Volume 25 Issue 6: Epiphany

Epiphany

Trump & Star Wars PG. 7

U SPORTS & COVID-19 PG. 10-11

VOLUME 25 ISSUE 06

Tattoos & Body Image PG. 12

01 20 21

MEET THE

TEAM

LETTER FROM THE

ts

EDITOR

Stemming from the Greek word for manifestation or appearance, “epiphany” bears far more meaning than most would believe. The Epiphany, which takes place on January 6, is intended to celebrate God’s incarnation as Jesus Christ. As the Epiphany is traditionally held as a feast, the word has clearly taken on many forms throughout the years. In specific, the most common meaning of “epiphany” is tied to sudden realizations. With these realizations, and manifestations of Jesus Christ in our lives, we hope that the new year brings a strong and lasting representation of the entire year.

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The New Year brings many diverse thoughts and motives to the table. Of course, goals of physical fitness, mental wellbeing, relational growth, and more seem to mark new beginnings. In order to spawn the varied aspirations, commonly known as resolutions in this widespread phenomenon, a level of self-reflection and realization is necessary. r

Our team hopes that you take a deep dive into the varied experiences that have transpired in the lives of those who tell this series of stories. In many ways, it seems as if the hardships faced in life form the response to the difficulties to come. On behalf of our team, we wish you the best in this challenging, mysterious, yet hopeful year of 2021.

“Let’s go to McDonalds, dinner is on me.” - Chad Ochocinco

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MEDIA ADVISOR: Loranne Brown 22500 University Drive, Langley Twp, British Columbia, Canada V2Y 1Y1 marshill@gmail.com marshillnewspaper.com IG @marshillnewspaper Twitter @marshillnews facebook.com/marshillnewspaper

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MARS’ HILL

Mars’ Hill is a student publication of Trinity Western University located on the traditional ancestral territory of the Sto:lo people.

Floated with funds raised by the Student Association, Mars’ Hill seeks to be a professional and relevant student publication, reflecting and challenging the TWU community, while intentionally addressing local, national, and international issues.

MISSION TO MARS

The mission of Mars’ Hill, as the official student newspaper of Trinity Western University, is to inform and entertain its readers, cultivate awareness of issues concerning the TWU community, and provide a forum for purposeful, constructive discussion among its members in accordance with the Community Covenant, Statement of Faith, and Core Values of the University.

EDITORIAL POLICY

Mars’ Hill encourages submissions and Letters to the Editor. Mars’ Hill reserves the right to edit submissions for style, brevity, and compatibility with the Mission, the Statement of Faith, the Student Handbook, and the Core Values of the University. Anonymous authorship of any material may be granted at the discretion of the Editor-in-Chief. Opinions expressed in Mars’ Hill belong to the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the editorial board, Trinity Western University, its officials or its Student Association.

CONTRIBUTORS

Ansah Odoom Maritha Louw Alisha Pinto Abigail Sefzik Emmett Hanly Dr. Tyler Chamberlain Alice Jun Heather Collins Kaleb Marsh Ella Dam Braedon Grover Sunnes Alex Walker

DECLASSIFIEDS SUBMIT YOUR OWN AT MARSHILLNEWSPAPER.COM/DECLASSIFIEDS

‘Please interrupt’ -Buchner At this point, I’m mostly just surprised Pillar hasn’t hired Toru and made a whole section based solely on his candids. Jus a lil’ thought for ya there @Pillar When you realize most 1st-3rd yrs will never know the awkwardness that once was the Lower Caf women’s bathroom stalls... to the people with their cameras on...are you taking notes or using your phone?

If my roommate has a foreign accent, am I going to end up speaking the same accent?

Are we sure it wasn’t a goose who cut the Christmas lights? remember when we had covid on campus lol thanks men’s soccer.

Remy, the ratatouille / the rat of all my dreams / I praise you, my ratatouille / may the world remember your name.

Just a PSA: Ben Meadows do be kinda cute I really tried. I did, but I’ll be moving off campus next semester. A campus without Sarah Creach is just not worth it. #MovingtoMurica

Unpopular Opinion: for the safety of our students ID cards should always be needed to gain access to residential buildings.

Beyond COVID we should have the ability to access all residential buildings with our card.

Abigial stop buying animals and get a real job When the prof calls my name but I haven’t been paying attention: “Sorry my internet is very slow today. The audio keeps cutting.”

Declassifieds are where we ppl with anxiety share their funny thoughts

Trinity culture was boutta kill the introvert in me but covid19 got my back

Wait... how can you tell how many declassifieds we post? Is it based on location?? Do you know my computer or browser???

Can you stalk me????

“We sure do, User #4928.

Big Brother is watching.”

-Emma

the way that bonnie henry can calmly and kindly ruin my life with a simple announcement

The West Coast CA team this past semester was incredible! Thanks for making commuters feel welcomed on campus.

the minutes i wait before clikcing the zoom link at the exacct statrt time of class literalyl chafe my soul

I was so sad when the Olympic Lounge was closed, it was the last remaining anti-mask stronghold on campus.

“I hate that one of my hobbies is watching Netflix” “but at least it’s not crack cocaine”

“People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use.” -Søren Kierkegaard

Another couple that has set my relationship expectations too high - Anna and Kristoff from Frozen 2

Savannah lost her steak virginity

“I think I facilitate a lot of sexual energy out of myself.” “Not on my good Christian server” -Tyler

Don’t worry, the Trinity shirt you got as a first year is cool to wear by third year

guys, i used to hate the Old Testament, but now im kinda warming up to it.

clearly ring by spring hasn’t worked out... my father (bless his heart) is begging me to let him pay for a premium dating app thing so that he doesn’t have to deal w my singleness anymore

Ok but lowkey “Body Language” by Queen is the weirdest song I’ve ever heard.

When is taylor swift gonna save my life next?

You know what really irks me? When profs assign books but don’t let the bookstore know. It’s one thing if they can’t order it but like come on guys. alexa play driver’s license by olivia rodrigo Does anyone else think that the TWU logo in the traffic circle looks slightly like an idol? It made me laugh a bit. But it does look quite slick! Good work to whoever put it up.

Is anyone else just DONE? Contrary to Tyler Jones’ tough and sturdy looking appearance, he’s very warm-hearted and relatable. Very dependable and responsible too “Thank you for the kind words, but you might be looking at a different Tyler Jones who is tough and sturdy” -Tyler Why are you howling!? It’s not even a full moon

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO IN 2021? hopefully attending pride in person graduating Making more mars hill submissions All the executive orders Joe Biden is gonna make in his first week in office Going outside for the first time in 10 months

Injecting as many of Bill Gates microchips into my brain as possible

Maybe there will be actual real live people... which is totally bizarre.

Spending the year the exact same way I spent 2020

Mars hills fire posts (always the highlight of my week)

Doing all the things I said I’d do in 2020 The winter anime season (it’s stacked) Food

Blowing the bank skydiving our neighbours down in America having a different president

talking to Nyssa Morgan Leaving TWU and never coming back :))) new music from BTS Resolutioners to get out of the gym I’ve been content with being single for a long time so I’d like to find someone in 2021

Mars’ Hill editors reserve the right to edit or reject submissions based on content and/or length. A printed submission does not necessarily reflect an endorsement of any kind, nor does it necessarily reflect the opinions of Mars’ Hill staff, the student association, or that of the University.

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NEWS

REMEMBERING PS752 EMMA DYKSTRA

On January 8, 2020, Ukranian Airlines flight PS752 was shot down shortly after take off, killing all 176 passengers and crew on board.

Though the world was not unfamiliar with passenger airline crashes after the disastrous Boeing 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019, PS752 hit close to home for Canada, as 57 passengers on board were Canadian citizens. A year later, the families of victims are still calling for justice.

One year later, the national day of remembrance was not quite the ceremony the mourning families of the victims would have hoped for due to COVID-19. Memorial services were replaced by a livestream beginning at the exact time the plane went down, serving as a national effort for all Canadians to participate in. In Toronto, a few hundred people gathered to march wearing black masks with “justice” written across. They walked up and down the streets crying, holding signs that had pictures of the loved ones they lost.

PS752 was a Canadian tragedy. Of the 176 passengers on board, 138 were Canada bound, all with different reasons for traveling.

Some were university students returning to school after a Christmas break, some were reuniting with family members back in Canada.

What makes it all the more of a tragedy is the unanswered questions for many of the victims’ families. “It wasn’t an accident. We look for justice,” says Farzad Alavi whose wife Neda Sadighi was killed in the crash.

The flight was a scheduled international flight taking off from Tehran, Iran to Kyiv, Ukraine. Just minutes after takeoff, the plane was hit by a short range missile. A second missile was launched at the aircraft 23 seconds later, sending the plane to the ground and crashing in a park surrounded by fields. There were no deaths on the ground. The crash was met by 22 ambulances, a helicopter, and various emergency vehicles. Their efforts were in vain, however; the plane was completely destroyed upon impact.

The Iranian government initially denied any part in the bringing down of PS752. Iran’s Road and Transportation ministry reported that a fire had started in one of the engines and the pilot was not trained properly, therefore failing to land the aircraft safely, sending it to the ground in flames. Ukranian Airlines said this would have been impossible, citing that the pilot had been trained exclusively to fly out of Tehran two years prior. Based on radar data, British defence and American intelligence services came to the conclusion that the plane had been shot down by an Iranian missile. The Iranian government denied this, but later admitted they had indeed shot down the plane, mistaking it for a “hostile target.” Various western world leaders admitted this could have been a possibility, but never confirmed whether or not they believed the crash to be purely accidental. On December 23, 2020, Prime Minister Trudeau announced that January 8 would be a national day of remembrance for those who lost their lives in aviation disasters.

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That definition of justice is not clear. It is unlikely that a thorough explanation for the incident will ever come to fruition. But it is important that we as Canadians take time this month to remember the lives of those lost. By paying our respects, we are remembering our fellow Canadian and doing what we can to never forget the lives of our fellow citizens who were lost that day.

TWUSA ELECTIONS 2021: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABIGAIL SEFZIK

Whether you are new to Trinity Western University (TWU), or have been here for a few years now, TWUSA election season is a time we all look forward to; it is a time where the student body discusses important issues, comes up with innovative ideas to solve classic campus issues, and addresses important concerns at TWU. It is a chance to rally behind future leaders, imagine beneficial change for the student body, and invest in what we love about the TWU community.

TWUSA is beyond excited to be running this year’s first ever fully digital election!

Thanks to technology, we have opened up a door to increase inclusivity all across the board, for both candidates and voters alike. We are removing historical barriers such as location, time, and space. Now, no matter where in the world you are––you can be part of TWUSA. TWUSA will walk along candidates by supporting them through hosting a debate via webinar and a live speech broadcast, as well as announcing who the candidates are at the start of the Executive and Faculty Representative campaign weeks.

Applications for elected positions open January 19 and close January 31 for Executive positions and February 7 for Faculty Representative positions. Our live speech broadcast will be taking place from February 10th-11th!

To keep up with elections and other TWUSA news follow along on: - Our website, twusa.ca - Social media (could we use a facebook and instagram icon?)

- The TWU Life app

THE FINAL NAIL IN THE COFFIN MARITHA LOUW

As Members of Congress gathered to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s win January 6, President Donald Trump incited a violent mob of his supporters to storm the Capitol Building in an effort to “preserve democracy.” Members of the Senate, House of Representatives, and both the Vice President and Vice President-elect were forced to either barricade themselves in their offices or were taken to a secure, undisclosed location to remain safe from the armed extremists. The Capitol Building has not been stormed since British troops invaded the American colonies in 1814.

News outlets, bloggers, social media accounts, and activists were quick to compare the response of Capitol Police to the white Trump supporters versus the Black Lives Matter protests in the summer. President Trump had deployed the National Guard when peaceful protesters came to the Capitol to protest the unjust police violence towards Black men and women in America. But when the pro-Make America Great Again base climbed the walls of the Capitol Building, broke windows, stole podiums, fought hand-to-hand with police, overran barricades, and left pipe bombs in the hallways of the seat of American power, the National Guard was not immediately summoned. A week later, there have been five reported casualties from this incident––one woman was shot dead (it is still unclear if the gun was fired by police or an extremist), and four other extremists died of medical emergencies.

There is only so much comparison that can be made between the BLM protests and the violent insurrection of the last week. BLM protesters at the Capitol were predominantly unarmed and had peaceful means to achieve their end. The MAGA extremists were armed and fighting for a cause that threatened the democratic values of their nation that they claimed to be defending.

Hours later, President Trump tweeted for the protesters to stand down, and though he condemned their violent approach, he gave them a pat on the back saying “you’re all very special.” Eventually, the sessions of Congress resumed and both Houses certified the election results as just, fair, and credible. There was an expected amount of fruitless objection from a handful of Republican senators and over a hundred Republican representatives.

It will remain to be seen if this violent event is the final farewell to the Trump presidency, or if it is the opening ceremony to the post-Trump era. The final nail in the coffin was when President Trump broke decades of tradition and publicly declared that he would not be attending President-elect Biden’s inauguration ceremony on January 20. When asked for his response to this slight, Biden responded: “I don’t take it personally.”

COLUMN: WHAT THE HONK?

WHAT THE HONK IS THE PARLIAMENTARY PROTECTIVE SERVICE? EMMA DYKSTRA

The world watched in horror while an angry mob stormed the sacred halls of the United States Capitol on January 6. While watching this, many Canadians remembered a different yet eerily similar moment when their House of Commons chamber was nearly invaded by a single attacker back in 2014.

On October 22, 2014, a man armed with a rifle and a knife entered the Hall of Honour after fatally shooting Corporal Nathan Cirillo and stabbing a police officer. The gunman encountered a struggle with an RCMP officer but escaped after shooting the officer in the foot. As the attacker ran through the halls, Members of Parliament (MPs) barricaded doors and shoved then Prime Minister Stephen Harper into a closet. The MPs broke flag poles in half to form rudimentary spears to defend themselves. The attacker was eventually shot down by police.

A month later, a joint advisory group on security identified poor communication among security groups as one of the key elements that let such an attack even be possible. They recommended that instead of having separate security groups that served different functions all over Parliament Hill, they be amalgamated into one protective service.

In June, 2015, the existing security forces became one: the Parliamentary Protective Service (PPS).

The PPS is now responsible for all security matters related to the Parliament of Canada, including Senate protection services and House of Commons security. The agency has only dealt with one other attacker since its creation: a man trying to enter the House of Commons with a meat cleaver.

PPS vehicles can be spotted all over downtown Ottawa. If you spot one during your next trip in Ottawa, be sure to thank them for their work. If Canada ever has to face what our neighbours to the south did on January 6, the PPS is more than ready.

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ARTS & CULTURE THE MYTH OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION: THE PERILS OF PEOPLE OF COLOUR AT TWU ALISHA PINTO

Two and a half years ago, I began my academic journey at Trinity Western University (TWU). While it was exciting at first, I was overwhelmed by the fact that in a sea of 200 to 300 freshmen, only about 15 of them looked like me.

Over the next few years, a multitude of blatantly racist statements were made to my face. By my third year, I was broken. I felt defeated and hurt, yet I also knew I was not the only one. So a few months ago, I reached out to many people of colour I knew at TWU and listened as they spoke of their lived experiences. That is what I will share with you today––a sliver of what a student of colour deals with on a predominantly-white campus.

North American universities started out as a way to display elitism amongst the white upper class. The first university in the 1600s was made for white people by white people and this undertone has stained the grounds of every other university in North America, including TWU. We have been taught single story after single story and that is how we are “educated.”

Tagged and Typecasted. Students of colour specifically at TWU are often stereotyped as exaggerated caricatures by their white counterparts. To better help you understand, we are going to play a game called “Never Have I Ever.” Raise your hand to display all your fingers.

Below are five statements and every time you have done one of these things, put a finger down.

Never have I ever been asked to speak for all the people in my racial group.

Never have I ever been late to a meeting and had it reflect on my race.

Never have I ever been asked where I learnt to speak English so well.

Never have I ever walked into a classroom and been the only one of my race.

Never have I ever had a white person explain my culture to me.

If you have a fist at the end of this, you probably understand the pain that comes with being a person of colour on a white campus. The above statements are all experiences that I have had while attending TWU.

Involuntary Sacrifice. We drastically change or entirely give up our identities. At the University of Florida, Professor Joe R. Feagin notes that most campus activities at predominantly-white universities reflect the interests and traditions of white students, staff, and faculty. By not celebrating our interests and traditions we lose touch with our voice and personality as people of colour. When I came to TWU I picked up a new way of dressing and speaking and slowly lost pieces of my nationality. After a little research I figured out that there is an actual term for this––code-switching. Code-switching is the practice of alternating between two or more languages or varieties of language in conversation.

Some people quite literally choose a name that is easier to pronounce.

I have seen this with almost every Chinese student I meet at TWU. I understand that there might be less confusion and embarrassment when pronouncing a name like “Jason,” but that is not the name they were born with. That anglicized name creates such a distance between the person and their identity, which only causes an increased cultural segregation in the student body.

Cultural Erasure. We do not get the chance to learn about our own culture. I am a theatre major, and we study Shakespeare in depth but seldom stop for a second to consider that there might have been other playwrights, possibly of colour, whom we brush over. In my Theatre History class, I studied and performed the works of numerous white playwrights including, Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, Anton Chekov, Henrik Ibsen, and Samuel Beckett. Only performing the works of these white individuals actively displays a single story about the history of theatre. White playwrights are taught in schools all over the world, making it harder for people to care about playwrights of colour. Someone like Wole Soyinka, a Nigerian playwright from the 1930s or Efua Sutherland, a Ghanaian playwright from the 1920s are only briefly gone over in a world drama class. I get no opportunity to learn about African poetry, to read plays by Indian playwrights and to perform scenes from Arab shows. I have to dig around the web just to learn what I should already know as an Indian about our theatrical history.

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I once made a grammatical mistake in a paper and one of my white peers mentioned that it is a normal error since English is not my first language. It took her no time to assume that someone of my skin colour might speak English poorly. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a feminist writer, gave a well-known TED Talk called “The Dangers of a Single Story.” White, sheltered students have no consequences for assuming the experiences of those of colour around them, which further allows them to thrive on a narrow minded perspective. I later found out that she had gone on a mission trip to India for two weeks and worked on building a school for poor families. All of her assumptions of Indians were now based on the one trip she took to the rural parts of India––all based on a single story.

If you are white, take a couple seconds to make a mental list of everything you know about Indian people. You probably think that they are great at tech support and eat spicy food. This is because you have been fed a single story of a single Indian’s experience, which you then subconsciously apply to every other Indian you meet. People like me then get the burden of explaining why that is offensive and why my experience as an Indian is different from another’s.

I start my day as a student at TWU prepared to walk into a classroom and see a limited amount of racial diversity. It hurts me to know that this article will be glanced over by students reading the newspaper as they let out a “wow that’s crazy!” and move on with their life. It is true that we have culture week and a Third Culture Kid and Missionary Kid club (TCK/MK) but that means POCs are limited to one week and one club.

And when that week eventually comes around, white students tour our booths and tables to taste the food. Being a proud brown woman at TWU has lost meaning.

Every time you make an assumption about a person of colour in your class, dorm, or in the hallway, think about how they may have been forced to give up their identity, sit through painful examples of stereotyping, and not be able to learn anything about their culture in a respectful manner, just to be able to say that they have a bachelor’s degree. Such is the life of people of colour on the TWU campus.

REFLECTIONS ON STAR WARS, DONALD TRUMP, AND POLITICAL RESTORATION DR. TYLER CHAMBERLAIN

The original Star Wars trilogy has a memorable ending. Darth Vader turns on The Emperor, throws him into a pit, and in doing so saves his son––our hero––Luke Skywalker. As news of The Emperor’s demise spreads across the galaxy, we witness scenes of celebration throughout the galaxy, not unlike the pro-Biden celebrations that filled American streets on November 7. The bad guy is gone, and democracy has been restored…right?

rebel alliance was able to bring the empire down, very little remained of the earlier democratic political institutions. Is it any wonder that the death of Emperor Palpatine did not automatically bring about a reversion to democracy?

Not so fast. As we learn at the beginning of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the fallen empire was replaced by The First Order, an ideologically similar movement aiming to rule the galaxy in dictatorial fashion. The similarities are quite striking. The First Order is led by a mysterious sith lord who initially appears only by hologram; this sith lord has an apprentice who wears dark robes and a mask, and the First Order constructs a planet-killing weapon with which they hope to strike fear into the hearts of the remnants of the free republic. Upon watching The Force Awakens, one could be forgiven for concluding that the struggle against the emperor was all for naught, insofar as his defeat did nothing to restore lasting political freedom.

Democrats should take this as a sober warning. Long before Donald Trump became president, America was experiencing congressional gridlock and declining trust in experts. The Georgia run-off elections, which have given the Democrats a slim majority in the Senate, may help alleviate the first of these. However, political scientist Francis Fukuyama has described the American political system as a “vetocracy,” according to which multiple parts of government can easily block one another. Political gridlock and obstructionism are long-term structural problems that cannot be solved by the results of a single election.

From the point of view of American democrats, the United States currently sits at the end of the original trilogy. Donald Trump’s electoral defeat is imminent, barring a last-ditch legal effort to get some of the mail-in ballots thrown out. It seems that the voters have electorally thrown him into the Death Star’s reactor and are celebrating in the streets. Are these celebrations premature?

The danger that Star Wars alerts us to is that of mistaking the defeat of the tyrant with the defeat of the social and institutional origins of tyranny. According to the Star Wars saga, the democratic galactic republic did not fall simply because a cunning tyrant came along. There were institutional problems leading to political paralysis in the galactic senate, and trust in the wisdom of The Jedi Council had been eroding for some time. Moreover, the evil empire went to great lengths to further erode the remaining democratic institutions. By the time the

Moreover, because Donald Trump’s governance strategy included putting loyalists in charge of important agencies, many have worried that America’s political institutions have been severely weakened.

There is an element of hyperbole in such comparisons; if Trump-Hitler comparisons are over the top, Trump-Palpatine comparisons are obviously more so. Nevertheless, there are important parallels at the politico-institutional level. Removing Trump is no guarantee that Trumpism will wither away, and unless Democrats address the larger institutional problems––many of which pre-date Trump––their celebrations may turn out to have been premature.

Author’s Note: I wrote this article on Nov. 8, 2020. Since then we have seen legal and illegal attempts to overturn the result of the election, including the January 6 riots and storming of the U.S. Capitol Building.

I do not think that what has transpired in the last two months changes the argument of this article in any meaningful way. Anti-democratic forces will need to be addressed by the Biden administration.

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HARRY STYLES WHO? K-POP’S GENDERBENDING IMPACT NYSSA MORGAN

Harry Styles made headlines when he became the first solo male to appear on the cover of Vogue back in November 2020, shocking many by wearing a dress and other stereotypically feminine outfits. His styling choices reflected the shift in conversations regarding gender norms in Western media and how the lines of femininity and masculinity can be quite blurry. While moments like Harry’s buzzy Vogue cover may be groundbreaking here in the West, taking a look at South Korean idol groups will show that North America is clearly lagging behind in the movement.

eye makeup while wearing a sleeveless graphic t-shirt and skinny jeans highlighting his muscles and powerful dance moves, before effortlessly softening into skin-tight gauzy fabrics and flowing garments, similar to the female backup dancers.

G-Dragon is another highly-recognized trendsetter of the K-pop industry.

With his androgynous fashion, the rapper is a chameleon; he goes from avant-garde to streetwear in a second and kills it every time. His style is always changing and evolving with time and trends, and he has never shied away from pushing gender boundaries with his fashion and makeup.

While the number of men challenging gender norms in Korea increases, female artists continue to struggle with breaking down their own barriers.

The entertainment industry is still conservative in the sense that female idols are expected to wear over-sexualized clothes with current makeup trends to highlight their femininity on top of maintaining an angelic persona. These expectations come from the labels, fans, and the general public, and a female artist who strays from these standards can face a lot more commentary of various nuances than her male counterparts.

The K-pop industry can be unrelenting in regards to beauty standards. Despite this, male K-pop stars have been confronting and playing with traditional gender stereotypes for years. Through their fashion choices, endorsements of specific skincare and makeup brands, as well as transparency around their cosmetic surgeries, the K-pop scene is already embracing things many in the West would usually clutch their pearls at.

Never one to shy away from terms like “pretty,” SHINee’s Taemin constantly challenges how dance is perceived and ideas of how popular boy group members should move and look. Taemin explains that the choreography for his song “Move” was specifically designed to feature a range of feminine and masculine gestures. He also chose gender-fluid clothes for his stage performances to highlight this range. In the music video, Taemin sported smokey

No one has broken free and expressed herself in this kind of environment as boldly as Amber Liu, vocalist and rapper from the girl group, f(x). She has proven that by promoting only in more traditionally masculine clothes, keeping her hair cut short, and by showing that having an outspoken personality does not make her any less a woman than her group members. Liu constantly demonstrates how someone can be true to themselves rather than adhere to society’s standards of how someone should look or act based on their gender identity.

Given that these trends are becoming more popular in South Korea, and that K-pop is becoming increasingly popular in western culture, the movement towards breaking down gendered stereotypes may become even stronger than before. Maybe one day we will live in a time where genderless fashion is the norm, and a man wearing a dress does not stun the world.

SAVE THE SALMON! SEEKING SUSTAINABILITY IN WEST COAST FISH FARMING HEATHER COLLINS

With the growing awareness of the need for sustainable practices in 2021, the urgency to sustain the population of local species is more prevalent than ever. Atlantic salmon being farmed in the Pacific Ocean––specifically directly off the Vancouver coast––has generated legitimate controversy and fears over the past decade, as transmission of disease into wild stocks has risen.

Diseases such as sea lice, Heart and Skeletal Muscle Inflammation (HSMI), and the Piscine Reovirus (PRV) negatively affect wild Pacific salmon that have had historically low returns in the past five years.

This past semester at Trinity Western University (TWU) in the course GENV 131, our group had the privilege of delving further into this issue. We focused our semester long research project specifically on salmon farming in the Fraser River, the ramifications of this economic activity for its residents and Indigenous Peoples, and the strategies for sustaining our wild salmon for future generations. More specifically, we examined how the farmed Atlantic salmon transmit disease to wild salmon stock in the Pacific Ocean, and the sustainability of farming practices in the short and long-term.

Wild salmon are considered a keystone species because they are a crucial part of food chains in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Due to the importance of wild salmon in different ecosystems, it is important to examine how diseases such as HSMI, PRV, and sea lice from farmed salmon adversely affect wild salmon stocks. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game stated that “wild salmon close to fish farms are 73 times more likely to suffer lethal sea lice than juveniles not adjacent to fish farms.” This is where the benefits of having a closed-containment salmon farming system come into play as they remove adverse effects usually caused by disease or natural disaster.

Various Indigenous and local communities have voiced their concerns over the farming of Atlantic salmon by calling for a general moratorium on opennet salmon farming. Instead of this open-net system, closed containment farms such as the Kuterra Salmon Farm, are being deemed the most sustainable option.

The Kuterra Closed Containment Salmon Farm was launched by the Namgis First Nations on Northern Vancouver Island. Kuterra salmon are grown in a land-based RAS (recirculating aquaculture system) facility. Fish are raised in a carefully controlled environment, which eliminates the need for antibiotics, hormones, and pesticides. The closed-containment farming strategy is revolutionary because it focuses on making salmon farms clean, energy efficient, renewable, and profitable again. The salmon are placed into enclosed, tank-

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like pens on land that have no access to open waters. As a result, the farmed fish cannot impact wild fish. Replacing the open-net farms with more sustainable land-based farms like Kuterra could eventually become the primary option for sustainability in the future.

We were fortunate enough to interview a tradesman who has fished up and down the B.C. coast for over three decades by participating in commercial gillnet fisheries. The tradesman stressed that disease is a primary factor in the dwindling numbers of returning salmon. He noted that after leaving the Fraser River and travelling North between the B.C. coast and Vancouver Island, a notable increase of disease is found in wild salmon because they are forced to migrate through commercial open-net Atlantic salmon farms. Our tradesman suggested a combination of factors which have led to this collapse, but he also identified how the farming of Atlantic Salmon in the Pacific could be easily resolved.

In an interview with Cree Elders (who will be referred to as L and E), E painfully noted that “these farmed salmon aren’t like real salmon. They aren’t the real ones that live in the wild, they’re artificial, and controlled by man.” L emphasized, “it’s money, it’s a business, for the government and these private companies.” She expressed significant concern, noting that “the threat is so high to the Indigenous salmon. I think there is a great concern regarding the future of our wild stock if what we are currently witnessing continues.” Looking forward, however, it seems there is hope for the future as L explained, “the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries is very stringent with their policies.

For them it’s certainly a situation of great importance, which is encouraging.

I think there’s hope.” E emphasized that “it’s up to this generation to carry on the work. That’s why we’re pushing for the education and involvement of our youth, and wider community.”

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: ELLA DAM ents and friends and seeing their reactions of themselves is a wonderful part of my creative career. Capturing photos that they love of a moment which they can look on for the rest of their lives inspires me to keep doing what I love to do.

WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING ON? Since I am from Ontario, I have shoots in the works in Ontario along with new ideas being developed with students from Trinity Western University (TWU). I recently contracted an Ontario clothing brand to be photographed in B.C., so I am working on that for the next few months, along with my own ideas for artistic portrait shoots in the mountains of B.C.

WHAT IS YOUR YEAR AND MAJOR? I’m a first year student in Arts, Media & Culture.

WHAT IS YOUR ART FORM? Photography is my main art form, but more specifically I shoot artistic portraits and weddings.

WHAT IS ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF YOUR CREATIVE CAREER? One of the highlights of my creative career is definitely being able to capture beautiful moments and people in a way that portrays the emotions of the moment. Through this, I’ve been able to create amazing relationships with the people I work with and friendships that I’ll have for the rest of my life. Getting to know the clients and people I work with is so much fun. Delivering my photographs to cli-

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY AESTHETIC? I would definitely say that my photography contains different aesthetics, depending on the type of shoot. For my artistic portraits, I definitely strive for more of a moody tone, whereas with my weddings I turn towards more light to express the emotions of the day.

Because I photograph a wide variety of different styled shoots, I portray the aesthetic to whatever the theme of the shoot is.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ENVIRONMENT TO SHOOT IN? My favourite environment to shoot in would have to be an outdoor, cloudy location. I feel that this creates a stronger sense of emotion and I’ve developed it into my editing styles.

WHO DO YOU LOOK UP TO IN THE ART WORLD? One of my all time historical photographers is Ansel Adams. He devoted his whole life to capturing the beauty of America’s National

Parks in a time where his career choice was viewed as foolish. He wasn’t searching for approval in his works, he wasn’t photographing to be seen. He simply photographed his adventures with his lens of the world, and just created. He has inspired me to have a mindset of simplicity when creating. To create because I love creating, leaving out the aspect of comparison and approval. He was confident in what he created, and his confidence drove him to all that he experienced in life.

HOW HAVE YOU EVOLVED SINCE YOU FIRST BEGAN CREATING YOUR ART? I would say my sense of individual creativity has definitely grown throughout my years as a photographer. When I first began, I focused a lot on comparison and striving to have my work look like other photographers I admired.

Over the years, I’ve definitely grown to create work that mirrors my own art expression, using my own creative ideas.

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR YOU AND YOUR ART? I am a strong believer in artistic growth. I know that in years to come, I will continue to develop my photography concepts and ideas.

I hope to widen my variety of shoots, along with building and networking my business in B.C. Throughout the next few years at TWU, I hope to have a furthered appreciation for art concepts and creating, and using that to pursue a career as a full time photographer.

WHERE CAN WE FIND YOUR ART? Instagram: @edampics Website: elladam.com

ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT: K ALEB MARSH halfway through my senior year I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do. At the time I was thinking about bible school or maybe engineering and I knew that TWU had a pre-engineering program. I was looking for a smaller Christian university and TWU fit that.

WHAT IS YOUR ROLE IN RECREATION? I am the club soccer manager for this year.

WHEN DID YOU FIRST START PLAYING SOCCER? I started playing in eighth grade, I first started out as a striker and then went to left back and now I mostly play centre back.

HOW DID YOU FIRST HEAR ABOUT TRINITY WESTERN UNIVERSITY (TWU)? WHAT WAS YOUR JOURNEY TO COMING HERE? I grew up in Papua New Guinea and I heard about TWU through my friend’s dad, and

WHAT WAS IT LIKE PLAYING SOCCER IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA? It’s a bit different when compared to Canada. High schools play each other and have a tournament every month, and then exhibition games every week. We also played a few exhibitions against the local bible schools. Our team probably trained the hardest and the most, however, most of the teams were faster and more physical but didn’t focus as much on the technical ability. We would sometimes play with teams that didn’t have cleats. A lot of the teams also played rugby and you could kind of tell that they brought that to soccer with the physicality and speed parts of the game.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE PART ABOUT BEING ON RECREATION AND IN YOUR ROLE SPECIFICALLY? I’ve always enjoyed the team aspect and Recreation also focuses on that. I think with the role that I’m in I am able to bring guys together to bond over a sport that we all love; even if it is a bit difficult right now with COVID, it’s still been a lot of fun.

HOW HAS COVID-19 AFFECTED YOUR SEASON AND HOW DO YOU HOPE TO ADAPT TO IT? We’ve only played three or four games out of the season so that’s not even a quarter of the games that we’re supposed to play.

We were able to practice with the restrictions for a while, but now we aren’t able to do that. However with some of the changes made with the new guidelines, we may be able to begin practicing in a social distanced format. As for the season, I’m not too sure what that will look like, but it will have to be taken in a day-to-day approach.

IF YOU COULD BRING ONE PROFESSIONAL PLAYER TO YOUR TEAM FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE SEASON, WHO WOULD IT BE? I’m a big fan of Bundesliga and Bayern Munich and so I would recruit Joshua Kimmich as a centre defensive midfielder because he’s so well-rounded and seeing how much he affects the game. He scores goals and assists a lot, he doesn’t really have any weaknesses, and he’s a great team player and knows what it takes to win.

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SIDELINED YET STRIVING: A CONVERSATION WITH

ANSAH ODOOM TYLER JONES

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted numerous factions of society. Loved ones, jobs, and money have been stolen from individuals on a scale of drastic proportions. Even nine months after the pandemic officially began its sweep on North American soil, the impact of this treacherous virus has never cut deeper. With the Pfizer vaccine beginning its gradual distribution around the globe, hope has begun to spark within students at Trinity Western University (TWU) who long to return to a fraction of the seemingly distant pre-pandemic normalities ranging from social events to in-person classes. As a student body composed of diverse individuals, we have all been harmed in different ways. The unfortunate circumstances humanity finds itself in have certainly seemed to dictate our very existence.

Of the various activities TWU partakes in, sports seem to be a common bonding experience for a good portion of the student body. In March, however, all of this was subjected to significant change. Searching for a perspective on these changes from those who it impacted most––the TWU athletes commonly referred to as “Spartans”––I reached out to Ansah Odoom, a fourthyear member of the TWU women’s volleyball team (WVB).

“Everything that we had worked so hard for [last year] wasn’t rewarded. It was a huge blow to our team, and our confidence since we felt as if the national championship was in our hands. It really felt like another loss.”

Although the results for TWU’s 2019-2020 WVB team are solely reduced to a fantasy, Odoom’s perspective on the possible outcome does not come as a surprise. Coming off of its fourth Canada West championship, the TWU WVB team also put together a program-best 22-2 record.

“After losing against UBC in my second year, we got back to work right away. The team’s mentality was to go for a national championship for the following year. [Our team] getting right back to work was a big reason for our success the following year.” Odoom continued discussing the meaning of the UBC loss on their team, comparing it more to their unfinished business caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Naturally, our conversation drifted towards the implications of the strange season correlating to the current status of her wellbeing.

“It’s hard to stay motivated.” For Odoom, hardships in her volleyball career are not only found in the events of the recent past, but a major injury she suffered in her first year. Tearing her ACL before a game in her first year, Odoom was forced into an extensive recovery process. After her surgery, which came soon after the incident, Odoom was immediately placed in a recovery program which would span for nine to twelve months.

“I haven’t really had a full season yet.” Odoom’s recovery sidelined her for her entire second year. Odoom went on to explain the hardships of her recovery mounting an immense desire to prove herself in her third year.

Odoom, who has certainly dealt with misfortune throughout her career as a Spartan, opened up to talk about her experience during this strange era of U SPORTS athletics.

“I try not to internalize things; it hasn’t gone well for me in the past,” Odoom said, pointing to other hardships she has faced throughout her volleyball career. Specifically, she referred to the team’s heartbreaking loss at the hands of the University of British Columbia (UBC) in the quarterfinals of the 2019 national championship.

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“I hit my stride in my third year. I worked hard to earn a spot in our starting lineup, but my confidence hit an all-time high heading into nationals.

Having that stripped from [me and my team] just felt like a massive opportunity had been lost.” In the midst of all the heartbreak Odoom and other TWU athletes have felt this year, every athlete seems to carry a similar mindset in the day-today grind they currently find themselves in.

“We still train a lot, and quite hard as well. We practice, work out, and have our rep sessions throughout the week.” Rep sessions, which are self-led practices dedicated to the improvement of skill-based components within the individual’s game, have been incredibly valuable to Odoom’s arsenal of attacking prowess this year.

“Personally, my attacking range [is what I’m working on]. I am working on the placement of my hitting and how to make the right decision at the right time on the court. I don’t have to worry about stats, team results, or anything else that may distract from the strides I am making.”

Odoom seemed glad to see improvements in her game as her training has been specifically catered to a valuable component of her position’s success, which seemed to point to the positive aspects of this year that have been completely dedicated towards player improvement.

Moreover, Odoom also pointed to the angst that has rooted in the team’s return to play.

“Imagine not having another year to compete for a national championship!” Odoom laughed into the phone––the words sounded crazy to both of us. Even in the midst of all the uncertainty, she asserted the team’s need to remain focussed, and positive no matter what happens. The positivity and confidence carried in Odoom’s voice was truly inspiring. Having her competitive opportunities stolen from her due to external factors, Odoom showed no sign of wavering throughout the interview. Declaring the importance of leadership during this difficult year, Odoom seemed to take a lot of the responsibility upon herself. As an older, more experienced member of the team, Odoom’s brimming confidence in her teammates pointed towards a healthy locker room with outstanding leadership.

“My injury taught me how to stick with things when the going gets tough, but it’s really hard as I have spent so much time on the sidelines.

I never get sick of practicing and competing against my teammates, but it would be really nice to have more games under our belt. Each game against a different opponent brings a different perspective and I miss that. With all of these distractions, I know that our team needs to keep working towards a national championship.” Unfortunately, bonding is only one of the many things that athletes are missing from their usual team experience. Odoom stated that the dynamic of forming team chemistry has been altered due to the lack of travelling together on top of being unable to bring their best effort to the table against opponents. While the camaraderie has not dissipated for Odoom and her teammates, her heart was clearly hurt for the freshmen who have entered into the damaged state of U SPORTS athletics.

Of the members on her team, Odoom noted that seniors have certainly received the poorest end of the pandemic’s effect on U SPORTS.

al championship denied them. Some of the fifth years on our current team are unable to play next year too. These are people I really wanted to get more time on the court with.”

For Odoom and some of her teammates, volleyball is not solely meant to end with their university education.

“I hope to play professionally after [university].

The process has moved slowly due to the messiness of my career. I don’t have enough film to submit a solid reel to scouts.” Carrying the same positive tone in her voice, Odoom dove into the nervousness that is held for those seeking to expand upon their U SPORTS careers. Seeing Odoom, who demonstrates herself as a quality individual on and off the court, I could only feel bad for the dismantling of these plans. As a bright-eyed first year, Odoom identified with every other university athlete hoping to succeed in their education while opening doors in the sport they are passionate about. While Odoom’s chances, like many other athletes, are diminishing from external forces, the passion carried by these individuals cannot be understated.

Hundreds of athletes at TWU and thousands more in the realm of U SPORTS are itching to get back to what once was. Representing their institutions by competing in fiery matchups between other opponents around the nation has come to a complete halt. Although the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to do damage, let Ansah Odoom’s story be a testament of what looms on the horizon. Once our athletes are unleashed from the chains of these horrid circumstances, let us cheer on our Spartans with immense pride. For now, our athletic department, student body, and staff patiently wait for the glorious day that is to come.

“We lost some [seniors] last season who were a massive part of our team. I felt horrible for them because they had a really good shot at a nation-

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OPINIONS

MY BODY, A TEMPLE: TATTOOS AND BODY IMAGE EMMETT HANLY

The process of being tattooed can be an extremely painful experience. Depending on one’s tolerance for pain or the placement on the body, it can range from mildly irritating to excruciating. Furthermore, people with tattoos have historically been stigmatized due to associations with deviant, rebellious behavior and gang affiliations. Some countries in the world still consider having tattoos to be a criminal offence. Yet it has become commonplace to see people with visible tattoos and other forms of body modifications in public and contemporary workspaces. A quick Google search will tell you that about 20% of Canadians and about 30% of Americans have at least one tattoo. So why do people choose to spend hundreds of dollars on an irreversible decision that would permanently alter their appearance?

For me, it was because I hated my body.

absolutely no difference in the appearance that I have been taught to be obsessed with. My weight was not the only part of my body I disliked, however. I have always had oily skin, and while in reality I may not have been the most acne prone individual, I found myself obsessing over every blemish.

When I got my first tattoo, I could hardly wait to get a second. The first five designs I got were all relatively small, but the sixth and seventh designs now cover large areas of my ribcage. I hate to have disappointed my mom in doing so, but it has helped to wash away feelings of personal inadequacy I suffered from. They are not so much a replacement for the healthier lifestyle I adopted as they are a part of it, and I owe a lot of the progress I made to the pain I have endured by covering my body with art.

I currently have seven tattoos. To some, that might seem like an absurd number of times to have put myself under the needle, and to others I have only just dipped my toes into a burgeoning ink addiction. Each one of my pieces means something very personal to me, even if on a surface level they might not appear to have any significance. For example, the first tattoo I got was in 2017 when I was twenty years old: a rose on my left shoulder. This tattoo might appear to be one of the most clichéd in existence, but it is the same tattoo my dad got in 1971. It will always remind me of him.

All of my pieces thus far are easily concealable, and if I were to walk down the street in a t-shirt, no one would know I have them. I have these works of art on my body that no one would see regularly other than myself and the friends I show them to, since I have never been confident enough to rock a beach bod. These tattoos are mine and my artist’s only, and though I like to show them off when I get the chance, I am the only one who gets to see them every day.

With tattoos, when I look in the mirror, I can look past all of my perceived imperfections and see art instead. Ever since I was a kid, I have struggled with my weight. I never found myself able to measure up to the standards of male attractiveness that our culture dictates, despite its love affair with fast food. It is a blessing that the body positivity movement has been able to allow people to overcome the stigma associated with fat bodies, but I still couldn’t come to terms with my own. Over the past year and a half, I have lost fifty pounds, but I see

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I could not say if I have ever truly considered my body to be the “temple” I was taught to believe it should be. However, I think that if it is, each tattoo is like the stained glass windows that tell the stories of what that temple stands for. I am not the first person to make that analogy, but it is one that speaks to me. Even if my tattoos did not have the deep personal meanings that they do, they would still have helped me along my journey to find a way to love myself. The reasons other people have to get tattoos are their own subjective decisions, and I can only speak to my own experience. But just as our bodies are produced by nature, they are influenced by culture. I, for one, am excited to see our culture shift further away from stigma and closer toward celebration.

THE IMMUNISATION OF THE INCARCERATED MARITHA LOUW As a whole, we can agree that the year 2020 deserves to never be spoken of again. Its successor, however, is already looking much more promising with the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines slowly but surely being rolled out. Each country’s leadership is prioritising the disbursement of the vaccines differently, but most nations can agree that those most at risk––frontline healthcare workers, seniors, and essential personnel––deserve to be immunised first. The prioritisation system brings up the question of where incarcerated persons deserve to be on the list. They have mostly been sitting ducks in the pandemic, and while there have not been a large number deaths from COVID-19 in the Canadian federal prison system, there have been over a thousand cases, and the virus has managed to spread quickly in all facilities.

in a federal prison is that their mobility and access to society is restricted. There is also a very limited risk to society if inmates contract the virus, seeing as they are not in contact with people outside the correctional facility.

By no means should federal inmates be at the top of a vaccination priority list. There are many groups of people who are active in society and are facing a much higher risk of contracting the coronavirus and spreading it to others. There are people who have lost income, lost time in school, and depend on community for their emotional and mental wellbeing. Part of sentencing the convicted to be incarcerated

Vaccination is a health issue––it is neither legal or political. Vaccinations should be administered to all citizens on the basis of their role in the community, their age, and their general vulnerability. The incarcerated present a wide demographic, and should be prioritised according to the same standards as the rest of society.

However, inmates should also not be sentenced to the bottom of the prioritization list. Their risk of viral contraction and mortality as a result of their living conditions should be weighed against that of the rest of the population, and judged without bias as it pertains to the crimes they had committed leading to their incarceration. Judicial systems have sentenced the convicted accordingly. Adding the additional risk of contracting and dying from the coronavirus is not a factor in their sentencing, and should not be a form of punishment for their actions.

YOU IN FIVE YEARS MONICA RAWLEK

Who are you now? Who are you becoming? As another semester starts, I find these to be valuable questions to ask myself.

There is a lot happening in the world right now. The events that have occurred over this past year will be remembered for generations and will have major ramifications for the future of our world.

year when people make resolutions they want to commit to. However, I think it is important that we pause for self-reflection more often than just at the beginning of each calendar year.

Who is it that you want to be and what are you doing to become that person?

Although I do not have any profound insight into this past year there is one thing that I know for certain: your entire life has led up to this exact moment. This may sound like some cheesy inspirational quote from an old calendar, yet there is some insight to be drawn from this statement.

I remember hearing a pastor make the following analysis. He stated: “In five years you will be a more exaggerated version of the person you are today.”

As we continue on this journey called life there are times in which it is important to be reflective. This often occurs at the beginning of a new

Chances are we are in what will be the most transformative years of our lives. This is something we must not take lightly.

That’s a scary thought. Or is it?

WHAT IS DESTINY? ALICE JUN

What is destiny? Dictionaries will say it is everything that happens in one’s life—past, present or future. Bob Marley sings there is “one destiny.” William Shakespeare wrote in the play Julius Caesar that “It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.”

Some people accept the idea of destiny and let fate take over, comforted that they do not have to be concerned about controlling their own lives. Others deny the idea of destiny, not wanting to be guided down paths that they do not have control over. Either way, the question remains: are we destined to live a certain life? Or are there parts of life that we can control?

The opposing opinions about destiny may be analogous to the debate on nature and nurture theories that contribute to a child’s characteristics. These are two opposing beliefs: one is that a child’s characteristics are already inherited and determined before it is nurtured, and the other believes that a child’s characteristics are an outcome of nurturing. There may be dispositions that the child inherits when it is born, and the personality that the child acquires through its environment, upbringing, and by the interactions, exposures or inspirations of the people around itself. The theories on nature and nurture are key factors that both contribute to a person’s individuality.

In the movie “Kung Fu Panda,” Master Oogway gives a metaphor of a peach tree to his protegee. Oogway looks at a peach tree and says that he cannot control the blossom to bloom as he wishes nor can he

control the tree “to bear fruit before its time.” The protegee then argues that you can control when the fruit will fall and where to plant the seed.

Similar to a peach tree, we may not be able to control certain aspects of our destiny. We may not be able to control whether we become successful in an occupational, physical, spiritual or a relational way. However, we can control ourselves to study the right information that leads to occupational success or exercise to maintain physical health, read wisdom literature, and heal traumatic experiences to nurture the soul.

Essentially, we can control the amount of effort we put into resolving problems in life.

Thus, we can control our destiny by taking opportunities that drop in front of us like a seed by deciding to plant it. For example, we may receive multiple occupational offers from various companies. Some people may comply and choose based on the feeling that they are destined to take. There may be many seeds that could come in our hands, however, our choice to choose a seed is part of a destiny we can control. At times, we may have been destined to have multiple paths which equally have the potential to be our destiny. However, instead of letting the flow take over our destiny, we have the choice to choose our paths.

For each one of us, we may have paths that are planned for us to walk.

However, it is important to know that we may have control over parts of our destiny within the planned path, and our keen judgement to choose the right path may lead us to live a healthy and prosperous life.

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SPORTS STEPHEN CURRY: MVP, CHAMPION, CULTURE CHANGER LUKE RATTRAY

We all know who Stephen Curry is. The man is without a doubt one of the greatest players of this generation. He is a two-time MVP, three-time champion, and six-time All-Star, but his biggest accomplishment is arguably that he has changed not only how basketball is played in the NBA, but the entire landscape of basketball culture.

runner of this new generation which is able to shoot for both volume and efficiency from behind the arc. Like many others before him, great players have introduced generations of basketball as a whole.

One of the most relevant examples by far is when people step into the gym.

Before, you would often see a lowered hoop with a bunch of kids trying to dunk on it. Now we see kids shooting absolute moonshots from the threepoint line just like their idol, Stephen Curry.

Basketball has seen some of the most famous players develop some of the most iconic shots in history: Kareem had the sky hook, Jordan had the fadeaway, and now, Curry has the three-pointer. However, Curry’s influence changed how the entire game is played while only a few players took on the sky hook and the fadeaway. However, while those shots are still around today, Curry managed to pretty much eliminate an entire shot from basketball: the mid-range shot.

What was once known as a bread and butter shot in a previous generation of basketball players and fans alike is now almost out of the game entirely. It is without a doubt that in today’s landscape of the NBA, a player is considered almost useless if they are unable to make a three-pointer, with a few exceptions (I’m looking at you, Ben Simmons).

Curry revolutionized the three pointer. What once was seen as an inefficient, only-shoot-it-in-desperate-circumstances-type shot is now the focal point of the offensive side of teams in the NBA. As a result, Curry has been the front-

While Curry can be regarded as one of the top 20 players of all time, it is not only because of what he has accomplished on the court, but rather the sheer impact that he has had on the game itself and the generation that has grown up watching him. From high school to the NBA, Curry has almost single-handedly changed how basketball is played across all levels. We have never seen such a direct impact on how the game is played from one single player other than Jordan, and that is why Curry is able to be ranked so highly among the NBA greats. Russell and Wilt, Bird and Magic, Jordan, Kobe, LeBron, and now Curry share one thing in common: changing how the game is played while shifting what basketball culture looks like.

COLUMN: TAKE OF THE ISSUE WHY TOTTENHAM WILL (MAYBE) WIN A TROPHY THIS SEASON LUKE RATTRAY

It has been twelve long trophyless seasons for Tottenham, a team who peaked during their incredible 2018/2019 Champions League run that eventually saw them lose in the Final to fellow English rivals, Liverpool. However times are changing for the Spurs, who are currently one of the best clubs in the world to not have won a trophy in over ten years. On the upside, with some club-defining changes, it is likely that trophies will be coming to the club due to new management, intelligent movement in the recent transfer windows, and possessing one of the most talented squads in the Premier League.

One significant change was the appointment of world-renowned manager, José Mourinho, who was brought in to take Tottenham to the next level; Mourinho is the one to get the job done because he has won a trophy at every single team that he has been the manager of. He is the winner of three Premier League titles, two Champions League crowns, and dozens of other trophies. Mourinho has not only established himself as one of the greatest managers on the planet, but he is among the most consistent in the amount of success he has had throughout Europe.

While under Mourinho, the club has also found high success in recent transfer windows, bringing in the likes of Dutch winger Steven Bergwijn, Danish midfielder Pierre-Emile Höjbjerg, and up and coming Spanish left back Sergio Reguilón. Tottenham before was notorious for not spending any money in the transfer windows and appeared to not put an effort in towards im-

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proving their squad. However, recently, this has changed. Tottenham has been able to buy players that have had a positive impact on the team, while at the same time, not overpaying for any of their newest signings. Both Reguilón and Höjbjerg have had immediate impacts for the team, with Reguilón already contributing on the attacking end with two assists in eleven Premier League appearances. As for Höjbjerg, his contributions are more on the quiet side of things, winning the ball back, making interceptions, and helping link up the attack between the midfielders and forwards. As a result he, Moussa Sissoko, and Tanguy Ndombele have formed one of the most stable midfield trios in the Premier League.

Tottenham may not quite be able to challenge for the Premier League or the Champions League. However, this is the year where Tottenham fans may be able to rejoice in winning a competition like the Europa League or the FA Cup. Their hopes are justified because they have a coach who has won trophies at every single club that he has been at, a team that possesses enough depth, and the quality itself in its starting squad to really push for a trophy this season. We have seen Heung-Min Son and Harry Kane absolutely tear it up this season, a solid midfield core who serve as excellent workhorses, and a back line that looks revitalized under Mourinho. For all of these reasons, it is appropriate to finally give Tottenham the long overdue “they’re legit” label, and as a result, will hopefully see a long-awaited trophy be added to the cabinet.

LEAPS AND BOUNDS: PASCAL SIAKAM’S EVER-GROWING RESPONSIBILITIES TYLER JONES

Earlier this month I watched the final two minutes of the Toronto Raptors’ game against the Golden State Warriors. The Raptors, who have had an excessively slow start to their 2020-2021 campaign, met their match in a close game against a weakened Warriors squad.

Earning the lead with seven seconds remaining, Fred VanVleet fouled Damion Lee, sending the Warriors to the free throw line. Lee hit both shots, making the score 106-105 in the Warriors’ favour. After a timeout called by the Raptors’ head coach, Nick Nurse, the outcome of the possession to come seemed inevitable. The ball was going to Pascal Siakam. As expected, Siakam received the ball at half court with only 4.3 seconds to get a shot off.

As offensive options are slim at this point of any NBA game, players with an astute ability to successfully convert in these clutch situations are incredibly valuable. With Draymond Green and Kelly Oubre Jr. ready to assist Wiggins in defending Siakam, the only option for the Raptors was quickly narrowed down to a jump shot. As a result, Siakam did a solid job in shaking off Wiggins to release a turnaround jumper before time expired. The ball floated towards the hoop to only be denied by the rim. Raptors lose.

As a supporter of the Raptors, I found myself reflecting on Siakam’s meteoric rise to NBA stardom. Entering the league as a gangly and athletic prospect in 2016, the Raptors saw potential in Siakam, and selected him as the 27th pick in the draft. The first two seasons of Siakam’s career showed clear indications of his low basketball IQ, on-ball skill, and offensive prowess as a whole. All the while, Raptors fans were pleasantly surprised at the prospect of Siakam’s development. Seeing an increased role for the Raptors in the 2018-2019 season, Siakam’s massive improvement in his defensive ability and his shooting earned him the honour of winning the honour of NBA’s Most Improved Player. Securing the award on the way to helping the Raptors win their first NBA championship in 2019, Siakam’s responsibilities were only set to evolve with the departure of Kawhi Leonard. With the Raptors lacking a true NBA superstar, who was going to capture the role?

Siakam stepped up his game yet once again at the start of the 2019-2020 season. Taking massive strides in his long-range shooting and offensive IQ under Nick Nurse’s authority, Siakam’s usage rate on the court rose from 20.8

percent to 28.1 percent due to Leonard’s departure. Even though usage rates are not completely indicative of how much a player is being used by their team, it was common knowledge that the Raptors’ offence relied heavily on Siakam. With more usage on the court, less capable players around him, and arguably the NBA’s best coach, Siakam seems to be shaping up for another massive year. As Siakam finished tenth in MVP voting, and earned a spot on the second All-NBA team, it only seems like the 26-year-old Cameroonian will have more to offer in the coming year.

Bearing large responsibility within an NBA offence is no easy task. While Siakam’s shot against the Warriors could have stolen the game, these difficult situations are only getting his feet wet for the years to come. Siakam’s improvements have put his name among the NBA’s current stars, yet the ceiling of this Raptors team depends on whether he can become a true superstar in this league.

ELEMENTS OF WINNING ALICE JUN

Agility, physical endurance, and passion are just a few of the qualities necessary for athletes to succeed. Yet, everyone knows that winning a sports game goes beyond the capability of the individual player. Instead, the outcome of the game may be impacted by the capability of the coach, luck, as well as tight relationships between the players on the same team.

Great coaching can dramatically contribute to the winning chances of the team. Two different teams consisting of players with similar capabilities may have different outcomes. The coach’s ability to read the team and its opponent, and then producing a strategy based on various player’s, strengths and weaknesses may determine the result of the game.

A game may very well be influenced by luck. At times, it is the odds of the game that may determine the victory of a match. Situations such as playing a game at home or getting the ball first are proven advantages. Yet, the odds of the opposing players making a mistake and thus having an opportunity to flip the competition is another element that may impact any kind of event in a game-changing way.

The quality of relationships between the players will also impact the outcome of a match. Shaun Powell, a sports writer at NBA, says that the close relationship between LeBron James and Dwyane Wade led them to play with one-mindedness. Shaun mentions that Lebron and Dwyane had such stable teamwork because of their brotherly friendship. With the rare relationship that LeBron and Dwayne had as the ultimate example, we see that the unity between players has the potential to produce a successful result in competition.

Each player’s individual competence and skill level are valuable assets. However, the external factors mentioned prior can also be as significant as the player’s capability. Professional sports possess an incredible amount of factors for the individuals to experience the feeling of winning, from players to upper management, everyone needs to be on the exact same page to accomplish that goal everyone signed up for: winning.

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HUMOUR

EASY COOKING FOR PRICEY LIVING BRAEDON GROVER SUNNES

Coming up on one total month spent in quarantine this school year, I realized how easy it would be to go without a meal plan no matter your on-campus living situation. First of all, if you have any access to a bathroom sink on this campus, you are set for anything that requires boiling water. I cannot tell you how many times I have used the searing hot water from the faucets to heat up different kinds of food while cooking others. Not only can you put some in a bowl with instant noodles, but you can also bring any pre-cooked-canned item to warmer-than-room temperature. In my September quarantine alone I ate three cans of Chef Bouyardie without a stove or microwave. If your water reaches a maximum of luke-warm temperatures, hopefully other faulty utilities can help.

Next we got the heaters. If your in-room heaters don’t work, plug-in radiators that some rich kid left in storage and forgot about will do the trick. While at

my desk playing my 300th hour of Minecraft, I severely burned my foot trying to stay warm, giving me the idea to fry my eggs. Since I like them runny anyways, I really didn’t mind the slurpy texture!

Lastly, I am sure you are aware of the migraine inducing lights in each bedroom on campus. Before I got a crock-pot, I found these lights to be the perfect place to slow-cook my freezer-burned chicken. If you happen to have unused jars of salsa, they lend themselves greatly to soupy, salsa chicken cuisine!

I hope this gave you guys some ideas and the inspiration to switch to the silver meal plan! Hang in there and keep cookin’!

DELL TALES ALEX WALKER One word: Dell.

What do you think of? Not the computers, no. The man. THE man. Whether you have seen him strutting his stuff in his signature sunglasses or playing with his golden retriever, you know him as one of the most famous people at Trinity Western University (TWU). We all have our Dell stories. Here are mine.

On my first day at TWU, I was in the gym bathroom, and the man himself was at the sink. As I joined him in the ever necessary post-urinal hand washing ritual, he asked me in his booming yet comforting voice: “How’s it going?” The question rocked me, and, needless to say, I thanked God that I had just finished emptying my bladder. At first, I doubted that he was actually talking to me, but he eradicated the notion by declaring, “Yeah, I’m talking to you.” My soul was shaken yet relieved, and I responded that I was doing pretty good.

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Dell has continued to check in on me over the years as he sees me walking by.

Most of the time I report that I am “Not too bad”, and he diligently reminds me that the other side of “Not too bad” is “Not too good.” This is usually followed by the reminder that God spoke the world into existence, and, therefore, I too have the power to create my own reality.

My final Dell tale involves me performing an act that I am sure is prohibited but I enjoy too much to stop: hammocking in the gazebo by the pond. On one gorgeous spring day, I was participating in this presumably contraband activity when I spotted the living legend walking down the stairs toward me. My heart tickled my uvula as I imagined what it was like to get sent to the Shadow Realm, but little did I know that my expectations would deceive me. Once Dell arrived at what I thought would be my final resting place, he stopped, stuck up his thumbs, and exclaimed, “Dude, that is awesome!” I have been a new man ever since.

HORRIFIED STUDENT DISCOVERS THE DISTURBING TRUTH OF TWU’S UNDERGROUND LABYRINTH EMMETT HANLY

Seven years ago, first year student Zoe Beksinski vanished after stumbling upon a secret tunnel behind one of the washing machines in Douglas that led to the secret sprawling dungeon beneath the campus. To the surprise of many, Beksinski has emerged from the nether realm alive and well, having survived for years by using the general knowledge she gained from five months of a general studies major.

However, Beksinski discovered a horrifying secret during her stay within the accursed tomb.

“During my journey beneath the campus, I wandered far beyond the reaches of the university.” Beksinski testified while shivering beneath a blanket, challenging the previously held belief that the labyrinth only extended beneath Trinity Western University. “They just… never end.”

The dawning realization that the horrific underground civilization that mirrors our own stretches further past the university campus has shattered not only the student body’s comprehension of reality, but even the residents of the dungeon itself. Many of the denizens of the deep have even expressed their concern with this revelation.

“That’s pretty wild, I guess,” wailed Xangothgoroth, the giant floating eyeball monster that dwells beneath Fraser. “I mean, I don’t really care

all that much so long as students keep coming down here and I can feed my pet goblins. They get pretty hungry.” The horror in his voice was palpable, and his expression was twisted into one of revulsion, though in all fairness he is always like that.

Speculation as to how far these caverns may reach varies wildly, with some asserting that the tunnels have no end, festering beneath the entire world and others coming to the more horrifying conclusion that it may be limited to the area beneath the Township of Langley.

Recently, several black-suited government agents have been spotted around the city. When approached, they begin talking into their earpieces in an attempt to make it seem like they are too busy to talk to earnest journalists.

Rumor has it that these agents were spotted infiltrating campus, and had taken Beksinski into custody in order to brainwash her. These reports were validated when Beksinski seemingly made a miraculous recovery and appeared confused whenever anyone would ask about her time in the tunnels. Yet, despite this, she has since been spotted standing silently on the precipice of the hidden passage beneath that one Douglas washing machine every single night. It is suspected that sooner or later, Beksinski will be called again to the place beneath all, likely never to return again.

DISCOVER YOUR

NEXT STEP

Find your passion and advance your career with a semester in Ottawa Apply now to spend FA 21 or SP 22 at the Laurentian Leadership Centre

Application Deadline: February 15 To apply, visit twu.ca/laurentian-leadership-centre/apply @LaurentianLeadershipCentre @twu_ottawa

#LLCOttawa

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