Capilano Courier | Vol. 52, Issue 5.

VOLUME 52, ISSUE NO.5

January '20 CAREER PLANNING - TRUMP’S IMPEACHMENT - THE COOLEST CLUB YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF IRAN’S INTERNET BLACKOUT - NECKING - BURLESQUE WRESTLING - WHAT’S IN MY BAG - HIP-HOP’S EXCLUSION AT THE GRAMMY AWARDS - THE VOTING AGE - VIRTUAL DOCTOR’S APPOINTMENTS - THE IMPACT OF JEANS - CUFFING SEASON - SOCIAL MEDIA ETIQUETTE - THE LANGUAGE OF ADHD - LONG-DISTANCE RELATIONSHIPS - HOROSCOPES - MORE

letter from the editor

Hindsight is 20/20

Please forgive me. It’s the only time I will get to make that reference

RACHEL D'SA Editor-In-Chief

“Nobody’s perfect.” - Hannah Montana The first pair of jeans I can recall purchasing were darkwashed, flared and $15 from Stitches. As they wore out, I moved on to a darker, fitted pair with a bit of stretch that I had found while I rummaged through the racks at a Ross.

My childhood style was centred around comfort and trends that I was told were cool and that’s all that mattered. As I started high school and cared more about my appearance, the search for perfection became desperate and dire. Having recently wrapped up my undergrad, I find myself trying to navigate my identity and how it relates to my personal style and ethics.

For most of us, striving for near-perfection isn’t necessarily finding the most flattering and eco-conscious jeans. From our appearances to wealth, the pressure is put on every January. 1 and made to seem healthy and natural.

All anyone can talk about at work, in classes and online are r e s o l u t i o n s (sigh).

The whole “New Year, New Me” approach is getting old.

We have everyday to implement change. So why is there this pressure to hold off until the start of each year? It’s not farfetched to say that most resolutions are “broken” within a month of being set. This idea of the “hustle” perpetuates this notion of “busy is good,” when in fact, working ourselves to the point of exhaustion only brings us back to square one.

In the way we burnout from hitting the gym seven days a week, it’s easy to feel shite about ourselves when we’re constantly setting ourselves up to attain a false sense of accomplishment. We’re always going to be reaching for more.

At the time I’m writing this, I’ve been out of school as a student for nearly a week and I’m already feeling the heat to move on the next milestone. I dove straight into university from highschool, so it’s become puzzling for my family and friends to hear that I want to take a year off to pursue passion projects. Why would I take a year off to “figure things out” when I’ve already completed a degree that’s supposed to set me up for what I’m meant to do?

This issue’s cover feature on the significance of jeans and their impact on society and the environment reminds us that striving for perfection is often unrealistic. While more desperate situations may require more action than others, penalizing ourselves won’t do much and progress shouldn’t go unrecognized.

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JOYCE C H AN

@joycechan.jpg 3

editor-in-chief

communications director

capcourier@gmail.com

community.capcourier@gmail.com

Rachel D’Sa

Helen Aikenhead

managing editor

news editor

manager.capcourier@gmail.com

news.capcourier@gmail.com

Freya Wasteneys

Sheila Arellano

associate news editor

arts & culture editor

associatenews.capcourier@gmail.com

arts.capcourier@gmail.com

Megan Amato

Ana Maria Caicedo

features editor

OPINIONS editor

specialfeatures.capcourier@gmail.com

opinions.capcourier@gmail.com

Sarah Rose

art director

Cynthia Tran Vo

artdirector.capcourier@gmail.com

Alisha Samnani

staff writer

Jayde Atchison

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORS

Bridget Stringer-Holden, Joss Arnott, Melissa Gibbons, Tom Balog, Theodore Abbott, Alden Mackay, Beatriz Mascarenhas De Andrade Costa, Jamie Kusack, Joss Arnott, Alexis, Ola Zygan, Tristan Meroni, Clarissa Sabile, Carlo Javier, Jamie Long, Lena Orlova

Natalie Heaman, Juliana Vieira, Mikaela Manuel, Abby Aries, Emma Harris, Emily Rose FEATURED ARTISTS

Joyce Chan, Mia Canderan, Kyle Papilla, Danica Koller, Coralie Mayer-Traynor, Megan Barry COVER ART

Sierra Holmes

COLUMNIST PORTRAITS

Coralie Mayer-Traynor 4

VOLUME 52 ISSUE NO.5

table Contents of

NEWS

OPINIONS

Entrance Scholarship

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Gatekeeping Grammy's

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Career Goals

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Donor Dollars

34

Millenial Burnout

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Eating Disorders

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UN Indigenous Declaration

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Football vs The Planet

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Trump's Impeachment

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Procrastination

37

CSU General Meeting

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Voting Age

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Consent Campaign

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Transit Strike

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Walls to Bridges Recap

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Virtual Walk-in

40

Elizabeth May

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ARTS & CULTURE Cap Dance Club

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Artist Feature

20

Internet Blackout

22

Hustling Verse

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Necking Q&A

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Glam Slam

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What's In My Bag

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INTERESTED IN CONTRIBUTING?

Email capcourier@gmail.com INTERESTED IN ILLUSTRATING?

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

FEATURES In Our Jeans

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Winter Lovin'

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Insanity Plea

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COLUMNS Social Media Etiquette

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Additude Adjustment

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A Closer Listen

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Sustainable Consumption

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Recovering Achiever

54

The Long Haul

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3D Animation Entrance Scholarship Arrives at CapU Atomic Cartoons has partnered with CapU to create a new animation scholarship SHEILA ARELLANO News Editor NATALIE HEAMAN Illustrator

A new entrance scholarship has been introduced for animation students at Capilano University. On November 6, 2019, Vancouver-based animation studio Atomic Cartoons Inc. partnered with CapU to create a scholarship which aims to help students pursue their goals in the growing industries of 3D and 2D animation.

Dean of Fine and Applied Arts Ted Gervan has worked hard to implement new program development since he got his position. “Part of the reason why we partnered with Atomic was because they are such innovators in workplace culture,” Gervan said. “For artists, it is a great environment. They have a very developmental focus with staff, it’s unlike other environments and very innovative. They are really on the forefront of equity and diversity.”

Award-winning Atomic Cartoons is a full-service animation studio and a Thunderbird Entertainment company. “The incredible talent at our company is our greatest asset and we firmly believe in continuing to build top talent within Canada,” said Jennifer McCarron, CEO of Thunderbird Entertainment. “We are honoured to be working with CapU and are firmly committed to supporting students who are preparing to join the burgeoning arts and entertainment industry.”

The Atomic Cartoons Entrance Scholarship was established to assist two domestic students each year entering Capilano University from high school. Two $5,000 scholarships will be awarded annually; one for a student entering the 2D Animation and Visual Development Diploma and one for a student entering the 3D Animation for Films and Games Diploma program at Capilano University. Atomic Cartoon’s grant of $30,000 is to be divided throughout the span of three years.

The scholarship was specifically created as an entrance grant to support students looking to access CapU’s 2D and 3D animation programs. “The scholarship is only available for students going into their first year,” Gervan said. “This was very intentional for both Atomic and CapU because we are trying to work together to raise awareness in the community and high schools, so trying to get the message out to youth that there are real careers. [This industry] is a huge chunk of our new economy.”

Strategic partnerships and fundraising will be an increased focus for CapU in the future—partnerships around experiential learning, work-integrated learning as well as connecting students to major communitybased employers and applied research. “I think that is a huge part of our future vision for the school because it’s a value proposition that we’re not only preparing students for the workplace when we are doing applied research, we are actually helping them shape the future of the industry,” Gervan said.

Interested students should visit their CapU account and browse under Financial Aid and Awards. There, the information and criteria for the entrance scholarship will be detailed. “I think the faculty are looking for enthusiasm with the craft and want to see, generally speaking, design principles. They want to see an interest in animation,” Gervan highlighted. If students are interested in 3D and 2D Animation as a career path, there has never been a better time to explore the diverse economy evolving in hundreds of different roles. As the industry grows, animation can be considered the new engineering or business.

NEWS

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A Practical Guide to Career Planning The Capilano Courier and Career Development Centre work together to help narrow down your future MEGAN AMATO Associate News Editor CYNTHIA TRAN VO Illustrator

Don’t stress too much if you still aren’t sure about what you want to do — focus more on where you want to be. Once you’ve assessed your own skills and interests, you can start looking for the professional industries that match these values. “There are over 20,000 occupation titles out there. There is a whole sea of different opportunities and options. You need to be able to navigate between those beyond the job title. More focusing on the skills and industry that you want to be in.”

Career planning should begin when or even before you first enter the post-secondary world.

The Career Development Centre (CDC) recommends giving yourself time to explore your own skills, interests and values to discover your ideal professional industry that you will “revisit, reexamine and readjust” throughout your university career.

“It takes months if not years to get a sense of what you want to do. The reality is it’s never a linear path,” said Maja Horgas, Career Development Advisor at the CDC. The first tangible step you can take whilst career planning is to examine what your interests and skills are. What skills do you have? What skills do you want to learn? How do you picture your work-life balance? What kind of workplace do you want to be a part of?

Once you’ve assessed your skills, interests and what your values are, you can start looking at what industry is the right fit for you. “Knowing yourself, knowing your values, knowing your interests and knowing where your skills are will help you make those decisions in a more realistic way,” Horgas said.

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Use the opportunities given to you throughout your university career to explore your options, gain experience and meet people in your potential industry.

Join the debate team, go to networking events, get involved with the CSU, *cough* write for the Capilano Courier *cough* and develop your professional brand.

“When you are engaging in activities early on, you are also probably engaging with the people that are in your industry one way or another. You’re building a network, you're building relationships. [This is] a huge way of accessing the market when you’re close to actually being in the market.”

After you narrow down industry, you should do research on what jobs are available in the current market and climate so that you can create realistic achievable goals. Once you’ve done the research, the next step is creating an action plan and with realistic and researched short-term goals for you to achieve on your way to your long-term plans.

Allow for your goals and values to change, grow and evolve throughout your university career. Remember that career planning often isn’t a short-term process. These experiences and opportunities throughout your university career can alter the paths you take and how you get there—revisit your goals, reevaluate your skills and readjust your plan as you go.

Never be afraid to ask for help from your family, friends, peers, teachers and career professionals. Talk to people in your industry, discuss your interests with your teachers, pick your friend's and family’s brain. If you have any career development questions, the CDC is always happy to provide resources to get you on track with thinking about your career.

NEWS

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Eating Disorders Awareness Week Learning to combat stress without compromising healthy food habits JAYDE ATCHISON Staff Writer

Next month, from February 1-7, Eating Disorder Awareness Week (EDAW) will be a focus for many people. As the new decade and semester begins, people are susceptible to extreme dieting, new fitness routines and unrealistic expectations. New Year’s resolutions pressure people to change aspects of their lives and themselves. Reading more books about diets and exercise is one thing, but trying to drastically alter our bodies is a dangerous route to follow.

“New Years itself can be a challenging time where there can be a mentality around changing oneself, setting number-specific goals or feeling a need to compensate for holiday eating. So it could be a time [when] people are more vulnerable to focus on weight change” said Ali Eberhardt, a registered dietitian working in the Provincial Adult Tertiary Specialized Eating Disorders Program at St. Paul’s Hospital. According to Eberhardt, weight cannot be controlled by behaviour. Weight has many factors which are not in a person’s control. “If someone focuses on weight as an outcome they can often feel discouraged and rely on more restrictive diets to try to achieve change.”

The many stresses of university life can create an unhealthy relationship with food and dietary practices.

Some people find coping mechanisms through various means such as alcohol, drugs, disordered eating or overexercise. To combat these unhealthy habits, people should build safer, constructive coping practices. Eberhardt recommends methods such as journaling, practicing breathing strategies, meditation, counselling and exercise.

In addition, planning balanced meals and snacks throughout busy periods is important.

Not unlike a fire drill, Eberhardt suggests that people “practice when there isn’t a crisis so the tools and skills are easier to access when [we] actually need them.” Getting in

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the habit of utilizing new, healthier coping mechanisms at the start of the semester can benefit students when midterms and finals arrive.

Due to Capilano University’s small campus size, there is a lack of food choices within the limited cafeteria, Tim Hortons and Subway. A dietary restriction, allergy or preference may cause meals to be a difficult part of a long school day. CapU’s shortage of options can leave students feeling lost on how to make it through an eight hour day on campus. Eberhardt encourages students to pack their bags or cars with snacks to prepare for an unseen situation where their dietary needs cannot be met.

It can be hard to distinguish whether someone is struggling with an eating disorder or if they are simply on a new regime. If students are having difficulties having a healthy relationship with food, they are encouraged to seek out help as quickly as possible. “Often I hear from clients that they worry they aren’t sick enough or low weight enough to require support and this is simply not true. Eating disorders impact people of all shapes, sizes, weights, genders, ages, races, socioeconomic statuses,” said Eberhardt. Students are welcome to speak to their personal doctor or the on-campus doctor about any concerns regarding body dysmorphia or disordered eating.

Events will be happening across the province to raise awareness for eating disorders during EDAW and people are welcome to attend and support. A schedule of events can be found on the Kelty Mental Health Eating Disorders website.

United Nations Indigenous Rights Declaration Implemented in British Columbia Canadian laws become consistent with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples SHEILA ARELLANO News Editor

British Columbia has become the first province to pass legislation that requires the government to reform its laws around the spirit and intent of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). The legislation also states that the ongoing process of bringing those laws forward should be monitored through an annual reporting structure.

“In British Columbia, the bill came before the house was presented, then went to committee and there was a rigorous discussion within committee, both NDP and Liberal members, about the standing of the bill, then came back to the house recommended that the bill be passed, which it was. It now stands as a piece of legislation committing the provincial government,” said CapU Indigenous politics and political science instructor Tim Schouls.

The legislation began as a private member’s bill.

Three years ago, the province of British Columbia endorsed UNDRIP, yet it stood as an affirmation of the declaration which Canada had also affirmed and endorsed in 2010. On November 26, 2019, the bill was passed and now stands as a piece of legislation committing the provincial government to take all measures necessary to ensure the laws of Canada are consistent with the UN Indigenous rights declaration.

“The declaration is principally about establishing the right of Indigenous peoples to self-determination.

Everything else falls underneath that,” said Schouls.

“There is also a very strong element within the declaration to preserve and protect Indigenous culture.”

This legislation will be used as a benchmark to judge the political decisions of the Canadian state at the federal and provincial level. The BC provincial government now recognizes that it must seek to preserve and

protect the position of Indigenous peoples within their jurisdiction. “It strikes me as interesting and odd that we would need something like an external international document on the rights of Indigenous peoples to bring our practice of politics into conformity with a series of objectives that would do justice to the place of Indigenous peoples in Canada. One of the questions we might ask ourselves is why do we need it at all?” said Schouls.

It is in the context of Canada’s history of colonialism, in which Indigenous peoples were marginalized and oppressed, that the UN declaration operates. “We need some kind of benchmark against which we judge our political activity so as to ensure that this group that has been marginalized, oppressed and subjected to the power of the Canadian state has access to some tools or resources to push back. That’s the principle purpose of the UN declaration on the rights of Indigenous peoples,” commented Schouls. “To me, it suggests a deep respect for political equality and a reciprocity that draws Indigenous peoples as full and equal partners in legal discussions.”

CapU students wishing to weave the values of the declaration into their lives are encouraged to visit the Kéxwusm-áyakn Student Centre, to get involved with activities on campus and to speak with their professors about learning opportunities within the classroom.

NEWS

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The impeachment process began on Sep. 24 after the US Congress received an anonymous complaint regarding a phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. It alleged that the US president had held back military assistance until Ukraine launched investigations into 2020 presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter.

The US has provided security assistance to Ukraine since 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea after a social movement that overthrew former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovich.

“In the US there effectively is no single conversation,” said Stewart Prest, Political Science professor at SFU. “You basically have two parallel discourses going on about politics and they don’t really overlap at all anymore. And so, in the republican case, we’re seeing it in some of the questioning of the republican members on the committee of conducting the impeachment inquiry.”

The democrats allege that the phone call was the equivalent of inviting a foreign power to intervene in the US election, something that breaks American election law. This incident occurred nearly three years after US intelligence officials concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin “engaged in a sustained effort” to influence the 2016 Presidential Election in Trump’s favour.

“There is an obvious moment you can point to where there is an exchange being sought and supporting evidence that the president has been engaged in some sort of financial exchange.

In the call between President Trump and an official from Ukraine, we walked right up to the line of him basically using w-like language. It makes this exchange really clear, and easy to explain compared to other events,” said Prest.

Nanci Pelosi, Speaker of the House and the leader of the Democratic Party, holds a lot of political power. Especially after the democratic party gained the majority of seats in the house during the 2018 by-election. “It was essentially up to Pelosi to decide whether or not the house would go through with the impeachment inquiry,” said Prest. “The majority of the house would follow her lead on whether to vote for [it].”

Adam Schiff is the head of the House Judiciary Committee that

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was formed to oversee the impeachment inquiry in the house.

This gives Schiff a lot of say over both the procedures within the committee and the terms of reference set up by the house.

The committee’s 52-page report lays out the constitutional argument for justifying the president’s impeachment.

This is the fourth time in US history that a president has been up against an official impeachment inquiry—the most infamous was against President Richard Nixon. Although the Judiciary Committee report laid out clear and convincing evidence against Nixon, he avoided impeachment charges by resigning ahead of the hearing’s conclusion.

“I think it would be unlikely for Trump to resign. He would try to push and I think he’s had relatively good success by essentially sticking to his message and just pushing forward.

There have been repeated predictions of his political demise before this, but he has enough support that this strategy actually works.”

While the impeachment hearings have an obvious effect in the US, it also holds consequences for Canadians. “The US becomes very inwardly focused,” said Prest. “It can be harder to get attention on issues that Canadians care about.”

As one of Canada’s closest ally trading partners, instability in the U.S. can be disruptive for Canada, but may also hasten new trade policy. “The Democrats who had previously been skeptical of the agreement are now looking for ways to demonstrate that they can get things done, in order to avoid suggestions that they are being obstructionists when it comes to the Trump presidency,” said Prest. The new NAFTA agreement signed Dec. 10 is a prime example, with the re-negotiated deal signed after a flurry of last-minute changes.

Whether the President is convicted and removed from office is yet to be determined. With the 2020 presidential election looming ahead, the Senate may want to act quickly to avoid an impeachment-focused line of questioning—and they have. The Senate hearing has been set for later this month. As Prest put it, “we are in this new information environment where we're just not having the same conversation. It’s not clear if public opinion is as responsive as it used to be.” Looks like we’ll just have to wait and see.

CSU Special General Meeting A review of the five new by-law resolutions that were passed by students BRIDGET STRINGER-HOLDEN Contributor

The Special General Meeting (SGM) was called to order at 11:58 a.m. on Nov. 26 in the CSU Members Centre. Five resolutions were proposed and passed including how ballots are cast in CSU elections, the composition of the Executive Committee, the introduction of at-large representatives, executive compensation maximums and an extension of graduating board members’ terms.

“This is an opportunity to really have an impact. You get to vote, you have a say in what happens directly,” said Emily Bridge, the President and the Vice-President of Equity and Sustainability at the CSU. In order for the proposed by-law amendments to take effect for the next board, they needed to be approved before the calendar year ended. Due to the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in October not meeting the quorum—one per cent of the general student body—of 75 students, the SGM was called and it peaked at 91 students.

“We were really excited about changing from first-past-the-post to a ranked ballot system using [a] single transferable vote,” said Bridge. “If this is something we stand for as an organization, then we should also conduct ourselves in this way.” To match the CSU policy position of support for

proportional representation, the resolution passed mandates that the CSU will now be conducting their elections with ranked ballots.

Prior to the SGM, the Executive Committee was composed of five elected VicePresidents (VPs), one of which would be elected as the President. By reorganizing the Executive Committee to replace the old VP Academic and VP Student Life with a standalone President, and a new VP of Student Affairs, their work can be more evenly distributed. The VP of Student Affairs can focus on creating an inclusive campus environment and working with the faculty reps while the President will assume the internal roles of the old VP Academic.

Another motion adopted was the creation of four at-large representatives.

Since some faculties used to have two reps, the switch of the second rep to an at-large position allowed it to be open to any faculty. A student raised concern regarding whether a single rep can efficiently handle the duties of an entire faculty, but typically when both positions were filled then one would represent the faculty and the other would be more involved in committee work.

Two smaller operational motions also

passed. The first was allowing graduating members to keep their membership for an extra month to facilitate turnover and allow them to train incoming members.

The second allowed for changes to be made to executive compensation that would take effect for the next board’s term, without needing to pass it through an AGM or SGM. “I’m really passionate about increasing [students’ access] to education, and that means not only affordability but [ensuring] that they can attend classes and attend the university campus and feel safe. We know that lots of people face different barriers when facing access to education, so that’s something that I’m really passionate about," said Bridge.

Students with questions or concerns can visit the executive and administrative offices in the Maple building or talk to the desk staff in the CSU Members Centre (LB 195). Another way to become involved is to volunteer with the CSU, apply to be on a standing committee or attend board meetings every other Friday starting at 2:30. More information about meetings or executive office hours can be found at csu. bc.ca.

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CSU Launching New Consent Campaign This campaign hopes to create a “culture of consent” on campus MEGAN AMATO Associate News Editor

Emily Bridge, CSU President and VP Equity and Sustainability, is managing this campaign with Audrey Wong, Community Well-Being Strategist out of the Capilano’s Student Affairs Office. Together they hope to create a campaign that can be tailored to different formats, allowing more flexibility in its delivery. In the new year, they hope to start slowly rolling out “taster workshops” that can be delivered during class times and focus on specific topics such as defining consent and sexual violence. Longer workshops will also be available to students and faculty which will be more in-depth and thematic.

The campaign will encourage folks to move past the simplified “no means no” messaging. “Consent is ongoing, renegotiated and complex,” said Bridge. “It’s about relationships more broadly and building healthy ones. It’s being conscious of the labour we’re asking of our friends when we rant or vent without asking them their permission. It’s about boundaries with ourselves and with others.”

The previous consent campaign, Let’s Get Consensual, was developed by the University of Victoria (UVic) and the Anti-Violence Project—a cooperative run out of UVic that aims to end genderbased violence in their community. The campaign was brought to CapU in 2017, and while Bridge says the content was well-developed and well-rounded, the two-hour time slot wasn’t working for CapU. “It was difficult for us to go into classrooms and deliver a two-hour workshop because classes are either an hour and 20 minutes or three hours, and profs don’t want to give up that much time,” Bridge

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said, regarding the format of the session. “We wanted students to be able to get this important content but understood everyone can’t always come for a full two hours.”

The CSU started planning the I Heart Consent this summer, working with the previous Community Well-being Specialist, Jody Armstrong. Bridge credits Armstrong for her work on the campaign last year, and her efforts to develop relevant workshops. The process of developing the campaign has continued through the fall semester, but Bridge says students should start seeing the new branding in the Spring.

In the CapU's Sexual Violence and Misconduct Policy—a policy that every institution is mandated to have—it defines consent as: “an active, direct, voluntary, and conscious choice and agreement between adults to engage in sexual activity. It is the responsibility of the person initiating or pursuing sexual activity to obtain consent at all stages of sexual engagement. Consent is a freely given “yes”; cannot be assumed or based on a perception that it was implied; cannot be given by someone who is incapacitated (by drugs and/or alcohol), asleep, unconscious, or otherwise incapable of providing consent; can be revoked at any time, regardless of whatever other sexual activities have taken place; can never be obtained through threats, intimidation, coercion or other pressure tactics; cannot be obtained if someone abuses a position of trust, power or authority and cannot be assumed from previous consent.”

If you’ve been sexually assaulted on campus and aren’t sure who to report to, please reach out to Community Wellness Strategist Audrey Wong, or you can report the assault through their online form on the student life page of CapU’s website. You have a right to feel and be safe on and off-campus.

A Look at Walls to Bridges’ First Semester in BC The program enabled students both inside and outside incarceration facilities to find their confidence JAYDE ATCHISON Staff Writer

As the fall semester came to an end for students in all faculties, a graduation ceremony was held for eight incarcerated students involved in Capilano University’s Walls to Bridges program.

The 100-level Geography class was held at the Fraser Valley Institution for Women with eight CapU students and eight incarcerated women. They were nervous at the beginning of the term but through ice breakers and socializing, both inside and outside students started to warm up to one another. “It really didn’t take long before students felt fairly bonded with one another and started to see that there were a lot of similarities between the two groups,” said Kirsten McIIveen, Capilano University instructor and facilitator of the program.

While this was a university credit course, the setup was unlike any class offered on campus as the students were situated and taught using a circle pedagogy.

“The pedagogy is such that nobody felt excluded or isolated and the hierarchy is really diminished. I [took] a background role after the first couple of classes and simply [facilitated] discussion but really it [was] very student-lead,” said McIlveen.

Both McIlveen and Pouyan Mahboubi, the Dean of Arts and Sciences, were happy to see the confidence between the students grow as the course continued on.

Incarcerated students were encouraged to share their valued opinions and life experiences which increased self-esteem.

For McIlveen, the best feeling was witnessing the progress of a student from

maximum-security. “She had never written papers but by the end of the third paper, she didn’t bring it to the office hours because she felt she was confident in how she had organized her paper,” reflected McIlveen.

“Many never really thought they could possibly pull something like this off, to do a university credit course and they did,” said Mahboubi. “I don’t know what support system they have outside, but we were there with 20 or so attendees to honour their completion and I think that also meant a lot to them.”

Capilano is a teaching-intensive university, so adopting this program was not an unreasonable goal. “Our mandate is to provide an education to all people...this was an underserved population who had a strong desire to learn and it is very much within our mandate to try to do what we can to provide that education. It’s part of the core philosophy of the university—to make education accessible to everyone,” explained Mahboubi.

Although the program went well, there were barriers to overcome as this was the program’s first run in BC. McIlveen and students fought to keep the guards outside the room during class time, as well for snacks to be brought in the room. Food was an important aspect of the socializing that began each session.

After countless phone calls and emails to the prison to sort out these issues, McIlveen believes that the program should run smoother from this point on.

The University of British Columbia is in the process of following CapU’s lead, and

the University of Fraser Valley is hoping to get involved too. However, sustainable funding is required for more institutions to become a part of the program. The cost to run the program was just under $20,000 which included waived tuition for the inside students, faculty wage, travel and other expenses.

Both the inside and outside students are forming a collective that will continue to shape and govern the way the program is run. “It was really clear early on that everybody wanted to form this collective so that we could keep meeting one another. The outside students are really committed to it, as are the inside students.

By February we’re going to get passes for the inside students so we can meet on the outside, which means that [the] prisoners that are released can come back and join,” said McIlveen.

Every university gains funding in their own way, and for this last semester, a faculty member at Capilano University started a GoFundMe page to gather donations for refreshments and other expenses. Other faculty members offered to over-enroll their classes to make up for the small numbers of the Walls to Bridges class. This teamwork has made the program possible and displayed the importance of making education available to everyone.

NEWS

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C orali e Mayer -Trayn o r

@cmaiyr 16

RACH EL D 'SA

@r.dissah FEATURED ARTI ST S

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The Capilano Dance Club is the coolest club you haven’t heard about JOSS ARNOTT Contributor

Do you ever just feel... alone on campus? Capilano is growing every year, but no matter how hard it gets to find a seat in the library or cafeteria, there’s always this feeling of loneliness that permeates the place. There isn’t really a sense of community here. You show up, you go home, the end. It kinda sucks.

I didn’t really know what to expect when I attended one of the Capilano Dance Club’s drop-in sessions last term.

What I found was something I didn’t even think existed at Capilano: an inviting community that I can only describe as warm. I didn’t feel like I was passing through, I felt like I’d been invited into something. Something really cool.

The Dance Club was founded about a year ago by its current president Alisa Lindely, a second-year Acting For Stage and Screen student who’s been dancing for most of her life.

When Lindely came to Capilano expecting to find a dance club, she found nothing of the sort existed on campus. Rather than pay for outside classes, she decided to start her own club.

It’s not easy starting a dance club— you need teachers, studio space and most importantly, fellow dancers. While Lindely has never seen herself as the club president type, she’s taken to the task with gusto. In the fall term, the club offered both Hip-Hop and Modern dance classes at beginner and intermediate levels. This term, they’re

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planning on expanding their class offerings to include K-Pop, Heels and Hip-Hop tech/improv courses, all free of charge.

Dance is an important way to self-express, and Lindely’s favorite part about the club has been giving people a space to do just that. “It’s really nice being able to reach people who wouldn’t otherwise reach out,” she said. “It’s those moments that are really special—realizing that those people wouldn’t have had an outlet before the club started.” This mentality is what makes the dance club so special, it’s a place where people can be themselves and have fun.

The club is provides a space for students to stop by for an hour, work up a sweat, and just relax. The classes are all taught by fellow students, who will all make you feel welcome even if you have absolutely no idea what “Modern Dance” actually is (it’s basically advanced wiggling - you’ll love it). What makes the club so special is that nobody is dancing because they have to. They’re dancing because they love to. So why not fulfill a new year’s resolution or two? Go make some friends or just get some exercise away from the January gym rush.

Whether you’re an expert dancer or a total novice, if you like to dance, the Capilano Dance Club has something for you.

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

Talia Rouck MELISSA GIBBONS Contributor

Vibrant, colorful and eccentric are a just a few words that describe the art pieces that CapU IDEA student Talia Rouck creates.

Rouck imbues her art with romantic and expressive character. A younger version of Rouck wanted to be an ornithologist, as she loves birds.

Some of her surrealist pieces illustrate characters with human bodies and bird faces. These quirky birds imbued with personality are inspired by how High Fashion mimics male birds.

“It’s kinda all about being showy and really expressing your class and the amount of money you have by being as bright, colorful and garish to reward you in some sense,” she explained.

After watching last year's Met Gala, Rouck was drawn to combine the garish outlines of humans with eccentric bird faces.

When she was younger, Rouck stayed away from colour and used mostly graphite for client

Follow Talia Rouck on Instagram @talrouck

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pieces. After realizing that she was just using graphite in order to please others rather than herself, she decided to give life to her illustrations by using vivid colors and bold textures. “Art serves me as much as I serve it, with the stuff that I want to do I [would] rather capture an essence, a personality or a moment rather than every freckle on a person's face,” she said.

Although Rouck has fun illustrating humanbirds, lately she has been enjoying placing a brush on canvas and creating abstract paintings.

“The abstract ones are part of my soul, that’s why I like those ones a little bit more,” she noted. "Art comes from a moment, and sometimes that can be expressed within a topic or sometimes you just scribble and paint a bunch of words that don’t make any sense.”

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CAPU STUDENTS EXPERIENCE IRAN’S

The stresses of being a full-time student, balancing personal lives and global conflict came to a crux this past November for Iranian students at Capilano TOM BALOG Contributor

In the final few months of 2019, we witnessed a large number of protests throughout the world. In Hong Kong, pro-democracy protestors continue to battle with the Chinese communist government. France, Chile, and Colombia, among other countries, are experiencing turmoil. In November, Iran saw the deadliest political unrest since the Islamic Revolution.

Campus life was relatively normal among the diverse student body during the usual end of term crux. The library was buzzing with students wandering around, trying to find an open table to start their essays due the next morning. As students were nose-deep studying for exams, some students wrestled with things happening on the other side of the world while trying to pass exams. This was the reality for Iranian students at Capilano.

On November 15th in Iran, the government increased gas prices in the country from 50-300 percent. In 2018 the United States’ reimposed sanctions on Iran led to the price increase and economic turmoil. Iranians took to the street to protest the increase and were met by the Iran security forces. In a tactical move to disrupt the protestors, the Iranian Supreme National Security Council shut off the internet for 163 hours, starting on the evening of the November 16th. Protestors and citizens were unable to communicate with people inside and outside the country. *Sara is a Canadian-born Iranian student at Capilano. On November 16th, when she opened Instagram, posts of the internet blackout engulfed her feed. “I called my mom and asked her if this is true? She said ‘yeah, I can’t contact my sisters’.” Most of her family is living in Tehran, the capital of Iran. Sara said she tried to use landlines to reach her family, but an eerie prerecorded voice speaking in Farsi overtook the line saying, “Hello, hello? I can’t hear you.” With no one being able to reach people in Iran, people’s thoughts went to the worst-case scenario. Fortunately, full-blown war wasn’t the case, but the situation was bloody and volatile. As time passed, Sara heard from her cousin, who figured out a way to reach out through the blackout.

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Speaking with another Iranian student, Nelly*, who was born in Iran then forced to move to Canada by her parents, her experience discovering the blackout was similar. “My days usually start with me checking my twitter feed, which is a big community of all of my friends from all over the world. And when I woke up, it felt like my twitter feed was empty, and people who would be tweeting from that hour weren’t there. Other Iranians around the world were panicking, and nobody had a clue until a few hours later, and the first videos came out.”

Nelly studied at the University of Tehran and was politically active during this time in her life, which is very different than being politically active in Canada. Old classmates of hers were arrested during the internet blackout and protest. Most of her close friends have already left the country as economic instability and authoritarian rule worsened.

The death toll since the beginning of the protest is currently over 200 Iranians, including teenagers, children, students. The internet blackout is estimated to have cost the Iran economy $1.5 billion. Both students interviewed shared a similar perspective in wanting students of Capilano to know what has and is happening in Iran. Gas prices are still high, the internet is back on for the majority of the country, and it’s becoming clear how far the deadly, authoritative government will go in asserting and maintaining its power. As the semester continues in the new year and projects, papers and tests fill the minds of Capilano students, brief interactions with each other may reveal the depth of what is happening in their lives. Staying informed and compassionate as a student is a meaningful way to start in 2020. *Sara’s last name has been omitted and Nelly’s name has been changed to protect the identity of the interviewees.

Hustling An Anthology of Sex Verse: Workers’ Poetry The stories of sex workers across North America are woven together in this newly-published book of poetry JAYDE ATCHISON Staff Writer SARAH RACE Photographer

For many, the term “sex worker” evokes images of hardened women leaning into car windows and negotiating with Johns, donning tight leather skirts and unbelievably high heels.

Hustling Verse: An Anthology of Sex Workers’ Poetry shatters the stereotype of the sex worker, and all the preconceived notions of the sex work industry that propel it. Published last September, the book is made of poems written by sex workers across North America, and edited by Amber Dawn and Justin Ducharm.

Reading 209 pages of poetry would normally take me a single sitting to power through, but Hustling Verse is weighted with emotional content that required breaks to take in the trauma of being abused by Johns, the struggle of transitioning genders as a religious person and unapologetic retellings of moving between sex work and attending university.

An incredible stigma exists around sex work, and yet it’s one of the oldest and most utilized professions in the world.

In Amber Dawn’s introduction, she recounts that sex workers are one of the highest researched, debated and discussed populations. However, their voice is often left out of the narrative, leaving people in power, such as politicians, speaking for and about them. “Sex work, when and if spoken about in the public sphere at all, is often presented as a dry, distant, or theoretical topic: legislative debates, moral panic, health research and reports, etc.,” Dawn said. “It’s little wonder that sex workers would turn to highly creative and experimental art forms to tell our authentic stories”.

In gathering these tales, the book gives sex workers a chance to speak for themselves and share their reality. The language that flows through the pages allows readers to be transported into their local gay bars where

men are dancing shirtless on stage, or to the alleyways of Davie Street where people observe the party-goers pass by as they smoke another cigarette.

These poems range from admiration of their companions on stage, to the grief of losing fellow workers and contemplation of the lack of justice from the system that is supposed to protect them. Indigenous women have been going missing and murdered throughout North America, and often have to fight tooth and nail just to be heard. Several poems reveal the poets’ fear of going missing, being harassed by police or facing the danger that helps them pay their rent.

Healing is a prevailing theme woven through the pages of Hustling Verse. One poem is an apology letter to the writers’ body for all the hardships it had to go through over the years. Another goes between childhood horrors and adulthood experiences in a tale of coming to terms with the past and finding peace. These poems show how humans are able to rise above the worst circumstances, and how healing can be a beautiful process.

“One of the things I am always so aware of when making art about sex work is that every worker who experiences that piece is going to have a different relationship with sex work, circumstantially or not,” said Ducham. “What I think art like that and like Hustling Verse does is provide people with a perspective that is human and similar to their own, maybe making them feel less weighted down and able to see how healing is possible.”

Some people join the sex work industry out of necessity. For others, sex work is a lucrative and fulfilling way of making money. Regardless, no one is qualified to pass judgement or place shame on sex workers. We’re all humans with stories to tell, and these stories are worth listening to.

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The Vancouver-based, post-punk band talks diversity and gentrification THEODORE ABBOTT Contributor KERRIA GRAY Photographer

TA: How would you define Necking’s sound?

In the no-fun-city of Vancouver, among a landscape of closed down venues and repetitive garage bands, Necking brings an edge of excitement to what can otherwise be an underwhelming scene.

According to the four members—singer Hannah Karren, guitarist Nada Hayek, drummer Melissa Kuipers, and bassist Sonya Hm— Necking is a hobby that got out of hand, “just a couple of buds hanging out” as Karren put it. To their dedicated fan base, Necking is a band that brings the same captivating vitality to every show.

When standing in the crowd at a Necking show, the static energy so typical at Vancouver rock shows dissolves as the crowd rocks to the music in a reciprocal pulse. Since forming in March 2017, Necking has quickly become one of the most recognizable names within Vancouver’s music scene. Gaining notoriety for their clever lyrics, the group manages to express a particular brand of post-ironic humor that has come to define the millennial ethos.

Necking’s music plucks at the heartstrings of every twentysomething who’s ever been in a relationship with a playful apathy that makes heartbreak just a little bit easier. This past November, I sat down with the band to discuss everything from new music to gentrification and diversity in Vancouver’s music scene.

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SM: We say it’s punk rock but there are some tracks on that album that are not punk rock.

MK: Someone else should define what our sound is—we’ll make it, and then someone else can pick. People also have this tendency to associate our sound with the fact that we are all women. We can’t seem to separate ourselves from this Riot Grrrl persona. We did an interview once in Seattle, where we were sort of comparing our music to the Melvins and the interviewer said, “yea like the Melvins but feminine right?”

We’re not a ‘chick band’, we’re just a band that happens to also have all female members.

TA: What’s it like being a somewhat newer band within the Vancouver music scene?

HK: I feel like when we started playing music there were all these bands in the city that had been together for years already. They had already been a band for like two or three or five years, and now that we're two years in all of those bands are still here, and so I feel like we’re still babies. We didn't age up with them, Maybe if some of these five-year-old bands had dissolved I’d feel more established.

TA: What do you think makes you such a good live band?

HK: It was awesome. I mean we definitely didn't see that coming, and overall it’s been so nice to see how well the album has been received.

SH: I think that people make a conscious effort to at least try and be diverse, but it doesn't always play out the way it's supposed to. I think its in people's minds, it doesn't necessarily always come to fruition.

MK: A lot of the focus is on gender diversity, but then you just have white women being brought to the forefront, and that's not revolutionary to bring white women to the front of the room.

So I think a lot of people, when they’re booking shows and stuff like that, are focusing on women. It’s like, okay, but when you’re talking about women, which women exactly are you talking about? Are you thinking about intersectionality? Are you looking at gender, race, sexuality? I think for us, we’re four women [that] present pretty straight, so you know, it can feel kind of difficult, because I don't feel like a diversity hire when we’re on a bill, but we always are.

HK: Yea it feels crappy and weird because someone will do some sort of girl power festival, or like, we wanna do an all female bill, and I'm like, wow, revolutionary!

MK: They’ll be like “oh we’re hiring diverse because you’re half Asian”.

HK: When they tell us we are the representation, It’s like, okay, so where are the people of color who didn't get this slot because we fill that diversity slot?

MK: And sometimes there will be shows where the people will be like, “Oh we just found you on a spreadsheet for female bands, we didn't know you’d actually be good.” So in a way there could be a positive side to this, in the sense that they took a look at all the token bands they have hired and you were the best of those bands. But they got your name off a list of bands that meet the minimum requirements of ‘diversity’. There’s not really much of a meritocracy to it.

MK: I think there is a meritocracy to it, but I think our privilege played a big role in helping us get to where we are. I think that the people who maybe didn't have the same opportunities that we had when starting out have just been overlooked.

SH: Beer, at least two beers, and no more than four. Also, Hannah helps; when Hannah gets into it, I think we all get more into it too. But it’s not just that, I think we all just really enjoy playing high energy shows. We’re also really lucky because we also have good crowds of people who are into it as well—oh, and we practice a lot too

TA: Recently a lot of venues around Vancouver have been closing, many of which are venues that you have played or would surely have played in the future. Any thoughts on the constant closure of these local spots?

SH: It’s hard to be objective and calm about it, I mean we’ve seen three venues shut down in the last month alone. It’s sad here, and it’s not just that the venues are unable to afford to stay open.

HK: It’s also all this legal bullshit that you have to go through too. Look at SBC [Smiling Buddha Cabaret], the cops literally said you can’t keep doing this—it’s not about the money anymore.

TA: Do you ever think about moving to Montreal like so many bands from Vancouver have in the last several years?

MK: We do. Montreal is way cheaper, it’s got a great music scene and it’s pretty central for going on tour around the rest of Canada. Over here on the West Coast, we’re a little cut-off, but for now we’re going to stay in Vancouver.

TA: What’s next for Necking?

MK: We’re starting to write some more, it’s louder, it’s more sludgy.

SH: Also, on our next tour, we’re going to be playing South by SouthWest.

HK: If someone had told me two years ago that we’d be playing South by South West I’d have been like ‘holy shit, that’s the craziest thing’. Now that we’re here living it, after having done all the work to get here, I’m like ‘fuckin right we’re playing South by South West’ —we’d better be doing something.

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

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It’s a few minutes before showtime at Glam Slam. The Wise Hall is packed to the brim with people who waited in line during the icy November cold to see the soldout show. After a couple of double-takes, Courier photographer Mahi Kaur and I notice Riverdale stars Cole Sprouse and Lili Reinhart among the audience. They’re some of the more ordinary-looking people here though—in a sea of animal print, fur coats, glitter unitards and lace bustiers adorn the bodies of a glammed-out millennial crowd. There’s even a guy in a Nicholas Cage jumpsuit.

The air is thick with anticipation. “It’s no Disneyland, but I’ll accept this for a normal-ass Saturday,” says a guy behind us.

The lights dim and the host Mean Mister Nickel emerges, clad in a glittery lime-green coat with fringe so long it almost reaches the ground. He introduces the first team of wrestlers—“your parents!”

A boomer-esque couple march onto the stage. The Dad, bald with a baseball hat, thick 80s moustache and tucked-in plaid shirt, scowls furiously. The Mom, dressed in various shades of pink with a red wig that pairs beautifully with her thick beard, screams at the top of her lungs: “Fuck the ice caps, fuck the ocean, Don Cherry’s a hero!” The crowd erupts into a flurry of boos and cheers so powerful it makes the ground vibrate. Welcome to Glam Slam.

It’s been four years since Norm Elmore and wife Melody Mangler (real name Rebecca Franklin) put on their first wrestling show. Since then, Glam Slam has quickly grown in popularity and become an established East-Van must-see. “We’re usually sold out two months before the show,” said Elmore.

Elmore, who also manages The Wise Lounge, says they got the idea for Glam Slam after seeing some of the Wise’s bouncers wrestle at a local show. “The wrestlers were fantastic, the caliber of wrestler was really surprising,” he recalled.

“But the production value wasn’t great, and the show left something to be desired— ‘cause a lot of the wrestling is sort of all ages, family, so it’s in halls with fluorescent lights—there’s no real production to it.”

Elmore and Mangler were already experts at putting on shows—in 2002 they

started The Screaming Chicken Theatrical Society, a member-run, not-for-profit organization that puts on burlesque shows and theatrical productions. Watching the bouncers wrestle, Elmore thought, “This could be really good if we added some pizazz.” They reached out to Kenny Lush, a Canadian professional wrestler, who helped them connect to the local wrestling scene.

“We thought it would be really fun to get the burlesque dancers training in the wrestling as well, and just kind of mixing our kind of flair for creating characters and interesting narratives and then adding that to the wrestling,” recalled Mangler, who is an iconic Vancouver burlesque performer herself.

Indeed, the characters of Glam Slam are it’s driving force. Each match has a remarkable ability to divide audiences. I found myself yelling destroooy him! during a match between Glory S. Gams and unsolicited-dick-pic bro Shredz—who, by the way, was sporting a full-body print-out of a naked man’s torso (penis included) that Gams quickly tore to pieces.

Elmore and Mangler write the script and cast the characters of the show. “We have our kind of ritual where we go for a few beers relatively after the last Glam Slam show just wrapped and we start kind of just brainstorming, like what are all the possibilities,” said Mangler, who also does most of the costuming for the show. “We also take into consideration current events, we like to have at least one political match in the show just to kind of, oof!—cut deep.

People need to channel their rage at the news cycle somewhere,” she laughed.

Between the rage of the matches and the sultriness of the burlesque numbers, watching the show releases something gloriously primal— it’s cathartic.

In September, the couple hosted a training camp for women and non-binary people interested in pro wrestling. The training was full at 20 people, with 10 people being offered spots to train for Glam Slam, and six staying on. Elmore and Mangler plan to continue the open training session, with intakes of new wrestlers twice a year.

“Traditionally with wrestling, there’s

a fairly high bar to entry to be involved, largely because of safety. So very often wrestlers will train for a couple of years before they wrestle and do a match,” said Elmore. “But there’s so few women in the wrestling scene as a whole, even globally.”

“It’s hard to cast,” Mangler added.

“Locally, or even regionally, like the pacific-northwest between the island, and Vancouver and Seattle, there’s probably twelve like real, established women,” explained Elmore. “If somebody’s doing a show in Victoria that features a lot of women wrestlers, we don’t have enough for our [show]—you know, if there’s two shows on the same night. Or a show in Seattle even and a show here, we won’t have the number of people we need.”

Elmore and Mangler pay for the newbies’ training with coaches, and will tailor the script of the show so they have opportunities to wrestle, often pairing them with experienced wrestlers that can do more of the heavy-lifting in the match.

They also write minor, non-wrestling roles like managers to help trainees develop the stage presence needed to enthral audiences.

“That’s such an important part of wrestling, is being able to get the crowd on your side—or against you if they’re a heel,” said Elmore. “You either want the crowd cheering of booing, but you want them to be loud one way or another.”

The next Glam Slam takes place on February 1st, and tickets can be purchased at www.thewise.ca

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Charlotte, 23 What we pack in our bags for the first day of post secondary versus a year into it is substantially different, far more minimal through trial and error Photos and text by ALDEN MACKAY

Charlotte King, a second-year liberal studies student at Cap, flaunts her cloth tote bag adorned with a fingerbangin' pin near the shoulder strap, purchased at drag queen Sasha Velour's Nightgowns show in New York. Alongside a lonesome notebook and pen there are cosmetics, essential oils, Airpods, and a spray can of Saber's Dog and Coyote Attack Deterrent—a gift from her father.

Her bag also includes a tub of “Purebud” CBD oil which she applies habitually. CBD oils are trending in Vancouver, praised for their ability to alleviate minor pains such as migraines and sore muscles. "I feel like shit all the time so I put it wherever it hurts. Which is everywhere," said Charlotte. "If I could put it on my heart, I would."

Charlotte always keeps a small tin of salt with her. "It brings out the flavour," she explains. "It's a staple in my life." When she was a child she’d drink the juice out of caper jars, disregarding the capers themselves.

This is where she believes the fixation originated. "I was a strange child," she confessed.

At the bottom of her bag there’s a metal straw and a "keep cup"—a small reusable “Broadcast Coffee Roasters” thermos which was gifted to her by a visitor from Seattle.

"Shit doesn't leak," she said. "Your tea will stay hot for days, maybe."

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DAN I CA KO L L ER

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KYL E PAP I L LA

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Who Gives a F*** About a Goddamn Grammy?

The legacy of hip-hop’s exclusion at the Grammy Awards SARAH ROSE Features Editor MIKAELA MANUEL Illustrator

In the weeks leading up to last year’s Grammy Awards telecast, award show producer Ken Ehrlich blamed the continuing loss of the Grammys cultural relevance on having “a problem in the hip-hop world,” Ehrlich said in an interview with The New York Times. What Ehrlich gets right is perhaps confirming that what happens on the Grammy stage exists in an alternate reality from the one hip-hop occupies. Hip-hop is not the problem, the Grammys are.

In 1984, Herbie Hancock won the Grammy for Best R&B Instrumental for his performance of Rockit. Front and center, quite literally elevated, stood the first DJ to grace the primetime award show. Grandmixer D.ST made history shredding a pair of Technics 1200’s like they were an electric guitar in the hands of Van Halen. His performance at the 16th Grammy awards defied categorization and inspired multiple generations of hip-hop artists.

After Rockit, the Grammy awards excluded hip-hop entirely until 1989, when a new category was introduced: Best Rap Performance. The Recording Academy then informed the nominees (which included the likes of Will Smith, Salt-NPepa and LL Cool J) as well as their record labels that their awards would not be televised. The line was drawn. Three of the category’s five nominees boycotted the show.

Televised awards such as the Grammys have long been in the domain of controversy, and this is especially true for hiphop. The Recording Academy reevaluates its genre distinctions each year, considering whether to redraw or reinvent categories “based on what’s going on in culture.” The problem is that these categories are based on binary tree-like structures. Western music history is usually presented in the same format, but where in a tree-based filing system does something like Rockit fit? Is it jazz, R&B, rock, electronic, hip-hop, funk, all the above, or none?

Innovative music is going to defy categorization. Rockit doesn’t fit into a binary tree structure because music at the cultural level doesn’t operate this way. If a tree-system cannot find space for a piece of music, then it’s a failure of the system, not the piece. Music, like history, is rhizomatic. Rockit laid the groundwork for the future of hip-hop. If the Grammy awards claim to create categorization based on cultural significance, then the systematic exclusion of hip-hop and black artists, by extension, is emblematic of the institution and those that represent it which decides what is culturally significant.

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Like looking at ice samples from icebergs or rings in tree slices, one can jump back in time and observe the hegemonic cultural norms carved into history. Hip-hop has been at odds with the Recording Academy since the 1989 Grammys. This is because the Grammys are functionally no different from a social club. Like most elite social clubs, they aren’t interested in those on the peripheries challenging internal power structures.

Hip-hop isn’t a genre that’s ever been privy to the inner circle of cultural hegemonies. If we acknowledge that the Grammys are a peer award, then the argument evaporates into something about American civics. Whether black musicians should be more involved, or even want to be is another issue entirely.

Hip-hop quite literally began in the peripheries of the burning Bronx in the 1970’s as a revolt against oppression. It was not a medium to seek acceptance from their oppressors. In their groundbreaking 1988 album, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold us Back, Public Enemy made it possible to talk about hip-hop as a socially conscious, and even journalistic, medium.

Public Enemy appeared in hip-hop culture the same way the idea of “punk” did in bands like The Ramones with rock music.

On that same album, Public Enemy addressed this sentiment directly on the song Terminator X to the Edge of Panic: “The federal government is the number one killer and destroyer of Black leaders! […] Who gives a f*** about a goddamn Grammy?”

Despite self-proclaimed rap artist Lizzo garnering the most nominations for any artist in the upcoming 2020 Grammys for her album Cuz I Love You, music created by Black artists has a lengthy history as a barometer for shaping American culture without recognition.

While the exact racial makeup of the nonpublic academy membership has not been disclosed, many Black artists such as Kanye West express ambivalence to the award. Coming from an artist with 21 Grammy wins throughout his career, that should mean something. Artists like West doubt whether voting members of the Recording Academy care about any hip-hop outside of Top 40.

To deem hip-hop underrated and underrepresented at the Grammys would be an understatement. There have been droves of cerebral, brilliant scribes with massive bodies of work in the genre since its inception. Regardless of their nonrecognition by the Grammys, as Public Enemy so eloquently put it in 88’, hip-hop doesn’t really give a f*** about them.

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Donor Dollars Generous donation or ego-trip?

BEATRIZ MASCARENHAS DE ANDRADE COSTA Contributor

Peter Allard is a University of British Columbia (UBC) law graduate who has practiced as a lawyer in Vancouver for more than 20 years. In 2014, Allard made a $30 million donation towards UBC’s school of law and in recognition of the UBC alumni, the law school was renamed The Peter A. Allard School of Law one year later.

However, this year Allard opened a lawsuit against the University.

Allard claims that he made the donation under the conditions that he would get naming rights for the faculty of law, the building and all degree certificates granted by the faculty. The university claims that the donation agreement technically excludes PhD and LLM degrees, since those are conferred by the separate faculty of graduate and postdoctoral studies. Allard’s lawsuit aims to determine whether or not 30 million dollars can guarantee Allard’s name in the diplomas from other faculties.

Perhaps more important questions should be addressed. How much are donors altruistically supporting education and how many donations are a contract in which both parties benefit? Should a payment be considered a donation if it comes based on personal demands? Are universities honoring donors or simply paying their part of a deal?

A donation is a free contribution to an institution or company. When donors begin to apply personal interest and enforce a payback, it stops being a donation and becomes an investment. The act of having set conditions

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upon a donation creates a contract which both the company and the donor must follow. If a donor expects a reward for a financial contribution, it stops being a selfless donation and becomes a two-way deal. This way, universities are simply honoring a contract when they meet the conditions set by a contributor.

The recent college admissions scandal in the USA exemplifies how selfish donations can be. Parents empty their pockets to get their children accepted into universities. How is that different from donating to a school on the condition that your child gets to attend it? Purchasing a building in your name to promote your company, a prize with your name on it to build an image to your career, bribes in exchange for an acceptance letter… how far are we willing to let such demands get? Donors hold power, and so they are able to demand whichever retributions they desire, as small or as significant as they wish and it is up to the universities to decide whether they accept it or not.

When it comes to donating to universities, the ethics are unclear. If a donation comes with demands that would therefore classify mutual gain, it becomes a contract. The rules are yet to be written; it is up to both donors and universities to determine which requests are valid and fair and which are unethical and selfish.

It is also the students and citizens duty to define where we draw the line.

Vacation Humiliation It’s time for millennials to become generation unwind

JAMIE KUSACK Contributor ABBY ARIES Illustrator

Burnout. Most people have experienced it in one form or another. Feeling overworked is a modern epidemic and despite what your Instagram feed may suggest, not everyone is having a fantastic time backpacking through Europe or lounging on the beach in the Caribbean.

It’s actually quite the opposite: a recent press release from travel site Skyscanner suggests that only 66 per cent of Canadians take all of their allotted vacation time. It’s not that they believe they don’t deserve it; the press release also indicated that 96 per cent of Canadians are of the opinion that taking a break is important to prevent burnout.

The culprit seems to be a trend called “vacation shaming”. While the catchy name is new, vacation shaming is not and young people seem to be feeling the effects of it more now than ever. While the last of the Millennial generation is finishing college and entering the workforce and the Baby Boomers are retiring, young people have the expectation that they will continue to work harder—and get less benefits—than the previous generations.

Vacation shaming occurs when employers or coworkers use guilt and peer pressure to discourage employees using their full vacation time. It’s not an uncommon occurrence, with 50 per cent of Canadians reporting to have felt shamed for taking time off, according to the Skyscanner press release. That number increases for 18-35 year-olds, with 62 per cent of millennials reporting that they have been a victim of vacation shaming. While many of us may feel we’ve outgrown peer pressure, social guilt is still an effective tool to decrease employees vacation time, with only 60 per cent of millennials reporting that they took all of their allotted time off.

This seems ridiculous for a number of reasons. Life is not about work. No one regrets working less on their deathbed. You should not be made to feel bad about taking

time off—especially if it’s time written into your job description. It may sound like the stereotypical “entitled Millennial”, but if people are happier and more productive when they’re given regular breaks and days off, maybe employees should be sanctioned more of both.

The most pervasive Millennial stereotype is that they are self-centered and expect everything to be handed to them on a silver platter. From personal experience, this could not be less true. Due to this stereotype, many young people feel increased pressure to work through lunch breaks, coffee breaks, past the end of the work day and to not take as much time off as they should. I, myself, have worked through lunch too many times to count. I’ve taken maybe one coffee break in my six years in the workforce. This is a product of working with people who are all over the age of 40. They perceive me as less hardworking, despite taking less breaks and having some of the highest product output.

I don’t think this is a rare experience.

There are reasons to be optimistic though. Life doesn’t begin at retirement, and younger generations seem to be realizing that they don’t need to be done with work for the rest of their lives in order to enjoy it. Happiness and work are not mutually exclusive, as long as you take the time you need to relax and recuperate.

The work culture itself is not likely to change. Employees are likely to continue feeling guilt and shame and embarrassment for taking time off. What can change is how we respond to this “vacation shaming”. Start taking time off when you need it. If you’re allotted a certain number of days in the year to go on vacation, take them all. If you start doing it, others will likely start too. Be a trendsetter. Productivity should not be valued over people, and I think it’s time to start remembering that. Millennials, though not responsible for the beginning of this trend, need to kill vacation shaming. Isn’t that what Millennials are good at?

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A Tale of Two Games The political protest that was too cool for school

JAYDE ATCHISON Staff Writer

Saturday is not only for the boys, it is for watching football and turning off any social consciousness. On Nov. 23, Yale University hosted a football game against Harvard University. This ivy-league match is called “The Game” due to the long standing rivalry between the two schools. During half-time, a crowd began to gather on the field to sit down in a call for both universities to divest from fossil fuels.

The climate strikes and protests around the globe have been happening more frequently as citizens aim to garner attention from governments and higher officials. Let’s set this straight: the

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protest at Yale was not against football. People were not trying to disrespect the ‘holy sport’ of the USA. This protest was about the devastating reality that the world is coming to a rapid end unless we make some drastic changes. This particular protest was to tell Yale, Harvard and everyone watching to stop investing in fossil fuels.

Football fans across the country did not see this, however.

Responses on Twitter labelled protestors as “poorly planned liberals.” One Harvard student claimed that “they pick our favorite day and then they do whatever they want with it. I have to say, it's really quite annoying.” Yes, it must be annoying to have a game delayed by forty-five minutes. You know what else is annoying?

Watching the ocean levels rise, fires wiping out acres of land year round and entire communities being forced to leave their land.

The biggest disgruntlement online about the protest was that this game could have been career defining for the players involved. While this may be true, the game was only delayed.

After the protest, the players continued on. Scouts may have been distracted by the event, but hopefully that did not take away from their ability to see talent in the players—both in the first half and once the game resumed.

Forty-two people were charged with disorderly conduct after the protest. What started off as a small group of students and alumni sitting and holding signs grew in scale. The dedication to change inspired other attendees to join in and be a part of the historic half-time moment.

The question now is whether was this an effective approach at instigating climate change and awareness? It has sparked a massive conversation online, but the predominant feedback is usually followed by calling the protestors fools, “angry kids who don’t play sports or volunteer” or claiming the whole protest was fearmongering. This is not the first time students have taken action into their own hands, as seen in the Parkland gun control protest in 2018 and the 1984 Free Speech Movement Memorial Rally at the University of California, Berkeley.

It is possible that people will avoid these changes and continue to participate in fossil fuel emissions simply because they are mad about the timing and location of the protest. When people go against your values—football or otherwise—it is hard to see their side and join the cause, because you are so angry at how the situation was dealt with. It is my hope that everyone has time to reflect and look at what the big picture was for those protestors.

Ruining the sanctity of football games was not their mission. It was to gain the attention of the two universities so that serious issues would be addressed.

Regardless of whether or not the protestors were right to host their rally at Yale, the climate crisis is not going away unless we continue to fight on and off the field. We need to stand together and tell those in positions of power to make the changes necessary to make the world a safer and cleaner place to live.

New Year, Old Tricks This piece almost got pushed to 2021 MELISSA GIBBONS Contributor EMMA HARRIS Illustrator

Procrastination: Leaving things until the very end.

Haven’t we all done that? If you are reading this and thinking “no” good for you! You have definitely mastered the way of life by compromising to do things and using your time wisely. For those who feel like they procrastinate and struggle with time management, I feel you. It’s the biggest struggle of my life.

Soon we are going to be welcoming a whole new decade. It’s crazy, where did the time go? Time flies, especially when you are slowly transitioning to adulthood. It seems like there are a bunch of things to achieve all at once: studying, working, cooking, cleaning, socializing... Most of the time, we are in such a rush that we often forget to take care of ourselves. This is just as important as all of your other priorities. When you forget to put yourself first, your goals get pushed, your physical and mental health slowly decline, and then you are stuck with a horrible feeling: The things that you truly wished to do, you didn't.

There is something magical about a new year.

Everyone talks about resolutions, whether they are focused on career, fitness, relationships, travel, or finances. “New year, new me”, am I right?

In reality, the months go by and you find yourself mid-year, realizing that you haven’t really taken the steps to achieve the goals that you wanted at the very beginning of the year.

I came across a quote recently: “My goal in 2020 is

to accomplish the goals I set in 2019, which I should have done in 2018, because I made a promise in 2017”.

I laughed when I saw this, but it resonated with me clearly. Earlier in 2019, I made a list of things that I wanted to accomplish within the year. I started on the right foot and achieved some of them. But by mid-year I realized that the goals that were really important to me got left behind. Suddenly, it was November, and I felt major anxiety being unable to follow through with them. Eventually, I thought to myself: “You got this, don’t waste time thinking about what you haven’t done, breath in, breath out, you can still try and do the things that you really want to do, just focus and go.”

If you’re a procrastinator, you understand that little adrenaline rush when there is a limited time to get things done. It’s weird, I realize that I messed up by not using my time properly and then I run around like a little mouse to complete all the things that I left to the end.

I don’t want to create a bigger list of things to do for the next decade. I actually feel better now that I have taken little steps to get things started.

Look at your goals, and think about what you can do in order to start working towards them. You don’t really have to wait for a fresh start to accomplish something.

Start now! 2020, here we come!

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We Didn’t Start The Fire We let 16 year-olds drive.

Why not let them vote?

JOSS ARNOTT Contributor

Recently, there's been a lot of talk about lowering the provincial voting age to 16 in BC. While it looks like that won’t happen anytime soon, it raises an interesting question. Should teens be given the right to vote? A lot of people say no. They say young people aren’t informed enough, or that since they don’t pay taxes, they shouldn’t get a say in how that money gets spent.

They use excuses that make perfect sense until you take a moment to think about them.

Saying young people aren’t informed in 2020 is honestly laughable. Sure, the average 16-year-old doesn’t know much about the minutiae of government, but I challenge you to find an adult that’s any better.

When the mayor of Victoria, Lisa Helps, was asked what she thinks about the lack of political know-how among teenagers, she had this to say: “This is true of all of our residents, having nothing to do with age.” Most people are completely clueless when it comes to the inner workings of government; it’s a miracle when over half the country actually shows up to vote.

Sixteen-year-olds make up for their limited political knowledge with passion for the things they care about.

You only need to look back to the fall of 2019 to see young people taking action. The Global School Strike for the Climate was a rallying call for young people to show a united front and raise awareness against climate change, all brought about and inspired by sixteen-yearold Greta Thunberg.

Allowing young people to vote and make their voices heard can only be a good thing. What’s the worst possible outcome of letting 16-year-olds vote? A minority vaping party? Honestly… I think that’s worth

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the risk. If you’re going to let teenagers drive around in metal, two-ton spinning death traps (colloquially known as cars) with only the minimal instruction from their parents and a passing grade on a multiple-choice test to guide them, I think you can let them vote in an election. By galvanizing people into voting at an earlier age, not only do you empower them, but you also create a habit. By introducing the idea of voting earlier in life, you make people more likely to keep voting. It’s like getting a check-up at the doctor or crying on Valentine’s Day. Eventually, it just becomes normal.

Sixteen-year-olds voting isn’t even that radical of an idea. Eleven countries including Brazil, Austria, and Scotland have a voting age of 16. There are also a slew of smaller province-like regions within countries such as Germany that have a voting age of 16. When the BC Greens ran for office in 2017, one of their campaign promises was to reduce the voting age to 16. Since they took office, the legislation has been brought up and shot down on three separate occasions. While the provincial government is looking at lowering the registration age to 16, there are no plans to allow 16-year-olds to actually vote anytime soon.

Young people have always and will always want to change the world; it’s just how we work. Voting is important, but it is not the only way that you can enact change. Should young people be given the right to vote? Hell yes. Does the government denying them that right equal the end of the world? Hell no. Fight on, young activists. Fight on.

PRO UNION FOR work-life BALANCE Why the transit strike mattered

ALEXIS OLA ZYGAN Contributor

Unions were formed in 1873 to ensure worker rights, to provide work-life balance and fair working conditions. Ever since then, union workplaces have had limited turnover and formed a better and happier working environment for both the boss and the staff. Statistically, shorter work weeks lead to more productivity and satisfaction. I advocate for unions’ capacity to empower employees.

When the transit strike began, they chose to intensify action progressively. They started by stripping themselves of their uniforms, which represents their image and offers a sense of consistency for the customer. The symbolism behind the act epitomizes the absence of pride and loyalty towards Translink. Some drivers wore Union41 t-shirts in support of the job action. They employed the escalation as a way to get customers informed. Others organized collectively at Skytrain stations to make the public aware of the rationale behind their demonstration. As customers, we build a relationship with our driver, often taking the same route every day.

We depend on operatives to deliver us to our destinations.

They are an integral part of our transportation ecosystem.

Without them, we could be stranded at home, or potentially walking up to three hours to our destination across bridges, through tunnels, and on overpasses.

A collective experience for passengers is calculating if the bus is arriving five minutes early or late. The rider is stuck in the cold, rainy, windy weather refreshing the Translink app for an updated schedule. Drivers are forced to meet an agenda that has not been updated with the changing structure of our roads.

As a result, the app states the bus is zero minutes away. But, as you peer into the distance, the ride you have been expecting is nowhere in sight. When passengers are late, in some cases, they let out their frustration on the bus driver. Which in turn, forces the operant to choose between kicking the abusive passenger off the vehicle or ignoring the mistreatment to ensure all the other passengers arrive at a prompt hour.

A Facebook post by a bus driver’s wife said that most drivers do not have the luxury of fifteen-minute and thirtyminute breaks, even though, statistically, employees are more productive when they get a fifteen-minute break every fiftytwo minutes. I supported the drivers’ strike for better rights and working conditions because everyone deserves bathroom

breaks. No CEO of a company deserves to get paid more than the prime minister. Maybe, if the CEO did not have a vehicle paid for by his hefty salary, he would be able to see for himself the issues faced by both the drivers and riders of the transit system. At the end of the strike escalation, bus operants were planning to walk out for three days.

Thankfully, the union and TransLink were able to reach a last-minute agreement, minimizing the tension already experienced by stressed-out students in their last week of school. Another last minute deal was arranged between SkyTrain workers and the union a few weeks later. The possibility of a strike increases stress on commuters who are stuck as collateral damage for the misguided bureaucracy.

I’m glad they managed to consolidate an agreement.

However, the limbo commuters were stuck in was unfair. It seems as though this tactic is part of a pattern that forces the two groups to work together to find a solution. Is shutting down and forcing riders to be the collateral fair? Not at all. Hopefully, workers and the union can maintain a fair agreement that ensures reduced overtime, which can burden families and restrict a balanced lifestyle. Work-life balance is statistically demonstrated to be vital for living a happy and healthy life.

When transit workers strike, the city may be in a state of chaos. However, without unions, the workers who spoke up about their concerns would probably get a notice of dismissal.

Unions ensure that the workforce can speak candidly with no fear of reprimand. I stand with them, out of respect for the transit operators who are in charge of transporting 15.9 million people every day. For the sake of all parties involved, I hope that we all remember that workers deserve better working conditions and more time for enjoying life. What is the point of working 40 hours a week if you cannot enjoy the luxury of free time.

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Skip The Waiting Room

Virtual walk-in clinics have arrived TRISTAN MERONI Contributor

Who wants to spend hours in the waiting room of a walk-in clinic? Do you wish you could speak with a doctor on your computer or phone, from the comfort of your home? Now you can.

Virtual clinics link anyone with a BC Health Card to a licensed doctor, who can provide general health advice, referrals, doctor’s notes, prescriptions, travel consultations, counselling, lab reviews and requests. Doctors are available seven days a week, and the service allows patients to schedule their own time slot; meaning no dealing with real-world waiting rooms filled with other sick individuals who all wish they were home in bed.

The focus of virtual walk-in clinics is convenience, and it also allows a doctor to see more patients throughout the day. We would all like to be as efficient as possible with our schedule, and this service allows for it. When one becomes sick, the last thing we want to do is commute to a clinic, and wait for hours until we can get advice from a general practitioner. Now, from the comfort of your bed, you can book online using your mobile device or computer and schedule your appointment within minutes. Doctors can see patients from the comfort of their home office, so it’s a win for both parties involved.

I personally use virtual walk-in clinics when I need to see a doctor—it’s quick, easy and provides me with the same end result. It’s great for asking general questions, or getting a refill on your medication. However, I will admit there are some limitations and kinks that need to be worked out. A few weeks ago, after setting up an appointment for my sore throat, I quickly realized that the doctor could not help unless they were to see me in person.

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This means virtual walk-in clinic doctors will not be the answer to all situations.

Privacy concerns are always an issue with online services. During one of my appointments, I noticed a third person had joined our video chat while I was sharing my medical history with the doctor. It seems that the online receptionist had accidentally connected the next patient into our chat before making sure that I had finished my appointment. It will be important for virtual walk-in clinics to master the flow of their patient care, because if they can’t ensure patient privacy it may deter individuals from continuing with their online services.

Improvements could involve a more secure online patient ecosystem, though there are technological limitations that we currently face. Video chats present a physical barrier, meaning doctors cannot properly address all issues. Virtual clinics are still in their infancy. As the technology of these businesses mature and once the public becomes more comfortable, they will be inclined to take advantage; why wouldn’t you? It’s free.

If you’re on the fence about using this service, or simply haven’t heard of it before, I highly recommend that you give it a chance and see for yourself. Virtual walkin clinics are revolutionizing the way we communicate with doctors, and this is just the beginning.

It ain't easy being green

Elizabeth May steps down as party leader ALISHA SAMNANI Opinions Editor

One of the most well-known names in Canadian politics has not resigned, but stepped down from her position as leader. This hardly comes as a surprise— she has been dropping hints left, right and center over the past couple years.

Three elected MP’s is an increase of 300 per cent, more than the Greens had before Elizabeth May became the leader. However, it also falls short of the projected number from the Green Party at the beginning of this campaign.

While the Greens received over a million votes during the 2019 federal election, their portion of the popular vote fell short of the 6.8 per cent the party got during the 2008 election.

During her time as leader, the party never seemed short of scandal. Whether citizens questioned the party’s position on abortion or debated the ability of the Greens to maintain the integrity of Canada as a whole, May’s campaign trail was paved with a multitude of controversies. In 2019, the Green Party faced political attacks on par with their mainstream rivals. The intensity of these attacks may have cost the party some of their seats, but it may have provided the party’s new leader with a learning opportunity.

With a strong foothold in Canadian politics preestablished, a green party under a new leader would be harder to count out. The Prince Edward Island legislature includes eight Green MLAs, which is

enough to construct the Official Opposition. The balance of power is held by three Green MLAs in British Columbia, plus three Green MLAs in New Brunswick and an additional Green MPP in Ontario. These positions provide a strong foundation for a party looking to blossom into a force to be reckoned with.

The issues addressed by the Greens are only becoming more important over time, and allow the party to interlock themselves within the formation of Canadian public policy.

May brought the Greens much farther than they previously were. She did so loudly, and with great gusto. Now the challenge is to find a new leader who can push them even further.

Possible MLAs who are looking to throw their hats in the leadership ring include Alex Tyrrell, who has been leading the Green Party of Quebec for six years.

Whomever this leader turns out to be, they will still have May’s 13 years of experience to ease them into their new position. May will still be representing the Saanich-Gulf Islands as their member of Parliament.

One thing is for certain - it’s time for the Green Party to refresh their image. A new leader just might help them do that.

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In Our

Jeans

The fashion staple holds more than just a pair of keys—it can carry social, personal, and even political significance as well FREYA WASTENEYS Managing Editor

The clothing rack sagged under the weight of denim, hardly offset by the growing pile of pants in my arms. I was looking for something very specific: second-hand, comfortable, flattering, high-waisted, light wash, no rips, loose fit—the quintessential “Mom Jean” popularized in the 80s by Levi Strauss & Co. My mission was proving quite challenging despite the overwhelming amount of choice within this particular vintage boutique in Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant. Outside, slightly obscured by a backwards ‘F’ decal on the storefront window, a group passed by, oblivious to my plight. All wore a variation of the unofficial Vancouver Uniform: beanies, Blundstones, and some version of the same coveted Levi’s jeans I was busting my ass to find.

As I braved the changeroom once again, I began to see another trend. The first pair was too tight in the thighs and gaped at the waist. The second, although the same size, wouldn’t button up. The third was a size up but wouldn’t stay up without a belt. This theme of failure continued—too short, too tight, too ripped, not the right style—until I had tried on almost every pair in the denimdevoted store within a three-size radius.

Sweating and defeated by my vigorous denim workout, I left empty-handed.

I’ve never considered myself particularly picky or style-conscious, but for some reason I was dead set on Levi’s 501s.

Perhaps it’s the perception it lends—the ordinary, practical, everyday vibe. I wanted something comfortable, durable but not totally unflattering. I was drawn to the “low maintenance” perception of these specific jeans but I soon found that the opposite was true.

Jeans are a staple in most wardrobes— ubiquitous. And like most ubiquitous 44

things, we rarely stop to think about the efforts we go through in order to fit in.

Given the range of shapes, sizes, lifestyles and values, finding that perfect pair of jeans is anything but a simple process.

Ethical standards also come into play.

Buyers constantly negotiate and prioritize what is important to them, even if only subconsciously.

Clothing has become a way to display our social groups and to assert cultural capital, belonging and individuality. What we wear can be both a huge source of anxiety or work to alleviate that social discomfort.

Underneath it all, it’s uncomfortable to address this seemingly frivolous ‘need’, and yet, for many of the women I know, jeans appear to be the one blissfully uncomplicated choice—the one item of clothing we know we can always wear. Jeans can be both dressed up and dressed down. Fit in or stand out. They are seemingly impossible to find, and yet a consumer report by ShopSmart shows that the average American woman still manages to own around seven pairs.

After trying on jeans with unsuccessful results, I turned to Google. Even a quick search revealed that I am far from the only

one having trouble finding this specific style of jeans. Imparfaite.co is an entire website devoted to helping you find your perfect size and fit of Levi’s, interspersed with attractive images of free-spirited young women effortlessly sporting Levi’s and clearly living their best life. “Why should everyone have a 501 vintage?” the website queries. “Because it has dressed the coolest girls of each generation for 128 years.”

Armed with renewed resolve, I began my search once again—this time in earnest. At work, I updated my co-workers on my progress.

We bonded over our mutual annoyance of shopping for jeans. One co-worker in particular was on a similar quest, and together we spent a fateful day going to every thrift, second-hand or consignment store within a five-kilometre radius. After trying on what probably ended up being around 100 pairs of jeans each in about ten different shops over the course of five hours, we conceded defeat once again. I began to question my obsession, but couldn’t let go.

“In some ways, you can think of clothes as a strategy that can then be applied to different social contexts,” said Gillian Crowther, a Professor of Anthropology at Capilano University. “We have this range of clothes, and you can almost read the entire social lives and activities of people through this.” Surrounded by books, with a pile of unmarked exams on the floor, she sported her own pair of Levi 501s.

We laughed self-consciously at the topic of our conversation—how normal this preoccupation has become and how something as silly as a pair of jeans can hold so much significance.

“People have all these different sets of clothing that they use to plan out their lives and all of the areas that they occupy in their lives,” she explained. “They do it based on comfort and discomfort. I want to present myself in some way, and whoever is looking at me is going to say—oh ya, they’re competent, they’re good in

that social context. Social competency is part of the anxiety.”

The fit of the jeans we choose can dictate the activities we pursue in our everyday lives.

While what is considered the “perfect fit” varies considerably around the world—as do beauty standards, we unconsciously attach a certain pride to having a culturally recognized well-fitting pair of jeans. Objectively, this seems shallow, and yet, considering how we embody culture, it’s somewhat natural that we want to find something that works for us.

“Jeans are that overlooked thing through which we know ourselves but then we also get those wider cultural values that push us and prod us,” continued Crowther, expanding on University College of London (UCL) anthropologist Daniel Miller’s theory of how we come to know ourselves in relation to objects. “It isn’t all necessarily about accumulation and consumption. These objects can tell us a lot about our cultural values.”

After recognizing the wide-reaching potential of denim, Miller instigated the Global Denim Project as a way to amass research and exchange ideas on this sweeping phenomenon as “a sort of ‘open-source’ project linking disparate research.” For many researchers, blue jeans are fascinating simply because they are so universally ordinary—they have become a way to make cross-cultural comparisons, helping anthropologists draw conclusions about the personal, the political and the social in both local and global contexts.

According to Miller—who is also the author of Consumption and its Consequences and Blue Jeans: The Art of the Ordinary—jeans bridge the gap between “habitual clothing (items women “know” they can always wear) and the non-habitual (items that require selfconscious engagement).” A study conducted

by Miller found that around half of people worldwide wear jeans on any given day. In The Art of the Ordinary Miller explains that this is because people not only regard jeans as having a “greater capacity than other garments to become intimate and personal as they soften and mold to a particular person but also see [jeans] as the best means to present themselves as citizens of the world.” Jeans are the negotiation between individuality and conformity. It’s surprisingly personal but it’s also political.

In our quest for comfort, affordability and style, considering the ethical and political implications of our clothing choices often feels like an added layer of inconvenience.

But given the global reach of jeans, it is an important aspect to consider. The human and environmental impact of the denim industry is especially a concern considering the denim industry was valued at $66 billion USD in 2018 and is projected to increase to $84 billion

by 2025. To manufacture a single pair of jeans requires a vast amount of water and energy—a whopping 7,660 gallons of water are required to create just 1 kg of cotton according to the Natural Resources Defence Council. The waste produced from the dyeing process can be extremely toxic to workers, and often leads to massive pollution in surrounding waterways.

With this in mind, maybe it’s not so crazy to bring obsessive checklists and standards into our consumption practices. Perhaps finding jeans should be challenging.

Lauren Diewold is a recent graduate from CapU’s Liberal Studies program. Two years ago, she began sewing her own clothes after being deterred by the prices of dresses while shopping for her sister’s wedding. “From there it just turned into this strange hobby,” Diewold said. “But the entertainment value is much higher.” After noticing the proclivity of the tights, plaid and denim jacket combo in Vancouver, her interest was piqued further.

As a part of her grad project she decided to make her own “Vancouver Uniform” to look at the time, labour and cost that goes into the creation of these everyday outfits. The entire outfit took 44 hours of inexperienced labour to sew and used $146 worth of materials, making the overall material and labour cost equal to approximately $612. She notes that she could have bought the same outfit at Uniqlo for $134.

“It’s amazing the sheer amount of work that goes into something I could easily buy for a couple dollars,” she said. “If you go to Old Navy on a good day, you can get a tank top for $5… and it would probably take me an hour to make that same thing.

I think the biggest takeaway for me is how little we value the labour that goes into clothes.

The value and labour are completely detached.”

Movements like the recent Marie Kondo phenomenon encourage individuals to get rid of things that "don't spark joy," but far from reducing our consumption, this ethos is seemingly just another excuse to throw thoughtlessly purchased items away. The

average Canadian buys 70 pieces of clothing each year, and much of this ends up in the landfill. In his Globe and Mail article on “The life-changing magic of making do,” Benjamin Leszcz argues that rather than purging ourselves, we need to redefine our relationship with things. “Making do is about taming the reflex to discard, replace or upgrade; it’s about using things well, and using them until they are used up,” he wrote. “Taken literally, it simply means making something perform —making it do what it ought to do.”

Rather than becoming less materialistic, Leszcz argues that we need to become more so, and in the process learn to find the value in the things that we buy. “In this way, we can not only mitigate the high cost of thoughtless consumption, saving us money and the planet harm, but also, we might just wind up a whole lot happier,” Leszcz said in reference to Juliet Schor’s Plenitude: The New Economics of True Wealth.

Since she began making her own clothes, Diewold has noticed that it’s become a lot harder to get rid of clothing. “You think of the time and effort that went into it and you immediately see it in a different light,” she said.

“In the grand scheme of things, it’s really hard to tell the value of the clothes you’re buying.

Even if they’re a $300 pair of jeans, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re ethical, or even paying their workers that much.”

I have not resorted to making my own clothing yet, but if nothing else, the time and energy I’ve spent trying to find this particular pair of jeans has made me more aware of my own less-than-stellar consumption practices.

When you spend a month trying to find a single item of clothing, you begin to realize how often we resort to fast fashion to ease our social anxieties. The process of buying ethically can be daunting—especially for those restricted financially. In the end, we can only do our best with the resources available to us.

After devoting so much time to my search, I eventually caved and bought a new pair. The jeans fit perhaps three out of my five criteria.

They were affordable, stylish and durable but the comfort and ethics were questionable.

In an effort to make them a little more comfortable (physically, not morally), I found myself immersed in a bathtub full of water—a technique I’d read about on the Internet. I spent the evening lunging and squatting around my living room in wet pants in a last-ditch attempt to stretch out the restrictive, conforming denim. “I think I’ve lost a little bit of respect for you,” joked my boyfriend of six years as I halted mid-lunge. I considered his comment for a moment, agreed and then continued the process of stretching out my jeans. What can I say? I, too, am imparfait.

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Winter Lovin'

As the weather cools down, people are heating up with the help of cuddling instead of grandma’s wool blanket JAYDE ATCHISON Staff Writer EMILY ROSE Illustrator

Night envelops us with star-filled skies and a sliver of the moon by 5pm as we journey home from school or work. The Vancouver downpours and the occasional slush-fall often discourage social outings—too much effort is required to don our winter attire while still looking like a snack. Instead, the darkness permits us to indulge in our guilty pleasures—curling up on the couch with our favourite fleece blanket and a glass of merlot to binge the next Netflix series. While entangling ourselves alone in pillows, blankets and cozy sweaters, there is that feeling of something missing. After contemplating what that something is, we find ourselves downloading Bumble, because what would make these evenings even better? Someone to share them with.

This desire to find an intimate connection during the colder months is often referred to as “cuffing season.” The term entered Urban Dictionary in 2017 and has been traipsing through the internet ever since. Cuffing season, which begins in early October and continues on through February, is the theory that single people have a desire to “handcuff ” themselves to another person via a relationship during the colder, darker months. As the days grow shorter, we naturally want to spend them with a significant other. Cuddling is much more appealing when our heating may not be sufficient enough to feel true warmth.

When Googling the term, there is a lot of flak about whether cuffing season is a true concept or just a made-up excuse to settle down. Dr. Douglas Alards-Tomalin, a psychology professor at Capilano University, believes that cuffing season is “largely anecdotal—but certainly not invalid by any means.”

“Cuffing season probably gains more credibility by being something that people have personally experienced than if it were

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simply the result of some study,” he explained. Even though there may not be psychological evidence that supports the notion, many people find themselves shacking up during the frigid winter months.

Nicole Haley, a Vancouver-based dating coach, acknowledges that come November her potential client list grows as people reach out to gain more insight into the world of dating. “I think people start to get anxious a little bit thinking ‘this should have happened by now—I don't want to be single going into the new year,” suggested Haley.

Inevitably, the holiday season can create pressure from family and friends—none of us want to be the only single person at the table. Having aunt Carol shout over the dinner table to ask why you aren’t seeing anyone is a huge bummer. It’s not only family either. If Hallmark has told us anything it’s that we’re supposed to have a special someone underneath the mistletoe, or at midnight when the ball drops. “People don’t want to have to deal with that unconscious feeling of not measuring up to other people’s expectations, so they bring somebody [to] alleviate that discomfort,” Haley explained. “However, when we approach it that way we are leading ourselves to more discomfort because that person may not be actually what we want, but we are just filling in the gap.”

In North America, the rates of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) statistically peak in January. In fact, Blue Monday, which falls on January 20 in 2020—is deemed the most depressing day of the year. It may feel nice to cozy up with a captivating book for some, but for others the dark days bring a lack of motivation. The temptation to avoid this seasonal depression through finding love

is terribly strong. If we fall in love, the winter months will be easier, right?

According to Dr. Alards-Tomalin, a well-established and healthy relationship may be able to withstand the tests of winter. “People who report being in satisfactory relationships tend to [have] less cortisol [stress hormone] production, healthier immune systems, and experience less loneliness, particularly for happy couples that cohabit,” he explained. But, relying on a new partner to relieve seasonal depression or depression in general can be a detrimental beginning to any relationship. Leaning on someone in order to skip past underlying issues can only cause more stress and strain the parties involved.

All serial first-daters will understand the frustration of dating around—first dates can seem forced, robotic and insincere. Most of us have the urge to leap into the comfortable part of a relationship, where things are easy. Of course, no couple experiences a perfect partnership, but once the weight of uncertainty is lifted, relationships take a sigh of relief. Dating may feel like a waste of time, but Nicole Haley says otherwise: “Dating is an opportunity to really get to know individuals and you’re also dating to grow,” she said. “You’re growing as an individual and each experience is an opportunity to learn something about yourself.”

Both Dr. Alards-Tomalin and Haley believe participating in cuffing season can be a healthy way to start a relationship—if the intentions are sound. “We tend to do a lot better when we connect with people in meaningful and personally satisfying ways than we do when we feel isolated,” suggested Dr. Alards-Tomalin. “A healthy, satisfying relationship is a good thing to have in one’s life any time and all of the time if possible.” In other words: longing

for someone to ease our loneliness for a few months is just fine if that is what both parties are agreeing to. However, there is a greater chance of settling. Love may be blind but so are lust and loneliness. “The intention may not be the best because we may be unconsciously settling or making adjustments because we just want someone in our lives,” explained Haley.

Regardless of intentions, we are not always able to be honest withourselves, nor be sure of our partners intentions. Disaster may be lurking around the corner in a break-up shaped costume (it probably looks a lot like an empty container of Haagen Dazs).

While we imagine our new relationship may just be fleeting, an emotion that feels like love starts to sneak up on us. The relationship may not be perfect, but the craving for cuddles makes us want to work things out. We look past red flags and warning signs until time wears us down and we realize this is not our one true love (if they exist out of Disney movies). We struggle to find the courage to say those five magical words: “it’s not you, it’s me.”

Whether we are as single as the socks coming out of our dryers or we are currently tied down, winter time can be the season to consider what lights us up, what is important to us, and where we want to be when the sun comes back for those three short months in Vancouver. Remember that someone else’s feelings are at stake, so if you are only in it for the season, do your partner a solid and don’t allude otherwise. Take each date (and there may be many) as a new step towards building the ultimate list of what you’re looking for—be it in yourself or in your eventual partner.

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When Psychosis Ends In a Jail Cell Recovering from psychosis is challenging enough in itself. When you have a court case hanging over you, the stakes are even higher ANA MARIA CAICEDO Arts & Culture Editor

“That first time...was the most purest, beautiful-est experience I’ve ever had.” *Ruby’s soft blue eyes trace the cup of tea in her hands as she describes her first encounter with mania. At nineteen, Ruby was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder after experiencing the first of multiple manicturned-psychotic episodes requiring hospitalization—six, to be exact.

It’s been over a decade since her initial Bipolar Disorder diagnosis. In the summer of 2019, after five years free of manicpsychotic episodes, she had another.

Now, Ruby is facing prosecution in court after committing a criminal offence while psychotic.

“This is the worst it’s ever been by far, the absolute biggest shit-show. The worst for my mother, for my friends—you know, the fact that it’s the court system, the law that I’m dealing with, it’s scary,” she shared.

Mood flows in a natural rhythm like oceanic tides, there’s a manageable ebb and flow between joyous highs and devastating lows. The cycle of bipolar mania and depression closely resembles hurricanes of religious ecstasy and crushing despair.

Mania is an intense, elevated state that lasts for at least one week, with symptoms like excessive energy, reduced sleep, hyper-

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talkativeness, disjointed ideas, risky behaviour, and an increased sense of selfworth or grandiosity. Depressive episodes are characterized by profound feelings of sadness, low-energy, poor appetite, poor concentration, and suicidal thoughts.

For Ruby, the onset of her mania and psychotic symptoms is insidious. “Like if you’ve ever seen those really creepy tsunami videos where the water, instead of coming at you in one big wave, it creeps in really, really slowly— that’s how I feel about it. It’s like this energy and this buildup is creeping into my body, and creeping into my mind and creeping in just ever-soslightly,” she said.

“I get these feelings of acceptance for myself, and self-love and self-worth, and I’m flooded with these feelings; I just don’t ever want it to go away… but then you totally have this like—it’s not always nasty—but a nasty ego that wants to, like, live forever, that knows that it won’t, and wants to hold onto anything to survive and to be the best,” she continued. “And I think when you get this influx of beautiful energy, and that part of you is able to grab onto it, of course it’s just going to blow the fuck up and, at least for my experience, grab onto that energy and spin out of control, and

have these delusions of grandeur.”

After Ruby was arrested, she spent about a week in jail while still severely psychotic before being sent to a hospital where she could recover enough to be deemed fit to stand trial. Neither her family nor friends knew where she was. “No one was telling them anything. They had me in jail but they couldn’t get to me,” she said.

After three weeks at the hospital, she was sent back to jail.

In jail, Ruby worked serving meals to other inmates for $2 a day. Using the jail’s fixed schedule as a guide, she created a routine for herself that incorporated meal times, meditations, reading, and using the jail’s workout room. “I thrived in jail,” she joked.

Then, Ruby was transported to a city cell, where she stayed for about two days awaiting her hearing. “It’s like the size of my kitchen, white walls with a fluorescent light, and maybe a blanket and… a small cushion, and you’re in there for like 12 hours and that’s it,” she recalled. “So I felt like I was going fucking crazy, and that’s when it really sunk in, what was happening.”

People like Ruby who end up committing criminal offences due to severe mental illness can rely on a defence

of mental disorder and be found “Not Criminally Responsible on Account of Mental Disorder” (NCRMD). Section 16 of the criminal code states: “No person is criminally responsible for an act committed or an omission made while suffering from a mental disorder that rendered the person incapable of appreciating the nature and quality of the act or omission, or of knowing that it was wrong.”

“Wrongfulness is a test of legal and moral wrongfulness,” said Dr. Sumeeta Chatterjee, the medical head of inpatient and outpatient forensic services at the Center For Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, as well as the program director of the Forensic Psychiatry specialty residency training program at the University of Toronto. “The person can know that technically what they’re doing is legally wrong because they shouldn’t hurt that person, but they felt morally compelled, or [felt] what they were doing was morally right, in order to [for example], what they believe at the time, defend themselves against someone intending to cause harm to them.”

Ruby says she faced this very situation.

“I was 100 per cent in my mind doing the right thing, not just for myself, but what I thought was good for everybody else.”

When someone is found NCRMD, they are sent to a provincial review board within 45 days. Upon hearing from a psychiatrist who has been observing the person, the crown, and the defence, the tribunal of lawyers and psychiatrists can either discharge the person unconditionally, discharge the person under certain conditions, or keep them in custody at a forensic hospital.

Cases like R. V Swain challenged previous common law as a violation of the Charter. As a result, review boards were implemented to protect the rights of those found NCRMD, and the rights of the public. Those conditionally discharged or kept in custody are entitled to a yearly review of their case by the board, who evaluate the treatment and recovery of the individual and adjust conditions accordingly.

“Before Swain and before [1992], there was no review board,” said Robert Diab, a criminal lawyer and law professor at Thompson Rivers University. “Whether you committed murder or whether you committed theft by stealing chips at Safeway, if you did it because you were suffering from—well the language before [1992] was insanity...you weren’t acquitted,

you were kept in custody.” The verdict of not guilty by reason of “insanity” meant no right to a hearing, and the possibly of being held in custody indefinitely. The only way to be released was through the Lieutenant Governor.

It’s jarring to think that less than 30 years ago it was legal to force people with mental illness to forfeit their own freedom for acts they had no control over. Considering the stigma against severe mental health disorders and the NCRMD defence that continues to prevail today, perhaps it’s not so surprising.

The “insanity” defence is generally regarded as unfavorable in North America according to Susan Yamamoto, a research associate at the University of Carleton’s Legal Decision Making Lab who specializes in studying attitudes towards the NCRMD defense. “Studies indicate that this is likely owing to some combination of misconceptions surrounding the defence (e.g., the idea that dangerous offenders are often quickly returned to the street with no treatment), stigma toward persons with mental disorders, and moral objections to the defence,” she said.

Yamamoto noted that people tend to significantly overestimate the frequency of “insanity” pleas. Statistics Canada reports that NCRMD rulings represent about one per cent of all criminal cases. According to the Mental Health Commission of Canada in 2013, among NCRMD cases, eight per cent involved serious violence, and less than three per cent of violent offence cases involve an offender with a mental disorder.

When we think of the NCRMD defence, cases like those of Vincent Li or Allan Schoenborn may come to mind, where the acts committed are so horrifying it becomes difficult to distinguish the person from the act, and the illness that drove them to do it. Stereotypes and stigma are prominent. “The media likely plays a significant role in perpetuating these damaging narratives,” Yamamoto explained.

For Dr. Chatterjee, stigma is one of the most challenging aspects of forensic psychiatry. “The level of stigma that they face can be barriers to accessing the support, the resources, and the treatment they need to move forward with their lives,” she said.

Ruby, eyes glistening like the ocean after a storm, says she’s doing alright. With a half-smile, she tells me she’s trying to not beat herself up for a situation that’s out of her control. “I’m trying to really, for myself,

for my mind, make myself believe that this happened for a reason, for whatever reason,” she said. “I wanna be like standing somewhere, looking someone in the eye and say: ‘I wouldn’t be here doing this if that shit didn't happen’ you know?”

Maybe more than others, I can grasp how remarkable Ruby’s outlook is because I’ve experienced manic psychosis. My own manic-turned-psychotic episodes required hospitalization each time and completely disrupted my life. Twice, I had to move cities, leave my friends and life behind, quit my job and drop out of school.

If you’ve been hospitalized for a manic-psychotic episode, you probably understand. You understand the electricity of euphoria, of feeling connected to the earth and believing your existence is special and chosen. You know the look on someone’s face when it melts from awe to fear as you worsen. You may know what it’s like to walk for hours on end, finding beauty at every turn and never tiring, or what it’s like to hear or see things through your senses that just aren’t there for everybody else. You understand the horror and humiliation that sinks in after you find your way back to consciousness and realize how permanently damaged your reputation may be. You may have lost friends who can’t or won’t understand. You know how frustrating it is to have your thinking and performance blunted because of your foggy, drained and recovering brain. You understand what it’s like to be completely thrown off-course from your life, how piecing things back together can take years. You may know the confusion and guilt that comes from contemplating if there’s a grain of truth to the experience, to the spiritual energy you felt that can’t be medically validated and will therefore always be untrue, lumped into the ‘crazy’.

In preparation for her case, Ruby’s lawyer gave her a 14-page document of all her psychiatric notes—from her first episode to her most recent.

“It just was horrifying to me to walk out into this like trial knowing that these specific people read this specific report on me—and this is me at my worst possible moments in life, my most vulnerable, and it doesn’t say anything in-between about the person that I actually am and the things that I have accomplished despite having this, you know? It doesn’t mention anything of that.” *Name has been changed to protect the identity of the interviewee

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Social (Media) Etiquette Normalizing Unfollowing Sprees CLARISSA SABILE Columnist

We’re starting a new decade and your fitness regime, bedroom decluttering journey and money-saving resolutions have been done to death. I propose you try something that only requires your thumbs and several minutes: A social media unfollowing spree.

Social media is a crowded digital space made up of friends, family, acquaintances and strangers often putting an excessive amount of effort into their online appearance. At times, it can be a parade of brands that have strangled algorithms by the neck in order to capitalize on that one really obscure thing you wanted.

Or, it can act as a life-saving feed that gives you something to do when you don’t know anyone in the room. Everyone has their own definition and use for these networking sites and apps— none of which are necessarily wrong or right. But, no matter what it is you’re seeing on the timeline, there is a problem if you no longer enjoy the content.

There has been a rise in research concluding that social media use has become increasingly associated with feelings of depression and loneliness, rather than the collaborative, communitybuilding aspects that they set out to provide. A HuffPost article described the behavioral impacts of social media: Envy, isolation, annoyance, insecurity and decreased social skills. These are only a few of the symptoms that a behavioral scientist recognized through interviews with active users. These paradoxical effects contrast the connectivity and engagement that users expect when signing up for accounts and following loved ones and strangers online.

The issues largely stem from battles with self-image. People naturally compare themselves to others, which includes what they broadcast in their digital personas. We also place an over-reliance on validation through likes, comments, retweets and shares. In May 2019, Instagram put this to the test in Canada, removing the ability to see the total number of likes a post receives (unless you posted it yourself). Instagram’s reasoning for the change was that they want followers to “focus on what [they] share, not how many likes [their] posts get.” Basically, the content is what users should use as inspiration and take satisfaction from, rather than a number.

I know a majority of millennials went through that ‘f4f ’ era as ratio-obsessed pre-teens (and if you didn't, it means "follow for follow"). Regardless of whether or not we had even spoken a word to these strangers, a high follower count was the equivalent to being cool and popular. In striving to reach those high numbers, blind following became an unspoken that many of us felt obligated to follow, and still unconsciously do to this day. This is the sign you’ve been waiting for: you don’t have to do it.

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Everyone has at least one of these in their follower lists: 1. A mutual friend-of-a-friend…of-a-friend that you’ve spoken to once, while drunk.

2. That classmate-turned-influencer that consistently DM’s you discount codes for some fast-fashion company.

3. Multiple brand accounts that required you to follow them to enter a draw that you ended up losing.

4. An ex co-worker that you never really liked but put up with because you had to.

5. Your ex. (Sorry, they probably moved on by now).

If these or any other accounts you follow post content that is irritating, makes you feel self-conscious, or the owner’s real-life personality is problematic—cut them off. It’s like The KonMari method, but for your follower list. If an account doesn't “spark joy," you don’t need it. With algorithms already messing with what shows up on your timeline, you’re probably missing the posts you’d actually prefer to see that aren’t able to compete with Kim Kardashian.

I get it, you might be hesitant to go on a follower cleanse because of the real-life social implications. It can be awkward to run into these people in real life after basically erasing their digital existence from your online world. The worst-case scenario would be that they confront you. You could lie, act like the app unfollowed them (and others, you promise) before assuring them you’ll follow them again. Or you could be honest, apologize, and secretly feel even more assured about your decision to unfollow them. If they noticed that you unfollowed them promptly after you did, it means one of two things: either they downloaded a tracking app that notifies them (cut these people off… ASAP), or they tapped your profile and searched for their username to no prevail. Both reasons suggest this person cares way too much about their follower count, since they’re actually taking offence at such a minor act. Which honestly, is way more embarrassing than your mature choice to unfollow them.

Yes, this is a call-out to you, the reader. I’ve accidentally run into people I unfollowed in real life, got confronted and guilttripped for doing so, blocked them because of that, re-followed them after realizing they were alright, and I’m still here. A good ol’ follower-cleanse is crucial to healthy social media use and a happier you overall. The new year is the perfect opportunity to go on an unfollowing spree: start your feed off fresh with the content you actually enjoy, and updates on the people you actually want to see.

additude adjustment The Language of ADHD SARAH ROSE Features Editor

“Language,” William S Burroughs reminds us, “is a virus from outer space.”

I first heard the word maladaptive during my first inpatient psychiatric stay when I was fourteen. Trying to warn my mom about the man she was dating culminated in scrawling furiously. Words kept flooding my mouth, threatening to swallow me whole, echoing into nothing but the ravings of what looked like an unhinged teen. Words that feel the way the ground swells and blisters with heat and contracts into harsh, rigid geometry in the cold. The panicked staccato of my voice drowned in desperation, because I was speaking a language no one understood or wanted to.

You’ve heard this story so many times it has its own term within clinical psychology: the Cassandra complex.

The figure of Greek tragedy who could see the future, cursed by Apollo so no one would believe her. Cassandra is the embodiment of insight combined with powerlessness, retreating into madness. As psychoanalyst Lauria Layton Schapira wrote: “She may envision […] something that would be difficult to deal with; or a truth which others, especially authority figures, would not accept. In her frightened, egoless state, the Cassandra woman may blurt out what she sees […] But to them her words sound meaningless.”

There’s no way to pass our own experiences to others the way water returns to the ocean. I wonder if it’s coincidence that water was often where I returned as a kid, submerged daily beneath the waves of the local YMCA pool. Beneath water is a safe place without sight or sound.

Language of neurodivergence is largely externalized to the effect it has on others.

Take maladaptive—the standard definition in clinical psychology for manifestation of destructive symptoms in mental disorders.

It’s predicated on third-party observable behavior. Think of it this way: Adapting to one environment means developing a maladaptation to another. My brain was sprouting gills, while the world around me dragged me from the water and left me gasping for air.

Words like maladaptive chained my proverbial foot to the concrete while I tried to figure out why I felt like an alien unable to see or speak the hidden language shared by everyone around me. My diagnosis might as well have been hysteria.

Psychiatry, perhaps more so than the rest of medicine, is rife with controversy, ideological interruptions and cultural prejudice. Even if the psychiatric tribunal decides you’re not putting on an act, many women still share their fate with Cassandra, never to be believed.

When I first met my psychiatrist three years ago, I recited the hysterical woman script I’d become adapted to. He told me I had ADHD. It took me a year to believe him and another to try medication in earnest.

Some go in and out of hospitals branded with psychiatric labels in the same way prisoners become their inmate number. My resistance to accept the label given was largely because the clinical portrait presented to me looked markedly different from what I saw staring back in the mirror.

“Girls with ADHD remain an enigma — often overlooked, misunderstood and hotly debated,” wrote Dr. Ellen Littman in her research on gender differences in ADHD. It’s difficult to accept your reality when it’s still being debated as real, and the first thing anyone should know about ADHD is that it’s real.

ADHD in adults wasn’t a valid DSM diagnosis until six years ago. Some doctors don’t recognize ADHD as a legitimate lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder.

Despite being one of the most documented and studied mental disorders in medical literature, the majority of data is based on studies of preteen boys. This is reflected in the current DSM diagnostic criteria where boys are diagnosed at a rate of seven-to-one.

Up to three-quarters of women with ADHD stay in Cassandra’s purgatory and will never receive a diagnosis. Many are tormented by anxiety, depression and substance abuse because they are never seen or treated properly. It cuts life-expectancy by an average of ten years.

Since first being described by Hippocrates

as: “an imbalance of fire over water,” ADHD descriptors have included: “brain damaged child” and more colourful terminology that evokes a similar reaction to learning what H.P Lovecraft named his cat. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is just the invogue and ironically myopic iteration of what should be called something like: Executive Function Deficit Disorder. ADHD is not actually a deficit in attentional capacity at all, it’s a deficit in executive function; the ability to control attention.

Georges Bataille speculated in his aptly titled The Labyrinth that communication is best understood as contagion. For Bataille, a human being is no more than a conduit for communicative process: “A man is only a particle inserted in unstable and entangled wholes.” That’s kind of what executive dysfunction feels like. Executive function is regulated in the prefrontal cortex, now imagine ADHD is an interpretive lens to processing, and the ability to control your own cognition and memory. It’s a tormenting bifurcation between internal and external loci of control, swerving for dominance over your reality.

That unstable and entangling chaos is all-consuming. I spend most days propelled by anxiety as if I’m teetering on a precipice.

Minor interruptions to my carefully curated adaptations can send me spiraling out of control. I’ve blinked and lost jobs, relationships, academic work, even my own home. Many days are lost in the maze of my mind, viewing the world through a foggy window pane, disengaged and completely non-functional. Most of the energy I had as a kid redirected and now manifests towards the innards of my mind, wringing out a crippling sense of anxiety and the ability to internally scream to the point where my energy could probably phase out of existence.

Had I read a single pamphlet that said: do you have a profound inability to accomplish your goals specifically because they’re your goals? Do you feel like you exist behind an invisible language barrier, and the thought of your friends not liking you makes you want to die? You might have: Trouble Sitting Still Disorder.

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A CLOSER LISTEN

Are we growing up or just going down?

CARLO JAVIER Columnist

2019 was a long year for me. Much of it was spent surviving the decay of a personal relationship, and the rest was spent weathering the storms that particular trauma brought to other branches of my life Grief, as I have come to suspect, is best experienced in pseudoisolation. It was just me, a very select number of people I know I can turn to, and as I recently realized, Spotify. My Spotify Wrapped (the annual data-based listening pattern breakdown) came not so much as a surprise, but more like a validation, with my top five most played artists turning out to be: Paramore, Bon Iver, John Mayer, Frank Ocean, and most curiously, Fall Out Boy. It felt a bit like Spotify was providing an affirmation I didn’t know I needed, saying: “Yes, you did have a long year.”

The presence of Fall Out Boy in my most played artists was particularly interesting because I had once loved the band and had long since forgotten about that love.

To be berated into getting a haircut by your Grade 8 basketball coach in front of the whole team is a level of public humiliation I wouldn’t wish on my worst nemesis. As the kids today might say, that shit hit different. In retrospect, I can’t really be mad at my Grade 8 basketball coach. I was the starting point guard, and in the most traditional schools of basketball thought, a point guard’s primary duty is to facilitate the ball to their teammates. You can’t really do this effectively if you’re brushing your emo fringe out of your eyes every few seconds.

Here’s the thing: you can’t really blame me either. You can blame Pete Wentz.

Like most emo and pop punk origin stories, my attachment to Fall Out Boy started during my early teenage days. I may not have been bitten by a radioactive spider, but I was struck by the near-inscrutable lyrics in the hook of “Sugar, We’re Goin Down.”

Suddenly, my buzz cut grew into a fringe and I was wearing trucker hats and tight Adidas hoodies that I wore zipped all the way up. I hadn’t (and still don’t have) any ideas as to what “a loaded God complex, cock it and pull it,” meant, but I liked it. It sure sounded cool. It sure sounded like poetry to me. I remember seeing the Lost Boys and Blade-inspired music video for “A Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More ‘Touch Me’” and wondering why it wasn’t made into a full feature-length film. I remember Patrick Stump singing about “sitting out dances on the wall” in “7 Minutes in Heaven” and believing it to be the anthem to my own middle school dances.

When Infinity On High came out in the winter of 2007, I bought not only the album, but also a cheap RCA MP3 player. I learned how to rip a CD and convert the songs to MP3 files that night. The following morning on my daily walk to school, I played “I’m Like a Lawyer…” on an endless loop. It’s one of the very few

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moments of tenderness in Fall Out Boy’s extensive discography. I loved that song then. I love that song more now.

I was in my teens and maybe I just really didn’t know any better. Maybe I did.

At some point in my high school years, I abruptly stopped listening to — or even liking — Fall Out Boy. There came a point that I can’t quite explain, where it felt a bit faux pas to still be listening to pop punk songs about teenage angst and heartbreak.

I missed the wonderful Folie à Deux in its entirety. Although, I did peek back behind the curtains when Patrick released his excellent-but-commercial flop of a solo record, Soul Punk.

It also didn’t help that it was around that time when I started to follow the masses when it came to music taste. If my friends were listening to The Weeknd, then I was listening to The Weeknd. If a crush was into J. Cole then I was into J. Cole, too.

By the time I got to university, I was already far removed from Fall Out Boy and their contemporaries. Panic! At the Disco became a solo act, My Chemical Romance was gone, and Paramore had started their transition into making what I would only later recognize as some of the best pop music of its time. Fall Out Boy had broken up, gotten back together, and left pop punk for a more accessible, stadium-friendly sound. By this point, I’ve become far too indoctrinated with the Pitchfork zeitgeist, that I can no longer remember a time when I didn’t look to reviews to find the music that I will maybe love.

As it turns out, sophistication comes with a cost.

I am now fast approaching the other side of 25 and I find myself rediscovering my appreciation for Fall Out Boy. A friend suggested that taste is cyclical and that we tend to go back to the things that make us feel comfortable. There may be some truth to this theory.

Grief, as I’ve come to experience, beckons a longing for comfort. Maybe, during moments of misery, what we truly need are the things that make us feel like ourselves again. After all, we do tend to look to songs to for an explanation for why the things happening around us are happening.

I feel a sense of familiarity when I hear the banging drums and electric guitars coalesce in the opening seconds of “Sugar, We’re Goin Down”, or when I hear Patrick’s R&B-inclined voice navigate through the pop punk infrastructure of “Saturday”.

There’s a feeling of home in the worlds and stories Pete writes about in From Under the Cork Tree and Infinity On High. It’s as if there’s a version of me in there somewhere.

Maybe we do go back because of a desire for comfort. Maybe we go back because we remembered the things we had long forgotten.

THE SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION SERIES What’s happening with the Salmon?

JAMIE LONG Columnist

British Columbia—Vancouver, specifically— is expensive. I get it. But the price we pay to live here comes with one of the most world-renowned and grandiose rewards of all time—the beautiful and unique land, ocean and climate of the West Coast. West coast, best coast. Right? But in order to protect what we’re all here for, action and education are required on all levels. Today, I’d like to discuss seafood consumption.

Largely due to the rising levels of global consumer demand for seafood, irresponsible commercial fishing practices, inadequate policies and regulations, and of course, climate change, marine life on the beautiful coast of British Columbia is suffering. For just a moment, let’s shift the focus specifically to the production and consumption of salmon, one of British Columbia’s most beloved species.

In BC, salmon are classified as a keystone species (one that has a disproportionate ecological effect relative to its abundance).

In other words, without salmon, entire marine and terrestrial ecosystems in British Columbia would experience drastic and irreversible change. In 2019 in particular, wild salmon in BC experienced escalating levels of threat and endangerment with some locations thought to have fewer than 200 fish still remaining. As a result, scientists have predicted that some salmon populations could be wiped out entirely in the next 15 to 20 years if urgent action is not taken to help them recover.

Here in British Columbia, salmon is both caught wild and farmed. Commercial farming, which produces a majority of the salmon that goes to market uses a wide variety of modern harvesting methods.

Currently, the most common method of salmon production along BC’s west coast involves the use of open-net fish pens in offshore marine or freshwater areas.

Open-net fish pens are large floating cages anchored in the seawater, which can contain over one million fish at a

time, negatively impacting marine and non-marine areas alike, far beyond the immediate location of each net. Mass levels of exploitation by commercial fisheries have led to devastating measures of overfishing and ecological exhaustion.

They’ve also contributed to the ease of disease/virus transmission and sea lice infestations between captive and wild fish, interbreeding between farmed and wild salmon species, and organic and chemical pollution. None of which sounds appealing when considering salmon for your dinner plans, right?

With salmon being used only as an example of the state of sea life degradation off the coasts of British Columbia, it is important to note that marine life exploitation prominently exists far beyond just this one species. Alongside the endangerment of fish in BC, other issues facing BC’s marine life include warming waters, pollution and ocean acidification— all which have led to the increased vulnerability of marine life across the west coast of Canada. In order to protect British Columbia’s beloved ecosystems from the current damage humans are causing, we have to consider the effects of local activity such as fishing practices and sustainable seafood consumption.

As citizens of the west coast community, we play an integral role in defending local land and sea alike. And despite me being a vegetarian, this is not the part of the article where I try to convince you to stop eating your delicious, local, BC salmon.

On the contrary, I actually believe that simply cutting seafood out of everyone’s diets—even if that were possible—would not be a practical solution to the current fisheries crisis as it would largely result in devastation for the hundreds of thousands of people along Canada’s west coast whose livelihoods rely on seafood production.

Instead, I believe that the power of change lies first and foremost in the hands of

policymakers (ban open-net fish farms!) and fishermen. But I also believe in the power of sustainable and conscious consumption.

Despite all the above-mentioned ways in which humans are seriously harming sea life, there are still optimistic opportunities for positive shifts we can make on the consumer level. Firstly, supporting smallscale, sustainable fisheries and fishing practices can help to guarantee that there will be abundant populations of ocean and freshwater wildlife for generations to come. This can also ensure that standup fishermen who care for the earth are being financially supported, rather than large multinational fishing fleets. Secondly, to ensure safe and sustainable seafood consumption, the acknowledgement and utilization of science-based resources such as Ocean Wise helps to assure that we are consuming only sustainable, seasonal and local seafood products. Fortunately for consumers, Ocean Wise makes it easy to choose sustainable seafood by identifying all ocean-friendly seafood choices with the recognizable Ocean Wise symbol.

Overall, if everyone changed their eating habits to support local and sustainable fish farmers and to consciously consume only sustainable seafood, together we could make a big difference. Besides, doesn’t your seafood taste so much better when it is harvested sustainably?

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the recovering achiever On defining the worth of a person LENA ORLOVA Columnist

My friend is a woman of fierce but petite stature, with a soul so big it escapes her body through her dark eyes. She hands me a book before I head to my car. The weekend is over, I’m done with being around people, and looking forward to the comfort of my solitude. The title Woman of Worth spans the front cover. She co-authored the book with a team of empowered, self-actualized women that inspire me. I don’t know yet why she decided to gift me this. On the page introducing her chapter, I see her scrawl: “Lena, what a force you are! I am so excited for the future of this world… because you are in it!” I’m not sure what she means by that, either.

The act of sitting down to write is like undressing myself in front of strangers.

I do it through clenched fists, through resistance, driven only by momentum of the irresistible urge to create. I am like an ostrich with my head in the sand, but with arms and a MacBook. I glance from the screen to the book and consider the title.

I churn and chew over the words slowly.

Woman. Of. Worth. How does one know their own worth? Do you measure it with a ruler? Do you weigh it on a bathroom scale?

My first lesson in worth transpired at the kitchen table of my childhood home.

My grandfather: stern, stoic, beard, breadand-butter, and tobacco scent. A serious Eastern-European man weathered by the injustice and moral poverty of the Iron Curtain era. He was the sun of my life, like a second Dad. I’m so small my legs don’t stretch to touch the floor. He sits beside me and notices my eyes wander off a notebook to the birds meandering in the warm sun outside the window. To teach me focus, he cuts in: “Lena! When you do something, you do it 100 percent or don’t do it at all.” I come back to my work and grind away.

My little girl brain made his words mean a whole lot more about life and the world.

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Regularly repeated in my formative years, they cemented the belief that unless I give 100 per cent, what I do is worth nothing.

And if what I do is worth nothing, then who I am is worth about as much. This insidious learning was immediately supported by the fact that my family brims over with doctors, teachers, academics, adventurers, athletes and creative achievers. If there is anything we are good at, it’s at doing.

This idea ran my life before I knew it existed. It took center stage: direction, spotlight and all. As I grew up, I decided I would do a lot of things in order to make up for my perceived lack of worth. When I was in high school, I did well. I got As. I made myself a Good Student. The first time I went to university, I continued the grade streak, until I was inspired (or bored by institutional learning) to quit. I came back to Vancouver to work kitchen jobs, scrubbing floors for a year to pay for the three-months I would spend backpacking in Europe. I saw the world in order to reinvent myself and become an Interesting Person. Then I returned home again to take on office work in order to make myself a Responsible Person. My family would have been proud. I did things!

While these experiences were amazing, my life felt like shadow play. Something was always missing. On a dreary lateFebruary afternoon, I lay on my living room floor asking the blank ceiling of my apartment: who am I if I am not doing anything? Recalling this memory leaves me clammy and cold. I tried, and worked and received no self-fulfillment. I got nothing from commitments to school, selfimprovement, work, hobbies, health or travel. The more I did, the more I got lost.

The ceiling never answered my question.

However, there are hundreds of people I didn’t ask (and whom I’ve never met) willing to offer their unsolicited response through social media. Facebook never fails

to deliver the daily dose of guru-speak. 10 Steps to Have the Perfect Relationship. What Confident People Do. Five Reasons to Do Yoga. Why You Should Meditate. Do These Four Things and You Will Be Happy.

As I sit and write this column, I reflect on my so-far short life on this planet. It seems like bits and pieces of a jigsaw puzzle not yet formed; a series of disjointed beginnings and endings. When I no longer use what I do to measure my worth, the price of that disillusionment is confusion and ambiguity.

I ask my friend how she got her startin writing. She tells me she shared on a private forum for the sake of connecting with her peer group. They remarked that she was a talented writer. This feedback opened to her the possibility of writing published work. She took a chance on herself, applying to contribute a chapter to Christine Awram’s Woman of Worth series.

She got published. Today her book lays on my desk as I write. For me, the difference in choosing to write is that I consider writing an extension of myself, not an attempt to prove something about me. It feels solid, true and meaningful. It feels true to who I am.

Sometimes we decide what we do, sometimes we don’t choose it for ourselves, and sometimes—we do nothing. But always, always, we are more than the sum of our actions. We are all a Person of Worth in the grand scheme of our lives.

the long haul F*** the naysayers

MEGAN AMATO Associate News Editor

My advice to people who ask me about long-distance relationships (LDR) is simple: don’t be in one. However, if you’re like me and you do find yourself having feelings against your will, as they say, c’est la vie.

Years ago when I went on a solo trip to Scotland, I never expected to fall in love.

Sure, I had a one night stand that turned into a fortnight, but I thought that was a simple case of holiday lust. However, here I am seven years later, married, and having only lived in the same country as my husband for just over half of our relationship. It’s not easy and it’s often lonely but if like me you are a bit of a masochist in love and decide to enter an expensive and often exhausting relationship such as this, then this is my first serious bit of advice: do not, I repeat, do not listen to anyone’s predictions about your relationship.

Media is the OG of “it will never last” messaging. There are countless films and TV shows portraying ill-fated long-distance relationships. There’s cheating (I’m looking at you, HIMYM), misconceptions, miscommunication, and often financial constraints that end up dividing the couple.

When they do show successful LDR’s, they tend to be focused on couples who have the financial capital and flexible careers to make it work. In this version, the couples visit each other once a month, surprising each other with impromptu bonus visits in between, and send each other elaborate “I’m thinking of you” gifts. The media perpetuates this idea that you have to have money or else your LDR is doomed.

I am not going to tell you that you don’t need money because the truth is that money doesn’t hurt—it would have definitely made things easier for my relationship. During the first two years that we were together, I worked two minimumwage retail jobs to be able to afford biyearly trips. That’s right, only twice a year did I hop on that transatlantic flight to see

my Caledonian boyfriend. Don’t worry though, he also visited twice a year. It was hard and I was tired nearly all the time.

However, despite the lack of disposable income and free time, we made it work because while money doesn’t hurt, it also isn’t necessary. Hold on to your hats folks, because I am going to be incredibly cheesy for a second. What is necessary is trust.

Followed by respect and of course, love.

If you have these things then expending all that effort, time and money becomes bearable.

One of the things you have to develop when in a LDR is thicker skin. Everyone from your friends and family to classmates, teachers and that random lady in the checkout line at Chapters will have an opinion regarding your relationship.

Essentially, because your partner lives far away, you’ve entered a relationship with the greater world. You will receive unsolicited advice in the place of hugs and kisses; sympathetic pats will become the new holding hands, and comments regarding your lack of sex life will replace, well, your sex life. All these people will begin offering their support whilst at the same time opening up a bag of popcorn and waiting for your relationship to crash and burn.

And folks, oh, folks—I cannot even begin to count the number of times I have received a variation of this comment: “I don’t know how you do it. I couldn’t go so long without sex.” As if my lack of sex life was an opportunity for them to open up about how they couldn’t go a few days without getting some. This comment is often accompanied by sympathetic head tilts and words to the effect of “you’re so strong” like I’ve just battled some ghastly illness. I get it. Sex is important in many relationships, but not all of us need it 24/7.

Besides, it’s like they’ve never heard of a vibrator or something.

And of course, there are the people who are blatant in their views of the inevitability

of failure. “It will never last” will leave the lips of many, and if you don’t hear it to your face, don’t worry, a friend of a friend will make it known that another friend said it.

Stories about people’s own failed LDR’s or those who know someone whose LDR crashed and burned will reach your ears in an attempt to help you see the futility of your relationship. Others will claim that you’re not in a “real relationship” and try to hook you up with their single friends, colleagues and acquaintances.

All this works together to makes you selfconscious and fill you with self-doubt. You stop telling people about your relationship and get annoyed when others bring it up.

You stop wanting to talk about how you feel and instead you pretend like you’re fine. You live a single life—without the sex of course—drink heavily, and stay out late.

You’re an introvert and being out so often exhausts you but the world has made you feel like it’s unhealthy to be so alone; like your choice to be with someone who isn’t immediately available to you was the wrong one and there might be something wrong with you.

At least, that was my experience in the beginning. I became my own biggest naysayer. But they were wrong. My relationship lasted, and the self-doubt— mostly—died. One of the beautiful things about being in a long-distance relationship is the relationship you develop with yourself. You understand the things that are important to you, what your needs are and your own strength. And to be honest, more than the love, respect and trust—all necessary—the most important thing in a long-distance relationship is having all of those in yourself.

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CALENDAR fri

3

Heritage Christmas (Last Chance)

1-9 PM, Burnaby Village Museum Free Admission

(January 1 – 31)

sat

11

If you haven’t been transported back in time to experience the ye olde holiday display at the Burnaby Village Museum yet, what are you doing? The primary thing these people pioneered was Holiday Vibes, and as I’ve been told, an excellent sandwich.

sat

4

East Coast Kitchen Party 6-9 PM, The Portside Pub No Cover

sun

12

6

fri

10

First day of classes

Womp womp.

(Good luck! You’ll do amazing, sweetie.)

fri

17

Underwater Theatrical Release Various Times, Select Theatres, Priceless (or around $14.99 for general admission) Watch Kristen Stewart in yet another iconic performance, this time while at the peak of her bleachblonde buzzcut era, in this new science fiction thriller about underwater researchers attacked by sea aliens. This is just the latest role in her no-miss career (the plot of Breaking Dawn Parts 1 and 2 and the wig in Eclipse were not her fault, okay?) and is sure to become an instant classic. I really cannot stress enough how good this looks. .

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7 PM- 1 AM, Rickshaw Theatre $15 The Rickshaw is hosting their fifth-annual Bowie Ball; a night where local musicians come together to celebrate and reimagine the music of David Bowie all to raise money for the BC Cancer Foundation. This sounds so cool I’m not even going to make some shitty pun like a rebel rebel. Damn it.

Gluten Free Expo (Day 2) 4 PM, Canada Place $12 Day-pass, $39 Weekend-pass

Sample and shop for hundreds of gluten free products and speak with registered dieticians, doctors and chefs about eating— Okay, now that they’ve stopped reading, I wasn’t kidding about Underwater. It looks really, really good and you have to go see it. Also, can we talk about how Kristen is just absolutely nailing it with her action roles lately? What an icon.

Featuring live music, Screech Newfoundland Rum and a whole lotta oysters, this event promises to transport west coast pub-goers east for a night. It also promises “free lobster with every food purchase” which is oddly ambiguous and redundant. Here’s hoping it means a ceremonious lobster release at the end of every meal.

mon

Bowie Ball 2020

Chocolate Fondue Snowshoe Tour 7- 9:30 PM, Mount Seymour $69

There are a lot of words that grabbed my attention in this event description, but I think my favourite part is that it’s hosted by a group called Moms Gone Wild which has to be the purest thing since Baby Yoda.

sat

18

Massy Books 50 Percent Off Sale

10 AM- 6 PM, Massy Books

SAT

25

The title really says it all, doesn’t it? There is a 50 per cent off sale at Massy Books starting today. I don’t know what else you want me to tell you.

sun

19

Cold War Kids with Overcoats 7 PM, The Commodore Ballroom $50 If they have overcoats, why are these kids so cold? (For those who don’t get it: these are the names of two separate bands playing the same show, so I suggested the kids who are cold wear the coats. Hah! Comedy!)

FRI

24

A Tribute to Bird and Diz 8-10 PM, The Blueshore at CapU, $27-30

Basketball: Blues vs.

VIU Mariners

6 PM (women’s) and 8 PM (men’s) CapU Centre for Sport and Wellness Go cheer on your athletically-superior peers at the second home games of the new year. Blues basketball is always some good clean fun, so grab some friends and head over to the CapU Centre for Sport and Wellness this Saturday.

sun

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The 62nd Annual Grammy Awards 5 PM, That-one-friendwith-cable’s house

Award shows don’t really seem to hold much clout anymore which is actually really interesting from an analytical pop-cultural and technological perspective.

It’s also going to be interesting this year to see how the issue of Taylor Swift’s intellectual property rights being stolen from her so publically will be navigated, considering how much light this high-profile case is shedding on the issue of IP rights in the music industry at large. But we all know what will dominate conversation: pretty celebrities :)

Charlie “Bird” Parker and Dizzy “Diz” Gillespie are known as the founding fathers of bebop, and tonight, you can watch the CapU jazz ensembles and faculty perform a special tribute to them. You are now 18 days into the semester, you deserve a jazz break.

CALE NDAR

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Horoscopes

Bibbidi bobbidi boop on your cat’s nose.

Virgo Aug. 24 - Sept. 23 You’re what people refer to as the “you gotta start somewhere.”

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cy n th i a tran vo

@cynthiatranvo FEATURED ARTI ST

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is an autonomous, democratically-run student newspaper. Literary and visual submissions are welcomed. All submissions are subject to editing for brevity, taste and legality. The Capilano Courier will not publish material deemed by the collective to exhibit sexism, racism or homophobia. The views expressed by the contributing writers are not necessarily those of the Capilano Courier Publishing Society.

THE CAPILANO COURIER

​ e acknowledge that the work we do and the W institution we serve happens on the unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples, including the territories of Musqueam, Squamish, Stó:lō and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.

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CAPI LAN O COU RI ER VOLUME 52, ISSUE NO.5