November 2017

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NOVEMBER 2017

MATHILDA LAMBERT Versatility & Meaningful Connections

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Business Wear in the 90s Elevating Your Ramen to the Next Level

KIDS THESE DAYS Originals vs. Remakes Millennial Myths Debunked The Real Cost of an iPhone 8


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NOVEMBER 2017

CONTENTS 7

SOCIAL STUDIES How Influential Are the Kardashians?

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FASHION Business Wear in the 90s

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FYI Elevate Your Ramen

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millennial myths

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what meme are you?

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the real cost of an

CLUBS corner Lazy Faire Magazine

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meet the team

EXTERNAL RELATIONS Emerson Csorba

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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT Mathilda Lambert

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editor’s note

THOUGHT VS. THOUGHT Originals Vs. Remakes

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Guest Article

iphone 8

BAA Case Competition 20

lf reviews Being Vegan for 3 Days

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lazy chat Robb Sombach

cover designed by FATIMA MOHAMED cover photographed by DYLAN WEE leaf thrower LINH TRIEU


EDITOR’S NOTE Another year, another November, and another fall season that didn’t get a chance to truly leave its mark. November is an interesting month because it’s packed with midterms and assignments, but a magical thing happens halfway through. Fall Reading Week. I’m always excited for anything that involves me lazying around. Another equally interesting topic: Millennials. The theme for November’s issue, aptly named “Kids These Days”, explores all things millennials. Raise your hand if you’ve read at least one article blaming millennials for ruining something. I personally don’t get all the hate, because every

new generation brings with it change. With all the things happening in the world, millennials have been a positive force to make things better. Whether it is the environment, equality, or technology, I would argue millennials have been doing their best with what they’ve been given. And unlike Edmonton’s fall season, millennials are always hustling to leave their mark on the world. They are dreamers. So, here’s to enjoying avocado toast, quality memes, and living your life to the fullest.

FATIMA FARAH MOHAMED Editor-in-Chief

CONTRIBUTORS editor-in-chief

fatima mohamed

vp editorial

victoria chiu rodvie barnachea

writers

rahique um maktoom handoo meghan markowski lindsay rainbow elizabeth jun francesca dela cruz makena kigunda delicia goh michael mytrunec

art director

joanna faddoul

designers

richard bagan betty vo marina bryan elysse peralta

photographers

renee yu dylan wee giselle wong richard chen

vp communications

haya masri

communications director

richard chen

multimedia director

richard bagan

events director

wajiha islam

vp external

elizabeth jun

#suitslf director

giselle wong

sponsored by

xerox canada priority printing

special thanks to

diana wyley business alumni association

contact us

uofalazyfaire@gmail.com www.lazyfaire.com

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Meet the Team

Richard Bagan Multimedia Director

I’m Richard Bagan, I love photography and videography. I am looking forward to a great year as the Lazy Faire Director of Multimedia. Outside of Lazyfaire I am a marketing major in my 4th year of studies at the University of Alberta School of Business. In my spare time I cheer for the University of Alberta Golden Bears and Pandas sports teams.

Makena Kigunda Writer

Makena is a motivated undergraduate student at the Alberta School of Business, pursuing a Business Economics and Finance degree. Alongside classes, she has become involved in numerous campus initiatives based in social entrepreneurship, journalism, and female empowerment. On campus, you can spot Makena in eHUB, the university’s start-up incubator, or in the library working off her laptop. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and writing prose, and is excited to create some great content for the Lazy Faire!

Betty Vo Designer

Hi everyone, I am Betty and I am a designer for the magazine. Currently, I am a 4th year student in Business Economics and Law. My loves in life are 3-hour naps, good food and dogs. Fun fact about me is my friends love to claim that I can out eat the average human being at all-you-can-eat-restaurants. 6


SOCIAL STUDIES The Kardashians are perhaps one of the most disputed celebrities in Hollywood - most

people either hate or love them. On one hand, they are considered untalented, dramatic, and ludicrous. Yet, despite the controversial debates, it is undeniable that the Kardashians are major pop culture influencers and trendsetters, while being business magnates.

KEEPING UP WITH THE KARDASHIANS We’ve all heard of this show, and we’ve all seen at least part

of it, if not all of it. Perhaps your greatest guilty pleasure, this reality TV show revolves around family feuds and provides insight into the Kardashians’ lavish spending and celebrity friends. Notorious for its “famous for being famous” concept and lack of substance, the show has received heavy criticism that has surprisingly attracted an influx of curious viewers. To some people, it is garbage and a waste of time. However, the show has been on air since 2007 with 14 seasons to date, which means that people still watch as the Kardashians continue to make headlines. Having generated over 125 million dollars over the past ten years, the Kardashian’s success is not only measured by the earnings they have achieved, but also through the numerous endorsements, brand marketing, and ability to remain in the forefront of the audiences’ mindset. They have revolutionized modern entertainment by creating content based on overt dramatization and inconsequential first-world problems. Keeping Up with the Kardashians is undeniably one of the most active pop culture shows that sparks mass speculation while simultaneously causing the media, beauty, and fashion industries to boom.

HOW INFLUENTIAL ARE THE KARDASHIANS? written by DELICIA GOH designed by JOANNA FADDOUL

THE FAMILY Together, the Kardashians have built a family empire with its prominent media and

social influence. Some say that Kim is the reason that the Kardashians became a brand. That’s unsurprising, considering her vast contribution to media attention throughout the years: the you-know-what controversies, her marriage and divorce with Kris Humphries, her pregnancies, the Paris robbery incident, and the list goes on. In 2011, Kim’s marriage to Kris received global media awareness. While headlining dozens of magazine covers, the reality stars were paid over two million dollars in sponsorships for wedding photos, while attracting 10.5 million viewers. The Kardashians are experts at optimizing media publicity, and this can be seen through Kim’s success of extending her fame to a fragrance and clothing line - along with an e-commerce shoe business with a valuation of over 280 million dollars. In recent years, the Kendall and Kylie sisters have shaken the fashion and beauty industry evermore by publicizing their styles through social media. Most prominently, Kylie’s classic mauve matte lips were one of the biggest trends in 2016 - and continues to be today . With the viral Kylie Jenner Lip Challenge and cosmetic line that made nearly half a billion dollars in 18 months, Kylie’s beauty regime is one of the greatest social influences that has even been seen. Aside from the beauty line, Kylie also started a clothing line with her sister Kendall, who is the third-highest paid model in the fashion industry. Undoubtedly, the extent of the Kardashians’ influence is one of the most powerful social and economic drivers of the beauty, fashion, media, and entertainment industries. Despite the controversial remarks surrounding the Kardashians, we have to admit that whatever they’re doing, they’re doing it right. 7


FASHION

BACK 2 BUSINESS BUSINESS WEAR IN THE 90S With the amount of chokers, denim-on-denim wear, crop tops, and grunge fashion of the 90s that have resurfaced as trends in 2017, whether you sport the casual look or not— it is here to stay. On the flip side, how about business attire? Do you remember those gnarly shoulder pads, pearl strands, velvet headbands, and the oversized power suits that of course came in shades of neon? Tweed jackets, turtleneck sweaters, blouses with ribbons accompanied with shaggy and feathered coiffures, or dark makeup palette tones (think Melanie Griffith in the movie Working Girl )? You might think, “how horrendous! I would never think of wearing such ensembles.”

Fear not, my fellow Fashionistas. Business wear in the 90s is still incorporated in trendy office wear today. Rethink muted colors of navy, beige, and a black turtleneck topped off with a smart, slim-fitted blazer and pants. Chic. A tweed powersuit may be overwhelming, so stick with a colorful tweed blazer ( à la Chanel ), toned down with solid dress pants and nude heels to elevate your business professional look. High waisted dress pants can be flattering when worn with a thin patent leather belt, paired with a tucked in white blouse polished off by a structured blazer. The late 80s and 90s were crazy with bright color; a bright red matching suit would not be appropriate for your next business event. However, you can still inject a pop of color in your attire through statement coats or printed blouses inside your blazers for an element of surprise. Personally, one trend I wish would resurface are pearls. Not Mardi Gras-esque strands, but subtle choices of classic pearl stud earrings, or a single strand over your cashmere sweater, or even a pearl brooch on a heavy duffle coat can soften and glam up a drab ensemble.

90s vs. NOW

written by FRANCECSA DELA CRUZ designed by ELYSSE PERALTA

Trends come and go. Neon will be in on Monday. Before you know it, black is the new orange again. If you want to rock a piece from the 90s or even the 30s, it’s all about how you personally style it to look modern, classy, and of course professional. Business attire today does not have to be confined within greys, blacks, and neutral tones. Be reminded from the 90s that a little pop of colour helps you stand out in a crowd (hint: red bottom shoes *wink*). 8


FYI

HOW TO ELEVATE YOUR RAMEN trading in your instant noodle collection for the uncooked or fresh Ramen is always there for you. variant. The best part about ramen Steady, reliable, convenient, and noodles is that they come in their cheap. What else can you ask for thin diameter, which means, instant or not, you won’t spend much time from a food item of choice? waiting. Let’s be honest. Whether you like the taste of instant noodles or not, #BuytheBroth ramen is the go-to-dish for when Now that you have the noodle your body’s running low on energy, selection figured out, considered and your bank account’s running what your bathing ‘em in. Stepping red on cash. This is especially true up your ramen game from water for those of us who live outside to broth changes the narrative the comfort of our parents’ home- completely. And there’s not just cooked meals. Ramen can serve as one kind! Whether you flavour the study sustenance, weekend leftovers, base with chicken, beef, or another and late night snacks all at one go. kind of stock, you’ve just taken For student life, staple or not, that your ramen to the next level. You gets old real quick. might also consider changing up the consistency by adding starch as But worry no longer, Lazy Faire a thickener. has got you covered. Whether you’ve had enough of the same-old- #KickItUpANotch noodles, or just want to switch it up, we’re here with five creative ways to A sure proof way to spice up your dish is to do just that… add spice. elevate your ramen. That extra sriracha has to go somewhere. Another seasoning #NotetheNoodle classic is miso, or shoyu ( Japanese When you’re building a house, you soy-sauce) for the tamed tastebuds. start with the foundation. When It’s often the smallest additions that you’re cooking up some ramen, create the largest flavour profiles. flavour starts at the noodle. Try Ramen.

#PreptheProtein One way to make your meal more substantive, is to prep some protein to add along to it. Whether that’s eggs, seafood, pork, or Alberta beef, a little protein can go a long way. Your ravenous stomach will thank you for it. #TopitOff Ultimately, how you elevate your noodles is bound by your own creativity. Try your turn experimenting in the kitchen and see what comes out of it. You can top off your ramen platter with spring vegetables, sesame seeds, or whatever feels right to you. Remember you can eat on a budget, and eat right too. #ShareYourServing Use #elevateyourramen and tag @lazyfairemagazine on social media platforms to show us how you bring the dorm to the dining table! written by MAKENA KIGUNDA designed by BETTY VO 9


THOUGHT VS. THOUGHT

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The recent golden child of Disney, Frozen, has shown that the conglomerate has not entirely run out of ideas. Frozen had a novel story line and a fresh take on the classic conflict in most princess movies. The main characters didn’t need “true love’s kiss.” The movie’s soundtrack was also internationally acclaimed, winning an Oscar for Best Original Song. Disney’s final glimmer of creativity was awarded as Frozen became the ninth highest-grossing film of all time.

et’s flash back to the year 2001. I’m five years old and I’m sitting on the carpet of my cousin’s Calgary home, where, ironically, their residence is in a neighbourhood called “Anaheim.” I’m watching, for maybe the sixth time that day, The Lion King. If you were to ask that child what the ending of the 2019 version of The Lion King would be, he’d probably say (spoiler alert), “Mufasa dies, Simba is raised by Timon From a strictly entertainment perspective, originals and Pumbaa, and Simba becomes king.” defeat their doppelgängers. Remakes are expected to follow the same script and are criticized for changing Remakes are predictable. Originals keep their audiences the narrative.. contained in the unknown, producing feelings of anticipation as they await what the next scene will If you were to ask twenty-year-old me today if I were present. excited for the upcoming Lion King film, I’d respond, “No, I’ve seen it before.” Disney has been reduced to remakes and sequels. Beauty and the Beast (2017), The Jungle Book (2016), writted by RODVIE BARNACHEA and Finding Dory come to mind as films that have relied on their predecessors to garner respectable box office earnings. You might be asking, “Why did Beauty and the Beast (2017) earn over one billion dollars if originals are better than remakes?” Simply put, the technology of today allows the gap between animation and liveaction to be virtually non-existent. Gone are the days when productions were forced to rely on low-budget costumes. CGI allowed a real-life Belle to co-exist with a legitimate and perfect Beast. Audiences purchase tickets because they’re able to relate and observe an Emma Watson act and move with human tendencies as opposed to a drawing created in Disney Studios. But if you were to tell me before I watched the 2017 rendition that the rose curse would not be broken, I’d think you were joking. Merchandise is also an excellent indicator of the influence of originals. Every Halloween, little Snow Whites, Cinderellas, and Ariels make their ways around the world collecting treats. 1938, 1950, and 1989 were the respective release years of each of those characters’ movies. Those four-foot-tall Ariels are probably younger than twenty-eight years old. The impact of those films have gone through generations, making the release of remakes look more like unnecessary money grabs. 10

s l a n i g i Or


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hen I say Beauty and the Beast, do you think of the cartoon or Emma Watson? When I say Charlie (Willy Wonka) and the Chocolate Factory, who is Willy Wonka to you? Do the words Ocean’s 11 spark images of Brad Pitt’s perfect jawline or Frank Sinatra’s dreamy eyes? What about Cheaper by the Dozen? Did you even know that the 2005 film is a remake of the original 1950 film?

designed by FATIMA MOHAMED

s e k a m Re

What I love about remakes is that they bring great movie classics back to life. There’s no denying that original films will always hold the honor of being the first, but as time moves forward, even the best of films can be forgotten. When Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory opened in 1971, it was well-loved. But if this version played in a theatre today, would it be enjoyed just as much? Notwithstanding the fact that it would be hyped as an “original” film, I doubt it would hold the same magic for viewers as it did when it was first released. A lot has improved in film-making technology since 1971. Consequently, our expectations are now higher. When I was younger, my favourite princess of all time was Belle from Beauty and the Beast. Today, my little 8-year-old cousin shares this same love. However, I grew up with the 1991 Disney cartoon version, and she is growing up with the 2017 film. Is my experience better than hers because I saw the original? Of course not! We both love Belle because she’s strong and kind (and has brown hair like we do). Even if how the story was presented to us was different, the magic the story brings is the same. But this leads to the question, would my little cousin feel this same magic if she watched the 1991 movie instead? No, I don’t think she would. Unlike when I was a kid, she has grown up with movies like Frozen and Moana, where the graphics are of such high quality that anything below this standard would seem disappointing and out of place. For the story to affect

her in the same way it affected me, it needs to be told in the medium she is accustomed to. This is not to say that the original Beauty and the Beast is inferior to the 2017 remake, but rather that each are better suited to different generations. It’s obvious that movies chosen to be remade have a magic quality. But, it is “remakes” that ensure this magic is everlasting. Remakes allow these classic movies to stand the test of time, giving all generations the opportunity to be enchanted by the story behind them.

written by MEGHAN MARKOWSKI 11


STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

MATHILDA LAMBERT

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written by MICHAEL MYTRUNEC designed by FATIMA MOHAMED photographed by DYLAN WEE


Mathilda Lambert is versatile in every sense of the word. Her long list of experiences includes working as a TA for BUS 202, planning weddings at the U of A Botanical Gardens, representing Victoria’s Secret/Pink as a campus rep, and serving as the President of the UAMA. This month, Lazy Faire got to speak with her about all her amazing pursuits. As someone in the Bilingual BCom program, what’s it like studying in another language? To start, I have kind of always studied in another language. I was born and raised in France and moved here when I was 11 years old. Moving here, not speaking English, I did all of my schooling in Francophone schools. It wasn’t actually until my second year that I took my first course fully in English. Looking at my options, it made sense to go with the Bilingual BCom program and I really valued the opportunity to continue my education in French until the very end. Has that helped as a TA for BUS 202? I think I have an advantage as a TA in that all of my students have English as a second language and I can relate to that having gone through a language adjustment myself. I think it makes me more approachable and helps with understanding and patience. Have you learned anything in that position? A lot. It has definitely opened my eyes to cultural barriers and a lot of the things you have to go through as an international student. Overall, it’s just been nice to have different conversations with all my students. What attracted you to UAMA, and what is it like being in charge? What attracted me at first was that I was a marketing major going in my first year of business, which is what kind of drove my interest, but I think what really kept me interested over the years is the team aspect. It hasn’t really been about having something that I can put on my resume but really having a home away from home. The UAMA team is a great support to have within Business and I think a lot of people can agree that they found a group that really matches their values. That’s UAMA for me. As for being the leader, I have really enjoyed the experience and it is definitely not something I thought I would do when I applied in my first year to be a director. I grew really attached to the club and I think it is going so well because it is something that I really care about. There is always something more than you can do than just what is expected out of your position and that is definitely what I am trying to do as a leader. It is definitely a learning experience being

in a leadership position but the strong teambuilding makes it so much easier. Could you tell me about your summer job? Over the summer I got the opportunity to be the Assistant Wedding Coordinator for the University of Alberta Botanical Gardens. I oversaw a team of about ten people and I think my experience in leading other teams and giving guidance has really helped me. In planning weddings, I was in charge of someone’s most important day. There was a lot of highs and lows in the job as you were very very stressed wanting everything to go perfect and you had to have compassion to put yourself in [the client’s] shoes but at the same time it was a very rewarding experience seeing everything executed the way [the client] wanted it to be. What do you do as a campus representative for Victoria’s Secret/Pink? The goal is to keep the brand relevant on campus. We act as an extension of the marketing team and a link between the brand and the student demographic. How has your education helped you with everything you’ve done? I think the soft skills and salesmanship that you learn in business helped a lot. The role is University of Alberta wide and you have to step back and look at the campus as a whole and take a different approach than you would [if you were] just approaching business students. I think it’s a great way to close out my last year in school in that I am engaging with students not only in the faculty but throughout the school as a whole. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received? There’s two that I can think of. The first is typical: get out of your comfort zone and try things that will scare you and challenge you. You are only a university student for so many years and the worst thing that can happen is you don’t like it and do something different. Another piece of advice that I think is important is that your time is very valuable and you need to learn to say “no.” It’s nice to keep busy but you do need to draw the line and remember to enjoy the small things in life. You will never regret having a couple of hours to relax or watch your favourite Netflix show. 13


EXTERNAL RELATIONS

EMERSON CSORBA

written by MAKENA KIGUNDA designed by BETTY VO photograph provided

Meet Emerson Csorba, a University of Alberta Philosophy alumnus. An involved student, Emerson served as Vice President Academic of the Student’s Union, founded a student-run online magazine called The Wanderer, and launched a recruiting company that has evolved into an international consulting group. Emerson has since gone onto complete a Masters of Philosophy in Education at Cambridge, and is currently enrolled at Oxford pursuing a doctorate in Theology. An avid writer, his work has been featured in the Harvard Business Review, New York Times, and Globe and Mail. Come April 2018, Emerson will publish his first manuscript: one that focuses on the importance of solitude in millennial culture. In your upcoming book, Millennials in the Modern Workforce, you touch upon themes including personal reflection and solitude in a hyper-connected society. What do you hope millennials take away from your novel? Society values productivity, taking action in the world, and doing things that have outcomes attached to them—solitude does not fall within that paradigm. Solitude is less about taking action and more about being, and finding who you are as an individual. Spending time in solitude often becomes a source of anxiety, because a person can’t really quantify it, or say that it gives them short term measurable results. Solitude needs to be deliberate, but the person also should embrace the fact that it’s not necessarily going to feel good. It’s not something a person can really see as productive even though in the long term, it is. Is this something that has been the core of your research through schooling? The philosophy that I did at the U of A was an introduction. I was heavily influenced by a professor, Don Carmichael, and he got me really interested in these topics. Part of it came out of business work as well, and growing increasingly critical of the millennial narrative: where many of my peers are all about progress, achieving their potential, doing more, and taking action. The whole Nike saying of “just do it”—that’s part of our culture. It’s about seeing the benefit in that but also seeing a lot of the anxiety it produces, and thinking about the extent to which individuals are responsible for that anxiety, 14

as well as the extent to which structural issues contribute to the challenges that people face. Even about the fact that more people go to university nowadays than in the past, the way in which courses are set up with large classrooms, that there’s less time for dialogue, and there’s more focus competition on competition and grades. I guess what I’m saying is that part of this has been informed by business and part of it has been informed by philosophy. Aside from being an author, you are also an entrepreneur, cofounder of The Wanderer, and Csorba & Co. Ltd, a consulting company. What does Csorba & Co. offer it’s clients and how did you enter the field of consulting? A large number of people around me had run companies and they were influential in helping me get around the idea that it’s actually possible to start a business. The first contract that we had was $1000 dollars. That became $2000, then $4000. We got a $20K project and it just kind of went from there. So growth has been organic in that sense. The service we provide is a combination of social network analysis and scraping social media data, then making sense of that. It comes with a lot of research: the more scholarly for the more academic clients. Then, a lot of network building. What do you think are the benefits of hyper-connectivity and immediacy & do they outweigh the cons?


It’s possible to meet somebody online, get to know them over the course of the year, work on projects with them, and have that report before you meet in person. That would not have been possible 30, or even 20, years ago and now it’s seamless. Our constant connectedness also contributes to people thinking more about their stories. For some people it’s fun. It’s fun to do that, and they build their personal brand. So in some ways, all these things are really good. What I think it takes away, ironically in many cases, is a real individualism. It’s possible, in people’s efforts, to curate personal brands: to portray themselves in a particular manner for a particular audience that they think about what other people want to see. They think at a superficial level about the kind of experiences they’ve acquired, the things that they’re interested in, and how those things can be tied together and showcased. I think that’s a real problem, because a person can then live in cheap security. They can be content with portraying themselves in a manner that receives validation from others, so it feels good. It feels like the person is on the right track, but in many cases they’re not. There’s a stress in this activity, in having to portray oneself and spend time online and in online conversation. I’m not sure that is as beneficial for that person in the long-term as actually spending time alone, and asking, “who am I? What kind of things do I care about? Am I moving in a direction that is right for me?” Do the cons outweigh the pros? I’ve argued it in a New York Times piece that they do. The familiarity with one’s self, with

who a person is, is the basis for taking action in a way that is meaningful, and that actually endures. Action is really important. But that sort of reflection needs to be there. And when it’s not? It makes it really difficult for a person to have solidity in their lives—doing things but on a precarious foundation. How does your awareness of the importance of being an individual first shape your personal approach to goal setting, work-life balance, and solitude? One of the lessons entrepreneurship has taught me is things take time. Patience is really important, especially when a person is going after clients. When they have to do business development, it’s really important to work with clients that share similar values and vision. It may lead to actually forgo projects that might be lucrative, financially, where those other points aren’t there. What one piece of advice would you give to students & young professionals who are just entering the workforce? Be serious, but too serious. I’ll explain that. To be serious means a person should put as much effort as they possibly can in things that deeply matter to them. But they should not be too serious, in that they do not take themselves too seriously and understand that things take time.

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CLUBS CORNER

written by VICTORIA CHIU designed by ELYSSE PERALTA

CRE TEA ATIVI M INN WORK TY OVA TIO N What’s more quintessentially millennial than self-centredness? Nothing, according to all those clickbaity articles written by jaded old people. So often we try to have about us, but ridiculous perceptions. Faire is going to be

debunk the goofy, overblown myths non-millennials every once in awhile it’s nice to indulge in the And that’s why, for this month’s Clubs Corner, Lazy profiling itself.

So, what is Lazy Faire? It’s a magazine for business students by business students, yes, and it’s also a club. The club is comprised of a group of people, from designers to writers to editors to videographers, who produce the content you’re reading right now. We have a website, lazyfaire.com, where our back issues are uploaded. We also have an Instagram account, @lazyfairemagazine, where we upload our #SuitsLF features of business students and their stories. Follow us, because again: what’s more millennial than social media obsession? Usually for these things, we’d do an interview with some of the executives of the club, and they’d tell us all about the importance of the work they do, what they bring to students, and their ultimate goals. Because in the most meta way possible I’m an editor, an executive member, a nd a writer, though, I’m just going to interview myself. You read that right. So, without further ado: this is Lazy Faire, and you’re reading our Clubs Corner on ourselves. 16


What do you want people to know when they ask what Lazy Faire does?

How do you figure out what subjects will be covered in upcoming magazines?

First and foremost, Lazy Faire is a publication run by volunteer business students. We meet every month to come up with editorial ideas and assign articles to writers: who work with their editors to make sure the content is ready for publishing. We publish our magazines IRL first; they go up on stands within the business building, and are then uploaded to our website after their in-person debut.

We have a list of themes for the year that we set out before the fall semester. When we do our monthly brainstorming sessions with our writers, we build off those themes to come up with articles that we think will interest our readers. This is also when we narrow down Student Spotlight nominations, determine our Thought vs. Thought debate questions, and figure out what item we’ll be scrutinizing for our LF Reviews segment. It takes around twenty people brainstorming like crazy for an hour straight to come up with a list of ideas that we can narrow down to our final assignments! Then, we assign writers and photographers to each story and work up to our deadlines to have everything ready for printing.

We like to write about matters that are relevant to business students, but that’s a broad spectrum of topics. Business students aren’t only interested in, say, investing and what the DJIA closed at yesterday, or whether or not their portfolio is going to beat the S&P 500 this year. They are, like virtually all other students worldwide, interested in tons of different topics: pop culture, current trends, new movies, and important topical social debates. We cover those, too, so each magazine has a wide variety of topics for a wide variety of readers. That said, we do focus on business—more specifically, the people currently in and who have come from the Faculty of Business at the U of A. We do Student Spotlights, where we highlight current students doing interesting work while maintaining their studies. As well, we do External Relations and Lazy Chats, where we speak with personnel who have real-world business experience. All of these elements come together to form what we as a team hope to be interesting, worthwhile reading material month after month after month. What makes Lazy Faire from other ASoB clubs?

different

We’re the student-run print publication of the clubs. If you’re a creative person and love to take photos, design pages, or write about all kinds of different topics and interview established business professionals, we’re your group. Few other clubs at ASoB offer the amount of different creative opportunities and positions that Lazy Faire does, mainly because of the nature of producing a magazine from scratch every thirty-odd days.

What other activities does Lazy Faire do, aside from printing the magazine? We do this event called “Point, Power, Shoot” every year, where we set up shop in ECHA and give students the opportunity to have really high-quality, clear photos taken of themselves in business attire for whatever purpose they’d like—LinkedIn, Facebook, or whatever floats their boat—for a donation amount of their choice. If you’re looking for a fun, affordable opportunity to have profesh photos taken of yourself or a group of friends, keep updated for announcements on that event and show up looking as sharp as you’d like! How do students get involved with Lazy Faire? Aside from reading our magazines and interacting with us online or via social media, you can always email us at https:// www.lazyfaire.com/contact-us if you have a question or want to potentially look into writing for us. You can also use that page to nominate students who you think would be great fits for our monthly Student Spotlights, where there’s an embedded form on the page specifically for that purpose. I mean, we don’t know every student in the entire faculty, and we love hearing about the awesome work our fellow business students are doing—so hit us up! We don’t bite. 17


written by JESSA ACO (BAA) & ELIZABETH JUN designed by FATIMA MOHAMED

GUEST ARTICLE

BAA CASE COMPETITION

Can you start by telling us what the case competition is about? the room. There were interesting questions that came up, especially Who is it for, who organizes it, and what is its purpose? during the Q&A portion, with the judges. What’s top-of-mind is how companies would deal with the unintended consequences of The inaugural BAA Student & Alumni Un-Case Competition is AI due to the sheer complexity of human value systems. In the a product of the Business Alumni Association’s (BAA) effort to presentations themselves, a research slide on the top five jobs that elevate innovation, lifelong learning, and mentorship. The vision will be replaced by artificial technologies also stood out to me. was to bring alumni and students together in cross-functional teams to work on a unique case surrounding a real-world disruptor What do you think was the highlight of the event? and present it to the attendees of the Alberta School of Business’ Alumni Weekend luncheon. The platform allowed alumni to The highlight was how some of the event participants went out for meaningfully connect with the school, the students, and fellow drinks at Earls after the awards ceremony of the competition! We alumni, which is the main purpose of the BAA. had no doubt the event would go well, but having students, alumni, and judges come together on their own for a little after party is a How did you go about recruiting judges and participants? cherry on top of a great day. Another highlight was the general interaction not only amongst the individual teams, but all the In terms of recruiting judges, we had a fantastic volunteer who teams together. Those that unfortunately did not make the finals was very involved in case competitions during his undergraduate showed their interest and support for the finalists by watching their years and was passionate about reaching out to the BAA’s pool of presentations. This was also due to the fantastic judging panel we connections as well as his own. The call for participants — both had for the finals. students and alumni — happened weeks before the event. We used various marketing methods to drive traffic to the event website: What would you change if you could? an email invitation to student and alumni mailing lists, social media including our brand new Instagram account (@ualbertabaa), There are multiple alumni that had great insights to share about word of mouth, and reaching out to existing mentorship program cognitive technologies as part of their line of work. Although they participants. couldn’t make it to the event, videos that showcase their opinion on the topic could have been a value-add to the students and alumni Did you have any trouble reaching out to the alumni and getting at the case competition. them to participate? This is the first time the BAA has organized an event like this. No, we found that there was a lot of excitement around the event How did the idea come about? Will this be an annually recurring from both students and alumni. We were able to recruit a complete event in the future? set of 12 teams on competition day! This year, the BAA decided to do something different as its signature Can you tell me more about the topic of the case as well event. In the past, the BAA held an annual dinner that looked a as something that you found really interesting during the lot like many of the business dinners in the community. With the presentations? BAA Innovation Challenge being a huge success the year prior, the board believed that Alberta School of Business alumni and Artificial intelligence was the perfect topic for this “un-case” stakeholders wanted to continue experiencing new and innovative competition! It captured people’s interest due to how imminent and programs. Lifelong learning and mentorship are two key reasons impactful it could be in the very near future from the perspective of why alumni continue to stay connected with the school, and this employees and employers. People hear about cognitive technologies event was a perfect way to combine the two. The feedback from a lot, but not everyone understands it. Seeing some in-depth the case competition and Alumni Weekend luncheon encourages discussions about it was very insightful and valuable to everyone in us to bring it back again in the future — the timing is yet to be determined! 18


written by FRANCESCA DELA CRUZ written by LINDSAY RAINBOW designed by RICHARD BAGAN designed by JOANNA FADDOUL

MILLENNIAL MYTHS

Millennials: Born between 1981 and 1997 How many times have you heard the same comments about millennials? We’re lazy. We don’t understand “real music.” We’re addicted to our phones. We don’t appreciate nature and books and board games. I bring you the definitive but unofficial list of myths about millennials: Myth: Millennials are addicted to their phones. Reality: We’re not addicted to our phones. We’re addicted to the connection that phones give us – to other people, the internet, information, and the world. Nothing wrong with that! Myth: Millennials just throw things away instead of fixing them, fueling consumerism and materialism. Reality: Millennials are actually some of the biggest advocates for both environmentalism and minimalism – we’re the ones buying local, fair trade, high-quality goods that last, and we don’t have mansions to store all of our accumulated stuff (read: trash) in. Myth: Millennials love the Kardashians. Reality: Millennials love to hate the Kardashians. It’s like watching a pile of garbage burn – they’re horrifying but beautiful, and we just can’t look away. Myth: Millennials only care about what people think of them and use social media to portray a false identity. Reality: Millennials are some of the most authentic and vocal when it comes to real issues. We’re not afraid of what people think! We’re also not afraid to call BS when something isn’t right. We’ll raise our voices on issues like feminism, race relations, mental health, and other “taboo” subjects that our parents cringe to even think about. Myth: Millennials love to preach from their vegan, glutenfree, non-GMO, sugar-free pedestals. Reality: The majority of us still eat pizza and ice cream and bacon and flaming hot Cheetos. You just forget about us over the voices of a minority that like to push their super healthy lifestyles on everyone else. (I love cows too, but I love hamburgers more. #sorrynotsorry!)

Myth: Millennials have no appreciation for the “true” musical icons. Reality: Every generation has their Biggie Smalls. For my generation, it just happens to actually be Biggie Smalls. Let me live! Myth: Millennials are skeptics. Reality: The childhoods of the millennial generation were characterized by the war in Iraq and Afghanistan and the 2008 recession. You can’t blame us for viewing the world the way we do – if anything, we’re pragmatists. Myth: Millennials mooch off their parents and will live with them for as long as possible. Reality: Did I mention that we grew up during the recession? Gen X and the Baby Boomers didn’t do a great job of creating much financial security for us, and now as adults we are navigating higher interest rates and banks that don’t trust consumers – for good reason. But unfortunately that means we’re going to be more cautious when it comes to taking serious steps towards homeownership. Myth: Millennials are lazy. Reality: Millennials understand the importance of worklife balance more than any generation before them. Why? Because we’ve grown up in a time where mental illness is becoming de-stigmatized, and we’re open to discussing our struggles with anxiety and depression. We understand that our purpose is not to work until we die – it’s to live a full life: one that includes work, family, and personal time. Myth: Millennials are narcissistic. People like to call us “generation snowflake” and say that we’re overly sensitive – the reality is that previous generations were expected to swallow their emotions and be stone cold. Ignoring our humanity prevents us from establishing meaningful connections and being vulnerable with others. This vulnerability and authenticity is what allows us to connect with other people and build strong relationships. I suspect we’ll see longer-lasting marriages and better leaders and managers from our generation as a result of this. 19 19


LF REVIEWS

Being vegan for three days written by VICTORIA CHIU designed by MARINA BRYAN

I’m just going to start off by saying that being vegan really isn’t that hard. That said, it’s not necessarily easy for everyone, either. A lot of the ease of me being vegan for a few days without too many hiccups has to do with my normal day-to-day diet. Food-wise, I’m a person of consistency. I can eat the same thing day in and day out without ever getting tired of it. And I really, honestly don’t mind the taste of vegetables, even if they don’t have any kind of sauce on them (they taste better with sauce, but I digress). I eat this one brand of soup, like, five times a week without ever getting sick of it, and I’ve been doing that since I was fourteen. That’s six years. And that carries on for most of my diet when I’m eating at home in general, which mainly consists of brown rice, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, and roasted brussels sprouts. So if you’re not really a “consistency” person like me, you might have to put more effort than I did to do the whole “vegan for three days” challenge. I’m also lactose-intolerant and can’t stand the taste of cheese, so...there are two of the biggest standard temptations right there.

DAY 1 Breakfast:

Two bananas and a Naked brand Berry Blast smoothie

Lunch:

Salad ft. romaine lettuce, three stalks of chopped celery, two chopped carrots, and two handfuls of power greens from Costco with a red wine vinaigrette I made myself

Dinner:

Two cans of that soup I was talking about earlier (it’s Amy’s Lentil Soup, in case you were wondering—and yep, it’s vegan) with about a cup and a half of brown basmati rice

It’s really easy to eat vegan if you already have stuff that you like (ie. fruit) that’s vegan and just...eat more of it. If you don’t feel like you have to restart your diet from scratch, the change is mindless.

DAY 2 Breakfast:

A gigantic bowl of seedless red grapes

Lunch:

Stir-fried noodles with tofu

Dinner:

Steamed mixed vegetables with brown rice and a homemade fruit smoothie

An important caveat: I ate a lot these days. When you eat a lot of fruit and vegetables, it takes a lot more volume to fill you up than it does if you eat meat. It’s not a bad thing, just something to keep in mind.

DAY 3 Breakfast: Lunch: Dinner:

A bowl of oatmeal with sugar cinnamon A plate of pasta with tomato ragu Roasted brussels sprouts, baked sweet potato with maple syrup, brown rice, gravy, and ratatouille

Today was Thanksgiving. Surprisingly, aside from the turkey, my family’s entire meal was bizarrely already vegan without even planning for it. The universe works in mysterious ways.

Anyway: all in all, for me (and I have to stress the for me part), it wasn’t too hard to be vegan for three days. I ate more than usual, and I had to think a little more about what I ate. But if you make your own meals and plan what you want to chow down on ahead of time, it really, really isn’t as difficult as some people on the internet might make it seem. Viva la vegetable. 20


WHAT MEME ARE YOU ? It’s hard to resist having a little giggle upon seeing something extremely self-relatable that’s also shown in a simple, humourous way—a.k.a. a meme. It’s entertaining and comedic to scroll down Facebook or Instagram or see yourself tagged in a meme post by a friend and think to yourself “That is so me!” If you’re feeling stressed about schoolwork, extracurricular activities, social events, and jobs, don’t worry—you can meme yourself through it. Which meme below do you relate to the most?

written by FRANCECSA DELA CRUZ designed by BETTY VO

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written by GANIT SINGH designed by MARINA BRYAN

The Real Cost of an iPhone 8 When I was a kid, I was a diehard fan of gummy candies. Whenever the opportunity arose, I would go to the grocery store and spend all my spare change on those little delicious bites of goodness. Looking back, I realize now that I did this because I was getting a lot of value for my dollar. I wasn’t exactly hustling two jobs when I was nine, so whenever my dad felt like giving me $10 for lunch (Thanks, Dad), it meant I could use the money to buy 200 of the finest $0.05 candies that money could buy. There might not be a such thing as a free lunch, but you can get pretty close with gummy bears. Cheap candy has always been there for me in life, but of course not all things come so beautifully cheap. Recently I noticed that the new iPhone 8 came into the marketplace and when I looked at the prices, I was stunned. Off contract, a 16 GB iPhone 8 Plus is currently priced at $800 USD. And if you’re like me and have more than one song and two photos on your phone, you may be more interested in the 256 GB option, which is currently priced at $950 USD. $950 will fetch you 19,000 gummy worms, by the way, not that anybody is keeping track (#StomacheAche). This got me thinking, though: What is the opportunity cost of buying the latest iPhone? What else can you do with $950 USD? I took my search to the internet and listed the most noteworthy findings. In order to be fair, I decided only to list things that you can realistically purchase in Alberta. The prices varies from place to place, but I tried to keep my figured as accurate as possible. 1. 8,444 eggs

9. 6.3 Casio G-Shock watches

2. 1,820 pounds of white rice

10. 5.3 - 11.6 inch Chromebook laptops by Samsung

3. 562 junior chicken sandwiches from McDonald’s

11. 5 nights in Fairmont Hotel MacDonald

4. 135.71 basic T-shirts from H&M

12. 3.17 violins from Long & McQuade

5. 73 Cineplex movie tickets

13. 1.5-2 courses at the U of A

6. Roughly 20 tanks of gas

14. 1.61 round trip tickets to Toronto

7. 15.8 pairs of low top Converse sneakers

15. 1 share of Alphabet (parent company of Google)

8. 9.5 Motorola Moto G 16 GB, 4th generation cell phones

One of my favorite quotes comes from Warren Buffet, who once said that, “Price is what you pay, value is what you get.” I believe that whenever you spend money you have to make sure that you’re trying to maximize your well being. You should always be looking for ways to bring yourself the best payoff whenever your resources are limited, lest you fall short in meeting your needs and desires. I don’t know about you, but I would much rather have a good variation of some of the items on this list than a fancy phone that I’m just going to use to call people. Of course, everybody is different and has a different system of valuing goods. So will I buy the newest iPhone 8 Plus? Probably not. But will I buy 19,000 gummy bears? Let’s just say I’m considering my options. 22


LAZY CHAT

LAZY CHAT

ROBB SOMBACH While he’s an expert in technology and

computers, lecturer Robb Sombach’s persona and bright personality say more about him than just the digits and systems. He’s an individual who loves problem solving, learning, and encountering new perspectives. For this month’s issue, Lazy Faire had the opportunity to interview Robb to learn more about him as a person and the equally fascinating field of Management Information Systems. Our theme for this issue is millennials. As an MIS expert, is it more imperative for millennials or generations before them to be familiar with MIS? It’s a little late for previous generations. I always say in my MIS classes, “We’re not getting less technology.” Organizations want things to be faster and readily available. You hear things like “big data” and “analytics” and it all implies technology. I don’t believe any millennial can go into a job interview and not have technical skills. The trick is, how do you take that comfort and knowledge of computer systems? How do you bring that into a business and bring value? You studied anthropology in university. How did this help you with your transition into MIS? When I started going to school, there was no MIS. There were no computers back in the 70s and 80s. I value my anthropology degree. One thing that I found when I was

in those classes, is that it taught me how to think critically. It taught me how to look at the world from different perspectives. That’s so important, because we still deal with people every day. A lot of problems are people problems. It’s not the technology that’s the problem. Technology tells us exactly what we tell it to do. I wanted to be a high school teacher, and then I took an education-psych class and thought, “This is not for me.” Then I took an anthropology course and loved it: the history and human behavior concepts. But then I had to think, “How am I going to make a job out of this?” That’s when I went to NAIT and did MIS. It was perfect. At that time, the internet was starting to explode in the mid-90s, so I took my hobby and made it into a career path. So your degree helped you become a more well-rounded person? In this day and age, those “soft skills” such as trust, being honest, being able to admit that you don’t know something, and going out of your way to find the answer are not accounting-type skills. It’s about being a person and a professional. I think those are much more important. Technical skills are something we can learn, but my four years here at the U of A were really about those “soft skills.” If you had to explain it to someone who was interested in learning about MIS, what would you say?

MIS classes aren’t about the technology. Technology has already been done. There’s no way we’re going back to flip phones and keypads. Now, it’s about how to leverage those systems and using them to be successful in business. How do we figure out how technology is going to be used to do that? What I love about MIS is that it’s industry agnostic. Every industry has technology in it. No matter what it is: accounting, marketing, or oil and gas, MIS is about saying, “We know those tools are there; how can we make the best use out of them?” For the field as a whole, what is the most important thing to know about MIS? We can’t know everything. We have to communicate and work with people to understand problems. Problems are too big for us to understand individually. So with technology we have to ask questions. First, with the business, “What do you need?” Then we have to work together to come up with solutions. When we look at problems, we look at them with different ways. I may be older than you, but it doesn’t make my ideas right or your ideas wrong. It’s okay to not know everything. It’s okay to make mistakes. With MIS, we’re not going to get things right the first time; you have to be prepared to make mistakes. Asking questions and listening to answers is something that we all learn to become experts. written by RODVIE BARNACHEA designed by JOANNA FADDOUL photographed by RENEE YU

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