Capilano Courier | Vol. 50, Issue 11.

VOLUME 50, ISSUE 11

JANUARY 15–21, 2018

FEATURES

We picked the best albums of 2017

The fight for a free & open internet pg. 12

CAMPUS LIFE

CSU implements new mental health strategy

TABLE OF CONTENTS

EDITOR'S DESK

VOL. 50 ISSUE 11 JANUARY 14–21

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2017 IN REVIEW

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CAPILANO PRESIDENT TAKES LEAVE OF ABSENCE

News

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THE CAUSE AND EFFECT OF GAME ADDICTION

News

CARLO JAVIER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Opinions

9 GOING AGAINST THE GRAIN AS A FEMALE MOTORCYCLIST Columns

10 BEST ALBUMS OF 2017

Special Feature

12 THE LAST BASTION OF THE FREE WORLD Feature

16 INSIDE VANCOUVER’S UNDERGROUND MUSIC SCENE

Arts & Culture

19 IT’S TIME TO TAKE THE BLUES SERIOUSLY Sports

STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ART DIRECTOR

Carlo Javier capcourier@gmail.com

Rachel Wada artdirector.capcourier@gmail.com

MANAGING EDITOR

PRODUCTION DESIGNER

Justin Scott manager.capcourier@gmail.com

Cristian Fowlie pm.capcourier@gmail.com

NEWS EDITOR

COMMUNITY RELATIONS MANAGER

Christine Beyleveldt news.capcourier@gmail.com

John Tabbernor community.capcourier@gmail.com

OPINIONS EDITOR

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Tia Kutschera Fox opinions.capcourier@gmail.com

Andy Rice andy.capcourier@gmail.com

FEATURES EDITOR

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Helen Aikenhead specialfeatures.capcourier@gmail.com

Sarah Schmidt, Annalisse Crosswell, Gabriel Scorgie, Leah Scheitel, Anton Astudillo

ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

Rachel D'Sa arts.capcourier@gmail.com

COVER

CAMPUS LIFE EDITOR

CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORS

Greta Kooy campuslife.capcourier@gmail.com

Annie Chang, Ryan McDiarmid, Charis Wang, Cynthia Vo, Taylor Lee

Taylor Lee

ONLINE EDITOR

Jessica Lio online.capcourier@gmail.com

EDITOR + COLUMNIST PORTRAITS

Rachel Wada

COPY EDITOR

Leah Scheitel copy.capcourier@gmail.com

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Capilano Courier Publishing Society.

of the Coast Salish peoples, including the territories of Musqueam, Squamish, Stó:lō and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.

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On the head-scratching 2017

VOLUME 50 ISSUE NO. 11

“It's hell on Earth and the city's on fire."

– Frank Ocean

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hortly before Christmas, I saw an interview of Bill Nye the Science Guy on Complex.com. Like anyone in their right mind, I had a lot of questions – none more important than, “what in the world could Bill Nye be doing on Complex?”

Nye is a popular television presenter/legitimate scientist, while Complex was a once respected hip-hop and culture magazine that has, in recent years, been a cesspool of contradiction, pointless hot takes and petty clickbait posts.

The answer was just as baffling as the question. Nye was being interviewed about his thoughts on this mind-numbing existence and prevalence of groups and individuals who happen to believe that the roundness of the Earth is an elaborate conspiracy theory, and that yes – the earth is flat.

This movement, if I can even call it that, has recently garnered much attention because of two outspoken advocates: basketball star Kyrie Irving and two-hitwonder rapper, B.o.B. Nye made an appearance on Complex to put an end on B.o.B’s unbelievably asinine takes.

This particular “debate” captured the spirit of 2017 better than any meme could. If 2016 was the year when a “meme” became more than just an image captioned with big, white block texts, then 2017 was the year when we became a meme – a joke.

It is absolutely representative of the state of society that a debate about the shape of the Earth is even entertained. This debate is dead on arrival. When someone tells you that the earth is flat, you don’t argue with them, you just walk away and hope that your brain cells remain safe and sound.

2017 was a year full of head-scratching events. It was year when it became normal to accept and understand political news through gifs of the US president. A year when the most profound critique of the US president came from Lebron James. A year that, based on worldly issues alone, could have been vastly better.

Many deem the new year as the best opportunity to start anew. To refresh and recalibrate. To learn from the past’s mistakes and to improve on our shortcomings. I usually take the optimist’s way, but I know that hoping to be better in 2018 speaks more to the shit year of 2017 than optimism.

We can get so caught up with grandiose that sometimes we tend to ignore the value of little victories. For a while, I’ve held a stance that the Capilano Courier should aim to be one of the best student papers in the country. While this lofty and ambitious goal is admirable, I developed such a tunnel vision that I forgot about our service to our community.

The reason why most new year’s resolutions fail is because they’re unrealistic.

Improvement is never a sprint, always a marathon and along the way are necessary small steps that need to be taken before you catch your stride. We put out 10 pretty good issues last year, and I’m confident that the 11 we’ll publish this semester will be great.

We might not be able to expect the best from the world, but our readers can definitely expect the best from us.

To start this year, Health Canada made a public announcement reminding people not to eat laundry detergent pods. We’re already off to a terrible start, so it can’t get much worse than this!

CAMPUS LIFE

Students with benefits

The valuable people and places you might be missing on campus SARAH SCHMIDT CONTRIBUTOR

CSU implements new mental health strategy

-ANNIE CHANG

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New report by CASA iterates need for student support on post-secondary campuses GRETA KOOY CAMPUS LIFE EDITOR

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he Capilano Students’ Union (CSU) is preparing to take some important steps with issues surrounding student mental health and wellbeing.

The Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA), which the CSU is a member of, recently published Breaking Down Barriers: Mental Health and Canadian Post-Secondary Students, a paper that shows alarming numbers in regards to student mental health and disabilities. The paper outlines several crucial steps that both schools and the federal government could utilize when making improvements in post-secondary mental health measures.

Of the larger issues, implementing programs that are effective and have the ability to support a diverse range of issues, including both visible and invisible disabilities, are made clear.

According to CASA, the proper accommodations are fundamental in supporting students suffering from mental health issues. However, many post-secondary institutions require “documentation with proof of a formal diagnosis of permanent disability… to access these types of academic accommodations.” These rules limit the amount of people that support programs and accommodations can effectively reach, and can leave students with undiagnosed illnesses scrambling for help.

“We just released our own mental health strategy. One of the main issues that we’d like to see improved is we’d like to secure a place on campus similar to either Queer Resource Centre or the Women’s Centre. We want to see an Accessibility Justice Centre on campus” said Owen Sigurdsson, CSU vice-president equity and sustainability.

While CapU does offer student health and counselling services, a resource centre for those looking for help and support would be ideal. It is difficult to quantify just how many students are affected by mental health issues and the severity of those problems are very broad. However, the numbers we do have access to show a rather large increase in students who require support and are indicative of current trends in deteriorating mental health in post-secondary institutions.

CASA’s paper stated the increase of prescribing psychiatric drugs among students in both the US and Canada, which rose from nine per cent in 1994 to 24.4 per cent in 2014. And while it is evident that there is a rise in mental health issues among post-secondary students, and overall in young adults aged 20 to 29, the stigma of mental health hinders the ability to help and support many of those people. One study stated by CASA found that 30 per cent of students “did not request accommodations because they feared disclosing information to faculty.”

Sigurdsson acknowledged this as well, indicating the lack of student initiative to address their own personal problems with mental health. “Many students are sort of unaware of the signs of degrading mental health and they kind of normalize really negative things that might occur in patterns in their lives as they’re working in a university setting,” he said.

Although it may take time for new procedures to be cemented, it’s clear that the initiative to support students in their post-secondary setting has begun. The de-stigmatization of mental health issues, partnered with applying the right policies, education and training surrounding mental health, could mean a well-oiled machine on campuses and an improved life for students overall.

ave you ever stopped to think about where your student fees go?

What about the insurance you pay for every semester and have never used?

Have you ever felt like you aren’t involved enough at Capilano University outside of class? Adulting isn’t hard, but it can make you feel really stupid.

After talking to my peers on campus, I found that not only are there countless benefits available to us, but many of them go unused. Many students are uncertain about what’s even available, others avoid the hassle of figuring out what our benefits are altogether. Most often, I found that students just don’t know how to use what is offered to us. So, to help you out a little bit, and maybe even lessen the anxiety and stress of figuring all of this out, I ventured around campus to test things out for myself.

Writing Centre

If you go up the four flights of the Fir staircase, you will find the writing center in room 402. This is where you should go if you’re looking for some extra help on assignments. Once you sign in, a member of the Writing Centre staff will come meet with you and help to work out any issues you’re having. Working one on one with students, the Writing Centre’s goal is to help you understand your mistakes, and guide you towards building better writing skills. The Centre has handouts and guides to proper spelling, grammar, sentence structure, formatting and much more to help you become a better writer. If you're in need of any help, or if the library is full and you're in need of a quiet space to study, students are encouraged to use the Writing Centre as a beneficial and productive place to get work done.

Language Centre

The Language Centre, tucked away in Arbutus 117, is meant to help both ESL students and those that are taking a second language course at CapU. Here, students work one on one with professors in a quiet learning environment. Not often used to its full potential and critically underutilized by students, the Language Centre provides students with necessary language-learning skills. Those in the Language Centre encourage students to come and use this space even with nonsecond language work to take advantage of the study space the school has provided.

School Counselors and Health Services Centre

If you’re feeling overwhelmed with the stresses of school life, or just life in general, counselors at CapU are here to help. Located in Birch 267 or by phone at 604-984-1744, CapU’s counsellors are there to help you get through any problem you may have, no matter the magnitude.

Also available is the CapU health clinic, which is free to students and available every Tuesday and Thursday each Fall

and Spring semester. Located in Birch 249, the clinic offers general health services, making it more convenient for those who find it hard to meet with their GP’s outside of class time. Making an appointment is easy, just call 604-9844964 to speak with one of the clinic’s lovely staff members.

Dental Office

Also located in Birch 249 is CapU’s dental clinic. Unless you’ve opted out, your student health plan allows you to get your teeth cleaned once a semester at no charge (throwback to your childhood days, you get a prize after your visit too!). The fact that the dental office is on campus also gives you no excuse to not get those pearly whites cleaned, so you might as well just go and do it. To make an appointment at your convenience, call 604-345-7103. You can also find health centre representatives at their info table in the Birch cafeteria from time to time, so feel free to catch them there to book your appointment.

Insurance

Ok, this one is a little bit more complex.

First off, your policy number is 43997 (that just saved you 20 minutes, you’re welcome). Students who don’t opt out of their insurance plan are covered under health, dental and vision, with a system that is fairly easy to navigate.

Visiting Studentcare.ca will show you all businesses covered by your insurance, and neatly organizes them by concern.

If you’re finding the website difficult to understand, or have problems finding exactly what you’re looking for, you can contact the Capilano Students’ Union Member Services Centre at 1-866-4168701 and they’ll walk you through it.

Once you’ve narrowed down the services and businesses you’d like to use and have booked an appointment, you’ll understand just how necessary and useful this really is for students. Just remember to write down your policy number and to bring your student ID - the rest is a breeze. If you’re already covered under a different plan, say, your parents extended medical or through your employer, then this might be the time to opt out and stop wasting your money.

On Campus Life

If you’ve ever felt disconnected to campus and would like to get more involved at CapU, a trip to the Student Affairs Center in Lib116 is a good place to start. Here, staff will guide you through the different ways you can actively participate in campus life. The Student Affairs Centre can also help you with personal goals, such as your education and future career goals.

All students are encouraged to explore what CapU has to offer, but sometimes it helps to have a little guidance.

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VOLUME 50 ISSUE NO. 11

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NEWS

2017 in review

Here’s what happened, in case you missed it.

CHRISTINE BEYLEVELDT & ANNALISSE CROSSWELL

Our top stories from the year covered new developments in Capilano University's student housing, the sentencing of the library arsonist and a CSU campaign against sexual violence and misconduct following a new school policy.

1. New rapid transit came under consideration for the North Shore

SeaBus services between North Vancouver and the downtown core increased to every 15 minutes until 9 p.m. every day starting on May 19, but Darrell Mussatto, mayor of the City of North Vancouver, never believed it was enough to end residents’ traffic woes. In March, he proposed the City consider a SkyTrain line under the Burrard Inlet, stretching from Waterfront Station to Lonsdale Quay, rather than another bridge that he said would only encourage congestion in the long term and was also a less sustainable option. He sees a SkyTrain between North Vancouver and downtown as a game changer for the North Shore communities.

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2. CapU’s Board of Governors’ surprising connection to the BC Liberal Party

One of the University’s two governing bodies, the Board of Governors, is made up of 15 sitting members, eight of whom were appointed on the recommendation of Minister of Advanced Education Andrew Wilkinson and former Premier Christy Clark. Green Party leader Andrew Weaver and former UBC President Arvin Gupta have both called for the Liberals to relinquish their hold on university bodies because the board can’t act in the institution’s best interests according to the University Act.

3. CapU arsonist received two years of house arrest Shane Nendick was sentenced in August to two years of house arrest for three break-ins, multiple counts of mischief, theft and arson at CapU that he committed over the winter break of 2014-15. His lawyer made a case for low intellectual and cognitive abilities, which he pleaded required a lesser sentence.

This was also supported by psychological assessments. Judge William Rodgers made his ruling saying that Nendick would be unlikely to receive needed counselling if he were in a penitentiary.

4. A program designed specifically for First Nations students was postponed another year

Senate approved an engineering diploma and University One (U1) program designed specifically for First Nations students in March. The U1 program encompasses writing, critical reading and math. It also includes courses on critical reflection, quantitative reasoning and

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2 indigenous content, which was set to start taking students in Fall 2017. Instead, U1 was postponed and will now be offered at the start of the Fall 2018 semester because the University didn’t approve the course until mid-July, which the CSU’s First Nations Student Liaison Geronimo Alec explained made band funding unattainable and affected enrolment.

5. After 10 years of planning, an off-campus residence opened

CapU opened its first off-campus student housing this past fall semester on 2420 Dollartown Hwy. It is, however, a shortterm solution, which the University hopes will be a step towards on-campus housing that was not previously possible under the BC Liberal government. The NDP have since revoked a ruling stating that postsecondary institutions may not take on debt, which would be necessary in order to move forward on the building project.

Since students moved in, a few issues have arisen with CapU Residence. The key issues being dining hall hours that have forced some of the students living at the residence who also attend late classes on the main campus to forego meals, as well as the lack of amenities, particularly in

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the lounges.

6. The CSU launched a campaign targeting sexual violence and misconduct

The CSU intended to run a sexual violence and misconduct campaign, which was one of their biggest announcements in the 2017 Fall semester. The campaign would follow in the steps of a University of Victoria Students’ Society (UVSS) campaign called “Let’s Get Consensual”.

The initiative, which was set to focus on the idea of consent being active and consistently maintained between people, came not long after the University approved a sexual violence and misconduct policy in May after consultation with students.

7. The new NDP Government repealed tuition on education upgrading courses

Before NDP leader John Horgan was sworn in as Premier on Sept. 8, he repealed tuition fees on education upgrading courses, Adult Basic Education (ABE) and English for Academic Purposes (EAP) at CapU, the result being an immediate increase in enrollment.

Previously, students who hadn’t

completed their full high school education, commonly high school math courses, could enroll in education upgrading courses for a maximum of $1,600 in tuition fees, which prevented many from completing their secondary education. As for EAP, former instructor Christian Steckler left behind a $20,000 endowment fund to help domestic students through the program, and was pleasantly surprised to learn that the cost of education would no longer be a barrier to students. However, he did note that domestic students would still be passed up in favour of international students whose high tuition fees funded the program.

8. Development of on-campus housing began with a public consultation

Less than a month after CapU’s offcampus residence at 2420 Dollarton Hwy opened to over 100 students, Woodbridge Northwest stepped forward with a proposal to construct a residence building that could house 60 students on the edge of campus property where the Purcell Woods complex stands today. Residents agreed to sell their property after being quoted up to $100,000 per unit to cover structural damages. The proposal for the new lot also includes a six-floor

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Capilano President takes leave of absence

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Toran Savjord will fill in as acting president until Paul Dangerfield fully recovers CHRISTINE BEYLEVELDT NEWS EDITOR

A 9 condominium tower and 10 townhomes, eight of which can be turned into lockoff units to free up more rental space for students. After a public hearing on Nov. 21, the North Vancouver Municipal Hall allowed two bylaws to be amended in order for Woodbridge to proceed with construction, which could begin as early as the next Fall semester.

9. CapU’s brand story won a Coup de Coeur award

President Paul Dangerfield unveiled CapU’s new brand, a crest emblematic of Coast Salish art in the Birch Cafeteria on Nov. 24, 2016, just in time for a threemonth advertising campaign across the Lower Mainland to draw new students to the University. Over the summer, CapU received two awards from the University and College Designers Association (UCDA) and in October, the Canadian Association of Communicators in Education (CACE) presented Director of Communications and Marketing Victoria Miles with a Coup de Coeur Award for the brand story.

10. Transportation caused untold grief for commuting students

Mayor Gregor Robertson’s 10-year vision

12 will provide better transit services across the Lower Mainland, although the North Shore receives few improvements under this plan. Students living at CapU’s offcampus residence however, didn’t benefit.

Several students filed complaints through the CSU about 212 buses skipping their stop despite not being full. TransLink later said that they had attended to the problem and Vice President External Noah Berson and CSU organizer Patrick Meehan visited the residence to survey the situation and reported no pass-ups occurring during their brief visit, yet students continued to note the problem.

Berson continually stressed that with the potential for another 150 students staying at the residence during the spring, it was crucial that there be adequate transit.

11. Capilano Cleaners won the right to unionize and students continue their fight for a living wage for all campus workers

Contracted cleaners at Capilano University employed by Best Service Pros won the right to join Service Employees International Union (SEIU Local 2) in June after a lengthy battle with their employer. The 29 cleaners earn between $11.50 and $12 per hour with no benefits,

forcing many of them to find second and sometimes third jobs in order to get by.

An open letter signed by stakeholders circulated campus in the Fall semester and students signed a petition calling for a living wage to be implemented campus-wide, which would affect not just contracted workers but all workers. In November, President Paul Dangerfield announced that the University would consider including a living wage in the 2030 campus master plan, which is currently being drafted.

12. New Mental Health clinic opened in North Vancouver

Foundry opened its doors in September to North Vancouver youth. The North Shore’s newest mental health clinic on Lower Lonsdale provides free counseling services and peer support for 12-24-yearolds – a crucial service, seeing as an estimated one in seven youth living in BC will suffer some form of a mental health issue.

s of Monday Jan. 15, Capilano University President Paul Dangerfield will be on a leave of absence to recover from surgery.

Dangerfield wrote to University employees on Friday morning that a few weeks ago, he was diagnosed with a heart condition and is scheduled to undergo surgery on Jan. 17. The recovery period is generally eight to 10 weeks, although Dangerfield did not state how long he would be taking leave for.

In the interim, VP Strategic Planning, Assessment and Institutional Effectiveness Toran Savjord, who was appointed to the role in August 2017, will fulfill the role of acting president. The role of acting VP Academic will be filled

by Dean of Global and Community Studies Chris Bottrill. “Although I will miss being on campus and connecting with everyone, my prognosis is excellent and I look forward to returning to my role with renewed good health,” Dangerfield wrote in a press release.

The Courier staff wishes Paul Dangerfield a speedy recovery.

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OPINIONS

Final Boss

The cause and effect of game addiction GABRIEL SCORGIE CONTRIBUTOR

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-RYAN MCDIARMID

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he World Health Organization (WHO) has recognized what many gamers have suspected to be true for a long time: video games are addictive. Gaming addiction will be in WHO’s 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases.

Previously, research has been conducted exploring the addictive nature of games by considering it an issue of impulse control, the same category that gambling addiction falls under. Though video game addiction is more complex than just an impulse problem, the comparison to gambling is appropriate when one considers the deck is stacked against them.

Players can get addicted because games today are often designed to be endless and to keep people engaged for as long as possible. This is a stark contrast to early games such as Zelda, and Mario, which have clear finish lines.

Today, player retention is the metric that guides game studios. In the last year, two publishers, Electronic Arts and Activision, have written papers on how to best retain players and keep engagement high.

On an episode of the podcast The Joe Rogan Experience, Rogan touched on why people get addicted to games. For a while, Rogan talked about his own addiction to Quake when it came out in 1996. He said he was fortunate to have a career as a comedian during this period, because he could feel the game taking over his life. It was all he thought about, even when he knew he had to prepare for a comedy show. He played 18 hours a day and spent $10,000 a month on internet connection.

Then Rogan mentioned a conversation he had with a manager at the Comedy Store. His name was Rob and he was addicted to Everquest, a massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). Rob said that he was so successful in the game world but so unsuccessful in real life. Whether he meant to or not, Rob accurately described what many people who struggle to stop gaming feel. Video games can be a replacement for unhappy lives.

The most addictive games are the ones that can provide a satisfying feeling of progression and accomplishment.

MMORPGs such as Everquest and World of Warcraft accomplish this through level progression and powerful gear that showcases your mastery of the game.

Competitive games like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive make the player feel successful through literal dominance over other players.

According to research done by an Amsterdam addiction centre, the

majority of gamers who show signs of addiction are males under 30 years old. Males also, on average, are more competitive and have a greater desire to be placed in a hierarchy. Additionally, Biomed Central Psychiatry have found a large body of evidence that suggests a connection between social anxiety, general anxiety and video game addiction. That link should hardly be a surprise - take a competitive teenager who doesn’t like being around other

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people, give him the latest Call of Duty and see just how much he wants to go outside after that.

The long-term effect is that video games provide an easy way to not address your in-real-life (or IRL) deficiencies. It’s easy to see how the vicious circle forms. The more someone plays video games, the less inclined they are to go out. Over time, they become better at avoiding what makes them uncomfortable. Even at the cost of

physical friendships, relationships and life experiences.

It’s a worthwhile exercise for anybody who plays video games to evaluate their reasons for doing so. Make sure you don’t regret playing a game instead of working towards a more beneficial goal.

Unlike in a game, in life you only get one chance to get it right.

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-CHARIS WANG

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Bit better have my money Is compensation through Bitcoin worth it?

LEAH SCHEITEL COPY EDITOR

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itcoin, the cryptocurrency that made its world debut in 2009, has been a hot-topic lately. It’s late 2017 surge to about $17,000 CAD for one Bitcoin has reinvigorated the interest in the cryptocurrency, and some companies are even looking into paying their employees partially in Bitcoins.

In late December, a Japanese internet firm named GMO Group became the latest company to see if a partial Bitcoin salary would make sense for 4,000 of its employees.

This proposition sparks an interesting debate of the value of the internetbased currency, specifically how much

it will be worth from day-to-day.

Bitcoin isn’t known for its stability – it sank to record lows in December, then rebounded by more than 50 per cent the week after. Moreover, at the height of the recent Bitcoin rage, reports (and memes) about its terrifying volatility easily dominated the web. So, while the company may have the intention of paying the equivalent of $1,000 in Bitcoins, it may be worth less than an old pair of underwear by the next week – yet it could also be worth the value of a Victoria’s Secret diamond brazier. There is no way to guarantee the employee will receive the equal value of their work in this currency.

This opens the door to other ethical issues such as gambling. Paying in Bitcoin allows for employees to essentially gamble with a portion of their pay cheque. While it is an activity some may do with their income anyway,

One bite at a time Most New Year’s resolutions fail but there’s a way to beat the odds TIA KUTSCHERA FOX OPINIONS EDITOR

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he new year has begun and with it, the stampede at the gym, the chiming of “new year, new me” and the age-old tradition of the New Year’s Resolution. And I do mean old: according to a 2015 article from History, “the ancient Babylonians are said to have been the first people to make New Year’s resolutions, some 4,000 years ago.”

So it seems like everyone, myself included, is compelled each Jan. 1 to compile a list of lofty goals towards self-improvement. But how effective are they? According to a 2013 Forbes article, not very. Forbes quotes research done by Scranton University that found

only eight per cent of people achieve their New Year’s resolutions. With those abysmal numbers it looks like the smartest option would be to throw in the towel, eat the cake, and call it a day.

For those who are halfheartedly making these resolutions simply because they feel traditionally compelled, I urge you to just stop and occupy your mind with more pleasant things.

But for the percentage of “resolute” people who genuinely want to be in the eight per cent, there is hope. If resolutions are approached strategically, they can be doable. The research seems to follow the ancient advice on how to eat an elephant - one bite at a time. The first bite is looking at what not to do.

There are some underlying problems with the resolutions we make, and according to Rohit Arora of Small Business Trends, one of them is that the resolutions aren’t realistic. For example, it’s unlikely you’re going to run

it shouldn’t necessarily be facilitated by their employers. As quoted in BBC News, “If an employee is receiving their salary in Bitcoin, they might as well be receiving lottery tickets," said Massimo Massa, professor of finance at Institut européen d'administration des affaires (INSEAD). "They are just participating in a game."

The other massive dead canary in this proposal is one that affects the greater good – taxation. If companies opt to pay employees in Bitcoin, will the company be responsible to tax employees in a tangible currency before translating it into an intangible one? And would Bitcoin salaries facilitate petty tax evasion, either on the end of the employer or employee?

Cryptocurrency is still in its adolescence and it is inevitable that if it succeeds to be accepted as legitimate currency, tax laws will be updated to accommodate

internet-based currency. However, no society has quite found it’s way there yet.

Undoubtedly, some people will be willing to bet on a Bitcoin salary, even if the benefits are unsure, just as some people are willing to gamble religiously on fantasy football games while others would like to be paid in compliments.

Until there are more well-defined benefits to this option, it looks as though it is more of a publicity stunt instead of a well-thought out plan for compensation, resulting in more itty-bitty salaries than what employees wagered for.

the Boston Marathon this year if you’ve never even run a 5k. Set your sights on something smaller, and each successful completion of a small goal will build momentum that can help you eventually achieve that drunken lofty New Year’s resolution.

Another problem is that humans have short attention spans. This lack of attention also translates to motivation and applies to resolutions. For most people, 365 days is a long ways away, which is why Arora recommends setting monthly goals instead of yearly.

Lastly, New Year’s resolutions have got to be some of the vaguest attempts at a goal ever. “I want to workout more” or “I want to eat healthier” or “I want to save money” are just nice ways of saying “I want to have a resolution that sounds good without me actually having to do anything.” Because as many of us know, for goals to be achieved they have to be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound.

If your goal is to save money, you’ll have more success if you use the acronym. So instead of saying “I want to

save money” try something like “I want to save $1,000 in six months for my trip to Europe.” Then, as Arora advised, it’s best if you cut that goal into monthly chunks. Assuming you had consistent income, you could simply divide 1,000 by six, and then you just have to save $167 every month to get to $1,000. This also comes back to the attainable part of SMART, because our goals can seem large and intimidating and too far off to stay motivated for long.

Two last pieces of advice: if you really want to accomplish something, start now. Don’t wait for a special day to do it, just start. Lastly, look at your goals and resolutions as works in progress rather than end goals. Reaching a goal isn’t about perfectly following steps, it’s about the messy progress with ups and downs. A tiny flawed improvement is better than a day-dreamed perfect achievement. A small bite of the elephant will always be more of an accomplishment than imagining you’ve finished in your head.

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VOLUME 50 ISSUE NO. 11

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COLUMNS

BEATING AROUND THE BUSH

Blank of all trades

FREYA WASTENEYS COLUMNIST

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o you ever dread the annual holiday question period from extended family and acquaintances? For me, at 26, “what are you doing with your life?” is a difficult question to avoid, and even harder to answer. For most people, it’s standard small-talk, but regardless of their good intentions, it often sends me into existential crisis mode. Despite my inner turmoil, I’ve learned to smile calmly and say, “I’m still going to school.” This usually leads to another set of typical prompts and queries, which I similarly shut down with minimal word answers until the

interrogation stops. I’ve never been great at small-talk, which is slightly ironic since I’m pursuing a degree in Communications.

After agonizing over these awkward interactions, and much mulling (of thoughts, not wine), I have come to realize that most of us don’t know what we’re doing, and some people are just better at bullshitting. While it might sound nice to say, “I’m going to be a professor” or “I’m going to be an accountant,” the reality is that the world is changing fast – we often have to take whatever jobs we can get out of financial necessity, and the job market is increasingly volatile. For most millennials, the idea of having one stable job with a pension is equivalent to being a unicorn (I do not, and will not apologize for this comparison).

Lucky for me, as a child I never had one thing that I wanted to be when I grew up. I alternated between wanting to be a ballerina, a firefighter, a dragon, a spy, an artist, a writer and a teacher. Or better yet, everything all at once! Picking just one thing seemed like such a drag, and I wanted to be able to do it all. When I was about 10, I asked my mother if she remembered what she wanted to be when

she was a child. “I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up,” she replied.

It struck me, because in my eyes my mother was the epitome of success. As a former Olympian, an author of a book, an active non-profit organizer, with a master’s degree and her own business, it seemed like she had done it all, and I idolized her. But at a young age, I also saw the stress it caused her - having to juggle so much - and the constant threat of burn out. When such a high priority is placed on traditional forms of success, it can be difficult if you lack a single focus. Despite changing times, we still live in a world that wants to use rules, boxes, definitions and linear paths to make sense of the world, and it can be threatening when we lack the ability or desire to conform.

While I often envy the people with the one passion or pursuit, I recognize that there is also a beauty in being able to pursue many different paths. I am also coming to realize that there are numerous definitions of success, which can alleviate some of the anxiety that occasionally takes hold.

My lack of direction is not without emotional turmoil, but it has also allowed

DIGITAL HURDLES

As video games mature, growing pains follow JOHN TABBERNOR COMMUNITY RELATIONS MANAGER

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ideo games as a medium have become more mainstream than Kim and Kanye. The industry now generates more revenue worldwide than both movies and music combined.

Obsessing over Pokémon no longer means you’re the weird kid at school. It means you spent too much time last Summer catching ‘Pidgeys’ in a shitty mobile game.

The outdated notion that games are niche is laughable in 2018. There is no subculture here anymore, just culture.

Everyone plays video games in some fashion. Whether one spends every evening raiding in Destiny 2 or a few minutes standing in line at the grocery store playing Candy Crush, we cannot discount either experience. The term “gamer” is stifling. We all watch movies and television, but no one goes around calling themselves a “movier.”

We also can’t discredit or devalue the breadth of experiences around games.

My friend’s love for Kim Kardashian Hollywood is no less valid or meaningful than my love for The Legend of Zelda.

Games are a unique medium that hold untapped potential for telling stories and sharing experiences in ways that we haven’t even imagined. As such, it is vital that we remain critical of the artform, the industry and the communities that surround them.

No growth comes without growing pains, and this industry has been no exception. Monetization and

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-CYNTHIA VO

microtransactions have dominated the conversation for the last few months. Publishers and developers are scrambling to ensure that their gaming ecosystems remain profitable as the cost of development continues to skyrocket.

As they experiment with models made popular in the mobile space, players have pushed back against practices that border

VOLUME 50 ISSUE NO. 11

on exploitative. In 2017, the story around blind boxes (aka loot boxes) came to a head with the now disastrous release of Star Wars Battlefront II. The perversion of in-game mechanics with the inclusion of buffs and power ups in real money blind boxes incensed players. The backlash against publisher Electronic Arts (EA) was immediate and vicious leading to the

me to have many interesting experiences, and has given me insight into a variety of industries. Since graduating high school, I have tried my hand as a full-time athlete, a cross-country ski instructor, an outdoor instructor, a gelato chef, a geological assistant, a geo-physics technician, a camp cook, a snail counter, a volunteer director of communications and a tree planter, with a few (occasionally soul-crushing) customer service jobs thrown into the medley. Between all this, I have now done four years of school between two separate universities, travelled, adventured, made silly mistakes, and learned (as they say) “a butt-load.”

From each experience, I like to think I’ve gained a little something, whether it’s new perspectives, insight into an industry or sometimes simply the knowledge that a certain job isn’t for me. By writing this column, I hope to not only use my experiences as a platform to discuss larger issues, but also fulfill at least two or three of my childhood dreams, and be a writer, a teacher, and maybe one other thing...

Let’s talk about jobs, baby.

removal of all microtransactions mere hours before the game launched. Not only that, but EA’s response to fan outcry in a Reddit AMA now holds the record for the most downvoted comment in Reddit’s history. It feels as if the industry as a whole is in a panic to figure out what economic models are actually viable moving forward.

Fan outcry points to another common yet troubling pattern within gaming spaces. When passion turns to vitriol it no longer serves the fanbase. Harassment of developers and publishers is often justified as means to “fix” games. We saw it with Battlefront II’s blind boxes and when Microsoft removed digital rights management from the Xbox One prior to launch. Even BioWare capitulated and changed Mass Effect 3 after fans weren’t “satisfied” with the ending to the beloved series. This however, raises the question over what constitutes genuine consumer concern and the entitlement of the mob.

It’s not all fun and blind boxes. Video games seem to garner controversy about as often as Trump tweets.

The early 1990s saw attempts at government regulation over violent and sexual content. 2014 spawned the hate mob GamerGate which acted as a template for the so called “alt-right.” The end of 2017 saw the first confirmed death from gamers swatting each other (falsely reporting a violent crime in hopes of attracting an armed police response).

With every scandal, tragedy and controversy comes further discussion about the merits of video games as an artform and their place in society. But that’s the wrong argument. What’s more important is how games derive meaning from, and in turn shape culture. As the industry continues to race down the track that Pong and Spacewar! set decades ago, it becomes tougher to navigate the hurdles that are lying in wait. One thing is certain though: we’ll be running this race for a long time to come.

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STAFF EDITORIAL

Full Throttle: Going against the grain as a female motorcyclist RACHEL D'SA ARTS + CULTURE EDITOR

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s much as I love talking about motorcycles, when someone becomes the fifth person in a day to point out that I ride a motorcycle only to ask for my number, I already know they’re not the one. Don’t get me wrong, if you see me around campus and you’re genuinely interested in riding, do approach me – I just can’t guarantee that I’ll be able to fill the ultra sexy stereotype that a lot of people have in mind. Though feeling like a total badass has a lot to do with why many begin riding, personally, and as a female rider, the sport acts as a meditative outlet.

My secret long list of extreme and absurd goals was cultivated in the angsty, grunge days of Grade 11. The moment I turned 16, I was pressured into getting my driver’s license. Yet, the more I drove, the more I began to feel suffocated. From the inability to see everything around me, to the ideas that I’d be stuck in a pile up if an accident were to ever occur and to the notion that I had the power to take a life.

Everything made me uneasy. Every bolt, sheet of metal and glass became a part of my body (no, not in a Transformers way) and I mentally evolved into bulk machinery.

My solution to getting over my fear of the road was to face it head-on, in a

POP GOES THE POLITICS

Gord Downie’s good intent

LEAH SCHEITEL COPY EDITOR

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op culture has become something higher-than-thou in modern times.

Celebrities and cultural icons are looked up to for everything from fashion choices, lip injections, self-love, body hair trends, and who, in fact, did wear it best. But there is one topic that seems to polarize fan-bases and spark intense debate about the place of celebrities in our fragile world – and it is, of course, politics.

Celebrities can use their platform to promote products and events, but if they use it to articulate a political stance or argument, they risk facing a wave of criticism, alienating themselves from the very people who built their platform for them.

However, what is a platform if it is

-RACHEL WADA

way that would be both cost effective and piss off my entire traditionallyminded family. Therefore, I set a goal to learn how to ride a motorcycle. I prepared myself for the road rash, road rage, costs and the comments. The moment I purchased my first helmet, I started receiving a hilarious amount of doubt from those around me. Unlike everything I’d purchased up to that point, the expensive piece of equipment was unreturnable.

Even after I enrolled myself in a training course, my dad continued to

question my bravery and determination with sarcastic comments regarding my future in the sport. There are a few stereotypes about women who ride, and while in my case, some of them are true, I’ve learned to deflect others’ opinions and assumptions of me. In this sport, females are typically the minority.

Though there’s been a major shift in race, gender and age demographics, marketing strategies inside and outside the industry continue to utilize the hypersexualized perception of the female rider to sell whatever it is they need to.

left unused? Pop culture icons can help bridge people, giving people on opposing ends of any argument a common talking point and something to relate to. They can also be an influential communication channel, reaching millions with a Tweet or an Instagram photo.

In the past year, no other Canadian icon used their platform as strategically as Gord Downie. The late Tragically Hip front man used his voice to raise awareness about the plight of Indigenous peoples in Canada, and just how important reconciliation is for our society to progress.

Before his death, Downie dedicated all his efforts – creative and otherwise – to educate people about Canada’s less than kind history towards Indigenous people.

His efforts are epitomized in his fifth studio album Secret Path, which tells the real-life story of Chanie Wenjack, who ran away from a residential school in 1966. Wenjack died of starvation while trying to find his way home. He was 13 years old.

This was one of Gord Downie’s final messages to us, as Canadians. It wasn’t an ode to the Prairies, or a salute to Canadianisms. This story, to Downie, was the most important for him to tell.

In July, Downie was awarded with the Order of Canada, the highest

honour to be bestowed on a Canadian citizen. While he received the award for his fight on behalf of Indigenous people, he was also criticized. To some, it was callous to use his voice to tell Indigenous stories rather than sharing his platform with those who actually experienced the stories. As Thomas Clayton-Muller, an Indigenous activist, described Downie’s Order of Canada award for the CBC, “I saw a white man honouring another white man. One was the official spokesperson of the Queen of England. The other was being honoured for his work on Indigenous issues in a space meant for our residential school survivors and the very best of our Indigenous leaders.”

At the Tragically Hip’s last concert, a nationally televised event watched by over 11 million people, in the summer of 2016, Downie used the stage to say he believed Justin Trudeau was the leader Canada needed to successfully navigate reconciliation. “We’re in good hands folks, real good hands. [Trudeau] cares about the people way up north, that we were trained our entire lives to ignore, trained our entire lives to hear not a word of what’s going on up there,” Downie said.

While this claim stemmed from good intentions that is quite the task to

Gear tailored for a “female fit” – which basically just signifies a smaller fit – comes in obnoxious pinks and purples, stamped with tacky and slightly generalizing nicknames and phrases regarding gender. In this case, we also see a lot less selection and worse, less protection. My abilities on a bike have been questioned in the past, regarding whether I’m capable of driving a “death machine” everyday. I can understand my loved ones’ concern for my safety, and while ripping down the freeway as a tiny dot next to industrial trucks sometimes physically drains me, you can bet I won’t lose sleep over it.

Growing up in a relatively conservative family, through which I’ve received endless comments about my lack of regard for a “feminine” attitude and appearance has given me a refreshing perspective. It’s intrigued me into doing more of what I want to do instead of what I am often told. While flat-out doing whatever you want to do isn’t the most conscious way to live, I think it’s important to challenge the odds in order to reach your highest potential.

The New Year not only brings a time for change in physical goals. It also brings along the perfect time to mentally revaluate what we’ve been told we’re suitable for and capable of achieving, and reflect on our overall attitude towards mindfulness. I’ve begun to make that change over the years with what others consider simply acts of rebellion — though I know, helmet on or off, that’s not the case. And the times where I’ve had to check my mirrors were the only times I’ve ever looked back.

set for one political leader, and while charming, it can be argued that Trudeau has done no better on this issue than previous prime ministers. In September, the CBC reported that the suicide rate in Indigenous communities are four times higher than the provincial average and the drinking water in some Indigenous communities is so terrible, it has been deemed a human rights violation by some. This is all under Trudeau’s gentle care.

It’s easy to understand ClaytonMuller’s frustrations, seeing white dudes pass around awards and pat each other on the back for exemplary work on Indigenous issues, while Canada celebrates its 150th birthday. But at least we can criticize Downie – we can because he is making an effort to start a bigger conversation, even posthumously. In the wake of Downie’s death, he was celebrated by multiple First Nations leaders across Canada.

A Halifax restaurant also opened a “Legacy Room”, where patrons can learn about reconciliation and the terrible effects it had on generations of Indigenous peoples. Downie may have not been the most appropriate voice to raise these issues, however he started a conversation. It’s up to us to continue it.

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FEATURES

We couldn’t decide on our best album of 2017 so we’ll give you 50 of them. (SZA was the best!)

GRETA KOOY CAMPUS LIFE EDITOR

JUSTIN SCOTT MANAGING EDITOR

The Chief Jidenna (Feb. 17) Jidenna’s classic demeanor and threepiece suits first appeared in 2015 with his song “Classic Man”. He was unforgettable and unapologetically poetic.

In February of last year, he delivered his first studio album, The Chief. In its entirety, The Chief spreads itself across a variety of genres, each track giving its own unique layer to the record. Jidenna released a series of teasers, beginning with “Long Live the Chief” in December of 2015, a strong, lyric-driven classic. Songs like “Bambi”, “Safari” and “Little Bit More” refreshingly guide The Chief through rhythm and beauty. The album is both strong and graceful, and was well worth the year-long wait.

The OOZ – King Krule (Oct. 13) Picking an album of the year is incredibly challenging, but King Krule’s The OOZ made too strong a case. The 23-year-old Englishman’s third album under his King Krule moniker is an ode to music in every way.

The OOZ is guided by Krule’s instrumentation through a foggy sonic landscape of sounds, including heavy basslines, tight percussion, flowing guitars and vocals that range from clear singing to near-incomprehensible mumbles and everything in-between. The lyrics are introspective and exposing, showing a new maturity from the artist.

The 19-track album goes from one sound to another, all while remaining cohesive and purposeful.

Wash & Set Leikeli47 (Sept. 8) Brooklyn rap “rookie” Leikeli47 needs more attention. Her debut LP Wash & Set is dangerously aggressive, serving up a solid nofucks-given attitude with just the right amount of girl power. Released in September 2017, Wash & Set arranges a collection of emotions into a powerful first album. Her opening track, “2nd Fiddle”, is a soft introduction to the rest of the album, easing listeners into heavier beat-clad tracks like “Attitude”, “Bags” and “M I L K”. What brings it all together, however, are the songs “Miss Me”, “Money” and “Braids tuh’da flo(w)”, 47’s strongest and most attention-worthy tracks.

I Decided - Big Sean (Feb. 3) By now, Big Sean needs no introduction. Released in early February of last year, I Decided is the Detroit rapper's fourth studio album, and arguably his best. The album takes Big Sean out of the “I Don’t Fuck With You” stage of his career and plants him firmly where he belongs – he has graduated.

He confronts his past and future in the industry, claiming his fame and acknowledging his privacy. The songs “Moves” and “Bounce Back” went platinum and gold quickly, but songs like “Jump Out the Window” and “Sacrifices” definitely stand out on I Decided as his best tracks.

Best of the Rest The Seven – Styles P & Talib Kweli Ctrl – SZA Big Fish Theory – Vince Staples Lust for Life – Lana Del Rey DAMN. – Kendrick Lamar Bloodlust – Body Count More Life – Drake

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ANTON ASTUDILLO CONTRIBUTOR

Gang Signs and Prayer – Stormzy (Feb. 24) When I reviewed Stromzy’s debut album I called it a masterpiece, and I stand by it. The British grime phenom managed to catch the alley-oop from Skepta’s konnichiwa and secure grime’s place in commercial music culture as a bona fide genre all on its own.

Gang Signs and Prayer shifted between moments of pure beauty and soul to aggressive sounds inspired by the cold streets of South London, where Stormzy grew up, and back seamlessly, with the MC switching between his booming rapping to soft and unfiltered singing. Most impressively though, the album addressed mental health issues before it became a trendy thing to do, exhibiting the true strength of Stormzy.

Shine – So Loki (Oct. 6) So Loki’s debut studio album Shine was more than a big moment for the Vancouver duo, it was a defining moment for the city. After spending the past few years releasing multiple projects and refining their sound, Sam Lucia and Geoff Millar put out a record that not only represented them, it was an anthem for Vancouver.

The duo utilized Millar’s experimental production and Lucia’s unmistakable vocals to take listeners on a musical voyage. With a collection of up-tempo tracks that induce infectious mayhem and slower offerings built on Millar’s smooth keys, the album has a full spectrum of music. So Loki have put Vancouver on their back and are poised for an even bigger year in 2018.

Best of the Rest DAMN. – Kendrick Lamar Ctrl – SZA First Opus – Sinjin Hawke Introduce Yerself – Gorde Downie From the Fires – Greta Van Fleet This Old Dog – Mac Demarco Everything Now – Arcade Fire VOLUME 50 ISSUE NO. 11

Flower Boy – Tyler, the Creator (July 21) Tyler, the Creator has come a long way from the controversial teenage lyricism of his earlier work.

On Flower Boy, despite his insecurities, there’s a lot more singing from the man himself. Tyler’s always been a master at creating hooks and maximizing the impact of his collaborators like Kali Uchis, Frank Ocean and Steve Lacy. Although still rapping about depression and loneliness throughout the record, Tyler juxtaposes his mindset with the sunshiny disposition of his pop melodies, while letting everyone around him to join in on the fun.

Love What Survives – Mount Kimbie (Sept. 8) On Love What Survives, the duo of Kai Campos and Dominic Maker have fully transformed their sound from an electronic-centric post-dubstep foundation towards a more indie rock fuelled manifestation. The record plays more like a mixtape, alternating instrumentals and incorporating a motorik beat, propelling the movement forward in between the many tracks. Tracks feature accomplished English indie stalwarts like King Krule, James Blake and Mica Levi. While the spotlight is put on these frontmen and frontwomen, Mount Kimbie present themselves as master producers, musical curators and backing band in a stunning performance of crisp percussive stylings and magnificent organ work..

Laughing at the System – Total Control (Dec. 8) Bookended by two versions of the abrasive title track, Laughing at the System exudes fringe post-punk (think The Birthday Party) while at the same time meticulously inserting delicate new wave synth-pop in between (think New Order). Tracks “Luxury Vacuum” and “Future Crème” exhibit the band’s satirical tendencies and anti-materialist attitudes, but also gleam a polished pop framework of their sound. At their core, the band explores the avant-garde. By experimenting with ambience, noise and spoken-word poetry, Total Control have created an effective and nuanced piece of art. Punk has never been more fresh than in 2017 and one can only hope for more like this from the visionary quintet.

Best of the Rest Rocket – Alex G DAMN. – Kendrick Lamar Somersault – Beach Fossils More Life – Drake Dedicated to Bobby Jameson – Ariel Pink Playboi Carti – Playboi Carti Nothing Feels Natural – Priests

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HELEN AIKENHEAD FEATURES EDITOR

Album of the Year

CARLO JAVIER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Antisocialites – Alvvays (Sep. 8) Expectations were naturally high after Alvvays’ excellent selftitled debut album in 2014. With their 2017 follow up, Antisocialites, the Toronto-based indie pop band not only expands on their lo-fi sensibilities, they also firmly establishes themselves as the heir apparent to the Canadian indie torch that Arcade Fire has long held.

Antisocialites is an exemplary indie pop record that masterfully displays elements of whimsical dream pop and thunderous garage rock. Antisocialites could very well have been the best pop/rock album of 2017, and at the centre of it all is Molly Rankin, the band’s charming, charismatic and exceptionally talented lead.

Ctrl – SZA (June 9)

War & Leisure – Miguel (Dec. 1)

How many synonyms for angelic are there? Although SZA has been around for some time, this debut is a welcome reintroduction to an artist who is well positioned to take over the world. On Ctrl, SZA glides through the full spectrum of human emotion, where listeners are invited into her experiences of life and love like a conversation between old friends. The production on Ctrl is a bit more stripped down than we've seen in her past work which allows her lyrical and vocal artistry to shine through – and it

R&B won the year in music, that much is clear.

Just look at the names that dropped in 2017: Daniel Caesar, Kelela, Kehlani, Khalid, Moses Sumney, Sampha, Syd and SZA. While timely singles kept Frank Ocean’s apex position safe, it was War & Leisure by Miguel that stands most memorable from the best year of the genre since 2012. War & Leisure is everything you could ask for in an R&B album. It’s electric, funky, sexy and laden with social commentary. It’s high praise, but Miguel really might be carrying the spirit of Prince himself.

shines bright.

About U – MUNA (Feb. 3) With its early February release, MUNA's debut full-length album About U set a high bar for the music of 2017. Though many excellent albums followed, this body of work held its ground as one of the year's best. Their music has been described as 'dark pop' because of its lyrical and thematic intensity, which is uncommon in pop production. In actuality, this album is anything but dark – it's anthemic, hopeful and desperately needed. Through a collection of danceable tracks laden with synths, layered rhythmic guitar and powerhouse vocals, MUNA reminds us of the weight music has in social and political conversation.

Best of the Rest I See You – The XX After Laughter – Paramore Three Futures – TORRES Melodrama – Lorde Capacity – Big Thief The Con X: Covers, presented by Tegan and Sara – various artists Process – Sampha

Apricot Princess – Rex Orange County Something To Tell You – HAIM (May 3)

If it's difficult to follow a debut album as monumental as 2013's Days Are Gone, HAIM didn't show it. With Something To Tell You, the band somehow managed to pick up right where they left off, while also creating something totally new. Something To Tell You captured that old-school vibe from their debut that HAIM fans held so dear, then added more harmonies and synths. HAIM continues to be top of their class in intricate percussion, undeniable basslines and guitar solos that could make Lindsey Buckingham cry. This is a band that will keep you waiting between albums, but they are damn well worth the wait.

Thank you, Tyler, the Creator. Not only did he bless hip-hop with Flower Boy, but he also introduced the world to little-known English singer-songwriter, Rex Orange County. Born Alex O’Connor, the genre-bending artist tiptoes the boundaries of indie pop, hip-hop, neo soul, jazz and everything in-between. The constant?

Brutally honest and real lyrics. His emotive and gorgeous second album, Apricot Princess, is a manifesto of love and youth that put simply, puts Ed Sheeran to shame. As Rex Orange County proves, lyrics still matter, very much so.

Best of the Rest SATURATION III – BROCKHAMPTON DAMN. – Kendrick Lamar This Old Dog – Mac DeMarco Freudian – Daniel Caesar Steve Lacy’s Demo – Steve Lacy Ctrl – SZA Flower Boy – Tyler, The Creator

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FEATURES

Net neutrality matters more than you might think

BY CARLO JAVIER ILLUSTRATION BY TAYLOR LEE

hen the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to pass Title II of the Communications Act on Feb. 26, 2015, internet experts believed that a long period of a peaceful, free and open internet was finally on the horizon.

After all, Title II was a policy that the Obama administration and supporters of the internet fought for, as the change would classify Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in the United States as “common carriers” instead of “general provisions”. Though seemingly mundane, this change – according to subsection

202(a) of the Communications Act – ensured that ISPs may not "make any unjust or unreasonable discrimination in charges, practices, classifications, regulations, facilities, or services." Thus, net neutrality was provided with what the non-profit Public Knowledge then described as the “strongest net neutrality rules in history.”

Unsurprisingly, peace in our time would not last very long, as upon his inauguration, United States President Donald Trump appointed Ajit Pai to be the new chairman of the FCC. Having a Republican majority in the US House of

Representatives also meant that of the five commissioners of the FCC, three would then be of the ruling party, and the other two would be of the opposing party. Prior to his appointment as head, Pai was one of the FCC commissioners openly against stronger net neutrality protections and upon his ascent, immediately started work on rolling back many of the policies implemented during the Obama administration.

On Dec. 14, 2017, after a long battle between the FCC and supporters of a free and open internet – which involved companies like Amazon, Google and Netflix, as well as Tim Berners Lee, the very inventor of the World Wide Web (WWW) – the FCC voted three to two in favour of repealing Title II, opening the possibility of a sweeping change to the way the internet operates.

“When the WWW was designed, a cornerstone idea was that it would allow anyone with a connection to publish their ideas to a potentially world-wide audience,” said Joseph Fall, Computing and Data Science instructor at Capilano University. According to Fall, one of the basic principles of the WWW is that any user generated content would not be discriminated against based on the identity, resource or location of the user.

“This is what is meant by ‘net neutrality’ – that the network, by which we mean the internet itself, would be neutral to the actual content, the publisher and the reader,” he added. “[It] does not matter who published the content nor who is reading it – the network itself would deliver that content just the same – it would remain ‘neutral’.”

Currently, what’s happening in the US is an ongoing battle between supporters of net neutrality and those that want to eradicate it. “Net neutrality is a beautiful, democratic, revolutionary idea,” said Fall. “The problem is anti-net neutrality, the powerful forces that have aligned to remove the networks natural neutrality to content, to allow a ‘pay-to-play’ internet, where those who can afford to pay will have more reach, more access, more control, and thus more influence over the content in the WWW, shutting out smaller, independent voices that are currently on an equal footing with them.”

Open Media is a non-profit organization that exists to protect and safeguard the openness of the internet. The organization prioritizes three primary pillars: access, free expression and privacy. For Katy Anderson, digital rights advocate at the organization, leading the access pillar has kept her right in the middle of things regarding net neutrality. “I work on issues like net neutrality, access to the internet, how fast your internet is, how affordable it is, who can access it, what sites can we access, are all sites equal, that sort of thing,” she said. As the FCC continues to roll back on protective measures that were implemented in recent years, and as the US march towards a potentially life-altering Supreme Court decision, questions about how Canada’s own net neutrality laws cannot simply be brushed

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off.

Canada’s internet governing body is the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), and according to Anderson, the CRTC has done good work in recent years to ensure that Canada’s internet landscape remain free and open. “Our CRTC, has in the past few years, been better at getting public input from people about the regulations we put on telecoms,” she said. One of the issues that the CRTC addressed in recent months is its crackdown of ‘zero-rating’

by ISPs. While Canada’s common carrier principles ensure that net neutrality is maintained, there are loopholes and backdoors that ISPs can take to work their way around the law – one of these is through zero-rating. “Because most of us have data caps, and because we know that people are using their cellphones more and more, your data cap on your cellphone is really important,” said Anderson. “If your service provider is Bell and if they’ll zero rate or give away their CTV content for free, it then provides people the incentive to watch CTV videos over other videos.” This tactic is akin to a Verizon controversy from a few years

back, when the American multinational telecommunications corporation was found guilty of deliberately hindering connection speeds for streaming sites like Netflix and YouTube. “ISPs have an incentive to do this,” said Anderson. “If you look at Bell, they own CTV. Not only do they provide the internet, they have the content that they’re providing, so it’s within their interest to make it easier for people to watch CTV, to make it easier, to make it faster, to give it less barriers.”

Canada’s own net neutrality protections may safeguard Canadians from the perils that Americans might soon face, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that Canadians will be completely exempt from potential repercussions depending on what happens in the US. “A lot of our favourite internet companies that we use everyday, Facebook, Reddit, Google, Netflix, Tumblr, you can go on and on… most of them are operated in the United States,” said Anderson. “If ISPs start charging these companies more to get their content to an audience, then it’s going to cost them more to do business and they’re going to pass that cost to consumers – no matter where you live.”

As discouraging as it is to see extra costs added to innocuous and everyday websites, Fall argues that there is a more sinister repercussion that could come out

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of the impending net neutrality decision.

While Canada maintains a fairly secure safeguard around its net neutrality laws, a successful repeal in the US could lead to a domino effect with lobbyists and policy makers. “One of the big dangers is that the erosion of net neutrality in the US will be seen as an opportunity to weaken the rules here in Canada,” said Fall.

“I'd be surprised if the lobbyists are not already busily sharpening their pencils on this file.”

Anderson shared the ominous sentiment, almost echoing Pierre Trudeau’s iconic “sleeping elephant” quote. “Because the United States are policy leaders and whatever they do has a huge impact around the world and especially in Canada, being that we’re so close to them,” she said. “A huge thing is there’s a ton of lobbyists that work in the telecommunications industry and they’ve now had a big win in the United States so we can expect our own telecommunications firms are going to start working with these lobbyists to try and change policies here at home.”

Nima Boscarino is somewhat of an internet extraordinaire. The computer science student at Simon Fraser University is also an independent web developer, an introductory code instructor for Canada Learning Code and is a mentor for Lighthouse Labs’ popular web development boot camp. For the young developer, a big concern with the ongoing debacle in the US is not just the discrimination of content and access, but also how the dissemination of knowledge and information will effectively be restricted. “At its heart, growth in technology depends on communication,” he said. “If net neutrality is revoked, we end up with a more segregated internet.

Right now, there's nothing stopping someone from accessing whatever website they wish to visit, and the natural discovery of websites is something that makes the internet so great to use.”

This notion of “segregated internet” is what truly scares internet activists.

“We, as a society have long thought of the internet as a library,” Anderson said.

“Once you pay your library card fee, you get in and all information can be treated equally, you can go grab a book and you’re not going to be charged more for an art book with glossy photos than you are a book about math problems.” Even though access to the internet still require some levels of privilege and financial resource, much of the content within the internet is readily available once the initial point of entry is addressed. “Knowledge is power and what the internet did is it equalized knowledge,” Anderson said.

Boscarino sees a fundamental flaw in a fast and slow lane system on the internet. “If an ISP makes a deal with a streaming video company like Amazon, they may provide their clients with faster streaming rates for watching videos through Amazon Prime as opposed to Netflix, or the ISP may end up selling internet ‘bundles’ such as a ‘Gaming

Bundle’ with access to video game servers, or a ‘Streaming Bundle’ with access to services like YouTube, Netflix and Spotify,” he said.

However, while this cable TV-like model of distribution might seem attractive, Boscarino argues that there are no fundamental differences in data transfers between websites. Regardless of whether a user downloads 25 megabytes of Facebook content or two gigabytes of Netflix content, at the end of day, data is ultimately just data. “From a purely technical viewpoint there is no justification for an ISP to charge a client more to access one website instead of another,” he said.

Arguments for why net neutrality should be preserved and protected are irrefutable. The World Wide Web is essentially humanity’s last bastion of true freedom, and if the FCC and the US’ multinational telecommunications companies get their way, then the haven that the WWW has long provided might finally be truly compromised. “The WWW is, perhaps, one of the most revolutionary, democratizing technologies ever devised,” said Fall. “At its core is the idea that everyone on the network is equal.”

If and when net neutrality is repealed, the only victors will be the FCC and the ultra rich media companies that want to centralize control. “They once dominated and controlled the means of communication – no one likes change when it reduces their share of power, and the WWW and Internet totally changed the game for them,” Fall said. “I see this as a major effort for them to grab some of that power back.”

When Donald Trump won the US presidential election in November 2016, political commentator Van Jones famously defined it as the reclamation of power by “Middle America”. The repeal of net neutrality, the segregation of the internet and the development of internet elitism isn’t just media corporations reclaiming control – it’s an attack on the last free state.

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VOLUME 50 ISSUE NO. 11

CALENDAR

DINE OUT VANCOUVER FRI

VANCOUVER CHINESE LANTERN FESTIVAL PNE 5 P.M. – 11 P.M. / $13.50 – $19 MON

Staring at pretty lights doesn’t stop when the holidays are over. The lantern festival is one of the most beautiful events in the city. Don’t miss out.

ABOVE THE HOSPITAL RED GATE REVUE STAGE 7 P.M. / $20

“In 2017 Trudeau-era, two lower-class Vancouver millennials…live together in an overly priced, tiny apartment above a hospital.” My only issue with this description is that I wonder what kind of hospital tries to make some money on the side by renting out the upper floors?

PUSH FESTIVAL

308 DIFFERENT RESTAURANTS DINNER TIME / $20 - $40

VARIOUS VENUES JAN. 16 – FEB. 4 / $20 TUES

The festival for foodies on a budget. Running for the rest of the month and into February, it’s the perfect date night event, or treat for yourself when you feel lonely.

The performance arts festival is back in Vancouver and some of their shows look promising. Eternal Tides, choreographed by Lin Lee-Chen looks like the real-life version of the movie Black Swan. Seriously, look up the promotional trailer on YouTube if you don’t believe me.

BLACK BOYS

CAP CLASSICS CONCERT

A story that explores black male homosexuality. It’s not a topic I personally know a lot about. The Cultch Theatre is a fun venue and is known for putting on good shows. If you want to know what it’s like to be black and gay, this might be a good place to start.

The best things in life are free. This isn’t one of them, but it’s still a free event that you don’t have to leave campus to attend. Admit it, you weren’t doing anything during lunch anyway.

THE CULTCH 8 P.M. / $22 – $49

BLUESHORE FINANCIAL CENTRE 11:45 A.M. / FREE

SPRING 2018 WITHDRAWAL PERIOD

BØRNS

YOUR HOME ALL WEEK / A BIT OF PRIDE WED

This is your opportunity to admit to yourself that maybe you can’t handle all those classes you signed up for. Don’t feel bad about it, basket-weaving got the better of me too.

VOGUE THEATRE 8 P.M. / $29 SAT

STORY STORY LIE: PILLOW TALK

ECCW BALLROOM BRAWL IX

Two truths and a lie for an adult audience. Three people share their most embarrassing stories, but one of them is lying. One time at the Rio, before a screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, a girl had to make her best orgasm sound while her dad was in the audience

Yes, the Commodore is hosting a wrestling event. By the time I get to the end of this sentence, our Editor-in-Chief, Carlo Javier, will have already made plans with Andy Rice to go to this. And who can blame them? Wrestlemania 34 is still months away.

RIO THEATRE 6:00 P.M. / $10

COMMODORE BALLROOM 7 P.M. / $27.75 – $37.75

VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW

VANCOUVER OPERA PRESENTS: L’ELISIR D’AMORE

BC PLACE & GRANVILLE ISLAND MARITIME MARKET 10 A.M. – 8 P.M. / $5 – $25 THURS

His music sounds exactly like you’d expect with a name like that.

This electronic pop, Jack White-lite looking guy will be in Vancouver to serenade the crowd with songs that sound like they were designed to be played in the background of car commercials.

I know what you’re thinking. What kind of student would want to go to a boat show? Let me tell you a little secret: there’s fuck all happening this week. Sorry, but if your New Year’s resolution was to go to more events, you’re going to have to wait until next week.

SUN

QUEEN ELIZABETH THEATRE 2 P.M. / $95.75

The opera has to be absurdly expensive, otherwise you couldn’t look down on those who don’t go. If you go to this event, you can talk about how cultured and sophisticated you are for the next six months.

HARRY POTTER TRIVIA

ALWAYS SUNNY TRIVIA

The last movie came out seven years ago and people still can’t accept it’s over. If you’re one of those people who has a Deathly Hallow tattoo, then you probably already know about this event.

If you know how to make a milksteak, and can sing every word to “Nightman”, then you will get along just fine here. I wouldn’t miss out on this event, you know, because of the implication.

THE MORRISSEY 7:30 P.M. / $7

BILTMORE CABARET 7 P.M. / FREE

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ARTS & CULTURE

Inside Vancouver’s underground music scene RACHEL D’SA ARTS AND CULTURE EDITOR

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-SOPHIE BAKOS

V

ancouver’s underground music scene has sat fairly dormant in the post-punk era years, giving way to more established live music venues such as The Roxy, Biltmore Cabaret and newer establishments. However, a Vancouverbased organization called Vancouver Grotto is aiming to showcase the talents of young DIY artists by organizing and promoting events, injecting new life into the underground scene. Initially based around visual art including photography and spoken word poetry, founders Lexi Xajia and Zoe Kompst have found themselves leaning further towards live shows involving local bands over time.

Though their focus has shifted away from planning workshops and gallery events, the purpose remains the same –providing independent Vancouver artists with the leverage they deserve.

Upon meeting through a mutual friend in 2016, the two bonded over their interest in music. “Zoe and I were both a part of the music scene in the sense that we attended shows in our free time, but it was really Zoe who got me interested in the idea of promoting shows and her encouragement that brought the Grotto to fruition,” said Xajia. She additionally noted that though music had always been a main interest, she had never tried her hand as an artist therefore she felt that promotion was the best way for her to get involved. The organization’s first live show was at the Red Gate in January 2017, and the duo hasn’t stopped hustling ever since.

Through channeling their collective passions, the two have been able to craft a respectable network of creative individuals embedded in the scene. “The DIY scene is one of my favourite places to be. The people in the scene have been some of the friendliest and most creative people I’ve ever met,” said Kompst. “There are so many passionate people that are given an outlet to do what they love because of this scene, which I think is what makes it thrive,” Nearing their one-year anniversary on Jan. 20, the Grotto plans on celebrating with a live music show. The duo discussed the positives of reaching out to other members of Vancouver’s arts community, allowing them to network and nurture bonds between the bands they represent and the venues they work with. Xajia added that the two still feel a great sense of reward when they get bands who they haven’t yet worked with, reaching out to them for show planning, and seeing how far they’ve come in just a year. Their anniversary show will be at Vancouver’s ultimate underground venue, 333 (333 Clark Drive). The lineup consists of DIY Vancouver musicians including Insecurity Cameras, Kai Bravewood, The Jins, Dante’s Paradise and Wax Cowboy.

The event will bring some of Vancouver’s emerging underground talent to the scenes surface. This includes Dante’s Paradise, a jazz-infused

alternative rock four-piece, who have pulled from inspirations such as Basement and the emo and indie rock genre. “I went to their first show and I think Wind-Up Birds were playing, and they’re friends of mine. I remember thinking they put a lot of effort into that show. Not a lot of promoters take the time and energy to put that much effort in,” said vocalist and guitarist Justice Cote, recalling his first encounter with Vancouver Grotto. Upon signing with Sun Soft Records, the band partook in a two-day live music event put on by the organization in October 2017, and experienced the close-bonded community within the DIY music scene.

“I like that the DIY scene is a lot less based around partying. I mean obviously, it still holds that aspect to it, but if you’re playing big club shows, lots of people there are going to drink and then you just become the background entertainment.

With these shows here, the music is the focus, the people support you,” he said. As a student in the Jazz Drums Performance program at Capilano University, Cote has found himself finding collaborative efforts through the school and from the scene.

“There are also a lot of artists that come to the shows and offer to do artwork for us so that’s really awesome.”

Another band performing at the anniversary event, showcasing their passion for music and their appreciation for the Grotto is Wax Cowboy. The group held their debut release ‘darcy!’ through

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the Grotto this past June with a “bumpin’ DIY show at 333,” said drummer Eric Sanderson. “They’ve been the organizers of a majority of our most successful shows.

We've been working with them for a year now as of this show and consider them good friends,” he said. Though Sanderson and bassist John Domenici agree that the scene could use more venues that have a “good vibe and reputation.”

Working alongside other bands while on a collaborative record label, Soft Sun Records, and collectively welcoming touring or local come ups has garnered unique experiences for the group. “Once I showed up to a show where a different drummer was supplying a kit and he didn't have a drum throne so we had to sit on a lawn chair with a brick on it instead,” said Sanderson. “I work in construction outside of music so that takes up most of my time. But other than that it's beer and video games. Chilling at grunge mansion with homies from Dante’s paradise,” he said, additionally acknowledging the sense of community built by the scene.

From the outside looking in, the DIY music scene can seem like another world -- one that is hard to get into. The lack of an online presence for many venues and artists seems absurd to the mediasaturated environment we often find ourselves, and what we’re told will help us get word out. However, when evaluating what community is and building on a level foundation of close-bonded connections,

the minimalistic media approach makes sense. “We find that you learn about venues only really by attending events and creating connections. The only reason that the venues are so hard to contact is because a lot of the music that we promote is very underground, as are the venues,” noted Xajia. Kompst added that “having an address that you have to ask around for helps build a sense of community. It keeps everybody connected, and stops the wrong people from finding it – example, my grandma wouldn’t have a good time at 333.”

Xajia and Kompst plan on continuing to work together on the Vancouver Grotto, expanding it into something much larger.

They hope to grow the organization, eventually owning and operating their own venue space, bringing out bands from all over North America and possibly working in tour management. The inspired duo noted that they currently have many ideas rolling around in their heads, and can’t wait to see which ones become a reality.

The Vancouver Grotto’s all-ages anniversary show is on Jan. 20 at 333.

Doors open at 8 p.m. and the show starts at 9 p.m. Tickets will be available at the door for $15. To learn more about the Vancouver Grotto and the bands involved visit the event’s page @vancgrotto on Faceboook.

Ulf von Dehn Founder

2017 Grant Recipient

development

we

set

aside

2016 Grant Recipient

of

all

team

$20,000

to

2015 Grant Recipient

members.

provide

It

funding

is

one

of

towards

2015 Grant Recipient

our

core

advancing

the

values

skills

to

and

have provided over $50,000 to our team members and their family members.

At Capilano University, we have given 5 grants worth over $3,000 to team members since 2014. Thank you to all our team members who have applied for the von Dehn Grant!

Ulf von Dehn visit www.best.ca/vonDehnGrant “Discovering a be�er way to be My BEST” THE CAPILANO COURIER

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SPORTS

-VANCOUVER SPORTS PICTURES

Blues look to rebound in time for stretch run

After a slow start last fall, CapU Men's Basketball looks to steady the ship this spring LUKA VASIC CONTRIBUTOR

T

he Capilano University Blues men’s basketball team did not start the 2017/18 season the way they had planned. Losing three of their first four games to start the year, the team’s youth started to become evident.

This is natural for a group looking to integrate five rookies, a transfer student and the returning squad into

the rotation. “The first couple games we were still figuring out how to play with each other,” said team captain Niko Mottus of their three losses. “We battled in all three of those games, we missed pivotal shots and we were never front runners,” added head coach Cassidy Kannemeyer.

In their losses to Langara, Camosun and Vancouver Island University (VIU), the Blues dug themselves into holes they could not come back from, losing by an average of 14 points.

Despite the slow start, the team regrouped and finished 2017 on a twogame win streak. The Blues carried over that momentum into the new year, starting January by sweeping CBC

in back to back games. They now find themselves sitting on a 5-5 record, good for third place in the Pacific Western Athletic Association (PACWEST) with 8 games still left to play in the regular season.

Much of the Blues recent success can be credited to the play of their rookies, “Larry [Stupar] and Nathan [Bromige] have fit in well because defensively they’re game changers,” said Kannemeyer. “Michael Kelly is a smart player, he knows that when he comes in the game what he’s supposed to do and he’s bringing very consistent minutes.”

Throughout the season, Kannemeyer has stressed that the team needs to allow the game to come to them and not force things, which has helped the rookies find their place in the rotation.

While the team’s rookies have slowly been finding their spot on the team, the Blues have found more consistency in fourth-year transfer forward Denver Sparks-Guest. “I think him and I always knew what kind of player he can be,” said Kannemeyer, who coached SparksGuest on a U-16 provincial team. “He’s become much more trusting of his teammates, he’s worked way harder on the defensive end, and because of that I can ride him in almost every situation.”

Kannemeyer’s confidence in SparksGuest has allowed him to shine as one of the Blues most potent offensive weapons. He leads the team in scoring with 20.9 per game, rebounds with 8.2 per game, minutes with 29.8 per game,

and has given his coach the opportunity to “tinker the things we can do in our offense to best suit him, so he can make plays for others and for himself,” according to Kannemeyer.

However, the most important piece of the Blues recent success has been their unselfishness, with eight players averaging more than 1.5 assists per game. “I want the ball to move, I want everybody to touch it,” said Kannemeyer.

“When we’re playing like that we’re so deadly,” added Mottus, who along with Wowie Untalan lead the team with 2.7 and 3 assists per game respectively.

Despite the recent string of success, Motus and Kannemeyer realize what the team needs to do to become provincials.

“We need to get tougher, and we need to get more resilient when the bullets are flying,” said Kannemeyer.

The team’s mental toughness was tested this past weekend against the first-place VIU Mariners, who remain undefeated. After losing to the Mariners in the provincial gold medal game last spring, Mottus and the Blues couldn’t help but feel fired up for the matchup.

“They’re the team you want to beat,” said Mottus. “It’s definitely a personal game, and I know we’re all ready to play them on our home court,” he said before the game.

While the Blues dropped both contests, they showed tremendous resilience on Saturday, playing a hardfought battle after blowing a one point lead at half on Friday and losing by 23.

-VANCOUVER SPORTS PICTURES

Reinvigorated Blues aim to finish season strong

Speed, spacing and shooting could lead the Blues to elusive the PACWEST gold medal LUKA VASIC CONTRIBUTOR

D

espite a 6-2 start to the 2017/18 season, all-star forward Carmelle M’Bikata knows where the Capilano University Blues women’s

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basketball team and herself need to be by the end of February. “It’s been up and down,” she said of her team’s first eight games. “There’s a chip on our shoulder and we really want to get it done this year, but there’s still a lot of things that we need to improve on.”

After an outstanding 16-2 regular season record last year, in the playoffs the Blues fell short of the Pacific Western Athletic Association (PACWEST) gold medal. The second consecutive finals loss has left the

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Blues with a refreshed motivation and a revamped game plan. Now running a new offence, the team has also rejuvenated their roster with newcomers, including veteran Emma Cunningham.

This year we have way more shooters than last, [and they’ve] molded well into the offence and what we want to accomplish,” said M’Bikata. The new offense has put athleticism and shooting at the forefront, which has been a welcome change for the entire roster.

“Emma had a good weekend, she’s finally hit her sweet spot,” continued M’Bikata, referring to their Jan. 5 and 6 back-to-back wins against the Columbia Bible College Bearcats. “Sam (Dosanjh), our first year, has the highest threepoint percentage in the league. Every time we put her in she sparks that energy.”

Though much of this regular season can be viewed as time for putting everything together, the Blues have also focused on the continued improvement and veteran leadership of returning players like M’Bikata and Ashley “Ace” dela Cruz Yip, who this past November became the PACWEST’s all-time assists leader. Both players are leading their team in all the major statistical categories, with M’Bikata averaging 12.5 points per game and 7.6 rebounds

per game and dela Cruz Yip leading the team in assists 4.7 per game and steals with a pair per game. “Ace still does what she does best, the assists and defensive intensity,” said M’Bikata. “[We need to] continue with our defensive pressure. We really like our press, and it gives us more energy when we get into it.”

The team’s defence and guard play have arguably been their strongest assets. However, realizing how much better offensively and defensively they are in the half-court rather than in transition, the Blues know where they need to improve most. They’ll be looking to further push the pace of their game and improve their transition scoring.

“We’re trying to get more in transition like last year, we need to pick up on that, we need to get more easy baskets,” said M’Bikata.

This past weekend the team had back-to-back contests against the Vancouver Island University Mariners, whom along with the Camosun College Chargers all find themselves in a three-way tie for first place. After losing Friday night’s game with the help of some questionable calls at the end, the Blues stormed back and won 79-51 on Saturday, Jan. 13 to remain tied for first place in the PACWEST.

@CAPILANOCOURIER

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-VANCOUVER SPORTS PICTURES

Denguessi: "We should be unstoppable."

Dominant Men's Volleyball Team has sights set for provincial championship JUSTIN SCOTT MANAGING EDITOR

A

t the beginning of the Capilano University Blues men’s volleyball season, team captain Simon Friesen said that the team had set a goal to medal at provincials. Now with a Pacific Western Athletic Association (PACWEST) leading 14-2 record, it appears their goals may have changed. “We haven’t really talked about it, but we’re going for the gold

medal. We want to win,” he said.

The team was confident coming into the season as they were returning much of last year’s squad. However, they weren’t necessarily expecting their season to start as well as it did. “It’s what our soul was longing for, we aimed for those performances,” head coach Emmanuel Denguessi said.

The Blues only lost two games prior to the winter break. One was to the second place Vancouver Island University (VIU) Mariners the day after CapU beat them in a Canadian College Athletic Association (CCAA)’s record-setting match. The other was the team’s last game of 2017 against the Camosun College Chargers. After

the Christmas break, the team returned ready to play, winning back-to-back games against the Columbia Bible College Bearcats and another pair against the College of the Rockies Avalance on Jan. 12 and 13.

The Blues are finding success for a number of reasons, perhaps none more important than their team play. “We’ve got a really good close bond with everybody, so when we’re clicking it’s really easy to play well together,” Friesen said. While players like Friesen, Middle Zarley Zalusky and outside hitter Justin Yee are all having career seasons, it’s the team’s ability to function as one and execute plays from all positions that have made them such a force.

The PACWEST leaderboard for individual statistics is littered with players from VIU, with only three Blues appearances in the top five of major categories. However, as a team, CapU ranks first or second in the league in most categories, exhibiting their collective strengths. “My first year we had the leader in offence and scoring, but we finished second last,” Denguessi explained. “Why? Because we only had one guy who was getting 50 per cent of our passes, so I think the individual statistics can be very misleading.”

One of the major reasons the team has been able to share the wealth of the play is their powerful middle. Zalusky and Mattias Wels-Lopez have enabled a well-

-VANCOUVER SPORTS PICTURES

It’s time to take the Blues seriously

CapU Women's Volleyball has turned a rebuilding year into another medal contention JUSTIN SCOTT MANAGING EDITOR

T

he women’s volleyball team is in the midst of a self-described rebuilding year, and after a rocky start to the season they’re currently tied for second place in the Pacific Western Athletic Association (PACWEST). “We’re starting to figure out what’s working for us and we’re meshing,” said team captain Tyneille Neufeld.

The team is young. They have eight first year, three second year and three third year players.. Due to this, they knew that it would take some time for them to build chemistry and that it was unlikely that they would see immediate success as the season began.

They started the season 4-6, which was accentuated by a three-game losing streak to end October and beginning November.

However, they swept a back-to-back series against the Camosun College Chargers to end the first part of their season with a respectable 6-6 record. “[The beginning of the season] went how we expected,” Neufeld said. “Going into the season with a younger team. I think we did exactly what we had to do, we got in

there, figured our stuff out and came out of the first term 6-6.”

The women have opened the second part of their season with two more sets of backto-back wins against the Columbia Bible College Bearcats, snapping the Abbotsford school’s five-game win streak, and the College of the Rockies Avalanche this past weekend.

As the team is coming together as players, they’re emerging as an offensive powerhouse. They currently lead the league in attacks and assists, lead by Neufeld’s deadly right arm which has placed her at second in the PACWEST in kills. “We’re digging and passing the ball more than other teams, which is giving us more opportunities,” she explained However, the team still has much to work on if they hope to medal for a fifth straight year. Although their chemistry has improved, Neufeld believes that it still has a long way to go. “It’s a mental and confidence thing,” she said. The women may be young, but they’re an incredibly talented team. In Neufeld’s eyes, it’s just a matter of continuing to play together and understand one another as opposed to developing individual skill sets.

Neufeld acknowledged that third year players Meghan Koven, Zoe Mydansky and herself needed to embrace their new role as leaders, something that they are still learning how to do. And for Koven and Mydansky, leadership isn’t the only new thing to them this season.

Both players have transitioned from

rounded attack and defence many teams don’t have the luxury of having. “I think we have two of the strongest middles in the league,” Friesen said. Zalusky is currently second in the league in total blocks.

The strong play from the middle has also allowed the team to attack from numerous areas as opposed to the traditional left side assault. It doesn’t hurt that Friesen leads the league in assists per set with a whopping 9.78 per.

Looking ahead, the team is optimistic that this should be their year, but they’re ensuring they don’t get too comfortable.

“All the teams have had the time to develop their cohesiveness, their team spirit and every single team is going to come for us as a unit,” Denguessi warned.

He expects the second half of the team’s season to be much tougher than the first, with a pivotal series coming up this weekend. On Jan. 19 and 20, the Blues will host the second place Mariners for another back-to-back series that is very likely going to be a battle of the PACWEST’s two titans.

If the Blues can keep up their play, there’s nothing stopping them from wearing gold around their neck come the end of the season, which would allow them a birth into the CCAA national tournament. “We’re going for the gold medal because we want to be in nationals.

There’s no reason that we shouldn’t aim for that,” Denguessi said. “On our best day, we should be unstoppable.”

outside hitters to middles this year, a process that while grueling, has payed off.

Koven is currently sixth in the league in blocks and Mydansky eighth – impressive stats considering it’s their first year at the position.

Another aspect of the team’s game that needs improving is their offence. While it has been a damaging attack, the vast majority of it is coming from the left side of the court. While this may be standard volleyball attack, Neufeld believes that if the team can bring some diversity to where their balls are being hit from, it will create new opportunities from other positions as well as open up the left side.

“It seems to be our strength, attacking from the left,” she said. “It’s where most of our sets go to, which is unfortunate because I’d like to see us spread our offense a bit more.”

So far then, this season can be considered a success. CapU’s young team has started to find their identity and are making strides to become a serious contender for the PACWEST title. “One of my goals was to definitely medal at provincials, and I think that that’s still a goal,” Neufeld said. “We’ve come together as a team as much as we could have in one semester.” With the second place Vancouver Island University Mariners visiting CapU’s Sportsplex for a back-toback games on Friday and Saturday, the Blues will have a chance to prove how serious they really are.

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VOLUME 50 ISSUE NO. 11

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CABOOSE

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/CAPILANOCOURIER

THE VOICEBOX with Justin Scott

Yooo Happy Birthday!! Have a good one

Thanks haha, I’m in Toronto for it.

Planet Hoth*

“My co-worker iced me.

I got drunk after just one. So, I sat by myself in some corner laughing while occasionally lunging at people. I also spilled red wine on my co-worker.”

Congratulations! You’ve reached the half-way point of your life.

Hey, lets have a weird ass convo so I can make it in Voicebox

TAURUS (APR. 20 – MAY 20)

The coal you got for Christmas was a mistake.

You weren’t supposed to get anything.

It’s been a slow week, you’ll probably make it anyways Well I don’t feel like I deserve it, I don’t want it just handed to me

“I started drinking at 10:30 this morning.”

GEMINI (MAY 21 – JUN. 20)

Love is all around you. It’s being careful not to touch you.

Hey buddy my rents are away this weekend…. you wanna do shrooms?

– “I went on a date and when he went to the bathroom while we were having dessert… I snuck a bite.”

The Voicebox is back! If you have any questions, concerns or any other bitchin’ to do, text it over to our boy Justin at 778-873-7288. “Please text me,” he says. “No one else does.”

123456

“I once slurped up beer off the table because someone spilled the pitcher.”

SUDOKU

–

2

“I get my ex-boyfriend to drive me to my tinder dates… he doesn’t know.”

5

9

–

The stars do not predict the future.

VIRGO (AUG. 23 – SEPT. 21)

Avoid sharp objects.

1

LIBRA (SEPT. 22 – OCT. 23)

3

8

9

7

2

4

5

7

6

“My boss took a photo of me passed out in the bathroom, head beside the toilet.”

Your mother loves you very much.

Difficulty: Easy

9

–

CANCER (JUN 21 – JULY 22)

LEO (JUL. 23 – AUG. 22)

–

Puzzle 1 (Easy, difficulty rating 0.42)

Everyone would feel a lot safer if you didn’t drive.

1

3

3

1

6

4

9

2

8

1

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22 – JAN. 19)

Yes, you can eat that whole pie yourself.

9 6 8

9

Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/sudoku on Sat Jan 13 03:19:52 2018 GMT. Enjoy!

20

THE CAPILANO COURIER

TO ADVERTISE in the Courier’s pages, please contact us by phone at 778-995-4388 or email John Tabbernor at community.capcourier@gmail.com.

We are proud to offer discounts to non-profit organizations and North Shore customers. A full media kit with sizes, rates and deadlines is available on our website, Capilanocourier.com. Classified advertisements up to 50 words are free for students.

VOLUME 50 ISSUE NO. 11

It’s a boy.

Your best friend is hiding a terrible secret from you.

1

Read more and submit your own confession at capilanocourier.com/confessions

SCORPIO (OCT. 24 – NOV. 21)

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22 – DEC. 21)

1 2

It’s your birthday.

Cry if you want too.

ARIES (MAR. 21 – APR. 19)

It’s currently colder than Mars and the North Pole

–

IF YOUR BIRTHDAY IS THIS WEEK:

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20 – FEB.18)

Be wary of transient clowns.

PISCES (FEB. 19 – MAR. 20)

The inevitable heat death of the universe will solve all your problems.