The daily habit that contributes to my success is… Getting eight hours of sleep, reading the news and keeping my inbox at zero.
After I die, I want to be remembered for… Being a great father. It’s the only thing I can control.
One piece of advice I'd give a current student is… Your degree is about learning how to learn.
The worst job I've ever had was… No job.
My pop culture best friend would be… Robert Downey Jr. That dude’s a boss.
Asked & Answered with Adam Sweet, ’07 BA, ‘07 BA(Cert), chief of staff, Edmonton Economic Development Corp. Read the full interview at ualberta.ca/alumni
February 2018 Published since November 21, 1910 Circulation 3,500 ISSN 0845-356X Suite 3-04 8900 114 St. NW University of Alberta Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2J7 Advertising www.f-media.ca
The Purity Test Issue Editor-in-Chief Jamie Sarkonak
News Editor Sofia Osborne
Managing Editor Raylene Lung
Staff Reporter Nathan Fung
Art Director Alex Patterson
Arts & Culture Editor Victoria Chiu
Graphic Designer Laura Lucas
Opinion Editor Emma Jones
Photo Editor Rosty Soroka
Webmaster Papa Yaw Gyeke-Lartey
Online Editor Oumar Salifou
Cover Photo by Rosty Soroka Illustration by Alex Patterson Contributors Hanna Garvey Tom Ndekezi Pia Saunders Juan Felipe Vargas Alba Shay Lewis Nicholas Villeneuve Jonathan Hocnalon
Copyright All materials appearing in The Gateway bear copyright of their creator(s) and may not be used without written consent. Volunteer Want to write, draw, or shoot photos for us? To get involved visit gtwy.ca/volunteer for more information.
GSJS The Gateway is published by the Gateway Student Journalism Society (GSJS), a studentrun, autonomous, apolitical not-for-profit organization, operated in accordance with the Societies Act of Alberta.
THE SYLLABUS NOTES
THE QUAD
02
06
Five Things For... It's getting hot in here™, so take off all your clothes and read these date ideas this February.
03
Beyond the Bachelor
Q&A Are sex robots ethical? We talked to a sociology professor to explore the nuances of banging bots.
08
Love Profile
Pole dancing is bringing together sporty and sexy thanks to this U of A alum.
We are now matchmakers. Two students were paired off and sent on a blind date set up by us. Here's how it went.
04
10
Point / Counterpoint For your conscience: Is it better to be the cheatee or the cheater?
05
Worth It or Not Worth It The vices edition, including sliding into the DMs and eating Cheetos.
Spotlight Three U of A students created an aesthetically-pleasing bong and it's lit.
Unboxing Bioware A look into the history and operations of Edmonton's triple-A gaming studio.
DIVERSIONS
12
26
Horoscopes Back by popular demand. (You know who you are.)
29
Something to Do You may not have a Valentine but at least you have these sudoku puzzles.
The Purity Test Ah, the infamous Purity Test, back at it again with an Edmonton theme.
21 FEBRUARY 2018 | 1
Notes | Five Things For
FIVE THINGS FOR: Getting Hot in Here™
BY HANNA GARVEY AND VICTORIA CHIU | ILLUSTRATION BY LAURA LUCAS
Mamma Mia! PLAY
LIGHT-HEARTED BONDING
Mamma Mia! hits the Citadel on February 17. This now-classic musical will warm up any chilly day, and bringing your date along will double the cheer. There’s nothing better than singing ABBA songs in a crowd of equally excited people. Add in some spiffy clothes, a romantic theatre, and some booze and it will surely be a date to remember.
Paintball Date Night COMBAT SPORT
TOUGH-LOVE ADVENTURES
There’s nothing like a fight to the death (basically) to get you both warmed up and full of adrenaline. Whether you hug it out afterwards or tackle that built up tension, paintball will be a blast. Edmonton Paintball Centre is offering discounts to couples from February 9 to 14, so suit up, grab your guns, and get messy.
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Silver Skate Festival FESTIVAL
OLD-FASHIONED FUN
For a romantic and adorable day out, check out the Silver Skate Festival, held in Hawrelak Park. On Valentine’s Day you can have a sleigh ride, with optional cake pops, through Lover’s Lane. If you have other plans for your special day, you can visit the festivities anytime between February 10 to 20.
Watch The Lobster FILM
THREAT OF DEATH
In this film for the ages, we follow a shortsighted, middle-aged man, played by Colin Farrell, who’s recently been left by his wife and hopes to find love. The catch? He’s stuck in a singles hotel where those who can’t fall in love in 45 days are turned into the animals of their choice. It’s just as awkward as you’d imagine. g
Fifty Shades Freed MOVIE
ROMANTIC CURIOSITY
If you and your S.O. have been following the Fifty Shades series, you’re in for a treat. The third appearance of your favourite unordinary lovers will serve as a perfect late night date. If you haven’t been drawn in yet, Netflix and chill those first two movies, and then finish the series off in theatres, opening February 9.
Beyond the Bachelor | Notes
BEYOND THE BACHELOR: Pole fitness instructor brings together sport and sexy BY VICTORIA CHIU | PHOTOS BY ROSTY SOROKA
Alyssa Hyduk: BACHELOR OF ARTS — HISTORY AND CLASSICS
MASTER'S IN LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCES
Hyduk, who completed both her Bachelor of Arts with a double major in history and classics and her Master's in library and information sciences at the University of Alberta, teaches pole dance and leads lap dance workshops at Aradia Fitness. She began pole dancing in March 2014 after frequent bus rides past the Aradia Fitness Whyte Avenue studio piqued her interest in the sport. “I’d always been athletic, but it’d been a while since I’d been in an actual activity instead of going to the gym and that sort of thing,” Hyduk says. “So I saw (the studio), and I’d already heard that pole was a really good workout. I signed up on my own, really, really enjoyed it, and it spiralled from there. As many polers will say, you kind of fall in love with it.” After a few months of taking classes, Hyduk knew she wanted to compete in pole. By this time she was also doing multiple classes and one-on-one lessons each week, and as someone who’d enjoyed teaching subjects like music and fencing in the past, the progression from student to instructor was natural. Since then, she’s been proudly seeing her students progress and become empowered under her guidance. “There is still a stigma of sexiness around (pole),” Hyduk says. “But as much as we try to get away from that image that society has of it, there is a certain amount of liberation that comes from doing something you know is viewed as more of a sexy activity while also being a hugely athletic endeavour.” And that unique combination of athleticism and artistry means that one of the best things about learning pole for both instructors and their students is the clarity of development. “Pole is one of those (sports) where you can really see the progression very, very clearly," Hyduk says. "In pole, you know where you started. Maybe you couldn’t pull up your body weight at first, and then suddenly you’re going upside down; you’re doing these tricks. The ability to see that happen, as a student or an instructor, is fabulous." g
FEBRUARY 2018 | 3
Notes | Point / Counterpoint
POINT / COUNTERPOINT IS IT BETTER TO CHEAT OR BE CHEATED ON? Are you going to play the field or play for keeps?
Point: Cheat Away, Friends
Counterpoint: Take the Loss
BY TOM NDEKEZI
BY PIA SAUNDERS
Just to give a disclaimer, I’d usually suggest fidelity, but if a breakup is on the horizon, it’s important to get ahead on working on the rebound. As long as your relationship is in that transition phase between “taking a break” and “dead to me,” there’s little wrong with pencilling in a few hump-happy checkpoints. Make like Scrat and get that nut. Face it, breakups are processes, not events. You’ve checked out, they’ve checked out, you just need the bill. If you’re careful and time your infidelity in that transitional phase, I wouldn’t call what you’re doing cheating; it’s a scheduling conflict. You owe it to yourself to keep in practice while waiting for the final straw to break that hairy, sun-bleached back that you spent the last 18 months checking for “weird bumps.” If you’re caught, you might even get to be the straw. Go forth and seize the day. Spend those first raw days after the breakup in the arms of your homewrecker. Be the one playing the game. It’s 2018 baby, don’t be a cuck®. One of these days, for your own good, you’re going to have to bring yourself to forgive, and it’s much easier to forgive yourself than it is other people, especially the kind of reptilian sociopath that would seize the day on you.
“Reptilian sociopath” is a very good description of the kind of person you turn into the moment you cheat on your partner. I would usually advocate for “taking matters into your own hands” and playing the game, but it definitely feels better to be cheated on. Though being cheated on often leaves you feeling helpless and messes with your ego like there’s no tomorrow, at least it leaves another important part of you intact: your conscience. The bitter that the guilt of cheating (and the subsequent regret) will leave in your mouth is never worth the sweet feeling of one night’s adventure. Shushing your conscience isn’t as easy as it may seem.
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Once you find out about your partner’s hump-happy checkpoints, you are put back in the position of power you deserve while your partner crawls back to you. Are you going to put up with their mistakes made? Are you going to dump them the way they deserve? It is up to you. You, my friend, are officially the leader of the game at this point, your pure and noble innocence wrapping around you like an evening gown. There is always hope that everyone learns from their mistakes, at least for people that have enough conscience to not act like reptilian sociopaths (A.K.A you). And while cheating will not teach any lessons at all, being cheated on will definitely teach you to be smarter when it comes to picking a partner. g
Worth it or Not Worth it | Notes
WORTH IT -ORNOT WORTH IT VICES EDITION
Two writers weigh in on whether it's worth it to invest time, money, and emotion into the following.
Sliding into the DMs
Class with a Hot Prof
BY JUAN FELIPE VARGAS ALBA
BY EMMA JONES
You could be that person who messages “u up” at 2 a.m. You could be having a convo an hour later about the way that the societal demand for constant productive achievements means your biggest fear is that you'll never live up to your potential. Slide into those DMs because you shouldn't do tomorrow what you could do today. The world is ending and the bees are dying. Just don't send unsolicited nudes. WORTH IT.
Extra motivation to attend class is helpful, but if your hot prof is boring — or just so dreamy that you can’t pay attention — you will regret it. When you’re failing the course because you keep drooling instead of listening, you’ll wish you’d looked beyond the chili pepper on Rate My Prof. And if they’re bad at teaching, the illusion of their hotness will be shattered forever. Better to admire them from afar. NOT WORTH IT.
84 Cheetos in One Sitting
Having Sex on Campus
BY SHAY LEWIS
BY NICHOLAS VILLENEUVE
You are high, hungry, and you want Cheetos. You trek out into the cold world to retrieve your treasure. You soon pop that first Cheeto into your mouth and savor the sweet cheesiness. Quickly it becomes two, then four, then 15. You start to eat them in pairs, and then trios. Not long and you’ve eaten half the bag. Realizing you’ve consumed exactly 84 Cheetos, you curl into a ball of regret. It is definitely NOT WORTH IT.
Throughout school, everybody is told about the best ways to deal with final exam stress: physical exercise, mental breaks, relaxation, and recreation. Nobody considers that sex can accomplish all these tasks and more, so let your libido overwhelm your prudence while on campus. Not only will the taboo heighten the experience, you’ll come back with an awesome story of sex in your empty ECON room for all of your lame friends. WORTH IT. g
FEBRUARY 2018 | 5
The Quad | Q&A
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Q&A | The Quad
A Cyborg Sex Manifesto
Q&A with a sociology professor about the ethics of sex robots BY JONATHAN HOCNALON | ILLUSTRATION BY ALEX PATTERSON The development of sex robots is still in its early stages, but their existence has sparked moral inquiries about their abilities, impact on society, and regulation. Unlike sex dolls, robots are able to converse with the user and move. They may even be able to consent to or refuse sexual activities. While they have an uncanny life-like facade, even the most advanced sex robots on the market now are barely capable of coordinated movement, have few personalities, and feature basic AI. But as this technology progresses, what will it mean for humans — and the robots themselves? Robyn Lee is an associate professor of sociology at the University of Alberta whose research looks at social, cultural, and technological changes and impacts on parenthood, families, care work, and reproduction. We asked her about this intimately ethical dilemma.
The Gateway: Do you think using sex robots harms anyone? Robyn Lee: There is a case to be made that there is an inherent ethical responsibility to them and that to claim otherwise is too anthropocentric. The argument is also made that we should be good to robots because if we treat robots poorly, we might consequently treat humans poorly. You could also think about what sex robots mean for the relationships between humans who have different characteristics, privilege, and forms of oppression. We usually think about female sex robots because they’re the most common, so we should examine what that means for the relationship between genders, women’s equality, and social roles. I think we should be concerned about the objectification of women and question whether using sex robots perpetuate stereotypes of women for sexual purposes. I think it’s important to note that sex robots will affect sex workers since a parallel is drawn between them and robots, which might be harmful in terms of further devaluing and dehumanizing them. Should there be restrictions on the types of sex robots available? I think, optimally, we would have a wide variety of sex robots that would allow for a broader range of gender expression, sexuality, and activity. If they are intentionally designed to simulate individuals, I think there’s some privacy concerns, especially if you mimic someone’s body language and appearance. I’m not exactly sure how
this works, but there are already sex toys modelled after individuals, typically porn stars. I think there are likenesses of humans involved, and I think that could be applied to sex robots which would elevate ethical concerns of mimicking human beings for mass production and consumer products. Should there be an age limit for purchase? There’s an age limit on the purchase of sex toys generally. Obviously, online purchases are much easier to get around, but stores tend to be more careful in who they’re selling to. If you are thinking about the use of sex robots by children, there is the potential for abuse depending if the sex robot can consent to any activity. I think an age restriction should be part of the discussion. Should sex robots be able to consent? As we develop artificial intelligence, there will probably be a point where sex robots will be able to consent. As we continue to have the discussion about this, as much and as early as possible, the sex robots themselves should be part of the discussion. At any point that they start to have ideas and opinions and any indication that they’re conscious, they should be part of the discussion. Should we limit how much sex robots appear like humans? I expect Japan might since they already have rules prohibiting sex toys that exactly resemble human body parts, so they’re taking an ethical and moral stance in terms of regulating sex toys. I expect that there
would be different regulation in different jurisdictions for how humanlike they can be. I’m personally pretty uncomfortable with controlling people’s sexual activities as long as consent is ensured, which is always an important thing. I don’t think there’s a really solid ethical ground to not make sex robots humanlike, but that’s something to be debated because I’m not the final word on this. I think it’s worth wondering about sexuality, sexual practices, the ethics, and the responsibilities that we have as a society. I expect there’s going to be many more conversations about sex robots' direction and consumption. Obviously, there are sex robots already, but they’re fairly easy to distinguish from a human being, so it’s still early. Artificial intelligence has a whole host of ethical discussions, and while I think sex robots are important to include in that, they are not the most crucial part since we might have bigger problems. Ultimately, the way we use our technology and work with technology changes us as a society and as human beings. Is it cheating to use a sex robot? People have a whole range of ideas of what constitutes a monogamous relationship or a non-monogamous relationship and what they allude to in terms of their parameters. So I don’t think it’s possible to pick a universal statement about whether or not it’s cheating. It has to be determined by the people in the relationship themselves. g
FEBRUARY 2018 | 7
The Quad | Love Profile
Rendezvous: The Blind Date Experiment BY ROSTY SOROKA
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Love Profile | The Quad
It’s a normal Friday night of deep web stalking your crush... You uncover a misogynistic Facebook post from 2015. Your glass of Malbec suddenly tastes sour. Undateable. Dating in 2018 has made it painfully obvious that it’s easy to know too much about your crush. They’re cute, but they just posted about being “really in to cinema” after seeing two Wes Anderson movies and you’re just not ready to deal with it. University students look back to a time when disappointment was inevitable but delayed by technological inadequacy — when mild shittiness was expected. The Gateway matched up John and Gabrielle on a blind date to see what untainted romance used to be like in the pre-Facebook stalking era:
Your Name:
Your Name:
John Evjen
Gabrielle Lussier
What were you hoping for? I love meeting people. I wanted to be challenged. I wanted to learn about myself.
What were you hoping for from this date? Honestly I answered the blind date questionnaire without giving it too much thought. I was in it for the experience so I had no expectations. I was pleasantly surprised.
Your first impression? When she first walked in, I was quite surprised to meet someone so sophisticated and artistically gifted. What did you talk about? First, we discussed art. She is an artist; I am in no way gifted with my hands in making physical objects. Then we moved to matters of study and of travel. We ended the evening by discussing idioms and the art of conversation. What do you think they thought of you? Certainly she felt I was intelligent and educated but I could tell she did not find me very engaging. Describe the other person in three words? Painting in motion. The most awkward moment? I don't think any of the conversation was awkward. The perception of "dates" is that one is supposed to be totally engaged and that it is meant to be singular and isolated. The social pressures were strong, let's say. Did you kiss? No. Rate your experience out of 10? Nine — the only reason it is not 10 is because I perceived she was not comfortable. Would you meet with your date again? Oh yeah! She was totally fascinating, and I really want to look at her paintings. I love art.
Your first impression? John was very intelligent, and someone who chooses their words very carefully and thoughtfully. What did you talk about? Normally when you go out with someone, there is a common interest that connects the two of you, and so there is something to fall back on that you can talk about. With a blind date, there is a lot of investigation and discovery that needs to happen in order to find those connections, and I think we were pretty successful. We talked about school, hobbies, research we were both interested in, and travel. What do you think they thought of you? Hopefully that I was funny, and a good conversationalist. Describe the other person in three words? Intelligent, confident, and thoughtful. The most awkward moment? When I forgot his name immediately after him telling me. Did you kiss? Nope. Rate your experience out of 10? 8/10 would recommend to a friend. Would you meet with your date again? Potentially! Stranger things have happened.
FEBRUARY 2018 | 9
The Quad | Spotlight
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Spotlight | The Quad
Lighting Up U of A start-up puts the "high" in high class BY NATHAN FUNG | PHOTO BY ROSTY SOROKA
When the student team at BRNT Designs were creating their own bong, they wanted to make something people would want to display in their home. They realized they had succeeded when one of the team member's parents used it as a flower vase. “When people come to your house, they don’t see (our product) as a bong, they see it as kind of a home piece,” said Rahman Amlani, a third-year business student at the University of Alberta who also works as the chief finance officer at BRNT Designs. BRNT Designs is a marijuana accessories company created by current U of A students. Simon Grigenas, a fourth-year business student, wanted to make a more durable bong than the conventional ones made of glass. Grigenas, a medical marijuana patient, broke his own bong after knocking it off a table and wanted to address that design flaw. With third-year engineering student Andrew Feltham and with help from the Alberta School of Business, the team created the Hexagon, a ceramic and glass bong that Grigenas calls durable and aesthetically appealing. With the Hexagon’s vase-like design, the team at BRNT wanted to avoid the stigma associated with cannabis use with an unconventional appearance; Grigenas wanted have something he wouldn’t have to hide from houseguests. Bong prices can vary depending on the quality, with low quality pieces ranging from $50 to $100, and higher-quality glass bongs going from $200 to $500. With its $170 price
tag, Grigenas said the Hexagon is targeted as a premium accessory. Grigenas and the rest of the BRNT team first came together in July 2017 to start the company and developed the first prototypes of the Hexagon in August of that year.
"When people come to your house, they don’t see (our product) as a bong, they see it as kind of a home piece," — RAHMAN AMLANI
To raise funds for the project, the group started a 30-day crowdfunding campaign in November. While they had a target of $20,000, the company exceeded their goal at nearly $24,000. Amlani said the company didn’t have any doubts about meeting it’s crowdfunding goal, but they knew there were going to be speed bumps. One such hurdle was finding a company that would help them
process credit card payments due to the risks of selling drug paraphernalia. While Grigenas and the others did find a company that specialized in online cannabis sales in a Calgary-based firm named Merrco, the hindrance caused the group to push back their crowdfunding launch by three weeks. The team also received help from Kyle Murray, the vice-dean of the School of Business, who encouraged them to take the crowdfunding route instead of sharing the company with investors. They also got advice from Noreen Hoskins, the director of eHUB UAlberta, a group that helps student entrepreneurs bring their projects to fruition. Amlani said the help they’ve received speaks to the university’s willingness to help students succeed with their own endeavors. He also said the amount of attention BRNT has received is due to the appeal of the company as a student business. “We really pride ourselves in being a student start-up,” Amlani said. “I think seeing students do so well is always a good story.” Moving ahead, Feltham said they have few other products planned for the future, including rolling trays, ashtrays and pipes. Both he and Grigenas said they plan on sticking with BRNT after they graduate. “Starting (BRNT) up, the goal was to enter that entrepreneurship space coming right out of school,” Grigenas said. “It's definitely beneficial to be able to put various skills to use … and learn different aspects of the business.” g
FEBRUARY 2018 | 11
Feature | Unboxing Being Heard BioWare
UNBOXING
BY VICTORIA CHIU ILLUSTRATION BY ALEX PATTERSON
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Unboxing BioWare | Feature
Behind the scenes of the Edmonton-based video game company that´s been making international waves since 1995.
Shattered Steel, a mech simulation game with deformable terrain effects, was BioWare´s first demo.The player´s objective was to hunt down and eliminate a group of aliens. Originally submitted to 10 publishers, it resulted in seven offers. BioWare’s next project, a fantasy role-playing PC game called Baldur’s Gate, began development in Edmonton when University of Alberta grads Ray Muzyka, Greg Zeschuk, and Augustine Yip were practicing medicine. Their company was started in 1995. Having played many games and done some smallscale programming work during medical school, the team thought forming a company was an appealing venture. By 1998, Muzyka and Zeschuk departed from their medical practices to devote themselves entirely to BioWare while Yip continued in medicine. From there, it went on to release titles like Mass Effect and Dragon Age.
The company’s name, BioWare, is an homage to the founders’ academic roots. The company houses its headquarters along Edmonton’s Calgary Trail. It’s a strange location, given that most game development hotbeds are found in the United States in places like New York, Washington, and California; Canada isn’t widely recognized as a triple-A game-making hub, let alone the comparatively tiny YEG. The name “BioWare” might ring a bell or two. Its sci-fi series, Mass Effect, remains one of the top-rated video games in history. Like many of the studio’s other games, it has spawned a cult following, along with endless Reddit posts — the Mass Effect subreddit alone boasts nearly 150,000 subscribers.
In 2008, the company was acquired for $860-million by one of the world’s top interactive entertainment publishers, Electronic Arts (EA), in a combined deal with Pandemic Studios. It was a signal of how far the company had come since starting in Zeschuk’s basement a little more than 10 years prior. By 2012, both Muzyka and Zeschuk retired from the gaming industry and their roles in BioWare, with Muzyka moving into investment in technology, and medical and social entrepreneurs and Zeschuk diving into the craft beer scene, eventually forming his own craft beer web show called The Beer Diaries. Today, BioWare consists of two studios: its headquarters in Edmonton, and a second in Austin, Texas.
DECEMBER FEBRUARY 2018 2017 | 13
Feature | Unboxing BioWare
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Unboxing BioWare | Feature
The lack of typicality in BioWare means that a lot goes into development without being noticed by the average consumer. Game development is almost movie-like in nature. Features can take months to create, and even the smallest cutscenes require diversity of talent and long days of hard work. Besides the Mass Effect and Dragon Age series, BioWare’s other works include Baldur’s Gate, Jade Empire, Neverwinter Nights, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. All of them presented notable challenges to their developers — some purposeful, some less so. In Baldur’s Gate, the game's demon dilemma is one example of how different disciplines — art, science, law, and more — cross over into the game development process. The game contains a character that, if attacked, keeps the appearance of a child and fights with the strength of a demon. In Germany, harming children is not allowed in games, so the developers created an in-game effect that prevented children from being harmed by attacks. The end result was a rampaging childdemon that could not be harmed. While players wouldn’t think of international publishing demands in this scenario, the dilemma was something developers had to focus on. Normally, a writer needs to consider only one timeline and one set of outcomes, something that Luke Kristjansen, a senior writer and 20-year veteran at BioWare, knows too well. How many directions can your mind go? Will you choose to save the princess or turn tail in the final fight? Will you beeline for
the ultimate objective or take your time and engage with all the side characters and side quests? BioWare stories have hundreds of outcomes that, if unchecked, could result in multiple possibilities for endgame. "If you're writing a novel, the limit of what you can put on the page is your imagination," Kristjansen says. "If you're writing a novel and you want an army coming over the hill, you can have (that) If I want an army, I need to go to creature art and ask, 'Do we have horses?' Maybe today we do, but maybe in six months, maybe we don't." BioWare creates its games with a writing style that involves thinking of many different directions at the same time, sort of like a choose-your-ownadventure book — a technique known as “branching narratives.” Instead of thinking linearly about a character’s path, a writer must consider what will happen to that character if they are directed into a swamp, or if they choose to ignore a certain side quest. For many years, dedicated writing staff were rare at video game studios; studios either had other staff members write their games, which usually resulted in subpar work, or brought in freelancers after the majority of the game was finished. But the sheer amount of lines and writing needed for a BioWare game demands an in-house group. Mass Effect 3, for instance, contained over 40,000 lines of dialogue. The majority of games being developed at BioWare feature plenty of player-generated character development. Instead of playing as predetermined
"If I want an army, I need to go to creature art and ask, 'Do we have horses?' Maybe today we do, but maybe in six months, maybe we don´t." - Luke Kristjansen, BioWare Senior Writer characters, players are given a lot of freedom to choose their own play styles and in-game identities. Case in point: BioWare sometimes has romance side-plots in their games, and a player who doesn’t engage with that is playing a fantasy game where they’re the lone hero in charge of a plucky group of people going up against the baddie. But on the flip side, the player who does get into that is now suddenly playing a romantic adventure where they have their love interest by their side as they face evil. “That is a different kind of sub-genre, so you’re writing multiple genres at the same time and letting the player choose what they engage with,” Kristjansen says. “That (relinquishing of control) can be daunting for other writers from other media.” Although this multi-directional approach makes for a longer, more involved production process, it ultimately
FEBRUARY 2018 | 15
Feature | Unboxing BioWare
speaks to BioWare’s mission to create rich stories, unforgettable characters, and vast worlds. It’s also what makes video games so different from other forms of entertainment. Challenge, according to former Dragon Age series creative director Mike Laidlaw, is part of every BioWare role. Responsible for keeping Dragon Age in a consistent, coherent universe, he has had to wrestle with balancing direction and creative possibility for the last 14 years. “There are times when people will reach out to me to tell me the games we make matter more to them than you might expect,” Laidlaw says. “(Something) like, ‘I was going through chemotherapy and I would take my laptop in with me, and you were the escape.’ That’s 200, 400 people’s efforts.” The company continues to work on major video game projects with a focus on expansive in-game worlds, character development, and branching narratives. Part of the work is done by co-op students, interns, and junior team members — a great number of whom have ties to the U of A. From the day
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BioWare’s founders graduated from the school, the U of A has had a unique role in the company. One part of that relationship is its recruiting program, which studio recruiter Shanda Wood says has always sought out U of A students. BioWare offers co-op positions in nearly every area within the company, including art, design, and programming. Though there haven’t been co-op students in the writing department in Wood’s five years with the company, there are junior members on BioWare’s writing team. The company searches for hires who will speak up at meetings and bring in new ideas. Specific examples of students making impacts can be found in many places, Laidlaw says. The titular dragons of the fantasy role-playing Dragon Age games, the first of which was released in 2009, were born almost directly from the passion of a U of A graduate. With six limbs, unusual mechanics, and unpredictable AI, the creatures involved unique programming that Laidlaw says turned them into one of the best features of the game.
"Probably most of the folks we have (at BioWare) who've been around for a long time, so most of the people leading Anthem right now, graduated from the U of A. That team has had a massive impact on BioWare." - Janice Thoms, BioWare Director of Production So many U of A students have come through BioWare’s offices over the years that a great deal of the company’s former co-op students and newly graduated hires have come to lead the teams they once interned with. Janice Thoms, BioWare’s director of production
Unboxing BioWare | Feature
and U of A computing science alumna, says the company has boasted an 85 to 90 per cent conversion rate — that is, when BioWare brought in new grads, there was a very high chance they would become full-time employees. “Probably most of the folks we have (at BioWare) who’ve been around for a long time — so most of the people leading Anthem right now — graduated from the U of A,” Thoms says. “That team has had a massive impact on BioWare.” The team working on Anthem, the upcoming open-world sci-fi roleplaying game set for release in 2018 on Windows, PS4, and Xbox One, she notes, also includes the people who worked on Mass Effect and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic before that. It helps that BioWare’s location in Edmonton and Alberta makes the company naturally more attractive to burgeoning game developers. Artists, writers, designers, testers, developers, and recent graduates are all attracted to the company’s focus on narratives in game creation. Many students dream of working on BioWare projects
after they graduate. “Providing students an opportunity to get their feet wet in the games industry has been a huge advantage to us,” Thoms says. This human connection to Edmonton is a big reason why the company has stayed in the city instead of moving to somewhere more focused on games and technology, like Silicon Valley. The location isn’t without problems, but certain advantages come from being in a city not historically known for gaming, Thoms says. And because the company is situated in a largely oil and gas economy, BioWare is able to provide some diversity of employment for people coming out of their degree programs.
“Any time we have new, fresh talent, we love to see that,” Wood says. “Any time we have a student come in from the University of Alberta or any other school, we’re constantly trying to pull their knowledge and creative mindset." g
FEBRUARY 2018 | 17
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THE PURITY TEST
FEBRUARY 2018 | 19
20 | GTWY.CA
Purity Test | Feature
PURITY TEST
EDMONTON EDITION Welcome to The Gateway’s Purity Test, the annual quiz to find out how bad of an Edmontonian you really are. Do you relish it in all its glory? Do you wish you lived in Calgary? Are you a pure Edmonton being or are the worst of the worst when it comes to representing this city? The world wants to know. Rachel Notley wants to know. Answer honestly (or don’t) and find out if Edmonton loves or hates you back.
VICES AND FUCK UPS
Forgot to vote in the SU elections?
2
HAVE YOU . . .
The municipal election?
3
Slept in so late you accidentally skipped a class?
1
A week of class?
3
A month?
5
The whole semester?
10
Failed a class
5
Withdrawn from a class
2
Been kicked out of university?
20
Slept in so late you missed a final?
5
Walked into a lecture late with Tim Hortons?
1
Texted while driving?
2
Received a parking ticket?
1
… and didn’t pay it?
2
Not cheered for the Oilers?
2
Cheered for the Oilers?
3
Boarded the wrong LRT?
1
Been in a frat?
3
Been in a frat just for networking purposes?
-3
Met Mac DeMarco?
3
Signed a petition to #freelucy?
2
Drew graffiti in Remedy?
2
Seen Henry Mak?
4
Are you Henry Mak? Seen the rollerblading guitar guy on Whyte? Off Whyte? Bragged about your GPA?
10 1 3
-4.0
Cringed when someone called themselves “pre-med” or “pre-law”?
2
Let your dog shit on the accidental beach?
1
Avoided the Metro guy?
2
Felt it was rude?
2
Been to the End of the World?
3
SUBTOTAL
Complained about the winter? Yes, we get it. It’s cold.
-1°C
Complained about the summer? Yes, we get it. It’s hot.
+1°C
SEX HAVE YOU . . .
Went to school knowing you have a virulent cold?
1
Wondered whether Week of Welcome is actually a cult?
2
Put something you could recycle in the trash?
1
Kissed someone?
1
Masturbated?
2
Masturbated more than one time in a day?
2
FEBRUARY 2018 | 21
Feature | Purity Test
Masturbated on campus?
2
DRUGS
Had sex?
2
HAVE YOU . . .
On campus
5
In the student group offices in SUB basement? With a stranger?
Gotten high?
2
6
Bought drugs?
3
8
Sold drugs?
5
Had a sex dream about Guba? (Yikes)
4
Smoked weed on campus?
Performed a handjob/fingering?
2
Met your dealer on campus?
Performed or received oral sex?
2
Heard voices?
3
Gone to mental health services to feel better?
3
And swallowed?
1
Performed or received anal sex?
2
Performed or received road head?
5
69’d?
6.9
4.20 10
DONE . . . Cigarettes?
2
Watched porn?
2
Caffeine pills?
1
Made porn?
4
Weed?
3
Received an icy handjob from an Edmonton hooker?
2
Oregano?
-3
MDMA?
6
Been choked during sex?
3 Mushrooms?
10
Hooked up with someone who lived in Lister?
2 LSD?
15
Committed floorcest while living in Lister?
4 DMT?
13
Flirted with a prof or TA?
2 Adderall to “study”?
2
Codeine?
5
Roofies?
6
Ketamine?
13
Cocaine?
8
Fentanyl?
20
DO YOU OWN: A dildo?
1
A vibrator?
1
A pocket pussy?
1
An industrial grade ice scraper?
1
Nipple clamps?
2
A gimp suit?
3
A body pillow?
4
A waifu pillow?
6
A “Still in Edmonton” shirt?
3
A T-shirt from Orientation?
-1
SUBTOTAL 22 | GTWY.CA
SUBTOTAL
ALCOHOL HAVE YOU . . . Been drunk?
2
Drunk before noon?
3
FEBRUARY 2018 | 23
Feature | Purity Test
Got drunk in the WOW beer gardens?
3
VIOLENCE
Got drunk at Dewey’s or RATT?
4
BEEN IN . . .
Puked at Dewey’s or RATT?
5
A physical fight?
3
Done Karaoke at RATT drunk?
2
A rap battle?
1
Gone to class hungover?
2
A dance battle?
1
Gone to class drunk?
5
A knife fight?
7
Gone to a final exam drunk?
5
Did you pass?
7
HAVE YOU . . .
Used a fake I.D.?
3
Slapped someone?
1
Made alcohol in your basement and lived?
3
Slapped yourself?
1
Had alcohol poisoning?
5
Had your heart broken?
1
Blacked out?
6
Stabbed with a knife?
2
Been kicked out of the bar?
10
Shot-stabbed someone with a gun-knife?
4
Been drunk at the Waterpark?
2
Shanked someone with an icicle?
4
Drank a Red Bull in the library?
1
Owned a gun?
3
Spent $12 on a beer at Rogers Place?
3
Fell down the stairs in the River Valley?
4
Gone to a movie buzzed?
2
Broken the escalator?
3
Been catcalled?
5
Bottled someone?
5
Played sociables?
2
Been bottled?
5
Played flip cup?
2
Fought your professor?
10
Played beer pong?
2
Slaughtered someone in Super Smash Bros?
5
And won?
4
Rioted when the Oilers lost? Been caught riding the LRT without a ticket?
DRANK . . . 2
Everclear?
2
Absinthe?
3
The sadness away?
5
Combat juice from Garneau Pub?
2
24 | GTWY.CA
4
SUBTOTAL SUBTOTAL
Moonshine?
SUBTOTAL
20
GLUTTONY HAVE YOU . . . Eaten a bunch of cinnamon buns from Sugarbowl in one sitting?
3
Eaten at a restaurant in Chinatown that had health violations?
5
Tried to order green onion cakes in another city and realized it's only an Edmonton thing?
3
Purity Test | Feature
Spent more than $20 at Remedy in one visit?
1
Bought Moonshine Donuts every week and eaten them all yourself?
5
Nursed a hangover with Farrow’s Grick sandwich?
2
Eaten a Tide Pod?
6
SUBTOTAL
RESULTS LUCY THE ELEPHANT
You’re an innocent soul who just wants to be free, but you’re stuck in Edmonton. You’ve spent a life alone, and have never met anyone who you’d consider to be “your type.” You live a life largely devoid of pleasure because you’re being monetized by the local privileged white men. It’s sad, and a lot of people think it’s sad, but no one has ever done anything about it.
THE OILERS
BONUS LIGHTNING ROUND HAVE YOU . . . Ever done a purity test?
5
Are you taking this test even though you aren’t a student anymore?
5
Ever gotten a negative score? Are you doing this test in a bar? In class?
-20 3 5
Ever shared The Gateway on /r/uAlberta?
10
Ever went viral on Overheard?
20
Did you offer to pay someone to drop a class so that you could get in?
20
Ever complained about a typo in The Gateway?
10
Ever complained about there being no horoscopes in The Gateway?
10
Ever made a video bashing the Purity Test and uploaded it to YouTube? (Nice)
20
--- --- ------ ------- ---------?
10
Touched Don Iveson?
2
Used the ATLAS tag?
20
TOTAL
1 - 75
You have spent your entire life trying to instill hope into those around you with heroism and masculinity, but it’s no use. You peaked in 2006, and we all know it. Nowadays you’re known for burning your olive branches and making bad trades. At least you have Ice District and a giant jumbotron to make you look good.
THE DOOMSAYER
76 - 150
You’ve learned that the world is coming to an end and you now spend your time reflecting on your sins, and making sure others know about theirs as well. Your voice carries down Whyte and around downtown as you remind the world of its impurity. You are the one true voice of reason in Edmonton, yet Edmontonians do not thank you for it.
TALUS DOME BALLS
151 - 249
Your hot bod and visible balls of steel have distracted thousands of drivers and have captured the hearts and loins of many young Edmontonians. And rightfully so, since it took $600,000 in public dollars to create you. Who fucking cares what you’re supposed to be, you’re the Talus Dome. That’s good enough.
CALGARY SUBTOTAL
<0
250+
You are so impure that you have managed to become one of Edmonton's worst enemies. Good job. You're the true capital of Alberta in the economic sense, badassery sense, public transit sense. Heck, every sense. You're edgy to the point of being on the edge of a tectonic plate. You're always wet (nice flood yo), you enslave and beat animals on an annual basis, and your flames burn our oil. The international community hailed your way for the Olympics, and yet Edmonton doesn't even meet the basic qualifications for hosting Amazon. Keep keeping it sweet in the YYC.
FEBRUARY 2018 | 25
Diversions | Horoscopes
LOVE HOROSCOPES BY A PREDICTIVE TEXT AI FED EXCERPTS FROM VANILLA ROMANCE NOVELS
Capricorns in love with their lives are threatening physical pleasure with their intensity and their manipulative, persistent sex.
Aquarius has only one sweetheart :). Sex is icky, scandalous and their friends have decided their attraction is undeniable.
Pisces has finally succumbed to bad boy influences but they struggle with dirty thoughts. Now secrets are threatening to destroy everything.
Aries are in love with their past and discover chemistry between them and their friendâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sexual fantasies about insecurities.
Big night.
small price. EMERGING ARTISTS.
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www.ualberta.ca/artshows Twitter: @UofAFineArt 26 | GTWY.CA
Horoscopes | Diversions
Taurus have imagined that their lovemaking is more important than most famous porn but when they strip, pleasure is not tolerated.
Gemini are still determined to cram pleasure into steamy, hedonistic sex. But when their relationship starts to collapse, they turn to dirty tricks.
Cancer kiss every possible way through life. Even though they know how to please everyone, they discover preferences by closet sexual encounters.
Virgoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s raw, luxurious sense of humour is exactly why they should be completely scorching hot. They enjoy slow effort and need more foreplay to get off.
Libra has experienced satisfying, sweaty kissing. They would appreciate making their partners surrender to them rather than have dinner with their father.
Scorpio are getting out of the sewage and into casual sex. Get ready, because it's fully clothed and only frantic humping.
Leo admits that one night stands between former childhood friends are hard to keep secret. They insist that dirty, money-making hookup sex was all that happened.
Sagittarius want ass, massage and reckless climax. They don't stay beneath covers and enjoy hooking up with sensual, handsome idiots.
Student Admission: $10 ($8 MatinĂŠe) Metro Cinema is a community-based non-profit society devoted to the exhibition and promotion of Canadian, international, and independent film and video. metrocinema.org
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AND
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A Taste of Madness - Live!
February 7 at 7PM
Experience the haunting world of Rutherford Manor with Daniel Martinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rock Opus: A Taste of Madness! Performed by Daniel Martin and The Infamous Guest Musicians from some of Edmontonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best Metal and Rock bands, this one time live concert of original music and rock classics is sure to please any hard rock fan.
Black History Month
Screening throughout February Come celebrate Black History Month at Metro with screenings of: Unarmed Verses, Charles Bradley: Soul of America, Whose Streets?, The Brother from Another Planet, Get Out, Step, and In the Heat of the Night.
Jane
February 16 - 21
CHECK FOR DETAILS University of Alberta HUB Mall 9101 112 street SUB 1 70 114 street Tel 780 434 3001 Cell 780 905 0132
Drawing from over 100 hours of never-before-seen footage, the film offers an unprecedented, intimate portrait of Jane Goodallâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a trailblazer who defied the odds to become one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most admired conservationists, and whose chimpanzee research revolutionized our understanding of the natural world.
Metro Cinema at the Garneau 8712-109 Street | metrocinema.org
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Something to Do | Diversions
Here are some more sudokus. This one is sorta easy.
This one is a bit harder.
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6 Solutions will be posted online at gtwy.ca.
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