AM • $ - ENOUGH

ANDY RICE

CALENDAR EDITOR EDITOR@CAPILANOCOURIER.COM

15 13 TUESDAY

Back in the golden era of newspapers, most publications had their own printing press. The Courier has never had such a thing. We barely have a working printer. That’s why we send our pages digitally over to a place in Coquitlam every Monday. They don't give us any freebies so I’m not giving them any shoutouts.

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WEDNESDAY

VIET CONG

THE COBALT 8 PM • $15 + SC

These guys have a pretty offensive band name, which they’ve vowed to change in the next few months due to public backlash. You could punish them by not attending their show, or you could just suck it up and take it for what it is. I’m kind of secretly hoping that their new band name turns out to be even more offensive than the first.

16 FRIDAY

15 17 THURSDAY

ANDEAN HORROR FILM FEST

THE UNCOMMON CAFE 6:30 PM • $15 TO $40

No, The Courier isn’t having another election where pizza is used as a tactic for voter engagement. In fact, this has nothing to do with us. It’s a cooking class where some dude named Chef Luc will teach you how to roll out a few dough-balls, sauce ‘em up and sprinkle a few toppings on top. That’s worth $40, right?

BILL MAHER

QUEEN ELIZABETH THEATRE 8 PM • $49.50 TO $99.50 + SC

LOST 80S LIVE

RIVER ROCK SHOW THEATRE 7 PM • $39.50 TO 49.50 + SC

Yep, I’m just trolling you with the 80s. I know you weren’t there and I know you feel self-conscious about it. This particular concert might make you feel better though, because nobody should feel more self-conscious than Wang Chung, Naked Eyes, Animotion & When in Rome — four bands with so few hits they have to tour as a package deal.

If you’re a foodie then you shouldn’t miss this event, but you’ll have to be a rich foodie because Yaletown will only get you fat if you’ve got fat stacks to spend. The nice thing about these tasting festivals is that the menus are fixed-price so you always know what you’re getting into. The bad thing is that they’re not the restaurant’s actual menu.

17 14 SATURDAY

ANARCHIST RANTS, RAPS AND POEMS

HORSES RECORDS & BOOKS 8:30 PM • $5

Norman Nawrocki is an acclaimed anarchist author, violinist and cabaret artist who used to live in Vancouver’s East End but now calls Montreal home. On this particular evening, he’ll read from his new book, No Masters! No Gods! Dare to Dream, and play violin. The dude sounds like a real piece of work.

LASAGNA GARDENING

VANDUSEN BOTANICAL GARDEN 10 AM • $28 TO $38

I can’t tell you how pissed off I was when I found out that this event has nothing to do with lasagna. Rather, it’s about mulching in layers to build up a healthy soil network. Sounds super pretentious, right? But this thing takes place at VanDusen gardens, so what else would you expect? Certainly not actual lasagna. That’s peasant food.

APPLE FESTIVAL

UBC BOTANICAL GARDEN 11 AM • $4

I don’t even like apples but this is an all-ages event and it’s cheap as balls. That’s why it made the calendar. “The Apple Festival is a great opportunity to not only discover more about this delicious fruit, but have a whole lot of fun doing it,” spews the event’s website. I have tons of fun “doing it”, thank you very much, but there are rarely apples involved.

THE CAPILANO COURIER

Back when Leah Scheitel was master of the Courier calendar, Bill Maher was a regular entry for reasons I never fully understood. This year, we actually have legitimate cause to feature the host of Politically Incorrect and Real Time in our pages as he’s coming to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre for a night of political comedy.

Break out your shoulder pads and leg warmers, because Vancouver Theatresports League is bringing the 80s back! Or, if you aren’t 26 or older this year, they’ll just be bringing the 80s. Improvisers will riff on all their favourite clichés from 30 years ago. Most of the jokes will go over your head faster than last night’s Colbert monologue.

SURREY…JUST KIDDING! ANYTIME • $25 TO $45

I remember last year when we sent one of our contributors to review GWAR and then sent another writer to see Tokyo Police Club the following day. Apparently, this band of costumed heavy metal misfits made such a mess with synthetic goo that the entire place had to be sanitized from top to bottom. You’ve been warned.

SFU GOLDCORP CENTRE 5 PM • $6 TO $11

THROWBACK THEATRESPORTS

THE IMPROV CENTRE 7:30 PM • $10 TO $21

TASTE OF YALETOWN

COMMODORE BALLROOM 8 PM • $34 + SC

A PIZZA PARTY

SUNDAY

Have you ever wanted to stand at centre field or see what the media lounge, locker rooms and premium suites look like at BC Place? I have, but then again I grew up in a tiny town where the closest thing we had to a stadium was a 1,300-capacity arena with asbestos roofing, so this kind of shit is really exciting to me.

GWAR

Move over, VIFF, because there’s a new film festival coming to town! This one features audiovisual adaptations of fantasy, horror and folk tales from the Peruvian Andes. Apparently there’s a mythological monster called the Jarjacha (part man, part llama), which I’m particularly interested in getting a closer look at. Wanna come?

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ROGERS ARENA… JUST KIDDING! 11 AM, 1 PM, 3 PM • $13.50 TO $20 + TAX

I’ve never understood Madonna, but I wasn’t really doing much in the 80s so that’s probably why. Apparently, she pushed all kinds of buttons back in the day, and she’s still going strong at the age of 57 with a new album and a world tour in progress. She’s notorious for lip-syncing though, so don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Run Free chronicles the life of Micah True — also known as Caballo Blanco, or the White Horse. He was an American ultra running legend with a dream of creating an ultra marathon in Mexico’s Copper Canyon to promote and preserve the running tradition of the Tarahumara people. The film is based on a true story.

EAST VAN DROP-IN ROCK CHOIR

WISE HALL 7 PM • $10

BC PLACE ALL ACCESS TOUR

MADONNA

RUN FREE

The event description for this play was so vague, I’m genuinely hoping the lost word isn’t “consent” and the star isn’t Bill Cosby himself. Allegedly, this is “an event series focusing on banned, censored and controversial plays” and “the exploration of scripts that were vilified for their content.” Keep an eye on your drink regardless.

Let’s face it — an inbred wolf could carry a tune better than some of today’s most popular indie artists, so why not see if you can do any better? No experience is needed for this weekly drop-in rock choir at the Wise Hall, where the music of X Ambassadors and Arcade Fire is standard fare. You could be the next Win Butler!

ROGERS ARENA 8 PM • $40 TO $355 + SC

NORMAN ROTHSTEIN THEATRE 7 PM • $20

LOST WORDS: SEX EDITION

EMERALD SUPPER CLUB CABARET 7:30 PM • $10

DEMYSTIFYING MUSHROOMS

STANLEY PARK PAVILION 2:45 PM • $15 TO $25

Usually whenever I want to demystify mushrooms I talk to Gabe, our features editor. However, there’s now a course for it which will come in handy when he doesn’t pick up his phone. “Learn the basics of mushroom identification,” says the event description, which doesn’t promise anything about helping you find the hallucinogenic variety.

VOLUME 49 ISSUE NO. 06

BURLESQUE ELECTION PARTY

BILTMORE CABARET 8 PM • $9 TO $17

Kitty Nights Burlesque has come up a fantastic way to spend the last night before Stephen Harper gets the boot. Schlock the Vote is a political cabaret featuring “political satire and good-natured ribbing in traditional burlesque fashion”. There’s also something called the Yelp Bag of Sex, which is a pet-name I often use for one of my exes.

BURLESQUE ELECTION PARTY

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FEATURES NEWS

Christine Beyleveldt

THE CAPILANO COURIER

VOLUME 49 ISSUE NO. 06

CAMPUS CORRESPONDENT

On Oct.1, Conservative MP for the riding of North Vancouver, Andrew Saxton, addressed the student body of Capilano University with the statement, “The Liberals talk a good talk but they don’t walk a good walk.” Whether we like it or not, personal attacks have become increasingly common in politics, taking negative campaigning to a whole new level. Technological advancements have enabled the use of many new forms of media and more dollars are being put toward attack ads than ever before. These days, there are even attack ads about attack ads, including one in which the Liberals accuse the Tories of using $750,000 in taxpayer dollars to pay for theirs. “I think [Conservative attack ads] are more prevalent,” said Jonathan Wilkinson, the Liberal candidate for the North Vancouver riding. “We’ve seen it in this campaign… and I think that Canadians unfortunately do respond to that.” At one time in history, political figures concentrated solely on their own campaigns, rather than concentrating efforts on their opponents. The entire culture of campaigning has taken a dark twist, aided by mainstream media. The process has become common enough to inspire colloquial terms such as mudslinging. One literal example of mudslinging occurred in the 2008 federal election, when the Conservative government released an ad featuring then-Liberal opposition leader Stephane Dion being excreted on by an animated puffin. That particular ad brought hisses of outrage from viewers, but Dion’s fate was sealed, and many Canadians came to think of the leader as being a bit of a joke thanks to Conservative campaigning. “Image is everything,” the Ottawa Citizen wrote in 2008, “and, unfair or not, once an image starts to stick, ungluing it is tough.”

HISTORY OF THE ATTACK The first recorded political campaign in history occurred in Rome in the year 63 BCE, and with the first campaign came the first onslaught of deceptive and ruthless attacks.

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TAKING AIM Marcus Tullius Cicero was elected consul in that year, and his brother offered up some sound advice. “See that your campaign is full of show… Furthermore, if it is by any means possible, see that your competitors are smeared with an evil reputation – which fits their characters – for crime, vice or bribery.” For as long as campaigning has existed, slander has as well. Some ads work and some don’t. It’s the same principle as product advertising: if an ad is unappealing or simply doesn’t make sense, it won’t be very successful. Distaste is a particular concern when parties go poking and prodding at each other as if they’re taking a stick to a sleeping bear. The public might ignore the attack, they might be goaded into adopting a party’s ideology, or they might gather their torches and pitchforks at the provocation. No party wants to see the latter — just ask Kim Campbell, who lost her position as prime minister after a lapse in judgement over an attack ad in 1993. “The classic back-firing ad, at least in Canada, was the 1993 anti-Jean Chretien ad that poked fun at his Bell's palsy,” said Bradley Miller, a Canadian History and History of International Law instructor at the University of British Columbia. “That said, politics seem constantly to prove that quite malicious attack ads do often work.” The attack centred around the slogan, “Is this a Prime Minister?”, and featured numerous screenshots of the Liberal leader’s face contorted into bizarre expressions. The ad served mostly to attack Chretien’s partial facial paralysis caused by Bell’s Palsy. It backfired drastically — the Tories lost most of their seats to the Liberal party that year and would remain the majority opposition for 13 more to come. According to Aidan Mouellic, a second year Communications student at CapU, the Conservative party appears to be responsible for the majority of attack ads this election. “The Conservatives favour a fear-based platform with more personal attacks,” he said. “I recall Surrey’s old mayor, Dianne Watts, running for the federal Conservative seat, putting out

a leaflet touting the threat of terrorism, ISIS and Jihad along with her intent to fight it.” This specific kind of fear-inducing campaigning is meant to distract from other national issues. In this case, the Conservative party has promised voters that they will continue to fight ISIS in the Middle East, while the NDP has promised to end the bombing campaign and repeal Canadian troops from Iraq and Syria. By painting a violent mental picture in voters’ minds, the statement made by Watts would serve to convince them of an inherent need to fight ISIS. “I find the overt fear-mongering of the Conservative party almost humorous,” added Mouellic. “Grown men and women who posture and act in public like high school debate squad athletes.” There may have been a time when Canadian politicians played by the rules, but lately their attacks have predominantly been crafted around each other’s personal character rather than their platforms. “My general thought is that the degree of maliciousness in attack ads is reined in by both the social sensitivities surrounding the behaviour being attacked and by the general political culture of the election,” said Miller. Voters may remember the Conservative attack ads of 2006 that targeted then-Liberal leader Stephane Dion. Consistently, the Conservatives pushed across the same message: “Leaders set priorities. Leaders get things done. Stephan Dion is not a leader,” while showing repeated clips of him speaking during a live debate, drawing attention to his poor English. That particular ad did not cause a scandal in Parliament, because it was not attacking Dion for his outward appearance or his personal affairs as many others have. It is common practice in politics to attack a competitor’s platform — after all, the public has the right to know what their leaders are campaigning for. However, attack ads often serve more to humiliate opponents by highlighting aspects of their personality or physical appearance rather than focusing on important political ideologies. For this reason, they are often a calculated

risk, as public response to the message they carry can make or break a campaign. When Campbell’s government chose to air the infamous Bell’s Palsy attack ad in 1993, the Liberals were winning support in record numbers. Initially, the Tories had created four television ads with the intention of running them as a series, but because the first one received such enormous negative publicity, Campbell pulled the three others to prevent further bad press to her own campaign. In the world of political attacks in Canada, Campbell set a benchmark of poor taste that has yet to be surpassed. The fiasco is well-documented even 20 years later, likely because her decision to air the ads can be attributed to her downfall after mere months in office. But with a longer lead-up and a tighter race heading into the 42nd Canadian general election this October, there are plenty of modern examples to be found as well. In June, the CBC chided the Conservative party for manipulating news footage it ran of Justin Trudeau answering questions about his foreign policy position on ISIS and Iraq. “The latest attack ad by the Conservatives is proof positive of Kim Campbell's infamous assertion that election campaigns (including 45-second videos on social media) aren't the time to talk about complicated policy issues,” wrote Eric Blais for CBC News. “I would much prefer to see intelligent, honest, respectful and smart dialogue within an election.”

LEGAL OBSTACLES “My general thought is that politicians likely don't need to bend the law to attack their opponents,” said Miller. “Political speech is protected like any other kind by the Charter, and I would imagine that courts would be very unlikely to save an unconstitutional restriction on campaign speech under section 1 — political speech would likely get even more protection than most other kinds.” It seems only fair, after all Canadians are entitled to freedom of expression through section 2(b) of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which includes the following: “Freedom


@CAPILANOCOURIER

— SYD DANGER

WWW.CAPILANOCOURIER.COM

THE COMPLICATED HISTORY OF CANADIAN ATTACK ADS opponent’s platform. Even if certain facts are omitted but not distorted, it is acceptable. The problem lies in outright slander, which has become the norm in recent history. According to Wilkinson, attack ads can go one of two ways. Either the ads will serve to point out a government’s previous record, which the public will generally interpret as being fair because if a party has made a legitimate mistake then it is in the public’s right to be informed. On the other hand, attack ads may also go in the direction of targeting an individual’s personal lifestyle. “The type of attack ads that I think are quite offensive are the ones that are very personal, so you go after someone personally for personal characteristics, or personal history, or those kinds of things,” explained Wilkinson.

THE GOOD, BAD AND THE UGLY

players vying for the title of prime minister, there will likely be vicious and sometimes personal attacks. And as long as there is radio, television, Internet and an ever-increasing network of devices on which to propagate them, these messages won’t soon be ignored or forgotten.

VOLUME 49 ISSUE NO. 06

In Canada’s long history of political campaigns, 42 to be precise, there have been some real showstoppers. “Attack ads originated in the United States and were refined there. They came to Canada only relatively recently,” said Wilkinson. The Americans take the cake for some of the most controversial attack ads ever put forth, starting with “Daisy”. In 1964, Lyndon B. Johnson ran an ad that showed a young girl picking petals from a daisy, counting them slowly before the image morphs into a mushroom cloud synonymous with the nuclear attack. While Johnson secured a landslide victory that year, the ad has remained controversial to this day. Arguably, no political ad has ever garnered more attention, though Canadians have certainly tried. The 2015 election campaign in particular has been an aggressive one. The first attacks began to emerge in May, most notably the Conservative party’s job interview-style ads that attacked first Trudeau and then NDP leader Thomas Mulcair. “He’s like a celebrity who says things before thinking them through,” and “He’s just not ready,” have become infamous one-liners drawn from the ad that a startling number of Canadians cite in reference to the Liberal leader.

“I find at the doorstep a lot of people would say to me, ‘Justin’s not ready’ — they would parrot the line,” said Wilkinson. Mulcair was also unexpectedly thrust into the spotlight by Conservative campaigning in a similar job interview-style ad. “Thomas Mulcair, another career politician we can’t afford,” was the message trumped by Conservatives. But the NDP struck back and set up a job performance review for Harper, declaring it was time to let him go. Just last month, the attack ads that have been so consistent throughout this election campaign landed with a vengeance on Stephen Harper, although Harper’s political opponents had nothing to do with it. “I used to be proud of my country,” the video begins, sombrely. Iconic moments in Canadian history that would make any Canuck proud flash across the screen. The ad cuts to graphic images of British Columbia’s disappearing forests, heavily-armoured police crews lining the streets and wielding batons, enormous coal fires polluting the sky and the rapidly-melting arctic ice-floats. “The world now sees us for what we’ve become,” the narrator continues as a man walks up to a woman in an airport and spits on the Canadian flag sewn onto her suitcase. “What happened?” He said. “You used to be the good ones.” Adbusters, a Vancouver-based magazine that started the Occupy Wall Street movement, proudly claimed responsibility for the ad, which currently holds 10 time slots on CBC’s, The National with Peter Mansbridge. “After a mere nine years in office, Stephen Harper has trashed Canada’s international reputation,” says a statement on the organization’s website. Adbusters targeted Harper for his policies rather than for his side-swept silver hair, and the fact that it was commissioned by a public enterprise rather than another political party eliminates the chance of the ad backfiring and boosting the Conservative reputation. Canada has shifted toward a new mentality for political advertising, largely because of the amount of media its citizens are exposed to on a daily basis. As long as there are power

THE CAPILANO COURIER

of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication.” Therefore, it is entirely legal for politicians to attack their opponents. All Canadians are entitled to personal opinions and the right to voice them, and freedom in media communication specifically makes it easier for politicians to broadcast their slanderous ads — though undeniably in certain cases political parties have been known to cross boundaries. “I guess the other issue is libel law, and how easy it should be for politicians to sue each other for misstating the facts,” said Miller. Such was the case in June when the CBC began removing certain ads posted on YouTube under the pretext of copyright infringement after statements made by Trudeau in an interview with reporter Terry Milewski were taken out of context and used in an advertisement entitled “Justin Trudeau on ISIS”. The ad featured grisly images of prisoners in orange jumpsuits awaiting execution to the chilling music ISIS often uses to scare viewers, and, in this case, associated Trudeau’s ideas with the terror group. Every contender for the seat of prime minister has dealt with both public and political commentary on his or her ideas. However, after the debacle that arose with the CBC in June, for the first time consideration was given in charging the Conservative party with going against the very same legislation it had passed surrounding libel. “I actually think it would not be a bad idea to have a body that at least evaluated and commented on whether the comments made in these ads are true, and I think Canadians would benefit from that,” said Wilkinson. “Parties seem to be relatively free to say what they want. There isn’t a particular framework or a body that’s there to check whether statements are accurate.” Currently, no such body exists and because the Canadian public has never considered attack ads a big issue, no laws determining acceptable conduct have ever made it into a bill. There is no issue with publishing the facts if a party should choose to air their primary

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ARTS & CULTURE NEWS

MARK CRICKMAY

ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR ARTS.CAPCOURIER@GMAIL.COM

NETFLIX AND CHILLIN' OUT

CANADIAN NETFLIX USERS ARE NOT IN DANGER OF GETTING SUED Alva Tang

Netflix has become a part of daily life in North America and people of all ages just can’t seem to get enough of the on-demand media service. However, due to licensing restrictions, customers in Canada are subscribed to a different version of Netflix than the United States — that is, unless they’ve found the loophole. According to NetflixCanadavsusa. blogspot.ca, a website dedicated to tracking the content of Canadian and US Netflix daily, there are a total of 2,957 more movies and shows US Netflix has to offer over Canadian Netflix. Because of this, many Canadian users have shifted over to US Netflix by using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) that serves as a geo-blocker so they appear as if they are from any location they wish. In doing so, this is violating Netflix’s terms of use. “There is this component to the new copyright law saying you can’t circumvent digital protections,” said Kellen Voyer, managing director at Voyer Law Corporation, “Trying to circumvent Netflix’s internal technology that allows it to figure out where you’re from is a circum-

— CRISTIAN FOWLIE

COMMUNITY RELATIONS

vention of digital technologies. You can look at it as illegal in the sense that you’re breaking a private contract with Netflix.” Though this is valid, Voyeur stated that it would be extremely hard for them to figure out if someone’s location is honest and if this would be worth their time. Regardless of location, users still need to pay a service fee to access Netflix at all. Because of this, Voyeur doesn’t believe that this situation would ever get to a point where Netflix would sue its users. “The reality is that whenever you start suing your main consumers, you get

a really bad flack on the PR side of things, and I think Netflix is really well aware of that,” he said. “They’ve permitted it for a long time implicitly because they’ve never really gone after users for that…. Here, we’re in more of a grey area and perhaps it’s less grey legally, but more socially acceptable because you’re paying for subscription for a service of Netflix.” Users are just using what they paid for their rights to use. Allyson Staddon, a former user of US Netflix, said that if Netflix were to sue her for using US Netflix, that would be enough or her to stop using

the service altogether, and she believes that many others would feel the same. “I would stop using it because it would be unfair for a huge company to sue a person who would never be able to pay it back,” said Staddon. As a former user of US Netflix himself, Voyer can vouch that US Netflix does have quite a bigger selection of appealing options to choose from. “I think that now, Canadian Netflix has certainly improved and continues to improve,” he said. Because letters and notices have been sent out to certain VPN companies, Voyer says that he could see them turning into lawsuits in the future, but he doesn’t see it realistic that there would be lawsuits against users as that would do more damage than it would good. “If users really want to use these kinds of services, just know that they are quite likely running a foul of copyright in some way, so they could be shut down by way of a Netflix lawsuit,” said Voyer, “So don’t pay yearly, pay by the month.”

AN EDUCATIONAL PENNING

Looking at Vancouver Writers Fest from a new perspective Milana Bucan

THE CAPILANO COURIER

VOLUME 49 ISSUE NO. 06

CONTRIBUTOR

Every year in October for the past 28 years over a six day span, more than 100 international renowned writers come together to tell their story in Vancouver. With over 90 events, ranging from themes of personal experiences, graphics and comics to crimes and thrillers, Vancouver Writers Fest (VWF) finds itself at home on Granville Island. It’s a once a year opportunity for all Vancouverites to attend, meet the authors and hear their stories firsthand. It gives people a chance to gain clarity on related topics and to hear a different perspective on current topical issues from seasoned professionals. Hal Wake, artistic director of VWF, explains that “Most of our events are educational in that we hope people leave with a greater understanding of themselves and the world around them.” Attending authors come from all over the world with different backgrounds premiering styles to share their ideas and thoughts and to engage the audience in educational discussions. “We hope that our line-up reflects a real diversity of voices. We are trying to create events whose format will appeal to

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different age groups and audiences,” said Wake, referring to the arrangement of the festival. For attending audiences — ranging from little kindergarteners to avid elderly readers — VWF will be an open podium for readings, interviews, discussions and conversations. An enriching educational experience to cultivate a culture of readers and maintain the core values of literature. The hope is to captivate and educate younger audiences by having credible writers share their methods and the reasons behind them. “The kinds of writers cover quite a wide range: fiction, non-fiction, poetry and genre writing like crime,” said Wake. There are informative non-fiction events to keep everyone busy for the entire length of their stay. “There is a [self-titled] event this year about [the] Freedom of Expression and for people who are interested in journalism we have an event called Whose Story Is It? [The latter being] an event about two journalists who have written books,” said Wake. “That event has two journalists who will be speaking from their personal experiences, how they negotiate the rules and the way that

the story is going to be told. A frequent problem occurring in journalism,” Wake explained. Freedom of Expression, hosted by Wake himself, continues to explore the current threat to the freedom of speech. The discussion is open to the panel of VWF, which includes Shauna Singh Baldwin, Roxane Gay, Lawrence Hill and Nino Ricci. They will further discuss how, despite having the freedom to express ourselves, we are still limited to how we communicate without facing severe consequences. With younger audience members attending, the Vancouver Writers Fest has created events that will be appealing to them by incorporating various multimedia. “Our audience tends to be older book readers, but we have an event this year that is designed specifically for people in their 20’s and 30’s that is going to have a lot of different elements, visuals, art, video…But it all connects to the author’s methodology,” said Wake. Extra visual aids and more interactive props are used to grab the attention of younger audiences with hopes that the authors will awaken their imagination to create something new.

The Formal Outreach to Schools, an educational program contains 35 events that are directly aimed at kindergarteners to grade 12. “Teachers bring entire classes down to Granville Island where everything takes place,” said Wake. The Spreading the Word Program ties into the BC Curriculum guidelines and is an educational resource that brings the VWF into the classroom. This experience was created for students to inspire them to read and write their own stories. There will also be books available for purchase and an opportunity to have them signed by the author themselves. Vancouver Writers Fest will take place on Granville Island from Oct. 20 to 25. For more information, readers may visit Writersfest.bc.ca. Tickets can be purchased online at Vancouvertix.com.


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CAP U ESSENTIALS: THE ALUMNI EDITION

— TOMAS DANCO

Featuring the Capilano Courier’s illustrious former editor, JJ Brewis Mark Crickmay ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

As stated before, Brewis has an unwavering love affair for Disneyland and likely everything that goes with it — hence the Mickey Mouse t-shirt. However, this tattered piece carries the significance of a “tangible piece of [Brewis’] freedom” and represents “a symbol of hope for [him].” Without getting too personal, it’s relative to a past kinship. The iconic stance and nearly innocent smile of Mickey encompasses a copious amount of hopes and dreams. Back to being basic, Brewis can’t seem to leave home without a brother and sister of Moleskin notebooks (one of which is, of course, another ode to Mickey) — tattooed with “drawings of weird people on the bus,” and likely penned thoughts. Basic bitch item numero dos includes Emergen-C, with tropical taking the win flavour-wise. Who wants to get sick, anyways? Stepping it back up a notch, Brewis expresses himself with quality unique eyewear from Oliver Peoples. Judging by the shape, contours and details, this pair appears to be of the Sir O’Malley distinction. Accessorizing isn’t complete in Brewis’ world without a standard pair of black RayBan wayfarer’s. Paired well is Brewis’s bottle of Viktor & Rolf Antidote. “It’s out of produc-

tion and this is my last bottle so when this baby runs out, I’m going to have to pay like $200 for another bottle on eBay,” he said. Tops note of Bergamot, a spicy heart and a warm and powdery base bring this elixir to life, making it a staple essential for brooding, manly lust. Maintaining connectivity is a priority for any form of a socialite. An Incase Portable Power 2500 in black and an iPhone 5s are what keeps JJ Brewis in touch with the digital age. “I’m on my phone all day and these things are horrible and die so goddamn fast so it’s nice knowing I can charge my phone on the go and Instagram and play Tsum Tsum whenever the hell I want to without a worry,” stated Brewis. To keep everything all in one place in comfort, protection and style is a classic C.C. Filson bag in an olive tan drab, clad with simplistic leather straps touting brass zippers and buckles. Inside, one will find everything above and one discontinued Fujifilm Instax Mini90 Neo Classic — perfect for capturing those eternal Disneyland moments.

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Carrying a reusable Starbucks plastic cup is an essential that sits at the top of Brewis’s list. “I am unabashedly #basic, and I embrace it. I listen to Justin Bieber and watch Big Brother, and I drink a pumpkin spice latte almost every day. No shame.” No worries, guy. Everybody needs to stay at least partially basic to stay in touch. It’s hard to believe that Brewis isn’t more into vintage clothing than he actually is, pulling it off like a zebra pulls off stripes — au natural. A denim jacket found on the racks of Mintage labelled as “free” is one of Brewis’s staple wears. “It’s falling apart and I love the look of it even more the more weathered it gets. I’m not all that into vintage pieces but I love this jacket,” he said. Keeping time is essential for Brewis, especially when it presents a certain surprise as this Michael Kors timepiece does. Bought in a cheap outlet store, it stands the test of time in order to bring Brewis some nostalgia — reminiscent of wild times. The theme of nostalgia carries over into Brewis’s necklace as well. “The chain came from my dear friend, Jess, and the ring is a family ring my mother bought for my grandmother. It has my mother, father, sister, and my own birth stones and is probably my prized possession. I’m extremely nostalgic.”

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We had the chance to catch up with JJ Brewis, previous editor-in-chief and art director for the Capilano Courier, to discuss what essentials he carries with him on a daily basis. When he’s not logging hours at the formidable Vancouver Public Library downtown, Brewis can be found covering live music shows for Lords of Dogwood, the online publication he founded with friend and photographer Melissa Dex Guzman. In addition to being a lover of Disneyland, writing and Mexican food, Brewis is also a passionate advocate for the local arts scene. He remembers his time at Capilano University fondly. “There’s a huge passion here,” said Brewis about the atmosphere on campus. “I was around when Bulcroft spearheaded all of the Arts department cuts, and the sheer amount of passion and banding together that the rest of the school responded with was overwhelming and impressive… It was a great example of the types of communities that exist at Cap and how important their spaces and realms are to them.” Studying in and out of CapU for a little under a decade, Brewis has explored everything from producing a benefit concert for the Amy Winehouse Foundation to using a blow torch in sculpture class.


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DON HENLEY CASS COUNTY

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Neil Young may no longer be the 20-yearold he was back in 1965 when he first toured Canada as a solo artist, but the man certainly hasn’t gone to seed. Well, actually he has, but only when it comes to the subject matter for his newest album, The Monsanto Years. Along with Willie Nelson’s two sons, Lukas and Micah, Young has been fronting a very public crusade against GMOs for much of the past year. His Oct. 5 show in Vancouver featured the initiative in all its glory. This is no regular tour for Young. There are no A-list session musicians, no Crazy Horse and no Crosby, Stills or Nash. Instead, the Toronto-born legend has injected his presence into a largelyunknown band called Promise of the Real — a group that, funny enough, got together in 2008 after meeting at one of his concerts in Hawaii. The Nelson brothers, along with bandmates Anthony Logerfo (drums), Corey McCormick (bass) and Tato Melgar (percussion) are all around the age of 25. The 69-year-old Young more than matched their agility on stage, despite being over 40 years their senior. Only for a few fleeting seconds whenever the light caught him at just the right angle did Young ever look, well… old. After opening sets by Reverend Billy and City and Colour, Young’s portion of the evening began with a short acoustic set — “After the Gold Rush” on piano, “Heart of Gold” on guitar and “Mother Earth” on pump organ. Young’s song choices for this tour have been anybody’s guess, varying greatly from night to night. Rogers Arena got “Helpless” while Seattle’s WaMu Theatre heard “Old Man” the previous evening. It was a similar deal with the encore, where “Country Home” beat out “Cinnamon Girl” and “Rockin’ in the Free World”. Promise of the Real entered the stage after Young’s fifth solo number and launched into a lesser-known tune called

ball of sweaty energy, bursting with fourpart harmonies and some downright deranged guitar solos. Even when the clock struck 11, things were still in full force. “Neil Young for Prime Minister!” yelled someone in section 110 after a particularly raucous version of “Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere”. He’d yell it several more times before the concert was over. In an age of where synthetic seeds are growing in the fields and synthetic songs are blowing up on the charts, this was an evening of certified organic rock ’n roll. Young wouldn’t have had it any other way.

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Andy Rice

“Hold Back the Tears”. The song retained plenty of the Tex-Mex cantina vibe it had on his 1977 album, American Stars ’n Bars. Then came the familiar “Out On the Weekend” from Harvest, the best-selling record of 1972. During what ended up being one of the more endearing moments of the evening, Young quickly realized he had the wrong harmonica and waved the band to a halt so a tech could rescue him with a different one. Even for Young and all his musical idiosyncrasies, the dissonance of those first few chords were altogether too much. Highlights of the night included strong renditions of “Harvest Moon”, “Winterlong” and a 10-minute jam at the end of “Cowgirl in the Sand” that brought the crowd to its feet. Although the stage was planted at centre ice with half the arena cordoned off, the sheer volume of applause begged to differ. This was a happy crowd, and it sounded like a full house. Young could clearly sense the warmth coming from the room, and he expressed his gratitude repeatedly. Keeping banter to a minimum, he let the songs do most of the talking and somehow avoided mentioning the upcoming election altogether. Earlier in the day, Young held a press conference alongside David Suzuki, pledging to donate $100,000 of the evening’s profits in support of the Blue Dot campaign. The crowd cheered upon learning where some of their “hard-earned dollars” would be going. When it finally came time to play four tunes from The Monsanto Years, Young and his bandmates crossed over into full beast mode. The shuffle beat and playful whistling of “A Rock Star Bucks a Coffee Shop” became an instant crowd favourite. The other cuts (“People Want to Hear About Love”, “Big Box” and “Workin’ Man”) were engaging in their own right and managed to deter a mass exodus to the beer garden. Unlike many from his era, Young has managed to write amazing songs even into his later years. The Rogers Arena brass may have been a little disappointed with liquor sales that night — people were there to hear every word, and they were more than happy to stay in their seats getting second-hand stoned while their idol took them to school. The latter half of the evening became a

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Does the average university student in 2015 care or even know about a new country record from a 68-year-old music veteran? No, probably not. So why is the Capilano Courier even reviewing it? Well, it’s quite simple: because we all should be exposed to great, honest writing and music. We all know about Don Henley. Turn on any rock station in the world and you will undoubtedly hear his voice, drums and lyrics with a little-known band called the Eagles. He has had a career that has spanned four decades and he has dominated the airwaves for the vast majority of those years. Now, he is flying solo once again for the first time in 15 years with a decidedly contemplative and self-examining “Americana” record called Cass County. Henley claims this album is a return to his roots. He grew up in small Texas town listening to anything his radio could pick up. This album mixes beautiful covers of classic Country songs like, “When I Stop Dreaming” (a duet with Dolly Parton) and an impressive array of new originals like the standout tracks, “That Old Flame”, “Train In The Distance” and “Take a Picture of This.” Henley takes his time with everything he puts forth here. To him, the words are the most important aspect. He writes the way he talks — with nothing superfluous. He is speaking from the heart and more writers need to be doing this. Not every track is a home run, but Henley’s lyrics are as brilliant as ever. In a recent interview with CMT, he puts it as only he can by saying, “I want to make it clear to people that it’s not some walk down Memory Lane by some old fart who’s trying to recapture his youth, I’m just trying to take the best of what was there and build upon it.” Honesty will always be relevant, regardless of whether you are feeling 22 or looking 68.

NEIL YOUNG + PROMISE OF THE REAL SEPT. 5, ROGERS ARENA

The editors of the Capilano Courier take to the streets for Vancouver’s most buzz-worthy concerts, events and social gatherings.

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CONTRIBUTOR

Capilano courier live

Keith Sinclair


OPINIONS

KEVIN KAPENDA

OPINIONS EDITOR OPINIONS.CAPCOURIER@GMAIL.COM

TAG, YOU’RE IT!

Why our children need outdoor activities Christine Beyleveldt CAMPUS CORRESPONDENT

Most Millennials will almost certainly remember the old days when school children ran around outside in the fresh air and sunshine, burning off all of the accumulated energy from sitting at their desks all morning. Games such as tag and hopscotch were staples of childhood, and we all recall the joy of those times where amusement could come from something as simple as running around in circles. But as society morphs into one that is overtly concerned with both physical and mental safety, we border on the absurd. We have reached a point in time where one child’s bruised feelings or grazed elbows can put an entire generation of children’s wellbeing at risk. In September, the Mercer County school district in Washington shocked locals with the announcement that schools would be implementing a ban on the game of Tag. A number of parents were justifiably outraged, but a spokesman for the school district explained the board’s decision: “Espe-

cially during recess and unstructured time, students are expected to keep their hands to themselves. The rationale behind this is to ensure the physical and emotional safety of all students.” Of course, many parents called the school board out for their statement. “I totally survived Tag,” one upset mother, Joyce, told the Washington Post, “I even survived Red Rover, believe it or not.” However, there are some genuine reasons for school authorities to consider implementing changes to protocol for schoolyard behaviour. There was one instance in Omaha, Nebraska in 2008 when a 10-yearold died of brain injuries as a result of bashing their head in against a metal pole after tripping during one such game of Tag. While the scenario was tragic, this was but one unfortunate accident that occurred out of millions of games of Tag, and is absolutely no cause for alarm. Children have been playing schoolyard games since the first public schools were opened in the 1800s, and games have always been rough. Tag, however, is not even a rough sport. The idea that a child could be physically or emotionally traumatized by

taking part in a classic outdoor activity that young children have been playing for centuries is absurd. Other school districts that have banned the game have cited potential emotional trauma inflicted on their poor students as the basis for their decision. One principal in the United Kingdom claimed that the game was capable of creating “self-esteem issue[s].” Her reasoning included the often-cited fact that the game of tag inherently sets one child up as a perpetrator (the person who is “it”) and others to be potential victims. Already in Great Britain and other areas, the game has come to be known by a new generation of children as “Tip, you’re it” wherein participants may chase one another around the schoolyard but may not physically touch one another. This is just a small step that has gone unnoticed, for the most part, with the exception of a few critics asking how one can know whether or not they’ve been tagged if they can’t physically feel it. Schools fear for the repercussions of children coming into contact with one another, because let’s face it, when we were grubby five-year-olds we never went within a tenfoot radius of our friends. Ridiculous lawsuits

concerning the upset parents of two kindergarteners who kissed each other under their desks has school boards around the world in a constant state of worry. “Hands to yourselves” are among the guidelines children are warned to abide by in present culture. The Mercer Country School board argued that their decision was to ensure the emotional and physical safety of children, but this new rule goes above and beyond that. As for the idea that a game of Tag can inflict emotional trauma on a student, there are so many more pressing issues to be addressed — this is not one of them. Children have to learn to cope with bullying in schools, navigate social situations and learn inherent responsibility. Schools should spend the valuable time and resources they are wasting on banning frivolous games of Tag on more pressing matters such as bullying and teenage anxiety. School children are exactly what we think they are – children – innocents who see no wrong in hugging a friend or giving a highfive out on the playground. The five-year-olds have it figured out, but apparently the rest of society has some catching up to do.

GUARDIAN 1 & 2 (TOO)

Why genderless parental documents will promote inclusiveness in Ontario Jessica Laing CONTRIBUTOR

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stereotypical, all-American family. By completely eliminating gender-specifying pronouns and perhaps the welcome addition of a genderless one, we as a country would allow for an equal playing field free of LGBTQ discrimination. Birth certificates, adoption applications and marriage licenses should not require the specification of one's gender in this day and age. Allowing "parent" or "guardian" to stand in place of "mother" and "father" helps break down the preconceived notion that gender identification is a requirement for an individual to be seen as a human being.

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lishing equal opportunities for people — no matter how they identify. While Canada is often perceived as a forward-thinking country in terms of medicine and immigration policies, we are often seen as a country that still possesses conservative gender values. Slowly, Canada is following Sweden's footsteps in creating a genderless society. The need for gender neutralization in Canada goes far beyond linguistics. As much of the world observed in 2011, Sweden introduced the term "hen" to its families when the country's first gender neutral children's book was published. Lann Hornscheidt, a professor of Scandinavian language and gender studies at Berlin's Humboldt University, believes that the introduction of "hen" was very important for the country, and developed world. "The introduction of a pronoun which challenges binary gender norms has been an important step, following a more thorough debate over the construction of gender within the last ten years,” Hornscheidt told the Washington Post earlier this year. The Berlin-based researcher cautions that simply introducing a gender neutral pronoun may not be sufficient enough to fight gender biases. Ranking fourth in the world economic forum, Sweden proves that Canada, which was ranked nineteenth overall, needs to remove gender from more than just legal instances to create an overall more inclusive society. In 2015, we as well-educated individuals should no longer look for the definition of a "regular" family. A household made up of a cisgender woman and a transgender woman should be not seen as any different from the

— MEGAN DIETRICH

Imagine your child returning home from school with a permission form they need signed, only to find that your way of life is being completely overlooked in the document. This is something that can happen to adults with children who are not considered to be a “traditional family" in Canadian society. However, On Sept. 24, a solution to prevent this from happening was read out in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by Liberal MPP Glenne Thibeault. His private member’s bill would seek to remove "mother" and "father" from legal documents such as birth certificates, adoption applications and marriage licenses, replacing them with "parent" or "guardian" instead. "While calling for more inclusive language, the member [Thibeault] is calling for the words mother and father to be excluded from government forms," stated Progressive Conservative MPP Bob Bailey. "If the member [Thibeault] was really serious about being more inclusive, he would be asking parent or guardian be added — might I add a stress on added — to government forms, not that mother and father be excluded from them.” Not only would Bailey’s solution make those who would select the neutral option feel excluded, it would also defeat the purpose of neutralizing gender norms. The whole reason behind the proposed piece of legislation is to eradicate judgment and bias of couples or individuals who want to opt for

gender-neutral titles of guardianship. For parents who are not in a “conventional” heterosexual partnership, this is an extremely exciting proposal. Although alternative types of relationships are becoming more prevalent, Thibeault articulated in a recent issue of the National Post how unwelcoming people can still be. “[These documents are] a reminder to single parents, to divorced parents or queer or transgender parents that they and the way they raise their child is not considered 'normal.'" This powerful point shows us that even though society is becoming more accepting of these types of families, there is still much work that needs to be done in order for everything to be as inclusive as it needs to be. Having gender neutral pronouns in place of heteronormative titles on documents will help further society's understanding and acceptance of non-binary people. The inherent assumption of an individual's gender is blatant discrimination against those who do not identify with the gender given to them at the time of birth. For people outside of society's rigid structure of gender, it can be complicated enough living without prejudice while carrying out their day-to-day routines, let alone trying to have their identity be taken seriously by members of society when it comes to legal matters. For example, adoption records are often reliant on binary gender norms. This can prove to be a challenge in regards to both gay couples and transgender people because it is creating a barrier between what is expected and considered normal and what their own reality is. By completely removing genders from legal documents, we are estab-


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COLBERT REPORT CARD

What to expect from the new Late Show host Brianna England CONTRIBUTOR

Until this September, Stephen Colbert was mostly known for his satirical political news program, The Colbert Report, which aired on Comedy Central for nearly a decade. While the show was widely loved, Colbert announced his departure from it in early 2014, and has since taken over for David Letterman on CBS’s The Late Show. Letterman is a tough act to follow as he was The Late Show’s host for over 22 years. Colbert has big shoes to fill and many people are wondering if he’s going to be able to replace such an important icon. Colbert’s current competitors are younger than he is and target a different audience with pop culture riffs instead of politics. These days, a large chunk of money that the current late night hosts earn comes from next-day viewership on YouTube. It’s more accessible for people, especially students, who don’t have the time to watch after hours shows, or may not even have cable. Jimmy Fallon, the host of NBC’s Tonight Show, has become well-known for his ridiculous antics with celebrities that end up going viral, like lip sync battles, the “ew” skits and the wheel of musical impressions. Late Late Show host James Corden is following in Fallon’s footsteps with car pool karaoke, while ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel has his own selection of off-

topic entertainment, such as celebrities reading mean tweets about themselves out loud. Judging by the current content on Colbert’s show, it doesn’t look like he’ll be following down the same path. He hasn’t strayed too far from The Colbert Report in that politics still play a huge role in his show. Instead of playing a spoof Conservative personality, he’s inviting politicians, such as US vice president Joe Biden and First Lady Michelle Obama, onto his show for interviews. Unlike many of the other late night hosts, Colbert actually asks thought-provoking and hard-hitting questions. He’s using his platform to gain more information about the politicians and find out what they plan on doing to help America, which then informs his viewers who would otherwise not seek it out. But you can’t help but wonder if his politicallyrelated jokes and serious-toned interviews are going to translate well on video streaming platforms. As someone who has barely any interest

in Canadian government, let alone American politics, I didn’t think that watching Colbert’s interviews would be worthwhile. However, the way he interviewed Joe Biden was captivating, even for somebody who knows little about the vice president. The questions he asked Biden were ones that the politician couldn’t bullshit, and ones that allowed a closer look at Biden and who he is as a person. They delved into Biden’s backstory, including all of the loss he’s dealt with during his career, and how it tied into what he believes in as a politician. Colbert’s way of asking interesting questions that allow the audience to feel a connection with his guests is important and rare. There’s a sincerity to Colbert that a lot of show hosts seem to be lacking these days. While Fallon, Corden, and Kimmel are indeed hilarious, their shows are more about getting views and being funny instead of keeping a certain integrity. Their guests are celebrities with high profiles and who have lists of things that aren’t allowed to be brought up, which can make “real” interviews hard to conduct.

But it’s not as if the other hosts are looking for those interviews anyways. If they were, they would have been doing what Colbert has done for nearly a decade, by interviewing guests with real opinions and plans to change the world. Despite Colbert’s lack of YouTube subscribers, a mere 400,224 to Kimmel’s 6,440,228 and Fallon’s 8,308,006, I think he’ll do just fine in the world of late night. He already has a large following of older fans and viewers from his nine years of doing The Colbert Report, and brings a fresh approach to the late night time slot. His audience leans more towards middle aged people, who generally watch television live, than on their computers. While there is a growing market for posting comedy segments on YouTube, for Colbert, who already took a $1.4 million pay cut by switching shows, it’s not about the money. He isn’t hunting for YouTube views. He’s doing late night to tell jokes that will keep his viewers educated and informed. But he does it in a way where it isn’t all serious, all politics, all of the time. With that mindset, the balance of humour and seriousness and his astounding interviewing technique, Colbert is a fresh addition to the time slot of Jimmies. His way of doing the show is invigorating, and it will give him an outlet at CBS for a long time to come.

BOUND TO CHINA

Why courting of newcomers makes locals feel unsought Mark Crickmay

THE CAPILANO COURIER

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ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Foreign investment is a sensitive and major topic in Vancouver these days. Ask anybody how they feel about the trend, and people will reference how hundreds of wealthy Chinese investors are choosing to make Vancouver their new home each year. Multiculturalism is something that Canada has always held closely to its heart, albeit with subtle tension and chiding from many on what ought and ought not to be accepted. In this case, blaming investors and immigrants for our city’s skyrocketing costs of living may not necessarily be the way to go, because resentment is a feeling, not a problem solver. Much of urban Canada, and Vancouver specifically, does not have strict policies in place to monitor, curb and regulate foreign investment’s impact on housing affordability. There appears to be a serious lack of political oversight and attention with regards to the regulation of the real estate industry. The subject of real estate in Vancouver is a complicated one. The city is overrun with foreign investors — primarily from nouveauriche BRIC countries like China, India, Brazil and Russia — which is resulting in growing pessimism among young Canadians who do not believe they will be able to own homes

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like their parents. Part of the problem is that Canada, and BC in particular, anyone with the right amount of money can come on in and buy land. While investors may be driving a key sector of our economy during recession, they are also making it nearly impossible for upcoming generations to purchase land of their own. For citizens who have been in Canada for all or most of their lives, this is clearly becoming an issue. Why is real estate not regulated and restricted in this regard? There ought to be an additional tax on housing for foreign investors purchasing homes or condos, and a certain percentage of property that should be reserved for citizens and families who need them. While policies limiting foreign investment from China and other countries could be great for locals, it would be disastrous for the people who write these laws. Political parties need support from diverse cultural groups to win elections, and no two parties have been better at it in Canada than the centre-right BC Liberals and the Harper Conservatives. Not only have these parties built great relationships with Asian voters, they’ve won majority governments on the backs of them. Policies that allow Chinese Canadians to enter Canada through investment or economic immigration have only increased in Canada under these two governments, so

pulling a 180 is not something Christy Clark or Stephen Harper would be smart to do. After all, it was the Asian vote that allowed the BC Liberals to hold on to key ridings in Richmond and Vancouver two years ago en route to a fourth straight majority win. For Millennials born in the 80s and 90s who have had to pay rent from a young age, work at least one job and purchase pretty well everything on their own, putting politics over housing affordability is not something they are too happy about. Nobody ever likes the rich kid, but there is huge animosity for the foreign student who lives alone in the threestorey house your parents had to sell because they couldn’t afford their two mortgages. Meanwhile, said kid is driving a custom sports edition Bugatti with an ’N’ slapped on it – not paying for a damn thing themselves. It is illegal for Chinese citizens to remove more than $50,000 USD a year from China without the government’s permission, although it appears that this has not been an issue for most wealthy Chinese investors. Seemingly more than this financial limit is reaching Vancouver, and many other cities around the world. According to recent investigations by FinTRAC, a high percentage of suspicious transactions were performed by Canadian banks — clearly there is an advantage for banks to be performing illegal transactions. Why is this still being allowed to happen when it’s so easy to connect the for-

eign investment dots? Immigration and foreign investment legislation in Vancouver could start a heated debate at any given time between people who consider themselves to be disenfranchised locals, and more-than-welcome newcomers. The largest part of the issue is why immigration is not limited to a greater degree, or rather why there are not certain limitations to it like there are in the US. The current wave of immigration may be sustaining revenue from condo development, but is also offending and pushing away citizens who have been in Vancouver for generations. The aftermath of economic immigration through real estate investment in Vancouver and even all of urban Canada for that matter, is that of a powerless struggle for housing affordability for locals. Why are empty houses not being taxed? If property is going to be bought up by investors who can’t secure tenants and don’t want to live on site, then a situational tax should be applied to these homes that could otherwise be housing locals. Real estate, tuition and the intended demographic for businesses (not to mention a lack of societal integration) in Vancouver has been completely transformed by new money from China. While foreign cash and identity politics drive housing costs, the everyday local gets stomped on by the world’s newest superpower.


COLUMNS

CARLO JAVIER

WHAT IF I LEAVE THIS TOWN?

COLUMNS EDITOR CARLO.CAPCOURIER@GMAIL.COM

Turning fangirling into a career Sabrina Kuhn COLUMNIST Just like I’ve always been acutely aware of my weight, I’ve been equally aware of my gender. I’m so strong and so capable that sometimes I forget that girls have an undeserved reputation for existing either in the “bad bitch” or “can’t do anything for themselves” categories. And when someone – usually a middle-aged man – treats me like I belong in any category, then its offensive. The more women I meet and talk to, the more it makes me wonder why these ideas are still perpetuated despite how many strong and capable women I encounter every day. In the music business, it feels like either there’s a wealth of women to look up to, or a limited few. Pop music has no shortage of female icons ranging from ABBA to Nicki Minaj, but in the alternative scene that has given rise to massive touring festivals such as Vans Warped Tour it feels like influential women are a rarity. It’s reassuring to see that

the women who do make it out on the pop punk and hardcore circuit are truly role models in every way. As Dan “Soupy” Campbell of The Wonder Years tweeted out, “It's only a matter of time before this whole scene belongs to Pvris and I, for one, welcome our new overlords.” I am second in line behind him waiting to pay my respects to the scene’s new ruler. All this aside, it can sometimes feel impossible to reconcile my female identity with where I want to be when my local scene in Edmonton has such a male-dominated presence. The band I work with right now has an all male membership. The three bands I’ve worked with in the past have been all male and there are only a handful of female artists who have continued to make careers for themselves in music outside of Beaumont, Alta. The most unexpected gender gap I’ve ever experienced came around when I walked into my first Arts and Entertainment Management (AEM) Diploma class in Capilano University. I expected it to be more of what I was used to, a handful of girls with the majority of voices in the room belonging to men. The

reality was that out of 25 students, only four were men and that number tends to drop to three in the transition between first and second years. Apparently, this is the norm, which I take as an indicator to the skill sets young women who are passionate about music and art have. It’s a very cool group of people to be a part of. We’re women who transcended the infinitely-patronizing fangirl label and turned music and art into a potential career. A few of us AEM girls have jokingly, yet with a vein of truth, said that we are in this program because we love music but don’t have the talent to be a singer or a musician. Women have been proven to be better communicators and all that practice with Instagram, Facebook and Twitter paired with a two-year education is now a marketing and social media position within a record label. We know enough about the art to know that it is important, it makes lives better, it speaks to a generation, it soothes lonely hearts and we also know the intricacies that it takes to make sure that art reaches its audience. Sometimes, it’s hard to resist the compul-

sive urge to change myself in order to run with these boys that I grew up with and be more like them. Maybe it is possible to emulate all the really good qualities that they have without changing who I am. It won’t always be easy to work in a male-dominated industry where mansplaining is common, and that’s just the reality. My skin isn’t as thick as I sometimes make it out to be, and that is both a great strength and a lethal weakness. If shedding that part of myself is what it takes to run in the big leagues then I will find a new dream and a new company that will take me for the imperfect, sensitive, intuitive, caring person I am. Holding space for myself is a new concept, but at the end of the day the only way to be an asset to the people I work for is to embrace and polish everything I am good at and work on what I’m not — gender be damned.

WHY YOUR FAVOURITE THINGS SUCK The Entire Month of October Fred Ulrich Jr. COLUMNIST

— ZED ALEXANDRA that the flavour is undetectable. Many people don’t seem to realize that, through the miracle of weasel-word bullshit, “pumpkin spice” has been designated as the name for a certain blend of spices that can theoretically accompany pumpkin, rather than something that actually contains both pumpkin and spice as the name implies. You can probably make your own “pumpkin spice” in your kitchen at home right now without an extra shopping trip if you have a half-decent spice collection. Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove and maybe some allspice are all you need to ruin your coffee and baked goods year-round if that’s your thing. Of course, one can’t mention October without Halloween coming to mind. Maybe we still like it because we have fond childhood memories of dressing up in costumes and eat-

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style, there are more pumpkin-and-pumpkinspice-flavoured beers available in Vancouver than you could shake a stick at. I get it, pumpkins are in season and some people like eating them, but do we seriously have to infuse these flavours into every conceivable culinary concoction for the entirety of autumn? Most of these Frankensteinian flavour combinations don’t even taste good, serving no purpose beyond fast-waning novelty. Eating seasonally is great, but this has gone too far. It’s not like we make everything taste like salmon or corn when those are in season. What makes the proliferation of pumpkinspice-everything even more baffling is that most of these bizarre creations don’t even contain a single shred of the seasonally omnipresent cucurbitaceae, or else contain so little

ing candy, memories that we want to relive now that we’ve realized that being an adult is kind of hard. There are certainly those who enjoy the darker side of Halloween that gives us a chance to contemplate the macabre and our fear of the unknown, but the popularity of costumes featuring people dressed as cute animals, pop culture figures or walking puns suggest that the darker undertones of this holiday are mostly an afterthought. Maybe it’s just that we collectively can’t make it more than four weeks without yet another excuse to get silly and drink. To be clear, if you want dress up in costumes and drink, I wholeheartedly encourage you to do that or whatever else makes you happy. Just do it on your terms, and remember to invite me. Do it because you want to, when you want to, and without the need to hide behind what has essentially become a children’s holiday. If you’re really into the darker, more macabre side of Halloween, check out some Día de Muertos events around town at the start of November. If you like October for reasons other than faux-Oktoberfest, pumpkin spice and commercialized Halloween, I hereby give you permission to maintain your opinion. If shorter days and cooler temperatures are your thing, go out and enjoy that crisp air and those falling leaves. Thanksgiving with friends and family is always nice if that’s something you celebrate — don’t let me ruin that. Eat some pumpkin pie or something else that has real pumpkin in it while it’s in season. Enjoy what the month truly has to offer, but don’t let October’s artificially-imposed seasonal bullshit trick you into thinking you’re having any more fun than you could otherwise.

THE CAPILANO COURIER

Every month has its particular quirks and charms that make it unique. It’s entirely understandable that the right combination of weather, holidays and seasonal foods can make a certain time of year your personal favourite over all others. However, if your favourite month happens to be October and all the vacuous crap that comes with it, I regret to inform you that your opinions are wrong and that you need to reevaluate your life choices. The trouble begins even before Oct. 1 arrives with the widespread celebrations of Oktoberfest. In theory, attending an Oktoberfest event could be viewed as an enriching opportunity to immerse oneself in traditional Bavarian culture. In practice, most Oktoberfest activities end up being less culturally enriching than a Saturday night out at the Cambie. Just like Saint Patrick’s Day and Cinco de Mayo, Oktoberfest, for most, is just the Bavarian-flavoured excuse to dress up in funny-looking hats and drink until you’re shit-faced in the name of “culture.” Sure, beer is certainly an important aspect of the festival, but don’t kid yourself. If your only aim is to get drunk while wearing lederhosen, I’m here to tell you that you have the right to do that any other time you please without needing a festival to cover for your alcoholism and fashion choices. You do you. The hungover post-festival mornings you’ll undoubtedly experience in early October will likely involve a trip to your coffee shop of choice for a little pick-me-up. How about a pumpkin spice latte? Maybe a pumpkin spice scone on the side to settle your queasy stomach? Or if hair of the dog is more your

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COLUMNS

@CAPILANOCOURIER

WWW.CAPILANOCOURIER.COM

ALRIGHT, HEAR THIS

Poll dancing on grandma’s dime Leah Scheitel COLUMNIST

This election is tediously long. It’s like an extended road trip with your entire family, crammed into a fully-packed sedan for a cross-country vacation, and everyone is so annoyed and gassy that they don’t even care about the destination – they just want it to finally fucking end. The only thing more annoying than seeing Paul Calandra and Michelle Remple’s smug faces on Power and Politics for another banter-fest is the endless parade of polls that all media outlets are hopelessly depending on to try and get an edge on the story. Like a sleazy groomsman at a wedding, the media is treating polls like drunk and desperate bridesmaids, ready to swoop in and give them undeserving attention when they are at their most vulnerable. Even before the writ was dropped, polls were being published, citing a huge NDP lead in normally Conservative crevices, and the barrage hasn’t ceased since. The main issue with polls is that whatever way they might swing for that specific day gives hope and talking points to that specific party. It provides a continuous stream of

spew to come from politico mouths rather than any valid points on reform or policy itself. It’s hinders conversation and opinions more than it helps it. Polling is hard to do well. To get an unbiased and representative view of what voters want in a country as large and diverse as Canada is a near impossibility. You’d have a better chance of landing a snot rocket on the moon than being able to have complete confidence in any poll, no matter how concise it claims to be. How polls work isn’t too complex – ideally, it’s gathering the opinions of a random sample of potential voters. If you ask enough people how they plan to vote, you can forecast how other voters will feel based on the findings. Say you poll 1,000 random people on how they feel about ChristianMingle.com and analyze the data properly – theoretically, you have a strong idea of how 10,000 people will feel about it. If the sample is truly random enough and not swayed in favour of a specific age group, class or other division, that results should hold true for even larger samples. Right there lies one of the biggest issues with current polling. For decades, pollers obtained their information from randomly selecting numbers from a civic phone book – usually computer-generated numbers – a

technique that they are still using. So really, they are only polling people with landlines, meaning that they are only really polling our grandparents. Not that my grandmother doesn’t have a strong and valid opinion, but that doesn’t mean it should represent mine. If they are only gathering the opinions of people who are around to answer a “couple of quick questions” on a Sunday afternoon, it takes away the fundamental pillar to making a strong poll – a random sample. It’s not that collecting and analyzing data is without its merits. I have kept a comprehensive list of all the men I’ve dated, crossreferencing qualities to see which ones would make up my ideal man – okay, I haven’t actually done this, but maybe it’s what my dating life is missing. There is use in gathering information to project future outcomes, which is contrary to what the Conservatives think or else they would have kept the long-form Census. But the techniques desperately need to be updated before they can even remotely encapsulate what the collective vote will look like. Putting stock in polls is like betting on your grandmother’s favourite number in roulette, as all you have to trust is her intuition. There is one thing that Canadians can learn from this election cycle’s collection of polls – it’s a tight race. When you wake up, the NDP is in the lead by a slight margin and by

INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF PANCAKES Scottish girl comes to Canada

— ZOE SOFIANOS

Meg McHugh

THE CAPILANO COURIER

VOLUME 49 ISSUE NO. 06

GUEST COLUMNIST It’s hard to put into such a small amount of words how sensational my study abroad experience in Vancouver has been so far. It’s exceeded every expectation and I truly believe that after I complete my studies back in Scotland, I want to move over here. I come from a city called Aberdeen and I’m in the third year of my studies in Media at Robert Gordon University. Back home, it’s pretty grey and incredibly cold. Much of our activities are limited to partying. What I mean by this is, there isn’t all that much in my city to do. There’s a beach close by which is nice to visit, and a fun park, but it’s only open in the summer. There’s a bowling alley, the cinema and there’s an art gallery, but apart from those, there’s barely anything for young people to do, other than drink. I’ve been here for a month now and time has absolutely flown by. Any time that I have that isn’t spent doing hundreds of readings for my classes, I go exploring with my friend Angie who has also moved over here for the semester. Everything about this place is so different from what I’m used to. I can’t get over how beautiful it is to have a university in the middle of a forest. It’s so peaceful and inviting and I feel like I can just stick around and en-

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joy the ambience, unlike at home where I am in and out of university in a flash. The university style is different as well, in the sense that in Aberdeen we don’t have to take as many courses per semester – I have a maximum of three courses per semester – and I can say quite confidently that our work load is significantly less than the work load here. I mean, it’s actually surprising how much more work I’m finding myself doing. It’s a significant jump, but I find it very inspiring that everyone here is so serious about their studies. I find Capilano University to be a very ambitious place and I think it’s inspired me already. Vancouver’s landscape is also vastly different. There are mountains, lakes, the sea and skyscrapers accessible in just one city. Even the trees are so different. Our trees at home seem like pin pricks in comparison. I’ve never seen such big trees in my life. I even had the true Canadian experience of seeing my first

ever bear, which just came strolling past my house so casually one morning when I was out having my coffee and cigarette. The community is significantly different too. In my opinion, people here are more open, forward and friendly. I have actually been surprised about how many people have taken me out and opened my eyes to more of Vancouver’s beauty. People have literally welcomed me with open arms. I’ve been on a road trip to Key Hole Hot Springs with fellow exchange students I’ve met, I’m going for a weekend trip to Whistler with a group of people I don’t really know, but it doesn’t seem to matter because that’s what goes down around here. I’m even going to a Canucks game in two weeks because a local Canadian offered to take me because I was a tourist. It’s just crazy! One of my more interesting experiences here happened at The Warehouse on Granville Street last weekend. I witnessed a woman giving her number to a guy, who also asked her to

the time you have your second whiskey at the end of the day the Conservatives are back on top. And believe me, Stephen Harper is the last thing I want on top of me right before I go to sleep. All three parties have been at the top of one poll or another throughout the extended campaign, causing more confusion than trust in who is going to form Parliament on Oct. 20. Polls have also fucked up in the past. Let’s not easily forget that the NDP was slated to win by a landslide in the 2013 provincial election when we awoke to the news that we were stuck with Christy Clark’s impish grim for the next three years. Seriously, she is the only politician who can piss off Raffi, the nicest children’s entertainer that ever was. Polls are fickle and should be treated as such. Just because your party is hailed as early winners by the polls doesn’t mean that you get the night off from democracy. And anyone who says that they know who is going to win because a poll told them should stuff their mouth with their grandmother’s meatloaf instead of her opinions.

call him. My friend and I found this amazing because it is so uncommon where I’m from to do that. In fact, it is unheard of. Even for guys, if they liked a girl, they wouldn’t make a move on it unless they were drunk or in a club. It’s a total change coming here to see people who aren’t bothered by that sort of thing. I totally admire it. However, there are some changes that I can’t seem to get used to. One of them is alcohol being sold exclusively to liquor stores, as opposed to back home, where you can get it in supermarkets and convenience stores. Another one is how no one seems to like smoking and there are no outdoor smoking areas outside pubs. Everywhere I have been you need to leave the premises completely and stand a good few metres away. The transit can sometimes be a pain around here, and I once found myself standing at a bus stop for an hour past when a bus was supposed to arrive. Finally, the worst one is how there is about 12 per cent tax on everything when you buy it. This one I can never get used to and it always bums me out every time I remember once the bills come. Despite these things, Vancouver is still amazing. This is literally a dream come true and I feel blessed to be here right now. All the places I’ve been to, from Stanley Park, to the Rocky Mountains, to Deep Cove are all stunning and the list of things to see and do is only expanding. I recommend to anyone reading this to study abroad. It opens your eyes in ways like never before. It definitely has for me anyways.


HUMOUR

@CAPILANOCOURIER

WWW.CAPILANOCOURIER.COM

POLITICAL PROPOSAL

Slip of the tongue sends hearts aflutter Christine Beyleveldt CAMPUS CORRESPONDENT

“Trudeau and Duceppe sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-in-g!” said Capilano University student Jenicka Bland, who caught wind of the French Leader’s Debate live from Montreal on Oct. 1. Liberal leader Justin Trudeau showed off his French prowess at the event when he announced his undying love for the Bloc Quebecois leader, Gilles Duceppe from centre stage. He took a hard hit when Duceppe rejected him before the entire nation. “Toi mon amour,” said Trudeau — in English translating into “you my love”, which certainly caught Duceppe’s attention, and every Canadian on the Internet. The Bloc leader’s eyes immediately dilated and he appeared speechless for a few seconds. Viewers could imagine his heart fluttering under that spiffy suit jacket before Trudeau chuckled nervously and hastily retracted his statement. Duceppe, still rather pale, had the look on his face of a dude who had just been accidentally French kissed by his grandmother. “He [Duceppe] was not prepared for that,” said Francois Duvert, head of media relations for the Bloc party. “I don’t think it was the appropriate moment for Trudeau to come out with it. It

could have waited until after the debate.” The CBC disagreed, calling it an unfortunate blunder, a tragic slip of the tongue. “Though undoubtedly Trudeau was imagining slipping Duceppe the tongue after the debate,” remarked Bland. “It wasn’t amusing,” said Duvert, “It really distracted Duceppe from the debate, and he wasn’t able to deliver his next few points after the incident. I think it was strategic on Trudeau’s part.” The Bloc may not have taken the comment quite so well as others. Off camera, Prime Minister Stephen Harper was reportedly rolling on the floor with hysterical laughter. “He was behaving like a schoolboy,” added Duvert. Meanwhile, to his other side, NDP leader Thomas Mulcair tried to hide his rising blush. “It was just so funny,” exclaimed Bland, “Trudeau has won my vote, and probably the vote of everyone who has ever accidentally called a teacher “mom.” As for whether Trudeau and Duceppe can be expected to appear in public hand in hand after their little charade, we’ll never know. If their love story is anything like the Bloc’s political platform, it’s probably best they don’t take things any further — it would likely end in separation.

It’s Thanksgiving Sunday Play music for

Meeting the in-laws So Anxious Ginuwine Born To Run Bruce Springsteen Family Business Kayne West Ms. Jackson Outkast Rude Magic Mean Taylor Swift She Hates Me Puddle of Mudd THE CAPILANO COURIER

All Due Respect Run the Jewels Anywhere But Here Killer Mike Fuck It All Childish Gambino

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

Hold On, We’re Going Home Drake

VOLUME 49 ISSUE NO. 06

Come write for us!

Up On The Roof Carole King

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THE CABOOSE

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WWW.CAPILANOCOURIER.COM

THINKING CAP

Q

HOROSCOPES

WHY SHOULD YOUNG PEOPLE VOTE?

IF YOUR BIRTHDAY IS THIS WEEK: Eat all the chocolate cake you want because neither the calories nor your severe lactose intolerance counts this week.

“Because we can?” — Amanda Lee Fourth year Liberal Studies

ARIES (March 21 - April 19):

It’ll be a bittersweet week after you realize that tumour was the closest thing you had to a friend.

“It’s the bare minimum of civic engagement. Just because you don’t care about politics, doesn’t mean politics don’t care about you.” — Eric Seeley Second year Global Stewardship

“If future generations are uninterested in politics, then our democracy fails. It’s really reliant on our people.” — Ryan Siverns Third year Music Therapy

TAURUS (April 20 - May 20):

Congratulations on landing your dream job — not everyone has the skill or dedication to be a liquor store clerk.

GEMINI (May 21 - June 20):

Despite what the Internet may say, It has never been — nor will it ever be — acceptable to tell “The Aristocrats” joke on a first date.

CANCER (June 21 - July 22):

Even though love is blind, for God’s sake it still has a sense of smell. Show some respect and take a shower.

LIBRA (SEPT. 22 - OCT. 23):

The fortune cookie told you it would be love at first sight. You’ll never know that because fortune cookies don’t come written in braille.

SCORPIO (OCT. 24 - NOV. 21):

You may feel like the rules don’t apply to you, but your recent fall off the roof should be a reminder that the law of gravity still does.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22 - DEC. 21):

It’s always nice when someone reads aloud to you, even if it is your Miranda rights.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22 - JAN. 19):

The pressure of school is enough to kill a lesser man, which you are.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20 - FEB. 18):

LEO (July 23 - Aug. 22):

“…Because [...] they’ll only take you seriously if you have the power to vote them out of office or to put them into office. It’s essential to vote to take ownership of democracy.” — Michael Markwick Communications professor

You will accomplish the impossible this week when your parents sit you down and tell you they’re proud of you.

PISCES (FEB. 19 - MARCH 20):

VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept. 21):

Try to look on the bright side — at least now you can apply for Teen Mom.

THE CAPILANO COURIER

VOLUME 49 ISSUE NO. 05

“Because they can.” — Aidan Mouellic Second year Communications

You will beat the odds and get that promotion at work, leaving your friends, family, coworkers and even your boss baffled.

Your patience will be tested after you realize life insurance policies usually take a few months to pay out.

TO ADVERTISE in the Courier’s pages, please contact us by phone at 778-855-9942 or email Alva Tang, our Community Relations Manager, at community.capcourier@gmail. com. We are proud to offer discounts to non-profit organizations and North Shore customers. A full media kit with sizes, rates and deadlines is available on our website, CapilanoCourier.com. Classified advertisements up to 50 words are free for students.

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