The Weal April 2018

MAGAZINE

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APRIL 9

2018

Tw F itt ind er u @ &F so th a n eW ceb ea oo k l

THE ALL-NEW

theWEAL EDITOR’S NOTE

NEWS EDITOR

Stefanie Lis

Lambie Hamilton Publications Coordinator

NEWS WRITER

Sean Feagan

There is a big change making its way through The Weal newsroom.

With the decline of newsprint making it into the hands of subscribers and the likes of fake news rising, understanding the effects of readers not seeking out reputable titles themselves that have credible sources and authoritative leadership is unsettling. That society relies so heavily on untrustworthy online news sites via social media is alarming.

A&E EDITOR

Andrew Bardsley A&E WRITER

Maryam Lehmann LIFESTYLE EDITOR

Tiffany Oud

LIFESTYLE WRITER

Carmen Cundy SPORTS EDITOR

Alex Hamilton SPORTS WRITER

Brett Klassen OPINIONS EDITOR

Emilie Charette STAFF WRITER

John Watson PHOTO EDITOR

Shiva Celine STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

There’s too much misleading content available online, and where your analysis is coming from has never been more critical. The professional training of a qualified journalist is crucial to delivering the facts, speaking truth to power, standing up for transparency, and being a voice for the community in which we live.

The Weal, which has published a weekly newspaper since 1926, is moving in a new direction to give students the opportunity to work on well-researched stories that require more detailed analysis and deliver more in-depth copy that our readers find valuable, informative and interesting in the form of a monthly magazine with bite-size content available online daily.

While there is a challenge to find the right balance between digital and print copy, we determined that many readers want to bury their heads in a magazine and gain a deeper understanding of the news rather than escape with the fast-moving news bites between social media posts.

The Weal editors, writers, photographers and contributors work tirelessly to deliver exceptional reporting to you and produce a quality looking publication. We hope that you enjoy the new look, and thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely, Lambie Hamilton Publications Coordinator.

Jp Pitogo

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Patrick Concepcion STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Rorie Stannard LAYOUT EDITOR

Angelique Chuang

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theWEAL

CONTENTS

SPRING/SUMMER 2018 OUT NOW www.LegalHustleClothing.com

Giant Pandas

Test-Stress

06

21

Toronto bids farewell to beloved bear

Blood - It’s in you to give

Aliens

08 Canadian Blood Services taps into students’ veins

22

Waking your mind

How students can cope during exams

Are they out there?

Feature

10 Finding mindfulness one step at a time

23 Joel Hamilton receives Scholastic Award 24 Charlie Connor’s basketball comeback

SUDOKU

Ski slope on Stephen Ave

12

25

Transgenger Visibility Day

Arts & Entertainment

13 Celebrating diversity, identity & expression

26 Theatre is about being human 28 Masked Canvas Productions takes viewers down the Rabbit

Fandom

A Taste of SAIT

16

The Weal - Then and now 18

Shreddin’ the gnar right downtown

A look at The Weal’s past

Student-friendly pets 20 Are you better off just getting a plant?

30 Baking & Pastry Arts student features favourite recipe

Giant pandas make new Black and white and cute all over Sean Feagan Weal Writer

L

ike jet-setting rock stars, the four giant pandas flown into Calgary from Toronto are generating a deluge of media coverage, and excitement.

The pandas, which include two adults, a male and female, as well as two juveniles born in 2015, have taken up residence in a new facility built specifically for them at the Calgary Zoo. The facility will open to the public on May 7.

The pandas are in Canada as part of a ten-year loan agreement with the Chinese government, which stipulated an initial five-year stay in Toronto. With that leg of the pandas’ Canadian journey over, these four charismatic beasts are now slated to become the Calgary Zoo’s darling attraction for the next five years.

There have been lots of preparations to accommodate the pandas, said Trish Exton-Parder, media relations lead at the Calgary Zoo. “We’ve redone the entire building that used to house our elephants to accommodate pandas,” she said. “It’s been turned into a newly constructed habitat called Panda Passage.”

Preparations have also included training staff on methods of panda care, as well as the particular idiosyncrasies of the four individuals, from Experts at the Toronto Zoo. “We’ve re-trained staff – we’ve sent staff to China, and other staff members to Toronto to learn about these specific pandas and talk to the keepers there,” said Exton-Parder.

Keeping pandas isn’t entirely new for the Calgary Zoo, however.

“We’ve had pandas before, in 1988, so we have some experience from that time as well,” said Exton-Parder.

That’s helpful, according to Exton-Parder, as pandas are notoriously finicky beasts that can challenge even the most experienced zoo staff. One particular challenge is s u p p l y-

ing them with the correct diet.

“They are bears, but don’t eat what most bears normally eat,” said Exton-Parder. “Their diet is 90% bamboo, which they have to eat a lot of because it isn’t digested well - it goes through their system quickly - so the amount of nutrients they gain is minimal.

“They have to eat constantly.”

Supplying the bears with enough of the right type of bamboo is difficult, especially in Calgary.

“It will be shipped in,” said Exton-Parder.

“Obviously in Calgary we can’t grow incredible amounts – we have to source it from somewhere else.”

The two juveniles are scheduled to return to China in a year and a half, after which the Calgary Zoo will attempt to artificially inseminate the female to potentially produce new young. However, this is no simple task.

“Females are only receptive for three days in the year,” said Exton-Parder. “If

you don’t time it well, you’re hooped.”

While the exhibit will be a great opportunity to view the raw cuteness of giant pandas, it will also illuminate issues pertaining to their conservation.

“Our education staff will be there to talk about pandas, and help people learn about the whole conservation piece, which is really why we have them in the first place,” said Exton-Parder.

Proceeds from the exhibit are sent to China and allocated directly to conservation efforts there.

home at Calgary Zoo “We support all the hard work that is happening there,” said Exton-Parder.

The exhibit will contribute to conservation, not just for imperiled Chinese

matic animal to start that conservation,” said Exton-Parder.

Such species are referred to as “flagship species,” said Dr. Marco Musiani, an associate professor with the Faculty of Environmental Design at the University of Calgary. Musiani specializes in wildlife management, genetics and landscape ecology.

a species alive when their habitat had been depleted in China, and they were low in numbers,” he said.

Their recovery was achieved through two simultaneous approaches, said Musiani.

“One approach was to recover the habitat in nature, and the other was to have enough pandas to allow for additional in-

We’ve re-trained staff - we’ve sent staff to China, and other staff members to Toronto to learn about these specific pandas and talk to the keepers there “He defines a flagship species as a species that is charismatic,

species, said Exton-Parder.

“We are helping inspire our visitors to look into their backyard, and think conservation,” she said. “Not just for conservation of pandas, but for Canadian species as well.”

“Pandas act as a platform to talk about the Canadian species in our care that we have been very successful in reintroducing to the wild. We can talk about sage grouse, burrowing owl and whooping crane.”

“Sometimes people need a big charis-

and due to its charisma, is capable of attracting support and funds for conservation.”

Pandas are also an example of how concerted efforts by conservationists can result in the recovery of an endangered wildlife species, said Musiani.

“Pandas are a success story of keeping

troduction into the wild,” he said.

Captive breeding, like the efforts planned within the Calgary Zoo, were essential in bolstering the panda’s population.

“Pandas bred in captivity were used to restock wild populations that were below thresholds in nature.”

Canadian Blood Services set up on campus New criteria increases donation numbers Charis Hill Weal Writer

C

anadian Blood Services hosted a blood drive at the Stan Grad Centre on March 21 as many student donors rose to the cause.

Over the past year, donation numbers have risen through new eligibility criteria implemented in 2016-2017.

“Donating blood was something I’ve always wanted to do,” said first-time donor Samuel Pike.

Canadian Blood Services added six new criteria factors in order to increase donation numbers. The service removed the upper age limit for first-time donors.

Donors who were born or lived in seven African countries where the HIV virus is prevalent are now able to give blood, and donors who have been cancer-free for five years are now eligible.

across Calgary have aided in a critical part of everyday medical care, such as major surgeries, medical procedures, cancer treatments and more.

Heart surgeries, car accidents and cancer treatments require up to five donors’ blood, while other types of cancer, such as leukemia, can require up to eight donors.

“I am unable to give blood due to an iron deficiency,” said Jonathan Sing. “I was interested in donating blood a few years ago. However, I was still able to help with the cause.”

Students and Calgarians can help Canadian Blood Services through financial donations and volunteer work.

Citizens can volunteer at clinics, help organize a drive and educate others on the importance of donating blood.

“Those considering donating blood should definitely do it,” said Pike. “The

I never would have expected it to be so rewarding...I will definitely donate again in the future.

“I never would have expected it to be so rewarding,” said Pike. “I will definitely donate again in the future, especially having Canadian Blood Services set up a clinic on campus.”

The blood donations collected from SAIT student donors and other donors

volunteers at the clinic educated me about the impact it has on Canadians who need it.”

“Financial donations and volunteering can be just as important as the blood donations themselves,” said Sing.

Canadian Blood Services received a to-

tal of $1,4 million in cash donations over the 2016-2017 year. Out of all the blood donations made in 2016-2017, 62 per cent of the donations went to areas of the greatest need.

The entire process of donating blood takes just over an hour, and blood clinic locations are available across Alberta, with a clinic based in Calgary.

“This will not be the last time I donate, and I plan on encouraging friends and family to consider donating as well,” said Pike.

Financial donations and volunteering can be just as important as the blood donations themselves.

Danielle Bayang, a travel and tourism student, chose to donate blood despite struggling with mild hemophobic tendancies.

Photo by Rorie Stannarcl

Finding mindfulness one step at a time Have your mind full of what is now Carmen Cundy Lifestyle Writer

B

alancing school, work, friends and family can feel like a juggling act, and many students turn to alternative methods to cope with their mental health concerns.

Sally Powis-Campbell, psychologist and founder of Wholistic Health YYC Psychology Services, said that practicing mindfulness helped her to manage her high anxiety and panic attacks while completing her undergraduate degree.

“I was attending the [University of Calgary] and SAIT at the same time, and I always felt like I was running between classes,” said Campbell, who, in addition to her other roles, is a yoga and mindful movement teacher at Wholistic Health YYC. “I was anxious, and I was walking on auto-pilot.”

Campbell defines mindfulness as “having the mind full of what you are doing in the moment.”

Mindfulness is about understanding what’s going on within you and around you, between thought, body sensation and emotion, said Campbell.

“It’s really about bringing attention to action.”

Campbell suggests that students anchor mindfulness-based activities into activities they’re already doing, such as having a cup of coffee, eating or walking between classes.

“We’re going to be walking anyways, so we might as well use that as a chance to bring mindful awareness into our life,” said Campbell. She suggests students “go off auto-pilot” when walking to and from classes.

The key to the informal practice of mindful walking, according to Campbell, is to notice when your mind wan-

A Calgarian walks around the Prince’s Island Park in Calgary on Wednesday, April 4, 2018.

Photo by Patrick Concepcion ders and bring it back to the movement of your feet.

Students who incorporate mindful walking into their day can look forward to experiencing new sensations on their travels. Even if they’ve gone between classes fifty times, it may feel as though it were the first time, said Campbell.

Erin Hymas, an education student at Mount Royal University and soon-to-be elementary school teacher, said that by taking her students for mindful walks, she is able to get them to focus on the task at hand.

“After we go for a mindful walk, they will be more calm, focused and less distracted,” said Hymas.

“Especially if we take them on a day when the kids are feeling rambunctious.”

Hymas said that one of the benefits of mindful walking is that you are not limited by your workplace or environment.

She regularly incorporates a mindful walk into her day.

“You need breaks in the day. You don’t realize you need a break until you take one.”

You can incorporate mindful walking as an informal practice, or you can treat it as a formative practice as you would with sitting meditation.

For more information on formative mindfulness practices, check out Wholistic Health YYC’s website: wholistichealthyyc.com

Simple Steps for Mindful Walking 1.

Set your intention for your mindful walk.

Make sure you are free from distraction.

2.

Pay attention to how your body feels while you walk, and make note of the different sights, sounds and smells as you go along.

Try to anchor to just one of your senses.

3.

If your mind wanders, simply draw it back to the sensation of your foot touching down and lifting off the earth.

4.

Try syncing your breath with each step: inhale on your right foot, step down, and exhale on your left.

5.

Keep note of your pace. How fast are you walking? Why?

The mind is everything. What you think you become.

We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.

Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.

Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.

You only lose what you cling to.

You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.

Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.

No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.

Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.

Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship. ~Buddha

Puzzle E Puzzle F

Puzzle D

Puzzle C

SUDOKU

Puzzle B

Puzzle A

See solutions on page 17

Skipping Stone Foundation president Amelia Newbert, right, and Vice President Lindsay Peace.

Photo by Jp Pitogo

Transgender Day of Visibility celebrates diversity, identity and expression Stefanie Lis News Editor

A

ccording to Trans Student Educational Resources, International Transgender Day of Visibility is a day of empowerment for the transgender community. The day aims to highlight the accomplishments of trans people worldwide, while at the same time spreading knowledge to battle transphobia and cissexism.

Started by Rachel Crandall in 2010, Transgender Day of Visibility takes place on March 31 every year worldwide. This year’s theme is “surviving, thriving,” to acknowledge all that the transgender community has accomplished over the past year.

For Amelia Newbert, president of the Skipping Stone Foundation, Transgender Day of Visibility is “an opportunity for people to come together and celebrate all of the wonderful things about people’s gender diversity and gender identity

and expression.”

Newbert founded Skipping Stone with her partner Lindsay Peace in 2016. The non-profit’s mission is “to empower transgender and gender diverse youth by providing them with the resources and opportunities to follow and achieve their goals and dreams.”

On March 31, International Trans Day of Visibility, the Skipping Stone Foundation held a free family event to celebrate the day. It was an open house-style event with arts and crafts, music, movies, food and games.

“We’re really hoping to make the event as welcoming as possible,” said Newbert the week before the event.

She added that the foundation hoped that not only people in gender diverse communities would attend, but that people walking by would stop in too.

Newbert said anyone who wanted to come by to learn, to eat or to play a game would be welcome.

More people might be familiar with Transgender Day of Remembrance, which occurs annually Nov. 20 and honours all of the transgender people who were murdered over the past year due to transphobia.

“So many of the instances in which the trans and gender diverse communities gather are around days of mourning,” said Newbert. “[Trans Day of Visibility] was created to not take anything away from the continued challenges and barriers that need to continue to be worked on, but to create some space for celebration and some positivity and recognition.”

Alaine Up until this week, Alaine, who uses they/them pronouns and wishes to not use their last name, had not heard of Transgender Day of Visibility, even though they were involved with a great queer community in Guelph, Ont. “I think it’s amazing. It’s definitely a step in the right direction, but it needs to have more attention drawn to it,” said Alaine.

Alaine identifies as gender non-conforming, and was pleased to see that the Transgender Day of Visibility is more of a celebration than commemorating those who have “lost the fight against society.”

Alaine was engaged when they started talking about transitioning. Excitedly, Alaine brought that up to their fiancée’s mother and sister, expecting support from the generally liberal and progressive family.

But the response they received from their soon-to-be mother-in-law was not what Alaine anticipated or hoped it would be.

“She felt like she wanted to grieve. She’s not the crying type and it made her want to cry because she felt like she was losing a daughter.”

Alaine said they were so excited to discover that other people were going through the same struggles as they were. They thought their fiancée’s family, which they considered to be their own family at the time, would be supportive, especially

considering the joy Alaine felt at the chance to feel comfortable in their own skin.

“It was extremely difficult and really disheartening when she reacted that way,” said Alaine of their fiancée’s mother.

Alaine’s fiancée’s sister was supportive, but their fiancée herself had a difficult time dealing with Alaine’s news.

Their fiancée said she felt Alaine would be a different person, someone whom she wouldn’t know.

“She was just expecting that I would be an angry stranger, basically,” said Alaine.

“It’s not easier to move on when strangers mis-gender me, but it happens a lot sooner than when my fiancée and basically my mother-in-law have a hard time with the thought of me transitioning.”

A couple of weeks ago, Alaine reconnected with their parents for the first time in a long time. They hadn’t spoken in a few years because Alaine had been excommunicated from their family’s religion. A few days into this reunion, Alaine decided to bring up homosexuality and being transgender.

Alaine’s mother started crying, and the family began talking

We should be framing transition as a positive thing, not a negative thing. about instances in Alaine’s childhood when they would come home from school and change out of their school uniform’s skirt as quickly as possible, putting pants on instead.

“They just thought that it was a phase. That I was just a tomboy. That if they don’t talk about it, it’s going to go away.

“It made me super upset that my mom cried, but also made me feel really guilty that she cried.

“Nobody makes my mom cry, but I made my mom cry.”

This led Alaine to start thinking that maybe they shouldn’t pursue transitioning at this time, because they feel like they’re hurting the people closest to them by exploring that.

“I’ve managed to go this far in my life without doing anything about it, I guess, so I might be okay.”

Mackenzie Wesolowsky.

Transgender Day of Visibility is just like any other day for high school math teacher Mackenzie Wesolowsky.

“We live trans every day,” she said. “It’s great to have a day that celebrates that recognition, but it’s definitely more important for, say, my students.

“The public awareness is good, but sometimes we put too much into it. We should have awareness all the time, not just on a single day.”

Wesolowsky said her life is the same as anyone else’s.

“I just live my normal life. I do my normal thing. I have a family, I have a kid, I have a job. I pay taxes, I buy groceries. I consider my life pretty normal.”

Wesolowsky said because she has a family and a young child, it isn’t always practical to get out and participate in events such as the Skipping Stone Foundation’s open house.

“It is important to have that visibility and focus on the positive as opposed to the negative. I mean, we do need to address that, but it shouldn’t all be doom and gloom and ‘look at all the terrible things people do’, because my experience is, it only takes a few terrible incidents to offset all the good that’s happening.

“We should be framing transition as a positive thing, not a negative thing.”

Wesolowsky has been out socially for a little over two years and medically for just over a year and a half, but has known she was transgender since she was young.

She said she waited so long to come out because she was awaiting legal protection. The school board passed amendments to protect staff as well as students, and after those policies were put in place, Wesolowsky felt comfortable enough to begin coming out.

“Although I’d never go to court over stuff like that, you at least have a framework to fall back on if need be.

“It’s a positive feeling to have that society has gotten there.”

Since beginning to transition, Wesolowsky said she feels better “on every level.”

“It just feels right. It was a good change.”

Wesolowsky said her five-year-old son has had “zero issues” with her transition.

“To him it’s a natural thing. He doesn’t care; he has a parent that loves him.”

Cassandra Simpson.

Transgender Day of Visibility is “huge” for 43-year-old Cassandra Simpson, who has been transitioning since Dec. 21, 2016.

“I didn’t even know there was a day for us. There are no words to describe it. There’s a day just for us.

“It’s not pride day, it’s not lesbian day, it’s transgender day.”

Simpson has been on hormones since June 6, 2017.

“When I first started taking hormones, it was like this huge balance,” said Simpson.

“This is what I’ve been waiting for all my life.”

Every time she puts an estrogen patch on it’s a relief, she said. She’s even going to talk to the doctor about upping her dosage at her next appointment.

Even a few hours extra without taking testosterone blockers have a major effect on Simpson’s body.

She said she was experiencing effects such as her voice beginning to get deeper again, which is a big concern for her.

She would have needed to start taking spironolactone, a

drug that has side effects including preventing young voices from deepening, at around age 12 to avoid having the voice she has today, which is deeper than she’d like.

Simpson said hearing about people getting beaten up and killed for being gay or transgender in Brooks, Alta., where she lived for eight years, deterred her from coming out for many years, despite the fact she suspected she was transgender since she was four years old.

“This isn’t something that I want to play with, this is serious.”

I got the label of gender dysphoria because I was born with both genders.

“I could lose my life.”

When a co-worker mentioned to Simpson that, while she presented as male, she was often identified as a woman by her co-workers, she felt like she was in danger.

“It brought me right back to when I was 21 years old, thinking, ‘There’s no way. You guys can’t think that. My life is on the line if you think that. If you know that I’ve wanted to be a woman every day of my life.”

Monica Conaway.

Fifty-one-year-old veteran Monica Conaway was raised as a boy, but discovered she was intersex later in life.

“I found out my body didn’t want to be male, it wanted to be female,” said Conaway.

Conaway, who started developing breasts at age 13, said she found out she was intersex because she was having medical problems and had to see a doctor. The doctor revealed to her that not only was she intersex, but also allergic to testosterone.

“I chose to just go with what my body decided.”

The doctors didn’t know what to do, so they classified her as transgender, which Conaway accepted.

“I got the label of gender dysphoria. Because I was born both genders, therefore I had to have a mental illness,” laughed Conaway.

Conaway is currently engaged to a man who is fully aware of her gender identity.

“He’s quite happy with me.”

Many young trans people are afraid to come out for fear of rejection or humiliation, especially when it comes to relationships, said Conaway.

“If you’re going to build a relationship, you’ve got to start with the honesty and go from there.

“You don’t want to be with somebody if they’re not going to love you for who you are.”

Conaway joked about “bugging” her partners about being bisexual because they’re in a relationship with both a man

and a woman.

Conaway’s previous spouse of 21 years was not understanding of her gender identity and told her she had no choice but to live as a man.

“She did everything to try and embarrass me publicly, as well as financially destroy me, and she succeeded in the financial destruction.

“She had threatened my life.”

Conaway has two children, one of whom doesn’t speak to her at all. The other “kind of” speaks to her.

The Unitarian and Mennonite churches in Calgary have been open and accepting places for Conaway and other transgender people.

“For those just starting to come to terms with what they are as far as transitioning, just stay strong and keep a positive attitude.

“Even when you don’t feel like you blend in yet, the biggest key is to own what you are and to just push forward.

“If people see that confidence in you, they’re less likely to question you even if you’re not at a point where you really pass as the gender you identify as.”

Mackenzie Wesolowsky, a high school math teacher, poses for a portrait on Monday, March 26. Wesolowsky has been out socially for a little over two years and medically for just over a year and a half, but has known she was transgender since she was young.

Photo by Rorie Stannard

The good, the bad and the ugly: Inside looks at Fandom

Emilie Charette Opinions Editor

F

andom culture can be an amazing, beautiful thing that brings people from all different walks of life together in appreciation for a movie, show, game, comic or book.

The variety of experiences and people make fan communities an interesting patchwork blanket of passion and enthusiasm.

Jessie Ferguson, a library information technology student, has been active in various fandoms since the age of 10. Currently, Ferguson participates in the fan communities for Harry Potter, Marvel, Star Wars and Don’t

People are here because they want to be here.

Starve, among many others.

“I love the support from the community,” she enthuses.

“A lot of the people are so caring, loving and supportive.”

For the past several years, Ferguson has attended the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo, sometimes in cosplay as characters she admires. As a makeup artist, she enjoys doing makeup to look like characters such as Darth Maul.

Although Ferguson’s love of fandom culture is obvious, not every experience in fan culture is positive.

“I’ve had someone yell at me for disliking a character they loved,” she confided. “That friendship didn’t last.”

One of the most contentious parts of fandom culture is “shipping,” or pairing two characters together romanti-

cally. Sometimes, this can escalate into full-blown “shipping wars,” when members of a fandom with opposing ships harass the opposing side.

“Some people jump down your throat if you disagree with something, like thinking their favourite ship is bad,” said Ferguson, a view shared by Isabelle Charette, a nursing student at Lethbridge College.

“People will get extremely vocal and hostile about who they ship,” Charette said.

Aside from enjoying reading and viewing their favourite fictional worlds, some fans like to step into the role of characters, whether existing or original, and express their enthusiasm through roleplaying.

For example, Ferguson runs a roleplaying website for the popular Dragon Age video games, while Elisha Lowry, a high school student, prefers to play and run tabletop games like Dungeons and Dragons.

Other people enjoy supplementing the worlds they love by reading and writing fanfiction, viewing or creating fan art and discussing fan theories. ` “It’s nice to escape if I’m really stressed about school,” stated Charette. “I like to lose myself in the familiarity.

For Brian Ziemba, manager of Phoenix Comics on 16th Ave, fandom has always been a positive force in his life.

He started out reading a lot of Thor, Conan the Barbarian and Batman comics, but now reads a bit of everything, which helps with his work.

Ziemba’s enthusiasm for his job is evident.

“I get to be surrounded by what I love and hang out with my friends,” he said.

“People are here because they want to be here.”

Fan events, such as the upcoming Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo, are incredible ways for fans of all types to come together.

Not only are they good for businesses that have booths in the vendors’ hall, they present opportunities to support local artists, see amazing cosplays and meet the celebrities and creators that bring beloved characters and worlds to life.

“I said hi to Carrie Fisher once,” Ziemba relates. “You see a lot of people that you see at the store and a lot of old friends.”

While the fan community, as with any group of people, is not perfect, it is, for the most part, positive.

“People that are into this sort of thing are passionate people,” Ziemba states. “Passionate people are interesting.”

Ultimately, fan culture can be best summed up in a quote from actor and screenwriter Simon Pegg: “Being a geek is about being honest about what you enjoy and not being afraid to demonstrate that affection.”

The pod people: casting light on a growing medium Emilie Charette Opinions Editor

A

lthough radio was once thought to be dead because of the rise of television, the recent popularity of podcasts may mean new life for the medium.

People listen to podcasts for a variety of reasons: some like entertainment, while others listen to podcasts that keep them up-to-date on news and politics or shows that educate them.

The convenience of podcasts is definitely part of their appeal – it’s easy to put on a podcast and go about other activities, like making dinner or cleaning. They also make walks and commutes much more enjoyable.

However, with a smorgasbord of podcasts to choose from, it can be hard to decide what to listen to. With that in mind some of the staff from The Weal shared their must-listen podcasts.

For Andrew Bardsley, some of the podcasts he listens to are a way to stay connected to his hobby of playing video games.

Some of his favourites are Bombcast, The Comedy Button, The Giant Beastcast and Weird Heat.

Personally, I’m fond of podcasts that deliver thrills and chills, such as Lore by Aaron Mahnke. Every week, Mahkne explores the origins behind myths and legends, laying out the facts and letting listeners come to their own conclusions about the supernatural.

Unsolved Murders: True Crime Stories is also fantastic for true-crime aficionados who like to delve deep into the details.

Part radio show, part analysis, Unsolved Murders has something for everyone.

Maybe that’s the way to find fulfillment, by collecting experiences instead of material things I also enjoy podcasts with storylines, such as King Falls AM and Welcome to Night Vale, which both purport to be smalltown radio stations in towns where the borders between reality and the otherworldly are blurred.

Sean Feagan is a fan of No Agenda, a twice-weekly podcast created by Adam “The Podfather” Curry and PC-Magazine columnist John C. Dvorak. Both entertaining and insightful, this podcast deconstructs media in three-hour episodes filled with jingles. Unlike some podcasts which fizzle out after a few

years, No Agenda has been going strong for almost 10.

Some people use podcasts as inspiration for aspects of their own lives. For Carmen Cundy, her inspiration comes from the podcast The Minimalists, which focuses on the art of minimalism and ways to incorporate it into your life. The podcast is presented by two former businessmen who realized that the affluence of their lives wasn’t making them happy.

“Maybe that’s the way to find fulfillment, by collecting experiences instead of material things,” said Cundy.

For those who are interested, Netflix also has a documentary on this called Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things.

No matter why you enjoy podcasts or what your interests are, new podcasts are being created every day. Finding the ones you’re interested in just takes some digging.

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THE WEAL TIME LINE History A smaller typeset newspaper in the ‘50s and ‘60s, and returned to tabloid size in the ‘70s.

Images coming from the library

March 18, 1926. The first issue of the Emery Weal newspaper, or magazine as it was called then, showed up as a four-page bulletin highlighting the school’s events. One copy was printed and passed around. When this proved impractical, the Weal was printed as a tabloid and sold for five cents.

26 YEARS

1952

1926

1974 1930-1940 The second oldest college newspaper in Alberta – has gone through a series of changes. It was a stenciled legal-sized typewritten news-sheet in the ‘30s and ‘40s.

Purpose The Weal’s name comes from a strange combination of two words. When the paper was founded, “weal” was understood as one of three things: wealth; a sound, healthy or prosperous state; or a body politic. An emery wheel, made of emery powder, is used for grinding and polishing.

In the paper’s fourth edition the editors explained, “There is found in the title the suggestion of an abrasive for rubbing off corners and polishing up the personality – all for the common good.”

The paper largely maintains this mandate; to serve the SAIT community with a focus on students’ interests and needs.

to

76 YEARS

2001

1984 In 1984, the SAIT Students’ Association hired a non-student editor and formed an umbrella department to house all publications produced by SAITSA.

2000 In 2000, the newspaper started using an abbreviated moniker; now “the Weal” is its flag and preferred pseudonym – yet the paper will always be the Emery Weal.

2018 A new start

Student-friendly pets, in a fishbowl John Watson Staff Writer

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equiring much less time, attention and effort than, say, a dog or a cat, keeping a fish is a low-maintenance option for a pet while in post-secondary education.

Though students in residence are not permitted to keep pets of any sort in their dorms, there are some who believe that low-maintenance, low-risk aquariums should be allowed.

“They could let us have something that doesn’t make a mess or destroy stuff, like fish or geckos,” said Mitchell Johnson, who lives in SAIT residence.

“I think as long as it can be monitored and checked on, that would be fine.”

Hope Lewis, who is from a farm in British Columbia, agreed that students should be allowed small, low-maintenance animals in residence.

“I think they should absolutely allow

fish if anything,” said Lewis.

“There’s not many things that could go wrong with a fish, and maybe certain people could be allowed a cat, but I think anything else could be worrisome in case they got out and such.”

Freshwater fish range greatly in size and care requirements, from two-inchlong guppies in a simple desktop tank, to arowanas between three and five feet, requiring several hundred gallons of water to house properly.

It gives you so many more options as to what you can put in a tank, as well as it makes maintenance easier Most aquariums need little more than feeding once per day and weekly water change. This makes fish an ideal choice for students with busy lifestyles who still want to come home to a pet at the end of the day.

“If you’re just starting out, get as large a tank as you can, especially if you’re looking into saltwater,” said Benjamin Lucas, owner of Benjamin’s Aquarium Services, a local aquarium construction and maintenance company.

“It gives you so many more options as to what you can put in a tank, as well as it makes maintenance a lot easier, believe it or not,” said Lucas.

Saltwater aquariums tend to require a significant investment right off the bat, which may not be feasible for many students. Starting up a freshwater tank tends to be a much more affordable option.

Lucas said some of the most interesting builds he has set up for clients include a seven-foot tank built into a wall that is only eight inches wide for micro-fish, and a massive paludarium, a tank combining terrestrial and aquatic elements, to house monster fish such as gar, bichirs, eels and arowanas.

“There are so many crazy things in the hobby, and nothing like unwinding and watching a little piece of the world that you’ve put together,” said Lucas.

For students living in the city, be it on their own or at home, often times their options are much more liberal than of those in residence.

Some other easily housed animals for those who have the option may include toads, frogs, lizards, snakes and the odd furry things, such as hamsters.

For more information on Benjamin’s Aquarium Services, go tot www.aqservices.ca.

Test-stress and what to Combating test anxiety is do about it possible with a few tips from SAIT’s counselling services Tiffany Oud Lifestyle Editor

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ummer break is so close you can see it, peeking over the mountain of exam-anxiety. Students often deal with stress in unhelpful ways such as by procrastinating and worrying.

“I think it’s important to put exams in perspective,” said Teri Lynn Olson, a counsellor at SAIT’s Student Development and Counselling Services.

According to Olson, de-stressing means managing anxiety around taking exams and test results.

People often think up worst case scenarios before writing an exam, and worry that because of one bad grade they won’t finish the course. Students often place too much importance on test grades, said Olson.

expect to be at ones best. Doing one’s best is realistic, as long as it’s allowed to shift with circumstances.

“We can’t expect our best to be perfection.”

Make a game plan, write a study schedule and stick to it, said Olson.

Being prepared—not cramming the night before—is a major part of handling exam pressure.

Olson recommends scheduling downtime between studying and other responsibilities to stay balanced.

“Being overwhelmed is a state of mind.”

Students should prioritize and focus on the task in front of them to keep from becoming overwhelmed, said Olson.

“Worries are always future oriented, so ground yourself in the present. You can’t be grounded in the present and

Worries are always future oriented, so ground yourself in the present. You can’t be grounded in the present and worried at the same time “A grade isn’t always an accurate reflection of what someone knows.”

Doing one’s best depends on the day, she stated. When one is sick, tired or dealing with other issues, one cannot

worried at the same time.”

For many students, exam anxiety is a battle with or without studying. Blanking on a question as the clock ticks is anything but easy, and Olson suggests a

few strategies to stay grounded in the moment.

“The first thing to do is focus on breathing.”

Anxiety causes one to breathe shallow or hold one’s breathe. Breathe in slowly—hold for a beat—breathe out slowly— hold for a beat. This slows breathing to six or seven breathes per minute.

Breathing slowly brings the heartrate down and stops the body from engaging in the “fight or flight” mode.

“It can be helpful to get out of your head,” explained Olson.

Another strategy is to notice five things in the room that are blue. Notice how your body feels in the chair—how your feet feel on the floor— how your arms feel on your desk, continued Olson.

It is important to get “out of your head into something outside of yourself that is very present.”

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a UFO? Survey shows upwards of 1,000 UFO reports in 2016

Emilie Charette Opinions Editor

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he phenomena of unidentified flying object (UFO) sightings and alien abductions hold a significant amount of mystery because people have been reporting their experiences for decades. Is there any evidence to prove the claims, or is it a result of human imagination?

The 2016 Canadian UFO Survey, which was released on March 29, 2017

by Winnipeg-based Ufology Research, reported 1,131 sightings in Canada. The study’s author, Chris Rutkowski, who also works at the University of Manitoba as the communications coordinator, said there’s a lack of absolute proof that aliens have visited Earth.

“I think there are intelligent creatures out there in the universe. Whether they’re coming here or not, I simply

don’t know.”

He said we’re likely to find alien life forms within our own solar system, perhaps a small worm underneath the sands of Mars or in the seas of Europa.

has catalogued 18,038 reports since its initiation in 1989, out of which 2,145 remain unexplained.

“We’re left with about five per cent of the cases every year that don’t have an explanation,” said Rutkowski.

Many of these sightings can be explained by stars, airplanes, fireballs, drones or a simple lack of evidence to back them up, but the puzzling five per cent could be anything.

“That’s not to say that there’s aliens, it just means we don’t know what they are,” said Rutkowski.

Other than the unexplained sightings, there are also people claiming to be abducted by aliens.

Rutkowski worked with clinical psychologists to help understand abductees through hypnosis regression.

“There wasn’t any proof of anything, but they firmly believed they’d been abducted by aliens.”

In some cases, there was no apparent reason for the belief, but in other cases it was due to severe trauma in peoples’

There wasn’t any proof of anything, but they firmly believe they’d been abducted by aliens.

This wouldn’t surprise anyone, but it’s not as exciting as finding creatures we can interact with in the same manner as our neighbours.

Rutkowski said 10 per cent of Canadians report UFO sightings every year, and that’s a “quite significant” amount of the population.

The annual Canadian UFO survey

lives which could have assisted in the belief, he explained.

Proof of the existence of aliens is coming closer to becoming a reality, but we’re still light years away from meeting them. The universe is vast, and the Earth-like planets are not close enough to each other for alien visitation to take place.

Athlete awarded ACAC Scholastic Award for excellent performance Student recognized for success in hockey and high GPA score Alex Hamilton Sports Editor

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or forward Joel Hamilton, balancing outstanding academic and athletic performance is no sweat.

Hamilton was awarded the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) top scholastic achiever award on March 16, matching his team-leading 28 points with a 3.94 GPA in Business Administration in the fall semester.

Hamilton offered a simple explanation for his success – time management.

ilton plans to put his Business Administration degree to good use. He said that he will probably return to his family cattle farm northwest of Calgary, which he would like to run one day.

However, he has “a bit of an entrepreneurial itch” as well and hopes to run an agricultural or construction business or two on the side.

“Whatever catches my eye at that time, I guess.”

The Trojans men’s team’s season ended in early March after losing in the quarter-finals of the ACAC playoffs.

However, that wasn’t necessarily the end of Hamilton’s hockey career.

He said he hopes to sign with a professional team in Europe over the summer.

“My parents are awesome about supporting me and letting me fulfill the things that I want to do before I come back and put my roots down here at home,” he said.

It would be another level in a long amateur career. Hamilton spent four seasons in the Western Hockey League

My parents are awesome about supporting me and letting me fulfill the things that I want to do before I come back and put my roots down here at home.

“I usually just delegate a couple hours every night to make sure I get my work done,” he said, whether that work was done “on the road or on the bus.”

About to graduate from SAIT, Ham-

(WHL) with the Red Deer Rebels, Vancouver Giants and Kamloops Blazers.

From there, he spent one year playing for the University of British Columbia (UBC), before going to SAIT in

Joel Hamilton Photo courtesy of SAIT Trojans order to be closer to home after being away for so long.

The family business helped give him his work ethic, and he also comes from a hockey family. His two older brothers have also played hockey at a high level.

Hamilton’s oldest brother Wyatt played for five years in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) and four for UBC, while middle brother Wacey also played in the AJHL and WHL, and has played in the semi-professional American Hockey League since 2011.

Hamilton said that growing up, he looked up to his brothers, who were six and four years older.

“By the time it was time for me to start choosing sports, I didn’t even bat an eye.”

“Our whole family loves the game and has always had a hockey history.”

He admitted it was “a little bit of a shock” to win ACAC top scholastic achiever.

He said he “never considered himself at the top.” – “I don’t want to make it seem like I’m boasting.”

Charlie Connor’s comback SAIT guard has great first year after hiatus from basketball

Charlie Connor Photo courtesy of SAIT Trojans

Brett Kalssen Sports Writer

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t the end of their high school careers, many high school athletes think that their dream is over, but Charlie Conner thought differently.

Conner plays guard for the SAIT men’s basketball team and is in the business administration program. This is his first year at SAIT, and he is back in the basketball spotlight after taking a brief hiatus.

Despite being away from the sport for a period of time, he still remained a dominant player, scoring 54 points in the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association National Championship last month.

Conner’s beginnings were as humble as anyone else’s. In his small hometown of Lacey, Washington, he had a great family who supported his every move.

His interest in basketball started at a

young age. The first substantial motivation to the game for Conner was his father, who played basketball.

His father encouraged him to play every sport, but Conner stuck to the court.

Conner’s first professional influence was legendary point guard / shooting guard Allen Iverson, because of Iverson’s small size.

“I knew I was going to grow, but I always thought if he could do it, I could do it,” Conner said.

Conner praises how supportive and motivating his family was during his games, saying that they would come to every game.

“They were always there, and it was nice to have them there,” said Conner.

After playing all three years of high school basketball, Conner wasn’t sure if he wanted to further continue his career.

Although some colleges had interest in him, he made the final choice to step out of the court.

Conner sat out for three years, bartending at a movie theatre and only playing basketball at local gyms to kill time.

Conner thought that was what he’d

small town in Washington to Calgary was shocking.

“It was a complete cultural change, especially as soon as I got here,” he said.

“People were telling me about ‘Timmies’ and I was like what is a ‘Timmies?’

I was so confused.”

Calgary’s frigid weather was the biggest thing he had to adjust to.

“Washington gets cold, but we rain, we don’t snow all the time,” said Conner.

Conner expressed how much Canadians fill the “always nice” stereotype to a tee.

Conner said he came to SAIT with the mindset of just doing his job and nothing more. However, he firmly believes that the loss of two key players, John Smith and Levi Taylor, created an opening that the coaches thought Conner was perfect for.

“We lost two 20 point scorers, so the roles changed for the people around,” said Conner.

“They [The coaches] gave me a little bit more of an opportunity to play a bigger role and try and help the team more.”

Conner is very happy that he came

They gave me a little bit more of an opportunity to play a bigger role and try and help the team more amount to, thinking that he’d be a legend in the local LA Fitness in Lacey.

However, his time in the sun was far from over, because SAIT coaches eventually gave Conner an opportunity to play competitive basketball again.

Conner said his transition from a

back to the sport, and very pleased he could play for SAIT. “Coming up here, doing what I love to do, playing basketball, and I get to go to school too, that’s a win-win situation.

“It’s more than I could ask for. I’m blessed.”

Stephen Avenue gets snow from Banff Freestyle skiers & snowboarders perform in the heart of downtown Calgary Maryam Lehmann A&E Writer

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stretch of Stephen Avenue will be filled with snow and people freestyle skiing and snowboarding on April 26.

Banff’s Sunshine Village Ski Resort will be hosting their annual Downtown Throwdown and dumping three tonnes of snow straight from the Canadian Rockies onto Stephen Avenue.

“We want to bring the snow from the mountains to downtown Calgary to remind people that there’s still over a month left of skiing (and snowboarding),” said Kendra Scurfield, the media and communications manager of Sunshine Village.

Sunshine Village packs a dump truck full of snow and transports it to Calgary in preparation for the event.

Freestyle riders doing tricks along Stephen Avenue during the 2017 Downtown Throwdown.

Photo by Bryce Davidson

and snowboarding. He said he enjoys watching freestyle riders because of how excited the audience can get when a rider lands an interesting trick.

“Usually the audience is enjoying it way more than the people doing it,” said Wilson.

He added that when he’s out film-

We want to bring the snow from the mountains to downtown Calgary to remind people that there’s still over a month left of skiing Connor Wilson, an avid skiis currently working on a film about street skiing

ing his friends freestyle skiing or snowboarding, there are a number of people

walking by that stop to watch because they have never seen people do it before.

“It’s definitely something a lot of people don’t get to see in their daily lives,” said Wilson.

The Downtown Throwdown itself typically contains one feature such as a rail or a ramp. In 2017’s Throwdown, a rail was set up for the participating freestyle skiers and snowboarders.

While the skiers and snowboarders participate through invite only, Sunshine Village welcomes people to come down and enjoy the free samples that will be given out and the chance to see freestyle riders perform right in downtown Calgary.

Sunshine Village prides itself on providing family fun outdoors, so the event will cater to people of all-ages.

They provide spring classes as well as a discounted price for students.

The resort is open until May 21.

Theatre is about being human Stephan Karam’s play brings the meaning of family to life.

Megan Mahar Weal Writer

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amily is everything, and nothing matters more in this world.

‘The Humans’ cannot stress this enough, and portrays this theme beautifully in a well-acted, well laid out, poignant way.

‘The Humans’ is a play written by Stephen Karam, following the lives of the Blakes during Thanksgiving. The youngest daughter, Brigid (played by Lili Beaudoin), has moved to a duplex with her boyfriend, Richard (played by Shekhar Paleja).

The couple is excited about the space as they live in New York and space is hard to come by.

The play opens with the patriarch, Erik (played by Ric Reid), listening to the upstairs neighbour stomping around. He seems on edge and bothered by the noise.

nightmares and a bad back.

Momo Blake (played by Barbara Gordon) is in a wheelchair and has dementia. She does not have a moment of clarity within the play but certainly enjoys a glass of champagne as the family celebrates the move.

Each member of the family has their own problems, and they are slowly revealed.

The mother, Deirdre (played by Elinor Holt), has arthritis and can come down harshly on her youngest daughter, while ignoring her own emotional health.

The sister, Aimee (played by Ayla Stephen), is heartbroken due to a harsh breakup and has just lost her job due to ulcerative colitis.

Brigid is living off of unemployment cheques while she searches for a career in writing music.

Erik describes his dream of a woman who has his back to him but when she turns around, her eyes and mouth are

For a good portion of the play I forgot I was watching a scripted scene The rest of the family members come through the door, and it turns out that Erik has not been sleeping well due to

covered with skin.

This may be a result of the guilt he is feeling, as he has cheated on his wife

and has lost his pension in the process.

He and Deirdre are barely scraping it together due to his misconduct so he is working at a Walmart in another town.

The play has a two floor open concept so one can see every room. It’s like one is part of the play.

Audience member Justin Poonwah said, “For a good portion of the play I forgot I was watching a scripted scene.”

A standout performance for every cast member, with Aimee being the comic relief but having the most tragic story. The daughters poke fun at their mother who only takes the jests to heart. There is an underlying theme of money, with both daughters in student debt. Erik gets angry when he learns that Rich has a trust fund due to him at the age of 40. The family learns that Rich suffered with depression when he was younger, and instead of being supportive, Erik says that the family has never had depression. Aimee describes it as “stoic sadness.”

Poonwah described the play as “A bunch of people who were all dealing with their own stuff, and who were hurting each other, but who all loved one another.”

The central theme of this play is family sticking together. Despite the troubles each and every person faces, they remain together, supporting, loving, and caring.

Just here to have a good time: The Ashley Hundred hits the road to promote new music, thanks in part to local organization.

The Ashley Hundred perform at The Gateway on Friday, Oct 13.

Photo by Patrick Concepcion

Local band hopes to inspire listeners Andrew Bardsley A&E Editor

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algary based band, The Ashley Hundred, always wanted to release a full length album.

“I guess it was always part of the plan,” said Brett Cassidy, the band’s banjo player, in a phone interview. However, the cost of recording, producing and releasing the album initially held the band back from achieving their dreams.

Formed in 2012, The Ashley Hundred released their first LP, Postcards from the Moon, which chased the bands folk inspirations such as Seattle-based folk band Fleet Foxes or Iowa-based Youth Lagoon. They quickly developed their own unique sound, which combines

folk, new wave and traditional rock inspirations to form such hits as Lonely Love and Cold Weather Heart.

The new album, which was released in 2017, was recorded with help from Juno Award-winning producer Josh Gwilliam and gold record holding audio engineer Spencer Cheyne.

However, it was another local band and a tragedy that helped this local band release their debut self-titled EP in 2017. Local charity, Zachariah and the Non-Profits, started after the 2014 Brentwood stabbing, where two members of the popular local band Zachariah and the Prophets were murdered. The charities goal is to provide local bands with the funding and experience to release their own music. The goal of the group is to guide

When people leave our shows we want them to feel a bit sweaty, having had a good time but also feeling inspired like they want to do something with their lives

young bands and young musicians into the heady world of recording, producing and playing music.

Having received funding through the Prophets of Music Emerging Artist Scholarship Program, The Ashley Hundred was able to release their album.

“Having been friends with Zack [Rathwell] and Josh [Hunter] it was huge. We couldn’t have done it without their help.

Especially financially it was massive.

We had applied for so many grants and had been rejected from all of them, but then they came through and saved the day. They helped us record the entire thing, but there was also a lot of business coaching involved. We were not confident in that, but they helped us build an actual team of people who could support us,” said Cassidy.

The band, which hopes to release a new EP later in the year has been embracing new genres of music with this new record, with R&B and modern rock influencing the band more than previous recordings.

“When people leave our shows we want them to feel a bit sweaty, having had a good time, but also feeling inspired like they want to do something with their lives,” said Cassidy.

The Ashley Hundred will be playing with Fever Feel at The Gateway on, Saturday, April 21.

Masked Canvas Productions takes viewers down the Rabbit hole Brand new production company comes out with a mental health take on Alice in Wonderland Maryam Lehmann A&E Writer

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asked Canvas productions held their first ever launch party on Saturday, March 24 at the Chinese Cultural Centre to promote an upcoming play titled Wonderland.

The party, called the Down the Rabbit Hole Masquerade, was filled with acro-yoga performers, singers, comedic acts and a trailer for Wonderland, which offered the audience a snippet of what to expect from the full play.

Wonderland explores Alice from the original Alice in Wonderland story, and takes a look at her experiences from a mental health perspective.

Ann Taylor, founder of Masked Canvas Productions, said that both she and co-founder Jenna Rene struggle with mental health in different ways.

With mental health affecting many people in our society, Taylor said it is important to be able to talk about it without any stigma surrounding it.

Left-Right: The narrator, Alice, the Cheshire Cat (In the back), and the Queen of Hearts, performing at the trailer.

Photo by Maryam Lehmann land, said that the play is meant to make the audience wonder if Alice was someone in “our world” interpreting people in her life as characters in Wonderland, or if Wonderland was indeed real, or if perhaps she was in an institution.

The actor collaborated with Taylor to write some of the songs, lyrics and harmonies in the play.

“It allows for more creativity in the vision because you get multiple opinions working together to create what we think is

It allows for more creativity in the vision because you get multiple opinions working together to create what we think is going to be the best song in this show “The more we can talk about it, the more we can feel better about it. It might be easier to find ways to deal with it together,” said Taylor.

Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland has always been a childhood favourite of Rene’s.

She wanted to take a story most people were familiar or comfortable with, and tie in some of the more difficult subject matter surrounding mental health.

Nicole Cates, who plays the Queen of Hearts in Wonder-

going to be the best song in this show,” said Cates.

Cates said she has never played such a large role in a show, and has never been part of a brand new production before.

Having studied opera in the past, the actor said it’s been fun to shape the character in a way that can really showcase what she can do. Cates gets to combine a folky song-style with bigger opera notes as well.

“To be able to create this character in a way that feels most authentic to myself, and to tune it to my vocal abilities is re-

ally fun,” said Cates.

In preparation for the trailer, the group of actors go through activities and workshops exisiting of long physical warm-ups ranging from dancing to YouTube videos to physical isolation exercises.

Present at the trailer were characters such as Alice, the Queen of Hearts, the Cheshire Cat and a narrator that seems to be present in both the “real world” and “Wonderland.”

Cates describes the Queen of Hearts as being the nastiest voice in your head telling you what you should and shouldn’t do.

Portraying her character allows Cates to bring out her darkest side, something she said was interesting because she rarely gets to do in shows.

Masked Canvas Productions is a new company that started in September 2017.

The company’s philosophy is to provide a quality and empowering platform for local artists, no matter if the artist has had any experience or background in the field.

Wonderland is set to open towards the end of 2018.

The production company is still looking to cast the Mad Hatter and the Caterpillar.

Aero-Yoga performers James Hall, left, and Jessica Laporte get into their poses in between sets.

Characters walk around and entertain the audience attending the show.

Photo by Maryam Lehmann

Photo by Maryam Lehmann

Raspberry White Chocolate Scones

By Larissa Costella, Baking & Pastry Arts Student Larissa is a baking and pastry arts student who searches for any occasion to celebrate and any excuse to bake.

Raspberry White Chocolate Scones (Makes 12) This recipe has been adapted from the original in an effort to simplify it for home baking.

2 cups plus 6 Tbsp all-purpose flour 1 tsp salt Scant 1/4 cup sugar 1 Tbsp baking powder 1/2 cup butter, chilled and cut into cubes 1 cup buttermilk (if you do not have buttermilk, you can simply make your own by using regular milk, and replacing 1 Tbsp of the milk with 1 Tbsp of lemon juice) 2 eggs 1/4 cup chopped white chocolate 1/2 cup frozen raspberries, do not thaw (or more if you fancy) Turbinado sugar for sprinkling (optional)

Preheat your oven to 425 °F In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder. Toss in the cubes of chilled butter. Use your fingers to mix the butter into the flour, breaking the cubes into smaller pieces until they are about the size of peas.

Don’t completely blend it in; you should still be able to see chunks of butter in the mixture.

Toss in the white chocolate chunks and frozen raspberries and toss gently to disperse them into the flour mixture. In a small bowl, whisk the egg into the buttermilk. Pour the liquid ingredients into the flour mixture and stir together very gently until the flour is just moistened. Do not over mix or you will break down the berries too much, resulting a muddy pink wad of tough dough.

Using an ice cream scoop or two large spoons, drop portions of dough onto parchment lined baking sheets. You should end up with about 12 scones. If you like, sprinkle them with sugar to add a lovely crunchy top to them. I like to use turbinado (also known as raw) sugar, but whatever you have on hand will do. Pop the tray into the oven, and bake for about 12-15 minutes until they are nice and golden brown on the outside, and on the bottoms as well. Best enjoyed warm with butter and a cup of tea.

Larissa Costella Weal Writer

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arissa is a baking and pastry arts student who searches for any occasion to celebrate and any excuse to bake.

My time as a SAIT student is coming to an end, and I cannot help but reflect on all that has transpired over the past two years. The Baking and Pastry Arts program had been a dream of mine for many years. Once I earned my spot, I was determined to soak up as much delicious knowledge as I possibly could, and enjoy every moment and taste all the things.

I believe I have accomplished that goal.

I have made some pretty incredible desserts/works of art that I never could have imagined myself making, including an Eiffel Tower made out of chocolate, a tiki bar built out of gingerbread, a massive croquembouche tower strung with spun sugar, a four-tiered wedding cake with handmade gum paste flowers, stuffed croissants, fancy donuts... holy guacamole!

Why, it seems like only yesterday I was a wide eyed, naive first year student who was dying to know one thing and one thing only: what would be the first thing I get to bake at baking school?! The ultimate question, no doubt.

After a few weeks of safety, theory, lecture classes and getting accustomed to wearing baggy checkered pants, my classmates and I were very anxious to get

in the kitchen and MAKE SOMETHING. That something turned out to be Raspberry and White Chocolate Scones, a recipe for which I would not normally get too excited over as I’m more of a dark chocolate kind of gal. But instead, the humble recipe became one of great sentiment: my first bake at baking school. Dear Diary!

The romance started to wear off only slightly when we had to re-make that recipe several times that week, using different flours and sugars to gain a better understanding of ingredient functions. I found all of it incredibly fascinating, but if you mention Raspberry White Chocolate Scones to some of my classmates, I can visualize the eye rolls you might receive.

Nevertheless, these simple scones will forever hold a special significance in my heart and kitchen. They symbolize the beginning down a new and exciting path, paving the way for more baking, more recipes and more delicious experiments.

What better way to reflect upon the past two years of baking school at SAIT than with the very first recipe that got it all rollin’. I like to think the red colour of the raspberries flecked throughout is a nice nod to one of the colours of our institution.

If nothing else, they will at least make a cozy addition to your baking repertoire, something sweet to nibble with a mug of tea or coffee on a lazy Sunday.

Happy baking!

Upcoming s Event SOUTH TRIVIA: PARK

WED 04.11 THU 04.12

ELECTRIC SIX

FRI 04.20

LAST CLASS BASH!

SAT 04.21

WED 04.25

ROYAL TUSK

HIGH KICKS FEVER FEEL SC MIRA & DAYSORMAY

SAT 04.28

TUES 05.01

CALGARY FOLK FEST PRESENTS:

DONOVAN WOODS DAVID BECKINHAM

WED 05.02

BORN RUFFIANS

SAT 05.05

WHALE & THE WOLF

SAT 05.12

MRG PRESENTS:

TESSERACT WITH PLINI SAT 05.19

DOUBLE FUZZ

ALERT THE MEDIC SUN 05.27

SENSES FAIL DENOTES FREE WITH SAIT OR ACAD STUDENT ID

MONDAY TO FRIDAY

9AM - 10PM 18+, LEGAL ID REQUIRED. THIS EVENT IS OPEN TO ALL SAIT STUDENTS, STAFF, FACULTY, ALUMNI, MEMBERS, & GUESTS. PLEASE VISIT SAITSA.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION.

PRESENT:

LAST

CLASS

BASH ROYAL TUSK HIGH KICKS WITH

&

APRIL 20, 2018 POOL - ARCADE MACHINE - JENGA - CONNECT 4 - FOOSBALL GAMES & PRIZING GIVEAWAYS | FREEBIE FRIDAY 18+, LEGAL ID REQUIRED. THIS EVENT IS OPEN TO ALL SAIT STUDENTS, STAFF, FACULTY, ALUMNI, MEMBERS, AND GUESTS. PLEASE VISIT SAITSA.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION.