Capilano Courier | Vol. 51, Issue 11.

VOLUME 51, ISSUE 11 FEB. 25-MAR. 10, 2019

Boom and Bust in the Backcountry

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

VOL. 51 ISSUE 11 FEB. 25 - MAR. 10

COVER: VALERIYA KIM

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WINTER WEATHER PROCEDURES

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NEW POLICY COULD AFFECT INTERNATIONAL TUITION

The Subtle Art of Picking Your Battles

News

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News

DISNEY REMAKES AND POST-VALENTINE'S CYNICISM

Opinions

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2019 VIRAL TREND PREDICTIONS

Special Feature

12 GLOBAL NARRATIVES: FROM CHILE TO CANADA

Columns

14 BEST OF CAP PHOTOS

Campus Life

15 EVENTS IN VANCOUVER THIS WEEK

Calendar

18 TWO CAPU GRADS AND THEIR THEATRE COMPANY

Arts & Culture

THE CAPILANO COURIER

VOLUME 51 ISSUE NO. 11

STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ART DIRECTOR

MANAGING EDITOR

PRODUCTION MANAGER

NEWS EDITOR

COMMUNITY RELATIONS MANAGER

ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

BUSINESS MANAGER

FEATURES EDITOR

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Christine Beyleveldt capcourier@gmail.com

Helen Aikenhead manager.capcourier@gmail.com

Greta Kooy news.capcourier@gmail.com

Annalisse Crosswell associatenews.capcourier@gmail.com

Freya Wasteneys specialfeatures.capcourier@gmail.com

Cynthia Tran Vo artdirector.capcourier@gmail.com

Melissa Gibbons pm.capcourier@gmail.com

Ana Maria Caicedo community.capcourier@gmail.com

Jessica Lio businessmanager.capcourier@gmail.com

Jayde King, Mark Mapoles, Clarissa Sabile CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORS

ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

Sheila Arellano arts.capcourier@gmail.com

Robyn Beyleveldt, Jackie Duck, Emma Harris, Valeriya Kim, Ryan McDiarmid, Annika McFarlane

OPINIONS EDITOR

EDITOR & COLUMNIST PORTRAITS

Megan Orr opinions.capcourier@gmail.com

Cynthia Tran Vo

COLUMNS EDITOR

Rachel D'Sa columns.capcourier@gmail.com COPY EDITOR

Ashleigh Brink copy.capcourier@gmail.com

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institution we serve happens on the unceded territory

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of the Coast Salish peoples, including the territories of Musqueam, Squamish, Stó:lō and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.

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CHRISTINE BEYLEVELDT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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ooner or later everyone’s going to come to the startling realization that they’re not who they think they are.

Take this last weekend for instance. After shooing everyone out of the office early to beat the snow that was starting to stick to the roads I spent my Friday night reading The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck (see page 17 for the review) and journaling mindlessly about it. At the end of the night I had about four pages of scribbles and amused thoughts.

Reading it back to myself, I thought I was crazy. By the next morning I had picked apart the last five years of my life and come to the stunning, flattening realization that my leadership skills are definitely NOT what I thought they were.

You see, I built up the illusion that I had improved at the whole leadership thing over the last few years after I had improved at the whole confidence thing. I wasn’t exactly what you could call a self-confident kid in high school. I was one of those people who thought everything would change when I got to university, and it did, it just didn’t happen right away. I only know things have changed because I found the script for my Grade 12 exit interview on my shelf the other day, and reading it over I knew just how little confidence I had in myself at a time when I was about to go out and face the world.

I don’t doubt myself like I did when I was a teenager. I’m doing something that I think is important and I feel proud of myself. But two hours into my Saturday It just hit me and I just knew that I’m still the type of person

who would rather save face rather than confront a sticky situation head on. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve imagined what I would say in a situation where I’ve desperately needed to address a problem, only to cave and present myself as aloof instead of actually giving a fuck. Not a good look – I’m well aware of that.

It’s not that I give too many f*cks, I don’t give them about the right things, which is what I think the author was really trying to say. The book would make excellent supplemented reading to Difficult Conversations for those of you who have ever taken CMNS 333 Conflict and Communication here at CapU. I journaled a lot about self-perception in that class but I don’t think it really sank in until now that you can have an idea about who you are or who you want to be, but that person in your mind isn’t you.

So Mark Manson in his wildly popular but incredibly blunt book managed to strip down whatever image of myself I had carefully built up over the course of a weekend. It was like his Disappointment Panda sidled up to my front door and dropped a truth bomb on me before sauntering away with a smirk to go and shatter someone else’s illusions.

Confronting problems head on instead of dancing around them – that’ll be the first thing I tackle, and maybe I’ll learn how to give a f*ck about the right things rather than about fewer things.

NEWS

YWiB Hosts Speed Networking Event on North Shore Campus Sticking the landing Round-table networking style proves successful in making professional connections MEGAN ORR OPINIONS EDITOR

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CSU Executives Respond to Comment Concerning Mismanagement

A recent comment left on the Capilano Courier’s website has leveled accusations of mismanaged funds and failure to follow up with constituents against the CSU GRETA KOOY NEWS EDITOR

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seriously.”

Rempel acknowledged the criticism the CSU has received for hosting expensive on-campus events like Captivate and CapRocks, even though CapRocks was sponsored and the University requested the CSU’s help in hosting the event.

She also brought attention to the more educational events they put on. “When it comes to doing events… we’ve got a board of directors that wants to really increase engagement on campus,” she said. “We want to improve student life, that’s one of the four pillars of our strategic plan because we know that there’s a significant lack of it on campus. We’re trying to provide something that we think students want and that they’ll be able to enjoy. But not everyone wants to go to a party, and that’s alright.”

Yats Palat, vice-president student life, defended the CSU’s decisions to host large-scale events on campus, despite the criticism. “No matter what you do, you’ll always have someone who doesn’t agree with what you’re doing,” he said. “I cannot allow my leadership capacity to be intimidated every time someone puts out a statement saying, ‘I don’t agree with this’… because I have to live for the bigger perspective.” Since assuming his current role in 2017, Palat has been outspoken about increasing engagement among students on campus, making it a primary focus for the CSU. “As I think with any student union, you do hear from students who have concerns around what exactly their fees are going towards, and we try and respond to those quickly and make sure that students are aware that all of our fees are decided on democratically,” said Rempel. “We are very transparent about what we’re spending money on.”

The CSU’s budgets are made available publicly online, along with their meeting agendas and minutes. Their meetings are also open to the public. “I think that it’s coming from a frustration of the way that the CSU does things, or from their perspective [on how the CSU] does things. But I welcome them to approach me directly about it,” Rempel said of the accusations leveled against the CSU. The comment left on the Courier's website included three requests: that the CSU implement a policy that all student requests are followed up with through email within 72 hours, that “students have their requests followed through by the correct individual,” and better, more transparent communication between the CSU, the University and its students.

According to Rempel, the CSU has not been contacted about a petition or received these requests. Every ask will be considered if someone does come forward and request specific changes. “We’re always going to do our due diligence and make sure that we ask the relevant questions and come to a decision that we think will benefit the society and the students the most,” she said.

The Capilano Courier reached out to the concerned individual(s) on several occasions requesting clarification, but they could not be reached for comment.

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VOLUME 51 ISSUE NO. 11

n Jan. 22, the Capilano Courier published an article titled Was CapRocks Really Worth the Cost?, an op-ed covering the Capilano Students’ Union’s (CSU) recent attempt at large-scale engagement on the North Shore campus. Following publication, the Courier received a comment posted under the email studentsforcsureform@gmail.com, outlining specific concerns for a possible future petition.

The petition, written “on behalf of a group of concerned students”, covers issues “over CSU spending” and “mismanagement by its president and executive.”

The unnamed students believe that “the CSU has failed to follow through with students who have emailed and requested in person for CSU services from executives, board members, and staff.” The comment criticized the CSU for being self-indulgent, alleging the organization is mishandling student funds and is “focused on profiting off of students with a healthy cash flow and distributing that money to their staff and executive.” A main concern was the lack of communication between students and CSU executives when requested. “We are tired and angry of their executive team padding their resumes and using student dollars to make themselves look good while failing to make real change on campus by responding to student requests for appeals, changes, advocacy, and planning which actually affect us as students for the positive,” the comment read.

Anna Rempel, CSU president and vice-president equity & sustainability, was the only person called out by name in the comment. “I want students to know that I am available to talk with them. I’m happy to meet with them, I’m happy to make sure that their emails are answered,” she said. “Same with our Executive Director [Christopher Girodat]. If there is a concern on any level, we’re always happy to talk and make sure that students feel like they are fairly represented because that’s what we are here to do. That’s why the Students’ Union exists, and I take that

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THE CAPILANO COURIER

apilano University’s Young Women in Business (YWiB) club hosted its second annual speed networking event on campus on Feb. 13. Speed networking, a play off of speed dating, is a more interactive way of making connections. The event featured local professionals from a variety of different industries, such as technology, management, events, fashion and marketing, and provided an opportunity for CapU students to practice valuable networking skills in a more comfortable environment.

YWiB is a network of female leaders with different chapters in cities throughout Canada and in partnership with different post-secondary institutions. According to their website, the purpose of YWiB is to provide people “with events and programs that help you become successful in your career, industries and workplace.” They offer workshops, panels and opportunities for networking, among others.

Angela Jiang and Michelle Zhen, the co-founders of the Capilano University chapter of YWiB, commented in their opening remarks on how the speed networking model was started out of their own intimidation of networking.

Jiang said, “Back when my Co-President Michelle and I were new to networking, we were very shy and found most networking events intimidating. We didn't know what to do or ask, or even how to approach a professional!” They were seeking an easier way to make connections without the daunting nature of forced conversations. Additionally, Hassan Merali and Emily Gaudette from the Capilano Board of Governors gave a brief introduction encouraging students to run for the board as they are currently looking for student representatives.

“YWiB Capilano is inclusive to all genders and faculties, so we also seek out people in different industries, and make sure there's a well rounded selection of people to meet and learn from,” said Jiang. The speed networking event itself was an intimate gathering of mostly women, with approximately 30 people in attendance, which, according to Jiang, is more than double last year. With four tables set up, each with two to three business professionals and three to four students, each group was given 15 minutes to converse. YWiB provided an extensive list of potential questions, in the case of conversations lagging. These varied from professional questions, like how you got to your current career, to questions about advice and tips for interviewing.

After the 15 minutes were up, students rotated to the other tables. This gave everyone the chance to meet each other and speak in a more relaxed fashion. At the end of the evening YWiB had a raffle draw with tea box prizes, as well as a $50 gift card for Burgoo. At this point there was the more classic open networking opportunity, where people were free to talk to anyone they wanted and exchange information. This was made much easier by the fact that everyone had already spoken with each other.

For more information on YWiB Capilano visit their Facebook page or the YWiB website, www.ywib.ca.

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NEWS

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A Glance at CapU’s Winter Weather Procedures

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ILLUSTRATED BY JACKIE DUCK

What should students do when snowfall makes it difficult or dangerous to commute to class?

GRETA KOOY NEWS EDITOR

THE CAPILANO COURIER

VOLUME 51 ISSUE NO. 11

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t doesn’t snow in Metro Vancouver often, but when it does it sure causes a scene. The unexpected changes leave people all over the Lower Mainland scrambling to make last-minute transportation arrangements, and for students enrolled in classes at a commuter campus like Capilano University, making the trek can be difficult or downright dangerous.

CapU had its first snow day of the year on Tuesday, Jan. 12. Other students, especially those with long commutes across the Lower Mainland, were likely relieved too. Many universities in the Metro Vancouver area closed, including BCIT, Kwantlen Polytechnic, SFU, UBC and Vancouver Community College.

The snow first hit overnight on Tuesday and took the city by surprise, leaving many businesses, schools and universities unable to operate for the day despite heavy snowfall having becoming

a regular occurence again in the last few years. Narcity reported that Jan. 12 had “the most snow and coldest weather the city has seen in over 10 years.”

According to CapU’s Emergency University Closure Policy, issued in 1998, “the University will remain open during normal scheduled operations unless climatic conditions or other conditions pose a hazard to public safety or adversely affects the University’s ability to continue to offer services.” In the case of extreme weather conditions, a risk assessment is conducted in order to determine whether or not the University should stay open.

Enactus Capilano Hosts Third Annual Counting on Action Competition High school students from the North Shore challenged with the task of creating a sustainable business ANNALISSE CROSSWELL ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

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nactus Capilano held their third annual Counting on Action competition at Capilano University on Feb 7. The project aims to

create opportunities for North Vancouver high school students to get real world experience in creating a business with a sustainable focus. Enactus Capilano is a part of the global non-profit Enactus, that, according to their website, “helps students unleash their entrepreneurial spirit and develop the talent and perspective essential to leadership in our ever-changing world.”

Enactus seeks to create these initiatives while also aligning with the UN 17 sustainable goals.

Three years ago when the organisation was introduced to the University, Andrew Procknow, Enactus Capilano vice-president, Ursula Beihl, a former Counting On Action

In either case, students are responsible for knowing the school’s status.

In the event of extreme weather, or any other scenario that could cause classes to be cancelled, the best place to check is the University’s homepage online, which will have the most up-to-date information and regular updates released throughout the day.

Unless otherwise stated on their website, CapU is open for business. Another valuable place to check for up-to-date information is on Twitter through the handle @CapilanoU. Morning closure announcements are generally made before 6:30 am, with follow-

ups throughout the day. Notifications about campus closures can also be received through push notifications on the CapUSafe app.

The University advises students, staff and faculty to keep track of their local weather conditions via radio and the news, and to stay up to date on relevant TransLink information and road reports.

Regardless of what CapU’s website says, always check your student email or Moodle pages to make sure that class is, in fact, still scheduled.

project manager, and Betty Huang created their own program with similar goals. The group has since hosted Counting on Action along with their other project, Square One, with huge success.

The project involves high school students from across the North Shore taking part in nine workshops led by program representatives over the course of three months. The project then culminates in a one-day competition judged by internal and external judges at CapU. This year, Counting on Action was led by Project Managers Ekaterina Sergeeva, also a CapU senate representative, and Michelle Zhen, whose goal was to move the program towards a more self-sustaining model that teachers could implement in their own classrooms. “…our goal for students was to… give them the experience that they need and, if they ever want to know how to run a business after they graduate high school, just kind of paint a real picture so they actually know what a business consists of…” said Sergeeva.

Students followed a set of criteria that their companies and final presentations must fulfill, such as sustainable orientation, marketing plans and budgets. With these in mind, students, with the help of program representatives, created a business and sold their products. To kick-start their businesses the students were given microloans and instructed to use their profits to pay this microloan back and donate the rest to a charity of their choice.

When students had reached competition

day it was clear they had some confidence in what they were doing, answering judges questions about their products and continuing their presentations through technical difficulties. “It’s really crazy, because when you go into the classrooms, because that’s what I did last year… the students are all pretty standoffish at first, they don’t really know what’s happening or what’s going on,” said Sergeeva. “Then seeing how they develop and how they present at the end… they come up with some really cool things.”

This years winning group, Scoap, consisted of a group of West Vancouver Secondary students who produced environmentallyfriendly and easily-portable soap strips.

During their presentation, the group discussed how they first tried to market their product door-to-door but ultimately turned to utilizing parent-teacher interviews to sell to a market that was accessible to them. After paying back their microloan the group ended up donating over $350 to charity.

Counting on Action 2019 has received positive feedback and, despite the challenges of organising an event such as this, Sergeeva noted that those involved helped to make the arrangements go smoothly. She said that this was also helped by the support and encouragement of Faculty Representative and Business Instructor, Karen Okun. Sergeeva also encouraged some students from her classes to come watch the competition, who were impressed by the competing students. “I think it’s really interesting and it’s really nice to see all the final results, but it’s nice when other people can actually see the results too.”

TO ADVERTISE in the Courier’s pages, please email Ana Maria Caicedo at community.capcourier@gmail.com.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY EKATERINA SERGEEVA

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NEWS

CSU Considering Policy Concerning International Student Tuition at CapU The policy, which would potentially limit tuition increases for international students, has proved to be a point of contention for CSU members ANNALISSE CROSSWELL ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR

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the CSU’s international students liaison, and Yats Palat, vice-president student life, who is also an international student have helped Millard develop the policy.

If adopted, the new policy would not directly impact students. It would be up to the University’s Board of Governors to make that decision, but it’s certainly a step forward for international students.

Throughout the process, Millard has had conversations with CapU and they are aware of his work, but he can’t speak to how administration may act.

The policy also includes a largely uncontended point that there needs to be more support for international students beyond financial issues. Conversation with international students, the Centre for International Experience (CIE) and the University would be held to decide what support needs to be given.

The issue will be raised again at the next board meeting on March 1, and Millard hopes to bring in international students to get CSU board members who are against the policy to empathize with their cause. He is encouraging students who would like to speak to the issue to attend the next board meeting and speak to their experiences.

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policy regarding limiting tuition increases for international students was proposed at a Capilano Students’ Union (CSU) board meeting Feb. 15 by Joshua Millard, vice-president academic. However, no official decision was reached because of time constraints and the belief held by some CSU board members that the issue was not worth discussing in-depth yet. Originally, the policy was for a tuition freeze on already high tuition costs, with a second proposition

that increases in tuition should match the dollar-for-dollar amount that domestic students see. It was decided by the CSU board that a freeze would be unattainable because it would not account for inflation and the policy now seeks to create a dollar-fordollar match.

Legally, domestic tuition can only be raised two per cent annually. However, when applied to international student tuition, this two per cent increase does much more than account for inflation and instead means that tuition may change by hundreds of dollars over the course of a four-year degree.

“Matching dollar-for-dollar the increases of domestic students to international students is a no brainer,” said Millard.

The issue was a clear point of contention between members of the CSU’s board during the meeting. Millard believes this comes from a lack of understanding, and from the perspective that education for international students is a privilege. While he agrees, Millard also sees issues with this reasoning.

“I think that it’s a pretty crazy jump to think that international student tuition should go

up $400 to $500 dollars every year because international students are experiencing our education [as] just a privilege,” he said.

He noted that there is an argument to be made against the case of international students’ tuition because they do not pay taxes. However, he argues that many Canadian students do not pay taxes during their post-secondary years because of their low income. He also believes that tuition increases at the same two per cent rate as domestic students go well beyond accounting for this issue.

“The biggest argument I can make to the people that are on the fence [is that] there’s two separate issues here...there’s the tuition level – the tuition cost – and then there’s tuition increase,” said Millard. “Anything further, any increases that are beyond inflation, all you’re basically saying is that anything beyond that is because you want to draw more money out of the international student population.”

Millard, who has led the development of this new policy, said that it is important to communicate the CSU’s position on issues like this one to the University. “We should’ve made this stance years ago,” he said. The policy, and Millard’s efforts to develop it, has received little backing from domestic students within the CSU, but Harsha Sharma,

Public Consultation for CapU Smoking Policies Imminent

THURSDAY

FEBRUARY 28 Vancouver Convention Centre

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ith policies that do not measure up to current bylaws, Capilano University’s current on-campus smoking regulations are due for review. Thirty areas on campus that currently allow smoking infringe upon bylaws, and a mere five areas around the University have been found to be in accordance with BC’s smoking regulations.

There was a delay due to consistent changes to the bylaws and a new administration that was focused on more pressing issues, but the University will probably update its policies by the 2019-20 academic year.

Despite the recent legalization of marijuana, the substance is not factoring into the upcoming changes but will come into discussion likely within the next couple of months according to Vice-President Academic Joshua Millard. “…at this point it seems clear to me that it will be treated similar to alcohol, which is banned on campus. I think some people will be upset by that, many won’t…” he said. As a Capilano Students’ Union (CSU) representative, Millard cannot comment as to what the official policy will eventually be, but has more insight than the average student.

Millard took on a role in the President’s Advisory Committee On Smoking and a sub-committee, the Change Management Committee, in the short term absence of Vice-President Finance & Services Dhillon Dilnavaz, who has since resigned from his position on the CSU board. Dilnavaz previously sat on a committee that dealt

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MEGAN ORR OPINIONS EDITOR

with the location of new smoking areas.

The committee met once to designate areas and suggested five to the President’s Advisory Committee, of which three were decided upon as likely candidates for the new smoking areas that will be spread out between the top and bottom of campus.

Changes take time, however, and plenty of conversation due to the naturally differing views of faculty, students and University administration must be taken into account. “…we support having areas on campus where students can smoke, because we view smoking as an addiction and it’s wrong to make students, at any time of the year, have to walk off campus for miles in order to smoke,” said Millard of the CSU’s position on the matter.

Students will have the opportunity to voice their opinions close to, or during, the reading break that spans the week of Feb. 18-22. Students are encouraged to check their emails during this time as a survey will be sent out. There will also be other public consultations on the matter. Participation in the consultation period is the most important aspect for the CSU members dealing with the policy updates given that this will likely make students more receptive to the changes.

Though the decision of where the smoking areas will be has essentially been decided, the consultation process could bring changes if feedback is decidedly against what is being proposed. Millard believes that, given a chance to have a say in the matter, students will be receptive to the changes.

It has been discussed that the new smoking areas would include a seating area and coverage from the rain, something that the current smoke-friendly areas are lacking.

These new features could possibly improve the chances of students accepting changes as they come into effect.

VOLUME 51 ISSUE NO. 11

With current smoking policies under review, students and faculty will be asked their opinion

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Eroding Civil Liberties in the Name of Traffic Why would we even want to give up the and Environmentalism - Are We Crazy?

Why banning private vehicle ownership will never be the solution to congestion CHRISTINE BEYLEVELDT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

THE CAPILANO COURIER

VOLUME 51 ISSUE NO. 11

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iane Francis ended a seven-month hiatus from journalism with a refreshing take on the traffic woes that continue to plague Canadians. For her first article back at the Financial Post on Feb. 11, Francis lamented that Canada is lagging behind the rest of the world by not banning private car ownership.

The author suggests that private car ownership is a global problem, and by taking cars off the streets we would solve not just traffic problems, but environmental concerns as well. Fine and well if you live in a big city like Toronto, where the TTC is generally more reliable, or even by a stretch of the imagination in Downtown Vancouver if you live along one of the skytrain routes.

Instead, she suggests we adopt a ridesharing service recently rolled out by Volkswagen AG (the same company that violated the Clean Air Act by cheating emissions tests in 2015). This service is an electrified network of minivans that would ferry commuters between points of public transportation, which we’d ideally all use in the cold, Canadian winter months.

By all means, roll out the transportation option Francis is advocating for if it will be more cost effective and environmentally friendly. But do it in addition to our existing networks, and give people the choice to move over to a different system if and when it benefits them. Banning private vehicle ownership is not the answer to traffic congestion or to reducing our carbon footprint, because it involves taking away personal freedom. The problem with the system Francis proposes is that while it may still allow people to get where they need to go, it gives the government control of our

ability to come and go as we please.

Unlike Europe, or more specifically, Hannover, Germany, where the transportation network Francis insists we adopt was first rolled out, Canada is a vast open wilderness.

For anyone living in a remote community in northern BC, in a rural area on the vast open Prairies, or even in a suburb of a larger city like Vancouver or Toronto, giving up private car ownership is simply not an option.

Picture this: you live in a suburb of Calgary, where the outside temperature often drops below -30 C at night in the winter. You need to make an emergency trip in the middle of the night, say you have a sick child and you desperately need to get to a pharmacy for medication, but public transportation won’t start running again until mid-morning and you don’t have a car because they’ve now been banned. Unless you want to call an ambulance, you’re effectively stranded until daybreak when government-run transportation steps in and saves the day.

one mode of transportation we have any freedom at all over? Banning private car ownership would revoke our mobility rights, which are enshrined in the Canadian Charter – every Canadian has the right to move, take up residence or pursue livelihood in any province. But without the freedom to make our own choices to move, that right is gone.

We can’t give up our right to freedom of mobility and place it in the hands of the government, because what if the government one day decides it wants to restrict travel? We’ll be powerless to stop it, because we will have given away power over our choices. This is placing traffic concerns and environmental concerns above the rights and freedoms of individuals, and that is where we must draw the line.

If the author really wants to tackle traffic congestion

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and climate change in one fell swoop, consider more affordable ridesharing or invest the money we all pay in the form of a carbon tax in renewable energy – what the tax was originally designed to be used for, not lining pockets of politicians.

Yes, traffic is a nightmare, but revoking people’s right to freedom of mobility is not the solution. Rather, our city planners should compare population growth with infrastructure growth, and invest in better road infrastructure like North VancouverSeymour MLA Jane Thornthwaite is already doing with a project that will subvert North Shore traffic from Ironworkers Memorial coming down the cut. That is a solution.

Revoking civil liberties is not, nor will it ever be, a solution.

ILLUSTRATED BY EMMA HARRIS

Changing the (Video) Game The free-to-play model is the way of the future

– they are free to play and make money through their in-game store where people can buy cosmetics to make their character look pretty. Instead of selling a game for $60 MARK MAPOLES upfront, game developers should try out the CONTRIBUTOR same business model these successful games use because it’s better for both the consumer nyone who pays attention to and the developer. gaming-related news has probably From a developer’s point of view, it might heard of the new game Apex seem like a smarter decision to sell games for Legends. It’s a battle royale game made by an upfront cost instead of going the free-toRespawn Entertainment and it has the same play route – however, there are many reasons business model as Fortnite – free-to-play why that might not be the smartest choice. with purchasable cosmetics. It has been Releasing a game as free to play means that dominating Twitch since it launched Feb. there will be a bigger market for the game 4 and still remains the most viewed game than if it were released with a price tag on this week. In the last week, people have it. With a bigger market, there is potential spent 41,375,837 hours watching Apex, for bigger profit. As reported by Business of which is more than double that of Fortnite at Apps, close to 70 per cent of Fortnite players 18,012,161 hours. For comparison, the other spent money on the game and the average top game on Twitch, League of Legends, amount was $85. This shows that players had 23,482,325 hours watched. All three of who enjoy playing a game become invested these games have the same thing in common in it and won’t mind spending more money

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on it than a normal game costs. Also, if the game is a failure upon release, then having the game be free-to-play won’t cause as much backlash and negative publicity for the developer. EA faced a great deal of backlash when they released their game Star Wars Battlefront 2 back in November 2017. As stated by CNBC, EA’s stock went down 8.5 per cent and they lost over $3.1 billion in shareholder value, because not only was the game expensive to begin with, but it also had a pay-to-play model, where users had to pay for certain upgrades to be able to play at the same level as other players. If the game had been released as free to play, consumers wouldn’t have been as upset with EA since they wouldn’t have felt lied to. Sometimes bad publicity is really just bad publicity and there isn’t anything to gain from it.

From a consumer’s point of view, it is a win-win situation for games being released as free to play. Being able to try out a new

game when it’s released and not having to spend money is awesome. You can try out games you never would have thought of playing and see whether you like it or not. If you don’t like the game after playing it for a while, you won’t feel like you wasted your money. The best part of free-to-play games is that you can get your friends to play with you. It can be harder to get friends to play the same game when they have to spend $60 on the game. Playing with friends is one of the best parts of gaming, it can help you find joy in the little things in life – like getting a win in Apex Legends with your brother even though you both have no idea what you’re doing.

With three out of four of the most popular online games being free to play, it seems like a no-brainer to adapt to this business model.

It is definitely a risky decision to make since developers are scared of not making money, but it seems like a risk worth taking when it comes to overall consumer satisfaction.

OPINIONS

Are You the Problem in Your Own Dating Life? since the average height for women in North Some Post-Valentine's Day Cynicism America is 5’4. As one user, errrrgh, put it, Navigating the complex world of online dating and all it entails MEGAN ORR OPINIONS EDITOR

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nline dating is truly the new Wild West. From being sent dick pics by complete strangers to being called a “big girl” by a person you just met, it really is a minefield out there. In a recent Reddit AITA (AmItheAsshole?) thread, a young woman asked if she was the asshole for not disclosing her weight after her date messaged her afterwards saying, “just a headsup not everyone is into big girls, u should rly let guys know ahead of time

so they dont get put on the spot. Just my advise. Hope u find what ur looking for, best wishes.”

There’s a lot to break down here. First of all, the grammar: not stellar. Secondly, this woman is 5’8 and 162 lbs, at least according to her post, so hardly a “big girl.” And finally, how rude! Seriously, he should have just ghosted her if he’s that shallow. She should not listen to his “advise,” because it isn’t her responsibility to let someone know that she may not be exactly what they’re looking for, especially when it comes to weight and desirability, which is entirely subjective. It also seems that this particular comment is way more about him than it is about her.

As many of the other spectators on the Reddit thread pointed out, she isn’t overweight, but she is taller than average,

Bittersweet Childhood Nostalgia

MELISSA GIBBONS PRODUCTION MANAGER

Snow Way! Vancouver needs to get its act together when it comes to winter weather preparedness MEGAN ORR OPINIONS EDITOR

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say this as someone who is completely biased because I am from Alberta and have survived many a truly harsh winter, but holy crap Vancouver, get your shit together. From car crashes to snow days, and the absolutely atrocious act of using an umbrella in the snow, you basically

are like foreigners to this weather. This isn’t the individual’s fault – you are all just a symptom of a bigger problem: the municipalities remain underprepared for winter weather.

Imagine if every other Canadian city ground to a halt every time it snowed more than a few centimetres? Nothing would ever get done! We need more plows and salters out on roads and perhaps even clearer regulations about driving in inclement conditions. Drivers who don’t have the proper tires or experience should be held responsible for their poor driving. Along this same vein, public transportation should in theory be far more reliable when it snows.

Drivers should be trained to drive in bad weather and buses should be equipped with proper tires, though Translink claims that

winter tires and chains aren’t reasonable or feasible, which roughly translates into it just not being a priority.

This year saw streets getting salted and plowed much quicker than in previous years when the snow took Vancouver by surprise, but that was only with predicted snowfalls. When the flurries were a bit more of a surprise, commuters found themselves slogging through slush at a snail’s pace while the idiots sped past. Main streets are cleared relatively quickly, but side streets take hours, or even days, if they even get cleared at all.

As Twitter user @ElaineCarol3 put it, “Snows 5-10 cms & #Vancouver comes to a halt bc of a culture of denial in dealing with #snow & ice removal especially on side streets. Winter is here, weather

be a trip down memory lane, which Disney is becoming best at.

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hat’s up with Disney’s remakes?

In the past few years cinemas across the world have been showcasing live-action versions of some of our favourites from Disney – The Jungle Book, Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast, just to name a few. At the end of 2018, Disney Studios announced the upcoming remake movies for this year, The Lion King and Aladdin – two very unique films that were released in the early 90s, and that surely melted the hearts of every viewer, especially for those of us who were born in that era. We all remember crying our eyes out during The Lion King when Mufasa dies, and you’re lying if you say you don’t still cry now. Disney is giving us the ultimate nostalgic throwback by showcasing their classics with newer, better technology, while pulling at our heart strings and our wallets.

Still, it’s surprising that with so much creativity within this world, old stories continue to be remade, instead of working on new stories that could turn into classics

for future generations. It seems that once The Lion King and Aladdin release their new versions that the old ones risk being forgotten, because, sadly, that’s what usually happens with former blockbusters. All of the new and future generations will know the “classics” by the newer versions, not the original ones.

There has also been a lot of controversy surrounding these remakes, particularly the new Aladdin trailer. Will Smith’s blue image as the iconic genie immediately had a reaction amongst fans around the globe. People were not impressed, and generally disconcerted. One Twitter user, @JennyENicholson commented, “Will Smith genie is what appears in my room when I have sleep paralysis”, and another, @_SamanthasLife, wrote, “Just saw the #Aladdin preview. Totally sold up until I saw the genie.”

Yes, Will Smith doesn’t really suit the real life genie look, but who does? This isn’t really a matter of Will Smith suiting the blue, it’s a matter of bittersweet nostalgia.

When the first Aladdin was released in 1992, the genie was voiced by the late Robin Williams: the incredible actor who starred in many of the classic family movies we watched as kids. Don’t take it wrong Will, you are great too. But let’s admit it, the blue genie in Aladdin is iconic, unique and extremely difficult to re-create as a person.

On the other hand, Disney movie fans

have been showing a lot of enthusiasm for the new version of The Lion King.

Who doesn’t get a shiver down their spine when the majestic “Circle of Life” begins to play at the end of the new trailer? It takes you right back to that moment when you watched it for the first time.

What a song!

It brings so much nostalgia.

Also, characters in The Lion King won’t be distorted and manipulated since they won’t be humanized. It seems to be a digitalized animation, so we will be looking at Simba, just in a bit higher definition. If you are excited about watching this one, get prepared to walk into the cinema with three boxes of Kleenex, because it looks like it will

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Disney studios throwing it back with the old favourite classics

“I think he's subconsciously using the vague term ‘big’ so that it seems he is calling her out on her weight, which in his fragile world is better than mentioning her height (which would imply he is ashamed of his height, since men in that world are so wrapped up in height).” However, if this was truly something he cared about, he maybe should have asked beforehand.

That’s the thing about online dating, even if you talk to a person quite a lot before actually meeting in-person, you really have no idea what you’re walking into. You could be missing chemistry in person or find their personality to be really boring or their voice annoying. Or, the real kicker, you could meet someone who seems really nice and perfect, but they’re actually a psycho.

Online dating is a risky gamble: soulmate or serial killer? Either way, you won’t know

until it’s too late.

The point is that if you are the asshole, then it’s your responsibility to figure out if the person you are meeting is going to be ‘up to your standards’, otherwise you’re wasting everyone’s time. Everyone has baggage and certain things that they are particular about, but it’s not someone else’s responsibility to disclose those specific details for you. If you know you can’t stand someone who smokes or if you prefer to date people that are also vegetarians, then say that. Don’t expect the person’s profile to read, ‘I am a smoker who eats meat,’ because that would be weird.

Maybe the best way to approach it is to assume that everyone is a lying asshole and make sure you clear up any deal breakers before you meet. Either way, it’s an absolute mess out there. Good luck and remember, ‘if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.’

ILLUSTRATED BY ROBYN BEYLEVELDT

patterns have changed @kennedystewart #VancouverCityCouncil. People need to get to work, children should be in school.”

I’ve had more snow days living in Vancouver than I’ve ever had in my entire life in Alberta. There was only one instance in Calgary where I had a snow day and it was when there was an unpredicted snowfall in early autumn, and more than a metre of heavy packed snow appeared overnight.

Even this snow day was debated, since Calgarians have gotten used to these winter weather conditions. Although Vancouver’s terrain varies can be far more treacherous with its steep hills than flat Calgary’s, it doesn’t give the municipalities the excuse to be unprepared. Winter has come, time to buck up Vancouver!

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FEATURES

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The Top Trend Predictions of 2019 POPPING TIDE PODS, A YODELLING CHILD, ARIANA GRA a NDE’S THANK U, NEXT AND A PICTURE OF AN EGG... JUST ABOUT THE ONLY THING PREDICTABLE ABOUT 2018 TRENDS WAS THEIR COMPLETE AND UTTt ER OBSCURITY. SO HERE YOU HAVE IT FOLKS, THE COURIER’S VERY OWN OBSCURE TREND PREDICTIONS FOR 2019

THE CAPILANO COURIER

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CYNTHIA TRAN VO ILLUSTRATOR

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Fashion Backward

Bow to the Brow

CLARISSA SABILE CONTRIBUTOR

GRETA KOOY NEWS EDITOR

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anny packs make me feel obligated to applaud literally anyone that could manage to fit more than three things into one. Barrette hair clips and their contribution to my early hair loss as a six-year-old (when my mom lovingly ripped them out of my scalp) shall forever be on my mind. I’m familiar with the highlighterneon and reflective fits (you should recall the time where wearing a matching set of clothes were looked down upon). And, apparently the vibrant, colourful tie dye print is making a return from my awkward, pre-pubescent camp days, disguised as à la mode.

As an Urban Outfitters sales associate, I spend shifts unpackaging (and criticizing) new products. Sadly, most of the time fashion crazes leave much to be desired as trends continue to pay direct homage to the 90s and early 2000s.

The mixture of preceding and modern fashion and hype trend pieces from unreachable high-end brands like Supreme, Balenciaga and Gucci are, unfortunately, still robbing teenagers of their credit card privileges. I hate to say it, but 2019 is still looking backwards for stylistic inspiration….

When will trends face forward? I want never-before-seen futuristic fads like metallic colour tones, abstract shapes and symbols… but I’m not in fashion school for a reason.

he last 100 years has shown our furry forehead friends some pretty interesting trends: the 1920s brought us the delicate, thin brow and in the 50s it was all about the arch. Fast forward to the mid-2000s and things have gotten thicker again, but we’ve trended back and forth between the ‘framed skinny’ and the ‘bushy bold’ for years. That is, until the dawn of the age of Instagram.

Thanks to the social media sphere, we’ve seen everything from eyebrow accessories like jewellery, colourful gels and patterns to new fill techniques. Feathery-textured arches have gotten bigger, and trends like the “wavy brow”, the “barbed wire brow” and the “lightning bolt brow” have become increasingly aggressive.

2019, however, will be different. Makeup fiends worldwide will be stripping down and going bare, saying goodbye to their favourite brow pomades and definers and replace it with something that’ll have them singing “I’m your Venus, I’m your fire”.

That’s right folks, the no-brow is on the way. This sleek, minimal look will have you asking if it’s Maybelline or Gillette, and is reserved only for those who are completely out of this world. If you’re still on fence, just think about how much time it’ll save you in the morning

FEATURES

That Max Tread

From the Depths of Laziness

Early Bird Special

FREYA WASTENEYS FEATURES EDITOR

CHRISTINE BEYLEVELDT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

MEGAN ORR OPINIONS EDITOR

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iets go in and out of fashion. Thankfully the diet of ingesting laundry detergent didn’t last long in 2018, but the keto diet took off like a rocket from its launch pad last year and shows no signs of slowing down just yet. In 2019 however, it’s either going to continue on its current popularity streak or come crashing down like the meteorite that killed the dinosaurs. But, from the depths of human laziness, comes a new diet trend that will extinguish all else.

Maybe you forgot to eat breakfast, or maybe you’re… intermittent fasting! This year, we’re all going to adopt it.

It’s never been cooler to forget a lunch, or be student poor.

It’s actually going to be cool to not eat, and not just because that salad costs $9.

Say goodbye to counting calories, counting carbs or counting steps – if we must keep counting, let’s count down the seconds until our next meal.

Chartwells is already a step ahead of the game. Closing the cafeteria at 2 pm on Friday? It isn’t because nobody’s on campus, it’s because our fasting windows will be closed and they’re just preparing us to adopt the latest dieting craze. If you don’t know what an 18/6 means yet – and no, that’s not hours of studying to hours of sleep – you will soon enough.

That said, at what point is it considered fasting? I haven’t eaten in about 20 minutes.

orget avocados, 2019 boasts something for those of us with a more delicate and daring palate. This year all of the coolest gastro-tasting-fusion-trendsetting restaurants will be featuring rich samplings of different earthworms.

Inspired by the classic wine tasting style, worm tastings will focus on the different textures, scents and flavours brought out in the worms through the different soils of their regions. Hence why these particular delicacies will require those with a very fine palate to denote the subtle, yet entirely complex differences between the rare Champagne worm of France and your common garden worm from the valley.

Although not for the faint of heart, since the worms do have to be eaten alive and squirming to get the full effect, there is already secret waitlists for the foodie elites at nearly every Michelin star restaurant around the world. Prices vary depending on the experience. For a local sampling of five worms, the price is set from $35-65, for an international sampling, prices range from $70-$110. For $120+, a sommelier will pair each sampling with a tasting of different raw animal milks.

This trend is not to be missed. For the brave foodies among us, you will have to wait until late spring when the grounds thaw to see this popping up on menus, but you heard it here first. If you really want to be taken seriously, you should start digging and get your practice in now – after all, the early bird gets the worm.

THE CAPILANO COURIER

t’s been a little while since OutKast taught us that the only thing cooler than being cool is... well, being ice cold. But despite this age-old wisdom that has been hollered incessantly at nightclubs and proms since 2002, it seems that Vancouver is only just starting to pick up what André 3000 was putting down.

It took until 2019 for Vancouverites to even begin to comprehend why snow has such a hype, and as weird and unpredictable weather descends on the city best known for being mild, snow tires are going to become the new bling.

We won’t just settle for all-season tires. Oh no. These days it’s all about that max tread. The rubber compound on winter tires is softer than that of their counterparts, and they promise to grip the road and hug those curves as you shake it-shake-shake-shake-shake it on your way to work or school. If you have a big truck or an SUV equipped for all seasons, just know that your coolness is degrading by a factor of ten with each not winter-ready tire.

At this point you might say STOP! But if you only have all-season tires, you won’t stop. So instead, hit the road in style and enjoy the satisfaction you are bound to feel when you don’t slide through an intersection, and grin in the knowledge that your parents won’t ban you from the roads when the first snowflake sticks. Hey now fellas. Hey now ladies.

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FEATURES

@CAPILANOCOURIER

@CAPILANOCOURIER

ADAPT OR DIE

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The boom in outdoor recreation bodes well for the industry, but brings a new set of challenges and considerations.

BY FREYA WASTENEYS VALERIYA KIM ILLUSTRATOR

THE CAPILANO COURIER

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he Duffey Lake Road snakes its way through a narrow valley dominated by mountain passes.

Every so often, the road gives way to a line of trucks and camper vans playing sardines in the limited pullout space available. The Ministry of Highways’ salt shed parking lot just off highway 99 is no exception, with overflow vehicles optimistically perched on the shoulder of the road.

On this particular winter weekend, a group gathers in a rainbow of Gore-Tex, heavily laden with overnight bags, skis and avalanche safety gear for the second component of their Avalanche Skills Training (AST2). Over the course of the next two days, the group will learn to evaluate and travel safely within avalanche terrain, putting previously gained classroom knowledge into practice.

It’s a scene that has become increasingly familiar in British Columbia over the past 10 years. Once an outlier, backcountry skiing has seen a boom in interest as the outdoor industry moves from fringe to mainstream. While it’s hard to pinpoint the exact numbers, South Coast Touring – a Facebook group specific to the Sea to Sky

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region – has more than 10,000 members, and businesses like Canada West Mountain School (CWMS) are seeing increased interest in mountain-based courses like Avalanche Skills Training (AST-1 and 2). So much so that they can hardly keep up with the demand, and many programs are fully booked two months in advance.

CWMS has been offering winter and summer training programs since 1982 as the “Safety and Education” division of the Federation of Mountain Clubs of BC. Previously volunteer based, the organization took the name CWMS in 1990 when Brian Jones became manager, and has been owned by Jones since 2002.

As the owner and lead guide, Jones has made it his life’s mission to promote self-sufficiency in the great outdoors. He also happens to be the only Canadian Guide actively leading expeditions to the “Seven Summits” of the world – the highest peak on each continent, Everest among them. But while the seasoned guide has a slew of qualifications to his name, he avoids any mention of himself. The company’s mission has always been educational first and foremost, offering guiding and instruction in all aspects of mountain travel and safety, and

instilling a sense of respect for mountainous terrain.

The increasing popularity bodes well for those in the outdoor industry, but as certain pursuits become more common, the industry faces a new set of challenges. Jones acknowledged that the outdoor industry is partly a “victim of [its] own success,” meaning that through their programs and courses, they have contributed to the issues of overcrowding in certain areas. “We use these areas because they are safe and accessible,” he said. “But of course then people go back to the same places with their friends.” It’s a common dilemma for those promoting the outdoor industry – and often irksome for the those who seek to escape “the masses.”

There are plenty of factors that contribute to the overcrowding of outdoor spaces, social media being an obvious one, and Jones knows it’s no use complaining. “[Business] sustainability is achieved through adaptation.

Too busy on weekends at the local climbing crag? Develop a new crag, offer mid-week programs, or be creative and find ways of utilizing the unpopular zones on busy weekends,” Jones suggested. “In business, the bottom

FEATURES self-taught techniques. While this is understandable, and even admirable, there are aspects of travel in the outdoors that are often overlooked.

For Davies, learning is a lifelong process, and in a fastpaced environment, it’s a tough pill to swallow. Now in his 70s, the instructor still makes a point of getting out on his skis, but how he defines it has changed. “I use the term ‘ski touring’ now for my winter multi-day trips,” he said. “I used to say ‘backcountry skiing,’ but this is now interpreted as yo-yoing off piste.” For him, it seems to be an important distinction. The idea of slowing it down and taking his time is a fundamental aspect of outdoor pursuits that seems to have been lost as gear gets lighter, and traverse times get faster. “A few years ago, who would have thought you could do the Spearhead in a day?”

Over the years, the CapU’s OREC program has shifted from outdoor instruction to focus on management principles. Having this perspective gives students a little more versatility and understanding of the industry they are entering. Throughout the program, Davies hopes students will take away a respect and care for the natural environment and a “can-do” approach to life. OREC focuses not only on technical outdoor skills, but hard business skills, balancing it all out with a global perspective and a value for their fellow humans. “The course includes many life skills because our instructors are very versatile, global thinking people,” he said. “From this perspective, the graduates can turn to many professions on an opportunist basis.”

Similarly, Jones hopes that by teaching course participants responsible wilderness practices and stewardship, clients will take charge of their own safety and gain an awareness of their own environmental impact. “In a perfect world we would all treat wilderness areas in a different manner than

our backyards,” said Jones. “However, I see many people who visit the backcountry expecting to behave as if they were at the local park or swimming hole – speakers on their phones to play loud music, disregarding fire bans, leaving garbage and taking dogs in conservation zones that dogs are not allowed [in].” And in this sense, as volume increases, outdoor education is more important than ever. Backcountry users need to be educated on respectful travel in wilderness areas, not just gain the hard skills required to participate in intense activities.

Increasing interest in the outdoors may bode well for business-related ventures, but Jones stressed that it is not an industry to enter if you’re looking to make money. The ever-changing nature of the industry and the nomadic tendencies of outdoor guides make it notoriously difficult to turn a profit. It’s a labour of love, and not just a love of the outdoors. “You have to like people,” said Jones. “When it comes down to it, it’s not just about being outside, it’s about customer service. A lot of people are drawn to guiding because they want to push the boundaries of sport or do big objectives, but a lot of what we do is very fundamental. You have to like teaching the basics.”

For the few who do choose to make outdoor recreation their profession, Jones sees many new business opportunities as people gain more awareness of the backcountry and outdoor sports. Rather than following in the footsteps of their predecessors however, he prompts new graduates of the OREC program to get creative.

“People need to look for new ideas, and adapt to new demands,” he said. “Guiding is an old profession, but the successful guides are the ones who take a new approach and capture the imaginations of the emerging customers. Don’t do what the companies that started in the 80s or 90s were doing – offer what the customers in 2020 want.”

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line is the cliché – ‘adapt or die.’ We will not reverse the overcrowding, but we can adapt to thrive in that environment.”

Rick Davies, “an industry legend” according to one of his students, believes overcrowding isn’t the only issue in the outdoor industry. The CapU instructor from the Outdoor Recreation Management (OREC) program has also noted a shift in mentality. “The concept of athlete has dominated over the wilderness traveller,” he said.

“Competition, overt or subtle, seems to be predominating over cooperation in the backcountry.”

Jones sees it too, along with a certain impatience that pervades the community. With this mentality comes a shift in what’s expected of an outdoor guide. “When I first got into this business, people were fine with putting in a lot of hard work and a lot of days – or years – to gain practical experience in order to achieve their goals.

It was common for people to come to us to develop a multi-year plan in order to climb a major Himalayan peak, or gain skills for a big multi-day expedition,” he said.

“Now, people come in and expect to go from beginner to expert objectives in one trip with very little personal experience. Beginner skiers are upset when we refuse to take them on multi-day advanced ski traverses – gym climbers insist they will be fine on a big north face alpine objective when they have only ever climbed in a gym,” he continued. While the number of people who have picked up an interest in backcountry sport has given the market a boost, inexperienced and overconfident enthusiasts are increasingly crowding the backcountry.

With YouTube, blogs and social media, it’s easier than ever to feel like an expert in outdoor pursuits (or any pursuit for that matter). Many individuals who lack the time and funds to embark on multi-day courses opt for

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COLUMNS

Global Narratives This spicy Chilean Pepper now calls Vancity home

MELISSA GIBBONS COLUMNIST

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his March will mark my sixth anniversary of living in Vancouver.

It might not sound like a long time, but as someone who has hopped all over the world, six years is a long time for me. In fact, I’ve lived the longest in Vancouver and I truly love it now, but truth be told I wasn’t Vancouver’s biggest fan from the get go.

I’m originally from Chile, but because my parents were diplomats I’ve travelled the world and lived in various countries since I was three years old. Russia, Argentina,

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Brooklyn Nine-Nine Realness

THE CAPILANO COURIER

CMNS 236: Understanding More Television

CARLO JAVIER COLUMNIST

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ometimes Brooklyn Nine-Nine fails to make me laugh.

The hyper-energetic wit of Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg) can border on overbearing and the show’s tendency to overfocus on Samberg can take away from the holistic glory of its tremendous cast.

Captain Raymond Holt (Andre Braugher) is one of the best characters in the sitcom landscape, Rosa Diaz (Stephanie Beatriz) is criminally underrated and Gina Linetti (Chelsea Peretti) is a ‘state of mind.’

But Nine-Nine is among the best sitcoms of its time not because it’s the funniest – it doesn’t always hit the mark. It’s among the best because it’s the most human, and thus the most compelling. When Nine-Nine hits the mark, it does so in such an authentic way that really makes you feel things.

As one of the more important voices in modern cultural studies and criticism, Ien Ang once posited that historically, discourse around television’s place in a society centred around cultural dysfunction and decline. Television was seen as a lowbrow form of entertainment, as opposed to what Ang describes as “a cultural form whose aesthetic, narrative and generic characteristics were worth studying in their own right.” While studying in The Netherlands, Ang grew particularly interested in the global rise of Dallas, especially with regards to the cultural divide it created and how critics like French

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Chile, Venezuela and Britain to name a few.

So before I touched based with “Vancity” I was a “London Girl”. Living that fastpaced city life, my life revolved around being fashionable and going to countless art shows, galleries or museums. There was so much to do in London that I was always busy and always up to something. But life changes, and my life changed once again.

But luckily for me, my family wasn’t just destined for any city in Canada, we were destined for Vancouver.

We arrived in Vancouver in March 2013.

At first it was very hard. I used to compare everything to London – the downtown area, the museums, the restaurants, even the different rhythm of life. When we drove around fashionable Robson Street I wanted to cry. It was all such a shock.

In the first month, I was terribly lonely.

I didn’t really know anybody and I used to live in the British Properties, I know it sounds super fancy, but if you are in your early 20s and find yourself living there, it’s pretty isolating, that’s why I nicknamed it “Narnia”. But slowly Narnia showed me it’s beauty, the breathtaking views from my

house, the little forest nearby, the incredible West Vancouver seawall where I’d go running, (I had never run before, but that changed when I discovered the seawall). I also discovered the walks along Ambleside beach, the salty breeze from the shore, and soon I started to fall in love with the city and appreciate something that I had never truly valued before – the beauty and peace of nature.

Once I got used to Narnia and the surrounding West Vancouver area, I started to step out of my comfort zone and travel around the City of Vancouver. My first night out was my 21st birthday, and that was when I met my very first Canadian friend, Sam, and thanks to her, life in the city became more fun. I started to realized that Canadians are kind and good-hearted people, and way less cold than the people I was surrounded by in Britain.

Then summer arrived shortly and I was submerged in the good vibrations of the season. There were so many beaches to see, national parks to explore and countless activities to do. I felt amazed and in tune with the town. Winter is engaging too, the

mountains around Vancouver have so much to offer and luckily it’s the warmest city in Canada, so every time there is a snowfall I get pretty stoked.

My first Canadian school was Capilano University, almost six years ago when I decided to put a pause on design for a bit and try my hand at one of my other passions – acting. It was challenging at times, I’ve never had to do drama in a foreign language, but it was worth it. I met some incredible people who are now my closest friends.

And I even got my first job in Vancouver at a bar in Gastown with over 50 craft beers on tap. I didn’t drink beer, not even Corona.

But I slowly got used to the unique flavour profiles of craft beer, and my passion for it grew, and I realized that I was in the land of microbreweries.

I do go back to Chile to see family and friends, and taste the flavours of home, of course, that is surely one of the things that I miss most. But in retrospect, I actually feel more at home in Vancouver than any other place in the world and I’m truly grateful that I get to be a part of this gorgeous, eccentric and multicultural city.

Minister of Culture Jack Lang, defined it as a “symbol of American imperialism.”

Dallas is long gone now, but the highbrow vs. lowbrow thinking that Ang presented still very much exists today.

Premium cable television like HBO produces a different type of content than major networks like CBS or NBC might produce and the same goes for the arms race happening among streaming platforms.

Neglect shows like Nine-Nine and its mainstream appeal at your own cost, just consider this: Nine-Nine, along with the other Michael Schur-led sitcoms are the cultural forms that really might have the pulse on society. And let’s be honest, highbrow television (and art) can get too caught up in concealing its messages in Trojan Horses and other hijinks that we sometimes don’t even bother to decode.

Since its fourth season, Nine-Nine has produced episodes that eschew the show’s usual bubbly comedy with immature and boyish humour tendencies. “Moo Moo” tackled America’s crisis with racial profiling and racialized policing, episodes “99” and “Game Night” delved into Rosa’s coming out story and “Show Me Going” was a tense exploration on how police respond to an active shooter situation.

Each of the episodes handle their respective topics with the same level of respect and

consistency, more importantly, Nine-Nine handles its social commentary with grace.

One of the more finely placed little details in “Moo Moo” happens in the span of three seconds. After Sergeant Terry Jeffords (Terry Crews) passionately speaks against the racism he endured from another cop, his superior, Captain Holt, responds in one of the best ways possible: with silence.

Holt’s non-answer might be unsatisfying to some, but the silence spoke louder than a lot of the words that self-proclaimed allies would regurgitate while again taking space and platform away from someone else.

Later in the episode, Holt speaks about the racism and homophobia he faced as a young police officer in the 1970s. He

admits that his advice came from a different perspective and a different era, and ultimately realizes that as captain, he has the platform to speak out and help inspire change – the very things he hoped to achieve in his youth.

Nine-Nine handles its social commentary with a tenderness that may not always exist in other forms of media. Its explicit form of messaging may not have the same type of aesthetic satisfaction that premium cable television might have, but as Ang said, this type of television “is worth studying in their own right.” No heavy symbolic interactionism? No problem. What it does have is brutal honesty, and sometimes that’s really all we need.

ILLUSTRATED BY DANIEL PAUHL

COLUMNS

Trying Times

Practicing Braids and Basic Life Skills

MEGAN ORR COLUMNIST

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Conspiracy Corner

around the house. Then, I speed-braided as my ride to a friend’s kid’s first birthday party was on the way. With a final flourish of my fingers and about a dozen bobby pins, it was in place. I shrugged, satisfied, and rushed out the door. Reactions were positive, ranging from, ‘how did you do that with your hair?” and, “Wow, that looks really nice!”

This rudimentary concept of ‘practice makes perfect’ is something that I haven’t really taken to be true until now, more than 25 years into my life of denial. I have often found myself at my wits end with different things that I wasn’t good at automatically, feeling discouraged that I just didn’t seem to get it. At least a part of the problem has been in my nature to constantly compare myself to other people, but the biggest part was how I truly believed that there were a bunch of things that I just wasn’t good at, so I didn’t bother trying to get better.

Those girls with the perfectly styled braids: yeah, I bet they practiced a lot.

They probably aren’t just naturally talented hairstylists, like I have been imagining. They probably watch lots of videos and spend lots of time looking in the mirror before they are confident enough in a particular look. This week I tried and succeeded in doing a crown braid, but really, the point is that I tried. I decided I wanted to do something, practiced at it and then did it. It wasn’t perfect, but it was good enough.

conspiracy theories began popping up and certain aspects of the game started to make people wonder if they had jumped on the bandwagon too quickly.

A few passing theories include the US government teaming up with Japan in order to trick Americans into exercising more. Hey, not all conspiracy theories are bad. This theory was further expanded on, linking the game to Michelle Obama’s Let’s

carrier companies, the ones raking in all the cash when we surpass our monthly data limits. The game is notorious for draining data so it’s really no surprise that skeptics looked to those who stood to make a serious profit.

The most notable conspiracy theory, however, comes from the app’s use of augmented reality and that it is a geocaching location-based game. Some theorists believe that the US government is using collected information from the app as a mass surveillance tool, logging our movements as we navigate our way through our local communities, and abroad, in search for the perfect CP Machamp.

under Hanke’s authority, was responsible for the development of the technology that led to the creation of Google Earth and Google Maps. The funding for Keyhole’s mapping project and technology, which Gawker pointed out, came from In-Q-Tel, an American venture capital firm whose goal is to provide information and support to intelligence agencies within the US. Sounds a little coincidental, no?

Whether or not this is a far-fetched theory, what’s true is that we are trusting Niantic with very sensitive and personal information.

The game requires access to location data, and if you’re hoping to use the augmented reality feature, access to your cameras is a must. You might not think what you’re up to is particularly interesting and has no meaning to anyone else whatsoever, but our personal information, like our location, is much more valuable than you might think.

Gawker also points out a particular section of the game’s terms of service, which reads “We may disclose any information about you (or your authorized child) that is in our possession or control to government or law enforcement officials or private parties”. Perhaps the government isn’t collecting information to spy on us, but rather that Niantic is selling our personal information to other parties – that kind of thing happens all the time and is extremely profitable. And Niantic could if they wanted to. After all, you have to agree to their terms and conditions before embarking on your Pikachu search. By clicking accept, any personal information gathered by Niantic from the game app is theirs to use. Even if Niantic isn’t using or selling our personal information, they still have the ability to know where all their players are at any point.

This also means that they can track who we’re with, where we like to frequent and even where we might be off to next. Niantic can collect a map of our lives, and can see inside our homes, our schools and around our neighbourhoods.

GRETA KOOY COLUMNIST

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hen Niantic finally released Pokémon Go to the public in July of 2016 it took the world by storm. Nearly everyone was playing it – you, your elderly neighbour, the bus driver, the lady who brings you your mail, my mom. Although the hype around the game has since faded, the app still has an extensive and active fan base.

Forbes reported in June of 2018 that the game was more popular two years after its initial release than ever, raking in $104 million in just one month. By the end of 2018, the app had reached over 800 million downloads.

Pokémon Go hit us from all the right angles. The nostalgia factor had us desperate to catch ‘em all, and the bonus augmented reality aspect meant we could hunt our favourite Pokémon right in the comfort of our homes. For most of us, the game was a popular fad.

It got people out of the house and into the neighbourhoods. On many occasions, swarms of people were seen travelling in packs around various cities around the world searching for the rarest and most elusive Pokémon characters.

But with all the excitement also came speculation. In true modern-day fashion,

ILLUSTRATED BY RYAN MCDIARMID

Move! campaign.

Moving into the more sinister theories, some speculate that Pokémon Go was created for the benefit of our mobile

Players login to Pokémon Go with their Google accounts, the only way for users to access the game. Here’s where things get interesting.

John Hanke, founder and CEO of Niantic, the developer and publisher of Pokémon Go, previously worked for the US government in Washington, DC. Hanke also happened to be the CEO of a company called Keyhole, which was acquired by Google in 2004. Keyhole,

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The Onix-pected theories surrounding Pokémon Go

essentially divides people into two mindsets: fixed or growth. According to Dweck, “In a fixed mindset, people believe their basic qualities, like their intelligence or talent, are simply fixed traits,” and that natural talent is what creates success. Conversely, a growth mindset acknowledges that “basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work.”

So, I have gone most of my life with a fixed mindset, just shrugging my shoulders and saying ‘oh well’ when I don’t automatically know how to do certain things. In some ways that has been beneficial, because it has forced me to focus on further developing the things that I am naturally good at, but in a lot more ways it has hindered my overall growth. This is something that I have been knocking my head up against for a long time and only just realized as I pinned the tail end of my dutch braid into a crown this last week.

The reason that this was different for me, after years of braiding my hair and angrily unraveling it, was because I decided that I had to get better at it. I’ve always loved the look and wanted to be able to do it myself for a friend’s wedding this May. So I just decided to practice. Which, as it turns out, is actually the key like people have been saying. With a new found determination and a plethora of YouTube tutorials, I set off. I practiced looking in the mirror, while I watched The Good Place and meandered

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f I’m being honest, which I have been known for, I haven’t really felt like trying anything new lately. I’ve been bogged down in the ‘hump day’ that is mid-semester/February just like the rest of you. I haven’t exactly had the capacity to prioritize anything other than, ‘THIS NEEDS TO BE DONE YESTERDAY’ and saying things like, “Oh my God, I’m sooooo stressed” while binge-watching The Good Place on Netflix. Although the show was great, the past few weeks have generally been a bit of a bummer.

What I have finally managed to try and not exactly master, but definitely improve upon, is the crown braid. Exciting stuff, I know. I have thick, unruly, coarse and

generally unmanageable hair, so trying to do anything with it other than a sort of uninspired air dry or an ‘up-do’ such as a messy ponytail or a wispy bun is seemingly impossible, especially when I can barely find the motivation to shower.

I have long aspired to be able to braid my hair well. I stare enviously at anyone I see pulling off a braided look. I love a good tight french braid, but also appreciate the messy boho fishtail that so many wonderful women can pull off. I have always jealously peered at their hair and then shrugged in defeat because I am just bad at braiding so what can be done?

In case you haven’t figured it out yet, even though this is about a type of braid, it isn’t actually about the braid. Yes, I have been trying to master the crown braid for literal years, so the satisfaction I felt when I got it to look how it was supposed to and actually stay in place, not once, but twice this weekend, was immeasurable. However, the real takeaway from this whole ‘trying’ experience was that I am actually capable of not just trying new things but also improving my abilities and increasing my capabilities.

I recently learned that I struggle with a huge mental block that is called a “fixed mindset.” The concept is something that was formulated by psychologist Carol Dweck in her research and book Mindset, which examines the ways in which people enable or limit their success. It’s a simple idea that

CAMPUS LIFE

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PHOTOS BY SMIELY KHURANA

CALENDAR

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FORTUNE SOUND CLUB 9 PM / $20.23

Fortune may host all kinds of different events, but one thing remains the same: It’s always too much for the square footage. This art show will feature photographers, comedians, tattoo artists, clothing designers, graphic designers and musicians. I can just picture the spilled ink and jostling for elbow space now.

QUESTS AND QUEERS: AN INCLUSIVE LGBTQ2+ GAME NIGHT

STORM CROW ALEHOUSE 7-10 PM / THE PRICE OF YOUR FIRST BEER

We love a good games night!

REFUSE: CANLIT IN RUINS

VANCOUVER PUBLIC LIBRARY 7-8:30 PM / FREE

This is a panel discussion on the changes that’ve been happening in Canadian literature. Fun game: No matter the title, say the movie was better. Hold your ground.

VANCOUVER PANCAKES AND BOOZE ART SHOW FORTUNE SOUND CLUB 7 PM-1 AM / $10

No I didn’t use predictive text, this is one cohesive event that allows you to drink booze, eat pancakes and look at art all at the same time. There’s also live body painting which is a strange but not a totally unexpected addition.

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LEFTSIDE TAKEOVER AND ART SHOW

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FEBRUARY

MARCH MAGAZINES WEST CONFERENCE 2019 UBC ROBSON SQUARE AND THE VSO SCHOOL OF MUSIC 7:45 AM-6:30 PM / PRICES VARY

This is BC’s only conference for magazine professionals. I’m mostly including it here because some of the Courier staff might be interested and I’ll definitely forget to tell them about it.

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CARTEMS DONUTS ON PENDER 6-8 PM / THE PRICE OF A DONUT OR TWO

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UNIT 109 2-4 PM / STARTING AT $10

DONUT FORGET ME

Abstract painter Ciele Beau sees colours and shapes when she hears music because of a neurological condition called synesthesia. Donut Forget Me is the opening reception for her series, inspired by songs about not wanting to be forgotten. Check it out while trying to forget how many donuts a reasonable person would eat.

THE RECLOSETED HANDBOOK LAUNCH PARTY

This launch event for a new sustainable fashion guide features helpful tips, day drinking and a panel discussion with Kaya Dorey, creator of Novel Supply Co. and friend of the Courier. Did we mention day drinking?

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SHORTS ART OF PLANT-BASED CHEESE MAKING WITH KAREN MCATHY

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IL CENTRO ITALIAN CULTURAL CENTRE 6-9 PM / $200 FOR FOUR CLASSES

Because spending $200 on vegan cheese making is exactly the kind of tidbit that kills on LinkedIn.

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THE VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL WOMEN IN FILM FESTIVAL

VANCITY THEATRE VARIOUS TIMES

What better way can you think of to start spring than with a festival showcasing some of the talented women making waves in the film industry. There are a ton of great titles, panels and Q&A’s to check out, so make sure to go through the program on the Vancity Theatre website because I don’t feel like including it all here.

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CANUCKS VS. LEAFS

ROGERS ARENA 7 PM / STARTING AT $136.50

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You already know.

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MUSIC VIDEO NIGHTS

JAMMER CAFÉ MOTORS 7-10 PM / FREE

This is a trivia night and a music video night. I’d assume the trivia is on music videos, but they may just be playing while you enter the Wild West of general trivia. Either way, good luck.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Keep an eye open for cool events hosted by the Women and Gender Studies department this week, they always put on some great stuff.

JAMES BLAKE WITH KUSHI HARBOUR CONVENTION CENTRE 8 PM / $55

I thought of about four other artists before I realized who James Blake was. If you know him right away you might want to buy a ticket to this.

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The day you should finally do that assignment you’ve been putting off.

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The books we read over Fan Girl The Alice Network

by Rainbow Rowell

by Kate Quinn SHEILA ARELLANO ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

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f you are on a fantasy book streak, Fangirl will haul you out of it and make you wish you had reached for more contemporary books from the start. At first, it is shocking to read a story that is so tangible and true. As you read on, however, this book pulls you right in. The story and plot feel so real and the characters are so relatable. You will feel as though you are there, watching someone’s life play out rather than reading a fictional story. The main character, Cath, is a college student who writes fanfiction about a magical world she thinks up. The book intercalates the story of Cath’s life adjusting to university with Cath’s fanfiction Carry On that features a magical world where two boys fall in love. In addition to mixing fantasy and reality, Fangirl deals with mental health subjects such as anxiety and bipolarity and depicts these themes in a broad and authentic manner not found in many contemporary books. Even though Fangirl approaches these tough themes, the novel is infused with humor and laughter, too. As you read Rowell’s book, you will feel as though you are experiencing glimpses of life itself rather than reading a fictional book. At times, Fangirl can startle its readers and come across as an abrupt story, especially within its endings, though this overall stylistic choice from Rowel grants the novel all the more believability. The novel’s style is rewarding as it is consistent, and Rowell’s writing is enjoyable and smooth. If you are feeling like you don’t have enough time for reading an entire book series but you still want to get a taste of what contemporary fiction has to offer, Fangirl is for you. The characters of this stand-alone will forever live in your mind and will make you want to relive your first year of university.

CHRISTINE BEYLEVELDT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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he Alice Network is a far cry from any of Kate Quinn’s other novels, considering it’s set in the postWWII French countryside whereas her domain has always been ancient Rome or the Renaissance. However, she remains true to her form as a writer. All of the same battle-scarred personalities that her readers love so much are still present – only they’ve swapped togas for Christian Dior’s “New Look” and new lingo sprinkled with the occasional “mon Dieu!” or “sacre bleu!”

I suspect Quinn’s change in tune was a marketing ploy, but it was one that paid off. The Alice Network is phenomenal. It has a brilliant cast of characters, including pregnant American teenager Charlotte “Charlie” St. Claire, who’s searching for a long-lost French cousin. Joining Charlie on her mission are the Luger-toting old bat Evelyn Gardiner who drinks herself silly every night to forget her past, and her chauffeur, a handsome Scot with secrets of his own – including the recipe for a sure-fire hangover cure.

These three characters find themselves untangling the mystery of Charlie’s cousin who disappeared during the war, and the trauma in Evelyn’s past, which leads to an epic quest for revenge that’ll have the blood pounding in your ears. Now, I just can’t wait for Quinn’s new book about a squadron of Russian female fighter pilots, a Boston photographer and a Nazi war criminal on the lam.

Full disclosure, this book was released nearly two years ago and I’m reading it for the third time, so it’s not exactly a novelty.

SHORTS

Reading Week while we should've been studying Cujo milk and honey

by Stephen King

by Rupi Kaur

The Subtle Art of Not On Writing Giving a F*ck

by Mark Manson

by Stephen King

JAYDE KING CONTRIBUTOR

RACHEL D'SA COLUMNS EDITOR

SHEILA ARELLANO ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

CHRISTINE BEYLEVELDT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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heard about this book through pretty much every book list created in the last half a decade. i had a flip through in chapters and a short debate with myself about whether or not to purchase it that resulted in “meh, i’ll pass.” in milk and honey, rupi kaur takes readers through four intense chapters of vivid emotion, touching on bitter topics that may be too much for some audiences, including love, abuse, violence, loss, femininity and womanhood. the message of finding sweetness in life’s bitter moments is certainly beautiful and should be celebrated. the poems are simple.

ark Manson is incredibly blunt so to . But you’ll want him to be blunt when he tells you that you’re nothing special and that the work you do probably won’t amount to anything impactful. The message of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck, in a nutshell, is to “suck it up buttercup”.

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck, isn’t an accurate title for this incredibly popular “self-help” book (or perhaps self-loathing is a more accurate descriptor). You can’t go through life not giving a fuck about anything, but you should be selective about the number of fucks you give and realize that you’ll never achieve happiness by looking to be free of problems. There’s a reason the life we see through rose-coloured glasses doesn’t exist, and that’s because life’s really an endless circle of replacing old problems with new ones.

For instance, feeling sluggish and unfit is a problem. But is it a big enough problem to make you want to do something about it? And getting a gym membership won’t solve the problem, it’ll merely upgrade the problem to having to get up early and sweat.

Funny enough, the day I got sucked into this book I renewed my gym membership.

If you need a few words of wisdom and obscure references to disappointment pandas and self-awareness onions to cry over, you’ll probably get a hoot out of this book as well as a brutally honest wake-up call.

this book was alright please do not come for my ass bright red tomatoes

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kaur’s live online readings are mesmerizing and as an artist and person, I think she is absolutely exquisite, but that doesn’t change my opinion that this book is the kiddie pool of contemporary poetry books – a pretty, well-maintained and no. one new york times best-selling kiddie pool. poetry doesn’t have to be complex and metaphorical and written in old english to be considered well written, but this glorified micropoetry just doesn’t do much for me. milk and honey is a nice introduction to poetry. a good part of the book basically reads like a transcript of an internal bus-ride conversation, with a very present sticky “enter” key. it’s relatable and easy and everything gum-smacking teens can relate to in an attempt to feel better about their level of reading comprehension. this book is visually appealing. as someone who doesn’t read much, i see white space in a novel with more than 50 pages and my eyes shine. kaur’s minimalist line drawings are nice, and, like the content, have no frills but remain expressive. i’m just not sure i felt anything more than pretentious while reading it. kaur’s wording is so straightforward and digestible that it’s almost no fun to read. the world seems to be split on this book so don’t let my weird fusion of positives and negatives turn you away and deny you the opportunity to think for yourself. read it, just don’t expect to be blown away.

tephen King will astound you with his writing advice in this wonderful part memoir, part master class non-fiction book. Here, the bestselling author unveils his knowledge on the craft, and lays out the basic tools writers must have or develop during their careers.

Nevertheless, On Writing appeals to a wide audience, even if being a writer is not your main goal in life. King’s advice can be applied to a wide variety of contexts. His experiences and vivid recollection will grant you a new take on life and invite you to look at stories in a whole new light. He will teach you what good writing looks and sounds like through his rich past and learnings, and will inspire you to be your best self. He explains what writing is truly about, and how narratives are capable of changing and enriching people’s lives. When reading his life’s story, you will be faced with the realization that he, too, started at the bottom and worked his way to the top. King tackles the topics of life, death and the unexpected challenges of life with a twist of humour that has the ability to entertain, empower and inspire anyone.

This book will immerse you into the world of stories and will inspire you to believe in yourself and create. Even if you are not a fan of Stephen King’s horror and mystery novels, do not shy away from this memoir. It will improve your storytelling technique drastically and push you to always keep learning and growing as a writer regardless of your career path.

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f there is one horror novel you should read while on the Capilano University campus, it is Cujo. This is the story of a 200-pound Saint Bernard that contracts rabies and goes on a rampant killing spree.

While reading a particularly suspenseful scene at the bus stop under the Bosa building, I gave myself whiplash from hearing the dogs bark at the Northwest Kennels (I have already sent King the medical bills). Although this book is nearly 30 years old, it is not entirely outdated. The claustrophobia, and panic that the characters feel throughout the novel are relevant in any decade. For younger readers, the situation may seem frustrating as cellphones would have made this book obsolete. If you can put aside the lack of technological advances, the horror comes through loud and clear.

One of my favourite aspects of King novels is that they do not always fit the "heroes always win" trope. With many horror books/ movies, you go into it with the mindset that someone will survive, and you know that the good guy comes out on top. With King, however, you are kept in the dark about who "wins" until the very end. He will either give you everything you want or will crush your soul and leave you crying into your mac and cheese on a Friday night.

You may be thinking, how are there 319 (if you have an obsessive need to collect first editions as I do) pages dedicated to a rabid dog? The answer is: there aren't. Stephen King has a knack for giving backstories and diving into the thoughts of his characters that build context. These moments build up your hope for the best outcome and give you a sense of empathy for the antagonist, and this stands true for Cujo. Cujo is a stand-alone novel, however, it is tied into the “Castle Rock” universe that King has created with other novels such as Needful Things, The Dead Zone, The Dark Half and Elevation. Compared to Stephen King's other meaty 700 plus page novels, this is an easy introduction to the twisted mind of the master of horror.

ARTS & CULTURE

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Finding Your Sound

Nivea at age 15,” he said.

Arellano has had numerous professional jobs in music since, including film scoring, A YouTuber and pianist TV, advertising and composition for theatre.

“People responded extremely well, everybody wants to inspire young felt something deep and profound, and that composers to share their became my calling,” he explained. sound with the world To fulfill that calling, he uploaded the music he composed to YouTube, and, to his surprise, people responded. “This really took SHEILA ARELLANO off,” Arellano said. “Some songs have reached ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR 15 to 20 million views.” Before YouTube, Arellano didn’t think he could publish his music online and be successful. But his wife, he journey to finding your sound Natasa, was the one who pushed him to and your audience as a musician publish his music. is hard, but it’s not an impossible For young composers, Arellano suggests quest. Mexican pianist and composer, Pablo Arellano, has had an interest in music since not being afraid to explore your talent and try new things in order to grow and thrive in the he was five years old. He played with his father on the tumba and the bongos, and had music scene. To find your sound you have to find a niche audience. There are many niches his first public concert appearance when to pick from, but as a musician, yours has to he was just eight years old. “I had the rare privilege of being supported [in my] desire be specific to what you like doing the most so to learn music, so I did my first paid job for you remain motivated. “Find a niche audience

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that you like and [that] you are passionate about. And then focus on creating everyday, and being patient,” he explained. A lot of the success in this field comes from being consistent, keeping your motivation alive and entertaining your audience while being careful not to create the same content. Instead, it’s important to find new ways to innovate within the niche you have chosen.

Another crucial aspect of projecting yourself as an established musician is believing in your talent. Confidence will carve the path towards new and exciting opportunities within the music industry. This can be hard at times but, with time, all your hard work can come to fruition and become something you are proud of. “Music is an immense universe where you are always learning. There are many possibilities, so exploring is very rewarding as a musician," he said. “As well, co-creating with other artists is incredible, and practicing everyday is crucial... [In music] relating with likeminded people who can aid you in shaping

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and bettering your art is the best way to learn and understand what your sound is.” Arellano stressed the importance of “focusing on what comes naturally” in order to create work you enjoy and share with the world.

“If you like music and it is a part of you, don’t have fear, everything will come to you naturally,” Arellano concluded. If you are passionate and consistent and act towards your goals “life will take care of you in very surprising ways,” he said. When Arellano first published his guitar improvisations on YouTube, he started with no audience and within two weeks had 250,000 views.

He didn’t know why at the time, but now he knows that when you follow your true sound and work towards bettering yourself, the world will feel what you feel through your music. Share your work, keep an open mind, and, in time, life will provide you with an orchestra of opportunities.

For any further questions or advice, visit pabloarellano.org

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Better Than This Premiers at the Havana Theatre Fabulist Theatre Company, formed by two CapU grads, explores 90 years of women in musicals in 90 minutes CHRISTINE BEYLEVELDT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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apilano University grads Mary Littlejohn and Damon Jang have had 10 years to explore their careers since graduating from the Musical Theatre program in 2008 and 2009 respectively.

Neither of them thought they’d end up where they are today – conjointly running a theatre company based out of Vancouver and about to launch a new theatrical revue that’ll set audiences laughing about the historical stereotypes of women in theatre.

While living in Australia a few years ago, Littlejohn worked on a production of Songs for the New World, and kept an idea of refashioning the production to tell the tales of immigrants and refugees and other marginalized groups, since people were starting to notice them. When she moved back to Vancouver, she approached Jang with the idea, although she was hesitant to take it to another theatre company.

Instead, their award-winning performing arts company Fabulist Theatre was born, and Songs for the New World was their debut show just two years ago in 2017.

Through Fabulist Theatre, Littlejohn and Jang are dedicated to showcasing the talents of diverse artists. “We’re trying to break the barrier by showcasing performers who are more marginalized, more diverse communities, not just women but men too typically in roles that break the stereotypes that have been set forth not only by industry standards on TV but in mainstream theatre too.”

This up-and-coming theatre company’s newest theatrical revue written and directed

by Littlejohn, Better Than This, premieres at the Havana Club on Feb. 28 and shows until March 9. The show reduces 90 years of stereotypes about women in musical theatre into 90 minutes of song and dance.

As they work their way through the decades, exploring tropes from 1926 to 2017, they’ll look at characters like that of the long-

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suffering female who stands by her man and many more that have stood the test of time.

“We’re also trying to capture and salute the pioneer women of musical theatre,” said Jang, who choreographed the theatrical revue and recently won a Broadway World Vancouver Award for his work.

“What we wanted to do was create more opportunities for more diverse performers and kind of fill the gaps,” added Littlejohn. “The big popular musicals of yesteryear are so male heavy a lot of the time and there are so many talented women in this community so our shows have always been skewed female.”

The biggest challenge Littlejohn faced producing Better Than This, despite claiming it’s been a relatively easy process, was condensing 90 years of historical stereotypes into a single performance, and choosing songs that would serve the theme well. Audiences may recognize many of the songs in Better Than This, including “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” and “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina”, but some are more obscure.

Joining the production of Better Than This is Brianna Clark, who

and picks up moves quickly,” Jang said excitedly. “The goal is to make sure everybody looks the same and is in style and in period, but also within the parameters of the stage. We have to try and fill the empty space with movement that propels the narrative.”

Fabulist’s theatrical revue is the first of its kind the company is doing, and Littlejohn is excited to see how the audience reacts.

Tickets are $24 and are available through showpass.com.

ILLUSTRATED BY ANNIKA MCFARLANE

worked with Fabulist previously on a performance called Once on This Island, and Cathy Wilmot, who recently performed in the Arts Club Theatre Company’s production of Mamma Mia! “She’s got wicked talent

ARTS & CULTURE

CapU Short Film Der Jude Tackles the Idea of Love Through War Spencer Zimmerman’s first-year MOPA class exercise is one of a rare few films that has screened across North America CHRISTINE BEYLEVELDT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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pencer Zimmerman, a second-year student in Capilano University’s Motion Picture Arts (MOPA) program had no way of knowing a class exercise would win him accolades. But that’s what his two-minute short film, Der Jude, did. “Nobody knew what would happen going into it,” Zimmerman

Clint Carleton's unexpected journey MELISSA GIBBONS PRODUCTION MANAGER

sleeping on park benches for a while,” he says. “I got a squeegee and went door-todoor to clean people’s windows and I raised enough money to get a car.”

Once he got a car, the young Canadian travelled to the North Island where, rumour had it, Lord of the Rings was being filmed. He had to go door-to-door to investigate the right locations for the film as it was very secretive.

Carleton explains “I didn’t apply for this

managed take his headshots and send them at last. But, he admitted, “that wasn’t what got me the job, it was actually when I took a picture with me and my baby niece and wrote underneath: ‘this one is to warm your heart.’” Thus, Carleton proceeded to be a background actor for Lord of the Rings.

At times, Carleton would come to Peter Jackson’s house to take care of his kids and teach them gymnastics. So, with that

in high school, where his favourite class was drama. As a teen, he trained with his “Acting Guru” Warren Robertson who believed in “embodying truth in the character.” Carleton affirms that he didn’t study acting in university, but he always believed in pursuing his dream regardless. After being a part of Lord of the Rings, he played various different characters in films such as Planet of the Apes, Watchmen, I, Robot, and many others. Drawing from his ILLUSTRATED BY MELISSA GIBBONS

movie, but I knew I had to do it.” Once he managed to get to where they were shooting, him and his friend camped out on the side of the road and “every time a car would drive by we acted a fight scene.” After various failed attempts, they were redirected to the casting office, where they told him to “go take some headshots and then send an email.”

Confused about the email concept, Carleton

special connection, he ended up playing 11 different characters in the film. He also began to work alongside character developers to teach background actors how to behave like specific creatures, through a method called Neutral Slip, which you achieve by removing your daily masks and getting into your “inner ape” in order to build different mannerisms.

The eager stunt actor had previously acted

own experience, Carleton’s advice for young people is to follow their hearts, as life is permeated with opportunities. In order to learn from the biggest actors, you have to be dedicated, and open yourself up to learning about life. “Leave space in your life for magic, because [life] is filled with infinite possibilities. If we live in the moment, we will know our true path.”

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anadian actor and stuntman Clint Carleton explains that it started during his childhood. As a child, his hobbies included downhill skiing, backcountry skiing, motocross, rock climbing and martial arts such as taekwondo. He admits that he enjoyed mimicking monkeys and creatures.

Chuckling, he mentions “I would go to the forest a lot and pretend that I was a Jedi.

And I remember when I was 10 somebody asked me what I wanted to be and I said I wanted to be a stuntman.” He confesses his first stunt video was on a toy hybrid bicycle motorbike that he rode and did jumps on as he dreamt of flying.

Carleton also talked about how his “ego came crawling down” in his twenties when he was the Canadian National Freestyle Jet Ski champion and suffered from bankruptcy, losing his financial security.

It was a tough moment, but he overcame this challenge by accepting a job in the Cayman Islands. Through this job, he managed to start saving money. While living in the Cayman Islands, he visualized the places in the world he wished to explore.

After saving enough money, Carleton traveled to 28 countries, his last stop being Tibet. While in Tibet, his interest in becoming a background actor started to grow and thrive. In Tibet, a friend mentioned Lord of the Rings was being filmed in New Zealand. Carleton didn’t know much about it, but he did remember his sister owned the books. The filming was “very hush hush, they weren’t telling people where they were shooting,” so he travelled to India and then he made his way to New Zealand with very little money and but heart heavy with hope.

“I had only $10 to my name and I was

hours to film and a week to edit. It wasn’t all smooth sailing. “Generally period pieces are expensive and a little bit lavish so if you’re going to go into a period you need a good reason to do it,” he said, and he felt Der Jude was one such instance. However, having no budget for costumes, he invested some of his own money and with Production Designer Calvin, descended on Vancouver’s army and navy stores. “As of the last couple of years, you could’ve gotten some Nazi or German military uniforms from that era, but in the last couple years you can’t get [them] at all,” he said. In the end, a friend in Saskatoon who collected period uniforms and military gear had what he was looking for, and shipped a few articles over just in time.

If there's one word of advice Zimmerman would give, it would be to take risks. After all, what started as a class exercise has now shown at film festivals in Canada and across the border. Now, you'll find him submitting his work to even more.

THE CAPILANO COURIER

How I Became a Stunt Actor

was that love can conquer all evil.

After premiering at the Austin Micro Short Film Fest in July 2018, Der Jude’s laughed. “Pitching a period piece on a student actress, Delphine Menu, won Best Actress crew and budget of zero dollars – it’s all up in for her role. After that, Der Jude went the air!” on to tour at a number of other festivals across North America. Immediately after The two-minute film is about a Jewish its premiere, Der Jude screened at the woman reunited with her lover right before Okanagan Indie Fest in Kelowna, which she is arrested. In his first year of the MOPA Zimmerman was able to attend, followed program, Zimmerman and his classmates by the Three-Minute Film Fest in Santa completed a series of exercises, including Barbara at the end of July 2018 where it filming a short with no dialogue and won Best Narrative. recreating a scene from a movie. But for this Later, in the Fall semester of exercise students were given a prompt and two weeks to produce a short film based on it. Zimmerman’s second year, the film went to the Indigo Moon Festival in North Carolina “You get given about half a page and by the end of October, Nifty, one of the description, one was the breakup and one bigger film festivals hosted in Seattle. And was the heist, and I chose the breakup,” said finally in November Der Jude was shown at Zimmerman. “That was essentially all I the Saskatchewan Independent Film Awards was given, but I had this idea of setting it in WWII and thought ‘what can I build into their in Zimmerman’s hometown and where it was nominated for Best Student Film. history and who they are?’ And this idea of Once Zimmerman chose his prompt for forbidden love was really appealing to me.”

The message he chose to send in his short film the exercise, he had a week to prepare, four

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Our stories reveal who we are and where we’ve come from. Celebrate the experience and discover CapU.

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