Capilano Courier | Vol 54, Issue 6

Alisha Samnani (she/her) Editor-in-Chief

Journalism’s function is to hold those in power accountable. While we at The Courier do our best, holding institutions accountable is the responsibility of all of us — students, faculty, staff and community members at Capilano University — and our collective inaction makes us complicit.

Students have a lot on their shoulders. Between the academic stress, part-time or full-time jobs, mental health, housing, and COVID-19 concerns we understand that you might not have the time or the energy to keep an eye on politics at CapU 24/7. We think you should make the time. These issues are too tightly intertwined with your life for you not to care.

On page 13, we reported on COVID-19 cases and the lack of transparency around positive cases on campus. Publicizing COVID-19 numbers on campus should be an easy way to ensure transparent communication and student safety, however it is consistently brushed off due to privacy concerns.

We at The Courier are unsure how a lump sum of COVID-19 cases is a breach of privacy, but we do know that transparent communication is in the best interest of students — especially when their health is a concern.

If we truly want a brighter future, all of us need to speak up when institutions at CapU act in a manner that doesn’t represent student interests and perspectives. To do so, we need to carve out some time to use our voices in a way that transforms institutions into ones that serve us. It doesn’t need to be a full-time job — every small effort counts.

By remaining silent, we are all complicit in our own mediocrity.

Our institutions are failing us, and we are all complicit

STAFF

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Alisha Samnani (she/her) @alishawsamnani editor@capilanocourier.com

NEWS EDITOR

Bridget Stringer-Holden (she/her) @bridget_sh news@capilanocourier.com

INDIGENOUS EDITOR

DESIGN DIRECTOR

Valeriya Kim (she/her) @valerochkim design@capilanocourier.com

PRODUCTION ARTIST

Sara Nguyen (she/her) @sarasnnguyen production@capilanocourier.com

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Freya Emery (she/her) @freya.emery freyaemery@gmail.com

COMMUNITIES EDITOR

Matt Shipley (he/him) communities@capilanocourier.com

FEATURES EDITOR

Elliot White (they/them) features@capilanocourier.com

CULTURE EDITOR

Emma Mendez (she/her/they/them) culture@capilanocourier.com

OPINIONS EDITOR

Jayde Atchison (she/her) opinions@capilanocourier.com

COLUMNS EDITOR

BUSINESS MANAGER

Gaby Salas (she/her) business@capilanocourier.com

COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

Andrea Gallardo (she/her) @andreagallardoval communications@capilanocourier.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Abby Luciano, Avery Nowicki, Helen Chen, Kevin Kapenda, Yasmine Elsayed

CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORS

Alina Sandu, Alison Johnstone, Chikako Ogawa, Ethan Woronko, Freya Emery, Jason Low, Mikaela Johnson, Sharleen Ramos, Talia Rouck

FEATURED ARTISTS

Abby Jocson, Ava Sharhres, Chelsea Woo, Phoebe Verdon, Sara Nguyen, Talia Rouck, Valeriya Kim, Yelizaveta Borissova

COVER ART

Valeriya Kim

INTERESTED IN CONTRIBUTING? Visit www.capilanocourier.com/contribute or email editor@capilanocourier.com

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THE CAPILANO STUDENTS’ UNION TURNS 50 SERIES #5

The past members have reflected, now see what’s in store for the future of the CSU

Although it is autonomous from the Capilano Students’ Union (CSU), it remains a constituency group as they use CSU funding. “It’s like its own separate entity, but the CSU is pretty much like the Mom and the BSU is like the baby,” explains Feven Kidane (she/her/they/them), BSU President and CSU Black Students Liaison.

Having served as the Students of Colour Liaison for the past two years, Kidane came up with the idea for a Black Students Liaison to allow for more of a focus on Black students. “I realized pretty late in the game that it was so hard to get things going — Students of Colour is too broad,” she explained. “Obviously, I could serve various intersections within being a Person of Colour, but my real expertise comes from being a Black person.”

Last year, Kidane approached Chris Girodat, CSU Executive Director, and Lori Kosciuw, CSU Director of Advocacy, saying, “I wish there was a Black Students Liaison position…” to which they replied, “we can make one.” The only tough part about going forward with this was getting students to come to the general meeting to vote on its adoption, because the student body needed to approve changes to bylaws and procedures to create the liaison position, and subsequently the BSU.

Other groups, such as SFU’s Students of Caribbean and African Ancestry (SOCA) and UBC’s Black Student Union, were used as models, and Kidane also reached out to other Black student executives from across the country. “It is definitely not an unachievable goal to have a BSU,” she said, “so with their support, and with the CSU staff support, we got it going.”

While a few students have technically “signed on” to the motion to help create the BSU, all Black students are automatically members. Kidane is also trying to run it with a nonhierarchical structure. “It’s pretty much me who runs it, but I don't have any leg up on anyone,” they noted. “We're just starting out, there's time for that down the road — I just felt that we needed our own space, separate from the rest of the CSU.”

Although it’s been a slow start, “we finally got a space,” explains Kidane, who found that meeting online was becoming really draining for people, especially due to the ongoing pandemic. The BSU’s main focus at the moment is planning activities for Black History Month.

Her dream for the BSU is to create a communal, connecting space. “I feel like at the end of it, that’s the goal,” says Kidane, “to just have a place where Black students could make those connections and form community on campus.”

She also wants to champion Black rights on campus, and be the place people come to if they want to consult Black students. “I know that the CSU has political relations, so if people wanted a Black opinion, they’d know that they could come to us about stuff — but above all, just making connections and community.”

All Black students are welcome to join BSU meetings every other Tuesday in Fir 209 from 121pm. There are also plans to open the occasional meetings to Black staff and faculty in the future. For more information, see https://csu.bc.ca/ collectives/black/.

After two prior attempts to pass the constituency policy, the proposal to create a Black Students’ Union was approved at a Capilano Students’ Union Special General Meeting in the spring of 2021.

STUDENTS WORRIED ABOUT OMICRON, FEELING DISMISSED AS CAPU RETURNS TO IN-PERSON CLASSES

Inflexibility amidst new COVID variants and decreased testing feels profit-driven, students say

BRIDGET STRINGER-HOLDEN (SHE/HER) News Editor

ALISHA SAMNANI (SHE/HER) Editor-in-Chief

The Capilano University (CapU) community remains divided on the return to inperson classes. While some students and instructors are thrilled to restart in-person learning, many think it’s too soon to return to campus, with worries about COVID-19 exposure at an all time high for many students forced to return to the classroom.

Some students within the School of Business and Professional Studies are particularly unhappy about the return to campus, and feel that online learning should be extended until the end of the Spring 2022 semester.

“Many people are testing positive… if someone in class did not know they were positive and I'm sitting beside them, the chances of me catching and testing positive are very high,” said Winnie Kwan (she/her), a concerned fourth year Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) student.

This is a frustration shared by many students — some immunocompromised, or living with people who are — anxious about safety on campus and worried about what may happen if they get sick and have to miss classes.

“Personally, I don't think now is the time for upper administration to mandate in-person classes,” said Nick Tarasoff, a fourth-year BBA student and former CapU International Business Association president. “On the health side, it doesn't make sense to me that you would alienate all of these students that are sick — there are a lot — by forcing them to stay home and miss class.”

In a Jan. 25 email obtained by the Capilano Courier, instructor Azita Shafai stated that although she polled Tarasoff’s class and

81 per cent of students voted to remain online “because they are scared of getting sick,” the problem is that instructors “do not have the ability to change the format.”

Shafai goes on to write that if business students feel strongly about keeping classes online “[they] should take immediate action and communicate this in writing to our Dean… he can override the format but without his approval we will have to revert back to the face to face format.”

Kwan and Tarasoff were amongst a group of students who emailed Dennis Silvestrone, CapU’s Dean of Business and Professional Studies, to voice their concerns and press for hybrid options. In response, they were assured that the University “takes the well-being of students and employees seriously” — one of six key messages the B.C Centre of

Disease Control advised administrators on Jan. 25 to “consider […] if they determine the need to address their campus community.” [Editor’s note: when contacting Silvestrone for comment, the Courier received this exact same line as part of his response.]

Silvestrone then reminded Kwan that she “chose to select an inperson course” and that there were a variety of online courses in the School of Business which might be “a more appropriate option for you as we move forward”.

While there are select online classes available for business students, Kwan says their course was not one of them — and on top of that, is a necessary class for graduation from the BBA program.

“Felt like there’s just no changing their minds for in-person classes to be online,” said Kwan, telling the Courier that their only options were to continue with the class or defer graduation for the indefinite future. “It definitely feels like [CapU] is in it for the profit and not the safety of students.”

Tarasoff agreed. "What really disappointed me was the fact that his first email to me was a [seemingly] copy/pasted answer he's sent to other students contacting him, and in the second email containing his rejection of my [hybrid option] request, referred to students as ‘clientele’“ — something Tarasoff described as disheartening.

“Hearing students be referred to as clientele left me wondering if all this is motivated by profit, and less so the well being of students,” said Tarasoff.

Recent PHO updates advocating for loosened COVID-19 restrictions and reopenings seem to support his argument. “From what I understand, admission rates have been falling at CapU due to continued pandemic and online classes,” said Tarasoff. “It wouldn't be a surprise to me that the push for in-person learning is a strategy to increase admission rates."

In an email statement to the Courier, Silvestrone stated that the university took an “evidence-based approach” informed by public health guidance that reflected what he has been hearing from students and employees.

“I appreciate and respect that there were students, as well as some of our employees, who have been reluctant to return to campus,” wrote Silvestrone. “At the same time, I have heard from other students and employees of their desire to resume more typical activities that provide a broader student experience. While I regret that not all agree with this decision, I am confident that it was made with the best interests of all of our university community at the forefront.”

Interim results of a survey conducted by the Capilano Students’ Union (CSU) show that students have mixed satisfaction levels with the steps the province has taken to ensure safety at postsecondary institutions. Although the majority of students indicated relative satisfaction with the steps CapU has taken to ensure safety of students this term, 62.7 per cent of respondents strongly agree or agree that they are worried about being exposed to COVID-19 at CapU.

The BA.2 variant has been shown to be about 30 per cent more transmissible than the former BA.1 Omicron strain, as well as possibly causing more serious disease. According to a pre-print study out of the University of Tokyo, the variant also appears to be resistant to sotrovimab — an antibody treatment being used to treat Omicron.

Tarasoff finds the inflexibility of the department, along with his observation that instructors seem to have no say in the mode of instruction of their class — regardless of what they or their students want — rather strange. “Why would you force in-person classes when there are sick students and when some classes overwhelmingly want to continue with online instruction?”

Over half of the students surveyed by the CSU also agreed or strongly agreed that CapU should implement safety measures higher than set by the province. “For me it's not even an issue of safety,” explained Tarasoff. “We readily went online in January just as Omicron was raging — [what’s] changed?”

In response to student concern and the public health guidance issued to post-secondary institutions, the Alliance of BC Students — representing over 80,000 students from B.C. post-secondary institutions — sent a joint letter signed by ten of their member student organizations to the provincial government asking for them to instead encourage remote learning options.

In addition, students at the University of Victoria held a walkout on Feb. 16 to protest the lack of hybrid learning and online options for students who are uncomfortable or unable to return to campus. This followed a Jan. 24 walkout by Simon Fraser University students, accompanied by over 4,000 students signing a petition asking to extend online courses for at least the remainder of the spring semester.

The B.C. CDC has sent CapU a shipment of rapid antigen tests to be distributed to students through the CSU. More information on how to obtain your rapid antigen test kit can be found under the Return to Campus page on CapU’s website.

SHOULD CAPU BE MORE TRANSPARENT ABOUT COVID-19 CASES ON CAMPUS?

With return to in-person learning, instructors advised to not tell students about COVID-19 exposures

ALISHA SAMNANI (SHE/HER) Editor-in-Chief BRIDGET STRINGER-HOLDEN (SHE/HER) News Editor FREYA EMERY (SHE/HER) Illustrator

A lack of information surrounding positive COVID-19 cases on campus leaves students feeling concerned about their safety as Capilano University (CapU) continues to push for a return to mandatory in-person classes.

CapU students are largely pessimistic about the return to campus as many fear the spread of the Omicron variant. Since the university’s initial announcement, students have been protesting and requesting hybrid options, citing concerns over COVID-19 safety and potential outbreaks, as previously reported by the Courier.

Although safety measures such as self health check-ins and classroom hand sanitizers have been implemented, at least one student feels that CapU could be doing more — especially when it comes to letting the CapU community know about positive COVID cases on campus.

Brigid Mychael (she/they), a third-year student at CapU, now in the Creative Writing program, tested positive for COVID in October 2021. Although they had what the CDC calls a “breakthrough “case — meaning a person tests positive for COVID-19 at least two weeks after becoming fully vaccinated (which includes receiving a booster or third dose, if you’re eligible) — Mychael now believes they were likely infectious during the time they attended in-person classes at the North Vancouver campus.

“While Mychael followed CapU’s policy at the time by reporting their case to the university, they were disappointed by the lack of information around what took place after reporting their positive test results.

Mychael, with the Capilano Students’ Union (CSU)’s help, asked their instructor to let the class know about their positive case — and was told that he couldn’t due to “confidentiality issues.” Although the CapU Illness Reporting Process requires instructors to establish dates, times and locations where ill students were last on campus, it prevents them from sharing personal medical information without permission — something Mychael said they provided.

“It just seemed like he didn’t do anything about it after being informed,” explained Mychael. “He didn’t have to tell anybody who exactly had COVID — he just had to be like ‘hey, a student has COVID, we should do something about this’.”

Unaware of whether classmates were informed about being in contact with Mychael, they approached the head of the department about the issue — something they were encouraged to do if they had trouble communicating with their instructor.

The B.C Centre for Disease Control tells post-secondary institutions that they “should not provide notifications to faculty, staff or students about potential or confirmed communicable diseases cases (including COVID-19) unless requested to do so by the local Medical Health Officer.”

Through a freedom of information request, the Capilano Courier has obtained a copy of CapU's Nov. 10, 2021 COVID-19 Case Positive Report, which was sent on an “asneeded basis” to the Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills & Training. Although Mychael reported their case to the university administration — and the Illness Reporting Process requires both instructors and coordinators/chairs to report the case to their immediate supervisors — their case was notably absent from the report.

As of this January, the Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills & Training no longer requires universities to submit case positive reports.

A report from the president’s office, presented to the CapU Board of Governors on Feb. 22, stated that from Jan. 2 to Feb. 8 “we have had 43 positive COVID-19 cases [in CapU student housing], with the majority of the students having no symptoms and others having very mild symptoms." The report also revealed that prior to the return to campus housing on Jan. 2, there was only “one positive case of COVID-19.”

The report indicated that “over 1,000 [leftover] rapid test kits” from a Fall 2021 Canadian pilot program were being used to confirm these cases in student housing.

Mychael remains disappointed by the way their case was handled, and hopes that CapU takes more of an active role in contact tracing, rather than leaving it up to students.

“I would say the health checks are good — but it’s not like there’s someone at the door

checking your temperature [...] it’s really the honour system,” said Mychael. “There’s literally nothing that could have stopped me from just walking on campus and not reporting my symptoms [or] choosing to get tested.”

CapU has stated that there is no requirement to participate in the daily self health checks, and that they will be “monitored and recorded only where and when required by industry-specific guidance or provincial/ medical order.”

Current public health guidance also removes onus from universities, stating that they are low risk and that “contact tracing is no longer an effective public health intervention for control of COVID-19 in the community,” instead advocating for all students, staff and faculty to obtain vaccinations.

About 51 per cent of COVID-19 cases were among those who were unvaccinated at the time they contacted the virus, according to data from the Government of Canada’s Feb. 6 COVID-19 daily epidemiology update.

Similar situations have caused students to take contact tracing into their own hands, setting up websites such as the UBC COVID Tracker, which documents both exposure events across campus and rapid antigen test results.

The B.C. CDC has sent Capilano University a shipment of rapid antigen tests to be distributed to students through the CSU. More information on how to obtain your rapid antigen test kit can be found under the Return to Campus page on CapU’s website. Individuals need a CapU card to access these tests.

This is a developing story and will be updated online as more information becomes available.

The new department will help deepen the education on Indigenous and decolonizing perspectives

LUCIANO

Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) will open an Indigenous Studies department within the Faculty of Arts beginning on April 1.

On Jan. 7, the KPU Senate approved the proposal of the new department and has moved to be passed by the Board of Governors for final ratification in March.

INDIGENOUS KPU IN LAST STEPS OF LAUNCHING INDIGENOUS STUDIES DEPARTMENT

On Jan. 7, the KPU Senate approved the proposal of the new department and has moved to be passed by the Board of Governors for final ratification in March.

The department will help expand current Indigenous Studies courses offered at KPU to support the Indigenous Community Justice Minor, which was created by criminology instructor Lisa Monchalin in 2017.

Additionally, the department will offer courses that students from any program can register for, and will possibly implement a diploma or degree program in the future.

KPU instructor Melinda Bige, associate dean of arts Shelley Boyd, and interim dean of arts Greg Millard brought the proposal to the Senate. Bige says the university is in the process of approving two new courses she created. If approved, the courses will focus on Indigenous sexuality and gender, and Indigenous families and healing.

“The goal for me personally as an instructor, is around educating younger folks about the history of Indigenous communities, linking that to contemporary society … and how we can affect change,” Bige says.

Other possible courses will focus on Coast Salish studies and some revolving around the Canadian criminal justice system.

“The [other] goal here is to look back at our current situation and understand colonization, so that we can make a different world,” Bige says.

“My hope is that when students take these classes and move forward, they can take what they’re learning to make good choices about the future for everybody.”

From November 2020 to October 2021, many individuals and groups at KPU have been consulted on the Indigenous Studies department including instructors, KPU Elder in Residence Lekeyten, and the Indigenous Advisory Committee.

ABBY

The Runner CHIKAKO OGAWA (SHE/HER) Illustrator

In KPU’s Vision 2023 plan, one of its goals is to “embrace all cultures and promote a renewed, authentic approach to Indigenization.” The document states that the university will reach this goal by developing Indigenous academic content and integrating Indigenous culture.

“It’s long overdue,” Bige says. “I think there’s an opportunity for other faculty to learn from Indigenous instructors who are coming to KPU and teaching these classes.”

Millard says the department will help reconciliation and education at KPU by building and deepening our relationships with the Kwantlen First Nation and other local First Nations.

“What we’re doing here is we’re creating a new department,” Millard says. “We are trying to empower the people in that department to then develop curriculum and programming according to their priorities and the priorities of the Indigenous communities we serve.”

He adds that while there is still more to be done in terms of reconciliation and decolonization, the Indigenous Studies department is a step in the right direction of a “much wider journey.”

“The name Kwantlen enjoins us to live up to that responsibility of being faithful to our commitments to the people on whose land we live, work and learn,” Millard says. “In that sense it’s a big step toward fulfilling that promise, but there’s a lot more to be done.”

Boyd says the new department will help work towards the goals in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission: Calls to Action document. Some of the calls to action are for post-secondary institutions to create degree and diploma programs in Indigenous languages, and provide funding to integrate Indigenous knowledge and teaching methods into classrooms.

“This is one positive step in terms of trying to focus on decolonization within the Faculty of Arts,” Boyd says. “It was long past the time, we needed to have a department in place. I think it’s quite an exciting step on that journey.”

Moving forward, Boyd says when the department launches, she hopes to see other departments at KPU review their programs and update curriculum to get them reflecting and thinking on how to integrate Indigenous knowledge.

“When it’s created, that’s when the real journey begins,” Boyd says.

This article was shared via the CUP Wire, maintained by the Canadian University Press.

PHOEBE VERDON @fibyandjelly

THE COURIER IS HIRING AN INDIGENOUS EDITOR

Responsible for assigning and editing news stories on a wide variety of topics from an Indigenous lens. Oversees editing and writing quality of the Indigenous section. Requires editing and writing experience, as well as knowledge and interest in a range of local and current topics. Must have the ability to convey information in a clear, concise and conversational manner. Strong research skills, including the ability to navigate online search engines, are mandatory. Must have the ability to interact professionally and build strong relationships with sources. Strong social media skills/experience is preferred. Required to attend Monday staff meetings, Tuesday pitch meetings and Friday proofreading sessions. Position is paid.

Email editor@capilanocourier.com with your resume, cover letter, and writing samples to apply.

A YEAR IN CAPU’S BLACK COMMUNITY

The COVID-19 pandemic has overseen the rise of many troubling trends. Online bullying, racism, otherism and hate groups have all grown substantially both in numbers and in influence. Due to the virus, victims of events such as these often have nowhere they can realistically go to talk, leaving their mental health behind in favor of their physical health. Feven Kidane leads the Black Students’ Union (BSU) at Capilano University (CapU), and she knows well what that entails.

MATT SHIPLEY (HE/HIM) Communities Editor

How the pandemic has affected CapU’s Black community

“Being a Black student as well, during the pandemic, COVID is now just another layer of trauma that Black people—Black students—are going to have to deal with,” said Kidane. “We had BLM, 2020 summer during COVID, and we couldn’t even reach out to each other in person. It’s just, like, all this trauma has been sitting within us, and it can’t really come out.”

When asked what disruptions the pandemic has incurred into the Black community on campus, Kidane said: “I was unable to do a lot of things because of the risk of it becoming a COVID superspreader. We were going to plan a cabaret like we did in Feb. 2020—we had, you know, some Black musicians come in and it was a really great cultural hub space for all to show up to. Unfortunately, because of COVID, we deemed it to be too unsafe this year. We had to ax it—we still plan to move it, you know, host it at a different time, but not being able to do it at this time is really sad.”

The lack of opportunities to gather in person as a community has been debilitating. The BSU has existed for nearly a full year, and though they have petitioned CapU since day one, they have not been granted an official meeting space. Jocelyn Boon from CapU Music Stores took up the slack in that regard, granting the BSU a temporary room in the Fir building. Faced with the question of how CapU is accommodating its Black community, Kidane brought light to a dark problem.

“I want to differentiate [CapU] from the student body. The student body obviously could be more in tune with Black issues on a personal level, and of course they could be rallying the University for things, but the university has never cared,” said Kidane. “The university as a whole, like the corporate side of it, Paul Dangerfield and all them - they do not care. Paul Dangerfield put out a three- or four-sentence thing addressing George Floyd when it happened. Three or four sentences. So, if I’m being honest, I don’t think the university’s going to do anything.”

Back in Nov. 2021, the University quietly refrained from signing the landmark Scarborough Charter

on Anti-Black Racism and Black Inclusion in Canadian Higher Education, which was signed and supported by over 40 institutions nationwide. CapU President Paul Dangerfield did not reply to multiple requests for comment on the decision. The inaction of the University on Black issues, however, does not absolve the student body of its own inaction.

“Try to check in with Black folx especially when it is really traumatic. The student body could actually really help in trying to get a Black counselor, a Black therapist, because everyone else got stuff. They got people they can talk to, but there’s nobody here that we can talk to about anti-Blackness and racism.” Kidane stressed that while CapU should be held accountable, the student body also has a responsibility to be actively involved in the fight against racism.

“People can only do, and people can only act, based on where they’re at personally,” said Kidane. “So, you know, if the University ever decides that they actually want to help Black people, and if the student body wants to, you know, actually be there for Black folx too, then they have to be willing to do that in their personal lives as well. Not just at the school, or just like ‘oh, I heard that this traumatic thing happened,’ like, a decolonizing change is needed from literally everyone in here if they want to be there for Black people.”

Education material is widely available and accessible on websites like YouTube, and Kidane stressed that every student should be working to educate themselves. “We have the internet. We’re in 2022. No excuses. Do something. Ask someone if you want to know—there are lots of people out there who have information about what they could do to educate themselves about Black history in Canada. It’s not hard.”

And it’s not hard. Decolonization is a long process, but there’s no better time than now to take the first step.

BUYING THE HOLIDAYS

It’s time to buy presents again, but not everyone is on board

HELEN CHEN (SHE/HER) Contributor ETHAN WORONKO (HE/HIM) Illustrator

international students?

The Role of Consumerism in the West

In Western culture, people are born into a world of consumerism. They grow up to know that the holiday season is synonymous with gifts, presents and the pressure to buy. This can be an overwhelming experience for someone who has grown up in a society that celebrates holidays differently.

For the approximately 2500 International students who come to Capilano University each year, there’s often a mental readjustment needed to adapt to new holiday cultural norms, which can bring on a mixture of emotions. Some students may find Western celebrations to be too commercialized, sanitized, or that there is a newfound pressure to give gifts that they never had to go through previously —– which, on a student budget, can be a hard pill to swallow. For others, major holidays like Christmas or Halloween aren’t celebrated at all, and they may find the act of purchasing new things to keep up the aesthetic to be insignificant, or even alienating.

In the Instagram era, more apparent than ever is the expectation that Western holidays be celebrated through a pre-packaged aesthetic. For students from cultural backgrounds whose holidays center around rituals, tradition and an emphasis on the family, it can be difficult to keep up with the Joneses without consumerism eating away at the sanctity of the occasion.

Christmas Around the World

Christmas is one of the most widely celebrated holidays in the world, and a good example of how the cultural shock of the Western Christmas impacts international students.

In many Eastern cultures, Christmas is a more muted, non-religious family affair — a welldeserved break distant from the pompous Western traditions of carolling, drinking and fireworks. In Japan, Santa Claus, which is commonly associated in the West with gift giving with a moral compass to boot, simply does not exist as a symbol. Instead, schools and other institutions are decorated with rabbits and other animals from Japanese folklore.

For many Southeast Asian or Middle Eastern cultures, Christmas still holds a religious significance — but there is no cultural meaning behind it. In these countries, many Christians continue to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, while for Muslim children, it’s just another day off from school before they start studying again on Dec. 26. With all this in mind, moving to a place where the religious aspect of many holidays has been assimilated into the consumerist culture — or eliminated altogether — can be extremely jarring.

Over four-fifths of Canadians reported that they shopped online in 2020, and the trend is forecasted to become permanently cemented with the rise of COVID. The cultural divide in holiday traditions is set to become increasingly apparent, especially as international students who have spent almost half of their degree online finally touch down in Vancouver for the first time.

Therefore, It's important to consider our own role in the spread of holiday consumerism, what we consume, and how we can balance this with a mindset of discovering the aspects of our traditions that are about more than just shopping and self-curation for social media.

It’s time we stop buying our holiday experiences, and instead, start living in them.

Any student who grew up in the West associates holidays with money — it's a time to be with loved ones, find comfort in old traditions, and enjoy some well-deserved time off. But what about

THE EXCLUSION & SURVEILLANCE OF BLACK LIVES IN VANCOUVER

KEVIN KAPENDA Hall of Famer MIKAELA JOHNSON (SHE/HER) Illustrator

Last month on Feb. 11, Jamiel Moore-Williams, a former studentathlete who was a part of the 2015 UBC Thunderbird championship football team, was stopped, thrown to the ground by a half-dozen officers and tasered multiple times on Granville St. for jaywalking. Must have been a slow night.

While the Vancouver Police Department were quick to defend their actions and refute claims of racial prejudice, I am not surprised this happened. Less than a year earlier in May 2017, a teenage girl of Haitian descent from Surrey was violently slammed to the ground by the city’s RCMP and handcuffed in a case of mistaken identity relating to a mental health call. These incidents revealed something our community has known for years: antiBlackness does not require a large population. It all it needs to reveal itself is for us to reveal ourselves.

It is often said that there is strength in numbers. Try being one per cent of the population. Powerlessness and constant surveillance are just a few ways black life is experienced in Vancouver. Being a highly invisible minority is quite the paradox. You seemingly don’t exist but almost always stand out simultaneously. When you’re the only person in the room, you are unimportant, but the centre of attention all at once. This positionality can make it difficult to advance as a people.

For decades, Black Canadians have struggled to fight for economic and political equality in this country. We are unimportant to businesses because there are too few of us and we are unimportant to those in power because our voting bloc is too small. Furthermore, it is

also difficult for Black Vancouverites to develop their own economic communities and political momentum, because Canada’s immigration system has and continues to be anti-Black. When Black people from elsewhere do immigrate to Canada, most settle in Montreal, Ottawa or Toronto. Some go to Alberta in pursuit of higher wages onset by the now-crippled oil industry. This is a key reason why Black people make up a smaller proportion of the population in Vancouver than they do in Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax and Winnipeg, as well as all of the cities mentioned above.

One thing that skeptics of anti-Blackness in Canada point to is our country’s changing ethnic diversity. Overall, only 70 per cent of Canada’s population belongs to the visible “majority”, and many Canadian cities, including Toronto and Vancouver are now minoritymajority communities. This abundance of diversity is often cited as evidence that racism, and moreover, antiBlackness is receding or even disappearing. Of course, as countries like France, and the United States are teaching us, more diversity or “multiculturalism” does not correlate with greater tolerance. In fact, as we’ve seen with rising housing prices and the racialization of Chinese newcomers as the source of real estate inflation, more diversity often produces more strife.

“I always feel like somebody's watching me”

Another reason why Black life in Vancouver is arguably in a more precarious and undervalued (as is Indigenous life) state, even with increased immigration and culture, is because White Supremacy is not a binary. It’s a hierarchy that excludes no skin colour from its caste. Two big stories from the Winter Olympics in South Korea last month included Chloe Kim, a snowboarder who won gold in the half-pipe, and figure-skating bronze medalists Alex and Maia Shibutani. All three Americans are of Asian Descent. Upon winning, Trump’s “forgotten majority” was quick to single out East Asians, who tend to be non-Muslim, non-religious or Christian, as worthy immigrants from non-shithole countries. Thus, these immigrants were told that of all racialized people, they were most deserving of the privileges afforded to whites at birth. The trait of “desirable immigrant.” Those who bring dedication, industry and whit, rather than disease, laziness and “Sharia.”

White Supremacy’s inclination for ranking ethnic groups based on their value has, in my experience as a Black man, lead to a universalization of anti-Blackness in our postcolonial world. In the final years of Apartheid in South Africa – which borders my native country – East Asians, whom the regime was forced to do business with due to Western sanctions, were designated as “honorary whites” by the government, as the Japanese were by Hitler. Many Indo-Africans and Indo-Caribbeans were brought to British colonies to serve as the entrepreneurial class, being designated as a superior to Blacks but inferior to whites.

In my own life, I’ve had garbage thrown at me from moving cars in my South Asian neighbourhood, been subject to excessive surveillance while shopping in majority-white South Surrey and been called all sorts names in Chinese enclaves. The idea that more people of colour reduces racism in society, particularly anti-Black and anti-indigenous sentiments, couldn’t be less true.

While predominantly white Vancouverites and Torontonians bemoan Chinese foreigners for their inability to purchase homes in their chosen neighbourhoods, I fear that people who look like me will no longer be able to put a roof over our heads, period. Due to rising costs, the precariousness of Black labour and rental market discrimination – something that people feel is only worsening with “diverse” landlords. In Toronto, studies reveal that no population struggles more to find rental accommodation than single Black mothers. Take that, multiculturalism.

As Vancouver becomes more diverse, and Canadian society persists to suppress its violent history of antiBlackness and slavery, it is unlikely that Black life will become less precarious in the city. After all, recent and present-day discourse tells us that we are anything but White Supremacy’s model minority.

12 DOCS AND BOOKS FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH

MATT SHIPLEY (HE/HIM) Communities Editor ALINA SANDU Illustrator

The African Americans: Many Rivers To Cross

Producers: Sabin Streeter (white), Jamila Wignot, Leslie Asako Gladsjo, Phil Bertelsen

What does it mean to be an African-American in the United States today? This Emmy Award-winning series delves beyond Black history and into Black identity from social, religious, and cultural perspectives.

Eyes On The Prize

Producers: Orlando Bagwell, Sheila Curran Bernard, Callie Crossley, James A. DeVinney, Madison D. Lacy, Louis Massiah, Thomas Ott, Samuel D. Pollard, Terry Kay Rockefeller, Jacqueline Shearer, Paul Stekler, Judith Vecchione

This 1987 docuseries aims to catalog all of the important events during the Civil Rights Movement, including, but not limited to, the 1954 Montgomery Bus Boycott and the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Instead of focusing on one specific event or storyline, the series tells the objective history of the whole movement from a Black perspective.

Slavery By Another Name

Producer: Samuel D. Pollard

This documentary explores the continuation of Black slavery in the United States after the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. It details the re-enslaving process of Black individuals as forced arrestees, and the continuing legacy of that process today. Though the film is directed by Sam Pollard, a Black director and producer, it is important to note that the book on which the film is based is written by white author Douglas A. Blackmon.

MLK/FBI

Producer: Samuel D. Pollard

Another critically acclaimed documentary by Sam Pollard is the Netflix show MLK/FBI. Diving into newly declassified files, Pollard documents the U.S. Government’s surveillance, suppression and harassment of Martin Luther King Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement — the lengths of which are outright criminal.

Soundtrack for a Revolution

Producers: Dan Sturman, Bill Guttentag

Note: Neither of these producers are BIPOC individuals.

The Civil Rights Movement documentary for music nerds is here! Soundtrack for a Revolution delves into the music of the Civil Rights movement, focusing on the freedom songs that evolved from slave chants and werer sung on mass meetings, in jail cells, on picket lines and more.

Dark Girls

Producers: D. Channsin Berry, Bill Duke

A perspective often overlooked in the frame of Black History Month is that of intersectionality. This film dives not only into the Black perspective in modern-day America, but that of Black women and femmes. What is it like to be a Black woman today? What stories and warnings are Black girls raised on? The abject goal of Dark Girls is to broadcast the message that Black truly is beautiful.

Breaking the Huddle: The Integration of College Football

Producer: William C. Rhoden

This one’s for the sports fans out there. African-American writer William C. Rhoden dives into the heyday of the college football community in predominantly Black universities during the Civil Rights movement, and builds up to a climax at the 1970 game between the all-White University of Alabama and the fully integrated University of Southern California — a game that is widely considered to be the cornerstone that changed college football in the South forever.

Journey of an African Colony

Producer: BB Shasore

This docuseries, based on the books by director Olasupo Shasore, explores the history of Nigeria’s fight for independence, including many pivotal figures and backstage stories that never got the recognition they deserved. It is based on two books — Possessed: A History of Law & Justice in the Crown Colony of Lagos 1861-1906, and A Platter Of Gold: Making Nigeria — by retired attorney general and author Olasupo Shasone.

Just As I Am: A Memoir

More Than a Month

Producer: Shukree Hassan Tilghman

Should we continue to celebrate Black History Month as we do?

This is the question on director Shukree Hassan Tilghman’s mind as he sets off across the U.S., searching to learn the power structures and racial structures in contemporary America. Tilghman’s narrative revolves around opening up a public conversation about ethnic heritage months, and whether lumping Black History Month into the coldest, shortest month of the year and separating it from American history as a whole denigrates the pivotal role of Black culture in American history.

Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

Producer: Stanley Nelson Jr.

Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue is widely considered to be the greatest jazz record of all time. Rolling Stone rated it #12 on its list of the 500 greatest albums in history, and for good reason — it defined a generation of music. This documentary dives deep into his life, his music and the mythology surrounding this jazz legend. A companion book to this is Miles’ rather vulgar, but intensely funny and interesting autobiography; “Miles.”

Author: Cicely Tyson

Cecily Tyson, an African-American actress and creative known for portraying strong African-American women, lived an illustrious career that spanned over seven decades before passing away in January 28, 2021. Her memoir recounts her life, her fight with racism in a white-dominated nation, and her impressive list of accomplishments “with the glitter and garland set aside.”

An Afro-Indigenous History of the United States

Author: Kyle Mays

This nonfiction story explores the intersectional perspective of the Black and Native American struggle for freedom in the United States. Spanning centuries of history, the author details the constant, evercontinuing battle that Black and Indigenous Americans have been fighting for generations—sometimes separately, sometimes united.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH ™

When is support no longer support? With the uprising of visibility for “awareness months,” the surge of people jumping on the bandwagon comes as well

With it being Black History Month, many companies have launched marketing campaigns supporting the Black community. Throughout February, people have begun to be more aware of the difficulties that Black people have gone through and will continue to go through. But unfortunately, while marketing campaigns shed light on these issues, their absence is also quite noticeable throughout the rest of the year.

So the question is, what do companies do outside of Black History Month? Is it spotlighting, or is it capitalism?

Social media has become an influential factor in initiating protests online. For example, Instagram users and other social media platforms began posting black squares in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. A week after George Floyd’s murder, an event known as “Blackout Tuesday,” the online movement highlighted police brutality and systematic racism. Moreover, it directed attention to black voices. While this is very indearing of the global online community, some users explained that black images and valuable hashtags stopped the people from getting the details they needed. People advised users that rather than using the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag to consider typing it out instead or not post anything on that particular

Tuesday to allow the flow of information to reach everyone. In addition, users began to change their profile pictures to black rather than spam-post to show solidarity. This turned out better as those who follow certain celebrities or brands began to see where they stand. However, in order for us to have the current - somewhat - freedom to express our politics, others had to sacrifice their careers.

This unfortunately, isn’t new. In October of 1968, Tommie Smith and John Carlos created one of the most notable events in sports history. During the Olympic games in Mexico City, both Smith and Carlos raised their fists in the air on the winners’ podium. However, during those times, it was

YASMINE ELSAYED (SHE/HER) Contributor ELLIOT WHITE (THEY/THEM) Features Editor VALERIYA KIM (SHE/HER) Design Director

perceived as a “black power” movement that gained a lot of negativity from the public. Smith explained that it was a “human rights salute.” Shortly afterward, Smith and Carlos were dismissed from the Olympic games and made to never compete again in the Olympic games.

In October of 2018, Puma released a line of footwear that commemorates the event that happened 50 years prior. Chief Executive of Puma, Bjorn Gulden, stated, “what [Smith] did then ... was the bravest thing an athlete has ever done when you think about the consequences.” Furthermore, Gulden disclosed that Puma sponsored Smith for over 50 years, and in fact, the shoes that Smith took onto the winners’ podium were Puma shoes.

The public no longer wants temporary marketing strategies; they want the companies to fully advocate for a social stance even if the dedicated month is over.

In addition, all the proceeds of Puma’s #REFORM or “Power Through Peace” campaign went to charity. Regardless, after being quiet for so long, Smith expressed in the documentary film With Drawn Arms (2020), “In 1968, Black athletes were expected to perform and shut up. We were dealing with racism. We were dealing with not having a voice. Running became my voice. I knew something had to be done. My next move would be immortalised in history.”

Alternately, Puma’s strong rival footwear company, Nike, released its campaign featuring NFL player Colin Kaepernick, celebrating Nike’s “Just Do It” trademark. In the 2016 NFL pre-season, Kaepernick took a knee during the American national anthem. And, much like Smith, he has not played since. However, in 2017 he spent advocating and raising awareness of human rights issues, specifically against systemic racism and police brutality. By the end of 2017, Nike created the famous tagline, “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.” With Kaepernick in the background.

Tommie Smith and Colin Kaepernick sacrificed their dreams to voice their beliefs. Advocating to end racism and a human rights salute, they fought for that and put everything on the line. However, do Nike and Puma think the same way? Are they willing to sacrifice it all? To put it simply, no.

The main objective of a corporation is to maximise profits. Nike and Puma use social issues to capture the public’s interest and generate profit off of it. Neither companies are discreet on how they use social issues to capitalise. According to Racheal Chong’s “Cause-Related Marketing: Just Plain Ol’ Marketing?” columnist in the Huffington Post, “companies use cause-related marketing to both increase profits and better society and include activist messages; in advertising.”

As times change, so do the cause-related marketing strategies. Fortunately for this year, Nike actually took steps towards actual change – with their new campaign to donate a large grants to the Black Community Commitment, an organization dedicated to causing lasting change within the Black community.

On the other hand, Lily Zheng, in her article, “We’re Entering the Age of Corporate Social Justice,” describes how the people are demanding significant corporations to change. According to Zheng, companies with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs have higher profits than those that do not. Moreover, after George Floyd’s murder, consumers and employees demanded a change from CSR to Corporate Social Justice (CSJ), a term coined by Zheng. Zheng compares these frameworks in order to clarify why that change was necessary.

The public no longer wants temporary marketing strategies; they want the companies to fully advocate for a social stance even if the dedicated month is over. Zheng had a striking statement in her article, “Consumers and other stakeholders want companies that see social good as a necessity, not just a marketing strategy. It’s up to companies to respond to this new challenge.”

One would think that Corporate Social Justice should already give something in this day and age. However, it took over 50 years for most corporations to realize that maybe one-month advertisements for advocacy are not enough. Although the change is slow, almost non-existent, one can only hope. Sadly, this Black History Month for corporations will be like any other Black History Month they have gone through. Cause-related marketing strategies will start showing on billboards and television. Make-up, clothing, and shoe lines will emerge with celebrities as ambassadors for these brands. And, slowly, that hope is fading.

With this seasonal bursting of love tinting our glasses rose, it can feel difficult to avoid experiencing FOMO (fear of missing out) for these ever-lasting, love-filled romances that capitalist America is sneakily profiting off of until the month's end. To combat this, most turn to trusted friends, therapy, or suffer without external support. However, the answer for handling these emotions may lie in what gives them their power in the first place, the magic of it all!

Lindsay Braynen (She/Her) of Darklake Tarot, is a Vancouver based tarot reader. She began Darklake Tarot as a way to document her personal journey, as well as her journey with tarot, astrology, and the Black Girl Magic that lives inside of her. She hopes her services and skills help others on their journey toward understanding their own personal magic. She works most often with offering guidance in relationship troubles, helping Vancouverites learn how to mend meaningful love connections without negatively impacting their sense of self and well-being. However, what if the thing you aspire to seek guidance on is not for outer love connections, but to care for yourself?

Lindsay understands the skepticism and cynicism that surrounds magic. However, she wishes the reasons why these negative connotations exist were more widely known. She explains that “many originated from racism against Romani Peoples, who began sharing their spirituality as a way to provide for themselves and express their culture.”

“Those who are skeptical toward magic should explore different modes of spirituality. Like most things, spirituality exists on a spectrum, and the way you incorporate it into your life can be completely different to how someone else does” she recommends. A spiritual journey is long and tedious, demanding plenty of emotional strength from the participant. Self love and healing can absolutely be achieved and improved using tarot,

and shadow work. However there are some things to consider when you are first beginning your journey.

“Start slowly, and carefully,” suggests Lindsay. “This is incredibly vulnerable work, and if done incorrectly you could see few or even negative results. It is best to be gentle with yourself, treating this process as you would any other self care ritual.” She also recommends seeing a professional when first beginning. Similarly to seeing a therapist, she says “it can be more helpful to seek an outside and unbiased perspective. When most newcomers attempt tarot on themselves, there is also always a risk that they will lean into a more biased answer than a professional would.”

The main thing to remember during this process is that tarot and shadow work should pull on discomfort. It should push out the unappealing and the many things we bury away during our day to day lives. These must be focused on while you practice shadow work. So much benefit can come just from writing about your experiences and drawing out the discomfort until it fizzles, leaving you with inner peace. As shadow work continues, it should devolve into more of a self check in, maintaining your inner thoughts and caring for the mind that cares for you so much.

Allow this February to be a time to express love toward your brain and body. You deserve it, 2022 has already been exhausting. If tarot and spiritual work don’t seem to be your cup of tea, keep searching. You never know what will work to mend a tempered heart.

For more information on Lindsay, you can visit her website www.Darklaketarot.com or her instagram @Darklaketarot

As Valentine’s Day swiftly approaches, it is almost impossible not to feel love emanating through the air. Couples seem to appear everywhere you look, picturesque pairings popping out of thin air and landing directly into your viewpoint.

IF YOU’RE NOT UNLEARNING YET, HERE’S HOW

It may seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be

JAYDE ATCHISON (SHE/HER) Opinions Editor VALERIYA KIM (SHE/HER) Design Director

I will be the first to admit that there is a lot I don’t know about the world that surrounds me. As a white, cisgender woman I navigate life with privilege. As someone that has never experienced racism firsthand, or had to alter the way I live based on the colour of my skin, I acknowledge that I have been able to live a majority of my life without knowing the extent of the deeply rooted problems society still holds onto.

What made me take a step back and evaluate my ignorance to the experiences of Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) throughout the world was the 2020 Black Lives Matter movement. For me, and probably many others, this was an eye-opening experience that we hadn’t truly been exposed to thus far. Sure, I had taken a handful of classes throughout university that exposed me to books like Assata: An Autobiography and The Autobiography of Malcolm X, but I remained too removed from the current issues — and continued to be a part of the problem.

There were a lot of unconscious biases I had yet to acknowledge or work through. I continued to read primarily white authors, listen to primarily white podcasts and wasn’t expanding my knowledge outside of my comfort zone. Many people may still be in this bubble of remaining safely unaware — but it’s time to realize that this was never acceptable, nor will it ever be. With all the technology that exists today, there aren’t any viable excuses for digging your head into the sand and hoping the world will change without your help.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the informative content being put into the world right now, it’s time to reflect on how some people have the privilege of shutting down and turning off the news — while

others have to face injustice, racism and the strain of the white-dominated patriarchy every day. People of colour don’t get days off from their lived experiences, and it’s a wholly privileged experience (and frankly, pretty rude) to be able to say “no” to learning more about what goes on around us.

We don’t have to be scholars to learn from the different communities around us. There are plenty of outlets that exist that can help us unlearn a lot of the systemic racism that we have been exposed to for far

too long. Everyone has a different way of absorbing information. Some of us like to read, some like to watch movies and television, some prefer podcasts or audiobooks, and some like the ease of social media. All are valid ways of expanding the discourse.

For those that are readers, there are hundreds of books written by BIPOC authors, both fiction and non-fiction, that bring light to the events of the past and the present. For those that love to browse a brick and mortar bookshop, Massy Books in Vancouver is a local bookstore that is owned and operated by Indigenous women. Books that have stuck with me over the last couple of years have been If Beale Street Could Talk, Halfbreed, and Women, Race & Class.

For a lot of people, sitting down with a physical book is not enjoyable. Everyone retains information differently and that’s where podcasts, audiobooks, social media accounts, film and television come in. There is an option for everyone and their mom. Whatever avenue you decide to work through, it’s about the strides you take to make the effort. When we create an echo chamber of the same comfortable white voices, we risk being stagnant and never changing towards a healthier society.

Ultimately, for anyone that wants to work towards being actively anti-racist, it’s up to us to learn and lean into the resources provided to us. It is not up to our BIPOC friends or family to teach us about racism or their own experiences. We have the power of Google at our fingertips, and so many people have generously offered their stories to the world for us to learn from. It’s not too late to start unlearning biases. If we want to move forward in society in a way that benefits everyone involved, we all have to be willing to listen and learn.

For a more comprehensive list of documentaries to watch and books to read this month, read through Matt Shipley’s article in the Communities section.

There are plenty of outlets that exist that

can help us unlearn a lot of the systemic racism that we have been exposed to for far too long.

THE MOST CONTAGIOUS STRAIN IS RACISM

A blend of blatant and inadvertent racism spreads far more widely than the disease itself

JAYDE ATCHISON (SHE/HER) Opinions Editor

Next month we will be hitting the two-year anniversary of being trapped in the pandemic that changed all our lives. For some, entire wardrobes have become obsolete as they work from home in their pajamas with their camera off. For others, unemployment is still a looming threat that creates a steady anxiety. However, for an unfortunately large number of people, the biggest effect has been the experience of continuous racism and bigotry.

I am a white, cis-gender woman who has not had to face this reality firsthand. I recognize and acknowledge my privileges, and know that I cannot speak for people of colour. However, I have not kept my head under the sand during the last two years, and I have been witness to the sheer disrespect that Asian and Black folks around the world have been subjected to during our unprecedented times.

In March of 2020, the world decided to shed any veil of decency and became outspoken against Asian people, with China being the forefront of the abuse. People disregarded the scientific name for the illness and called it “the China virus” — placing all the blame on the nation from where COVID originated. The Asian community throughout the west were subjected to verbal and physical abuse from ignorant people who felt they had a right to be vigilantes about a virus that was out of anyone’s control.

Cellphone footage around the world showed us that despite the virus being passed around like hotcakes in every country (most significantly in the US), everyone bypassed blame towards white people partying like it was 1999, and kept their hatred alive towards people of colour. Instead of being able to take a day off from the devastating news on their phones and TVs (like many people often did), BIPOC didn’t (and still don’t) have the luxury of being able to “turn off” the racism that surrounds them.

It didn’t always present itself in outward screams of racist slurs or rants online. The xenophobia seeped into casual conversations at the dinner table, over zoom calls or allotted outdoor walks. It was so casual at times that it brought second-guesses and moments of wondering whether we heard it correctly. Did that guy in front of me at the grocery store really just say “it’s a good thing we don’t eat dogs or cats here” as he’s buying $75 worth of raw beef?

Where we saw racism displayed for the whole world to see was through travel bans. When the pandemic started, and was at its initial peak, we heard cries of closing borders to Asian countries and people, while countries like Italy (where the cases were increasing

significantly, daily) didn’t experience those same cries of outrage. We heard words of sympathy and longing to be able to sip wine in Naples someday soon.

Skip ahead a year and half into this “new normal” and we see cases spike again from the variants. Again, we see a shutdown and ban to African countries and a blame set on the continent. This was due to scientists in Botswana being the first to identify the Omicron strain — the strain hadn’t originated there. What we didn’t see was the same treatment to those in the Netherlands — Amsterdam was in lockdown due to an alarming rise in cases, but we did not cut Europe off from North America. We saw people revenge-travelling

all throughout Europe, making up for their time away from airplanes.

What it boils down to is bigotry. People want a villain and many western people want to feel validated in their biases. Society saw this with the HIV/AIDS era in the 70s and 80s, with a general reference to “the gay disease”. Later, after the events on 9/11, the world was cruel to anyone who fit a Middle-Eastern description. The concept of the world being “better” is constantly being disproved when we keep looping back to the ignorance that people of colour have been facing for decades upon decades. What the world needs is more openness, empathy and a willingness to learn from those telling their story. If we don’t, the virus may disappear, but the racial pandemic never will.

VALENTINE’S DAY DOESN’T HAVE TO BE DISAPPOINTING

EMMA

Capitalism, the patriarchy, & hetero-cisnormativity have defined love for us as only being or looking a certain way for a long time. Valentine’s Day, for many, is a day that enforces those expectations, and a time of year that many dread. Single or not, it can bring up a lot of wounds around love, self-esteem, and for some even pressure. But although Valentine's Day is heavily emphasized as being THE day of romance, that doesn't have to be all bad.

So many forget that love exists as more than romance or sex- it’s the willingness to share and be in each other’s lives. If one embraces love from that perspective, shouldn’t loving relationships be all around us? In our friendships? In our connection to our passions, to our dreams?

You may be rolling your eyes and saying that this is a cliché one tells themselves to ease the Valentine’s Day loneliness or stress. However, it’s time we reclaim this day, and that we reclaim love as a celebration of connection and desire. What do you genuinely enjoy doing? Who makes you feel excited about life? How do you experience love in your day to day? This day can serve as a reminder to what it’s like to reconnect with yourself and light the candles on your own self-love altar.

Of course, you don’t even have to celebrate on that day at all. Whenever you choose to celebrate, and with whoever, take this opportunity to get out of your comfort of your routine. Maybe you and your partner(s) always go to the same restaurant, or you generally prefer to go write by yourself at your favourite beach. There’s nothing wrong with creature comforts, but everyone needs some excitement. It doesn’t have to be wildly expensive either, or cost anything at all. Celebrating love is simply about holding space for your desire and or each others, expressing it, and growth.

Maybe it’s my hopeless romantic nature, but when I started to explore this perspective on love, I began

to be able to let go of the shame this day brought out in me. Everything truly shifted in my life when I began to redirect my energy to being connected to my desires, passions, friendships, and myself the same way I focused on whether I was dating someone or not, or if my romantic relationship was “the way it was supposed to be.”

With the ongoing pandemic and the already narrow perspective on love this day brings, all of this, especially taking the leap and getting outside your comfortable routine, seems easier said than done. But I want to remind you again, celebrating doesn’t have to look like everyone else thinks it should look, buying a teddy and roses may be cute, but does it really fulfill your desires? Does it spark passion? Probably not. Instead, think about taking a love languages quiz, and plan your day out around that. You can go out and do something fun and exciting to you in a way that feels good to you, passion wise and COVID wise. For some live shows or exhibits may be what feels good and COVID safe, for others it’s browsing a used bookstore finding the strangest books for each other, for others it may simply be going to the different gardens they can find around the city.

Whether you’re in a relationship or single, spend the day with your closest friends, your partner(s), or alone! Do a movie night in and relive your childhood nostalgia, or go on an adventure in your area and see where it leads you! Show each other your favourite places and hobbies or summon some ghosts! However you decide to spend the day, spend it basking in joy. Embrace this day and time of year, as a reminder to live and love passionately no matter what. No one gets to define what love is, how it looks like, who you share it with or don't, or how you express it. Valentine’s day needs to be reclaimed and made our own, because our love for ourselves and each other is worth celebrating authentically.

Everything truly shifted in my life when I began to redirect my energy to being connected to my desires, passions, friendships, and myself the same way I focused on whether I was dating someone or not, or if my romantic relationship was “the way it was supposed to be.”

SOMEDAY,

MY SELF-LOVE WILL COME

You can be your own soulmate, and that’s the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard

You’re six or seven, plopped onto the living room carpet, fixated on the big box TV. You can hear the signature Disney fireworks pop in your ears as they surround that familiar magic castle. You listen as the symphony begins and you are welcomed into a fairytale. You watch in awe as this picturesque world comes to life, portraying what will soon be your idealized view on hetero-normative romance.

Sure, as you age, this viewpoint will grow more cynical and realistic. You’ll turn to reality TV, where you’ll watch bombshell Brits in bikinis fight over various renditions of wonderbread men with washboard abs. You’ll side eye them, feeling that little tingle of pride bubbling up from not being as desperate as they are. And still, you will binge every episode within a weekend, and might be left feeling exclusion and a hint of panic about one day having to search for your own version of that One True Love.

I am so guilty of feeding into this addictive fantasy that even though I know it’s patriarchal bullshit, I will never stop watching. Popular media has pushed this belief that

we need someone else to fix us, and we can never simply be our own soulmates. This self-fulfilling life without a need for partnership and eventual mating negatively benefits our society’s capitalist and patriarchal ideals.

It’s difficult to discuss my hatred for romantic pressure without fully letting my feminist rage rush into over-drive; however, I do think it’s necessary. At the end of this mysterious life, we really only have ourselves. Our brains are the only definite constant on which we can rely. Our purest form of self is that which resides within us. It holds so much value, and we can mold it into whoever we wish, taking it anywhere, like a squishy pink keepsake of our true selves.

AVERY NOWICKI (SHE/HER) Contributor TALIA ROUCK (SHE/HER) Illustrator

Inside these brains resides all the truths we need to inhabit the open-world video game we call life. Our only necessary goal on earth is to see how much we can explore and how many personalities we can collect before time runs out. In a way, it’s poetic (and slightly morbid). This relationship we have with our own minds is unlike most connections we will form throughout our time, in this real-world version of “The Sims.”

Romance is a fascinating part of our journey. However, to let the search for this unrealistically high standard of a “perfect” partner is to set oneself up for disappointment. Disney’s princess movies have ingrained this mindset into our heads since we were toddlers, telling us that true love is the answer to all of life’s issues. In order to achieve heaven on earth, women and femmes must follow the colonial beauty standard to a T. Perfect eurocentric features, an extremely slim body, and a level of submission horrifyingly mirroring that of a child. They must woo men with their soft, hyper-feminine singing voices and housewife abilities, all in the hopes that a strong, brutish white man with a beastly buff body-type and a brooding controlling side can provide for them. They’re taught to give them everything they could ever want, like a protector to a dependent.

Disney’s princess movies have ingrained this mindset into our heads since we were toddlers, telling us that true love is the answer to all of life’s issues. In order to achieve heaven on earth, women and femmes must follow the colonial beauty standard to a T.

That is not partnership, or true love in any way. That idea of romance perpetuates countless harmful traits in young children, causing them to grow into adults with stunted views on reality, aging, and dependency. This can cause us to idolize reality show competitions like Too Hot to Handle, Love is Blind, and Love Island. It’s easy to get stuck in a cycle of romanticizing the love shown on screen and wish for something similar. Ultimately, this can lead to seeking them out as the newest way to confirm our hidden biases toward unhealthy power dynamics in adult partnerships.

I am not suggesting that we all go off and marry our craniums. However, I do strongly believe that our worth should not be deemed by the criteria that companies like Disney and Netflix perpetuate. We do not fit into tightly enclosed boxes of heteronormativity and marital dominance, and it’s a box we have tried to shove ourselves into for far too long. Our minds and our individual abilities are stronger than any need to conform to societal pressures. If we allow ourselves the freedom to truly explore our honest ideas of what the “One (or more) True Love(s)” could look like, we could be opening our horizons to a far more fulfilling life.

COLUMNS

HOW BAYWATCH RUINED MY LIFE

Why I never put my occupation in my dating app bios

JAYDE ATCHISON (SHE/HER) Columnist

“Oh that’s sooo hot, do you ever get to wear the uniform at home??” — one of my thoughtful and endearing gentleman suitors on Bumble recently asked, followed by the water droplet and drooling face emojis. I was sitting off deck when I read his message and replied with a “haha uh yeah” as I looked down at my baggy purple leggings tucked into my neon green Shrek socks. If only he knew.

Throughout the countless times I have built up a Hinge profile, I used to fill out “Lifeguard at Pool” as my job title — only to be blasted with messages about mouthto-mouth, requests for pictures in my red bathing suit or the ever-annoying hypothetical, “if I pretended to drown at your pool, would you jump in and save me?”

First, mouth-to-mouth stopped being used over 15 years ago, because, hello, have you not heard of diseases — or vomit? Second, I’m positive you’ll have more fun googling “Baywatch characters in red bathing suits” than having to deal with me telling you I don’t own a red bathing suit and promptly smashing the unmatch button. Lastly, my job is to prevent drowning, so no — I’d probably end up emasculating you in front of your buds when I yell at you to stay in the shallow end with a floaty because you can’t swim. Best to just stay home, Chad.

To weed out the wholly unoriginal characters obsessed with the Baywatch fetish — I stick to putting my profession as “Writer/editor at Freelance”. If my matches make it through the preliminary stage of talking, I will then explain why I have a 5am shift (because let’s face it, writers don’t wake up early unless they’re scrambling for a deadline). This strategy typically helps avoid the bros that are only looking for one thing (and it’s not free swimming lessons).

Men sexualizing lifeguarding doesn’t stop on the apps, unfortunately. I have been a lifeguard for 12 years, and I’m still waiting for the day when men will get the hint

and realize I’m not there for anything other than saving lives and getting paid. My witty banter and big smile is all for the sake of customer service and fighting off boredom, and is not an invitation to grab me without my permission.

I don’t know what it is about the red shirt that gives certain men the idea that female lifeguards are there for their pleasure — maybe the chlorine fumes have gone straight to their brains? However, I have worked in over 10 different public customer service jobs, and the pool is the only environment in which I have been approached in a threatening manner. The behaviour I have seen over the years usually falls into the category of testosterone fueled mistakes and victim blaming.

I have never personally worked in the restaurant/bar industry, but I know that any woman that has knows this exact feeling. The only difference is that my wages do not depend on tips and I will get paid no matter how much of a scene I make when someone grabs a part of my body. When I yelled at a man for grabbing my chest as he walked past me, I made 50 other swimmers silent as the drama unfolded in front of them. I was met with “chill, it’s just a joke” — not sure what comedy club you just walked out of Philip, but I hope it burned to the ground.

Women are not playthings, and just because I am dressed in shorts and bathing suit doesn’t mean I’m flirting with the patrons — it means I am wearing the appropriate clothing to jump into the pool in the case of an emergency. As the years have gone by, my wall has gotten stronger and more obvious. I am wary of most men that approach me and am short with them until they’ve shown me they’re not going to make rude comments or gestures. I am typically cold and dismissive with many swimmers, because I am tired of believing the best and discovering the worst. I am damn good at my job, and I hate that I have to be portrayed as the mean lifeguard. However, as far as preventative measures go, being unapproachable is as live-saving to me as any PFD is to you.

Check your sun (the sign everyone knows, identity, ego), moon (emotional), & rising (how you come off to others).

Dates for sun sign:

VIRGO

(Aug. 23 – Sep. 22)

Hard work can also be radical rest, Virgo. Don’t allow capitalism to run you to the edge of burn out when you know that it’s leading you astray from what and who you truly want.

SCORPIO

(Oct. 23 – Nov. 21)

Aquarius season and Pisces season might be a bit rough for you, but know that it’s only going to be more difficult if you hold on to resentment and refuse to forgive yourself.

CAPRICORN

(Dec. 22 – Jan. 19)

After a rough time this month brings relief in the financial and work sector. Things may not be anywhere near perfect, but there is room to breathe a little more, take it.

PISCES

(Feb. 19 – Mar. 20)

Pisces, this month we also dip into your season! A window of opportunity may begin to arise, trust that if it is meant for you, you will intuitively know. Not everything that glitters is gold.

TAURUS

(Apr. 20 – May 20)

This month is a time for you to understand why you are the way that you are. Deep healing can only happen if you accept that you aren’t seeing the bigger picture of why you are at the point in your life.

CANCER

(Jun. 21 – Jul. 22)

The waves of the moon are washing you this month with loving care and nourishment. Understand that you don’t have to take care of everyone, you are not born to be their saviour.

LIBRA

(Sep. 23 – Oct. 22)

As a Venus-ruled sign, this month holds an abundance of love in your relationship to your past. How do you talk about your past self?

SAGITTARIUS

(Nov. 22 – Dec. 21)

You might have the urge to run around wild and let loose, which is not a bad thing. But maybe you need to ask others how you may be hurting your relationship with them. Freedom doesn’t mean you can escape accountability.

AQUARIUS

(Jan. 20 – Feb. 18)

Your season is here! But that doesn’t mean things will magically be easier. People may be committed to misunderstanding you but don’t allow others to water down your vision.

ARIES

(Mar. 21 – Apr. 19)

Dear Aries, why do you leave the world deprived of your magic? This month is your time to shine, to bring forward your boldness unapologetically.

GEMINI

(May 21 – Jun. 20)

Gemini, what’s on the horizon is yours to shape. As a magician of your future, you have the power to make the changes you have desired for far too long. But will you take the steps to?

LEO

(Jul. 23 – Aug 22)

Fire is your element for a reason, and February highlights that in a way that makes you feel seen. Just be wary of taking up so much space that you silence others in the process.