Capilano Courier // Volume 48 // Issue 20 by Capilano Courier

VOL UME

FASHION WEEK

NORTH VANCOUVER, MARCH 9TH 2015

TROLL TOLL

ROOSTERSTOP

ISSUE

N O . 20

5 DAYS

CAPILANO Courier

@capilanocourier

VOLUME 48 I SSUE N O . 20

@capilanocourier capilanocourier.com

News

A+C

wiNe shorts

Features

opiNioNs

ColumNs

Caboose

Milking That Muscle

All Strings Attached

International Womens Day

World Class

Holy Guacamole

The Glory Days of Seylynn Hall

Bad Wing Man

ON the Cover ZOE SOFIANOS

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:

Sarah Unger, Sabrina Kuhn, Scott Barkemeyer, Milana Bucan, Kevin Kapenda, Tomash Danco, Taelore Keyana, Christine Beyleveldt, Cole "I'm 22" Blight, Matt Jolliffe

Zoe Sofianos is currently a second year student in the IDEA Program at CapU. She's an illustrator/designer who finds solace in both nature and her sketchbook. Follow @woodlandhoney on Instagram!

CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS:

Zoe Sofianos, J.R. Pinto, Cristian Fowlie, Ksenia Kozhevnikova, Olliemoonsta, Megan Collinson, Crystal Lee, Taylor Lee, Kelsey Holden. THANK YOU

To everyone who's assisted, stayed late, missed us when we stayed late, brought beer, sent love and supportive texts, and all of you who have picked up the Courier. Hi Mom!

THE CAPILANO COURIER.

VOLUME 48 I SSUE N O . 20

To advertise in the Courierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pages, please contact our Advertising Director, Andy Rice, at 778-855-9942 or advertising.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.

The Staff

Leah Scheitel Editor-in-Chief

Therese Guieb News Editor

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.

of this fire-breathing, loin-seizing university newspaper

Andy Rice Managing Editor

Alva Tee Arts + Culture Editor

Andrew Palmquist Production Manager

Faye Alexander Features Editor

Gabriel Scorgie Opinions Editor

Cheryl Swan Art Director

Carlo Javier Lifestyle Editor

Ricky Bao Business Manager

Brandon Kostinuk Web Editor

Letter From The Editor Leah Scheitel, Editor-in-Chief

“It is not the mountain that will kill you, but the pebble in your shoe.” – Benjamin Brown, my friend It’s the time of year where my migrant tree planter friends come out of hibernation for another year of planting. And, after a decade of pounding little seedlings in the ground in the name of tuition money, I’m not joining the herd of black sheep headed to the cut block. I’m straying away from what’s a traditional and familiar spring job, and opting to try to make it in the real world. Naturally, I’m having some massive doubts about this decision. Even though last season gave me strep throat, shingles and extreme romantic issues, I’m jealous of my friends who are already out there. I knew I had to leave it behind this year, and it still was difficult to say no to, and I’m still secondguessing my decision. There must be something in the human condition that makes us forget all of the shitty things and remember only the good parts when we leave things behind. Whether it is a job, a romantic relationship or even a friendship, there is something that makes us look back with sentimental and gushy feelings, no matter how painful the actual experience was. My aunt has lectured me from an early age to always write down the shitty things about the relationship for this exact reason. “Write them down, all the times he farted on your leg, write them down,” she would say, ”And everything else that annoyed you. Because when you leave it, you’re only going to remember the good parts, and then you’re going to want it back, even though it’s not healthy for you.” After blossoming into the semi-functioning adult that I am, I would have to agree with her, even though it is a cold approach to situations, especially romantic ones. Over my decade as a tree planter, I have heard the job be compared to the army regularly. One of my first bosses came up with army nicknames for us – mine was COF, for Captain of Ordinates Forwarding. It’s an easy comparison to make; both jobs require getting up at ungodly hours, taking commands from superiors and walking into places that you really don’t want to go into. While tree planting, you are sharing an intense experience with a group of people, and it’s an experience that no one else will fully understand. When I meet another tree planter in the city, we just have to look at each other to know that we both understand what it’s like out on a cut block, with the incessant buzzing of black flies and mosquitoes for 10 hours a day. My brother’s childhood best friend, Will, joined the army right out of high school, as did his younger brother, Greg. My family never fully understood his motivation for doing so, thinking that it was slightly foolish. But I grew up household that inspired a liberal lifestyle, and was run by two hippies who loved the theatre. Because of this, I didn’t comprehend that people voluntarily joined the army.

Who would do that besides sadists and macho men? When Will joined, it made me second-guess my beliefs about the army. And then when he was blown up, it made me hate it all together. In January of 2006, Will was deployed to Afghanistan with the Canadian Forces, and while riding in a vehicle with the Canadian Ambassador, his convoy was hit by an improvised explosive device, or IED. Of the four people in the vehicle, two were blown to smitherines and one died from the explosion. Will’s right arm was marred, but still attached, and one of the other soldiers lost both of his legs. Will spent months in an induced coma in a US military hospital in Germany, to keep the pressure off of his damaged brain. It took about five years of work to fix Will – reconstruction, phyiso, and therapy to deal with the emotional turmoil and ease the PTSD. I was dumbfounded that Will didn’t quit the army immediately after being blown up. I didn’t understand how anyone would want to go back into a situation that left him incapable of using one of his limbs. Not only did Will not quit, he missed being in action. There was something about it that he liked, and that he wanted to get back to. He is still a proud member of the Canadian Armed Forces, and at his wedding in the summer of 2013, he wore his heavy tweed uniform in the blistering heat and never complained once. Admittedly, I know little about the armed forces or combat, and most the stuff I do know is all about why it’s bad. Currently, I’m reading Dirty Wars by Jeremy Scahill, and it’s all about the underground operations that the US used to find and kill terrorists in the 2000s. That shit is truly scary. But I do know what it’s like to be apart of a tribe, and to experience intense days that not everyone can understand. I get what it’s like to miss something that physically and emotionally hurts so much. And I get what it’s like to make deep connections with the people who are there with you. For years, I have had family members ask me when I was going to quit planting. They didn’t get why I still went out there every spring, just like I didn’t get how Will would want to go back to Afghanistan after his terrible experience. All of the reasons to not go back are ultimately outweighed by one very important reason – you feel like you belong, like it’s where you are supposed to be. It feels wrong to fully compare tree planting to the army, as they are very different situations. While planting, the most we kill are a few baby seedlings because of improper handling, and the most dangerous part of the day is the drive to and from the block, which is drastically different than facing combat in the army. But there are some parallels between the two situations, and those who aren’t in it will never fully grasp why people not only do it, but also why they love it.

tweets oF the week

the VoiCe box

with

Andy Rice

# HOUSEOFCARDS

The Voicebox is back, ready to humbly respond to your questions, concerns, and comments about anything. To inquire, just send a text to 778.855.9942 to anonymously "express" and "voice" your "opinion" and "thoughts" on any "subject" or "issue." And, as long as it's not offensive, we will publish it here, right in the Voicebox. It's a win - win, or whine - whine whatever way you look at it.

Tracey Jackson @traceyjackson4 Kindness isn't kindness if you expect a reward. ~ Frank Underwood #HouseOfCards

Re. Last week’s inquiry about the “business editor” being a rock star.

Netflix UK & Ireland @NetflixUK "The American dream has failed you." #HouseofCards

Geez give me a break, some of us are over worked and stressed out. I meant isn’t the Managing Editor a big shot in the music industry. Why so salty? Don’t want interaction with you readers?

The botany piece could work, however you would have to add in bark and other fibrous foliage into the diet. And are you talking of personal experience with the diarrhea skin graft? I’ll never tell. And if you text me back saying ‘PICS OR IT DIDN’T HAPPEN” I’m going to be really creeped out. With Tinder charging its users are you guys going to see an increase in sponsorship revenue from them? I doubt it. We stopped mentioning them for the last couple issues. I think we’ve finally been cured! I haven’t even

Is Gabe The Babe still single? Son of a… I saw Therese and Carlo take a selfie with Kris Bulcroft in the caf at the transit vote thing. Are you guys like BFF’s with the pres now? I don’t know if we’re BFF’s but I know for a fact that she’s seen our spoof ads (Bulcroft Buick from Issue 16, Re/Max Bulcroft Realty from Issue 18) and miraculously doesn’t hold it against us. I got so stoked when I saw that photo. It’s amazing! They all look so happy, see?

Questlove Gomez @questlove Nary a frame is ever wasted on Clair Underwood. NARY. #HouseOfCards #HOC Catherine Lowe @clmgiudici Easy come, easy go. #HouseOfCards Monica Crowley @MonicaCrowley I covet Claire Underwood's wardrobe. #HouseOfCards Dylan Saunders @dylan_saunders Our actual Congress is incapable of passing any legislation, so let's binge-watch the new season of #HouseOfCards! Imani ABL @AngryBlackLady SERIOUSLY. THAT’S THE END??!! #HouseOfCards Matt Jenkins @YoungFunE Just learned the hard way, cutting a convo short with ur gf, to say how you REALLY feel to an imaginary audience only works in #HouseofCards Justin Hart @justin_hart Doug Stamper is the most tortured soul and most original character in a series in over a decade. #HouseofCards Eric Geller @ericgeller I like how #HouseOfCards doesn't bother with a previouslyon segment because it knows you just finished watching the last episode.

T H E C A P I L A N O C O U R I E R . VOLUME 48 I SSUE N O . 20

You do know that I am the Managing Editor, right? And sadly, no, I’m not even remotely close to being a rock star. That’s actually probably why I’m a little “salty”, now that you mention it. But if you think I’m a cranky bastard, you should meet the guy who did this job last year.

heard a Tinder reference around the office in weeks. And I think this might be the first VoiceBox where nobody has asked me if Gabe is still single. Double win!

Francis J. Underwood @RepUnderwoodSC You have no idea what real cold is.

NEWS

THE CAPILANO COURIER.

The Capilano Students’ Union (CSU) had several guests who presented at their board of directors’ meeting on Feb. 25. The guests included Ed Lavalle and Tim Acton from the Capilano Faculty Association (CFA) and four students from the Global Stewardship program who are organizing the 5 Days for the Homeless Campaign. Among the CSU directors who didn’t attend were Ben Glassen, Global and Community Studies Representative and Taylor GeorgeHollis, First Nations Liaison. Lavalle and Acton had a presentation about the current bargaining situation between the CFA and Capilano University. They attended the meeting to let the CSU know of stance of the CFA and how the result of the bargain will affect the students at CapU. The CFA’s bargaining proposal themes are job security and regularization, a democratic workplace and equity for employees. The CFA believes that the students have the right to be aware of what is happening and the association would also like to build a good relationship with the CSU. 5 Days for the Homeless Campaign organizers attended the meeting to ask the CSU for advice on what the campaign was like in the past years. One of the major issues that were raised at the meeting was the security for the participants who will be sleeping on campus for the duration of the campaign. Several solutions were advised to the organizers and they were also asked how they will host the campaign differently this year. Nancy Smeal, chief returning officer of the CSU elections that occurred last month shared her report about the elections. She said that the most crucial problem that the CSU must address is the several vacant positions in the board of directors for next year. Smeal also raised the issue of the steps of the electoral process were confusing that made it hard for her and the candidates to understand the electoral process. She also argued that the lack of candidates shows that the CSU needs to work on their presence on campus especially on satellite campuses in Squamish and Sunshine Coast. Finally, she suggested that the CSU should look into setting up online voting. CSU General Manager, Christopher Girodat, reported that the CSU will begin to hire student employees for next semester on April 15 to train them and the staff during the summer book sale because it is not as busy in the summer semester compare to fall and spring. Kevin Adam, CSU Arts and Sciences representative, has announced that he will be taking a leave of absence until April. Adam said that he can no longer carry out his role in the CSU and he feels that he is a hindrance to the CSU because he cannot give more of his time to the organization. The 2014/2015 Operating Budget of the CSU was approved to have decreased stipends by $20,000 for a total of $100,000. The CSU will also be increasing their service development by $6,000 for a total of $8,000. Finally, the organization will also increase its budget in external relations campaigns by $1,000 which brings the total up to $9,000. Colin Polak was appointed to the CSU’s standing committee on finance as studentat-large. The organization also released $900 to purchase a DSLR camera for CSU-related business and the money will be taken out of the marketing line item in the budget of the CSU. Between Feb. 22 and 25, four CSU board of directors members were sent to Victoria to attend the Alliance of British Columbia Students (ABCS) lobby days which cost the CSU $2,188.19. - Therese Guieb, News Editor

NEWS@CAPILANOCOURIER.COM

Hit me with your breast shot BODYBUILDERS CREATE DEMAND FOR BREAST MILK

Bodybuilding has pushed many to the limit causing some to turn to alternate measures to get bigger muscles. The Province has recently reported that body builders have sought out breast milk instead of protein shake to feed their obsession. Breast milk has the perfect balance of

cause many individuals do not know about the medical background of the donor. Selling breast milk is not illegal in Canada, but that is not to say the exchange of milk for money is not risky. There are milk banks online, such as OnlyTheBreast.com that are specifically designed for buying and selling breast milk. Typically, mothers who cannot produce enough milk for their babies turn to these sources to find breast milk as the best nourishment for their babies. How-

proteins, fats and carbohydrates. When a mother gives birth to her baby, breast milk becomes the most essential biological form of nourishment. Besides being rich in nutrients, there are thousands of bioactive molecules that protect against infections, contribute to immune system maturation and organ development in babies. Human milk also contains the growth hormone necessary for babies to grow. New mothers who are producing more milk than what their babies need are turning to online sources like Craigslist to sell their milk on an average of two dollars per ounce. “This may cause significant risks if the woman donating is a carrier of Hepatitis C or B, HIV or even malaria and TB [tuberculosis] bacteria,” says Dr. George Kljajic, a general practitioner at Columbia Medical Clinic in New Westminster. Another way the milk could be contaminated is if the equipment is not sterilized. “The handling of the milk is not done with clean hands, as it may cause some of the more common skin infections such as Aureus and E.coli,” says Dr. Kljajic. Buying breast milk through Craigslist is risky be-

ever, it’s not guaranteed that the milk purchased is pure. There are numerous milk banks such as MothersMilk.coop, where donor applicants go through complete screening to make sure that their breast milk is safe is consume. Donors also receive their payment for the breast milk donations they have made upon 90 days. This procedure ensures that the milk they donate is free from any bacteria and viruses and provides sustainable operations between the donor and the milk bank. Tyler Boudreau, a personal trainer in Vancouver, has yet to see a bodybuilder consume the creamy white liquid post workout. There have been no significant studies done to prove that adults consuming breast milk could benefit from it. After an intense workout, micro tears are caused by contractions of the muscle. “Drinking a whey protein shake following a workout because it’s a quick and easy way to replenish nutrients lost during a workout and rebuild muscle to prevent soreness,” Boudreau suggests. An alternative to protein shakes would be to consume lean chicken breast, bean salad, sweet potatoes and whole milk.

Milana Bucan × Writer

Also, solid proteins do take a longer time to break down, and protein in a liquid form is “a quick fix and is more efficient,” says Boudreau. Although, eating a healthy balanced diet of vegetables, grains and proteins does provide a sufficient amount of nutrients for the body. “Most of these nutrients are rich in protein, but also contain omega three, calcium and other minerals and most importantly have no risk for serious infections,” says Dr. Kljajic.

× Cheryl Swan

VOLUME 48 I SSUE N O . 20

What's new with the CSU?

THERESE GUIEB NEWS EDITOR

“Breast milk is one of the paramount symbols of motherhood, representing mother’s warmth, love and dedication to her baby,” says Dr.Kljajic. It should not be overlooked that when a baby is born it completely relies on breast milk for its complete nourishment and development. Besides the health factors of donating excess breast milk, there are ethical issues to consider, such as the question of whether it is morally right that hungry babies whose mothers cannot produce enough milk are left out, while bodybuilders are consuming breast milk in hopes of getting bigger muscles. Health Canada advises that individuals withhold from purchasing breast milk online from unreliable sources. In the case where a mother needs breast milk for her baby, she is advised to contact a health care professional when considering purchasing milk from a donor.

news

The future of transit LOCAL MAYOR VISITS CAMPUS TO SUPPORT TRANSIT TAX INCREASE Kevin Kapenda × Writer

With less than two weeks to go before the first referendum ballots are mailed out, the Mayor’s Council is ramping up outreach by visiting campuses across the region, including Capilano University. On Mar. 3, District of North Vancouver Mayor, Richard Walton visited the campus to voice his support for the proposed tax increase and help the Capilano Students’ Union (CSU) register students to vote. Walton stood with CSU’s President, Brittany Barnes, CapU’s President, Kris Bulcroft, and other student campaign members to collectively announce their support for the “yes campaign.” They distributed information on the mayors’ region-wide plans and served cake to students. During the rally, Walton spoke to local media and

students about why a ‘yes’ result in the referendum is so crucial to the future growth of Metro Vancouver and our transportation infrastructure. “Our whole economy and future thrives on being able to get goods and people around efficiently,” says Walton, “As a city experiencing world-wide levels of growth, we must invest in transportation so that people can work, be healthy, get around and earn a living.” He notes that approving the tax increase is important because it would reduce congestion on our major roadways and current transit infrastructure. Walton also added that more bus service would make commuting easier for students traveling to school during peak hours and make transit safer for youth traveling at night. “We owe to our young people who are waiting for buses at night to increase service and add more buses,” explains Walton. In response to the opposition’s concerns

regarding the financial accountability of TransLink, Walton insists that any new money raised by the proposed tax would be appropriated through the Board of Metro Vancouver and used for the projects they have already outlined in their platform. “I’ve served on the Board of Metro Vancouver and I can assure you that the organization does spend its money very carefully and very expeditiously,” says Walton. Walton also fired back at opponents of the tax by stating that a vote for the no side would do nothing to ease congestion and fix our region’s transportation problems.” In my view, voting no is just short-sighted, myopic and vengeful and it’s going to do nothing for your future or the future of this city,” argues Walton. Communications professor, Michael Markwick, also threw his support behind the “yes side” at the event because of the impact increased transit service would have

on low-income individuals, like students. “If you look at the need of students and other low-wage groups who are over-reliant on transit, it would greatly improve their lives and the ones of those who aren’t being served well enough by Translink,” says Markwick. Markwick also praised the manner in which the referendum was being conducted and the mayors’ decision to put the question directly to residents. “The [referendum] is great because it’s a democratic process that allows voters to make up their own minds about [the proposed tax],” explains Markwick. Markwick is also excited about is the way in which the funds will be spent and overseen by an independent body. “What is great about this proposal is that the funds raised through this tax will be independently audited from Translink, which is in my opinion, the beginning of better democratic scrutiny of Translink.”

new organizers for canada-wide event GLOBAL STEWARDSHIP STUDENTS TO LEAD 5 DAYS FOR THE HOMELESS Carlo Javier × Lifestyle Editor

Ramsden and her team will also be conducting their mission with the implications of the $5 a day feature, following the minimum welfare budget for food. “We’re going to be purchasing all of our food beforehand and displaying everything that we’re going to be trying to live off over the five days,” says Ramden. Despite their limited funds, the organizers are aiming to use their smaller presence and create a more focused and grassrootslike feel to this year’s 5 Days for the Homeless. “I definitely don’t think we’re looking to get the scope that it’s had, we’re not doing a big Kickstarter, we’re not trying to bring unwanted attention to the issue and again we’re not trying to pretend that we’re homeless and take away the services that are actually needed for people, we’re not here

to insult or degraded and come off on the wrong foot with students and people who actually are homeless or borderline homeless,” says Ramsden. Another positive factor that the group can take away from is that the smaller scale operation of 5 Days for the Homeless can help alleviate some of the problems that the event has seen in the past across other campuses in Canada. Several campouts in the country have been criticized for sending the wrong message and essentially turning into a campus-based sleepover, effectively destroying the message that 5 Days for the Homeless is meant to deliver. “5 Days for the Homeless is a campaign that was started with the best intentions - to build awareness about homelessness,” says Kara Green, one of the organizers of this

year’s event, “We will not be having 'guest sleepers' to steer clear of having a 'campus sleepover.' Additionally, we hope to spend our time volunteering for the North Shore Youth Safe House. This will allow us to use 5 Days for the Homeless as an opportunity for learning how we can make a difference in a positive effective way and be involved going forward in this issue that we all feel passionately about.” 5 Days for the Homeless will be running from Mar. 9 until Mar. 13. The five student-organizers will be camping outside the back entrance of the library along the campus pedestrian walkway. Paul Butler of the North Shore Youth Safe House will be speaking at the CSU Library Lounge on Mar. 10 at 11:30 am.

T H E C A P I L A N O C O U R I E R . VOLUME 48 I SSUE N O . 20

× J.R. Pinto

This year’s iteration of 5 Days for the Homeless in Capilano University marks a stark change in structure. After two years under the leadership of Capilano Students’ Union’s (CSU) then-Social Justice Coordinator Spencer McMurray, the reins of the Canada-wide event has been transferred to a different position. This time around, the CSU will not be leading the event, nor will the university administration. Instead, a group of five first-year Global Stewardship students are steering the wheels of 5 Days for the Homeless. “We’re still related with 5 Days, which is the cross-Canada campaign that’s held across Canada campuses on the same date,” says Vanessa Ramsden, one of the organizers of the event. “We’re related with them in the sense of basic guidelines and the name and such, but we’re - for the lack of a better term - we’re doing it in a scaled-down sense.” The group is not attempting to simulate and demonstrate what a homeless person goes through on a daily basis, but instead, the group aims to engage students and spark a conversation by helping illustrate a simple understanding of homelessness. “We’re partnered with Hollyburn Youth Centre here in the North Shore and we’ll be doing a little bit of volunteering and some research for them,” says Ramsden. One of the biggest repercussions of the change in leadership for 5 Days for the Homeless is the considerable difference in funding. In the past, the annual initiative had been operated on a grand scale. Last year’s iteration included multiple speakers, seminars and screening of short films and documentaries that pertained towards the topic of homelessness. However, under the guidance of Ramsden and her team, this year’s 5 Days for the Homeless in CapU have faced roadblocks financially. Part of the features of the group’s partnership with Hollyburn will be the inclusion of a clothing drive for clothing articles that the foundation deems as ‘bare necessities’ items such as toothpaste and toothbrushes.

arts + Culture

ALVA TEE ARTS + CULTURE EDITOR

ARTS@CAPILANOCOURIER.COM

smile for the camera THE EVOLUTION OF PHOTOGRAPHY Sarah Unger × Writer

Photos can play a big part in anyone’s life as a memory of a moment; it’s a way to keep a still image of that specific time forever. Throughout the different decades, years of advancements in photography have allowed for all sorts of weird trends and unique styles to exist. It all began with photographic film. Having been around for 150 years, this type of photography requires a tedious chemical process before results can be seen. A latent image would be exposed to light and then placed into a solution called a “developer”, eventually allowing the photo to become visible. Hieu LaVoce, professional photographer at Hieulavoce, says that this particular process produces a unique, stunning and detailed photograph without the requirement of extremely expensive equipment. Though film development shows all the explicit details of an image, it’s very time consuming. Film photography was mainly the only choice way back when but now, there are so many different options for photography as well as what can be done to a photo. Digital photography advanced, enabling photos to be printed efficiently and images could be plastered on almost anything. Tshirts, mugs, phone cases and all sorts of

× Cheryl Swan

other things could have the faces of friends and loved ones all over them. Though images on these every day items wouldn’t turn out as clear, it was still intriguing to many to have the familiar faces smiling back at them. Tony Potkins, photo lab employee at London Drugs says that the canvases, though simple, are one of the things that are becoming more and more popular every day. “The canvases add a unique style to printing, and look beautiful when finished,” he says. “Digital made things so much easier and faster,” says LaVoce, explaining that as a result, more of a “wow” factor is expected as well. Besides being able to place a photo almost anywhere, digital photography and the ability to process photos through computer software have made editing a lot easier too. “You can

manipulate real life into something different,” says Abigail Burns of Abigail B photography. From there on, digital photography advanced its way over to self-edits where cheesy or “inspirational” quotes would be added onto photos in all patterns and vibrant colours, filters were added as well as hues, contrast and brightness constantly played with. “There is most definitely tacky print jobs, but the way I see it, if it looks cool, just go with it,” says Burns. As the hype of the ability to do things digitally took over, the generation of selfies began. Though mirror selfies are still around, the addition of a front-facing camera changed the entire selfie game. Selfies are now an international trend, taken by people of all ages with their friends and family. “These days, there are many camera phones with macro, fisheye, wide angle and telephoto lenses,” says Burns. These different options simply make the selfie-taking process that much more exciting. These trends may be constantly changing and developing, but one of the older trends has found its way back to popularity. Polaroid photos have been around since 1948 and they are starting to become a widespread attraction once again. “It gives a personal touch and unique style for photos,” says LaVoce. Camera companies have taken notice of this and created a new technology to accommodate the love for Polaroid photos. A ma-

sounds of the soul

CU RRE N T BAN DS PL AYI N G

SHOWING OFF THE BEST MUSICAL TALENT AROUND CAPILANO

VOLUME 48 I SSUE N O . 20 THE CAPILANO COURIER.

Highland Eyeway Jericho

Scott Barkemeyer

chine was created where all one would need to do is download an app on their phone, send the photo to the machine, and it would be printed in Polaroid style. “In a generation where everything is at our fingertips, the Polaroid camera is a cool way to bring back something vintage while still getting the gratification this generation is looking for,” says Burns. There are always new developments and trends on the rise. “Painting with light is a quite fun trend that many both advanced and amateur photographers can do,” says Burns. Experimenting with lighting sources, exposure time and natural light, anyone can add a sparkling or soft glow to an image. This trend grants one the ability to express and challenge their originality and creativity. According to LaVoce, street photography is also quite the trend nowadays too. These images feature the human conditions within public places. They can capture anything from the absence of people, to a photo that projects a human characteristic of the beauty of that moment in time. “Trends have come and gone, or stuck through, and they are used by all kinds of photographers,” says Burns, “Developments have given photographers the ability to add unique touches to images, whether it be through editing, creating prints or taking a selfie everyday for a year. Photography now has endless possibilities to create the perfect image.”

× Writer

Rick Slicks

Walking by Fir building, we’ve all heard the music students practicing hard and pushing out some groovy tunes. Beyond the Jazz program, there are students who are musically talented all around Capilano University. From within campus to the various neighbourhoods of North Vancouver, CapU’s first ever Sounds of the Soul plans to bring in the best in the area together for a glorious time. A student-led event to be held in the Capilano Students’ Union (CSU) Library Lounge, it will be taking place on Mar. 19 starting at 11:30 am. Acoustic performances and an open acoustic jam kick off the night as students prepare for the live bands awaiting their chance to shine in the Arbutus Courtyard from 5 pm to 8:30 pm. The evening performances will be held alongside a licensed area in the CSU lounge where those who are 19 or over can enjoy a cool beverage while listening to the array of local talent rocking out. For the acoustic jam, there will be a variety of instruments available for any student to pick up and play around with. Whether that’s a guitar, cajón or any other instrument provided or brought in by a student, everyone is encouraged to jam out together. There will be a range of flavours for all types of musical tastes out there, and they will be satisfied altogether throughout this day. Created by CapU Outdoor Recreation student Zachary Thompson and a group of his

Eastwoods Eric Campbell and The Dirt Empire

× Cristian Fowlie

fellow first-year classmates, the event started out as a class project in Outdoor Recreation’s Organizational Leadership class. Students are challenged to create an event for the community and one of the main goals for this group is to host an event on campus to engage students and highlight the diversity and talent of the CapU student body. “I'm hoping that other students in Outdoor Recreation or other faculties have such a good time that they want to take on the project,”

says Thompson, “I hope my event carries on with a good name like that.” Additionally to the musical elements, there will be a raffle and an art auction with beautiful pieces for people to purchase, donated by students from CapU as well as a talented Emily Carr student named Kasia Iaczny. Auction pieces range from graffiti art to some surprise items that even the event organizers have not yet seen. Proceeds of the auction and raffle are going to be added to

any donations received and given to Instruments of Change, a Vancouver-based organization that empowers people through the use of the arts. According to their website, Instruments of Change’s vision is to allow people to become “instruments of transformative change in their own lives.” The charity was chosen based on their impact on people local to the Lower Mainland and their vision, which aligns with that of the event and its organizers. With the combined forces of the Capilano Students’ Union, Capilano University, the Outdoor Recreation students, those who donated for the auction and raffle, the performers and everyone else involved, Thompson says he’s glad to have everyone working together to make this event a reality. As a way to de-stress from project season or simply to have fun, Sounds of the Soul is the chance to enjoy a full day of wonderful music and support local talent. To participate or contribute to the event, please contact zacharythompson@my.capilanou.ca for more information.

arts + Culture

you wanna be on top? CATCHING UP WITH VANCOUVER FASHION WEEK'S LOCAL DESIGNERS Alva Tee × Arts + Culture Editor

Every year, Vancouver Fashion Week (VFW) hosts two separate weeks worth of flashy fashions. This spring season from Mar. 16 to 22, VFW models showcasing local and international designs will rock the runway once again. Having previously received vast amounts of critical presumptions because Vancouver is far from the world’s largest fashion capital, VFW has continued strongly in it’s 25th season as a networking ground for aspiring and accomplished designers, buyers and guests to interact and create connections. “The Vancouver fashion industry is incredibly warm, inclusive and accepting,” says Connally McDougall, a local contemporary fashion designer and VFW returnee, “Often, the industry gets painted with a critical shade but Vancouver seems to have much more integrity and none of the trappings for gossip, cattiness or backstabbing often associated with fashion.” With a successful show last VFW season, McDougall has been working hard to hone her skills and craft while studying in London. Having mostly designed womenswear in the past, she is excited to display her debut collection of menswear. “This is actually my first foray into menswear,” she says, “My own choices in fashion borrow from both sexes, but much of my inspiration comes from different cultures, art and architecture.” Working in London has allowed McDougall to compare and contrast the differences between fashion in two separate parts of the world. “Canada gets everything about two years after London, and definitely is

more casual and dressed down,” she says, “London is basically the fashion Olympics and is much more varied in style whereas in Canada, a certain level of practicality comes into play for styling and fashion.” But with Vancouver Fashion Week back in action, VanCity residents can dip their roots into the world of glamour for a week. Yana Petrova, communications director of VFW says that one of the major things that differentiates them from other Fashion Weeks such as those in New York or London is that they strive to become the perfect platform for emerging artists as well. “We offer amazing media coverage and exposure and a chance for designers to showcase their collections for a very reasonable price,” she says. Not all emerging artists are able to afford the full designer package where makeup, models, photos and other additional media coverage are offered though, so VFW will do their best to negotiate. “We do want to help as much as we can,” says Petrova, “We alter our packages to help out designers that can’t afford to come and show.” She says that VFW prides themselves on the fact that they only look for creativity, so the place that a designer is in the industry isn’t of a great deal to them, as long as a variety is kept amongst the master list of designers. “We definitely value creativity the most,” she says. “The fashion industry, or any art-based industry for that matter, can be incredibly stuffy,” says Grandy Chu, local designer of

Designer: Grandi's Atelier [0] : Roberutsu

maybe more ‘design’ as an umbrella… Like problem solving, innovating, structure, line, form, drafting and construction. The difference to me isn’t necessarily materials, but the subject matter." As an industrial and fashion designer, she says that it’s about the body versus a space. Every designer is bound to hit an obstacle at some point in their careers, but there is always the choice to learn from it. “The biggest motivation for me is failure,” says Armstrong, “I am really passionate and determined to reach my goals in being an international label, and the thought of falling a tad short is the push that will keep me up that extra hour at night to finish something I’m working on.” With her biggest goal clear in her mind, she believes that showing in VFW will help her come closer to it. “VFW is heavy in international networks,” she says, “From designers all over the world who are established or emerging to coverage by Vogue UK, Glamour UK, GQ, Elle Italia and Elle Canada, it’s good exposure.” No matter the hiccups designers may face, where they began their career or where they draw their inspirations from, they are all there for two main reasons: to make connections and move forwards with their careers. “Our goal is to be able to grow and grow every season,” says Petrova, “It’s not just a one time event, you’re seeing these people every day for an entire week. It is the place to network.” For more information make sure to visit -

T H E C A P I L A N O C O U R I E R . VOLUME 48 I SSUE N O . 20

Grandi’s Atelier, “The team at VFW judges a designer on his merits rather than credentials.” Though happier than she could ever be now, Chu wasn’t always interested in fashion. “I can’t tell you a fairy tale story about doing now what I’ve always dreamt of doing,” she says, “It took me a long time to create a space for myself where all of my faculties – artistic, technical, analytical, dexterous – are adequately employed. This is a happy place for me.” Beginning with a project where she made one dress a week from scratch, she documented her process on a blog called ADressAWeek.com. “I needed to prove to myself I could actually design clothes and produce them,” Chu says, “Having never stepped foot in a fashion or art school, it was my way to design a curriculum for myself to learn the tricks, build a portfolio and prove what I could.” This project really helped her to find and solidify her vision as a designer. Chu says that she is drawn to historical nuances, and that’s where most of her creative intuition comes from. “Most of my inspirations begin with some obscure historical factoid that somehow comes to life in the form of different shaped fabrics,” she says. While McDougall draws her inspirations from other designers and film and Chu draws hers from things in the past, Sara Armstrong, interdisciplinary artist, draws inspiration from all over. “Music, history, architecture, feelings, a story I feel like telling, a feeling I’m looking to impress,” she says. “There are a lot of parallels in industrial and fashion design,” says Armstrong, “Or

art shorts

Follow the Art Shorts team on Twitter @CAPCOURIERLIVE

ANDY RICE ART SHORTS EDITOR MANAGER.CAPCOURIER@GMAIL.COM

Die Fledermaus (The Bat) Feb. 28, Queen Elizabeth Theatre written by Therese Guieb Queen Elizabeth Theatre was transformed back to the late 19th century in Vancouver Opera’s production of Die Fledermaus. The well-renowned Viennese operetta is a classical masterpiece by Johann Strauss II. Die Fledermaus showcases the upper class society of Vienna while telling the story of several characters that run into trouble because of mistaken identities, impersonations and deceitfulness to mislead each other. The operetta was presented differently as it was sung in German along with dialogue in English and English surtitles. Nancy Hermiston, who adapted the dialogue, added new twists that included Bard on the Beach and inside jokes. These were depicted in Act Three of the operetta by Christopher Gaze, who played Frosch. Gaze cracked awkwardly paced jokes about the Vancouver Opera Orchestra’s conductor, Jonathan Darlington. Suzanne Rigden, who played the role of Adele, set the comedic tone for the operetta in Act One. She succeeded in catching the flirty yet demanding character of a chambermaid right away. Gabriel von Eisenstein’s character called for a tenor who is able to depict a gallant yet wife-fearing man. Roger Honeywell, who played the role, accommodated these attributes in his performance. His wife, Rosalinde, was played by Joyce El-Khoury. She embodied elegance and the stereotypical up-

per class society woman exceptionally well. El-Khoury also showed her impressive vocal range in Act Two when she sang the dynamics required for “Csárdás.” Alfred, who turns out to be the long lost lover of Rosalinde, was played by David Pomeroy. His powerful tenor vocals stood out amongst the rest of the male vocalists in the operetta and romanced the audience, while he also spoke convincingly with an Italian accent. Unfortunately, many of the dialects represented by his fellow cast members weren’t nearly as consistent. Julie Bolianne as Prince Orlovsky failed to deliver her lines clearly in a Russian accent and ultimately, she did not leave an impression that she would have wanted, other than the fact that a mezzo-soprano played the role of a male character. Martin Saad as Dr. Blind was also lacking in key moments, often overdoing the speech stuttering that was made for his role. Costume design of Die Fledermaus flaunted elaborate and detailed clothing that showed mostly on Rosalinde’s gowns in all three acts of the operetta. Vancouver Opera’s production of Die Fledermaus was a lighthearted, comedic and witty performance that is sure to have make its audience appreciate waltz music all over again.

× Vancouver Opera Photo

BECOME

t x ne

CAPlLANO COURIER’S

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ANYONE IS ELIGIBLE TO LEAD CAPILANO UNIVERSITY’S

THE CAPILANO COURIER.

VOLUME 48 I SSUE N O . 20

AWARD-WINNING STUDENT NEWSPAPER

POWERFUL

PEOPLE

EAT PIZZA MARCH 24TH, 2015 Maple Building 122 @ 12PM

PIZZA PROVIDED!

wine shorts

ART SHORTS UNCORKED Vancouver International Wine Festival written by Andy Rice

The 37th annual Vancouver International Wine Festival took place from Feb. 20 to Mar. 1 at Vancouver Convention Centre West. This year’s theme was Australia, with a global focus on Syrah/Shiraz from all over the world, and the beautifully decorated Acura International Festival Tasting Room was home to over 750 wines from 170 wineries and 14 countries. Admittedly, the 53,000 square foot ballroom was a daunting challenge to conquer at first, even with more-than-sufficient amounts of wine involved, but ultimately it yielded a satisfying experience for the senses and a great impression of some of the world’s most forward-thinking winemakers and their exceptional creations. Below is just a small sampling of some highlights and standouts from festival week, which included everything from student bargains to special occasion splurges.

BEST OF THE FEST UNDER $25

CANADA / BC Wild Goose Vineyards Okanagan Falls, BC

Haywire Summerland, BC

St Hallett Barossa Valley, AU

Red Horizon Meritage 2012 $22 A blend of Merlot reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, this wine won gold at the 2014 BC Wine Awards. It features prominent flavours of cassis and plum.

2012 Canyonview Pinot Noir $35 A newly released vintage of a Haywire favourite, this Pinot Noir features predominantly dark, ripe berries on the nose, lots of cherry and ripe stone fruits on the palate. Made at Okanagan Crush Pad Winery and aged in concrete tanks, the appeal of this wine is further heightened by 2012’s resounding success as an excellent growing year.

Poacher’s Blend Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2014 $16 A blend of two great varietals, with a little riesling added for smoothness. This wine is named after the first vintage, which was made from grapes stolen to avenge a debt between two neighbouring vineyards. Refreshing, citrusy, light and crisp, it’s a great bargain wine.

Stoney Slope Reisling 2012 $20 A gold medal winner at the 2014 Great Northwest Wine Competition, this is a special creation from Wild Goose’s home vineyard. Grown on an overtly sunny side hill, this Riesling bears an extra ripeness you can taste, with lots of rhubarb on the palate and a refreshing finish. Laughing Stock Vineyards Penticton, BC 2012 Portfolio $45 This is the highly anticipated 10th vintage of Laughing Stock’s signature and award-winning Bordeaux-style blend. With notes of blackberries and a teasing, playful BBQ finish, this wine is a staple of BC’s wine legacy. 2012 was one of the best years for grapes in a long time, further heightening this wine’s already inherent abundance of roundness and depth. Noble Ridge Vineyards Okanagan Falls, BC

“The One” Sparkling, 2010 vintage $40 Made in the French style from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes, this bubbly has all the toasty, bready goodness you’d expect, with a bit of minerality too. This one had people elbowing their way up the table for a taste. I’ve got the bruises to prove it.

Marisco Vineyards Marlborough, NZ The King’s Favour Sauvignon Blanc 2013 $20 Floral with notes of gooseberry and citrus, this is a truly delicious white — intense on the nose with a well-balanced depth and firmness to back it up on the palate. Sticky End Noble Sauvignon Blanc 2011 $30 A sweet sipper, the grapes used for this “sticky” were intentionally left on the vine after the regular crop had been harvested, juiced later for a more syrupy result, and ultimately barrel aged in French oak. The citrus flavours here are darker and more robust than its drier cousin above, taking on a bit of peel flavour as well, along with hints of dried apricot and ripe peach.

ITALY Zenato Veneto, IT Ripassa della Valpolicella DOC 2012 $30 Stars across the board for the entire line from Zenato this year, but a particular standout was the Ripassa della Valpolicella. A dry, rich Italian red, this creeps dangerously close to Amarone territory with big, larger-than-life flavours like blackberry jam on toast.

Gamekeeper’s Shiraz Grenache Touriga 2013 $16 The sister red to the Poacher’s Blend, this is an easy-drinking combination of three different grapes, un-oaked with a great peppery spice and a juicy notes of raspberry and rose.

Altos Las Hormigas Malbec Clasico $18 Argentina Silky and unoaked with an earthy smokiness and dark fruit flavours.

The Grape Grinder Pinotage $15 South Africa Sweet flavours of mocha and berries with a spicy oakiness.

d’Arenberg McLaren Vale, AU The Dead Arm Shiraz 2010 $66 With a variety of dark fruit, pepper, spice and lots of earthy tones, this is a complex and very delicious wine for both the nose and the palate. People were literally flocking to this table — and specifically to this bottle — like their lives depended on it. Fourth-generation winemaker, Chester Osborn, is at the top of his game right now, and this is a perfect example of Australian Shiraz through a French looking glass. Even the wine’s name is a conversation piece, coined in reference to the disease Eutypa lata, which causes grape canker and kills the vines branch by branch — thus, the term “dead arm”.

SOUTH AFRICA Fairview Wines Paarl, SA Nurok 2013 $34 A blend of Viognier, Chenin Blanc, Rousanne, and a tiny bit of Grenache Blanc, this wine carries lots of stone fruit and citrus, with a nose of summer and a lasting sweetness.

Yalumba Y Series Shiraz Viognier $19 Australia Medium body and easy drinking, with lots of stone fruit, spice and dark berries.

Miguel Torres Vina Esmeralda $16 Spain Notes of honey, peach and lychee, with a slightly acidic and off-dry palate.

Carmen Wave Series Sauvignon Blanc $15 Chile Fresh, tart flavours of gooseberry, grapefruit and Granny Smith apple.

Ravenswood Vintners Blend Zinfandel $18 California Deep and full of flavour, with subtle hints of oak and spicy heat.

AUSTRALIA Painted Rock Estate Winery Penticton, BC 2013 Rosé $30 This is the inaugural year that Painted Rock has made a rosé and they hit it out of the park on the first try. A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc, this blend features lots of citrus, strawberry and rhubarb. While it’s very sweet on the nose, it’s surprisingly dry and deliciously refreshing

Bethany Wines Barossa Valley, AU 2013 Eden Valley Riesling $20 Packed with lots of fruit blossom on the nose and a tart pucker, this dry Riesling comes with a refreshing crispness and lots of lemon rind flavour. It also boasts a pleasant waxy mouth feel from additional skin contact during pressing.

Spice Route Chakalaka 2012 $33 Slightly smokey on both the nose and palate, this red blend is like Christmas at Grandma’s house, complete with the smoke of the fire, liquorice candies on the table, sugar plums and fruitcake fresh out of the oven. A blend of Syrah, Mourvedre, Carignan, Grenache, Tannat, and Petit Syrah.

Jacob’s Creek Moscato $12 Australia Sweet and sparkling with notes of tropical fruit and a hint of honeysuckle.

T H E C A P I L A N O C O U R I E R . VOLUME 48 I SSUE N O . 20

Pinot Grigio 2013 $20 This is a newly released vintage, delicious and sweet with a floral nose of fresh lilac blossoms. Sweet, buttery melon flavours dominate the palate, with a refreshing, smooth and effervescent finish.

NEW ZEALAND

Veingut St Urbans-Hof Old Vines Riesling $23 Germany Off-dry with lots of pear, peach, lemon flavour.

FEATURES

FAYE ALEXANDER FEATURES EDITOR

S P E C I A L F E AT U R E S @ C A P I L A N O C O U R I E R . C O M

MORE THAN MODERN WAR THE YOUNG PEOPLE OF

THE CAPILANO COURIER.

VOLUME 48 I SSUE N O . 20

THE CANADIAN FORCES

CARLO JAVIER

ZOE SOFIANOS

WORDS

IMAGES

Stefan Romanchouk stood in the freezing cold conditions of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec. He was standing idly by in the minus 30 degree weather. Sometimes he’d get to march, but other than that, the options for physical activity were limited. He was losing sensation on his toes and his nose constantly ran. His fingers were numb and handling his C7 assault rifle was getting increasingly difficult, to the point that he could hardly slide his magazine into his rifle. At the main gate of the Forward Operating Base (FOB), a guard - or in this case, a sentry - mans a tower armed with a C9 light machine gun. He has a phone to contact headquarters about any information regarding people and vehicles coming in and out of the base. Six other sentries are on the ground, each equipped with a C7. Despite the numerous automatic firearms and the seemingly tense situation, the base is actually rather boring. For a week, Romanchouk spends eight hours each day staring into the nothingness of the forest ahead. He waits for orders and he maintains procedure. At any given moment, someone can approach the recruits and suddenly, it’s “go, go, go.” The base becomes a war zone. In a flash, the cold goes away and adrenaline starts pumping. This is where every ounce of intensive training comes in. Romanchouk is in a middle of a gunfight, but preserving his life is not his only goal. He has to call out location, reload machine gun fire and cover his squad members. Then the base’s Platoon Officer calls it, everyone stands down and the drill ceases. The sound of gunfire may still echo in the distance and the remnants of smoke grenades might still linger. Weapons are held at ease and the base quiets down once again. The cold however, doesn’t normalize as seamlessly. Adrenaline levels remain high and the thrill of battle is heart pounding. For a moment, Romanchouk is satisfied. Though this wasn’t exactly the life threatening, moment-to-moment environment of a real war, this was as close as it gets. This was only a field exercise, but this is what he signed up for. For a rare moment, the army was fun.

BASIC TRAINING

“Fun” might be one of the last words you might use to describe the life of an army recruit. For Romanchouk, a 20-year-old artillery gunner of the regular force, the word “fun” hardly crosses his mind while on duty. Upon enlisting, Romanchouk underwent an intense 14 weeks of Basic Military Qualification (BMQ), where he, and every other recruit muster the physicality, perseverance and mental strength needed to be able to take the first steps of a soldier. For 14 weeks, basic training puts its applicants to task. This is where recruits learn of formations and weapon use. This is where they develop the technicalities of marching and the natural instinct to move with a sense of urgency. They’re also constantly placed under severe pres-

sure, to ensure that they’re prepared and are capable to handle the rigours of a real battle. “I’d be up at 4:30 or at five every morning doing physical training for an hour,” Romanchouk says when describing his days in basic training. Recruits are subjected to inspections and are mandated to keep everything spotless. They also must attend classes where they learn about subjects such as military regulation, military history and first aid. Most classes also had tests that had an 80 per cent minimum as a grade. “Whenever you’re off, say around 6 pm, you’d be working on your kit, folding shirts to the perfect size, cleaning, sewing, polishing boots, you’d be working to 11 pm, sometimes even later,” he says. Following basic training, recruits get to specialize. Some chose the path of the infantry – these are soldiers on foot, at the front lines of battle. Another option is to join the artillery ranks, soldiers that conduct surveillance and provide support from the rear with cannons. Through field exercises, recruits get to experience the in-war, day-to-day lives of soldiers, including the varied selection of military meal rations. These meal packages can include a variety of options such as salmon, beef stroganoff or sweet and sour pork. Each can contain powdered rice or mashed potatoes, as well as a commercial chocolate bar to boost morale. “Every meal is sodium enriched for preservation so it’s pretty gross,” remarks Romanchouk. Like many young soldiers, Romanchouk joined the army out of family history. Most of the men in his family served in the army, and he saw it ideal to have the experience under his belt and to fulfill the possibility of even going on tour. The same reasons are apparent with Corporal Jonathan Hernandez, a reservist of the Canadian Forces. Hernandez has relatives from all facets of the military. His extended family includes people not only from the Canadian Armed Forces, but also from the US Marines, as well as the French Army. Familial roots, despite their prominence amongst soldiers, are not the only reason why young people might opt to join the armed forces. For some, the army can be an escape. “There are a lot of older guys, not old but like 25 or 26, and they weren’t enjoying what they were doing in life and not many people have an education and the army was a good way out,” says Romanchouk. Other factors may simply be driven by patriotism, or even by the prospect of getting deployed. It can also be because of the pay, as Romanchouk bluntly puts it, “The Canadian Forces also have a really nice paycheque, a lot of people like that.”

NO RESPAWNS

Hernandez waited. For about a week, Hernandez and his team dug trenches and waited for the enemy to come in sight. To prevent an ambush or any failures,

the team had to stay alert and awake throughout the entire exercise. Some resorted to chewing tobacco, while others utilized the powdered coffee provided in the military meal rations. To this day, Hernandez has difficulty in recollecting his training exercise in the trenches due to sleep deprivation. The gunfight, once it ensued, lasted only five minutes. After that, it was another day of waiting, another day of staying alert. “To be honest there are a lot of new guys who joined up just because they’ve played a lot of video games and they want to do that, and the army looks poorly towards that,” says Hernandez. Warfare-based video games such as the Call of Duty series and the Battlefield series are some of the best selling products in the shooting game industry. As exciting and

visually impressive as these games might be, in the eyes of soldiers, they’re entirely fictitious and are gross exaggerations of the military. “We have a bar at the base for master corporals and down. One of the guys, he was playing Call of Duty and we were just laughing at the fact that it’s not realistic,” says Hernandez, “People join up because they think that’s how it’s going to be. In the game you’ve got helicopters coming and you’re blowing up helicopters and all this stuff that’s happening all at the same time, but the action really isn’t there, compared to the video games, that’s why it’s so hated upon.” In the army, the framework between expectations and reality runs much deeper than simple video game comparisons. Sometimes the lifestyle isn’t exactly what you might initially assume it to be.

RFARE

anyone in Romanchouk’s base had their first choice of base granted to them. “Everyone else got stuck here. No one wanted to be here,” he says. Young people enlisting in the regular force are also treated to the sudden necessity of maturity and growth. Not only does the army train its soldiers to their physical best, but it also absolutely requires people to mature quickly. “When I joined the army I thought I’d be living on base, making all this money and just having a simple life, and it turned out not to be like that,” says Romanchouk, “Soon as you get qualified, you’re forced to rent a house, a military house so I pretty much own my own house. I have these responsibilities that I’ve never done before in my life. You grow up and mature overnight.”

One of the still prevalent assumptions of the military is the dynamic between its male and female members. According to Romanchouk, within the 400 people stationed in his base, only about 15 to 20 are women. Despite the obviously male-dominated area, Romanchouk does believe that the women in his base are not subjected to impartial treatment, even noting that more men drop out and quit than women. However, he does admit the bias in treatments towards women who may be prettier than others, “If you’re a pretty one, don’t even think about it, they’re going to love you. It’s kind of not fair but it’s not too bad.”

one in the army actually ever goes all guns blazing towards the enemy. Every move is calculated and plans are layered in order to prepare soldiers for any possible scenario. And most importantly, soldiers look out for each other. This might be the most significant lesson that young people gain in the army. “Even though it’s stressful sometimes, you’ve got your guys who you go through your basic with and your DP1, you make really good friends. At this point, that’s the only thing that’s keeping me going, it’s the brotherhood,” says Hernandez.

BROTHERHOOD

Romanchouk and his team had spent three days digging trenches. The group was stationed near a problematic and muddy hill, which made their ceaseless digging all the more difficult. Every hour of digging meant another hour of emptying the trench-in-progress of the mud and water that flooded it. Their clothes and gear were damp and cold. If it weren’t for the constant action, moving would have been damn near impossible. Each recruit wore an electronic device on their vests that monitored their status. The blank rounds that the military utilizes during field exercise don’t kill – for obvious reasons, so they have to be able to keep track of who survives when battles commences, and of who “dies.” The vest also tells a recruit whether they’re suffering from a critical wound, or whether a nearmiss bullet has just grazed them. He was the last one. A barrage from the enemies had eliminated his entire team. Theoretically, the trench is used for defensive purposes, but Romanchouk was sensing that staying behind his cover wouldn’t do him any favours. He knew he was going to get shot soon, but he didn’t want it to come by losing the battle of attrition that this exercise was becoming. He was on his own with rapidly decreasing amount of ammo. He could run to the other trenches and pick up his squad’s left over gear, but he had no cover. Closer to him was an unmanned C9 light machine gun, hopping on to it would mean that he wouldn’t have to worry about finding magazines from the puddles of the other trenches, he wouldn’t have to worry about reloading either. The C9 is equipped with a 200 round belt and can fire from 650 to 1,000 rounds per minute. When Romanchouk got there after numerous near-misses, he wasn’t thinking about firing at the enemies and ‘winning’ the exercise for his team. He was worried about reality. This was just a field exercise and he couldn’t wait for the platoon officer to call it.

The current state of Canada’s international affairs inherently lowers the need for deployment of its qualified soldiers. That means that without actual field operations overseas, members of the armed forces are left in their bases, essentially working day-to-day jobs. In Gagetown, Romanchouk spends his days cleaning, organizing and watching over equipment, he frankly says that his responsibilities require, “a lot of standing around.” The same goes for Hernandez. As a reserve, Hernandez works every Wednesday nights and during the weekends, he is often stationed in the Regimental Quarters, where weapons and other pieces of equipment are stored. However, as of late, local bases have been on higher security, “Since that shooting back in Ottawa, we’ve had to get security back up, so all our gates are locked, and we usually have sentries as well,” Hernandez says. Patience is also not exclusive to the lack of action and the sometimes-minimal amount of field exercises. It also applies in the amount of stress that soldiers face during training, and during their everyday lives. Superiors can treat lower ranked soldiers harshly. Soldiers are also under constant pressure to handle equipment and conduct procedure correctly and flawlessly. “There’s also the stress from handling weapons that are made to kill people, they’re made to hurt people,” says Hernandez, “The stress of being able to safely handle your weapons, vehicles and the things you can do in the army, if you do it poorly, you can harm other people, or your friend.” Ultimately, despite their intensive training, young people in the army are still, by all accounts, young. Many of them enlist immediately after high school and are still very much fresh out of their teenaged years. They live away from their families and friends for months and years. Although some may say that the distance is akin to university students moving to schools outside of their home-province, it can’t be overlooked that soldiers who go away get stationed at bases that are secluded from cities and the civilian life. Soldiers train immensely to ready themselves for when the need for battle ever arrives. Contrary to what Call of Duty portrays, soldiers work tactically together in order to succeed. No

BLANK ROUNDS

T H E C A P I L A N O C O U R I E R . VOLUME 48 I SSUE N O . 20

Members of the artillery regiment such as Romanchouk have very limited options as to where in the country they could be posted. There are only four bases for artillery in Canada. One in Petawawa, Ontario, another in Shiloh, Manitoba, one in Valcartier, Quebec and one more in Gagetown, New Brunswick. “I knew I didn’t want to be here because I didn’t like it as soon as I got here,” Romanchouk says about Gagetown. Upon arrival in Gagetown, Romanchouk completed a soldier qualification course that’s required for all combat arms in five weeks. Following that, he took six weeks to complete the trades course for artillery, where he learned about what it takes to be an actual gunner. Soldiers are, however, able to get a say in where they can be posted. Despite that, hardly

"THE STRESS OF BEING ABLE TO SAFELY HANDLE YOUR WEAPONS, VEHICLES AND THE THINGS YOU CAN DO IN THE ARMY, IF YOU DO IT POORLY, YOU CAN HARM OTHER PEOPLE, OR YOUR FRIEND.”

FEATURES

FAYE ALEXANDER FEATURES EDITOR

S P E C I A L F E AT U R E S @ C A P I L A N O C O U R I E R . C O M

CHANCE OF A LIFETIME STUDY ABROAD PROGRAM OPENS DOORS TO THE WORLD THERESE GUIEB

KSENIA KOZHEVNIKOVA

WORDS

IMAGES

“For the longest time I thought, am I the right person to do this? Can I really do this because I’ve never left home before and I’m an only child growing up,” says Samantha Brum, a fourth year communications student at Capilano University, about her contemplation in applying for the Study Abroad program. The Centre for International Experience (CIE) focuses on supporting international students that come to do their post-secondary education at CapU. It also offers programs like the English as a Second Language (ESL) program and the International Leadership and Mentorship program where current CapU students are able to work closely with newly admitted students in showing them around campus. These programs also help ease the transitioning of international students on campus. However, the CIE not only offers services to international students but to domestic students as well in an inbound and outbound study abroad exchange program. This program gives the opportunity for students to continue their education outside of Canada. There are approximately 17 countries offered as an option to students, including Australia, Austria, China, South Korea and Switzerland.

THE CAPILANO COURIER.

VOLUME 48 I SSUE N O . 20

HOW IT WORKS

“The study abroad program has two umbrellas to it. There’s a part for students and a part for faculty,” says Yvonne Leung, international partnerships officer of the Study Abroad program. There are two options for students that depend on the period of time that they would like to be away for, which are the full semester program and the short-term program. The full semester program enables students to be away for a period of four to six months while the short-term program allows students the chance to do their education abroad for 10 days to four weeks long. “For short-term program, there’s two different types to it. They are either a field school, which is a course that is a Cap course that is being taught by a Cap faculty member but being taught overseas,” continues Leung, “Or summer school which is like a mini exchange program, usually shorter, four or five weeks which is hosted by a partner institution of ours in the summer time. “There is an eligibility requirement. This is for our outbound study programs, so not to get into specifics, but there’s usually a GPA requirement of 2.70 and students would need to be a current Cap student or a student who will be returning to Cap,” explains Leung. When students apply to the program they need documentation such as an official academic transcript, resume, letter of intent, two faculty references and a photocopy of the identification page of the student’s passport. These documentations are not all required to be submitted by the student as it depends if they would like to do the full semester program or the short-term program. All students who apply to study abroad are interviewed and successful applicants are selected based on the documents they have

submitted, their faculty reference, resume and GPA. “We really sit down and talk to them about what are their academic goals, what are their personal goals and we want to make sure that this is the best fit for them,” continues Leung, “We want to make sure that students, we don’t set them up to fail because when you’re going overseas, you’re doing a lot of independent traveling and you’re in an academic setting that is really quite different from Cap.” As a result, Study Abroad recommends a different school, destination or a different type of program. The interview aspect of the application process is the most important step because it helps determine what students want to gain out of the program.

WHAT’S STOPPING YOU “It’s not cheap, it will cost you anywhere from $10,000 to $15,000,” notes Brum. The financial aspect of Study Abroad is the most common reason as to why students are discouraged in applying for the program. However, there are many resources and ways that Study Abroad helps students to prepare for the expenses of the trip. “We let students know in the first year that this program is available,” says Leung, “We really get it into their heads that you can plan for it so if you put away $50 a month, $100 a month for your third year, you would have saved up enough money to go.” The Study Abroad department also works closely with the Financial Aid and Awards department at CapU in giving services for students to create a manageable budget. “We are offering a number of financial literacy and financial well-being initiatives for students to help them understand awards, understand loans, what it means to take out a loan, support the cost of their education, and really how to create a budget,” lists Lindsay Tiemer, supervisor at the Financial Aid and Awards department. “I couldn’t figure out how to do my budget on my own, so they will sit down with you and have resources and they ask ‘how you got these numbers?’” Brum recalls, after planning for a full semester to study abroad in Vienna, Austria. “If they think you’re wrong they will correct you. They also show you different scholarships that are available.” Leung points out that since there is a GPA requirement for the Study Abroad program, students will also be eligible for awards and scholarships. In fact, three CapU students last December received the Premier's International Scholarships that offered $6,000 to each student for their study abroad experience this spring semester.

ENDLESS BENEFITS In September 2011, the CIE opened a new and improved space in the Library building on campus due to a $500,000 donation given by a former student of Catherine Vertesi, retired vice president of International, External Rela-

tions and New Initiatives at CapU. The donors, Sheldon Trainor and Emelda Wong, funded the creation of the CIE space due to Trainor’s incredible experience in studying abroad. According to Leung, Vertesi was working in the faculty of business over at UBC when she met Trainor. Vertesi suggested that he should go study abroad as it would be a life changing experience for him. He was a small-town boy who grew up in Vernon, BC and studying abroad never crossed his mind. But Trainor took a chance and went away to Copenhagen and had a chance to explore his interest in international finance. “He ended up working in New York and made quite a name for himself. He then ended up working in Hong Kong, also in finance, and I think that was when he tracked down Catherine and said ‘You know, it's because of you that I realized that international business and finance is what I wanted to do and where I wanted to be in, I wanted to give back, what can I do for you now?’ and she said give us a Centre for International Experience,” shares Leung. CapU currently has over 600 international students from 45 countries that come to do their post-secondary education each semester. The new CIE space has given an advantage for the department to expand their services and make the department a more welcoming place for students to learn more about the programs or simply hang out. Leung notes that what is unique about studying abroad is the experience that students get out of the program. She adds that whenever students come back from doing the program, they are willing to talk about their experiences to other students. As a result, Leung immediately appoints them as “Student Ambassadors” who initially spread the word about their experiences. Katy Brady, a fourth year Communications student at CapU, went on a field school term in Guatemala in 2013. “Guatemala field school was Anthropology and Sociology based,” she says, “I took away from it a lot of human understanding. For example, we went to the Del Monte banana plantation and we got to see how the workers work in the plantation and so from that I took away the working conditions for women and I realized I learned how different organizations all around the world treat their workers and so from that I kind of found an interest in learning more about that.” After going on the field school and realizing the opportunities that she could gain from studying abroad, she then decided to go to do a full semester in Vienna, Austria. “For Vienna, it was more of like all around myself kind of learning experience I learned more about my boundaries…I found out so much more about myself through an educational experience,” shares Brady. For Brady and Brum, they found that being away from home for a long time was one of the most challenging aspects of the program. However, they both agree that it was also worth it because they were able to break out of their shell. “I kinda just shifted my whole aspect of what I valued in life instead of what brand I’m wearing or whatever. My priority became like how can I save more to be able to do more things,” says Brum. The Study Abroad program not only gives

students the opportunity to travel but will also create unique experiences that will benefit them in the future. “It doesn’t really take a specific type of person to get out and do it you just have to do it and that’s something that I would share to people even if you don’t think that you would be capable of doing it, you’ll be surprised as long as you apply yourself,” says Brum.

Calendar Mo 09

We 11

Paint the Night Purple CSU Library Lounge 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm $ - they give you food

Summer Registration Opens M 09

Your Computer 10 am $ - future debt

capilanocourier.com

@capilanocourier

M 09

Movement and Mood Workshop Fir 205 11:30 am to 12:30 pm $ - playing with emotions

Movie Mondays M 09

My Neighbour’s House 10 pm $ - a cat

M 09

Paint the Night Purple is brought to you by the University’s Women’s Collective and Purple Dirt, which is an online jewellery store. The event is to coincide with International Women’s Day, on Mar. 8. Overall, it’s a networking event with the aim of empowering women while feeding them - there will be food and beverages .

If you’re one of those that for some ungodly reason, takes classes in the summer, then you should pay attention to this day. Registration for summer classes opens, and there is nothing worse than being on the waitlist and having to confirm that you want to take that bloody class every 24 hours. Just don’t register while using the campus Wifi – it sucks so much, you’ll never be registered.

Have you been in a worse mood than Walter White on a bad day? Check your posture. Or at least that’s what this workshop will have you believe. It will teach you that simply walking in a different way will uplift your mood and make you feel much better about it. Worth checking out, no?

Last Monday, after a few drinks, I returned home and met a cat in the hallway. Thinking it was my neighbour’s, I knocked on his door, immediately let myself in and tried to give him the cat. It wasn’t his but he invited me to stay and we watched two episodes of Better Call Saul. It was lovely. Go meet your neighbours. Give them cats. They will like you more. And Better Call Saul is awesome too.

Courier Story Meeting

Selma

Dead Combo

Wolf Alice

Maple Dumpster 12 pm $ - getting paid

T 10

Rio Theatre 9:15 pm $10

T 10

Electric Owl 8 pm to 10:30 pm $25

T 10

Biltmore Cabaret 8 pm $12

T 10

If you have ever wanted to see what the inner workings of your fine student paper are all about, you are running out of time. We only have two pitch meetings left, and I still think that you should come and meet all of us. This especially goes out to the person who keeps texting Andy Rice asking if Gabe is still single. If you play your cards right, you can officially find out for yourself.

This movie might have been snubbed at the Oscars, but that doesn’t mean you have to snub it. The Rio is showing the critically acclaimed movie about Martin Luther Kind Jr. and it’s probably pretty important to see. Tuesdays are good days for movies too. It helps the weeks pass.

I get really confused when I find events on the Capilano University website that are at the Electric Owl. It’s like that square uncle that is trying to be cool, so he name-drops partying at the Roxy every Friday. But that’s where I found this event. Dead Combo are a guitar duo from Portugal. This is their North American debut, and CapU is part of it. Go cool uncle.

Wolf Alice is an indie rock band from North London. They have been described as sounding like The Clash, The xx, and Hole, among others, so really who knows what you’re going to get when you see it. Maybe a soft-toned Courtney Love lookalike with intense guitar riffs? Yeah, I’d pay to see that. They’re on tour supporting their new album, Creature Songs, so go on and support it.

LinkedIn For Students

88 Mile Trip

Broods

Road House

Birch 247 11:30 am to 12:30 pm $ - your lunch hour

We 11

Fortune Sound Club 8 pm $15

We 11

The Imperial 8 pm $25

We 11

Rio Theatre 7 pm $7 / $10

We 11

LinkedIn is how people are getting jobs recently. All of my business professors preach about how LinkedIn is the most important social media site, and many employers find their new employees on it. So it’s smart to use it and be impressive on it, and this workshop will show you all you need to know to get all LinkedIn. It’s better than Facebook – all you get on that is ultrasound photos. On LinkedIn, you get jobs.

88 Mile Trip is only two years old, but they’re pretty impressive for a toddler. They are a local band that plays in the “Stoner Rock” genre. They probably just made up that category so they would have a place to fit in. But they’re playing at Fortune, which is usually a good time, especially if you make out with some skater kid on the dance floor. He’ll make it worth it by buying you a cheap PBR. Typical Wednesday.

Broods are a duo from Nelson, New Zealand, meaning that they are likely really nice and really like lamb products. Whenever I see a boy/girl duo, I automatically think that they’re lovers and like doing it together both on and off stage, but not these two, as they are brother and sister. At least lets hope not. But hurry up and get tickets, because my investigative research tells me that there are only a few left and they will go quickly.

The Gentlemen Hecklers present the 1989 classic Road House. From what I gather, it’s where a gaggle of funny guys won’t shut up through the entire movie, and heckle everything that is going on in the movie. They will have a lot to heckle, as it stars Patrick Swayze as a big, tough bouncer. It seems weird that people would pay to encourage assholes to talk through the movie. They should just go to a movie with my dad for the same effect.

Fashion Show For Creating Connections

The Dodos

The Warm Up

Grilled Cheese

CSU Library Lounge 9 am to 2 pm $ - fashion sense

Fortune Sound Club 9 pm $15

Th 12

Fox Cabaret 9 pm $10

Th 12

Storm Crow Tavern 11 am $5

Th 12

This event sounds really cool and I was excited to promote it in my little calendar. And then when I clicked on it to learn more, all it said was “Fashion Show to promote Creating Connections.” Essentially, they rewrote the title of the event into one sentence, and gave me hardly anything to promote. So go to this event, and if it sucks, it’s on them, not me.

The Dodos are a San Francisco duo made up of Meric Long and Logan Kroeber, which are both pretty badass names. Better than Harry and Lloyd anyways. They’re apparently pretty big, as Vancouver is just one stop for them on a 30-city tour. If you’re wondering what they are all about, YouTube “Competition” by them, and get ready to see some pretty cool interpretive dancing.

Get warmed up for the weekend with Warm Up. A bunch of DJs get together and massage the pains of the week away. Isn’t Thursday the new Friday? I think the Courier staff would agree with me, as I recall there have been a total of three Fridays where I have showed up to the office without a hangover. Carlo has proof of this. #shitscheisays

This calendar has devolved into me putting food into it. But let’s face it, grilled cheese sandwiches are badass. Sometimes, if I’ve had a bad day at school, Lucy makes one for me and times it perfectly so it’s warm and waiting for me as soon as I walk in. It’s awesome. Obviously, grilled cheese sandwiches are the way to my heart. Take me to this, someone.

Music Therapy Awareness

Friday The 13th

The Boom Booms

Anti-Flag

CSU Library Lounge 11 am to 2:30 pm $ - interest

Fr 13

Rio Theatre 11:30 pm $8

Fr 13

The Imperial 9 pm $15

Fr 13

Venue Theatre 7 pm $22

Fr 13

March is music therapy month, and seriously, who knew? I never would have associated March with music therapy, but I guess it’s always been a thing. Anyways, this is an event to inform the people of campus what music therapy is and why it is important to our society. There is karaoke, so you can be sure that it will be a good time. Although I’m sure karaoke sounds worse when sober.

Two Friday the 13ths for two months in a row – freaky! Celebrate this Friday the 13th by watching the 1980 horror flick at the late night show at the Rio. I watched the trailer for the movie, and man, the 80s where a good time, until people started to get murdered at a kids summer camp. This sounds like a great place to drink some cold beers and make out with a babe – freaky.

Vancouver heartthrobs (or so they’d have you think) are playing at the Imperial on the final stop of their winter tour. I think they took the advice of our last calendar entry, where Therese and I pleaded at them to sing new songs, and are singing songs from their new album <i>Love is Overdue<i>. I will go, but I will be wasted, and likely start a mosh pit. It will be fun. Join.

These guys are celebrating that a decade has passed since they released The Terror State, and are playing the album in its entirety in honour of it. They were part of Punk Voter, which was a collective of punk bands dedicated to generating awareness about what an inept leader George W. Bush was. They weren’t really wrong, were they? We at least have to give them that.

Spirit of the West

Shred Kelly

JACK Quartet

Dan Mangan + Blacksmith

Commodore Ballroom 8 pm $35

Sa 14

Electric Owl 8 pm $12

Sa 14

Orpheum Theatre 8 pm $15 +

Sa 14

Vogue Theatre 8 pm $39.50

Sa 14

Two years ago, these guys played on St. Paddy’s Day, and I bought tickets for both my mom and my brother. I’ve never seen them have more fun together, and that combines all of our family games of Monopoly. This classic Canadian band knows how to put on a good show, and guarantees a good time. So take your parents, I’m sure they deserve it after all the work they put in to raising you.

Fernie darlings, Shred Kelly, are doing their thing that the Electric Owl. If you’re wondering what their thing actually is, check out the “Sing into the Night” music video, where they ski and drink beer and a bunch of their friends dance around in one-piece neon ski outfits. That is their thing, and they are really good at it. If you like Fernie, it will be a good time.

These guys have gotten rave reviews from everyone from the New York Times to the Washington Post and now they are coming to Vancouver. They are a string quartet, featuring violins and cellos in a variety of sizes. In all honesty, I have no idea what kind of songs they will be playing, but you probably don’t either. They’ve won awards too, which automatically ups their cool factor.

It’s Vancouver’s Michael Buble, and he’s playing at the Vogue. But that comparison doesn’t make sense as Michael Buble is actually from Vancouver, he just left us behind for the big cities. Anyways, back to Dan Mangan, he’s playing at the Vogue theatre, and it will probably be quite the show. This guy has gotten quite large in the last two years. I’ve never quite got it, but I’m musically inept. This guy won a Juno, and that must mean something, right?

Stitches

Nickelback

Get Nude

Sunday Service

Fortune Sound Club 9 pm $20

Su 15

According to Andy Rice, this guy is the ultimate proof that all you need to be famous and have a shitty music career is get some really awkward tattoos and jump around to bad music. This guy is a novelty rapper, who at 18, has stitches actually tattooed around his mouth and an AK-47 tattooed somewhere else. I also heard he was married, but that’s just too stupid. Why would you get married before you can even legally drink at your own wedding? Ridiculous.

Rogers Arena 8 pm $50

Su 15

Uh huh, that’s right, the world’s worst band is still doing it, even though everyone including Avril Lavigne has asked them to stop. It’s like the guy who shows up to the house party and then refuses to leave, even though he has the worst breath and no one will talk to him – you all know who I’m talking about. Anyways, you can go see them if you like, but I bet your social life will never recover if you do. Your discretion.

The Astoria 7 pm $ - by donation

Su 15

Get Nude, Sketch Nudes, Listen to Classical, Eat Tacos is exactly as it sounds. It’s a night where you get to eat Mexican cuisine while sketching various nude models in different naked positions. If you haven’t gotten any in a while, this could slightly quench the thirst. Just don’t be the creep in the corner. No one likes that.

Fox Cabaret 7:30 pm $7

Su 15

I still haven’t been to this and it’s deplorable. The Fox is about three blocks away from my house. This is a weekly comedy show, and these guys are funny by official standards. They have awards to validate themselves. It’s not official or fun until we can turn it into a competition. Take a date. Hell, take me as your date.

T H E C A P I L A N O C O U R I E R . VOLUME 48 I SSUE N O . 20

@capilanocourier

opinions

GABRIEL SCORGIE OPINIONS EDITOR

OPINIONS@CAPILANOCOURIER.COM

stacking the deck CHANGING THE WAY WE DATE ONLINE Faye Alexander × Features Editor Online dating has been gaining momentum since the world first dialed up and logged in to the mass arena of the Internet. Even the initial skeptics, those who cautioned against the predatory concerns of online strangers, have come crawling out of the woodwork to take part. As the way we find love begins to evolve with the changing times, we the people have had to adapt and take the plunge into the murky waters of online dating or fear being left behind, single and sexually unfulfilled. The business of looking for love online is becoming a powerhouse industry raking in over $1 billion annually, with thousands of dating sites to choose from. Vancouverbased Plenty of Fish has reached a whopping 105 million logins a month, now coming in as Canada's 33rd most popular website. Highbrow options designed to entice those looking for lasting love and the inevitability of marriage such as LavaLife and eHarmony boast over 50 million active users and the numbers of profiles continue to skyrocket. People are outsourcing not just romantic introductions, but also how we qualify our

potential matches. And that is where a major kink in the chain of dating lies. With more and more people worldwide turning to dating websites for help, the one thing that has yet to change is the platforms themselves. The deck of online dating seems to be stacked against the players, with the process seemingly offering the users more control but simultaneously raising our collective expectations. True, beginning courtships from the safety of behind a computer screen allows for users to plan out their messages and tailor their pick-up artistry. However, in doing so, we are creating a false chemistry online that does not translate to real world one-on-ones. The main problem with dating online is that users get to pick and choose the persona they present to potential suitors and can leave out all the nasty details that have left them single in the first place like commitment-phoebes, misogynists, selfish lovers and abusers to name a few. And wouldn’t it be better to instead announce our flaws and, in doing so, not have to anticipate finding out if your short-comings will be a deal breaker after making a romantic connection? True love, real lasting love, is a very intricate chemistry experiment. Relationships that last are generally those between people

who can recognize the flaws in their partner, as we all have a few, but the positives outweigh the negatives - the flaws in our partners are the kind we can live with without feeling that we are compromising our own happiness. Online dating could greatly benefit from an overdue revamp where users could easily discern between the flaws they are willing to deal with and the more serious red flags. Removing the option for users to describe their flaws themselves and rather tick off the appropriate boxes could simplify the way online daters look for love. A check mark in the box for being messy, being unable to cook for themselves, or having an aversion to giving oral sex would revolutionize the way we search and look for love online, and would ultimately mean better matches. It’s not as though you wouldn’t have found out the flaws on your own at some point anyhow. Amy Webb, a digital media strategist, was one of the many daters frustrated with the landscape of looking for love online. So rather than accepting the platforms as they were, Webb decided to marry her skills as a strategist with her hunt for a relationship following her own failures which are chronicled in her book "Data, a Love Story". Webb created

10 fake online male accounts to collect data about what key aspects of dating profiles attracted men the most and began to zero in on what exactly she was looking for, and challenging the formulaic algorithm dating websites rely on. "If you're a geek, apply vector auto regression models to isolate one variable that's most important to you in a partner. If you're less geeky but still in the market for love, build and apply your own formulas and grading criteria," advised Webb in an article she penned for the <i>Guardian<i> in 2013. Simply put, we need to change the way we filter for partners with true potential on dating websites, and look more deeply at what will qualify as a successful mate. The imperfection of online dating is the misalignment of motives. Dating online is a money making industry, so since they make their money either through advertising or through subscriptions, they're benefiting from your coming back to the site again and again, spending as much time as possible looking for — but not finding — your perfect partner. Whether it’s readjusting the way you search for your partner or openly airing out your flaws, there are ways to stack the deck in your favour.

the proportionality of life BOTH SIDES OF THE ASSISTED SUICIDE DEBATE

THE CAPILANO COURIER.

VOLUME 48 I SSUE N O . 20

PRO

Tomash Danco

× Writer Euthanasia is the merciful act of ceasing the life of a victim who has been caught in the webs of a terminal disease; a patient who suffers from excruciating pain and wishes to peacefully end their anguish. On Feb. 6, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in favor of decriminalizing euthanasia. All for the wrong reason, the idea of death spikes panic deep into the spine of Canadian society. However, the actual ‘point of passing’ is distinctly separate and independent from the common notion of death. What people intuitively fear are the moments leading up to the point of passing, whereas this point is a naturally peaceful procedure. That is to say, people are afraid of the period of time that they are registering themselves to be dying. Inclusive to this period, is the infinitesimally small fraction of time where the final signs of empirical life exhaust from the body - death. Until recently, the common misconception between ‘dying’ and ‘death’ has led to unjust Canadian laws regarding euthanasia. By decriminalizing assisted suicide, the government has justly laid the foundations for ensuring that terminally ill patients have a right to make a fundamental choice. That is, to pass in peace and tranquility, knowing that they do not have to fear the looming shadow of exponential pain, or consequently be doomed to live, if it may be called living, the rest of their short life in excruciating pain and misery. Had the new law not passed, the patients’ rights to life, security and liberty would have been infringed. Conceptually, death is the equal and opposite reaction to birth, which keeps the cycle of life in equilibrium. To restrict a person from having a choice to die, is analogous to restricting a person from having a choice to bring life into the world. Imagine if Canadians were

× Crystal Lee

deprived of the elemental human interaction responsible for bringing life into this world. Not only would this entirely commit the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to flame, but this would also defile the very definition of freedom. The newly passed euthanasia law will bring forth sweeping changes in 2016. It will ensure that Canadian patients who are suffering from an intolerable and deteriorating disease will be able to choose to die in peace and with dignity. For now, balance to the above proportionality has been restored.

CON Taelore Keyana × Writer “All life is sacred. Human life is especially so. Protecting it is of utmost importance to God. He takes this so seriously and personally because He made humanity to reflect Him. We are His earthly representatives, made in His image. To murder another person is to mount an attack on the One who created him.” This is

a quote from the book of Genesis that has been used to argue against abortions for years now. Recently the same section of scripture has been used in a fight against the legalization of doctor assisted suicide. As of Feb. 6, the Supreme Court of Canada has given federal and provincial government 12 months to draft legislation that will lay down the guidelines for medical suicides to be legal. It has been said that the service would only be offered to competent adults, with enduring, intolerable suffering who clearly consent to ending their lives. It’s safe to say that like most of our legal and medical systems, loopholes would be found. Therefore the practice of medically induced suicide would be abused by many, including the doctors themselves. The country of Holland has ‘offered’ assisted suicide to the sick and dying for many years now. Dr. Dick Sobsey at the University of Alberta has determined that more people are "assisted to die" without any explicit request than those who request assisted suicide. Those numbers suggest more certified doctors are tak-

ing matters into their own hands, and abusing their resources. Many patients who have been diagnosed with serious or possibly terminal illnesses are often poorly informed about their conditions and have unclear prognoses. Without this crucial information, they cannot be expected to make well educated decisions about suicide. In addition to being misinformed, those contemplating suicide may be doing so because of the pressure, influence or lack of ethics from others, including legal representatives and family. For example, Larry MacAfee, a resident of Atlanta, Georgia was a competent adult, who became paralyzed from the neck down after an automobile accident. MacAfree invented a mechanism that would disconnect his ventilator, thereby causing his death. The court of Georgia ruled that MacAfee could use his mechanism because his right to refuse treatment outweighed the State’s interest in preventing the suicide. This allures to the idea, that the Georgia court took life as a disposable virtue, almost like it did not matter. Instead of trying to better MacAfee’s life by aiding his search for a more comfortable situation, they granted him death, thus, throwing his life away, as if it was a piece of trash. The body is ultimately a temple, to love, nurture and respect. By ending one’s life before its clock runs out is like blowing up a balloon half way; it’s pointless. With medical technology evolving each and every day, it’s extremely hard to decide that a medically induced suicide is the only way to end things. By not legalizing this controversial practice, doctors as a community would be forced to work harder towards body-friendly solutions and medical treatments.

opinions

just the dip JACK WHITE UP TIGHT OVER STUDENT SITE Andy Rice × Managing Editor Last month, the University of Oklahoma’s student newspaper screwed up royally, at least according to Jack White and his management. “Unprofessional” and “unwelcoming” were the words used to describe the student rag, OU Daily, after details were published surrounding the ex-White Stripes frontman’s performance fee and backstage requirements for a Feb. 2 show on campus. A comprehensive tour rider, complete with terms outlining an arena-wide banana ban, White’s $80,000 payday and the mandatory replication of a homemade guacamole recipe was printed in the paper. Needless to say, the singer wasn’t too happy, but why? None of that stuff was private. Freedom of information is a beautiful thing. You can request all kinds of details with the click of a button. In fact, most of those tidbits were probably floating around online already. But for optics’ sake, it doesn’t look so good to have them published all in one place as if they’re some unreasonable stipulation of a modern diva. And so, White hit the roof. “Never in my 20 years of playing shows has my contract and tour rider been published in the paper that I recall,” he fumed in a letter to journalists, released in mid-February. “Do you know why we don’t do that or want that? A hundred articles about bananas, free speech and guacamole is why.” While this article too is guilty of the same guacamole debate, perhaps the bigger discussion should be surrounding the principles of fairness and accuracy within student journalism. In its code of ethics, the Canadian University Press (CUP) states that “Journalists should consistently respect the dignity, privacy, freedoms, and well¬being of the people encountered while gathering and presenting information” and that “Any conflicts arising between an individual’s privacy and the community’s need to know about the conduct of vital matters should be judged by the staff of the publication.” It continues to state that “Journalists

× Taylor Lee

should bear in mind the permanent effect that damaging information may have on an individual’s life. However, they should also take into account the systemic and pervasive inequalities that privacy rights afford to some people over others.” Is publishing a tour rider, which is already circulating freely among venues and booking agencies across the world, a violation of White’s privacy? Although the document falls in a grey area somewhere between a public press release and an internal industry document, no it isn’t.

TheSmokingGun.com has been doing such things for years with everyone from Van Halen to Don Henley, and any responsible journalist should be curious as to such things, be it at the student level or otherwise. Think about it. If Capilano University or the CSU blew $80,000 on a concert — or $15,000 on a yacht party — then wouldn’t you like to know the details? And in White’s case, wouldn’t you find it odd or downright hilarious that there’s a guacamole recipe included in the rider and that there isn’t a banana allowed anywhere near the venue? As

a journalist, how could I not share that information with you? However, before doing so I would need to make sure that I was able to properly interpret the details of that tour rider and be fair and balanced in my reporting of its contents. There are many reasons for dictating certain items on a tour rider, and although it may be largely dictated by a particular artist, it’s not written solely for the artist, and almost never written by the artist. These documents cover the needs of many people — there are literally hundreds of skilled professionals working together as a team to make a concert happen, culminating in those final seconds when a famous figure takes to the stage. Who says all of these demands are for the artist? Perhaps it’s the sound guy or the drum tech that has a legitimate banana allergy and a penchant for guacamole. Without knowing the details of the entire crew, it cannot be accurately reported that these demands are coming directly from the artist, and therefore attributing these unorthodox demands to the one person in the equation with marquee-factor, while obviously insinuating that they’re a diva, is nothing more than a cheap ploy for article pickup. This is where White’s argument gains some ground. In his response, he stated that the banana ban was, in fact, due to the allergy of a crew member, while the guacamole recipe is something his tour manager personally asks for in each city to see who can make it better. White himself claims never to have even tasted it. Student newspapers should never walk on egg shells when it comes to celebrities or power figures, and should also never allow themselves to be manipulated by their influence, but at the same time they should exercise care in reporting the facts. If you’re going to skewer somebody in the press or shed light on a juicy document, by all means do it — but do it properly. It’s not every day you get to use the word “guacamole” in a news article, so don’t chip away your credibility by dipping into sensationalism.

click to bully THE PROMINENCE OF TROLLING ONLINE Alva Tee × Arts + Culture Editor

they are actually sadists; people who get sexual gratification from seeing someone suffer. These people aren’t usually very sociable in person, so the only way to feel empowerment is from being behind a screen because they feel safe. “Because the behaviours are intrinsically motivating for sadists, comment moderators will likely have a difficult time curbing trolling with punishments. Ultimately, the allure of trolling may be too strong for sadists, who presumably have limited opportunities to express their sadistic interests in a socially-desirable manner,” said Personality Psychologist at the University of Manitoba, Erin Buckels, to Slate.com. Even if someone has done something completely morally wrong, it gives no justification for others to personally target them publicly, directly or indirectly. The effects of a simple comment or what it could lead to afterwards could be absolutely anything; it could escalate into something more serious than ever expected. Think about that aftermath before posting anything at all. In truth, it seems that some people don’t even realize when joining in on the excitement of that social buzz that they are, in fact,

trolling. It’s quite astounding that many of those people are the same people who will suddenly seem to care so much when something drastic does happen as a result. For the trolls that are just every day humans in this plain old world and not necessarily sadistic, the hope is that they will eventually learn to think twice before posting something online. Whether that may be personal issues, sensitive topics or a thought directed at someone, they’ll start to question if something that might ultimately hurt or make someone feel uncomfortable is really worth posting at all. Trolls need to stop looking for a reaction to feel empowered. Whether they know the damage they are doing to others or not is irrelevant, there is no justifiable reason for attacking someone online. Online trolling is permanent in a way that person to person bullying isn’t. That one mean comment can be liked, retweeted, favourited and shared without the troll ever having to back up their actions. There is almost no consequence to being a dick online, and that has to change.

T H E C A P I L A N O C O U R I E R . VOLUME 48 I SSUE N O . 20

“If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all,” is one of the oldest, cheesiest and yet truest sayings to still be roaming around in our world today. However, something about being behind a screen seems to give people the idea that they can say whatever they want. There isn’t a single care given to the consequences or measures of what they’re saying, and they forget all about this old adage. “In the late 1980s, Internet users adopted the word ‘troll’ to denote someone who intentionally disrupts online communities,” said Mattathias Schwartz in an article from the New York Times. For some reason, people find it much easier to completely shut down, insult or bully someone when their physical reaction cannot be seen. The most common theory for the existence of trolls is the anonymity that comes with the Internet. With certain sites on the Internet allowing people to be unknown or have an alias, it makes it easier for them to say whatever they want.

They don’t have to worry about the other party immediately fighting back or defending themselves and then having to respond in the moment, facing the consequences of their own words. However, the trolls of today have developed into ones who don’t care if people know who they are. They are looking for that sense of a higher position, that ability to look down on someone and get satisfaction from the fact they are causing someone pain. Some people say it’s solely for personal satisfaction, to show that the troll is in a position of power over someone else. One of the most popular ways to do this is over social media, and because Generation Y is more heavily immersed in social media than other generations have ever been, it becomes the perfect outlet to mock others, and to do it in groups. All it takes is for one person to post something someone doesn’t want others to see onto Facebook, Twitter or any other form of social media for it to spiral out of control. And once it’s online, other trolls can repost it and spread the content all over the Web. A more serious theory of this personal satisfaction trolls get is the presumption that

columns

LEAH SCHEITEL COLUMNS EDITOR

EDITOR@CAPILANOCOURIER.COM

the time traveller INTERNAL COMBUSTION

Christine Beyleveldt × Columnist Christine Beyleveldt has been a regular Courier contributor since the start of Volume 48. She mostly writes about plays, but apparently she's a huge "geek for history." Note that her work is historical fiction, and the quotes in her work are educated guesses of the correspondence between the historical characters. “In 20 minutes, Vancouver had been wiped off the earth. In 12 hours, it was rising again,” said Chuck Davis, a Vancouver historian and witness to a catastrophic fire that burned the city to the ground in 1886. Before then, Vancouver was nothing more than a network of dirt roads lined with wood or brick storefronts and cabins. Colossal flames consumed the forest along the Lower Mainland and along with it our own city, but the fire quickly became a story of creation rather than one of destruction. Within days of the site being wiped from the surface of the earth, Vancouver was built anew, the beginnings of the modern city rose from its own ashes, completely evolved. The Lower Mainland region has always been prone to periodic droughts throughout the summer months, and 1886 was no exception. The possibility of fire was dramatically increased by the dangerous actions of Railway workers, who were clear-cutting the land around Vancouver. Back in the day, a common method of clearing land was a technique of slashing and burning; trees were felled, and a controlled fire would consume the stumps and fallen branches. Sunday, June 13 should have been no exception to the

loggers going about their business. “The CPR were clearing the land, and the fire got away from them,” Hugh Campbell, a witness of the event, said to an archivist many years later. But a sharp gust of wind picked up the embers, which sparked to life between Hamilton and Granville streets, the heart of the city. Eyewitnesses recount that it all happened so fast, nobody could be sure where the fire started, but it consumed the entire city in under a half hour. Most of the buildings in the area were made from timber, and closely set between the site of Granville and current day Main Street, so flames leaped from one building to the next, ravaging everything in sight. An unknown hero who noticed the flames climbed to the top of the Church of St. James on what would now be Main Street, where an enormous bronze bell hung inside the steeple, and he rang it a number of times to warn the populous. After the fire had cleared away, all that was left of the bell was a molten pool of bronze in the midst of the ashes. The Robert Kerr, which was the only ship moored in Vancouver’s harbour at the time, was blown clear from the water. Its hull landed amongst the charred remains of Dunlevy Street where it served as a refuge for citizens attempting to jump into the harbour. “The city did not burn, it was consumed by flame. The buildings simply melted before the fiery blast… The fire went down the sidewalk on old Hastings road; the fire travelled down that sidewalk faster than a man could run,” remarked one unknown witness of the disaster. The orange glow blazed over the city until nothing remained, and it was then that shaken Vancouverites returned to the field of debris. Everything had been levelled. The Hudson’s Bay trading post, and even Gassy Jack’s famous

× Megan Collinson saloon were no more than ashes. The only buildings to survive the fire were the Regina Hotel and the Hastings Sawmill, which was later restored and opened as an historic site. What is most astonishing is not that Vancouver disappeared into flame almost as soon as they had been sparked, but rather its aftermath. The mayor of Vancouver, Malcolm MacLean, appealed to the Prime Minister for help. By six o’clock on the same evening that the city had burned, a caravan of aid and supplies was pouring into Vancouver from the neighbouring communities of Burnaby and New Westminster. By three o’clock in the morning, wagonloads of lumber and iron tools sent from the Fraser Valley were being unloaded by candlelight, and before the sun rose again the next day, the frameworks for the first buildings had already been assembled. City Hall established itself in a makeshift tent near the charred remains of Carrall Street, and council members met to discuss the layout of the future city.

The Great Fire of Vancouver has come to be known as a story of creation. David Oppenheimer was elected mayor of Vancouver within two years of the catastrophic fire, and under his direction Vancouver became privy to one of the first electric streetcars in North America. BC Electric, the first power company was inaugurated, supplying electricity to the entire city, thus allowing a rapid expansion of infrastructure. 1,000 wooden buildings had been reduced to ash in under a half hour, and overnight, were constructed once more out of brick. However, the builders did not stop there, they continued to pave streets, giving way to rising homes. As the saying goes, life comes after the fire, bigger and better than before. All that remains from the original city is a hardened puddle of bronze that was the church’s bell — now on display at the Museum of Vancouver, forever paying tribute to the day Vancouver emerged from its own ashes.

Next, I added two pounds of lean ground beef and let it brown. I was restlessly pushing the beef around the bottom of the pan, watching the fat sizzle outwards, engulfing the onions and garlic. Lasagna is a classic comfort food, and while deep in the throes of a lousy day, I could see the relationship between food and mood shifting within me. There is just something about carbs – they’re amazing, but they also chemically alter your mood according to some experts. According to Keri Gans, a registered dietician in New York City, “food cravings are more psychological than physiological” despite what your grumbling stomach may tell you. After adding in two large cans of stewed tomatoes, half a can of water and tomato paste, the pile of browned beef became a sauce. The ingredients were neither fancy nor expensive, but with the right eye for seasoning, it instantly morphed into the ultimate foundation of lasagna. A few bay leaves, a hefty pinch of oregano, salt, pepper, dried basil and a good simmer on the stove for 20 minutes was all the sauce needed before layering and preparing the lasagna for the oven. During my break, I poured myself a large glass of red wine and realized I wasn’t feeling all that morose anymore. The distraction of stirring, browning and the opening of cans had transported me out of my funk – it was my first lasagna, and it was just the excuse I needed to crawl out from my bed. With a large ladle, I spread some sauce against the bottom of a glass dish and began to lay out the lasagna noodles, the kind that don’t need to

cook first. In gentle dollops and using an entire family sized tub of ricotta cheese, I next layered noodles, ricotta, parmesan, mozzarella, sauce and repeated. Suddenly, and with far less effort than I originally had planned for, a beautiful lasagna was prepared in front of me. I slid it into the oven where it would cook for the next hour and poured myself another heaping glass of wine. The aroma of lasagna began to fill the dining room and for the first time since Girl Guide camp, I had prepared a meal for nearly ten people. A meal no one in their right mind could dislike. When I pulled the lasagna out of the oven, it was picture perfect. Melted mozzarella and parmesan golden brown and melting over the top, the smell of oregano and Italian spices exploded into the kitchen. For the first time since starting the column, there wasn’t a moment of self-doubt or worried hesitations. Rather, the process of making lasagna was the medicine I used to reduce the stresses I was experiencing in my everyday life. Cooking offered a joyful diversion, and cooking for loved ones is an easy way to check your gratitude. I carved up thick hefty slices and served them about the table to the faces that have been spicing my life for nearly 30 years, and my case of the Mondays vanished. From the moment I saw my grandma’s ancient recipe card, I was comforted knowing that a part of her was there with me. That simple recipe is a family treasure that has brought me comfort my entire life, and hopefully that tradition will continue to be passed down through my family.

Superfluous feast THE PERSONIFICATION OF GARFIELD Faye Alexander

THE CAPILANO COURIER.

VOLUME 48 I SSUE N O . 20

× Communist

Faye Alexander is the person all other editors turn to when they need something written. She has written about everything from Vancouver’s burlesque scene to scathing shotgun reviews of Alex Trebek and she does it with a steadfast ease that should be marvelled. So it’s only natural we gave her a column to write about the thing that scares her most — the kitchen.

RECIPE: Lasagna SOURCE: Grandmother’s recipe cards GUESTS: A whole bushel of family friends On Monday afternoon, I’d holed myself up inside the confines of my bedroom armed with a laptop and ensconced in a thick white comforter. I was suffering from an abysmal case of the Mondays, and every glance out the window towards the sunny blue sky made me want to retreat deeper and deeper into my mattress until I could picture myself dissolving completely. That’s when I received a call from my mom urging that I should venture to her kitchen to cook dinner for my column. Eight people were expected to be arriving in just a few hours, and the best way to cook for

an entire herd of people with ages spanning from 18 to 82 is to pull out the best glass casserole dish and prepare lasagna. Everyone seems to have a different tactic when approaching this staple recipe. Our Managing Editor, Andy Rice, includes béchamel sauce from scratch, and my stepdad layers his with white Kraft single slices to add a creamy texture to the experience. Some of the best food, no matter how many ways it can be prepared, is always best when it’s the recipe you grew up with. In my case, it’s my grandmother’s recipe which can’t be found anywhere else other than a tattered, stained recipe card, safely stowed away in my mother’s family archives. To begin, I sautéed a yellow onion with minced garlic in a large, deep pan with a dash of olive oil until the onions were sweating and the smell of garlic began to permeate through the kitchen.

columns

a ghost in a dying scene 605 MOUNTAIN HIGHWAY Matt Jolliﬀe × Columnist

Matt Jolliffe is educated in psychology and punk rock, which are two very interesting and diverse fields of study. He is a long-time Courier friend, and rumour has it, he knows something about the Ghost Chair in the CSU Maple bathroom. His column will illustrate why punk music shaped who he became.

× Olliemoonsta

2004 was a big year for me. I had a substantial nervous breakdown, dropped out of university, saw my high school girlfriend move to Newfoundland and joined the Seylynn Committee. The Seylynn Committee was a group of youth from all over the Lower Mainland, who worked in conjunction with the North Shore Neighbourhood House and the District of North Vancouver to book and facilitate all-ages shows at Seylynn Hall bi-weekly. This is the same committee that a few of my friends were a part of, yet I loathed them. I felt as though the members of the committee carried themselves with a “holier than thou” demeanour. I’ve spent a lot of time talking about group membership and social identity theory in this column. This is because I feel as though these social psychological theories are vital to understanding most aspects

of social interactions. Although everyone who attended shows or worked at Seylynn was part of a larger overarching group of “punk kids”, those who worked on the committee, at least in my mind, carried a higher status, thus separating them into another differentiating group, and it bothered me. Slowly, through being socialized to the group, my opinions changed. This granted me the ability to book shows that I wanted to see, get into shows for free, meet new people and I was also able to book my own bands. The first show I promoted was affectionately called “Skankapalooza”— a ska show, headlined by Los Furios, who were fan favourites at Seylynn. The turnout was awesome. It was a time where third-wave ska was kind of a big deal; bands like Reel Big Fish, Big D and the Kids Table, and the Mad Caddies

were insanely popular. I ended up booking a few more shows under the same moniker. I became increasingly more active in the workings of the venue, attending all the meetings and shows. As my time with the committee grew, so did my time playing in bands. It began to consume my life, and it was, for the most part, a positive thing. I was playing in a handful of bands at the same time, jamming multiple times a week. Between band practice, shows, and work, I seldom had time for anything else, which in some ways was problematic in maintaining relationships and friendships aside from bandmates. Seylynn remained the main venue in which we would play, but I began frequenting shows at other venues around the city, mainly the Video Inn, which was usually a venue used for hardcore-punk shows. By 2006, the committee was struggling. Our original mandate required people to leave once they turned legal age, but there was no one to replace us. The bulk of the committee was over 19, save for a very small handful of high school students who expressed interest in volunteering with us. With no youth to continue running a venue whose fundamental principle was founded on the notion of “by the kids for the kids”, how could you justify keeping the doors open? To add fire to the flames, Seylynn received allegations of incessant drug and alcohol use in the surrounding areas, which briefly shut us down. These accusations, written in letterform by an accuser who failed to accept our invitation to talk to us in person, were unsubstantiated and eventually dismissed, yet they made our life considerably more difficult. Not only were we struggling with committee membership and claims of hard drug use, but turnout at shows had also

become an issue. The people I grew up going to shows with weren’t coming anymore. They were of legal age, and they simply were not interested in attending all-ages shows in favour of bar shows, other than the occasional incredible line-up. The reasoning for adults to not come to all ages shows didn’t surprise me. I expected it. Social norms tell us that adults go to bars. That’s just what you do, so leaving all-ages shows to the kids is the expectation. What I didn’t expect was that there was simply no viable interest in punk music anymore amongst youth, and I found it heartbreaking. I felt out of touch, and I was only 22. We were fucked. After attempting short-term venue shut downs to generate a buzz, which led to momentary spikes in attendance, we had to call it quits. On June 13, 2009, we hosted the last Seylynn Hall show. I was fortunate to put it on. I was also fortunate to play it. We decided to book bands who featured members of bands who played a part in the history of the venue, and to us involved, it was something special. But if you look up most reviews of the show, it was “poorly attended” and “lackluster”. The reviewers expected a spectacle, but we didn’t. If you had told me when I was 16 that I would be working with the committee and helping orchestrate Seylynn’s last show, I wouldn’t have believed you. I was overwhelmed with unfounded preconceptions. The committee wasn’t some elite clique. They were the people who made it possible for me to get into a music scene. The last show was something much like the shows Seylynn normally had: sparsely attended, but full of enthusiasm. It was beautiful.

The Los Angeles Kings Vancouver Canucks fans are very familiar with the Los Angeles Kings and how unbelievably amazing they are. They’ve won two of the past three Stanley Cups, they’re the defending Stanley Cup champions and scare the living shit out of me. The funny thing is, they’re not even in a playoff spot! Yes, the mighty Los Angeles Kings are currently not in a playoff position and have been struggling all season long. The Kings actually have seven less wins than the Canucks, but have 12 points from overtime/ shootout losses and are only five points behind the Canucks. The Los Angeles Kings have an abundance of talent all over their roster, with superstar players like Jeff Carter, Anze Kopitar, Marian Gaborik, Justin Williams and Drew Doughty. Add world-class goaltender Jonathan Quick and it’s no surprise the Kings have been a perennial powerhouse for years. The Los Angeles Kings gigantic forwards, puck moving defencemen and superstar goaltending would be a nightmare match-up for any team in the NHL. The Canucks would have their hands full with Los Angeles and it’s hard to believe that the Canucks could handle the Kings size in a 7 game series.

all-stars Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, who are one of the best duos in the league. Unlike the Sedins, Getzlaf and Perry use their big bodies to physically wear down their opponents. Perry also has one of the most accurate and powerful shots in the league, making him a dangerous player anywhere on the ice. The Ducks also added the hated and despicable Ryan Kesler, who is now playing like the Ryan Kesler of 2010-2011. The Ducks mobile defence could cause problems for the Canucks fore-checkers and could shut down the Sedins' cycle game. The biggest question mark for the Ducks is goaltending, which is some of the most inexperienced in the league. Fredrick Andersen has been injury prone in his short career and, if he gets hurt again, it could be devastating for the Ducks. However, in a seven-game series the Ducks would most likely beat the Canucks due to their offensive scoring depth. The great thing about the playoffs is that players are no longer being paid. They’re simply playing for the love of the game and to win the Stanley Cup. Players play through torn muscles, broken bones and ripped ligaments all for the chance to have their name engraved on Lord Stanley’s Cup. The Canucks will have to match and better their opponent’s intensity every single shift if they have a chance of winning the cup. Although team’s like Chicago, Los Angeles, Nashville and Montreal are favoured to win, remember that anything can happen in the playoffs.

The penalty box PLAYOFF FACE-OFFS

Cole Blight × Columnist

Cole Blight wasn’t meant to be our Sports Columnist. However, after sneaking into a gala event under the guise of our Sports Editor, he impressed everyone with so much ease and class, that we knew he’d fit right into our little roster of columnist. He also thought our EIC was 22, so she had to give him a job after that.

The Calgary Flames The Calgary Flames are one of the feel-good stories of the NHL this season. The Flames were considered a rebuild team and were not

The Anaheim Ducks The Anaheim Ducks have been sitting comfortably in first place in the Pacific Division all season long and are one of the serious Stanley Cup contenders. The Canucks will not be overtaken by the Ducks for first place, so the only way the Canucks and Ducks will face-off would be if the Canucks start stumbling near the playoffs. The Anaheim Ducks are led by

× M

T H E C A P I L A N O C O U R I E R . VOLUME 48 I SSUE N O . 20

The Vancouver Canucks’ 2013/14 season will go down as one of the worst seasons in the 45-year history of the franchise. Only three seasons removed from making the Stanley Cup Finals, the Canucks finished fifth in the Pacific Division and 12th in the Western Conference. The Canucks did not qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in since 2008, causing uproar from fans and a demand for change. The Canucks completely overhauled their management and brought in plenty of new faces and their moves have translated into immediate team success. Currently sitting second in the Pacific Division with 75 points, and with the playoffs looming, the playoffs are in the Canucks’ future but who will they play?

supposed to be close to a playoff spot. Now the Flames are sitting at third in their division and could very likely be the first-round opponent for the Vancouver Canucks. The Canucks and Flames have had some fantastic playoff series against each other, including 1994 where Canuck Pavel Bure scored the most famous goal in team history in overtime of game seven, which kick-started the team’s Stanley Cup run. Their most recent playoff meeting was in 2003 when Calgary came out the victors after another game seven overtime goal from Martin Gelinas, which weirdly also started the Flames’ improbable Stanley Cup run. The Canucks have dominated the Flames the past five years but now the Flames have caught up, possibly sparking this once great rivalry again. The Flames are a young, gritty and hard-working team who consistently win games by out-working their opponents. With young and talented forwards like Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan and Joe Colborne the Flames now have a decent cast of forwards. Add their superstar defenceman, and captain, Mark Giordano, the Flames could cause the Canucks plenty of offensive headaches. The big concern for Calgary is their goaltending, as Jonas Hiller was signed this past off-season to be the undisputed starting goalie for the Flames. However, after a hot start Hiller has started to cool off and is often the scapegoat for the team’s troubles. The Canucks have more offensive skill and much-more stable goaltending, which is why the Canucks would beat the Flames if they met, in what would be a fantastic first-round series.

CAp you

CARLO JAVIER LIFESTYLE EDITOR

CARLO.CAPCOURIER@GMAIL.COM

CREEPER: WHAT COURSE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE CAPILANO OFFER?

Jen Tong / Morghan Wilson

Rathan Srivarathan

Sacha Fabry

Dominic Guieb

Justin Kopy

1st Year Acting for Stage and Screen

2nd Year Arts and Sciences

2nd Year Global Stewardship

1st Year Business Administration

1st Year Acting for Stage and Screen

“Two-semester certificate program on bartending and food criticism, because you need to know how to bartend so you can impress people and pick up hotties.”

“Zombie Apocalypse Preparation, because you’ll never know when you need it. It’s better to be safe than sorry.”

“Well we’ve already got Backyard Chicken Keeping…”

“A boxing course, it’d be good for everybody.”

“Advanced Popcorn Making because its something I feel everyone should know how to do in their lifetime.”

THE CAPILANO COURIER.

VOLUME 48 I SSUE N O . 20

U WHO / Kate Phifer

One of the more visible individuals in Capilano University is third year Tourism Management student Kate Phifer. She’s noted for her involvement with the Capilano Students’ Union (CSU) as well as her work with the annual Uncapped Rail Jam. Before she takes over as CSU’s Vice President of Student Life next year, Phifer took the time to chat with the Courier and talk about her work in CapU and some of her plans for campus life. On top of her current studies, Phifer is also a graduate of the Outdoor Recreation Management Diploma (OREC). She is currently a Faculty Representative for Global and Community Studies and is very active in helping the Student Life Committee plan and run events. Phifer chose to attend CapU because of its location in North Vancouver. She also enjoys its small community feel and the courses that it offers, specifically the OREC program. “It’s very unique and at the same time very inclusive because there are so many different programs,” she says. After her time in OREC, she decided to continue her studies and apply into the Bachelor of Tourism Management program, citing the value that education has on life. As for her plans as next year’s CSU VP of Student Life, Phifer is looking to alter how the events on campus occur. “I don’t want this position to be what Kate Phifer is putting on next,” she says. She’s looking at continuing on with several of the staple events such as the back to school celebration, the Rail Jam and possibly the year-end yacht party. However something that Phifer is looking at bringing to the table is supporting others in creating and running their own events. CapU is filled with associations, collectives and clubs, all of which frequently try to hold community-building or awareness-raising events that more times than not, suffer from lack of attendance. Next year, students looking to hold events will be pleased to know that

by Scott Barkemeyer Instructor who has changed your life? “Jacqueline Clark, easily the hardest teacher but pushes you to excel and not be happy with mediocrity.” The worst class you’ve taken? “Advanced Financial Management, I love finance but the instructor is killing this class.” Your favourite shape? “Oh man, a diamond!” Your go-to indoor recreational activity? “Playing Settlers, the original.” What’s your favourite flavour of ice cream? “Mint Chocolate Chip, but I am lactose intolerant.” Last song you played? “'Rush' by LUV LYFE." Kate Phifer is looking forward to…? “Finishing this semester, and hopefully going to Europe this summer if I am allowed.”

Phifer can offer a helping hand if ever needed. On the topic of the commuter curse that exists at CapU, Phifer sees it as a challenge that has to be addressed, “People are here until all hours of the night studying and doing homework anyways, giving them fun reasons to stay will help out,” she says. Her idea is that if things are constantly going on, there will be better attendance at a variety of events. Along with informing students of what is happening on campus and getting the word out about existing events to more students. The idea is to engage students and get them actively involved on campus. By engaging students and getting them involved not only will attendance increase, the variety of events offered will increase, as more ideas can become reality.

Your favourite place in Europe is? “Majorca, Spending every July there teaching at a summer camp. Second favourite place Switzerland, I lived there for two years and I love it.” Any last words? “Get involved, there is so much that can and will happen on this campus but it 100 per cent depends on students engaging others and getting involved.”

CARLO GOOFED UP. SEE THIS BLANK SPACE? TOTES CRAY. WE NEED YOUR WORDS. DUMP 'EM OUT, SEND 'EM IN.

caboose

CARLO JAVIER LIFESTYLE EDITOR

CABOOSE@CAPILANOCOURIER.COM

in the way of getting laid A MISGUIDED GUIDE TO COCKBLOCKING The staff members of the Courier are a very loving group of folks. People here like to hit on other people. However, just like everyone else, we also can fall victims to the treacherous act of cockblocking, and in some cases, we even qualify as offenders. Let’s talk about it.

× Kelsey Holden

Faye Alexander Sans Cock

get me drunk enough to give in. Some people, who are

talking at the gala, and good ol’ drunk Leah comes in,

often way drunker than I am, like to try and “protect”

doing her little Rob Ford-inspired dance. She grabs

Andrew Palmquist Just Give Me A Sec

It’s not easy out there for women – single or no. Every

me and take over. The most annoying thing is when

anonymous male journalist away and violently shoves

“Cheers!” Is usually how it starts. Whether it’s a cool

bar quickly becomes a battlefield of alcohol-fuelled

they claim that I’m too drunk to know what I’m doing

him into the wall, it was some straight Ronda Rousey

refreshing beverage or the sharp, bitter taste of bour-

sweaty dudes that are looking for a piece of that ex-

and then proceed to lecture me on the art of getting

shit. I couldn’t believe it. Furthermore, she round-

bon hitting your throat, this is the first sign of a po-

quisite ass. Not that there is any shame in having

free drinks when I’m perfectly fine. Hey, I keep my eye

house kicked this guy’s drink, and it wasn’t even half

tential cockblock. How do I know? There have been

some game, but let’s face it, most dudes lack finesse.

on the drink the entire time I’m keeping convo from the

empty. She looked at him straight in the eye, like she

several occasions, few of which I don’t remember,

Therefore, I’m an advocate for being your own cock-

moment it leaves the bottle in the bartender’s hands to

was about to land her finishing move. She asked him

that booze has cockblocked me. If you’ve ever done

block companion on the dance floor, standing in line

the moment it gets to mine. Forget cockblocking, the

what his intentions were, and he couldn’t say anything.

the drinking with the friends around, you know how

for the washroom and holding up the bar top. Use your

real issue is cocktail blocking.

It didn’t look like it, but in retrospect, this is where I

easy it is to over do it. Then of course when it comes

realized that Leah had a black belt in Brazilian jiu-

around to getting that late night lust for a nice warm

jitsu, she put this guy in a fucking submission hold

place to rest your head, oddly enough, your tongue

without even knowing it.

seems slightly slower than your thoughts. If you man-

friends as a guide. If they are giving that guy who is up and down like a rancid piece of beef – take that as

Gabriel Scorige Experienced

your first hint that a) your beer goggles are working

Cockblocking: an action that can turn the best of

and b) he isn’t cute enough for you. Block that cock

friends into the worst of enemies in under five minutes.

by pulling intermittent pained expressions and start

Now, I’m going to assume that most people aren’t pure

talking adamantly about the fact you’re a feminist.

concentrated evil and don’t actually mean to cock-

Carlo Javier Field Goal Percentage: Low

The moment I start in on one of my Jezebel feminist

block. But the truth is that most people do it without

Unlike Therese, I’m not impervious to getting cock-

did. Either way, hope for that morning wood to redeem

rants, it is basically a major boner killer and that guy

even knowing it because the most effective way to

blocked. In fact, I always get cockblocked, most of

yourself.

will instantly get the hint that you’re too self-respecting

cockblock is to simply be there. The second you show

the time by myself. During a week-long media con-

and equal to be seduced into seeing his man hammer

up and turn that one-on-one, intimate conversation

ference in Ontario, a babely, 10 out of 10 hot journo

later at his place. But if you do go on your feminist

into a group talk, you’ve fucked it all up. Think about

unknowingly and unintentionally stole my fragile little

tirade and that doesn’t deter him, and he seems re-

it, if you’re at your place with someone and about to

heart. It took me something like three or four days

Leah Scheitel In Defense of the Cockblock

ally into gender equality – just let him put it in, he

get laid, do you really want your buddy walking in,

to gather the nerve to even say a word to her. Mostly

If you have read your way through these tales, you’ll

sounds amazing.

giving you a slap on the ass and telling you what a

because it was so damn cold in the east coast that I

have already noticed that I’ve been called out for being

good person you are? No, you want them to fuck off for

had to wear a toque every day, hence bad hair days

a drunken cockblock. Both Therese and Carlo wrote

about 30 seconds until you’re done having sex. So if

daily. When I did finally got the chance to properly

detailed synopses of how I’ve stunted their love life

you see your buddy chatting someone up and it’s just

speak to her – through the formal introduction of a

while being drunk. And they’re not wrong, I do get

the two of them, leave them alone. You’re not being a

mutual friend – I froze, and embarrassingly so. Then,

drunk and tell people that they are not good enough

good friend or a wingman. You’re being a prick.

out of the shadows, a very drunk Leah Scheitel comes

for my Team Filipino. I get protective over my juniors,

to tell you how drunk you are. Most of the time, they

swooping in like a hurricane. I thought that she was

and the more I like you, the more protective I’ll get. I

have good intentions. When I have been intoxicated, I

here to save the day and build me up as the Courier’s

have ripped my 20-year-old friend Elsie off of drunken

buttercup, but no. In a flash we were gone, all I know

Australians and made up tales of them being ridden

is we said “hello,” and suddenly I’m in my first ever

of STIs to try to stop her urges. It’s out of pure love I

trying to seduce you a confused glare and looking him

One of the most frustrating things is when people try

to do something, would your cock even work? Hmmm chances are no. Because you’ve got the whiskey dick. Therefore you have cockblocked yourself. Or the booze

own actions and being aware of just how drunk I am.

Therese Guieb Theronce Gets Some

I like meeting new people, and sometimes those new

I don’t get cockblocked very much. However, two years

Uber. On another note, this really doesn’t qualify as

do this – I want to vet the people that want to bang my

people are guys. I usually end up telling the guy that I

ago, at a gathering in Edmonton that I attended with

one of my cockblock experiences. This was just really

friends. It’s a good thing. It’s better than the opposite,

have no further intentions and I just like talking. They

my coworkers at the Courier, my boss, Leah Scheitel

memorable.

where I hit on their friends, like I do to Gabe the Babe

usually end up going for the “let me buy you a drink”

scared the living shit out of this dude who really want-

angle anyways, probably hoping that they might just

ed to get it in. Ya’ll know what happened? So we were

like to think that I’m still pretty good at controlling my

and his poor friend, Cole. I call it cock-stroking.

T H E C A P I L A N O C O U R I E R . VOLUME 48 I SSUE N O . 20

Alva Tee Spoken Like a True Cockblock

age somehow to wrangle someone back to somewhere

shotgun reviews WHAT WOULD YOU NAME YOUR FIRST BORN?

DRAKE

EVE HILL

LUCIFER

STACY

I’m pretty excited to get pregnant. At this point, I am 29 years old, have a few professional prospects and am dating a “struggling artist” – the perfect time to introduce a masculine bastard into this crazy world. I used to be like “babies are so gross, I never want one of those,” but then I turned 27 and that biological clock started ticking so loud that I can hear it echoing back and forth against my ovaries. That tick tock sound gets especially deafening when I am laying back and listening to Drake, soulful seductive melodies make my reproductive organs churn like an overworked washing machine. Drake is probably the best name for my first born son for valid reasons, like that the name Drake actually means “dragon” – and I fucking love dragons. Plus people will instantly associate my son with Degrassi: Next Generation – and I fucking love Degrassi. The chances I get pregnant while listening to Drake seem good, I bet you I’ll conceive during a lick in “Hold On, We’re Going Home” and I’ll feel the quickening in my special place and know Drake was a part of it. And I’ll remind my son every day when I beckon to him. I’m not saying it’s going to be easy being a single mom to my son Drake, but he done kept it real from the jump.

Children can be awful. Sometimes, they can be just plain evil. That’s why I want to name my first daughter Eve Hill, to forever remind her of the troubles she caused — and I know she’ll be a troublemaker, she’ll be quite a handful. She’ll be just like me, a sassy, mischievous little girl. I was the type to talk back and play pranks on my mom. Once, I replaced her vodka with water. She wasn’t happy about that. So I changed her water with vodka. You could imagine how that turned out. It doesn’t help that my baby daddy will probably have a ton of negative qualities, too. I know I’ll have a hard time keeping her off the streets, and she never will listen to what I say, but I will persevere and repeat myself until the day she listens and she learns. Throughout life, regardless of the tough times, she will prosper and grow into a beautiful woman, who will realize her mother was always right, full of wisdom, and can relate. I just really want to name my daughter, Eve Hill. Fuck, that means I have to find a guy with the last name “Hill.” Damn it.

I need a name that I can holler. There just isn’t a good enough ring to a long, complicated name when you’re angry or worried or concerned because your kid is doing something they shouldn’t. No offense to Queen Bey, but I couldn’t imagine yelling “Blue Ivy! Pick up your toys like I asked you or so help me God!” You know? It doesn’t flow, and I know that my kid will be just as stubborn, headstrong, and opinionated as I am, and it means I have to prepare. I’m sure someone in early childcare will come back and tell me that yelling at my child will not be the best way to get my point across and I completely agree, but I’m simply preparing for any and all circumstances. I also would do shame to my street cred to give my kid a plain name, something like Chris, John, Emma, and Alex are out. I’m convinced motherhood will be a nightmare, making the name Lucifer nothing less than fitting. Cutting it down to Lucy or Luke makes it short, sweet, and definitely something I can holler from the bottom of the stairs.

Naming a child is a huge responsibility because they will be stuck with that name for the rest of their lives. I, however, will be naming my child something classic, elegant and something that will lend itself well to stage and music, and that name is Stacy. While the name could easily pass as a screen name in porn, I assure everyone that she will be polite, while minding her p's and q's. And while I am being honest, her name isn’t really about her at all. She will be called Stacy for one reason and one reason only: so I can be Stacy’s Mom. The perks about being Stacy’s Mom are endless. When I come back from my business trips, all her friends will be with her hanging around the pool. They will probably think I’m trying to give them the slip, but that is completely okay with me. I don’t think I will ever want to be in the cougar game, but there is nothing wrong at all with having some eye candy around. The best part about it though, is that I will have it going on, forever. I just really want to be referred as Stacy’s mom, is that too much to ask?

- Sarah Hunger // Likes clever names

- Faye Alexander // Not your mother

THIN RED LINE // THE TAMPON STRING CALL OF DUTY // GOTTA SHIT

THE CAPILANO COURIER.

VOLUME 48 I SSUE N O . 20

BLACK HAWK DOWN // SAY IT FAST AND THINK OF PORN

the hot Chart

A FEW GOOD MEN // IN LEAH’S BED

THE HURT LOCKER // WHERE I SPENT MIDDLE SCHOOL

COURIER COMBAT COALITION

G.I. JANE // TELL ME MOORE AMERICAN SNIPER // CANADIAN PISTOL BAND OF BROTHERS // JONAS? HANSON? GIBBS? APOCALYPSE NOW // CAN WE DO IT LATER AT EASE // PLEASE SAVING PRIVATE RYAN // AND LIL SCHEI TOO

FULL METAL JACKET // COMING TO VANCOUVER FASHION WEEK

- Sabrina Kuhn // Not your momma either

- Taelore Keyana // Musically inspired