Capilano Courier | Vol. 52, Issue 2. by Capilano Courier

VOLUME 52, ISSUE NO.2

October '19 MODERN-DAY WICCANS - 13 REASONS WHY - UPCOMING CSU ELECTION - BEDROOM POP SENSATION YUNG HEAZY - TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION - FRINGE FESTIVAL REVIEWS - COOKING FOR ONE - NATAL CHARTS 101 - HOROSCOPES - MORE

letter from the editor

Happy (?) Halloween

RACHEL D'SA Editor-In-Chief

“You’re okay, sometimes.” - my parents Some of my fondest childhood memories revolve around waiting for my birthday party guests to arrive. Because my birthday is close to the holiday, my mom would put on the Halloween-themed CD and I would gleefully sit amongst the streamers and folding chairs, listening to the “Monster Mash.” I’ve loved Halloween for as long as I can remember --- and not because of the attention and gifts I’d receive around the time. The day was fun. Who wouldn’t want to skip all obligations to carve a pumpkin, sing a song about ghosts, scare some people and grab some sweet treats past their bedtime? While the past few Halloweens for me have been nothing special, I still find ways of keeping myself in the spirit. I still listen to the "Monster Mash" and I still eat candy. The thing is, I’ve learned that spookiness is all around us and not just on October 31. This issue deals with fun conversations around trick-or-treating, exciting music and film releases and dating mishaps, but it also touches on some weighted topics. With the CSU and Federal elections coming up, we’ve got some big, spooky issues to understand and address. Even though things always seem to pile up around this time of year, don’t let that stop you from indulging in some sweet, sweet democracy. This year, my Halloween plans will most likely consist of eating and working and maybe watching a good suspenseful movie. The real suspense, however, that has me already quaking, are the election results that will reveal what we should really be afraid of. Here’s a fun haiku (I need a creative outlet): “Vote (And A Surprise)” Vote, if you can vote Exercise your right to vote Seasoned bagel, yum

Oh Henr y!â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the candy closest to a full meal

I thrive on full-sized Aero bars. Nothing else satisfies

I prefer chips

they because s t e k c o r I'm I like feel like s make me in y vitam taking m

I like the most controversial Halloween sweet: Candy corn

use they I like Mars bars beca are make me spatially aw

I hope the num ber of peanut butter cu ps I get incREE'S this ye ar

Warheads are the closest I can get to my death drive without vodka

Almond Joy, it sparks joy 3

editor-in-chief

communications director

capcourier@gmail.com

community.capcourier@gmail.com

Rachel Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Sa

managing editor

Freya Wasteneys

manager.capcourier@gmail.com

Helen Aikenhead news editor

Sheila Arellano

news.capcourier@gmail.com

associate news editor

arts & culture editor

associatenews.capcourier@gmail.com

arts.capcourier@gmail.com

Megan Amato

features editor

Sarah Rose

Ana Maria Caicedo

OPINIONS editor opinions.capcourier@gmail.com

specialfeatures.capcourier@gmail.com art director

Cynthia Tran Vo

artdirector.capcourier@gmail.com

staff writer

Jayde Atchison

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORS

Bridget Stringer-Holden, Lily Bell, Pablo Salcido, Kaileigh Bunting, Jaymie Marie Brennan, Valeria Velazquez, Andie Bjornsfelt, Lena Orlova, Cam Loeschmann, Tamia Thompson, Alexis Ola Zygan, Ashleigh Brink, Emma Cunningham, Elizabeth Scott, Carlo Javier, Nima Boscarino,

Rachel Wong, Valeriya Kim, Annika McFarlane, Annie Chang, Andrea Alcaraz, Natalie Heaman, Sarah Haglund, Ryan McDiarmid FEATURED ARTISTS

Ata Ojani, Geraldine Yaris, Emily Rose COVER ART

Coralie Mayer-Traynor

VOLUME 52 ISSUE NO.2

table Contents of

NEWS

OPINIONS

Mental Health

13 Reasons Why

CapU x VFS

Sarrain Fox

Young Women In Business

Trick-or-Treat Age Limit

Truth and Reconciliation

Celebrating Halloween

Trans Mountain Pipeline

Tarot Cards

CSU Electoral Candidates

Should Tuition Be Free

Canada's Federal Election

Online Consumerism

CapU Launch

Capitvate Returns

ARTS & CULTURE Fringe Reviews

Yung Heazy

Off The Grid

Artist Feature

Sacred Works

DÃa De Los Muertos

What's In My Bag

INTERESTED IN CONTRIBUTING?

Email capcourier@gmail.com

FEATURES Ghosting

Natal Charts 101

Modern Witches

COLUMNS Queer And Now

Turning Blue

Deviant Beauty

Direction Unknown

Mise En Place

I Can Code You The World

INTERESTED IN ILLUSTRATING?

Submit your portfolio or examples of work to artdirector.capcourier@gmail.com

The ways in which Capilano opens the conversation surrounding mental health and the resources they offer JAYDE ATCHISON Staff Writer RACHEL WONG Illustrator

October can be the scariest month of the year with Halloween as the main event. Following close behind are midterms, essays and group projects. Being a student can create stress and strain on mental health, which should not be ignored. Thankfully, society is continuously breaking the stigma by sparking mental health awareness, especially around an academic environment. Capilano University counsellor Saman Khan explains that “the conversation is changing and [we] see movements like Bell Let’s Talk and the Ride Don’t Hide campaigns.” Bell Let’s Talk is a nationwide campaign that aims to break the stigma and raise money for mental health awareness by donating five cents for each text and tweet that includes #BellLetsTalk. Similarly, Canadian Mental Health Association’s Ride Don’t Hide is a nationwide fundraiser where people across Canada have raised over $2 million each year. CapU has been no exception to this change, as the university has been hosting events on campus to promote help, health and destressing. Mental Health Awareness Week will take place between October 8 until October 15. Throughout this week, students will find resources and opportunities to help their own health and learn more about why mental health is an important discussion to have. Outside of the dedicated week, Capilano University will continue to offer support to all students. Counselling Services can be found in Birch 267 from Monday to Thursday between 8:30am and 4:30pm, with an earlier close of 4pm on Fridays. Counselling is confidential and the staff offers assistance with a variety of matters such as, but not limited to: anxiety, stress management, goal setting and relationship difficulties. Students can book appointments in advance or use the drop-in schedule. As a stepping stone to individual sessions, Counselling Services offers group workshops once a week in Library 217. These sessions grant students the opportunity to meet the counselling staff and gather information on

what services and resources are available. “Workshops are skill-based, so we are offering skills or strategies,” explained Khan. “We teach something practical that people can take with them and apply to their life.” Students who do not experience mental health issues are also welcome to attend these sessions as a self-improvement practice for growth or to learn more about psychology. Each workshop runs from 11:30am-12:30pm on Thursdays.Throughout October, the workshops focus on Motivation (Oct. 3), Concentration (Oct. 10), Mindful Strategies (Oct. 17) and Three Keys to Relaxation (Oct. 31). Attending these workshops invites students to build rapport with the staff. By doing this, some of the pressure from visiting Counselling Services can be eased as talking to someone one knows and trusts is often easier than speaking to a stranger. These sessions are also a way to meet like-minded students who may be going through similar situations. As a smaller University, the Capilano Counselling staff are able to assist students in a faster and close-quartered manner. If a student is struggling with their academic goals, a counsellor is able to lead this student to Career Services and potentially have them seen the same day. A smaller campus allows for greater access to the university's resources. To make an appointment with a personal counsellor, visit the counselling office in the Birch Building room BR267 or call 604 984 1744. If students are in need of further assistance outside of the services available at Capilano University, Khan suggests getting acquainted with Foundry; an organization that offers health and wellness resources for people aged 12 to 24 and are available to offer support with mental and physical health. If you are in need of immediate assistance, please call the BC Crisis Centre at 604-872-3311.

Creative P A RT NE R S HI P :

Capilano University and

Vancouver Film School

The three-year pathway program will earn students credit from both institutions MEGAN AMATO Associate News Editor

Capilano University is partnering with Vancouver Film School to offer four accelerated academic pathways that allow students to earn both a degree from Capilano University (CapU) and a diploma from Vancouver Film School (VFS) in just three years. The programs will allow students to gain interdisciplinary knowledge from two institutions with solid reputations and help produce industry-ready creative professionals. When the potential of a partnership was put on the table both Anthony Grieco (Head of Curriculum and Program Development) and Scott Steiger (Director of International Admissions & Business Development at VFS) agreed that it was Ted Gervan who convinced them that both institutions “shared common philosophies with regards to educational delivery, teaching relevant skill sets, and serving [the] industry by graduating optimal creative artists ready to pursue their passions in creative industries.” Ted Gervan, Capilano’s Dean of Fine and Applied Arts, wanted to create opportunities for students in a future where job scarcity is a threat as professional retirement age continues to increase. Despite this, Gervan is enthusiastic about the future of the creative industry. “It’s never been better, and each year is better than the last in digital media,” he said. “The industry is seeing massive growth and expansion, and Vancouver is a leading global hub for the digital creative industries.” Vancouver’s film industry is renowned worldwide but Gervan suggests that content

writers, game designers, animation, voice acting and broadcasting are just some of the industries that creatives can expect to see growth in and both institutions offer ways to allow students to breach them. Gervan thinks that strategic partnerships between institutions and creative industries are a big part of the future. “The Arts are seeing declining federal subsidies and you can see evidence of that through significant decreases over the last decade,” he added. He wants to see industries and professionals working together to reinvest in students and give them the best education possible so that they can enter these fields with the knowledge and experience they need to thrive in the business. “We are excited that our students will acquire additional post-secondary credentials from having studied at both award-winning institutions, along with the positive impact that this will have on the needs of the growing creative industries,” Grieco and Stregio said in a statement. Capilano’s Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication will be offered with VFS’s Visual Design program, while Bachelor of Performing Arts students will have three pathways to choose from: VFS’ Acting for Film and Television, Writing for Film, Television and Games and Film Production. Students can also take advantage of their electives, gain a wide-range of knowledge they might not elsewhere and expand their skill set.

NEWS

Preparing

Young Women for a Future in Business Capilano’s Young Women in Business creates opportunities students might not get elsewhere BRIDGET STRINGER-HOLDEN Contributor VALERIYA KIM Illustrator

Modern day education is steadily moving towards a focus on transferable skills that will help graduates succeed in the workforce. Young Women in Business (YWiB) is a national society that aims to help women create and gain those skills. With city chapters in Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto, and university chapters in seven different universities throughout Canada, YWiB allows students to create connections and acquire experience and confidence that will help them succeed. Angela Jiang and Michelle Zhen approached the national board and campaigned to bring YWiB’s platform to Capilano University. In 2017 they co-founded the Capilano chapter with the intention of supporting young women in the campus community. Jessica Steward’s position as Vice-President of Internal Relations has allowed her to observe how Capilano’s YWiB has changed over the last couple of years. Stewart agreed to get involved with YWiB after Jiang approached her in-class

and offered her the role of VP Internal. It showed Steward that she had made a positive impact on someone and she wanted to continue to do so in an official capacity. “I feel like a lot of people don’t think that their daily interactions are prominent to others, or stand out, so when people approach you it makes you feel like you’ve done something out of the ordinary,” said Steward. “Plus, I love what they stand for, promoting young women.” Steward adds that YWiB’s goal has always been to continue to improve and grow from both within the company and what it offers students. Steward hopes that they can implement more activities and improve attendance to events. “We also hope to grow the team and our presence on campus,” she said. Due to Capilano residence being off-campus and many coming from all over the Lower Mainland, it is difficult to get students to come to events.

YWiB was created to empower and inspire women, and one of the ways they have accomplished this is through their Speed Networking events. It has been the most successful YWiB event due to its trendy speed-dating style that allows students to network with professionals in their potential fields. “We put our own take on networking. Instead of having the big open and intimidating situation, we broke it down and made it a guiding process for students to practice their networking skills,” said Jiang. “The students found that it helped them and that it really gives them a lot of courage. It’s those things that me and my co-president aim to build and we have even seen that in our own executive members too.” The best way is to get involved is to simply attend the events. For students who want to be part of the executive team, Capilano’s YWiB will be hiring soon. Alternatively, students can contact capilano@ywib.ca to get involved

with the members-at-large team and advocate for YWiB. “We’re willing to work around everybody’s availability. We don’t want to make it another barrier to get involved, to get to know more people and learn more skills,” said Jiang. The Capilano chapter also has an Instagram account and Facebook page that students can check out to keep updated on YWiB events, workshops and meetings. “I found confidence by being a part of something,” Steward said. “Although it hasn’t changed or impacted how I find work, it has broadened my networks with people here.”

NEWS

Truth and Reconciliation Week Encourages Common Understanding Now entering its sixth year at Cap, Truth and Reconciliation Week helps facilitate the dialogue we should be having year round FREYA WASTENEYS Managing Editor

“The more I talk, the greater my voice,” said Crystal Henderson, a Liberal Studies student from the 'Nakwaxda'xw Nation of the Kwakwaka'wakw people. For her, sharing stories during Truth and Reconciliation Week is not always easy, but it is necessary. Each Fall, Capilano University renews its commitment to truth and reconciliation in a campaign that honours residential school survivors. The initiative is now in its sixth year, and is spearheaded by the University’s Indigenizing the Academy committee and Indigenous and Cultural Facilitator Clay Little. Held in conjunction with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC), the event is one of many efforts from the University to raise awareness of Indigenous history. This year the campaign will be held from Oct. 15 to 18, 2019. Findings from the TRC’s final report in 2015 show that creating dialogue and a space to share stories is a crucial part of healing and moving forward. “I think the biggest takeaway for me is gaining insight and finding a common understanding,” said Henderson. “There’s a lot of stereotypes and negative perceptions, and for me Truth and Reconciliation is about having a space to share those stories.” In recent years, many CapU instructors have incorporated Indigenous history and teachings into their curriculum. Since education is one of the mandates from the 2015 report, the TRC encourages Canadians from all backgrounds to learn more about the legacy of residential schools and take part in the work of reconciliation. While there is effort from the university to implement these changes, Henderson believes there is still work to be done. “I know for a lot of other fellow classmates of mine the Kéxwusm-áyakn Student Centre is our safe place,” shared Henderson. “We come together from different parts of campus and different programs, and we understand what we’re all going through. But when we leave into our separate classrooms, it’s often like we’re... alone.” Henderson has noticed an effort from many instructors to incorporate Indigenous content, but she also believes that there are times when discussions need to be facilitated and directed.

Truth and Reconciliation Week is an emotional time for Henderson, but also therapeutic as it can provide the structure that is so often missing from classroom discussions. Each year she attends as many events as she can fit into her schedule, and finds much to be gained. “It’s a lot packed into a week. There’s just so much history. Sometimes I’m in tears between classes because it’s so much to take in,” she said. “But it’s good. It’s necessary.” Henderson comes from three generations of survivors, but even growing up in Port Hardy, she admits that there was a lot she was unaware of regarding residential schools until she came to CapU. “The last residential school closed in 1996 in Saskatchewan,” said Henderson. “I was six. This was within my lifetime.” She is thankful for the effort people like Indigenous Faculty Advisor David Kirk and Indigenous & Cultural Facilitator Clay Little have put into the Indigenization of CapU, and each year she finds more strength to tell her own story. “The biggest thing I take away is the importance of sharing,” Henderson said. “I’m still finding my voice, but I want to advocate as much as I can.” If students are to attend any event, Henderson believes the opening ceremony on Oct. 15 is a good place to start. Elders-in-residence will give a welcome and blessing at 10 am, setting the tone for the week, followed by a one-minute reflection at 11 am All students and faculty are encouraged to partake and are welcome to visit the Kéxwusm-áyakn Student Centre at this time. Each year different First Nations artists, musicians, filmmakers and writers come to share their work, experience and culture. Throughout the week, various events and performances are showcased around campus, along with sharing circles and facilitations. Truth and Reconciliation Week aims to expand upon the work of initiatives like Orange Shirt Day—a day acknowledged annually since 2013 to commemorate the generations of children who attended residential schools, and which has been proposed as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. CapU has partnered with the Children’s Centre to hold a ceremony in the First Nations Pavilion from 9:30 to 10 am on Sept. 30 to commemorate this day, and all students and faculty are encouraged to attend.

A snapshot of the Trans Mountain pipeline project today

LILY BELL Contributor

You may have heard the UN’s 2019 Climate Change Summit report declaring that we have 12 years to decrease our carbon emissions by 45 per cent to prevent irreversible damage to our climate. To mitigate this, Canada and 184 nations worldwide have agreed to specific climate targets. However, Canadian climate scientist, Ian Mauro, predicts the number is closer to 18 months. If you live in the lower mainland, the Trans Mountain Pipeline (TMX) debate should be familiar to you. In short, the TMX project is a twinning of the original pipeline built in 1953. The additional pipeline would increase the transport of crude oil from 300,000 to 890,000 barrels per day, which in turn would increase the number of tanker traffic on the Salish Sea. Since the TMX project’s first conceptualization in 2013 First Nations groups, environmental scientists, and activists have been putting their lives on the line to prevent its construction. “This fight is really about climate and realizing the mass injustice of putting a project across First Nations territories that have not consented to it,” Peter McCartney explained, Climate Campaigner from the Wilderness Committee. The proposed pipeline route would cross 120 First Nations territories in both British Columbia and Alberta. “We got started fighting Trans Mountain in 2010 before the expansion was even proposed,” added McCartney. “It was after we had discovered that the terminal at Westridge had moved from being a port that supplied local refineries in the Salish Sea area, to exporting diluted bitumen.” Bitumen is a concern because it doesn’t float like regular oil but sinks to the ocean floor,

making a spill cleanup virtually impossible. Justin Trudeau’s Federal government purchased the TTMX project for $4.5 billion in June of 2019 in a controversial bid to restart the expansion. Ali Hounsell, a spokesperson for Trans Mountain, explains that “the benefits for Canadians is really for Canada to get more money for its natural resources. It allows Canada access to build relationships with other markets, and supply Canada’s much desired product while getting a better price for it.” Minister of Natural Resources, Amarjeet Sohi, has stated that some of the project's proceeds will fund green technology downthe-line. But Ali Hounsell states that Trans Mountain doesn’t see green infrastructure as a valid economic endeavor today. “The need for the pipeline is strong for at least the next 20 years, making it economically viable,” said Hounsell. “The technology and development happening in terms of alternative fuels and resources are taking longer to replace oil completely.” However, McCartney sees the potential of climate-driven disasters as a timelier issue than temporary infrastructure that would move our country further away from its climate goals. “Ultimately, the speed and the scale at which we have to make this transition should completely forestall any new fossil fuel development. The Canadian government is spending 16 billion dollars to build this project. Why don’t we just invest in green energy!” McCartney emphasized. At the end of August 2018, the Federal Court of Appeal overturned approval of the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion, citing both the impact on endangered southern resident killer whales by marine shipping

and Trans Mountain's lack of consultation with Indigenous groups. However, not long after its purchase the federal government reapproved the pipeline, and in response to the project’s federal consent, twelve appeals were filed against it. This included eight First Nations groups, a group of Canadian youth, the City of Vancouver, and two environmental groups. The Federal Court of Appeal decided in August that six out of twelve parties could challenge the project: The Tsleil-Waututh Nation, Squamish Nation, the Ts’elxweyeqw Tribe, the Stk’emlupsemc Te Secwepemc of the Secwepemc Nation, Coldwater Indian Band and Upper Nicola Band. “In an age when we're talking about reconciliation, we should know better than to be violating the human rights of communities that rely on the land and water of their territory to support their entire culture and their livelihoods.” McCartney said. Trans Mountain intends to go forth with construction despite the active legal challenges. “They still have to get the route approved in a lot of places, so they can’t start construction without it,” explained McCartney. However, Hounsell added that, “Construction is underway at the Burnaby and Westridge Marine terminals and we have construction expected to start soon at our Edmonton terminal, and in between those two ends.” With time both scarce and incredibly valuable, there remains an unignorable tension on both ends of the debate. The First Nations court cases have a matter of weeks to overturn the approval, and the next federal election is on October 21st. Whatever the outcome, it remains that both parties stand to lose large. All that is left is a matter of time.

NEWS

Students are encouraged to get involved in electing new representatives to the CSU SHEILA ARELLANO News Editor

The Capilano Students’ Union (CSU) byelections will take place from Oct. 8 to 10. On these dates, students will choose the next CSU representatives, filling vacancies on the CSU Board of Directors and positions within the Capilano Business & Professional Society (CBPS). “Filling these positions is important because it provides the opportunity for more student perspectives as well as greater representation of student groups,” said President and Vice-President Equity & Sustainability Emily Bridge. As the CSU speaks on behalf of all Capilano students, it is crucial for the Capilano community to participate by lending their votes and informing themselves on the nominated candidates. Since 2018, the process has been held online in order to facilitate voting accessibility and to reduce paper waste. Electronic ballots will be sent through the CapU email on the morning of Oct. 8. “The CSU hires an external, thirdparty elections chief and uses an externally run online voting platform to ensure impartiality,” Bridge said.

From the nomination period, which took place between Sept. 17 and 25, nominees were selected, and those approved will continue to campaign until elections take place. All Capilano students are eligible to vote, and both new and returning students are welcome and encouraged to run in the by-election. If running is not an interest, Bridge noted that there are other ways to get involved in the process. “We’re presently seeking volunteers to assist with our Get Out the Vote campaign, which seeks to encourage students to vote in the 2019 federal election,” she said. “We’re always looking for students to attend and participate in CSU standing committees and collectives. The CBPS has seven different student associations with countless involvement opportunities,” Bridge said, noting that the CSU staff aim to be accessible, and welcome any questions from students who wish to stay informed or get involved on campus.

For students wishing to stay informed, two candidate forums will be held on campus during the first week of October, and all students are welcome to attend. “Candidates will be invited to answer prepared questions as well as some from the audience,” Bridge explained. “The candidate forums are scheduled to take place in the CSU Members Centre on October 1 and 3 from noon to 1:30pm on each day. [Candidate statements] will also be posted on the CSU website during the campaign period.” The CSU calendar is available online for anyone who wishes to review the dates of upcoming events. Also, it is strongly recommended that students visit the election page of the CSU website and visit the CSU Members Centre for more information as no question is too small. If students are interested in learning more about positions, job descriptions, important dates and old election reports, they can acquire all the available information on the CSU website.

Your Vote Matters: Fighting Apathy in Young Voters What’s important to students in the upcoming federal election MEGAN AMATO Associate News Editor

Canadians will head to the poles on October 21 to vote in the 2019 federal election. As always, student and young voter turnout is essential to ensure that the demographics of the country are represented in the ballot. Yet despite the stakes that students have in government policies, young voters have had the lowest voter turnout in past elections. With the wave of populism politics on the rise and emerging in governments around the globe, voters should be aware of where they get information regarding the issues they consider a priority. In the last election, Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party won by a landslide with nearly double the number of seats as the Conservatives. Early poles in this election show the Liberals and Conservatives running neck and neck, with the Green Party gaining some footing and the Bloc Quebecois standing just behind. The People’s Party of Canada are a new rightwing party with views reflecting the rise of anti-immigration politics and populism prominent in the west. Most recently, the party has been criticized for anti-immigration billboards that went up across the country. The 2015 federal election saw a 15 per cent increase in young voters when compared to the one previous. “We don’t know yet if that’s a trend that will continue along to this election or whether there was something about the campaign in the last election that sparked people's interest,” said Lisa Drouillard, Director of Outreach at Elections Canada. “What we are really hoping for, and what we have a lot of research and data on is that if you vote, after the first time you do so, you don’t usually stop voting.” Capilano Students’ Union (CSU), partnered with the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA), is running a non-partisan Get Out the Vote campaign.

The campaign aims to encourage students to be confident in their right to vote and ensure more young people make it to the polls. According to President and VicePresident Equity & Sustainability Emily Bridge, students can feel discouraged and assume their vote doesn’t count, while others might be unsure where to start. “We’re trying to empower students to educate themselves about the different parties...especially if it's their first-time voting,” Bridge said. Bridge wants to remove the fear and uncertainty from voting. Get Out the Vote will host a series of events, including an inperson debate among candidates from the major parties in the North Vancouver riding in the CSU Member Centre on September 30 and livestreaming the federal leaders debate in the CSU Member Centre on Oct. 1 and 7. Students will be able to vote at advance polling stations on campus from Oct. 7-10 and can attend the live results party in the CSU Member Centre on Oct. 21. “We are the largest voting demographic. We have a huge opportunity to actually make change here. We are a force for change.” Bridge added. Elections Canada is also doing work to ensure information is accessible to young voters. Elections Canada works with groups such as Apathy is Boring and CASA to help educate students on voting. Election Canada has done more this year to ensure campaigns are accessible, especially to those with disabilities and language barriers. “We make sure that all of the campaigns use expertise to ensure that their material is in as plain of language as possible so that it’s easier for people who have literacy issues or speak other languages,” Drouillard said. She added that Elections Canada “ask campaigners to make sure facilities are accessible to people with disabilities including ramps and the

appropriate kind of lighting and signage.” When the Liberal Party of Canada was elected in 2015, after nearly a decade of Harper’s Conservative government in parliament, many young people felt optimistic. Business student Tainou Hoeve still feels positive about Trudeau. “I think he’s done some good things for the country and he’s an eloquent speaker,” Hoeve said. He agrees with the Liberal government’s ban on single use plastics, which Trudeau has promised to have in place by 2021. Another topic that most students agreed upon was the cost of education. When asked what students wanted out of the election, most stated that federal student funding and grants for education must be prioritized. Many stated the need for free education. Others, like student Ana Maria Caicedo, are afraid to vote outside of Liberal despite traditionally voting Green or NDP. “I hate strategic voting and I’ve never voted strategically before but I think the stakes are way too high to do that,” she said in a statement. “I’ve noticed the rise of white nationalism in the last decade, and the People’s Party of Canada is surging in popularity, while the Conservatives have so many members with ties to Rebel Media.” Rebel Media is an extremely right-winged political website with a heavy anti-Muslim message and far-right contributors, including Gavin McInnes, founder of the neo-fascist organization, The Proud Boys. Regardless of the parties students choose to support, voting is essential in ensuring that the majority’s values and ideals are represented in parliament.

NEWS

U p a C nch Lau

Self-awareness is key when selling your skills to future employers MEGAN AMATO Associate News Editor ANNIKA MCFARLANE Illustrator

Capilano University’s Career Development Centre (CDC) has introduced a new co-curricular program that aims to prepare students for the workforce by developing and strengthening their soft skills and self-awareness early on. The program is aimed at first year degree and diploma students from all programs. CapULaunch will run alongside student’s curricular activities, and students will receive a certificate of completion as the end that they can show future employers. The CapULaunch was created with the intention to help students build confidence, creating connections between the skills they already have and their future careers. Research, literature reviews, market research and employer surveys were done prior to the creation of this program. Nancy Ng, Manager of the CDC, sent surveys to employers in different fields in order to learn what they felt was lacking from student applicants, and their opinion on the value of the CapULaunch program. Out of the 49 responses they received, the overwhelming feedback was that technical skills can always be taught but it’s the soft skills such as adaptability, written and verbal communication, teamwork, critical thinking and interpersonal skills that make applicants appealing, trainable and successful. “We really wanted students to build confidence, clarity and competencies to help launch their careers after graduation,” Ng said. “We don’t want career development to be transactional. [Instead] we want to make career development intentional, something that students are consistently exploring during their time here and not just an afterthought. It’s really about that discovery process within themselves that we want them to explore more.” The CDC wants students to stop thinking of their career as just the next step, and put more thought and intent into their career development. Students tend to focus on valid work experience rather than the soft skills and tools that

they may not know they’ve already gained during their time at school. Ng suggests that these skills, and the ability to talk confidently about them, are just as important as technical skills. The CapULaunch program aims to help students grow and expand on these skills as their own career plans and goals evolve throughout university. “If you do not choose to take these steps for yourself, someone will choose it for you [and] you’ll be forced to make these decisions” Ng said, stressing the importance of student agency. “If you’re not in the driver's seat, somebody else will be. Work and career affects the majority of our lives. We spend more time with our coworkers than we do with our families. You really have to be able to manage and create options for yourself.” The process of application for this program began in September. After the info session, which took place on September 17th, students submit a short application, along with three to four reflectional questions on their ePortfolio’s. This can be done in any medium including essay, story, song or storyboard. Once the application process is complete, students will meet with advisors to establish and develop their current career goals. The step-by-step program is flexible and focuses on experiential learning. The structure has been established with the intention to work alongside students’ curricular studies, with a few mandatory workshops and elearning modules as they progress through the program. The CDC is currently working on adding the program as co-curricular certified activity itself, but in the meantime students will get credit for taks and experiences that are already certified. More information is available on Capilano’s Career Development page on Capilano’s website.

NEWS

The yearly event that brings CapU to life SHEILA ARELLANO News Editor TAE HOON KIM Photographer

You could feel the energy in the air as the CapU campus was transformed on Sept. 19 into a vivid venue with music, food, dancing and games. This Fall, Student Vice President Paula Zerpa continued the two-year tradition of hosting Captivate on campus. “Captivate is a free event that is open and accessible to all members of the campus community,” Zerpa said. This year, the event enriched the Capilano community by including live music, food trucks, giant beer pong, Jenga games and a selfie tent, which brought this yearly event to life. “When I first applied for this position, my main idea was to focus on mental health. My concept was to strengthen mental health awareness. Captivate is one of the parties Yats Palat promoted, he did it for two years and this is the third year the event was held,” explained Zerpa. This year, students had access to a wider range of resources during Captivate that inspired them to feel at home. Tents featuring services such as Translink, Evo, Studentcare and the Capilano Students Union were set up for students to ask questions or sign up for special events. “The theme of this year was bright colours. And I focused on an open concept, I wanted people to feel welcomed and free. I wished for people to

feel at home,” Zerpa shared. Last year, the CSU went over their budget so this year they have been strategic with their spending. The event’s $21,000 budget comes from a fund that is collected specifically to help foster community on campus, including paying for student events. “We wanted to keep it on budget or lower. We appreciate students’ money so much because, with it, we can organize other beneficial events and offer awesome resources,” Zerpa commented. She highlighted the importance of the smaller activities that will unfold during the semester. “If I can lower the cost of big events, I can have more events that will give you important tools for the future. Like meditation, time management, and many other tools, because no one teaches us that and it is so important. But it is never too late to learn,” she said. A different concept was implemented this year with the addition of live music. “I am a fan of live music. This year what I tried to do was to transition between live music and DJs and create a balance between the two,” Zerpa said. The live music offered Capilano students the opportunity to make connections with other faculties with the hope that they collaborate in the future. “What I tried to do through live music was

to bring the jazz program forward and to build collaborations between departments. So, this year I wanted to create connections. All the faculties have the possibility to be intertwined,” Zerpa noted. The artists and DJs inspired the crowd to dance and relax. A bar was also set up so students could enjoy a beer while getting to know new people. “I got a great feeling from Captivate this year,” said Capilano student Oscar Blue. Captivate brought the Capilano community together and ignited livelihood on campus. “This event was meant to create connections and unify communities,” Zerpa commented. As previous years had done, this year’s Captivate sparked fun while highlighting the importance of enjoying student life. It also reminded students about the power of starting the semester with a positive mindset. With its “bright colours” theme, Captivate brought happiness to the surface and created an environment where students felt welcomed. “It’s the beginning of the semester and you have to be encouraged enough. That’s what the whole concept is. It is all about positivism and connection,” Zerpa emphasized.

NEWS

Fringe Review Princess Rescuers Like Shrek, Princess Rescuers dives into the swamp of what it means to be rescued PABLO SALCIDO Contributor

I found myself at a crossroad on West 4th Avenue in Kitsilano. There were two busses: one that would lead to the comfort of my apartment and another that would take me to Studio 16 on West 7th Avenue, where Princess Rescuers would be playing as a part of the Fringe Festival. I had my doubts. A rainy Wednesday night after a long day in class followed by aikido isn’t exactly a mental appetizer. Torrents of conflicting thoughts came to mind as I debated what to do. Admittedly, I had not seen any live theatre since I was ten. But Capilano Acting for Stage and Screen alumni, Aliya Boulanger, offered words that gifted me confidence: “I'm really excited for audiences to come have a good time watching the show,” she said, “and for them to walk away chewing on the idea of what it means to be rescued.” Despite my own mental and physical exhaustion, the invisible hand of intuition compelled me to get on the bus to Studio 16 and an hour and a half later, I left as a changed man. The fugue of fatigue had all but evaporated. And not only that, I found myself daydreaming of a re-encounter with Merc and Sidekick. Princess Rescuers was a delight

to see and experience. From the moment I ambled into Studio 16, the audience teemed with excitement. Director Ben Bilodeau gathered and instructed an exceptional quartet of a team. “The best part of the process was watching the actors take on their roles, creating and filling out these characters, giving me tons of suggestions and changes to make them more layered and real,” Bilodeau quoted on the playbill. “A play is like an ogre, they have layers,” Bilodeau added. And Princess Rescuers is exactly that: a multifaceted experience. It is full of comedy, imagination, creativity, great characters and touching moments. The chemistry between the cast was remarkable. “Princess Rescuers has been an exciting experience. Working on the show with such an amazing cast and creative team made it a fantastic creative process,” echoed actor Chris M. Ward who recently wrapped on Mamma Mia! for Theatre Under the Stars. How can you say no? When you find yourself at a crossroad, take the road that has been less travelled—especially if that road leads you to watch Princess Rescuers at the Fringe Festival.

Photos by Zemekiss Photography

alice in wonderland Vancouver theatre troupe, Geekenders, brought the heat and glam in an immersive performance of a classic tale RACHEL D'SA Editor-In-Chief

Alice in Glitterland, presented by Geekenders, was sheer madness. In true Lewis Carroll fashion, the performance brought forth chaos, disarray, wonder and charm. The immersive performance, which ran from Sept. 6-14 as a part of Fringe Festival, threw audience members into a retroglam world of theatre and cabaret. Though Geekenders has previously put on fun and unique productions, this completely soldout take on the classic Alice In Wonderland was on a new scale for the theatre troupe. The multi-room performance, with a cast of just 12 actors, included 93 individual scenes and contained over eight and a half hours of discoverable content. The show started in the line to East Vancouver’s WISE Hall. A playful and approachable conversation about consent during the performance took place, as we were instructed to choose white or red masks to wear, which indicated our physical boundaries. Entering the venue, we were greeted with a holographic hallway that led us into a haunting, dimly lit room. Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit” played under the chatter. Filled with chandeliers and whitepainted-red roses, the venue buzzed with excitement and curiosity. Soon after, everything went dark. The curtains were drawn by performers on the other side of the barrier, revealing the rest of Glitterland. The white rabbit ( Jordan

Svenkeson) and The Red Queen (Isabella Halladay) danced on stage. In a hypnotic way, we were drawn to walk towards them through a bed of fog, symbolizing Alice’s (Lyndsey Britten) descent into the mad world. On the floor, gracefully moved the rest of the cast (to a soundtrack that I would like to petition to have posted on Spotify). There was a lot of room for error. Given the nature of the performance, amount of movement between performers and the soldout crowds, I braced myself to see performers breaking character. The crowd melted in the hands of each performer that laid eyes on them. The seamlessness and elegance of the 70-minute performance, led me to feel that I was in a dream at times. Fragile dishes, tea and cookies were flung about swiftly, even when multiple performers were stomping, crawling and jumping on the same wooden table center stage. Full-bodied dance numbers continuously took place in every room. Those in floor-length gowns and extravagant floral headpieces didn’t fumble through the complex choreography. From being pulled onto the stage for a tea party to challenging The Red Queen in flamingo croquet, we the voyeurs chose our own adventure. While eyeing a giant martini glass adorning a dazzling pole dance number, or emotion-packed banter between characters, I found that I missed a few plot points. This, however, is the beauty of the show. No one audience member experienced

the show in the same way, which allowed for them to return to Glitterland for a new adventure. The feminist, diverse, body-positive theatre troupe includes performers of all sexualities and genders. Fairlith Harvey, the writer/director of the production, intended for the break down the phrase “we’re all mad here” and explore what living and loving with mental illness looks like. “A popular buzzphrase is that if you can’t love yourself, you can’t love anyone else,” said Harvey in a press release. “But after interviewing dozens of neuro-divergent people, and looking inside myself too, I know that isn’t true. Every single person I spoke to is devoted to loving as fiercely as they are able to, regardless of what despair they feel within themselves.” I was given glimpses into each character’s sense of confusion, rage, loneliness and urge to love and nurture in the glamourous yet disordered environment. The canon of goodbyes to Alice as the show came to a close pulled everything together in a moment of unity. Maybe it was my back pain or my thirstiness that left me close to tears while watching Alice’s departure from Glitterland. However, I think in this case, I have to hand it to the Geekenders for powerfully entertaining the idea that love and beauty persists, no matter how broken things seem.

A RT S & CULTURE

A Conversation With Upon a viral success, the Vancouver musician has been making waves internationally RACHEL D'SA Editor-in-Chief JACK PERKINS Photographer

Jordan Heaney, aka Yung Heazy, is the demon everyone’s listening to. In the two short years that he’s been releasing music, the online sensation with a devilish aesthetic has accumulated over 16 million spotify streams and nearly 200,000 monthly listeners. Heaney sat down with me to discuss his newly-released EP titled Lullabies at his current studio/place of residence. The soft rustle of greenery scored the soundtrack of my journey up a walkway to a pale blue Ambleside house. I was greeted by a woman watering the property, who remarked that it was hot out and the plants were getting dry (Heany’s grandmother, I later found out). “Are you looking for Jordan?” she asked. I nodded, and she guided me in the direction of a front door flooding with music. Heany welcomed me into a room filled with colourful instruments, recording equipment, and a red and black gaming chair. A black crosley record player sat on a clothed table by the doorway of a kitchen, just across the room where Natalie, Heaney’s girlfriend, was doing some tidying. Settling on the floor with a glass of water, Heany got into discussing his favorite song on the Lullabies EP. His cover of the Her’s hit “Cool With You,” a soft, dreamy jangle pop tune, hit particularly close to home for him. The Liverpool duo passed away earlier this year from car collision while on tour in America. “The Her’s cover I felt was important to do,” said Heany. “It felt so random that this band that’s so talented—on the rise—went down in a way that kind of expresses like oh, this kind of thing could happen to anyone.” Heany discovered Her’s on youtuber Alona Chemerys channel, which pairs still images with songs Chemrys likes. With over 448,000 subscribers, it was Chemerys that propelled Yung Heazy into the mainstream. In 2017 she uploaded a video soundtracked by Heany’s “Cuz You’re My Girl.” Since then, the video has accumulated over four million views.

Cover Art by @bape.ril3

“She doesn't know how she found [the song] either. She just scoured the internet and it was on SoundCloud. It was [a] one in a million chance that she found it.” Bedroom pop like Heany’s is a genre that stems out of musicians recording, producing and marketing their music from the comfort of their bedrooms. Recent bedroom pop sensations like Clairo, Cuco, Cosmo Pyke and Gus Dapperton all got their starts by uploading their music onto streaming platforms. “It’s weird, the internet—because bands aren’t making it out of scenes, they're making it out of Spotify algorithms,” he remarked. “That’s just totally insane to me—that it's possible now without going through this bullshit, all this, like, sign to a record label that you don't really understand [stuff].” Heaney wants to put people to sleep with Lullabies. Among the Her’s cover, Lullabies also includes two acoustic renditions of “Cuz You’re My Girl” and “Girl, I’ll Take U Anywhere.” The two playful love songs contrast the fourth song on the EP, “FML.” The track, which features Club Sofa’s Payton Hansen on vocals, was written by Heaney when he was fifteen. Heaney hadn’t always been a solo artist. After moving on from his previous project, Frogpile, he got into production out of necessity. “I couldn’t find anyone to record me and I don’t have the money to hire a producer. I didn’t even know what that meant,” he recalled. “After ‘Cuz You’re My Girl’ it was like, I had already been fucking around with my own bedroom recording shit, but it made the process easier and quicker for me, because I could just do it. There wasn’t any politics around, like, ‘I have to talk to one person, talk to another, then we have to plan to get together to really talk about it, to do it, to maybe put it out’. It was just like ‘Cool this an idea, I like that, let’s do it.’” “My last name is Heany and I was listening to Kayne kinda stuff and I was like oh, yeazy, heazy, heany, heazy. And then I put

everything together and it was a total joke,” Heaney remembered. Under Yung Heazy, he releases twangy, bedroom pop music heavily influenced by The Beatles and Mac DeMarco, to which he’s often compared. After just one year of performing as Yung Heazy, Heaney took to a world tour in 2018 and has been quickly growing his fanbase. To celebrate the release of Lullabies, his band put on a magic show at the end of their set at a live show in Washington. “There was this magician there that was not very good, like, he only had one trick the whole time. So we did that trick. I put one of my friends in the audience so he left this huge number on a piece of paper, and then I was asking people to think of a number between one and a billion. Then, finally, my friend got the right number and we were like ‘magic is real!” and then we showed it and everyone went nuts,” he laughed. Heany’s certainly not as big in Vancouver as he is elsewhere, in places like California and Indonesia. And yet, the Vancouver music scene remains his favorite— he argues it’s the best scene in Canada (yes, even better than Toronto and Montreal). While he romanticized the Montreal music scene for a while, Heaney dove deeper into Vancouver’s music scene and discovered that it’s quality of bands, community and support just can’t be beat. Revealing his beer-printed socks, Heaney stood up from his cross-legged position to join me on the couch. We took a listen to his newest project—an unreleased track titled “I Ur Boy,” part of an album of the same name that’s currently in the mixing and mastering phase and set to release January 16. Visit yungheazy.com or follow @ yungheazy on Instagram to keep up with Heany’s upcoming shows and music releases. A RT S & CULTURE

Meet Off The Grid’s 2019 Filmmakers Run by School of Motion Picture Arts Chair Michael Thoma, Off The Grid gives students and alumni an opportunity to develop films outside of the regular curriculum ANA MARIA CAICEDO Arts & Culture Editor

Filmmakers from Capilano’s Off The Grid program will present the projects they’ve spent their summer working on this October 3rd at the Bosa theater. Officially called the ‘Advanced Film Projects,’ the program enables students and alumni from any School of Motion Picture Arts (MOPA) program to work closely with professor Michael Thoma in producing and developing a short film. Off The Grid was started by Thoma after he realized there was a window of time between the end of the spring semester and the beginning of the fall semester where camera and lighting equipment, editing labs, and studio space were being unused. “Many students had ‘passion’ projects that they hoped to make outside the school curriculum,” Thoma recalled. “I also recognized that many worthy student projects did not get made in the spring semester when we do our student film projects.” The program is now in its 11th year. While there is no set number of projects that get approved, Thoma said typically 3-5 projects get the green light for the program. This year, he received about 15 proposals, approving Isaiah Berra’s “Harry, This is Nora” and Kama Sood’s “Glory Days” for production. The third film, “Sirens”, is a

fourth-year project from last year, written and directed by Christopher Beaubien, that was recut and rescored with the help of Off The Grid. “One of the real things that attracted both Kama and I to Off The Grid was developing a film with Michael Thoma,” Berra said. “Michael collaborates with and mentors you in developing a project’s story, as well as everything else with it— just [the] entire film development.” “For me, I went through 13 drafts of my script [with Michael],” added Sood. “In my opinion, that’s one of the most rewarding parts of Off The Grid— working with him and getting your script to a higher level.” Each filmmaker is in charge of producing their own film, which includes sourcing the budget and crew. They have only four days to shoot, using the rest of the summer to edit. CapU provides Off The Grid filmmakers with a rich ground for creative collaborations; crew and cast members are usually sourced from Cap’s MOPA, Costuming, and Performing Arts programs. The Courier got a sneak peak of the films before the screening:

“Glory Days”

Written & Directed by Kama Sood “Glory Days” centers on washed-up musician Tommy Young, who, despite wanting to put his rockstar days behind him, must now reconcile with his past upon meeting a mysterious young fan. Kama Sood said he was intrigued by the stories of once-great rockstars who take their power and fame for granted, listing the Johnny Cash biopic Walk The Line and Bohemian Rhapsody as inspirations. Sood’s uncle, Ashwin Sood (who also served as the executive producer), helped compose the film’s soundtrack. Sood gave his uncle a title for the song, “The Devil’s Got Nothing On Me,” leaving the rest up to him. “I really wanted [the soundtrack] to reflect the nostalgic feel of what it was like back then, where you feel like you have absolutely everything in life, and just think that it could never end,” Sood recalled. The film is expertly shot, with stunning cinematography from MOPA student Emma Djwa, and features phenomenal performances from veteran actor Benjamin Ratner and CapU Performing Arts student Laura Lyall.

“Harry, This is Nora”

Written & Directed by Isaiah Berra A film about a couple falling out of love, “Harry, This is Nora” is quaintly bizarre with a slow-burning humour. Harry, a melancholic loner that communicates through his twin-like puppet, finds his relationship with his girlfriend Blue compromised by the space mission he’s supposed to go on at midnight. Isaiah Berra said the film was inspired by the “beautiful lies” of Nora Ephron movies. “Movies like Sleepless in Seattle, You’ve Got Mail, When Harry Met Sally— they’re just too perfect, and those are actually the movies that inspired me an unromantic comedy,” Berra revealed. “I wanted to make a film about, you know, instead of two charming people falling in love, a loner who’s breaking his girlfriend’s heart.” Complete with sock-puppet-sex and a wisecracking, anthropomorphic talking dog, you don’t want to miss this one.

“Siren”

Written & Directed by Christopher Beaubien Christopher Beaubien’s “Siren” is a visually-gripping art film that centers around an interaction between two women and the police that pull them over. Their identities are absorbed, blurred, and distorted under flashing blue and red lights. The film’s disorienting nature is marked by the ingenious, layered sound design of MOPA alumni Noah Meyer.

The Off The Grid 2019 screening will take place on October 3rd at 6:30pm at the Nat and Flora Bosa Centre for Film and Animation. Tickets are free and can be acquired on www.eventbrite.ca

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A R T I S T F E AT U R E

John Pachkowsky JAYDE ATCHISON Staff Writer

When I look at John Pachkowsky’s pieces, I notice something new each time. At first glance, a tree in the corner of his drawing is just that—a tree with some gnarled roots. With a double-take the tree now holds a snarling face. Upon the third look, the image comes to life with hidden mouths, eyes, swords and armour appearing. Intricate details are a defining feature of Pachkowsky’s work. A second-year CapU IDEA student, Pachkowsky drew often as a teenager, but due to his frustration with imperfections, he bid farewell to drawing and threw aside his pens. It took almost twelve years for him to reignite his passion and begin drawing again.

Pachkowsky explores a variety of mediums through the IDEA program, including oil, acrylic, and digital painting, but using ink is his preferred method. “You know when you come home from a vacation and the moment you step over the threshold is the sweetest moment of full-body relief? That is what going back to ink feels like,” he revealed. His art is macabre: sci-fi goblins, wizards and knights lurk within his drawings. When asked why he stays in this genre Pachkowsky explained, “A lot of people put out [art] that is very warm, a softer side of the human experience or very colourful. Whenever I do stuff in that realm, it feels like I am wearing someone else’s clothes, and they don’t fit very well”.

Reach out to John Pachkowsky on Instagram at @salt.the.earth.

WORKS

IT Chapter Two by Dir. Andrés Muschietti (2019) JAYDE ATCHISON

Dark Souls II by FromSoftware (2014) SARAH ROSE

I got my first taste of horror when I watched Stephen King’s Pet Sematary when I was eleven years old. Since then, I’ve become more desensitized with every scary novel and movie I watch. The novel It was the first book to send shivers up my spine and a sudden need to long-jump across the room into bed from my light switch. The first adaptation for this novel was released in 1990 with Tim Curry as Pennywise. Along with most pre-2010 horror films, the special effects did not age well. The 2017 installation introduced Pennywise in high definition with a flashback to the 80’s. For those who are unfamiliar with the premise, Pennywise, the killer clown, comes back every 27 years and the creators of this new adaptation timed their release perfectly. It Chapter Two is the story of the seven members of the Losers’ Club twenty-seven years after their last showdown with Pennywise. In the first film, they thought they had destroyed the monster and saved their town, but what

horror movie allows the antagonist to stay dead? Pennywise dances his way back onto the screen and brings with him crawling eyeballs, ripped off limbs and decapitated children. Not only do the Losers’ Club have to fight the clown, they have to figure out which horrific moments are real and what is just their imagination fueled by fear. The storyline stayed true to the novel, with insignificant cuts that made for more cinematically pleasing scenes. The film captures a mix of real world terrors such as bigots and domestic violence along with imaginary scares like a twelve-foot insect version of Pennywise, which left me wanting to curl my shoulders into my hips out of discomfort. The scenes hardest to watch were not the ones involving insects, pools of blood or being buried alive —they were the ones where characters inflicted pain and cruelty onto one another. As the credits rolled, I cried along with the Losers’ Club as my favourite horror story came to a close.

“Loss frightens me to no end. Loss of memory, loss of self. If I were told that by killing you, I would be freed of this curse…Then I would draw my sword without hesitation. I don’t want to die. I want to exist. I would sacrifice anything, anything at all for this. It shames me, but it is the truth. Sometimes, I feel obsessed with this insignificant thing called ‘self’. But even so, I am compelled to preserve it. Am I wrong to feel so? Surely, you’d do the same. Maybe we’re all cursed, from the moment we’re born.” That was the last time I saw the bifurcated, somber face of Lucatiel of Mirrah. Her body pressed languishly up against the cave walls in the Black Gultch, the eerie green cave light danced against the arms folded across her chest —and then that familiar mask covering the sunken, rotting corner of her eyes. Next time, she’ll be nothing but that mask in a disintegrating corner of Aldia’s Keep. That’s her curse —our curse. I didn’t want to leave her behind in that cave, alone and consumed by the diseased shadows on her skin, memories melting away from her mind like a candle left too close to a reckless bonfire. Dark Souls II is a game about being left behind. It begins as we all do: human. Then, becoming undead, cursed to eternal life until eventually turned hollow—laid bare of all purpose or memory, alone in a ruined, abandoned world. Dark Souls is perhaps most frequently described as hard. Could that not be said of life? In other art

like film, literature, or music, the idea of a work being difficult orients the discussion towards whether or not the audience can cope with it. Dark Souls embraces the language of challenge. Things are only difficult until they are understood. “The world began without knowledge, and without knowledge will it end,” croons the Locust Preacher in the Ringed City. I found myself lost and alone in the desolate world of Drangleic at a time when I myself was going hollow. Aimlessly wandering through an unfamiliar city, trying to cope with the difficulty of meaning and meaningless pains. Then I met Lucatiel, slouched against the pier at No Man’s Wharf, and together we defeated a conjoined horror. With each successive horror I faced in that world, I began to find ways to overcome the horrors in my own. Two worlds intersected, allowing two ghosts to momentarily share a story. Memories are like ghost stories. Ultimately I was given a choice, to accept the challenge or abandon Lucatiel. Every separation is a link. The self Lucatiel and I desperately clung to is only a shadow cast by obstructing that light of an inevitable bonfire. We carry our curse, and what was done to us, throughout the rest of our endless days. But maybe we’re all cursed, from the moment we’re born. I accept that challenge.

Killing Eve by Pheobe Waller Bridge (2018) JAYMIE MARIE BRENNAN

Hereditary by Ari Aster (2018) KAILEIGH BUNTING

Killing Eve is a visually stunning spy thriller that follows a game of cat and mouse between Eve Polestri (played by Sandra Oh), an MI6 agent with an increasingly unhealthy interest in female assassins; and Villanelle (played by Jodie Comer), an attention-seeking, high-fashion, psychopathic assassin. The two women chase each other across Europe as Villanelle plans out and executes over-the-top, attention-grabbing murders. Eve is the character we're supposed to relate to. At the start of the show, she leads a rather normal life, with a loving husband, a stable job, a nice house, and a good circle of friends. Within the first episode, we already begin to see how Eve’s boredom with her life leads her to fall deeper into her obsession with female assassins, which in turn gradually destroys the normal aspects of her life. Villanelle, an assassin who lacks any kind of remorse and wears exclusively designer clothes, is the furthest thing from normal. One of the first things we see her do is kill a man at

his anniversary party by stabbing him through the eye with a hairpin. Villanelle’s obsession with Eve is the premise of the show, and despite its creepy and predatory nature, her obsession is portrayed as a crush that’s almost cute. But this obsession is not one-sided: as the show progresses, Eve becomes increasingly impulsive and obsessed with Villanelle. The magnetism and chemistry between the two characters make viewers crave seeing them together. If you’re looking for a thriller to pull you in and make you fall in love with the villain, Killing Eve is the show for you.

Death, grief and mental illness are all themes explored in the horrific masterpiece that is Hereditary, a 2018 film by Ari Astar that terrifies audiences with its graphic depiction of demonic powers as they clash with the mundane. This film follows Annie, a professional artist and mother of two, as she faces the death of her estranged mother and begins to find sinister signs of her mother’s mysterious past still haunting her family. These hauntings take the form of hallucinations, which eventually drive Annie to mimic the characteristics she hated most about her mother as she falls into the clutches of her mother's cult that she unknowingly avoided most of her life. As the film continues, the demonic cult is revealed to be responsible for the culling of Annie’s family. Ultimately, Annie’s son Peter is chosen as the bodily vessel for Paimon, one of the eight kings of hell, who the cult hopes to resurrect into the physical world. I was infatuated with this piece of work because of how horribly uncomfortable I felt after watching it. Throughout the film, I could feel the anxiety that follows Annie as she begins to dive deeper into her mother's past life, just as I could feel her misery after the loss of her daughter. Because Aster depicts tragedy and death so unapologetically throughout the film, it’s easy to feel entranced with each character’s turmoil.

Annie copes with the unsettling death of her daughter by spiralling into emotional agony, while Peter is consumed by the guilt of his sister's death, causing him to become more isolated, depressed and dissociated. Meanwhile, Peter’s father is overcome with denial as the mental health of his family declines. I think many viewers can relate to the mechanisms in which grief is handled by each character; either in agony, isolation or denial. The film’s depictions of depression, grief and insanity left my skin crawling with discomfort. This is exactly how I think viewers should feel after watching Hereditary. Any film capable of conjuring such reactions should be celebrated. I’d recommend this film to anyone eager to explore the darker corners of today’s increasingly popular horror genre. Expect to finish the film a little more comfortable with the uncomfortable, or, at the very least, with a greater appreciation for the sinister and supernatural.

A RT S & CULTURE

Día de los

muertos

A fresh perspective on life and death SHEILA ARELLANO News Editor ANDREA ALCARAZ Illustrator

Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a rich and vivid cultural celebration that is practiced in Latin America and has a particularly strong history rooted in Mexico. This holiday is celebrated on November 1 and 2, and centers around the belief that, for two nights, the deceased return to the world of the living and experience the food, objects, people and scents they loved when they were alive. The first day is dedicated to young children who have passed away, while the second day welcomes all loved ones. “The Day of the Dead traditions are more present in the centre and south of Mexico and in the areas previously considered Mesoamerica, which includes Central America,” said Mexican-Canadian visual artist and interdisciplinary educator Josema Zamorano. “Where I grew up in Nayarit, the Indigenous traditions are powerful and there is a special connection with the ancestors.” The traditions of Día de los Muertos are complex, stemming from ancient Indigenous practices, as well as from the imposed beliefs that were embedded when Spanish explorers settled in the Americas. Thus, Día de los Muertos has become a fusion of cultural heritage and religion, blending Spanish and Indigenous traditions. Artist and musician Zita Díaz de León commented on her own experience of this alluring tradition: “It is a way to honour your past,” she explained. “I love how it is in Mexico, this nearness to death that comes naturally without fear. The way in which we approach death makes life take on a 28

different meaning, a meaning of celebration.” Día de los Muertos is celebrated in different ways depending on the location, culture, and tradition. Regardless of these factors, however, there are a few common practices that have been standardized. These include the dates and the ofrenda, or “offering”, which is usually laid out on an altar. The altar can be placed on a tomb, but is also commonly found on tables with various levels that represent the layers of the underworld, the earth, and the heavens. Often, the ofrenda is decorated with marigold flowers, pictures of the deceased, corn, Day of the Dead bread, candles, skulls made of sugar and amaranth, as well as any items the dead used to love and enjoy in life. Some family members may leave cigarettes, candy, chocolate or musical instruments for the dead at the altar, among many other things. “In reality, it is a communion, a familiar gathering. But it is not solemn or sad, in fact it is a celebration,” said Zamorano. “There is tequila, there is music, lots of flowers. It is beautiful in that sense, it is a festivity to commemorate the visit of the dead.” The Day of the Dead brings a richness to death that is not commonly found in North America. This vividness offers a novel perspective on grief and death that allows for a wonderful celebration of life and people’s ancestors. This tradition is one that has brought the dead and the living together for generations, demonstrating a deep awareness of the past and teaching people to venerate their ancestors while spreading joy.

IN M

BAG

H AT '

MADISON, 26

Photos and text by VALERIA VELAZQUEZ

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Madison is a second-year Communications student at Capilano University. A lanyard with her name printed on it was attached to her red backpack. Among the school basics of pens and notebooks, Madison also carried three lip balms, lip gloss, and excel gum.

Among her textbooks and notebooks, her pink unicorn journal is the most important thing in her bag. Here, she writes at least one entry a day to release the thoughts wandering around in her mind.

Madison also carried a portable phone charger, extra just-in-case socks, a plastic reusable bag with tissues and pads, hand lotion, and a reusable water bottle. She considers herself to be conscious when it comes to taking care of the environment and says that if we can do two or three things a day that help such as avoiding prepackaged stuff and reusing our water bottles, why not do it?

Being from France, and with her family there, she always carries an Eiffel Tower charm on her keychain to keep home close.

A RT S & CULTURE

ATA O JAN I

@___atatata___ 30

g eral d i n e yar i s

@jelladin FEATURED ART

Why I Didn't Finish 13 Reasons Why Why film makers need to rethink the way they shape shows that deal with sensitive content andie bjornsfelt Contributor

One thing is certain about Netflix’s teen drama 13 Reasons Why: its stirred up a lot of controversy. Let’s just say the reviews have been mixed. There was a huge plot twist, change in tone, and a sudden introduction of a new character. The show has basically been turned into your typical teen murder mystery. It has moved far from the original premise which was based on Jay Asher’s 2007 debut model. The episodes followed seventeenyear-old Clay Jensen, who receives a box of cassette tapes from his friend Hannah Baker. The tapes contain Hannah’s recorded confessions that list the thirteen reasons why she chose to end her own life. To be fair it is a highly popular show, but I have to wonder whether the portrayal and dramatization of certain content might be unintentionally romanticizing the dark reality of self harm. With sensitive topics like sexual abuse, violence, self harm, and mental illness, it becomes crucial to ask ourselves whether this show might have a destructive impact on the wellbeing of some adolescent viewers. Despite the relatively favourable reviews for the first and second season, the third season was panned. In case you’re wondering, I only made it about part way through. But can you blame me? The show boldly takes on highly sensitive and important topics, and uses them to capitalize on their dramatic opportunities instead of contributing to positive change. It’s hard to deny the negative impact that this has had on some viewers, and we only need to go back to the first season to understand why. Beginning a show with a revenge narrative implies that suicide is a means to get back at the people who hurt you. Not exactly the greatest message to be imprinted in young minds. 32

Mental illness is becoming more prevalent in youth than ever before. I think we take for granted the content we view daily, and the effect it has on our psyche and overall attitude to life.  I remember when I was thirteen and I was looking in the dark corners of Tumblr. Maybe some of you remember the sad, grungy, depression blogs that were super popular then. At that time, I didn’t have the awareness to make a connection between my mood and the content of those blogs. Later on I realized that it was really only creating a space to perpetuate a rumination of anxiety and self hate. Barely anyone on there encouraged us to talk to our parents, teachers, and friends, or assured us we wouldn’t be considered “weak” if we asked for help. 13 Reasons Why is a like a videographic version of those blogs, except it’s even more accessible since Netflix is an inconceivably massive form of media. While Netflix has taken steps to prevent some viewers from watching, we all know that censorship is more of an ideal than a reality. Due to the repercussions of Hannah’s powerfully glamorized suicide scene, Netflix decided to take it down two years after it was aired. I think this was a smart move, but to be honest the damage had already been done. I don’t think 13 Reasons Why had any ill intentions. Their goal, in part, was to raise awareness about issues that a staggering number of adolescents face. But after three seasons (and another on the way), I can barely come up with more than two reasons why this show keeps going, let alone thirteen. There has been little attempt to improve on the accurate representation of mental illness, and results would suggest that the show is negatively impacting viewers.

After 13 Reasons Why came out in 2017, there were 900,000-1,500,000 more suicide and self harm related searches on Google. While it’s difficult to directly connect which searches were linked with particular cases of self harm and suicide, it is still disturbing that more people are thinking about hurting themselves, rather than searching for help. Among the most disturbing cases are the “copycat suicides.” In June of 2018, a 23-yearold Peruvian man, Franco Alonso Lazo Medrano, took his life, and left tapes for the people who he said drove him to his death. It is reported that “it is not clear if Medrano was inspired by the television show,” but given the specificity of the case it seems very likely. There was also a mother in Florida, whose son took his own life just days after watching the show on a teacher’s recommendation. He too created a list of reasons why he wanted to end his life, strikingly similar to Hannah’s justifications. In response, the National Association of School Psychologists said in a statement: “We do not recommend that vulnerable youth, especially those who have any degree of suicidal ideation, watch this series.” Why not create a show about someone who is struggling, who looks for help and eventually receives it? A story of survival, about a person who learned to live with their mental illness, and goes on to live a messy but beautiful life anyway? Do we need to be constantly bombarded by high stakes drama for entertainment? Perhaps a story like that might not be as dramatic as 13 Reasons Why, but after seeing the unsettling effects that this show has had, I sure would watch it.

the politics o f beauty Sarain Fox and Sephora bring Indigenous representation to beauty branding LENA ORLOVA Contributor

Her eyes are the colour of glacier lakes, gleaming behind storefront windows. Sarain Fox has made it mainstream in Sephora’s “We Belong to Something Beautiful” campaign. Fox lays her tracks across many platforms — both artistic and political — making her mark as a voice of Canadian Indigenous culture. She is a multidimensional woman: an Anishinaabekwe activist, actor, dancer, Morning Star and Truthteller. Modelling for a beauty brand isn’t her first public venture nor her last one. In Sephora’s new ad, we see politics and make-up come together for a cause. At face value, the words beauty brand brings to mind literally that: face value. Powders and lipstick. Gloss, gleam and spark. The powerful machine we call the cosmetic industry assembles these products for perfection. If we think about it, how much of our concept of beauty is primed by beauty brands? Historically, blemish-free faces held monopoly on female representation. In consequence, we come to believe that beauty is contingent with the endowment of these faces. The faces do not speak, they showcase a product. These mannequins stand for corporate profit, silent on expression of character. “We Belong to Something Beautiful” stands for something else. To celebrate difference and incorporate diversity, Sephora has created a campaign that incorporates Canadian Indigenous culture, with Fox as its representative. A two-minute introductory video on Sephora’s website brings context and personality to the picture. The Indigenous changemaker passionately speaks of her core value of belonging, elucidating how her heritage has shaped her sense of rootedness and community. She speaks to historical silencing of the Indigenous expression, bringing attention to the present mode of her resistance: her voice. Using the beauty brand as another stage for her message, she then smoothly concludes with a personal re-definition of beauty. Beauty is in connection, in showing up as

yourself. Beauty is truth. It is a politically progressive step for increasing Indigenous representation in media. It also casts a wider net for an audience that does not identify with the Western-European colonial concept of beauty. Arguments exist illuminating the inauthenticity of such efforts to incorporate authenticity. The sceptic’s eye sees the corporate responsibility movement as just another public relations stunt to increase profit or perform risk management. Where there is a wider spectrum of ethnicities, there is greater risk of being caught under scrutiny of not being diverse enough. Corporations perform spectacles for activists. They pretend to promote social responsibility while the stakeholders, the real decision makers, continue to be driven by self-serving motives. Here, the fear is that increasing Indigenous representation is a mock attempt at social change, without an underlying intention to do more than attract customers. There is a grain of truth to the counterargument against corporate responsibility movements. For true social change we need more than a marketing campaign. Our perception of the Indigenous community requires a shift in perception. This ethnic group, for decades and in majority, has been depicted in the media by non-Indigenous writers in ways that support cultural stereotypes of superstitious, warrior-clad hunters. Sephora’s project breaks this thread—inviting an Indigenous person to tell their personal narrative. Fundamentally, the campaign aligns with the core of the cause for authentic Indigenous representation. No matter how limited the medium of communication may be through the mouth of a corporate giant, the campaign provides a platform and an opportunity for open dialogue between the Indigenous community and the modern audience. It is a space for Indigenous people to be seen in the context of their own self-defined beauty. Self-definition is empowering. Empowerment is the new fashion.

OPI NIONS

Never too old for a sweet treat Should trick or treating have an age limit? VALERIA VELAZQUEZ Contributor NATALIE HEAMAN Illustrator

When we think of trick-or-treating we think of kids dressing up in their favorite costumes and going from door to door asking for candy. But why do we only imagine kids doing this? Why not candie-starved adults? Most of us get to a certain age when we think we’re too old for it. Maybe we think the act of trickor-treating will take away our credibility as cooler and wiser adults, or maybe we were reminded of the social norms which tell us we’re “too old.” Well, I beg to differ. When I first went trick-or-treating with my friends in Mexico I felt something (I don't really want to say it, but I will) “magical.” The freedom of putting on a costume and getting to be whomever or whatever you want is something incredible, even if for one night out of the year. The thrill of waiting at someone’s door not knowing if they’ll open up and give you candy or yell at you is undeniable. It’s time to live a little, folks. Disappointment and social stigma doesn’t mean you can’t have fun and create lasting memories. Even though I’m in my twenties, my personal policy is if I feel like doing it, I will. No shame. No fucks given. I’ll put on a costume (a human-sized taco being the last one), take a friend, and go door to door collecting candy. Reminiscing on your past as a young one should precede any concerns about judgment. Of course the dressing up part is something many of us still do, even at an older age. It might be to go

to an amazing party or just a small get together with our friends, but the point here is to acknowledge the problem that a lot of us stop doing what we used to do as kids even though we still have a part of us that needs to connect with our childhood self. Whether you’re seven, twenty-seven, hell, even fifty-seven years old, I say all the power to you, do it. I would love to see a 70 year old dressed as a witch or a vampire going from door to door asking for candy with their grandkids. Wouldn’t you? As we get older we start to realize that other people’s views don’t need to have such an impact on what we do, especially if it’s something we enjoy. As far as trickor-treating goes I think no one, not even yourself, should place a limit on having fun. Social mores try and police us on what we should do, when we should do it, and how to act in certain situations. And that right there, my friends, is when we should question these expectations and (excuse the cliché) follow whatever our hearts tell us. The truth is, there is no clear line of right and wrong when it comes to Halloween (unless we're talking about Michael Myers going on a trick-or-treat killing spree), and we're only denying ourselves joy if we place too much importance on social stigmas. Just know, you're never too old for a sweet treat.

Should We Celebrate Halloween? “This is Halloween! This is Halloween!” she sings at the top of her lungs, and off-key MEGAN AMATO Associate News Editor

I love Halloween. Give me witches, v ampires, ghosts and goblins. I delight in spooky films and well-written stories, walks along gravestones, on-the-spot ghost tales, jack-o-lanterns and haunted houses. I enjoy the spirit of it as children knock on my door to ask for sweets, and the next day when all those sweets are 50% off. But what I love most about Halloween is the folklore and history. Where did it come from? Is it an unknown tradition from the vaults of time? An outdated Pagan holiday? A satanic ritual meant to corrupt innocent minds? Did it come from witches who celebrated All Hallow’s Eve or is it all a marketing scheme from Nestle to sell more chocolate? Let me put my glasses on, straighten my posture and clear my mental voice as I tell you the slightly magical and abridged story of Halloween. Like everything else over time, Halloween has evolved, adapted and changed to fit the ideals, values and culture of people. It began with the Celts, with Samhain (SAH-win): you may have heard the word, seen it somewhere, perhaps in that witchy subscription box you bought off Etsy. A long time ago, mostly on an isle that we now associate with leprechauns, Guinness, U2, and The Cranberries (Zombie, Zombie, ZOM-bie-bie-bie), the Celt’s commemorated the equinoxes and solstices with a series of festivals. Samhain--translates to “summer’s end” in Gaelic--was a festival led by Druid priests that marked the end of the harvest season with communal fires, animal sacrifices and other nifty offerings. So how did it transform from a somewhat practical festival celebrating harvest to a spooky

holiday? Some historians are convinced that the Celts left these offerings for fairies, spirits and deities to appease them because they believed that the barrier between the living and the dead was blurred during Samhain. Sure, it’s a bit like Mexico’s Dia de los Muertos. Possibly, though there is more physical evidence for Mexico’s holiday than this aspect of the Celtic festival. Despite that, many Celtic Reconstructionists and various identifying pagans continue to honour the dead and celebrate Samhain.  You might be wondering how this small harvest festival spread to the rest of the world, you can thank our good ol’ friend St. Patrick and the spread of Christianity. Remember those snakes he drove out of Ireland? They are representative of the uprooting of paganism in Ireland and the conversion of the country to Catholicism. After a few centuries, the restructuring of Samhain to fit Christian narratives and the movement of the day to Spring and back, All Saint’s Day was created by Pope Gregory III in the 9th century with the intention to celebrate, you guessed it, the saints on November 1st. This marked October 31 as All Saints Eve. Wave goodbye to heathen rituals and spirits, and say hello to rigid control and conformity (if you’re thinking that this girl has something against Christianity, you can blame my dearly departed mother who banned me from trickor-treating one year) yet some traditions remained to make the transition from Paganism to Christianity smoother. After a few centuries and shifts in Chiristianity and heavy colonialism, All Saint’s Day was celebrated in many corners of the world.

Okay, but what about the commercialism, the costumes, pumpkin carving and candy? Halloween (Hallowe’en or All Hallow’s Eve), first recorded in a Robert Burn’s poem, was recorded in Scotland by dressing or “guising” as demons. My husband, who hails from a small village in the Southwest of Scotland, loves to go on about trick-or-treating’s Scottish origins and remembers reciting small poems, jokes or other “tricks” for his treats. “Neep Lanterns” were carved out of turnips rather than pumpkins and costumes typically had to be scary. The treats involved fruit, nuts or homemade treats rather than our beloved Kit-Kats. Where did these traditions come from, you ask? Well, it may go back to those lovely Celts who were said to have dressed up or “disguised” themselves as demons to blend in with said demons when the veil was lowered during Samhain. The tradition was brought to North America after the Irish Potato Famine, popularized the 1950’s and has since commercialized to become a billion dollar industry. So should we celebrate Halloween? Absolutely. I love that a holiday altered by the church still has such solid pagan roots. If anything, let's keep Halloween spooky, strange and paranormal. I’ve decided right at this moment to start a campaign called “Let’s Make Halloween Spooky Again.” Dress as demons, dance naked in the moonlight, gorge on that 100 box of Halloween candy while sitting on the couch dressed as a decaying witch. Celebrate old traditions and create new ones. As the unofficial authority on Halloween, I declare that it is here to stay. OPI NIONS

cards!

The magical world of Tarot: how it works and how it doesn’t LENA ORLOVA Contributor

J.K. Rowling must have had a deck of tarot cards handy when she populated Harry’s world of wizardry. All manner of creatures are represented in the cards: hermits, mermaids, nymphs, kings, witches, priestesses and dementors. The cards create a narrative of their world. There are dozens of artistic renditions in the tarot section at Banyen Books. On the way to buy self-help books it’s fun to stop to flip through a deck. Draw a card. See your future. Origins of tarot cards remain as elusive as the way they work. They once intersected the standard 52-card deck, but with additional trump cards. In the Industrial Revolution, the game was picked up by occult circles across England and France by gypsies in travelling caravans. Some say they may have come from as far as Egypt. Others claim that the cards possess the ancient knowledge of humanity. The deck splits into minor and major arcana. Minor arcana is similar to the standard deck. It has four suits of its own: cups, wands, swords, and pentacles. Each suit has ten cards, from one to ten, along with Page, Knight, Queen, and King. The major arcana doesn’t have suits or an apparent political hierarchy. They are numbered from one to 22 in Roman Numerals, and each has its own character, like the Hermit, the Fool, the Devil, and even planetary objects like the Moon and the Sun. Contrary to popular belief, they don’t predict the future. Well, at least, not exactly. They act more like guiding posts, not time machines. A reading is a qualitative, dynamic relationship between the cards and the reader. The reader

contemplates on the draw of each card, their successions, and relative positions to each other. The reader views the situation of her life through the symbolism of the cards; she finds herself a new perspective. Readings can be done based on specific questions or remain open. While there isn’t one correct interpretation, there are ones that make the more sense than others. You may have an aha moment, feeling like this is exactly the information you need. The woodland nymph with an aura of purple flowers does signify your need to realize your potential in your work life. The Death card is telling you that you are about to experience a great transformation. Wow! You take away something. This sounds wishy-washy to some, like a voodoo tactic to rip off customers. Many will tell you to let the tarots lie in mysterious rooms of alleyway of psychics that charge $40 for a read. Ignore it. Just walk past, don’t go in and waste your money. Some argue that tarot readings come true because of the psychological process known as self-fulfilling prophecy. The reader sees what they expect in the cards, then subconsciously makes decisions in order to fulfill the outcome seen in the cards. It’s a play on human behaviour. Nothing out of the ordinary. Still, tarot readings do remain a popular instrument of reading for psychics and those with eclectic interests (like me!). As my friend told me once, whether you believe it or not, it’s fun to try. Out of ideas for a Halloween costume this year? Ask the cards!

OPI NIONS

Following your dreams and not your debt Why college tuition should be government subsidized CHRIS HO Opinions Editor

So here you are a true student—well on your way to becoming a workaholic since it’s the only way to juggle the seemingly infinite course load, part time or full-time work, and a temperamental roommate who refuses to take ownership of their dishes. But what if college tuition was non-existent, or at least substantially reduced? It seems almost novel to me at this point, like something I dreamed about as a kid, to which my parents affectionately replied, “Nothing is free in this world, Chris, nothing but our love.” It all seemed like a dream until I discovered that Ontario’s previous liberal government had made it possible for students from low income families to attend college or university for free. There was a hopeful period in time where I thought they were headed in the right direction, but let’s just say the format has changed a little since then. Government debt likes to pile up, and of course the first thing to get cut was subsidized education funding. Don’t worry though, according to CTV News, 2019 saw wealthier Ontario students get a 10 percent tuition cut, for reasons that elude even the most brilliant of minds. The upside is they can start putting aside a little income earlier now, and save up for that Lexus. Critics of free education argue that getting rid of tuition could actually benefit those in the upper-income bracket even more than the lower-income brackets. In the case of Brazil, this way of thinking has been put to the question by The NY Times.  Of course, this is irrelevant to the heart of the sentiment behind subsidized education, which is about a worldwide vision of equal opportunity and access to education. We also have to remember that being inundated with student debt well beyond graduation means that a large portion of the population won’t be spending as much money as consumers, which has an impact on economic growth.  The problem is particularly alarming in the US, where student debt is even greater than credit card and car loan debt. And as much as we Canadians love our credit card debt, Global News estimates we aren’t

too far behind the US. Their June 2019 article cited recent data from Statistics Canada which showed that new bachelor graduates are carrying an average of over $26,000 in student debt. Yikes. Among the most astounding arguments against free education, though, is the claim that life without student debt would be too easy, that we’d never get a chance to learn how to manage our finances. Like helpless pets, we will have wandered away from the walls of safety, into a heartless world that would be unwilling to give us any answers about money management. “Great,” we’ll say, with our eyes cast into the gutter. “They forgot to teach us how to do our taxes in high school and university. Now what?” A more interesting point to at least acknowledge (according to Mises Institute) is that 100% free tuition may not produce as many graduates as opposed to a reduced or a partly subsidized tuition plan. For people who support the main philosophy of free education, but are weary about results, the compromise here could be that tuition be heavily subsidized by the government, but not entirely. This could also neutralize the halfbaked argument that making university completely free devalues the very service of education as a whole. That said, scholarly motivation is a complex area of study that relies on a lot more than trudging down a path of debt just to appreciate the value of education.  There are strong philosophical and humanitarian justifications for free education. Looking at the bigger picture we see that getting an education is absolutely crucial for the specialized professions that most of us want to pursue. Free or substantially reduced tuition also means less overall debt, which not only helps relieve many of those hard working middle and lowerclass families, but stimulates the economy overall. It’s a little late for me and my friends, having already completed our undergrads, but perhaps if we become advocates of change, younger generations won’t still be paying off their student loans into their forties. One can always dream.

Amazon Killed the Small Book Store Why it’s imperative to continually examine companies like Amazon and be conscious consumers CAM LOESCHMANN Contributor

I am sure that no one needs to be preached to about the sins of Amazon. Unless you have been living under a rock, their human rights abuses are no secret. Warehouses from China to Australia to the US are affected by working conditions that have been described as a “hellscape,” featuring timed bathroom breaks, fear of unemployment, and workers being silenced when they have the audacity to speak out. Have you used Goodreads, IMDb, or Audible lately? Or shopped at Whole Foods, or read something on the Washington Post? Well, if you at any point made a commitment to limit what portion of your paycheck goes to Jeff Bezos’s ten millionth yacht, you have failed. It takes a certain kind of privilege to be able to boycott Amazon, however. Vancouver is a paradise of capitalism, where Amazon is unnecessary for me to have a good quality of life. When I was a closeted teenager in a small town hiding a chest binder from my mother, I ordered one online. Here you can buy them in stores like Little Sister’s on Davie. I have never been a student who needed to order textbooks on Amazon to get through my classes. I have no problems with mobility or social anxiety that would require my basic necessities to be shipped to my door. I am also not yet desperate enough to get Amazon Prime so that I can watch the Good Omens TV series, no matter how good the fanart is and how much I want to get in on it. Will I get Prime one day? It depends. Do they have a free trial so I can slam through Good Omens and then cancel it before I owe them money? So does this make me a paragon of leftist virtue? Oh, definitely. Except that by slapping a sticker on our morals and shouting: “capitalism is dead because I say so!” we are ignoring the larger issues at play. In 2018 Amazon spent $14.2 million USD on lobbying government entities, a record high for the company.

They spent $14.2 million more than they paid in federal taxes. Alongside companies like Google and Facebook, Amazon paid to lobby for issues of security, immigration, and the US Postal Service. Together they paid over $65 million USD. Where does this leave us? What can we do to stop the monopoly Jeff Bezos has over all of our lives? Are we doomed to having alerts set on our phone whenever Amazon buys our favourite companies? Well, aside from pirating Good Omens, supporting small businesses and public libraries is a good way to be a thorn in Jeff ’s side. The most important thing, however, is not something that can be done on an individual level or even a community level. Amazon thrives on the way that it controls information. If we do not see the modern slaves when their Twitter pages are shut down, if we do not see the back room deals that get made with some of the biggest government and corporate powers of our time, then they do not exist. The only way to break out of this Truman Show-esque nightmare is to talk about it. Keep at the forefront of our minds the tax bills, the articles criticising the US Democratic Party that come from the Washington Post, and the way that Amazon’s online bookselling drove an entire industry underground. Do not let them get away with it.  Maybe I will bow down to the temptations of Amazon Prime one day, but one individual spending or not spending money is hardly enough to shake down Jeff ’s empire. All we can do is keep talking about it, keep reminding ourselves of the modern day slavery that happens where corporations don’t want us to look, and make conscious consumer efforts that can help small businesses. But if the only way to afford textbooks is used on Amazon, then that is just the way the capitalist cookie crumbles.

OPI NIONS

EMI LY ROS E

@emilyroseartist 40

CYN TH I A TRAN VO

@cynthiatranvo FEATURED ART

Haunted The story of how one haunted man resurrects his ghost and becomes a ghost himself. JAYDE ATCHISON Staff Writer

Like a scene out of a Davie Street pantomime, Matt met John on Tinder two years ago. Both men were new to the area, John the bartender from Australia and Matt the teacher from Alberta. Their stories converged on a first date at The Three Brits, then a second where a mutual love of Schitt's Creek, Ariana Grande, thoughts about marriage, and Nicole Kidman drew them closer to materializing from the Tinder ether into a relationship. All of their similarities should have led to a bright future together. On the morning of October 13th, 2017 Matt dropped off John to his West End apartment and that was the last time he saw John. “I thought things were going really well and that we had something special” explains Matt. “I had no idea if John was kidnapped, in the hospital or even alive”. Matt spent the next few weeks struggling with how to handle the situation. He sent texts that read:

The all-consuming radio silence from John left Matt in a fog of perpetual anxiety. After a month of communicating, Matt had learned John’s texting style - and this was not it. John was the type of texter that replied promptly after getting an incoming message, or he would apologize for any delays if he could not reply in a timely fashion. From November 2nd onwards, Matt spent much of his time outside of work trying to find out what happened to John. On the weekends he would frequent the local haunts: bars, dives and clubs in hopes of seeing John, just to be sure he was doing alright. Matt would ask the bartenders and baristas in the West End areas if they had seen John. None of them had. John had lived in Vancouver for two years, but in a matter of weeks it was like any trace of John’s existence in the city disappeared like footprints on the shoreline of English Bay. When Matt found himself in John’s workplace, the employers could only tell him that John no longer worked there, but did not know what happened after his last shift. As each day passed, Matt was starting to forget John and the hurt he felt from losing the connection. The feelings started to dissipate, but every time Matt heard an Australian accent his heart skipped a beat and he would frantically look around in case it was John’s voice. Social media was no help, as a private account gave no details into the actions of the missing man’s life. Matt settled down with a Vancouver local, Ben, in the middle of 2018 and left behind his feelings for the ghost of his past. In March of 2019, Matt went for a birthday dinner for his friend Samantha. There he met a mutual friend Alexa, who sat next to him and they spent the rest of the evening chatting. Suddenly, Alexa brought up a name Matt never thought he would hear again: John. He asked many leading questions to find out if it was the same five-foot seven blonde from Australia with an obsession with Miley Cyrus. What were the chances of two men having the same description? His heart began to pound heavily in his chest, as he was finally going to find out what

happened to the man that disappeared from Vancouver and his heart. Alexa confirmed that this was the same John from nearly two years prior with photos from Instagram. It turns Alexa had known John through an old boyfriend and knew about his whereabouts over the last year and a half. Shortly after his birthday in late October 2017, John was forced to return home to Australia as his Visa had run out. Together, Alexa and Matt tried to piece together the lack of communication and how quickly he was able to vanish from Vancouver’s realm. Was moving home to much to bear? Was there not enough time to say his goodbyes before his flights? Did something happen to a family member that required an emergency flight? The biggest question that came to Matt’s mind was had John done this to other men in the past? Would he do it again? What Alexa didn’t know was that Matt was using the information she had given him to prepare for revenge next time John came to Vancouver. Alexa had let slip that in July of 2019, John would be making a return from Australia. He would be returning for three weeks to see the landscape he missed so much, and the friends he left behind. “I just thought he wanted to know what John was up to, as a curious friend” Alexa recalled. “I never expected to hear about the events that followed. I just feel so guilty - it is all my fault”. What developed next started off innocently enough. Alexa thought it would be nice for the three to catch up together on her rooftop with a few Lone Trees while watching the sunset and sharing laughs, stories over a platter of hummus. Alexa walked them to the front entrance and watched as the two men walked away with big smiles and easy body language. As this first encounter went well, the three decided to meet again to watch the fireworks in English Bay. The evening was heavy with flirtation between the men, subtle innuendos and secretive smiles. John was starting to feel a connection to Matt that he had not felt

since their first date two years prior. He felt remorse for his actions, and apologized to Matt for his unexplained disappearance. “I was going through a really rough breakup with my ex Mark” John disclosed. “I was being dragged back and forth through this toxic relationship and left everyone behind to heal”. He thought everything was patched between them. Little did he know that this was not the case. With every flirtatious glance, Alexa was sure the two would be going home together at the end of the evening. As she encouraged the two to reconnect romantically, a friend of Matt let it be known that he was in a committed relationship with someone else. John did not find out until after Matt had left for the evening, and was shocked with this information. He reached out to Matt for an explanation, and the recently exorcised ghost became haunted by his mistakes. John sent message after message to Matt trying to work things out and was given the kind of proverbial silence he’d given Matt years ago. For the remainder of his Vancouver vacation, John was left to wonder where Matt had gone and why the communication ended. Matt was not to be seen at any of the Pride events in August. There was no sign of the man that had been left unaware two years prior. There is no word from Matt on whether this was done intentionally or if something more tragic happened post-fireworks. Kind of like a memory, John knows Matt is alive as a spectre that roams the list of viewers in his Instagram stories. He’s floating somewhere in the ether of social media where they first met. Social media is a strange reality where people can disappear without ever really vanishing. Typically, it takes seven years just to molt all the cells in the body, and roughly half of those cells aren’t even human. We’re forever lending ourselves to others without knowing it. Maybe we owe it to these ghosts to spend time looking for them. After all, they might be looking too. *names have been changed to respect privacy.

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Natal Charts 101

A beginner's guide to interpreting your astrological chart TAMIA THOMPSON Contributor

The first zodiacs were originally means of time measurement and stellar interpretation. Early Babylonian, Hindu, and Chinese understandings of the celestial sphere are the main sources that produced the first zodiacs. These cultures were among the first to look at the sky and try to establish why some celestial bodies moved, why others didn’t, and how they were all connected. It was Grecian scientists that ushered in what we know presently to be Western astrology. Ptolemy, a great astrologer and astronomer, was pivotal in drawing the line between astrology and astronomy while acknowledging the usefulness of both. Your natal chart is a table of planetary coordinates; together, these coordinates are a mapping of the sky the moment you were born. Google “natal chart report” to find websites that calculate your natal chart for you using your place, date, and time of birth. Interested in introspecting? First, know that your birth chart has potential for numerous, meaningful connections between your planets’ signs and the signs of others. This explains why sometimes you really get along with one particular sign when any typical horoscope (that only uses your sun sign without taking into account the rest of your natal chart) would say you’d bump heads. This is a guide— a quick, easy reference for starting to understand your natal chart. You can also learn more about your natal chart online or, if you’re feeling risky, an astrologer can do the reading for you. The following is a simple rundown of the main terms to know:

Sister Signs & Elements

Modalities, Aspects, & Degrees

Every sign has a sister sign or an opposition to it that is meant to grow closely like two sides of one coin: similar in essence, but with greatly differing lessons to learn. They are:

Modalities are the orientation or alignment each sign embraces based on time of year, and speak to how each of the signs are in action and agency. Each sign fits into a category that contains one of each element:

Aries / Libra

Taurus / Scorpio

Gemini / Sagittarius

Cancer / Capricorn

Leo / Aquarius

Virgo / Pisces

Elements are represented by the main facets of our planet’s natural composition. The elements are earth, air, water, and fire. Each element holds three signs that are considered to be trine with each other. Each sign of the zodiac falls into one of these categories: Earth the element of stability, materiality, and practicality: Taurus / Virgo / Capricorn Air the element of flexibility, mentality, and analysis: Gemini / Libra / Aquarius

Water the element of emotion, psychicism, intimacy, and fluidity: Cancer / Scorpio / Pisces Fire the element of spontaneity, physical energy, and boldness: Aries / Leo / Sagittarius

Cardinal -- this modality embraces initiation, beginning, and formation: Aries / Cancer / Libra / Capricorn Fixed -- this modality embraces stillness, solidity, and sustenance: Taurus / Leo / Scorpio / Aquarius Mutable -- this modality embraces completion, ending, and resolution: Gemini / Virgo / Sagittarius / Pisces Aspects are connections formed between the signs and the planets; they can be trine, sextile, conjunct, or opposed. Aspects can be between people as well as notions of time; you can find connections between yourself and others, but also between people and the time of year. The numbers, or degrees, that fall in the column beside the signs on your natal chart are indicative of where exactly on the zodiac that sign falls. Your experiences with your signs may differ based on the position your sign takes. Looking further into the degrees of your individual signs can reveal more about your personal cycles and how your personal cycles interact with the time of year.

Planets & Signs

houses

All of the signs belong to a planet, their ruling planet. Think of a sign’s ruling planet as its home. The ruling planet dictates how the sign’s personal traits manifest, and the movement of the ruling planet around our solar system affects the sign’s experiences on Earth.

Houses, or domiciles, are the second half of a full natal chart. Houses give you information on your life to come and the patterns you may experience throughout your life. This part of the natal chart, along with your ascendant, requires your time of birth in order to be accurate. Each house is represented by a sign and a planet. You can learn more about how you will navigate certain areas of your life based on what signs fall in each of your houses. This portion of your chart can be fascinating, as it provides you with an even greater possibility of finding connections within your birth chart, connections between the signs you possess in your houses and the signs that rule those houses, and connections between your natal chart and the charts of others.

Sun — Also traditionally recognized as your star sign. This is the most general sense of self that can be taken away from your natal chart. Consider the sun to be a representation of who you are and are known to be in a plain sense. The sun rules Leo. Moon — The moon represents your emotions, the way you are when you are alone, the way you feel about yourself, and your personal experience with feeling. It is often the case that people feel more like their moon sign than their sun sign. The moon rules Cancer. Mercury — Mercury is the planet of communication, transportation, analysis, and information. Look to interpretations of your mercury sign to find out how you decipher things around you and communicate your thoughts. Mercury rules Gemini and Virgo. Venus — Venus is the planet of love, femininity, art, and intimate expression. Knowledge of this part of your chart would tell you about how you are when you embrace love, creativity, beauty, and sensuality. Venus rules Libra and Taurus. Mars — Mars is the planet of work ethic, physicality, energy, sex, and masculinity. This part of your chart can give further detail on how you get work done, how you express yourself physically, and how you assert competition. Mars rules Aries and more traditionally, Scorpio. Jupiter — Jupiter is the planet of luck, opportunity, hope, and achievement. It is the planet you look to for more understanding on how you can be your best self to get the most out of your luck or chances. It speaks to your growth and life improvement. Jupiter rules Sagittarius. Saturn — Saturn is the planet of responsibility, limits, rules, and authority. Saturn not only shows more about our responses to personal regulation, but as well how we face (or don’t face) our fears and being held back. Saturn rules Capricorn. Uranus — Uranus is the planet of originality, invention, diversity, and rebelliousness. This planet’s power can be found in acts of great change and resistance. Uranus is a great force centred around ingenuity and progress. Uranus rules Aquarius. Neptune — Neptune is the planet of dreams, spirituality, intuition, and creation. Neptune speaks of your psyche and the ways you express personal and spiritual freedom. Neptune rules Pisces. Pluto — Pluto is the planet of transformation, revolution, death, and rebirth. All that ends and begins for us in our lives falls under the scope of Pluto’s reign. This planet also gives further detail as to your inner power, your life’s deeper meanings, and even your dark side. Pluto is the modern ruler of Scorpio. Ascendant — Your ascendant, or your rising sign, is determined using your time of birth. It is the most surface-level part of your natal chart. Your ascendant sign gives you information on how you are in terms of first impressions, how people who don’t know you see you, and how your appearance may come across to others.

Represented by Aries/Mars. This house will teach you more about your first impressions, beginnings, sense of self, identity, and physical appearances. This house possesses your ascendant sign. House II— Represented by Taurus/Venus. This house will teach you about how you deal with money, possessions, values, your sense of selfworth, and personal security. House III— Represented by Gemini/Mercury. This house will teach you about your thoughts, your use of language, your life’s early interactions, and your relationships with siblings/immediate peers. House IV—Represented by Cancer/The Moon. This house will teach you about your familial relationships (particularly maternal ones), your home life, and your emotional core. House V—Represented by Leo/The Sun. This house will teach you about your feelings toward and personal sense of creativity, romance, fun, publicity, dramatism, and adventure. House VI — Represented by Virgo/Mercury. This house will teach you about your work ethic, overall health, ways of contribution, acts of service, and sense of organization. House VII — Represented by Libra/Venus. This house will teach you about your long-term relationships, marriage, partnerships, companionship, and your alter-ego/other ways of being. This house possesses your descendant sign, dealing with others as opposed to your ascendant, which deals with the self. House VIII — Represented by Scorpio/Mars. This house will teach you about how you respond to and understand the themes in your life revolving around revelation, transformation, change, sexuality, growth, and death. House IX — Represented by Sagittarius/Jupiter. This house will teach you about how travelling, education, adventure, other cultures, and personal belief may come into play throughout your life. House X — Represented by Capricorn/Saturn. This house will teach you about your career, status, feelings within society at large, feelings about authority, and your relationships with paternal figures. This house possesses your Midheaven. Your Midheaven will help you explore your purpose and path. House XI — Represented by Aquarius/Uranus. This house will teach you about your aspirations, long-term goals, feelings about humanity, personal freedom, and friendships. House XII — Represented by Pisces/Neptune. This house will teach you about how you embrace spirituality, dreams, endings, karma, and the parts of yourself that you hold back. FEATURES

WICCA, not wicked Fresh perspectives on those who were once considered the Sisters of Satan ALEXIS OLA ZYGAN Contributor ANA MARIA CAICEDO Arts & Culture Editor FREYA WASTENEYS Managing Editor SARAH ROSE Features Editor CORALIE MAYER-TRAYNOR Illustrator

Beyond the confines of fictional tales like Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Rosemary’s Baby, practicing witches live among us. Far from the grotesque, sexual and terrifying depictions in the media, most covens reject the cackling cryptic rhymes for individual empowerment and personal transformation. It’s hardly the collaboration with Satan we tend to imagine. Anxiety—fed by negative public reactions and Hollywood’s demonization—has contributed to a certain stigma around witchcraft. Paganism is often confused with Satanism. But, like many other religions, Wicca exists in various forms and denominations, none of which are related to Satanism. Today, many witches practice in secret. Privacy and geographic limitations can lead modern covens to choose to pursue their practices online. Lily, a member of the Correlian Nativist community (one of the many branches of Wicca), has been practicing Wicca—both collectively and on her own—since she was a young child. In fact, she said her talents first manifested at the age of two and she remembers predicting the rise of sea levels at 13. By 18, she knew it was her destiny to lead a coven of her own. It wasn’t until her mid-thirties that she finally understood why her dreams forecasted future events. After running from fate for years, she finally came full circle when she asked the universe to aid her in starting her own coven. “I know a lot more than I did at eighteen, don’t we all,” Lily mused. Now in her fifties, she says the answer to her question arrived subconsciously in a dream, the day before she opened the Coven for membership. Today, *Lily, who lives far from urban city life in the mountains of Northern Ontario, is the high priestess of a Correllian Nativist Coven that practices entirely online. She believes that the misconceptions that surround Wicca only serve to

stigmatize those who practice magic, pushing them further from widespread acceptance. Lily asked for anonymity, as speaking about her craft can still result in backlash. As a young Wiccan, the high priestess acquired knowledge from other pagans in her bloodline, particularly her father and great grandmother, who was a medicine woman. “My father shared telepathy with his mother as I do with my father. He will drink beer and I will burp it. He does it to aggravate me, so that I call him,” she said. Coming from a family with Puritan ties, however, she was often urged to hide her talent for divination. She recalls that many people reacted with fear stemming from ignorance and a lack of knowledge. “Little dolls with nooses tied around their necks [were hung] off lockers or thrown at me,” she said of her peers’ abusive behaviour. Lily notes that practicing witches often prefer to remain invisible as a protective mechanism. Correllian Nativists are unique from other Wicca traditions in their embrace of the internet as a space to learn, communicate and practice witchcraft. Lily’s coven interacts through a Facebook group where members collaborate, educate and practice magic collectively. The group has set opening and closing times, which Lily regulates, in order to keep bad energy out. Practicing online also means fewer restrictions on coven members, solving, for example, mobility issues which would result from meeting in a non-accessible space. Despite the distance between members of the coven, all invited can join, learn, and practice Wicca. In recent years, Correllian Nativist Wicca has steadily increased in membership, growing in popularity worldwide. The practice emphasizes peer-based support and aims to enable its members to find power within themselves. This is done through meditation and energy-focused efforts

that connect consciousness and intention. *Violet, a Vancouver-based coven member in her forties, joined the group seven months ago. She explained that the group is currently working on first-degree priesthood (there are three degrees of wicca education), which involves studying the history of wicca and various gods and goddesses, as well as casting circles and practicing different exercises—such as cleansing and protection exercises. The protection exercise, Violet explained, involves conjuring and maintaining energy. “Basically, it’s going into a meditative state and building a bright light around your body, like a bubble around your body so that negative energy can’t penetrate. It’s meditation and visualization, and then you have to try to keep that power up through the day, or for a set amount of time. [For] most people it takes years to master it—to keep it up all the time,” she said. To cast circles, Lily types up a procedure which coven members must follow in order to enter the circle. Once they’re in the circle, the members try to exchange energy through visualization. The online nature of the coven can make circle-casting difficult. “It’s hard to feel someone's energy from [a] long distance,” Violet noted. “If you’re in the same room as someone you can kind of look at them and gauge what their energy is, but when you’re online, you’re at a distance… you’re trying to see somebody’s energy and what they’re thinking and doing when they’re not right in front of you, you can’t read their face,” she explained. She added that casting circles is still possible online—“It just takes more concentration, and you

have to be open to it.” Each coven member’s encounter with a higher power is unique and based on the notion of a universal inner truth within nature that is expressed through outer forms. “It’s not so much ‘there is a God’ in the ‘God’ sense, it’s a higher power that is out there and it’s an archetype— the gods and goddesses are kind of a story and [they’re] expressing a universal power that’s in all of us,” explained Violet. “We all have a little bit of it in us and we can connect to each other, and to the trees and the rocks and all that stuff, through this universal power.” Correllian Nativist teachings stem from Rev. Donald Lewis-Highcorrell’s text Witch School, and Lewis-Highcorrell himself serves as the Chief Priest of the Correll Mother Temple. The tradition strongly believes in the law of attraction, and much of their doctrine revolves around emitting good energy into the universe, and setting intentions to be collectively blessed by their covens. Although membership is free, the work Lily’s coven engages in is often more indepth than new members may expect. The coven has lost twenty-two members since January alone, and some find that working online leaves something to be desired—a lack of feeling of physical energy from another person, as Violet previously noted, which would be more likely to occur when meeting in real life. When entering a coven, it’s typical to see all kinds of misconceptions around what it means to practice Wicca. Some members drop out after just a few months due to the strain of the workload. Others attempt to start their own coven, unaware of the amount of training necessary to facilitate one. The path of practicing Wicca is far from

effortless, demanding devotion and energy to hone one’s craft. While many younger witches may choose to pursue the religion out of a desire to “hex,” it is often a waste of time. In my own spiritual practice, I have come across others who long for this power but don’t bother investing time to understand the reasoning and the process. Practicing Wicca demands countless hours of studying, learning, practice, theory and hard work. Inducing harm to another being with the help of supernatural forces manifested is a force that requires years of dedication and study and—fortunately—it is unavailable to those who wish to achieve it by simply purchasing incense from a HeadShop and a deck of Tarot Cards from Urban Outfitters. Perhaps this trend stems from the preconception of Wicca as a conduit to do evil, rather than the path to self-actualization and empowerment those deeply involved in Wicca know it to be. The moral code of Wicca can be summed up by the Wiccan Rede “do as you will, but harm none.” Correalist Nativist Wicca will continue to be practiced, in solidarity online and off, as long as people like Lily continue to share the magical power of intentions and consciousness with others. Although stereotypes of Wicca persist, Lily’s coven exemplifies how practicing magic is nothing more than empowering one another to be your best self. *Names have been changed at the interviewees’ request

FEATURES

QUEER AND NOW Why the Quiet Ones are Often the Loudest ASHLEIGH BRINK Columnist

With the surge of visibility and acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community in the entertainment industry in the past 1015 years, there has come with it a wave of openly gay new artists. Following in the footsteps of those like Elton John and David Bowie, the next generation has truly come into their own while making lasting impressions on the music world. Just one example is the success of Lil Nas X’s Old Town Road, which will probably be remembered as one of the most iconic songs of 2019. With Lil Nas X coming out publicly on Twitter this past June, he’s made history as the first openly gay, black artist to be nominated for a Country Music Award, and currently holds the title of the longestrunning number one in Hot 100 History with his 17-week reign. Since coming out, he has publicly been a force for LGBTQ+ rights in the media and on social platforms like Twitter, where he has cultivated a significant following. While quantifiable success may be the most obvious way of moving the needle forward, there is another type of representation with an equally strong impact. Perhaps some of the most beautiful music coming from the LGBTQ+ community currently is found in the new cluster of indie music. Artists like Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and the supergroup they formed with Lucy Dacus (known as boygenius) are all prominent examples. Instead of recycling some of the same old tropes often found in the genre, boygenius is a group of women singing about women. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: representation is extremely important. Hearing people like you singing songs about their own lives is vastly powerful. Even more so when it is layered onto hauntingly beautiful music like that of Julien Baker. Baker’s music is sonically astounding (seriously, my hands hurt after learning to play Sour Breath). It is imbued with an aching sense of sorrow and longing. Her large sound, layered with reverb pedal upon reverb pedal, cries out, almost as if the instrument itself is in pain. Her vocals are much the same. They have an unmistakable sense of raw, powerful honesty as if she bares her soul with each and every line. Also not to be forgotten is her lyrical prowess. The words themselves are dripping with melancholy, and contain that same feeling of honesty and exposure. She sings about her life, her relationships, her struggles with substance abuse and mental illness, and making peace with her religious beliefs. And she does it with a sense of candour rarely heard. Honesty is powerful, and that’s what

drives much of the emotional impact behind her music. Some artists are extremely vocal in their queerness, such as King Princess, an artist most recently, and appropriately, referred to as “Brooklyn queer pop royalty” in a feature by Vulture. Although her debut album is yet to be released, with just an EP and a handful of singles, the artist has firmly claimed the title of queer icon. (If you need further reference, see Pussy is God, an unabashed wlw anthem.) Other artists, however, take a much more understated approach. With her rainbow guitar strap, and the same candour she shows in her music, there is no doubt Baker is open about her sexuality. But for Baker, being out and proud doesn’t mean her sexuality is always going to be at the forefront, it’s just a part of who she is. Phoebe Bridgers is similar. Her bisexuality is not a secret, but she’s not going to smack you in the face with a rainbow either. Frankly, it is extremely encouraging to see this kind of representation these days. You don’t have to be loud to be visible or counted. You can just be you — whoever that may be. Queer people just existing is what normalizes us. Don’t get me wrong, the louder forms of representation are extremely important too. Without trailblazers like Bowie and Elton John, as well as many others, we would not be where we are today. And those holding up that torch, like King Princess, are unequivocally creating positive change in the world. But what is important is that these artists no longer have to. The role of activist is no longer thrust upon each and every LGBTQ+ individual by default. Rather, they have the power to just be, and for that in itself to be powerful. At the end of the day, all levels of representation create a positive effect on the world around us. The loud trailblazers are at the forefront, carving out the path. They drag society forward whether it wants to come along or not, and the quiet representatives bring up the rear. There, they also take the spotlight. But in it, they’re just themselves, showing those that try to other us just how human we really are.

Turning Blue How it Feels to Win a Championship EMMA CUNNINGHAM Columnist SARAH HAGLUND Illustrator

On March 3rd, 2018, the Capilano Blues women’s basketball team became provincial champions. Everybody had a different experience of that weekend. This is mine. I have played basketball since I was 9 years old. I was lucky enough to be recruited by Camosun College on a full scholarship, played two full seasons there, and loved it. That was until my third year came around and everything changed. I, along with two of my teammates, ended up quitting the team in November, and I thought my basketball career was over. I had worked so hard to play at the college level, and it was finished after only two seasons. A couple long months later, the CapU assistant coach at the time reached out, and got me inspired about possibly playing again. I decided to make the move from Victoria to North Vancouver and try this basketball thing one more time. We had a strong preseason led by our captains Carmelle M’Bikata, Ashley De La Cruz Yip, and Sherrie Errico who continuously reminded us of our goal — winning a provincial championship. I still felt anger and bitterness towards Camosun, so when we played them in November, I was locked in. We ended up losing that game which was a hard pill to swallow, but we had bigger plans. Because we had such a successful season, we finished first in the league and therefore got a first-round bye in the provincial tournament. Our semi-final game was against a tough VIU team. We were so focused on the championship, we overlooked VIU and barely snuck by them, winning 58-57 in a nail-biter that was secured by a massive block from Carmelle. On the other side, Camosun overcame Douglas College in their semi-final. The stage was set, Capilano vs. Camosun in the Provincial Championship game. For me personally, you couldn’t have written a better script. That night, we all took ice baths in the hotel bathtubs trying to get our bodies ready for war the next day.

The next morning, I woke up incredibly nervous and excited. I spent the whole day in the hotel room relaxing, focusing, and beginning to get into game mode. The team got together and we watched recorded footage of past Camosun games; we analyzed what they run, weak spots in their defense and how we could exploit those things to our advantage. Then, we got into the vans that would take us to the biggest game of our careers. As we were warming up, the crowd began to grow, and by tip-off the gym was full. We couldn’t have asked for a better start; we grew a big lead in the first two quarters and went into halftime up 31-14. Camosun came out strong in the third quarter and began to close the gap, but we had a push of our own and ended the quarter up 49-34. At the start of the fourth quarter, Camosun came out strong again, they dwindled our lead to just 10. With two minutes left, one of their players caught fire and hit three 3-pointers in under a minute. We were up by seven with 15 seconds left. They fouled me, and I went to the line. My body was exhausted, but the lifelong dream of a championship overcame the immense fatigue, and I hit my last free throw of the game to go up eight with just five seconds left. The game was over — we knew we had done it. When the buzzer went off, it was the loudest sound that gym had ever heard, but in my head, it was silent. I ran over to my teammates and hugged every one of them like they were family I hadn’t seen in 10 years. Overflowing with joy and relief, we stood arm in arm awaiting that coveted gold around our necks. During the medal ceremony, and for the rest of the night, I could not wipe the smile off my face, even writing this right now I am smiling ear to ear. I am forever grateful to those teammates and coaches, the game of basketball and the ability I was blessed with to play the game I love. There is nothing like the challenge, comradery, and achievement of university sports. I have new lifelong friends, and memories that will last forever. I am tremendously honoured to be a Blue.

C OLUMNS

DEVIANT BEAUTY: On the Fraught Nature of Selfies ANA MARIA CAICEDO Arts & Culture Editor

Taking a good selfie can feel so validating. It had been months since I had a photo taken of myself that I was happy with, but finally I got one. I took it under a bus shelter which diffused the harsh, early September sunshine. I was bare faced (after a three-step skincare routine of chemical exfoliant, moisturizer, and sunscreen) because I didn’t have time to put makeup on that morning, and had curled my hair. I was testing one of those sci-fi filters that everyone’s been playing with on Instagram, this one added a minimalistic little shimmering snake around my right eye. I extended my arm, tilted my chin up, tapped my screen and: bam! I got it. All it took was one shot, way less than the 20-30 images I usually end up taking for the selfie. This is a big deal for me. It had been so long since I’d felt happy with myself in a photograph, and when I saw that image I felt at ease again. It’s almost as if the images of ourselves that we post seem to validate our own beauty into existence. That selfie was the proof I needed to reassure myself: yes, I must be pretty. The evidence is the photo. But what about all the unsatisfying images of myself I had taken since then? What are they evidence of? Not too long ago, I set out to take some top-notch selfies on a summer afternoon. I sought out the best lighting, curled my hair, put on my best bra and favourite blouse, did my makeup to sun-kissed, dewy perfection—I even got a smartphone extension for my tripod. I must have taken over 40 photographs, with variations in posing, framing, and facial expression. I stayed outside for over an hour trying to get a good photo but no matter what I tried, I couldn’t get it. Two years ago I downloaded Facetune out of curiosity, thinking I’d delete it that same day. Then I found the reshape feature. If you know me, you know my nose is my deepest insecurity, and I wanted to see what I would

look like with a nose job. I used the refine and resize tools to whittle my aquiline nose down to normative feminine perfection, using my index finger to shrink my large, bumpy bridge and lift my drooping tip. I didn’t just do this once, or even just a few times—I did it almost everyday on bus rides to school and work. It’s been two years, and I still do it today. Occasionally I’ll also toy around with my body. I pinch my waist in and push my boobs and butt up. I cycle through the before and after images, dwelling on the afters. I never post them, but I do contemplate them. I contemplate the person I would be if I had a normal nose, if I was a little thinner, if I had a perkier butt and boobs. I think I over-simplified the ethics of photo-retouching as a young photographer. I thought, (and I still somewhat do), that photography is deceiving whether we retouch or not. Cameras have a tendency to capture and freeze every detail. When I’m taking a portrait of a friend, I don’t notice things like acne, pores, and patches of facial hair in-person, so I never had a problem removing these from my photos. This can be acceptable within the pages of a fashion magazine or portfolio of a photographer, but Instagram is different. Instagram is perceived as a representation of the “reality” of who we are and the life we live, and although we know that this representation is inherently distorted, putting this skepticism to practice is far more challenging. The Instagram page @celebface is one of my favourite accounts. With over one million followers, the page ruthlessly exposes how celebrities and influencers manipulate their bodies and images, whether it’s through retouching or plastic surgery. Many of the posts feature before and afters of manipulated images, revealing waists that have been nipped, lips that were plumped, butts that have been inflated, shrunken tummies, faces that were lifted, narrowed shoulders,

adjusted hairlines—the list goes on. There are also a ton of magnified facial images that reveal acne, pores, facial hair, and wrinkles; these images have been so blatantly oversharpened by @celebface it’s comical. It’s a bit strange that @celebface has been my go-to body positivity page, considering how it’s essentially a vicious take-down platform where people flock to criticize the appearance of (mostly) women. I think I get so much value from it because, unlike the body-positivity pages I follow, these images communicate everything I need to remember about the nature of self-representation for women on Instagram today. The influx of @ celebface posts documenting high-profile women who’ve retouched themselves is steadfast and extensive, as are the comments of shame and disgust beneath them. Yet despite the bleakness of it, looking at the page alleviates some of my body dysmorphia. I’ve come to realize that the reason that all those not-right selfies terrified me was because, essentially, they are the overwhelming, contradictory evidence that exposes me as not pretty—as awkward and ugly, as imperfect. When I said I never post the afters, I wasn’t being 100 percent honest. In the last photo I posted of myself, I blurred my face to smooth out my pores and hair follicles, and I still feel uneasy and guilty about it. A few months ago I saw a post captioned, “p.s. I retouched my skin in these.” This small disclaimer felt tremendously brave. I think this kind of transparency will be fundamental in navigating this world of hyper-perfection that seeps out from our screens and into our consciousness. I want us to collectively face and articulate our unique experiences of body dysmorphia without any of the shame that comes with inhabiting a body you’re not happy with. I crave honesty about how we distort our bodies, online and off.

Direction unknown Ask a Stranger

ELIZABETH SCOTT Columnist

As a socially anxious introvert with a rather modest social circle, “it’s all about who you know” is one of the most terrifying pieces of advice I’ve heard—and I think I heard it six times last week alone. To make matters worse, it’s incredibly accurate. We’re continually reminded to make professional connections and build a solid network throughout our time in university. Do people actually? Sure, maybe. Did I? Definitely not. I envy people with the tenacity to casually and confidently engage with strangers. Whether it’s in person or online (with the added bonus of anonymity and unlimited revision to your opening lines), connecting with people you don’t know is challenging. It is for me, at least. Finding the confidence to make connections is something I’ve struggled with for years. But as a wildly lost graduate with a measly network, I was in desperate need of guidance and connections. And seeking those things meant talking to other humans. Something I’ve discovered since graduating is the masterful art of sliding into a stranger’s DMs, and most importantly, the opportunities to be gained from such a bold move. The act of sliding into DMs is generally associated with messages powered by horniness and desperation rather than professionalism (although, my messages definitely oozed desperation, too). But let me tell you, it can be an incredibly valuable skill if you do it right. We’re digitally connected to hundreds if not thousands of people, many of whom we’ve never met in person. But how often do we actually take the opportunity to connect with these pseudo-friends on a deeper level than just dropping a few emojis under their latest updates? Finally, I decided to say “fuck it” and take advantage of the easy access social media grants us to influential folks, story-tellers, changemakers, artists and icons.

The first time I decided to craft an unsolicited message was when I desperately needed insight and direction while trying to figure out the next steps in my post-graduation journey. Naturally, my irrational fears took over. What if this person thinks I’m a complete fucking idiot? What if they feel like I’ve wasted their time? What if they burst into laughter at my pathetic attempt to make a connection? I took two hours to write, rewrite, and vigorously revise an Instagram DM (which has a limit of 500 characters, FYI. I had to pare down my initial novel by about 7.5 million words). I hesitantly pushed send after finalizing my masterpiece, launching my words into the digital sphere with no going back. Then I waited. I sent the message to Abby Mills, a renowned fashion influencer who also happens to be an incredibly successful digital product designer (otherwise known as UX design or user experience design) for one of the world’s leaders in technology and design. That’s right, I’m talking about Apple. Her career path is one I marvel at and aim to pursue. Abby of @clothesandpizza is a living legend, my style icon, and newfound career guru. She responded. She requested my email because her wisdom was far too colossal to fit in an Instagram DM. A few hours later, I received her email and sobbed into my keyboard. Abby had taken the time out of her hectic Silicon Valley life to provide me with her UX design resources, blogs, podcasts, personal anecdotes, online courses and general advice based on her own experiences. Unaware of my location, she even mentioned that she’d get coffee with me. You bet I immediately looked up the cost of flights to San Francisco. Our conversation expanded into vintage clothing, travels and tattoos. Now she’s a powerful connection I can confidently message at any time. Maybe she’ll vouch for me as a potential Apple intern one day... who knows?! Or maybe we’ll share a pizza and get matching tattoos.

The next time I reached out to strangers, I had a certain level of confidence that didn’t exist before. I chose to post publicly in Girl Gang, a Facebook group for Vancouverbased women working in technology, design and marketing. Again, I relentlessly revised the short message before posting it, then panicked and overanalyzed the lack of responses for hours afterwards. I asked for advice from anybody who had landed a UX design role without a formal education in related fields. I received some responses, struck up some conversations, and took some brilliant ladies for coffee. Now I’ve got a mentor I meet with monthly. Mara used to be the lead UX designer for a cybersecurity company and is now the Director of Strategy and Editorial at a local marketing agency. She’s cool as fuck and loves offering her guidance. I discovered a few things from pushing through my anxieties and reaching out to strangers. First of all, I learned that people really want to engage and enjoy sharing their stories. Who doesn’t love to talk about themselves? It’s probably pretty flattering to be considered someone with valuable advice, too. Each time I send a message of praise, curiosity and eagerness to connect, the responses are overwhelmingly friendly and willing. I also discovered the benefits of connecting with the people who inspire you, and the immensely fulfilling feeling of having idols within your network. You better believe I message people all the time now. My once-foreign ability to start conversations even leaked its way into my day-to-day life. It has allowed me to discover things about myself and about the people I admire. Conversations and connections have helped me visualise my ideal career path and how to go after it. Through connecting, I’ve been granted writing gigs, offered side hustles, and recommended for work opportunities. Plus, it just feels damn good to have a growing number of people on my team while I try to navigate this wild journey. I hate that it’s true, but it really is all about who you know. But the good news is, if you just try, you can know anybody you damn well want to.

Mise en place Cooking for One CARLO JAVIER Columnist

I like watching how running water can seemingly change the colour of Gai Lan leaves as I wash them in a colander. I like how the vegetable appears to develop a brighter tone of green as water cascades over the leaves, down to the stems. I like how the leaves, much like a brand new umbrella, repels the water and instantly returns to its dry, elementary state. Khana Mu Crop is a Thai stir fry dish featuring Gai Lan and crispy fried pork belly. The two main components are bound together by an oyster and soy sauce mix, accented by Thai chilies and garlic. I picked up this dish from Longtail Kitchen in New Westminster—inarguably my favourite restaurant in all of the Lower Mainland. I can’t quite make it like they do, but I’d like to think that I make it well enough to serve to friends and family. I like the covert complexity of this dish. It features a set of simple, seemingly easy to prepare ingredients, but taking it to a higher standard ultimately requires some tedious preparation, especially concerning the protein. It’s the type of dish I can cook on any given night, but can’t quite cook well without the necessary preparations, making it synonymous to the very ethos of good cooking—preparation is key. It’s the type of dish I first encountered and shared often with people who were, for a time, constant tenants in my life; for a time, maintaining the same synergy Gai Lan and pork belly had. Sometimes, I spend too much time watching how a stream of water changes my perception of the vegetable. Sometimes, it reminds me of how we might look and feel different to other people under a different set of circumstances. Sometimes, it reminds me of how we might look and feel different, even to ourselves, under a different set of circumstances. I’ve come to consider cooking as another method to relieve stress, not unlike grounding and breathing exercises, or most any other form of physical activity. In a way, it’s almost like keeping a journal except with tangible results I can openly and unabashedly share. It helps to see others enjoy what I cook. But most of all, it’s that sometimes external validation really does the trick. Recently, I’ve pondered why and how cooking

became so inextricably linked to me. Certainly, there were strong influences from my upbringing and a very inherent desire and fascination with the very concept of eating. But cooking—and the process of continually getting better at it—also became a conversational element, a part of me I enjoyed talking to people about. Cooking became something my dearest friends identified with me, and something I was keen on letting strangers know about. I’ve come to realize that for a time I was cooking strictly to impress external forces, to satisfy my need for validation from others, and to uphold something that’s become an element of my character. The pilot episode of the iconic show Community ends with one of the show’s most profound gems. Troy (Donald Glover) sits outside on the stairs of Greendale Community College, wearing his varsity football jacket from his high school years. He asks Jeff ( Joel McHale) for advice, seeing as his schoolmates have been “clowning” him for continuing to wear an article of high school branded apparel. Jeff simply responds with another question: “Troy, what’s it matter? You lose the jacket to please them, you keep it to piss them off...either way, it’s for them, that’s what’s weak.” Cooking for one may not be the right way to say it, but finding the steps towards rediscovering serenity within the solitary confines of cooking feels necessarily monumental. As much as there is external value and pleasure to be obtained from cooking and sharing meals with others, there is also significance in considering self-interest in the process. I had forgotten personal satisfaction and an internally-engineered desire for betterment. I had forgotten the most important ingredient in any recipe is the self. This is not so much a matter of developing selfrespect, but more of self-discovery, actualization and acceptance. Much in the same way that Gai Lan leaves look healthier, more vibrant, and more appealing under the stream of cascading fresh water, but are ultimately just as nutritious and important when in their stale, dark green, unassuming state.

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I CAN CODE YOU THE WORLD Roll to Attack

NIMA BOSCARINO Columnist RYAN MCDIARMID Illustrator

There is a common analogy people use when they talk about coding which explains that, in essence, coding is creating a world out of nothing by stringing together varying sequences of zeros and ones. Another thing many people working with coding might tell you is that it can be extremely time consuming work. Obviously, this work takes place on a screen, which I don’t think anyone needs me to tell them can in and of itself be tiring. That’s why for me, getting offline can be one of the most relaxing things to do. That doesn’t, however, mean that the creation has to end. If you're a fan of Netflix's Stranger Things, you've probably seen the main characters sitting around a table in a basement roleplaying as monster-slaying adventurers. This is Dungeons and Dragons, also known as D&D! For those who don’t know, D&D is a tabletop role-playing game. This means that it's like a loosely-formatted board game with a twist: there's no board, no little player tokens and no set objective. Instead, the players collaborate, roleplay and verbalise their actions to explore the game world, fight monsters and embark on quests. For me, this has become a great change of scenery, and a fun new hobby. There are two kinds of players in a game of D&D: regular players, and the Dungeon Master. For regular players, the basic rules of the game are actually fairly simple—roleplay! Simply use your imagination to think of what you want your character to do, and then tell your peers about it. Then, the Dungeon Master (also known as the DM) will tell the players about the consequences of their actions, progressing the story according to the world they’ve written. The DM is the person who creates the game world, or to stick to our analogy— writes the code. They write the story, and

act on behalf of the game's environment as they lead the other players through it. A DM guides players through story arcs where they progress by solving puzzles, investigating ancient ruins and fighting monsters together as a team. Part of the fun of D&D is in developing your character over the course of weeks, months and even years! Of course, if you’re not ready to play it for the long haul, it's very common to run "one-shots", which are self-contained games that only last a couple of hours. I recently decided I wanted to try my hand at being a DM for a one-shot. It felt like a daunting task, since it seemed like a lot of preparation before the session, as well as a lot of pressure to ensure that the game ran smoothly. On top of that, I wasn't very confident in my ability to create a compelling story, because unlike coding which follows strict rules of cause and effect, creating a fictional story needs room for exciting and unexpected variables. Lucky for me though, it turns out that there are tons of pre-written stories online (I guess you can’t really ever fully escape the screen in 2019). As soon as the date was set for the next game with my friends, I started preparing. At first, I was worried that I would need to be very familiar with the rules of the game to be able to lead a session, but I learned pretty quickly that you don't need to know them very well at all. There's a D&D Player's Handbook, a Dungeon Master Guide, and plenty of online resources that make it quick and easy to reference the rules even while you're in the middle of a game. If the rules seem unclear, improvise! That is the beauty of this game after all. The story that I picked was about a village that was tormented by a terrible beast. It's important to create some diverse and interesting locations that each have

something special to offer. The pre-written story already had some descriptions of the various parts of the village and the forest that surrounded it, as well as briefs and quotes for some of the characters that inhabited the town. That’s another thing about this game— details make it better. To make your games unique, you can put your own spin on it. Some DMs bring in props like maps, dusty old books or pendants. You can also play music to further immerse the group into the world you created. There are plenty of “DND playlists” online you can use, or you can just bust out your favourite instrumental tunes to set the ambiance. In my session, the characters started their adventure at a folk music festival, so naturally, I took the chance to play some Fleet Foxes and Bon Iver. While having the pre-written story helped a lot with setting up and running my session, I found that it still took quite a bit of time for me to prepare because I wanted to make the story feel unique and special. It’s also worth noting that D&D players tend to eat a lot of snacks, so make sure you have plenty of healthy snacks prepared, because you could be in a session for quite a while. D&D is a fun way to make new friends and bond with people.I've also loved getting the opportunity to use my imagination more frequently, and in more tangible ways. I've found that running a session as a Dungeon Master was a neat way to practice my planning, organization, storytelling and leadership skills. The next time you're having a get-together, make it a Dungeons and Dragons night! In this unpredictable game, you never know what other skills you could draw from.

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CALENDAR tues

FRI

Mental Health Awareness Month Begins

FRI

11:45 AM–1PM, The Blueshore at CapU, Free

Vancouver Wizard Inspired, Beer, Cider and Cocktail Festival

sat

12 SUN

sun

Eastside Flea 2019 Fall Market

11 AM–5 PM, Eastside Studios $3 Admission This beloved, bi-weekly flea market is back with a pumpkin-spiced vengeance. There’s actually no mention of pumpkin or spice on the event page, but we gotta get those SEO clicks on the online version, baby!

7:30–11:30 PM, Priceless?

Oktoberfest Vancouver

8 PM–1 AM, Vancouver Alpen Club ,$35 The official hashtag for this is #DasOriginal and I just think it’s really nice when an event roasts itself so I don’t have to.

Vancouver Rare Book, Photograph & Paper Show

10 AM–3 PM, Heritage Hall $10 Friends and fish moths rejoice, the paper show is here. Personally, I think showing a bunch of old mystery photos at the peak of spooky season is just irresponsible, but if that’s what you’re into, go right ahead.

6–9:30 PM, Roundhouse Mews , $55 Go get bibbidi-bobbidi- blasted. (I had to look up the Disney sing-along for the spelling here, and may I just say–that song is still a bibbidi-bobbidi-banger).

Make Friends in Vancouver This extremely vague event found in the depths of Facebook’s discovery page was too good to not include here. Despite having no listed location, there are also only eight people going, so your chances of making friends are actually quite good.

CapU Classics Concert Series: Art Songs and Arias Rachel Buttress is on soprano for this installment of the CapU Classics Concert series that promises performances of works from Handel to Bernstein. The event page describes the music as “coloraturic” which is a new word to me but apparently it’s Italian. I tell you this only because I also want to tell you a fun fact about our staff: there is only one Italian word that we all know how to spell (eyebrow) and I didn’t know when else I would get to bring it up.

sat

(October 1 – 31)

MON

14 fri

Thanksgiving Day (University closed) CapU Classics Concert Series: The Meeks Duo 11:45AM–1PM, The Blueshore at CapU, Free

Scott Meek and Clare Yuan (The Meeks Duo) will be performing a free piano show as the CapU Classics Concert Series continues. If you, too, would like to hear Chopsticks played at the event, please sign my petition on change.org.

SAT

ABW: CLÜB 90’s Show 11 AM–6 PM, The James Black Gallery, Free

SAT

The first of a four night, 90’s-inspired, submission-based art extravaganza. About once a calendar there is an event that really shouldn’t be missed, and honey, this is it. The event’s promo picture is a Furby. A Furby!

S U N Art Soc Schitt’s Creek:

Up Close & Personal 8 PM, Queen Elizabeth Theatre $55.75–$125

Gravedgr: Halloween at Celebrities 10 PM–3 AM, Celebrities Nightclub $20.23

8 PM, Vancouver Forum $56. 50 Do you ever wonder which member is that guy in the group project? Statistically, there has to be at least one in this group.

SUN

Schitt’s Creek is one of the funniest and most important shows of this generation. Written by Dan and Eugene Levy, and directed by their eyebrows, Schitt’s Creek is an example of comedy writing to the highest degree. Not only is the show a point of pride for creators and fans alike, but a national treasure in the truest sense.

FRI

BROCKHAMPTON: Heaven Belongs to You Tour

Cult Classic Comedy! Improvising the Classics 8–9 PM, Havana Theatre $12

While there are few things more frightening than being asked to join a friend for a night of improv, this concept is actually pretty interesting. The audience calls out a cult classic horror film, they screen five minutes, stop it, then act out what might happen next. On second thought, it’s not all that interesting, but it might still be up your alley.

T H U RS Halloween

There are a lot of spooky things about this event to unpack so let’s begin. First, the masked figure in the promo picture is wearing a bucket hat *shudders*. Second, the start time. Third, the fact that someone thought “dgr” was a sufficient abbreviation of “digger”. And finally, the carelessly unrounded price. Anyway, I am super fun, invite me to your Halloween party.

CALE NDAR

Horoscopes Virgo Aug. 24 - Sept. 23 Celebrate shit times, come on! scorpio Oct. 24 - Nov. 22 Your daring and passionate side will come out in bed this month. Your partner will turn down your urge to try anal.

capricorn Dec. 22 - Jan. 20 You’re not wearing a diaper? Oh. You just have ill-fitted jeans.

pisces Feb. 20 - March 20 The conjunction of the Moon and Jupiter early this month will bring about a zit (probably).

taurus April 21 - May 21 No need to dress up like a ghost this Halloween. You’re already invisible.

cancer June 22 - July 23 Can-cer? More like can’t-cer. (I don’t know. It’s midterm season. You’re fucked.

libra Sept. 24 - Oct. 23 Follow your instincts this month. Unless your instincts tell you to talk about Harry Potter. sagittarius Nov. 23 - Dec. 21 Here’s to hoping someone finally hits you over the head to tell y-- nope. Just, here’s to someone finally hits you over the head.

aquarius Jan. 21 - Feb. 19 You’ll face a lot of decisions this month. Make sure one of them is to moisturize.

aries March 21 - April 20 You’re...como se dice...smelly.

gemini May 22 - June 21 We all know that gemini is just code for bitchy and problematic.

leo July 24 - Aug. 23 Fiery, outgoing and dramatic. Just like gonorrhoea.

Puzzle 1 (Medium, difficulty rating 0.54)

4 5

1 6

7 9

5 5

6 2

Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/sudoku on Sun Sep 15 07:09:52 2019 GMT. Enjoy!

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CAPI LAN O COU RI ER VOLUME 52, ISSUE NO.2