The Other Press - Dec 7, 2021

Closing one year and looking towards the next Matthew Fraser Editor-in-Chief

W

e’ve all experienced that weird moment when we roll out of bed and get hit with December. Between the dreary rains that began in October and the head-down urgency of school work, time has managed to get the better of you without you knowing that you were in danger. It’s as if you blinked in August and opened your eyes to Christmas lights with a vague recollection of Halloween.

Still, you must move forward despite your confusion.

December, alongside being a constant and somehow predictable surprise, also marks the end of the Fall semester and the end of its run of issues before the winter semester brings us back to the fore. The frantic scramble before the AGM, the shudders of fear before finals begin, the wallet-wrecking act of Christmas, all bear down at the same time. This year has been no exception, save for the extra havoc caused by previously missed opportunities.

Unfortunately, a few issues before my tenure as Editor in Chief have negatively impacted the OP; as a result, we have had to distance ourselves from Douglas College. Though these unfortunate events are being addressed, it impacts the future moves and abilities of the OP. Amongst the resulting issues is the inability to expand and rehire section editors or pursue a more active community involvement. Though the OP will be continuing in the foreseeable future, further adjustments

and changes will be required to reassess and address our needs.

However, the AGM to be held on December 7—the date that this Lettitor will be printed—offers all members of the OP collective and concerned individuals an opportunity to ask questions and propose ideas as we move forwards. This will be an opportunity for everyone to understand and contribute to our ongoing plans.

Unfortunately, the lack of an AGM in the preceding two years contributed to our current woes; but it is never an intelligent thing to allow the failures of the past to affect the successes of the future.

We have now completed many of the necessary audits and we can proceed forwards with a clearer and more erudite understanding of our situation.

My focus as EiC will be to continue to address and correct the issues that previously happened while also shoring up the OP against possible repetitions of these issues. The past three months have given me many important lessons and revealed deficiencies that desperately need to be addressed for the OP to rebound in the New Year on a truer path and with a clearer direction. Issues in our governance and our bookkeeping were revealed and addressed; the necessary role and skills of leadership were considered. I am confident that the changes we have planned for the OP will help us as we move forward and successfully continue our publication.

The primary goal that we will be pursuing in the upcoming year

Illustration by Athena Little

› Lessons learned and opportunities before us

will be to engage the necessary professional services to guide us into the future. Though these crucial back-end changes will not bleed into the public actions or publications of the OP, I believe that it is imperative to address the fact that they will be happening.

Additionally, we will use our time and our resources to best understand how we can return

to the previous size and scope of this publication while adding new dimensions to our paper.

I encourage all readers and contributors to the OP to continue your support as we move into the New Year and to remain encouraged by the opportunities before us.

The Other Press has been a student newspaper since 1976. Since 1978 we have been an autonomous publication, independent of the student union. We are a registered society under the Society Act of British Columbia, governed by an eight-person board of directors appointed by our staff. The Other Press is published weekly during the fall and winter semesters, and monthly during the summer. The Other Press is a member of the Canadian University Press (CUP), a syndicate of student newspapers that includes papers from all across Canada.

The Other Press reserves the right to choose what we will publish, and we will not publish material that is hateful, obscene, or condones or promotes illegal activities. Submissions may be edited for clarity and brevity if necessary. All images used are copyright to their respective owners.

matthew fraser

 theotherpress.ca

   /theotherpress

 editor@theotherpress.ca

 /douglasotherpress

Matthew Fraser Editor-in-Chief  editor@theotherpress.ca

Position Open Assistant Editor  assistant@theotherpress.ca

Jerrison Oracion Senior Columnist

Christine Weenk Layout Manager  layout@theotherpress.ca

Craig Allan Business Manager  businessmanager.otherpress@gmail.com

Brandon Yip Senior Columnist

Nhi 'Jenny' Vo Production Assistant

Billy Bui Staff Photographer

Jonathan Pabico Senior Columnist

Athena Little Illustrator

Arnaldo Fragozo Staff Photographer

Udeshi Seneviratne Illustrator

Anna Machuik Staff Photographer

Angelika Leal Ash Sabinin Mo Hussain Joseph Agosti Contributors

CJ Sommerfeld Staff Writer

Jorge Villeda Staff Photographer

Cover and feature layout by Arnaldo Fragozo and Christine Weenk

Credit

Lettitor

Have an idea for a story?  news@theotherpress.ca

News

news // no. 3 • The anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attacks marks the displacement of Japanese Canadians in BC • Coronavirus Update ...and that's everything!

Coronavirus Update

Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

› The new Omicron variant creates uncertainty for the pandemic

Jerrison Oracion Senior Columnist

D

uring the Coronavirus Pandemic so far, there were cases not only from the original virus which was discovered in China but also cases from variants around the world. While each variant is discovered

in a specific country, it is unknown which country is the originator of the variant. All the variants are more transmissible than the original virus and still not resistant to the Coronavirus vaccine.

Similar to the Delta variant, which was first discovered in India, the new variant recently discovered might extend

the length of the pandemic. On November 24, scientists in South Africa reported a variant of the Coronavirus named B.1.1.529.

This variant has more mutations than the original virus which can lead to the virus being spread more easily.

Because a lot of people in the country and its neighbours are not yet fully vaccinated, it led to a surge of cases across the African continent. However, earlier cases in the Netherlands sh0wcased similar features to the Omicron variant, raising questions about its origin. At this time, the Omicron variant's place of origin is unclear. Many health organizations and officials are currently investigating how the variant was formed, while developers of the Coronavirus vaccines work to determine if they offer effective protection against the variant.

The obvious choice to prevent the spread of a new variant of the Coronavirus is to impose travel restrictions on the impacted countries. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends against this as individual self-isolation and

safety precautions can effectively prevent the spread. WHO also advises wealthy nations to deliver leftover vaccines to developing countries to slow the rate of transmission in those countries.

Despite South Africa getting compliments for discovering the Omicron variant, cases of the variant have been found as it circulated the world including a case in British Columbia. This could create more problems for the outbreak that is currently happening in the northern part of the province. If the Coronavirus vaccine is not effective against the variant, it could lead to smaller gatherings and possibly lockdowns again.

Also, the BC Vaccine Card is starting to be required in more places including worship centres operating at full capacity.

Like the early days of the pandemic, events and film releases could be delayed or cancelled again if theatres are closed due to a surge in cases. But if more people get the vaccine and still practice social distancing, there is hope the pandemic may recede by the start of summer.

Remembering Japanese internment Brandon Yip Senior Columnist

D

ecember 7, 2021, marks the 80th anniversary of the attacks on Pearl Harbor by Japan. Immediately after the attacks, the United States declared war on Japan and soon entered WWII. Canada would als0 declare war on Japan.

This action would have significant negative repercussions on Japanese Canadians in Canada.

According to a CBC website about Japanese internment, approximately 22,000 Japanese Canadian citizens were forced out of their homes and sent to live in internment camps in the BC Interior.

Others were resettled to other parts of Canada. It was the largest mass exodus in Canadian history and a shameful chapter in Canadian history—alongside residential schools, the Komagata Maru incident and the Chinese Exclusion Act. According to the Hastings Park 1942 website, the Canadian government confiscated Japanese Canadians’ homes, businesses and possessions. The government impounded approximately 1,200 fishing boats and closed Japanese newspapers and schools. As well, Japanese male nationals were sent to work camps. On February 24, 1942, Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King, implemented orders-in-council “evacuating” people of Japanese origin to “protective areas.”

Between March and September 1942, over 8,000 Japanese Canadians were detained and sent to Hastings Park. Many stayed in the exhibition buildings and stables before being sent to various internment camps.

Others were sent to work camps across Canada. Hastings Park 1942 states, “The conditions at Hastings Park were extremely primitive and unsanitary. The primary memory for many people was the horrible smell, followed by the noise, the boredom and the terrible food.” Another 105 hospital patients stayed at Hastings Park until March 1943.

After Hastings Park, the BC Security Commission removed Japanese Canadians from the 100mile security zone. It was done in three ways: to road camps across BC and Ontario, sugar beet farms in the prairies, or to towns and camps located in the remote portions of central BC where camps were set up.

One of the largest camps built was called Tashme near Hope, BC with a population of 2,636 in November 1942.

After the end of WWII, the Canadian government forced Japanese Canadians to either move east of the Rockies or return to Japan. In 1949, Japanese Canadians were given the right to vote—but many Japanese Canadians did not return to BC. In September 1988, CBC News reported then Prime Minister, Brian Mulroney, stood in the House of Commons

Photo of Pearl Harbour by Bryan Dorrough on Flickr

› The anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attacks marks the displacement of Japanese Canadians in BC

and issued a public apology to Japanese Canadians for the treatment they received during internment. The government issued financial compensation to Japanese Canadians who had lost their livelihoods.

In 2015, four commemorative plaques were unveiled at the four remaining detention buildings at Hastings Park in Vancouver: Garden Auditorium, Livestock Building, the Forum and Rollerland.

Lastly, the internment of Japanese Canadians in the 1940s revealed how

systemic racism based on unfounded and illogical fear can overtake a country and society. The paradoxes are that many Japanese Canadians were Canadian citizens whose rights were removed because of their race. According to Hastings Park 1942, 63 percent of Japanese Canadians were born in Canada and 14 percent were naturalized citizens. Only 23 percent were still Japanese citizens.

Sports

Have an idea for a story?  news@theotherpress.ca

sports // no. 4 • A look back at the Vancouver Whitecaps impressive season • The Best Trades in Canucks History • History of Tkachuk-Lemieux Feud ...and more

How one man made it all better › 7 Years Since the Josh Donaldson Trade that Revitalized Baseball in Canada Joseph Agosti Contributor n November 28, 2014, the Toronto Blue Jays made a trade that would simultaneously revitalize the competitiveness of their team, but also energize a fanbase, dormant since the back-to-back World Series championships in 1992-93. On that day one of the greatest players to ever grace the Blue Jays uniform was traded from Oakland in exchange for a measly sum of spare parts which would only make the trade more lopsided in hindsight. Let’s travel back in time to 2014 to see just how impactful the trade would become for the Toronto Blue Jays and the popularity of baseball in Canada as a whole.

The 2014 season was a tough one for the Toronto Blue Jays, with a promising start withering as the season came to a close. Players expressed frustration with the lack of moves made by GM Alex Anthopoulos at the trade deadline. This was after a 2013 season when big moves made by Anthopoulos blew up in the team's face; high-end acquisitions like R.A Dickey and Jose Reyes failing to propel a team fans hoped would be christened “Winners of the Offseason”. Later, frustrated by a mediocre 2014, Anthopoulos and Blue Jays fans were running out of patience. The core of the team led by Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion were getting older at 34 and 31 years old (respectively) by the time the season started. Entering the final year of his contract, Anthopoulos knew both the team and his window of opportunity was closing, and with a few moves laid the foundation for one of the greatest trades in Blue Jays history.

Having already signed Russell Martin to a five-year 82 million dollar contract earlier in November of that year, the Blue Jays had one more pressing need to fill: third base. Since 2011, the third base was primarily manned by Canadian national Brett Lawrie. Lawrie had been a solid prospect with a few years of decent MLB production averaging 11 home runs per season as the Jays’ starting 3rd baseman. The problem with Lawrie was his inability to stay healthy having been limited by injuries every year as a Blue Jay. So, with fan impatience mounting, the time was right for an upgrade.

So on November 28, 2014, the Toronto Blue Jays traded Brett Lawrie, Sean Nolin, Kendall Graveman, and Franklin Barreto to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for Josh Donaldson.

Donaldson was everything Lawrie wasn’t, a durable superstar capable of All-Star level play on offence and defence; he brought valuable playoff experience to a team where its top stars, Bautista and Encarnacion, had never played Postseason baseball. Finally, it seemed the Blue Jays were on track for the playoffs.

Illustration by Udeshi Seneviratne

O

However, the 2015 season did not start strongly, and going into the trade deadline it looked like the season was lost. But, at the trade deadline, the Blue Jays traded for All-Stars Troy Tulowitzki and David Price, who provided the spark the Blue Jays needed, going 43-18 after the trade deadline, learning from the inaction of 2014.

The Blue Jays would not go on to win the World Series in 2015, after coming from a 2-0 deficit to the Texas Rangers in the American League Division Series (ALDS). The Jays lost out to the eventual champion Kansas City Royals, despite the best efforts by Donaldson and crew.

Donaldson won the American League 2015 MVP with career-high numbers across the board, tallying 41 home runs, a .297 batting average and 123 runs batted in. The next season, 2016 would be another solid season for Donaldson and the Blue Jays, with both their team success and their fans' energy carrying over from the 2015 season. Propelled by Donaldson’s 37 home runs the Blue Jays made it to the postseason again, beating both Baltimore and Texas (again), before losing to Cleveland in the ALCS ( also again).

2017 was where the cracks started to show in the Blue Jays, with Encarnacion leaving for

Cleveland in free agency, and with an ageing Bautista on the decline, Donaldson had to shoulder more of the offensive load. Donaldson, now 31 years old, battled injuries all season and the Blue Jays slumped to a 76-86 record missing the playoffs for the first time since 2014.

If 2017 was the beginning of the end for Josh Donaldson in Toronto, the 2018 season was the crescendo. Never fully healthy, after dealing with calf and shoulder injuries all season, the declining Blue Jays traded Donaldson to Cleveland reuniting him with Edwin Encarnacion. , and just like that, 3.5 years later the Josh Donaldson era was over.

So what is Josh Donaldson’s legacy in Toronto 7 years later? Well with 116 home runs as a Blue Jay he ranks 15th all time. He was only the second Blue Jay after George Bell to win an MVP award. Donaldson, Bautista and Encarnacion were authors of incredible playoff moments a generation of Canadians had never seen before (Donaldson Dash, Bautista Bat Flip, Edwins Wild Card Walkoff). Those 2015-16 runs revitalized a slumbering fanbase with routine 10,000 crowds becoming 50,000 screaming fans on a nightly basis, something that was lost for a few years after Donaldson was traded, which has only just started to come back in 2021.

sports // no. 5

issue 14// vol 48

A look back at the Vancouver Whitecaps impressive season

› The team came back from the bottom Mo Hussain Contributor

Photo by Billy Bui

A

lthough the Whitecaps ended their season with a first-round playoff elimination, their season was far from disappointing.

Throughout the first half of their season, the team was on pace to finish among the bottom teams in the MLS. Their unbelievable climb from the bottom to a playoff spot was quite an incredible accomplishment.

A big reason for the team’s success was bringing in Vanni Sartini as interim head coach in late August. Up until that point, the team had only won four of their first 21 games.

However, Sartini had an immediate impact as the Whitecaps won their first match under him 4-1 against Real Salt Lake FC. The team then went on an absolute rampage after that, gaining at least one point in 12 of 14 games. That run helped springboard them into a playoff spot for the first time in four seasons, and only the second time in the past six seasons. The team ended up finishing sixth in the Western Conference and were playoff bound.

For that playoff game, the Whitecaps squared off against the number three seed Sporting KC. Sporting KC was nine points ahead of them in the standings. During that game, the

Whitecaps managed to out-possess Sporting KC and even equalized the game 1-1. The equalizing goal was in the 39th minute due to a penalty kick from forward Cristian Dájome.

However, that proved to be not enough as Sporting KC would score a goal of their own at the tail end of the second half from defender Nicolas Isimat-Mirin. Sporting KC then iced the game 3-1 in the 57th minute with a long shot goal from defender Graham Zusi. That game, unfortunately, meant the end of the Whitecaps season, but it also marked the beginning of a brand new era. One can only imagine how the team would’ve done with an entire season of Sartini as head coach. A reality Whitecaps fans will certainly get next season. On November 30th, the Whitecaps announced that Sartini is now the permanent head coach of the team, as both parties agreed to a two-year contract.

“These last three months have completely changed my life,” said Sartini in a Whitecaps press release. “When the club gave me the chance to be the head coach in August, I didn't know how long I was going to last but I knew that I had to give everything and make the most of the opportunity.

The next time the Whitecaps will be back in action is February 26th, as that’s when the next MLS season is scheduled to start.

The Best Trades in Canucks History

› Even though things don’t look good now, the team has managed to hit the jackpot before

T

here are currently constant murmurings about the Vancouver Canucks needing to make a big move amid being last in the pacific division.

Although the consensus would be to look at making a change in the front office or on the bench, rumours of that “big move” being a trade instead is definitely not out of the picture. The team has had its share of franchise-altering trades throughout its history. Here are the three best trades the team has ever made: 1. Trading for the Sedin twins The Sedin twins are the best players to ever put on Canucks jerseys. The twins are the top two Canucks all-time leaders in points and assists, and Daniel Sedin is also the team’s all-time goal leader. If it weren't for Daniel and Henrik Sedin, the memorable Canucks playoff runs during the late 00s and early 2010s wouldn’t have been possible.

The pair was traded for during the 1999 NHL Draft. Leading up to the draft, the Canucks already had the 3rd overall pick. However, that single pick would not be enough to pick up both players.

To acquire another pick to lock down both twins, the Canucks did the following: • Traded defenseman Bryan McCabe + a future first-round pick (Pavel Vorobiev) to the Chicago Blackhawks for the 4th overall pick (Pavel Brendl) • Then traded that fourth overall pick (Pavel Brendl) + two third-round draft picks (Brett Scheffelmaier & Jimmie Olvestad) to the Tampa Bay Lighting for the 1st overall pick (Patrick Stefan)

• Then traded that first overall pick (Patrick Stefan) to the Atlanta Thrashers for the second overall pick (Daniel Sedin) + thirdround pick (Max Birbraer) The Canucks got the better end of this deal by a long shot as none of those players became noteworthy besides McCabe who played 15 seasons in the NHL. 2. Trading for Markus Naslund Markus Naslund comes right after the Sedin Twins in the Canucks all-time leaders for points and goals. Naslund was the Canucks team captain for seven seasons.

The team only missed the playoffs twice during his captaincy run. The Canucks made it as far as the conference semi-finals twice. What’s surreal to comprehend is what the Canucks gave up to get him.

On March 20th, 1996, the Canucks traded away forward Alek Stojanov for Naslund. Stojanov had been drafted seventh overall by the Canucks in the 1991 NHL Draft and picked up only seven points in 107 NHL games. It’s safe to say the Canucks got the better end of this deal.

3. Trading for Roberto Luongo On June 23rd, 2006, the Vancouver Canucks gave up (what was at that time) a lot to pick up a 26-year old Roberto Luongo. The team traded perennial scorer Todd Bertuzzi and two promising 26-year old’s in defenceman Bryan Allen and goalie Alex Auld.

In hindsight, the Canucks definitely got the better of the deal. Luongo would go on to become the winningest goalie in Canucks history, Canucks all-time leader in shutouts, and is the second Canucks all-time leader in goals-against average and save percentage. Luongo was also the

Photo of Henrik Sedin by Harold Cecchetti on Flickr

Mo Hussain Contributor

seventh goalie in NHL history to become captain of an NHL team when he captained the Canucks for close to two years.

As for when the Canucks are going to pull off another trade of the same calibre as the ones mentioned above is

still undetermined. However, considering the team’s trajectory so far this season, the question doesn't seem to be whether the team will make a big move, but rather when?

sports // no. 6

theotherpress.ca

Once bitten, now mad Joseph Agosti Contributor

O

n Saturday, November 27th Brendan Lemieux took at least one bite out of Brady Tkachuk’s hand, prompting a scrum, a suspension, and a war of words between Tkachuk and future Hall Of Famer Jonathan Quick. Tkachuk and Lemieux reignited a decades-old rivalry between two legendary hockey families; both with reputations of grit and toeing the line between clean and dirty. Sins of the father passed down to their sons, physical players with many enemies around the league just like their fathers before them. What is the context of the war between two prominent hockey families? Let’s take a deep dive into how the actions of Keith Tkachuk and Claude Lemieux led to the meeting of Brendan Lemieux’s teeth and Brady Takchuk’s hand.

Both Keith Tkachuk and Claude Lemieux were, to say the least, agitators in the 90’s NHL. Tkachuk’s gritty style of play earned him many enemies throughout his career, as well as many penalty minutes, 2,219 to be exact. Lemieux, on the other hand, was a well-known pest with a history of cheap shots. In the 1996 Western

Conference Finals, Claude Lemieux hit Kris Draper into the boards severely injuring him. Draper broke his jaw and missed the rest of the playoffs. Lemieux, meanwhile, was only given a two-game suspension.

Dino Ciccarelli, Draper’s teammate would later say that he couldn’t believe he shook Lemieux's hand at the end of the series when Lemieux’s Colorado Avalanche beat Draper’s Detroit Red Wings.

Later in 1996, during the World Cup of Hockey, Keith Tkachuk and Claude Lemieux’s paths finally crossed. Lemieux’s Canada was taking on Tkachuk’s Team USA, and after a scrum along the boards, Tkachuk and Lemieux locked horns. After about 10 seconds of sizing each other up, they finally started swinging. Both men landed multiple right hooks with Lemieux eventually scoring the takedown over Tkachuk. Still jostling on the ground, referees had to intervene, breaking the men up and escorting them, still chirping at each other, off the ice.

Back to the present day, the progeny of the two 90’s agitators were facing off, Tkachuk’s Ottawa Senators vs Lemieux’s Los Angeles Kings. Late in the 3rd period, with the Kings leading 3-2, Tkachuk and Lemiuex got into a tussle in front of the

Photo by Klim Musalimov on Unsplash

› History of Tkachuk-Lemieux Feud

net. This time, Tkachuk took Lemieux down, and they continued to wrestle along the ice. While they were fighting, Lemieux bit Tkachuk in the hand not once, but twice. Once refs separated them, Tkachuk got to his feet screaming at Lemieux, gesturing to his now bleeding hand.

Noticing the blood, referees gave Brendan Lemieux a five-minute match penalty and kicked him out of the game.

The Kings would hold on to win the game 4-2, but Lemieux had a meeting with the NHL Department of Player Safety.

Lemieux ended up being suspended for five games, the largest suspension for biting in

NHL history. Tkachuk, for his part, went on a tirade after the game. ESPN reports Tkachuk calling Lemieux a “complete brick head.” This incited a swift denial by King's goaltender Jonathan Quick, who was ready to rebut Tkachuk’s claims by calling Tkachuk’s comments “garbage.”

Ottawa and Los Angeles don’t play against each other for the rest of the season. But, the Kings do play Brady’s brother’s team the Calgary Flames three more times this season on December 2nd, March 31st, and April 4th. It will be interesting to see what’s in store for this storied rivalry.

Why the Golden State Warriors are resurging to dominance › History seems like it’s repeating itself with this Warriors team

Mo Hussain Contributor

B

Illustration by Athena Little

asketball fans knew that the Golden State Warriors were going to be a credible contender. However, no one anticipated the team would start the year winning 18 of their first 21 games. If the team keeps this pace up for the rest of the year, they could potentially break their all-time regular-season record of winning 73 of 82 games back in 2015-16.

So what’s the reason for this resurgence?

1. Chef Curry is cooking…

In a nutshell, Stephen Curry’s returned to MVP form. His resurgence began last year as he managed to average a careerhigh and league-leading 32 points per game. This year, he’s reaching his third-highest points per game in the last six years with 27.8. That currently puts him as the second-leading scorer in the entire league as of now.

A significant factor in Curry’s resurgence is the fact that he’s allowed to be more ball-dominant than usual these past two seasons. Before that, Curry had to find his shots but also had to find ways for high-scoring teammates like Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant. With Durant off to Brooklyn and Thompson having not played since the 2019 NBA Finals due to injuries, Curry has a lot of room to individually shine on the basketball court.

2. Iggy is back…

One player that was a significant piece to the Warrior's success in the mid2010s was Andre Iguodala. Iguodala is an NBA Finals MVP winner for his defensive masterpiece on LeBron James in 2015. After the 2018-19 season, the Warriors decided to trade Igoudala to the Memphis Grizzlies. This year, the team decided to bring him back to the blue and gold.

Golden State head coach Steve Kerr talked about how important his presence is to the team. “It’s like we lost our soul a little bit the last two years,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said to NBA. com. “Getting him back brings a level of stability, intelligence and basketball IQ.” 3. Making the most out of their talent Despite Steph Curry’s success, the Warriors have simultaneously instilled a system where every player has a chance to shine and play at their best. Aside from Andrew Wiggins, most of the players who are helping the Warriors on this run were average last year at best.

Warriors Shooting Guard Jordan Poole is a perfect example. Who would’ve thought a guard averaging 12 points last year, would average close to 19 the following season and look like a star.

It is yet to be determined if the Warriors will keep up this potentially historic momentum, but this trajectory seems to be headed nothing but upward as of now. This is especially the case considering Klay Thompson’s return to an NBA court is getting closer by the day.

sports // no. 7

issue 14// vol 48

Canucks fall further into Pacific Division cellar › 'Sportsnet' writer, Iain MacIntyre, says Canucks’ struggles

Brandon Yip Senior Columnist

parallel underachieving team in 1997

he Vancouver Canucks’ woes continue as they head further in the wrong direction like Clark Griswold in the National Lampoon’s Vacation films.

At the time of writing, the Canucks’ record is 8-142; and this includes a modest two-game win streak featuring road wins over Montreal and Ottawa.

Vancouver, in their last 19 games, has only five wins—going back to October 26. The Canucks have 18 points, tied with the first-year Seattle Kraken (8-13-2)—who are ahead of Vancouver due to having one fewer losses. That puts the Canucks in last place in the Pacific Division and they are six points behind a wildcard playoff spot.

The Montreal Canadiens, whose record is worse than Vancouver’s at 6-16-2, fired general manager, Marc Bergevin, on November 28. With the Canucks struggling as well, speculation has arisen with fans and media regarding the job statuses of Travis Green and Jim Benning.

However, no changes have been made, yet.

November 28 was a bittersweet homecoming for Conor Garland, who grew up south of Boston in Scituate, Massachusetts. “We played well,” he said to the media after the game as reported by Sportsnet. “I say that a lot but, man, it stinks.

That’s a good team to give them two power plays. That’s not to say they were bad penalties or anything, it’s just, you know, it’s what (the Bruins) do. They win games. That’s why they’re always deep in the playoffs. They wait for their chances. We held them to nothing, and then all of a sudden their top line ends up with two. That’s what happens.”

Travis Green spoke after another disappointing loss to Boston. He appeared at a loss for words during his post-game press conference.

“I'm probably going to sound a little repetitive: it's a tough game to lose again,” he said. “I think it magnifies the way things are going. A lot of good efforts tonight. It was a heavy, heavy, hard-fought game. At the end there, their top guys find a way to get it done.”

Green is trying to remain positive despite the Canucks sliding further out of a playoff spot.

“I think almost to a man, a lot of guys are playing well (for the Canucks),” he said. “They're just not finding ways to score when we need it. We need a couple of goals. Even tonight, Motte gets the shorthanded breakaway. It would have been nice for him to score there. You feel for your group on nights like tonight.”

Sportsnet writer, Iain MacIntyre, is familiar with covering Vancouver Canucks teams that have had poor starts to the season. He says there are similarities with the present Vancouver team to the 1997 team: Mark Messier’s first season in a Canucks uniform. There were elevated expectations for that team with a talented roster: Mark Messier, Trevor Linden, Pavel Bure and Alex

Illustration by Udeshi Seneviratne

T

Mogilny. Instead, the team chemistry was about as strong as Britney Spears’ chemistry with her father, Jamie.

The Canucks, two months into the 1997-98 season, had a record of 3-10-2. In November 1997, general manager, Pat Quinn, was fired followed by coach Tom Renney. “...Mike Keenan came in and seized enough control of hockey operations that half the team ended up getting traded while the Canucks fell towards the bottom of the standings,” MacIntyre said in an email interview with the Other Press. “The main difference this season is only that nobody has so far lost their job. But a team that allocated nearly $70 million to [add] Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Conor Garland to a group headlined by Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, Quinn Hughes, J.T. Miller, Bo Horvat and Thatcher Demko started 6-14-2. This is easily the Canucks’ most disappointing season this century.”

MacIntyre says the Canucks’ special teams have been a detriment. But he also believes another problem is their lack of offensive production. “But what’s been truly astonishing is the offensive disappearance of most of their top forwards, who were supposed to be good enough as a group to spackle over the gaps on defence,” he

said. “Instead, past the quarter pole, Boeser and Pettersson each had only four goals, while Horvat and Miller also endured extended goal slumps.”

MacIntyre states the Canucks’ poor start has hurt their chances to qualify for the post-season.

“On top of that, [Vancouver’s] penalty-killing has been epically inept, hovering just above 60 [percent] efficiency and at the bottom of NHL rankings,” he said. “Between these two factors, it’s a minor miracle that 11 of the Canucks’ 16 losses were by only a goal or two (with an empty-netter).

Their special teams and scoring problems have crushed them more than their defence.”

If Travis Green is fired, he will be hired immediately by another team. As the old sports cliché goes, “You’re hired to be fired.”

Unfortunately, the coach pays the price for the underperformance of his players. But one thing is for certain, despite the Canucks losing so many games—the team has continued to play hard for their coach. It is apparent the players have not quit on Travis Green. And most importantly, Canucks’ ownership hopes fans do not “quit” on the team— and stay away from Rogers Arena—after what they have witnessed at the quarter mark of the season.

Canucks schedule this week (all games at Rogers Arena) • Monday, December 6 vs. Los Angeles Kings (7 pm) • Wednesday, December 8 vs. Boston Bruins (6 pm) • Friday, December 10 vs. Winnipeg Jets (7 pm)

• Sunday, December 12 vs. Carolina Hurricanes (7 pm) • Tuesday, December 14 vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (7 pm)

Have an idea for a story?  arts@theotherpress.ca

Arts

arts // no. 8 • Could ‘Hawkeye' be the best Marvel show thus far?

• ‘Project Hail Mary’: we need more human and alien friendship stories! ...and more

Could ‘Hawkeye' be the best Marvel show thus far? › ‘Hawkeye’ episode 1, 2 review *SPOILER ALERT* Joseph Agosti Contributor fter the first two episodes of Hawkeye, I can say without hesitation, that it is shaping up to be the best of the Marvel streaming shows so far. Marvel, in my opinion, has had a spotty record with its 2021 Disney+ shows, with solid but unspectacular efforts including WandaVision, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier (FATWS), and Loki. All of these shows have had mainly positive reviews, but I felt on the whole they had been inconsistent.

WandaVision started strong but faded in the last few episodes before delivering a clunker of a finale. FATWS, while having strong performances and narratives, struggled with pacing and poor villains. Loki, I felt had been the strongest show so far, with a compelling new threat along with excellent chemistry between leads Tom Hiddleston and Owen Wilson.

However, Loki struggled with too many filler episodes and would have benefitted from fewer episodes overall.

All of the flaws stated above have been addressed in the first two episodes of Hawkeye. It maintains the high intrigue and suspense of WandaVision, the lead actors Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye), and Hailee Steinfeld (Kate Bishop) have excellent buddy chemistry, and most importantly the two opening episodes have a brisk pace, without feeling too rushed.

The story centers around Clint Barton, struggling with the death of Natasha Romanoff, whose death he feels responsible for. Clint ends up leaving a stage production of the events of the first Avengers movie, after seeing Romanoff on stage bringing back feelings of guilt.

Combining this with a recent loss of hearing, Clint is struggling to find a balance between his former superhero life, and his old Avengers days. This brings us to the other main character, Kate Bishop.

Kate is a 22-year-old college student who after her father was killed in the events of the Avengers, takes up archery after being saved by Clint as a young girl. Bishop is struggling with her mother, now engaged to Jack, someone who Kate doesn't trust.

At the engagement party, Kate, suspicious of Jack, follows Jack and his uncle Armand to an underground black market weapons auction. During the auction, the wall explodes and members of what we find out to be the Tracksuit Mafia emerge and steal the weapons. Kate, having been lurking in the background, uses her martial arts training, as well as a samurai suit to conceal her identity, fight off the mafia.

Kate narrowly escapes to her apartment, while Clint watches the newscast showing the battle.

Clint recognizes the samurai suit as his old Ronin disguise he used while driven by the death of his family in Avengers

Promotional image for 'Hawkeye' via Marvel

A

Infinity War. Meanwhile, Kate, having been tracked to her apartment by the Tracksuit Mafia, is outnumbered and trapped, until Clint rescues her and takes her to safety.

Turns out Clint has experience with the Tracksuit Mafia from his days as Ronin and advises Kate to stay out of the way.

Clint then goes back to Kate's burning apartment, where he realizes the Ronin suit has been stolen. Kate, looking for her mother, finds Armands dead body, further raising her suspicions about Jack.

Episode 2 picks up with Clint, forced to postpone his Christmas trip with his family, tracking down the Ronin suit at a cosplay event. This is one of my favourite parts of the show so far. Jeremy Renner,

finally in the spotlight after so many movies in the background, can show off his comedic chops in a hilarious duel for the suit. After putting the suit in a safe location, Clint intentionally gets himself captured by the Tracksuit Mafia, intending to talk to their leader. Kate, meanwhile, has been meeting with her mother and Jack, intending to find Jack’s true intentions.

After a not so friendly fencing duel, Kate storms off after seeing Jack with a candy bar she found by Armand’s corpse. Kate, after leaving her mothers tries to contact Clint, who is not answering her calls, so Kate uses her mother's tracking technology to locate him during his interrogation.

In the middle of the interrogation, Kate

barges in through the roof, getting herself captured; the leader of the Tracksuit Mafia then emerges from the shadows with Clint and Kate at her mercy.

All in all, I really enjoyed the first two episodes of Hawkeye, the chemistry between its leads is great, the pacing is brisk, and the humour is top-notch, something Marvel occasionally struggles with. The element of Clint’s trauma from Natasha’s death is well handled and the incorporation of his hearing loss will be interesting to monitor throughout the series. Hopefully, the series continues the hot start and continues throughout its run.

arts // no. 9

issue 14// vol 48

‘Project Hail Mary’: we need more human and alien friendship stories! › Andy Weir’s latest novel describes a mysterious cosmic

Illustration by Udeshi Seneviratne

adventure that is made stellar with a peculiar alliance.

Udeshi Seneviratne Illustrator

    

A

ndy Weir, the author who brought us The Martian, takes us on another interstellar journey with Project Hail Mary.

Much like the previous hit novel, the story intimately follows the untimely adventures of an astronaut, who maneuvers space travel by solving problems as they come. This time around though, he is not alone!

We discover early on that the astronaut, Ryland Grace, upon waking up finds himself as the only one of his crewmates to survive the space journey. He must then grapple with his spotty memory to recollect how he got here and what his responsibilities are

on this ship to another galaxy. It is revealed after a few flashbacks that the astronaut is put on a mission to save planet Earth from a curious bright line that drains power from the Sun. If that was not enough to deal with, Grace warily gets introduced to an actual alien lifeform!

As a person with absolutely zero space science background, it was intriguing to see how Grace manipulates spaceship material and uses various formulas to solve pitfalls as they occur. Weir is also a master at throwing us the most astounding hold-your-breath curveballs, enough to make us physically heave a sigh of relief after it is all over.

Aside from the hysterical wit and meticulous conundrums that are familiar aspects in his books, Weir enchants readers with a warm companionship between two small beings who, by chance, encounter

each other in outer space. While true friendship was the last thing I expected when I picked up this novel, it has become an element I will try to look for in all future space-related science fiction writing.

Project Hail Mary reads a lot like a compelling mystery novel. Why is Ryland Grace on the spaceship? Where is he going?

What happened to his crew? And how will he get back? These questions occupied my mind so often that flipping the page was absolutely necessary.

The novel works as a satisfying puzzle as things slowly fall into place. If you are a person that enjoys page-turning mystery, problem-solving experiences, and outer space settings, you will likely enjoy this book that has all of those things and more combined.

River of terror › This year marks 20 years since the capture of the “Green River Killer” Brandon Yip Senior Columnist

T

he Green River is adjacent to Puget Sound and begins west of Seattle. It is“L-shaped” and the city’s only river, stretching 65 miles (105 km) in length. The river flows out of the Cascade Mountains just north of Mount Rainier. It then continues through Flaming Geyser State Park and down to Elliott Bay through the following communities: Auburn, Kent and Tukwila. The river is enjoyed by fishermen, cyclists, swimmers and families who appreciate the serenity and picturesque view the river provides.

On July 15, 1982, in Kent, Washington, two teenage boys, Galen Hirschi and his best friend, Robert, were riding their bicycles—enjoying the nice warm summer day. The boys were on their way home when they stopped on the Meeker Street Bridge overlooking the Green River. The boys stared at an old dock and post nearby. Galen noticed an object pushed upwards against the post in the current. The boys decided to have a closer look and saw a pair of brand-new white tennis shoes.

Galen and Robert proceeded into the water to retrieve the shoes. As Galen grabbed hold of the mysterious object containing the shoes, Robert yelled, “Stop!” The boys realized they had just grabbed a dead body. A jacket was wrapped around its head with hair floating under the current. The body was later identified as 16-year-old, Wendy Coffield—the first victim of the notorious “Green River Killer”: Gary Ridgway.

This year marks 20 years since his arrest, after he had eluded police and becoming one of the most prolific serial killers in US history.

By August 1982, four more bodies were retrieved from the Green River: Debra Lynn Bonner (aged 23), Marcia Chapman (aged 31), Cynthia Hinds (aged 17) and Opal Mills (aged 16).

As more bodies were discovered, local police deduced they were dealing with a serial killer.

The Pacific Northwest was also the area where another infamous serial killer, Ted Bundy, had committed dozens of murders in the 1970s.

The Green River killings made news headlines in the US and Canada. Ridgway preyed on women who were sex trade workers; many were also runaways. He frequently drove his pickup truck to pick up women along Pacific Highway South— an area known as the “strip.” Ridgway’s crimes have been the basis for books, articles, television segments, movies, podcasts—and a new crime docuseries on Netflix called Catching Killers. The segment interviews three former Green River Task Force members: Detectives Tom Jensen, Dave Reichert and Fae Brooks. “These were

daughters, granddaughters, sisters,” Reichert said as reported by oxygen.com. “They were human beings. I mean, that’s the bottom line.”

Fae Brooks, a detective for the sex crimes unit with the King County Sheriff’s Office, has a personal connection to her work. “I’m a survivor of sex abuse,” Brooks said. “When I became a sex crimes detective, it was sort of like therapy because I was able to arrest people who were misusing, abusing people. So that drove me to want to catch the killer.”

Tom Jensen retired in 2012 and later signed up to be a volunteer at the King County Sheriff’s Office. In 2020, he was there when authorities announced they had identified Ridgway’s youngest victim, Wendy Stephens—who was 14 years old. “The investigation keeps going because we have unidentified victims,” Jensen said. “As long as we have unidentified victims, we’re not done.”

Gary Leon Ridgway was born on February 18, 1949, in Salt Lake City, Utah and later moved with his family to SeaTac, Washington. According to a profile about Ridgway on britannica.com, his father drove busses, while his mother was employed as a sales clerk. Ridgway later claimed his mother engaged in inappropriate behaviour.

He was known to frequently wet his bed, a habit that continued into his adolescent years. Ridgway alleged his mother would then wash his genitals each time he wet his bed. He later began having

fantasies about killing his mother and during the late 1960s, he stabbed a young boy. Ridgway graduated from Tyee High School in 1969 at age 20. He then served two years in the US Navy.

Ridgway married three times and has one son.

Ridgway later worked as a painter for Kenworth Truck Company in Renton, Washington for over 30 years. Some of Ridgway’s coworkers often discussed him, facetiously referring to him as “Green River Gary”—due to speculation because Ridgway had been considered a longtime suspect in the “Green River Killer” murder case.

Bob Schweiss was a former colleague who worked for the same company as Ridgway (in another department), before being laid off in 2000. He told the Seattle Times in 2001 his impressions of Ridgway: "We’ve all had people who tried too hard to be your friend. That was Gary. He was out-ofthe-way friendly. Creepy-friendly. Just goofy.”

Janine Mattoon, a former neighbour who lived next to Ridgway, recalled him exhibiting odd behaviour. She remembered Ridgway warning her about prostitutes being in the neighbourhood.

“He’d go door-to-door and tell neighbours, ‘Did you know prostitutes are having sex in cars on the street and throwing condoms out the windows?’” she said to the Seattle Times. “He made sure we were aware of that, and I always thought, ‘Gosh, this guy is kind of fixated on this.’”

Galen Hirschi and his friend Robert proceeded into the water to retrieve the shoes. As Galen grabbed hold of the mysterious object containing the shoes, Robert yelled, “Stop!” The boys realized they had just grabbed a dead body.

York Times reported Ridgway, through his lawyer, made a plea deal with the prosecution. Ridgway would be spared the death penalty, in exchange for pleading guilty to 48 counts of first-degree murder. As well, Ridgway agreed to provide authorities information on the locations of the remains of other victims.

In December 2003, the Seattle PostIntelligencer reported Ridgway was sentenced on 48 counts of first-degree murder: with no possibility of parole. Another conviction was later added bringing the total to 49. Family members of Ridgway’s victims later read victim impact statements. Many statements expressed anger towards Ridgway for the pain and suffering, he had caused. Tim Meehan, brother of Mary Meehan, whose body was discovered November 13, 1983—hoped Ridgway would suffer in the same manner as his late sister and the 47 other women had. “It’s garbage like you, not these victims that you took their lives, that doesn’t deserve to live on,” he said as reported by the Associated Press. “I can only hope that someday someone gets the opportunity to choke you unconscious 48 times so you can live through the horror that you put our mothers and our daughters through.”

However, Robert Rule, the father of 16-yearold, Linda Jane Rule (who was murdered by Ridgway), showed compassion for Ridgway. “Mr. Ridgway, there [are] people here who hate you, I’m not one of them,” Rule said as reported by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. “I forgive you for what you have done. You’ve made it difficult to live up to what I believe, and what God says to do, and that is to forgive. And he doesn’t say to forgive certain people, he says to forgive all. [So,] you are forgiven, sir.” Ridgway was then seen using a tissue to wipe away tears.

Ridgway later addressed the victims’ families as he stood in front of Judge Richard A. Jones, reading a prepared statement. Although, he

Photos by Arnaldo Fragozo

Notably, it seemed imminent that an arrest in the “Green River” case would be made—two years after bodies were first discovered. According to the same oxygen.com article, in 1984, a public service announcement aired entitled, Someone Out There Knows Something. A woman named Rebecca Garde, contacted local police to report that she had been sexually assaulted in 1982.

Garde told authorities her assailant worked at Kenworth Trucking Company. She later identified Ridgway as her attacker after perusing a police photo album. Unfortunately, the police did not have enough evidence to charge Ridgway. He would be set free to kill repeatedly. Garde would be Ridgway’s only survivor. He attempted to strangle he but she broke free and escaped. “He always had weird evil eyes,” she said in the A&E documentary, Invisible Monsters: Serial Killers in America. “Every photo and every picture that I see of him. I see those eyes. I remember them.”

Ridgway was arrested on November 30, 2001. Crystal Ponti wrote in a blog about Ridgway, published on aetv.com in November 2021 that “a DNA sample from Ridgway matched with semen recovered from four of the victims’ bodies.”

While in custody, Ridgway spoke on camera with authorities about the murders he committed. In the 2011 television program, Born to Kill? excerpts from Ridgway’s interview with the police were shown. Ridgway stated after he picked up a sex trade worker along Pacific Highway South, he drove them to his home or a secluded area and engaged in sexual activity. Ridgway confessed after finishing, he then strangled his victims (while behind them) and later disposed their bodies into nearby areas (woods, river, dump sites).

Oftentimes, he returned to some areas where he had placed his victims and engaged in sexual intercourse with the corpses.

Ironically, after his arrest, Ridgway wanted to be shown mercy; something he never gave any of his victims. In November 2003, The New

expressed regret and said he was sorry for what he did—his attempts to show contrition seemed insincere. And considering the crimes that he committed, the word “remorse” did not seem part of Ridgway’s DNA. Ridgway is currently imprisoned at Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla.

“To every serial killer, human beings are objects in the homicides that they commit,” said Dr. Helen Morrison, a forensic psychiatrist in the same 2011 program, Born to Kill? “They’re never going to remember the name. They’re never going to remember the face. They’ll remember the concrete action of where those bodies are.”

Morrison then added, “The Green River Killer was definitely born to kill. He was an individual who has this changed gene. And culminated in a tremendous number and intensity of homicides.”

According to biography.com, in 2003, Ridgway claimed in an interview that he had murdered between 75 to 80 women. This led to speculation whether Ridgway was being transparent or simply seeking attention.

The legacy of Gary Ridgway is one of a coldblooded and manipulative killer, who had no compassion for his victims. During his many interviews with police after his arrest, Ridgway boasted about his killings. “Choking is what I did,” he once told police (quoted from Crystal Ponti’s blog about Ridgway), “and I was pretty good at it.”

He stated he preyed on prostitutes because he hated them and they were easy targets. “Low-risk victims would be prostitutes who’d eagerly get in your car for, for money,” Ridgway said in an interview with police that was played in the same A&E documentary. “And they wouldn’t be missed.

Prostitutes are not, they’re not as valued as much as a, a college person.”

Pennie Wood, the author of the book, Green River Serial Killer: Biography of an Unsuspecting Wife, states there was a stigma in how the media portrayed Ridgway’s victims—because they were sex workers. “When the news started reporting about the bodies being found along the Green River, there was an outrage in the public,” she said in the same A&E documentary. “There was an anger and a frustration. It was like because all of the victims are prostitutes and runaways. Are they less important?”

Significantly, on the day of Ridgway’s sentencing, Judge Jones made a concerted effort not to make the focus entirely on Ridgway.

Judge Jones wanted to acknowledge Ridgway’s 48 victims. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported on December 18, 2003, before Judge Jones addressed Ridgway and his victims’ families, “he asked for 48 seconds of silence to [honour] the 48 slain women.” Later, Judge Jones encouraged the victims’ families to let go of their feelings of hate and revenge. And instead, channel those emotions to honour the memory of their loved ones—by embracing other young women who do not have loving families: “I ask you to remember those 48 young women as people who had unexplored dreams, hopes, aspirations and families that loved them deeply. Hold on to those memories. Cherish those memories and try to abandon the others.”

I forgive you for what you have done. You’ve made it difficult to live up to what I believe, and what God says to do, and that is to forgive.”

-Robert Rule

arts // no. 12

theotherpress.ca

Holiday streaming guide

Photo by Arnaldo Fragozo

› What to watch on streaming services this month

Jerrison Oracion Senior Columnist

I

t’s the holiday season, and you might have finished all your classes already. If you haven’t this is a good time to catch up on shows while you work on essays and prepare for tests. Also, despite the recent rainfalls caused by atmospheric rivers, it could snow soon. If a snow day happens, you might want to watch something.

Luckily, most streaming services offer something for everyone and, most of the content that will be available this holiday season are films, documentaries, or show revivals; here are some to highlight.

A much-anticipated documentary that is finally available focuses on the Beatles’ break up and their final album, Let It Be. The miniseries The Beatles: Get Back reuses 1970s footage and was directed by Lord

of the Rings director Peter Jackson and is available exclusively on Disney+.

Currently, the show that a lot of people are watching right now is the Emmywinning HBO show Succession which is getting a lot of talk on Canadian Twitter due to the recent Rogers family situation.

There is also the surprise return of crime scene investigator/serial killer Dexter Morgan in Dexter: New Blood where we find out that Dexter has been hiding in a rural forest town in the past decade after the show ended.

For anime fans, there is a new season of one of the most talked-about animes, Demon Slayer on Funimation Now. It began last week after the success of the film Demon Slayer: Mugen Train which is now the highest-grossing box-office film of all time in Japan. Both the film and the first season are also available for streaming if you have not started them yet.

One of the longest-running anime shows, One Piece, is celebrating the 1000th episode this year; the entire show so far and potentially all the related films are available to marathon. However, I recommend you skip some episodes that are essentially summaries of the show so far.

If you are a fan of the master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock, a retrospective of 21 of his films including The 39 Steps, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Vertigo, and Rear Window is currently showing on The Criterion Channel. There is also another episode of Adventures in Moviegoing with Last Night in Soho director Edgar Wright on watching double features and examining a director’s work.

Other miniseries and documentaries that were available recently are related to major issues and current events. The Hulu miniseries Dopesick focuses on one of the biggest drug crises in history:

the American opioid crisis; conversely, the National Geographic documentary Fauci profiles Dr. Anthony Fauci and his contributions to the medical community as the US Chief Medical Advisor including his work during the HIV/AIDS crisis.

Related to global warming, there is the new miniseries adaptation of Japan Sinks on Netflix where an environmentalist group and a mad scientist try to convince government officials that the building of an oil rig will lead to the sinking of Japan.

I am excited about it not only because I saw the 2006 film version but also because Nogizaka46’s Yuuki Yoda is in it playing a waitress in a restaurant that the main character goes to frequently.

There are plenty of things to watch this holiday season but check online for a complete list of what's offered on your preferred streaming site.

Luckily, most streaming services offer something for everyone and, most of the content that will be available this holiday season are films, documentaries, or show revivals.

Have an idea for a story?  lifeandstyle@theotherpress.ca

Life & Style

life & style // no. 13 • Some affordable gifts to save your wallet this holiday season.

• What I learned from shaping a story ...and that's everything!

What I learned from shaping a story

Illustration by Athena Little

› My jourrney to 50,000 words

Angelika Leal Contributor

O

n the eve of October 31st, creeping out from under the cobwebs and waiting for you to come along, is the impending terror of something more frightening than Halloween itself: National Novel Writing Month.

Affectionately known as ‘NaNoWriMo’, or simply ‘NaNo’ by creators and participants, is the annual challenge in which writers around the world strive to write an entire novel in November. Or at least, finish the first draft of a novel.

While the initial goal is thought to be the numeric value of 1,667 words a day/50,000 words overall, the true goal is to get into the habit of writing, even

when it may seem difficult. After writing over 50k last month and claiming all the winner goodies offered, I’ve come to realize that I’ve gained more than an admittedly rough draft of my novel.

As a writer, I’m no stranger to creative blanks; the constant re-writing of that one sentence to get it just right, the moments wondering “do I even remember how to write?!” Basically, the things that make every writer re-think their life choices. It took me a little over a week to finally understand that my first draft was simply the start of my story. It was okay to write something with the knowledge that I was definitely going to go back and fix it later in the edits. I didn’t need to have heart-wrenching metaphors or beautiful, lengthy paragraphs full of imagery. All I needed to do was write.

Once I had finally gotten this into my head, I was easily writing over 2,000 words a day. The real point of the word goal isn’t to have a finished ready-topublish novel, it’s the fact that you have a novel in the first place, imperfect and all.

Finally, the most important thing I learned from NaNo was something about myself: that I am more capable than I think I am. I had my doubts about going on this journey. 1,667 words every day for 30 days? That sort of thing seemed impossible. But I had full support from my friends and an entire writing community taking the challenge alongside me. Halfway through November, I knew that I was going to win the challenge. How did I know that you ask? Because I told myself that I would. Hearing my fellow writers'

own struggles and having them stay so positive and so sure that they would finish made me aspire to be like them.

These weren’t ‘professional’ writers who could write a whole chapter in an hour, they were people just like me. They were students, or parents, or part-time workers—regular people who wanted to have their story written.

The biggest takeaway from this entire experience last month was that I could (somewhat) easily accomplish something because I believed that I could, as cliché as it all sounds. Maybe this novel will never be published and maybe the words I’ve spent all these weeks writing will be deleted in the end.

All that I know is that I’ve written an entire novel, and I can write my entire future if I want to.

life & style // no. 14

theotherpress.ca

I F T

TM Photo by Anna Machuik

AS

CHR

IS

UID

E

G

G

T’is the Season to Save!

› Some affordable gifts to save your wallet this holiday season.

Ash Sabinin Contributor

W

e all love the holiday season, but sometimes all those little gifts for friends, family and coworkers can start to add up too high and too quickly. I’m going to give you some of my favourite tricks to save money while still giving great presents.

A great way to stay within a strict budget is to do things with people instead of buying them stuff. Give them the gift of an experience instead of a material object. Take them out for a fun and free (or very cheap) day of adventures, walk the Seawall, visit the Vancouver Art Gallery (which is by donation on Tuesdays from 5-8 pm), check out the Bloedel conservatory for about $7 per person, or explore one of our scenic parks. It’s super customizable to the person’s interests and gives you tons of time to chat and make memories together.

Another idea is to plan a stroll or drive to look at the holiday lights. Find a neighbourhood that went all out with their Christmas decorations and take a nice cruise through and enjoy the lights and holiday cheer. Bonus idea: bring a hot chocolate to sip on and keep your hands warm!

If you want to get something for your skincare-obsessed friend but don’t want to break the bank on fancy face washes, try making your own sugar scrub. Sugar scrubs are great for exfoliation and are super easy to make, typically only using 3 ingredients: sugar, oil and honey, which most people already have in their homes.

You can whip up a big batch and share it with many friends for minimal cost.

One of my favourite things about Christmas is that it gives me the chance to look through my possessions and see what I haven’t used and re-gift it to someone else who would appreciate it more than I do. For example, this morning I was ambushed with the news of an extended family-wide gift exchange, which means I need to spend another 25$ on a gift for someone I see twice a year. Then, I remembered that I have a microwave s’mores maker that’s never been opened in my kitchen and boom!

Problem solved. I get to declutter my space a bit while saving money and still giving a good present. Do you have a notebook you’ve never used? Decorate it and pass it on as a journal for someone else; a ring that you’ve only worn for one dinner party can be given a new life by passing it along to a friend.

Another great idea is to make them something special that could only come from you like a playlist of songs that remind you of them or that you think they would enjoy. If they're not much of a music person, you can create a recommendation list of books, movies or TV shows you think they would love.

It's a touching gift that shows you know them that costs absolutely nothing!

You could also paint or draw something. It doesn’t need to be an artistic masterpiece; maybe it's something that reflects your relationship with the person or something you think they would enjoy. It's the thought that counts, not the artistic skills. Another sentimental idea is to print out all your cute or funny pictures with the gift receiver and make a scrapbook full of happy memories. This is a perfect way to show how much you appreciate someone being in your life.

You can also bake them something, one of my favourite gifts to give are homemade baked goods. Make note that homemade doesn’t always mean from scratch! Find a box mix for cake, brownies or cookies and upgrade them with some extra ingredients like vanilla, cinnamon or sprinkles. These little additions will take your baked

goods from regular box mix creations to flavourful treats made with love.

If you’re less of a baker and more of a chef, offer to make them dinner someday.

Find out their favourite entree and cook up a storm, time and effort spent can be much more touching than money spent.

Cooking a meal for someone is a great way to both show that you care as well as create time for the two of you to hang out or catch up.

If you guys don’t have time to meet up, another great idea is to make them A Recipe in a Jar. This idea works for many different snacks like hot chocolate, soup or cookies. Find a cute Mason jar (with a lid) and add all the dry, non-perishable ingredients and a little tag with some instructions, and you have an adorable little treat in a jar for any friend or family member.

Maybe it's a workplace game of Secret Santa or your Christmas gift list is just too long, but sometimes all the giftgiving can get a little pricey and a little stressful. Hopefully, this list has provided you with some affordable ideas so this holiday season is less anxiety-inducing and much more jolly!

Photo by Volodymyr Hryshchenko on Unsplash

Humour

New Covid-19 Christmas album › Your once favourite Christmas tunes ruined Brandon Yip

Senior Columnist

I

t has been another shitty—sorry I mean, joyous year.

With the pandemic in our daily lives for the second consecutive Holiday Season, things don’t feel that great.

Yes, a new Christmas album has been released, which will once again never see the light of day. But if you need to laugh—which we all need to do—then please enjoy these once wonderful Christmas songs.

Covid Carols to make you miserably happy • Here comes Santa Claus (hooked to a ventilator) • All I Want for Christmas is You (to get vaccinated) • Grandma got Run Over by an Anti-vaxxer • I saw Mommy infecting Santa Claus • Hark the Herald the Infected Angels Spray • O Little Town of Delta Phlegm • The Twelve Days of Transmission • Winter Wuhan-land

• Is it the Most Wonderful Time of the Year?

• It’s beginning to look a lot like...another restriction • O Don’t Come All Ye Unvaccinated • Santa Claus is again, not coming to town • Flu Christmas • Silent night...again • Silver “Delta Droplet” Bells • I’ll be the in ICU for Christmas • Baby Please Don’t Come Home for Christmas (Unvaccinated remix) • Do you wear what I wear? (Mask song) • Run Rudolph Run (from the Delta variant) • The Little Omicron Boy • The First Noel (to block a hospital entrance) • Santa Tell Me it’s not AstraZeneca • Rudolph the selfish-nosed anti-vax reindeer • Merry Christmas Baby...I just lost my job!

• Underneath the CERB Tree • Frosty the Isolated and Drunken Snowman • Stumblin’ Around the Christmas Tree • Unhappy Holiday

Good Luck on your Exams!

You got this!