STUDYSPORTS BREAK

2. An aquatic species that can be found throughout all of Canada. They are solitary creatures that make hauntingly beautiful sounds.

3. A species with impeccable hearing and vision that often symbolize wisdom.

9. The fastest animal in the world with a diving speed of 200 miles per hour. Also, a rare species that almost went extinct in the mid-twentieth century due to the effects of pesticides.

1. In the 1950s, their species was going extinct with only 1,000 left. Now, this North American bird of prey has made an enormous recovery with over 300,000 today.

Interpreting the music of the spheres with your Digital Alchemist

Aries — Mar 21 to Apr 19

This week, your natural assertiveness and drive will come in handy. You will inspire others with your cando attitude and infectious energy. Just remember to take breaks and hydrate!

Taurus — Apr 20 to May 20

This week, you may feel a strong urge to indulge in your favourite foods and pleasures. While it's important to treat yourself, remember to maintain balance and moderation. You don't want to overdo it!

Gemini — May 21 to Jun 20

This week, your curious nature will lead you down some interesting paths. Keep an open mind and don't be afraid to try new things. Who knows? You might discover a hidden talent or passion!

Cancer —Jun 21 to Jul 22

This week, you may feel extra emotional and sensitive. Remember to take care of yourself and prioritize self-care. It's okay to take a break and recharge your batteries.

Leo — Jul 23 to Aug 22

This week, your natural charisma and confidence will be on full display. Use your charm and persuasion to achieve your goals, but also remember to listen to others and consider their perspectives.

Virgo —Aug 23 to Sep 22

This week, you may feel a bit overwhelmed with responsibilities and tasks. Remember to break things down into manageable steps and prioritize what's most important. You got this!

Libra — Sep 23 to Oct 22

This week, your social skills and diplomacy will come in handy. Use your charm and tact to smooth over any conflicts or misunderstandings. You have a way of bringing people together!

Scorpio — Oct 23 to Nov 21

This week, your intuition and insight will be your greatest assets. Trust your gut and follow your instincts, even if they lead you down an unconventional path. You have a knack for seeing what others can't.

4. Their name is derived from the Algonquian word Wisakedjak, meaning a mischievous spirit who enjoys playing tricks on people. These friendly birds can be found in boreal forests around North America.

5. This species has a reversible outer toe, allowing them to grasp onto fish with two toes in front and two behind.

6. A seabird that feeds by diving in water. They nest on cliff sides or islands and often live in large colonies.

7. A friendly species that loves sunflower seeds and peanuts. Their call is unlike any other bird call, including a lot of “dee dee dee dee dee…”

8. A shorebird that enjoys water wading. They are named after their piping whistle sounds.

Sagittarius — Nov 22 to Dec 21

This week, your adventurous spirit and love of freedom may lead you to take some risks. While it's important to live life to the fullest, remember to also consider the consequences of your actions.

Capricorn — Dec 22 to Jan 19

This week, your practicality and ambition will serve you well. Stay focused on your goals and don't let distractions or setbacks derail you. You have what it takes to succeed!

Aquarius — Jan 20 to Feb 18

This week, your innovative and creative ideas may be met with some resistance or skepticism. Don't let that discourage you! Keep pushing forward and trust in your vision. You have a unique perspective that can change the world.

Pisces — Feb 19 to Mar 20

This week, your compassionate and empathetic nature will be in full force. Use your intuition and understanding to connect with others and offer support. You have a way of making people feel seen and heard.

for getting together, and somewhat accidentally, forming a girl gang.

At the time of writing there are five episodes yet to be aired

Ever watch Grease or Grease 2 and think hmm I wish I had an origin story of the formation for cool girl gang the Pink Ladies? Well you’re in luck! The new show Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies (created by Annabel Oakes) takes fans back to 1954, four years before the original movie is set to witness Rydell High history being made with Danny and Sandy.

If you’re expecting to see the freshman version of the ladies we already know then you’re out of luck. The main cast is a whole new roster of characters (though there is a fun cameo of young Frenchie and Rizzo!) who bond over being outcasts within the halls of the high school. The show centers around four main female leads: Jane (Marisa Davila), Olivia (Cheyenne Isabel Wells), Nancy (Tricia Fukuhara), and Cynthia (Ari Notartomaso). Each one of the girls has their own reasons

The first episode sees Jane slutshamed by most of the students at Rydell High for a false rumour perpetrated by the popular kids. When she decides to run against her popular ex-boyfriend for student class president, Jane finds her campaign backed by the other three ladies. Olivia is fed up with being oversexualized for simply existing after ending an affair she had with a teacher where she is painted as the bad guy.

Nancy and Cynthia are two characters who have been shunned from their friends; the former doesn’t find boys to be as fun as her old friends think, and the latter is booted from hanging out with the T-Birds due to her gender. Jane’s campaign exclaims that she will make “Rydell fun for everyone” and the three other ladies back her in this, quickly joining her cause in a time when she needs them most.

The show offers a complex look into gender, class, race, and much more. I understand many were against the idea of the Pink Ladies origin story, but personally, I’m a fan of how the show handles it. The Pink Ladies origin as an act of sisterhood and defiance works perfectly as their introduction. Through the shared plight of teenage girlhood, these four strangers become fast friends. As their relationship deepens, their common struggle lets them accept and embrace their various differences and dynamics. At no point is anything (so far) a deal breaker for them.

Could things be improved in places?

Of course. The show is still finding its footing at times. Too often the plot is driven by outgroups who swing wildly from love to hate of the girl gang. Episode-contained conflicts that worked well in a time before streaming can feel immediately repetitive once binged. The student body could, as a whole, slowly come around to the Pink Ladies in an organic season-wide arc, but the viewer instead needs to see the gang’s peers yo-yo every episode. Despite this, the storytelling remains one of the show’s strengths.

Another great thing to note is how talented the cast members are; each actor has clear strengths and the people behind the scenes clearly know how to use them. Just about every character is deeply layered and complex, which adds to the gang’s dynamic.

Of course, you can’t talk about Grease and not mention the soundtrack, and overall, I absolutely loved the musical numbers . The show feels like a stage production at times, which lends itself into how camp the original Grease movies (and origin musical) were. This extends to the songs, and while the choreography can be a bit silly, it really does fit into place perfectly. My only complaint is that every so often a song lyric uses incredibly modern language/ slang and takes me out of the moment.

Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies gives a peek into the moral panic of a girl gang, yet strikes a great balance between being old-fashioned and modern. I believe musical theatre fans will enjoy this new series, but also if you’re looking for a fun little pick me up, I highly recommend a viewing. Now, please excuse me while I go online shopping for a pink jacket.

Have you ever walked out of a theatre halfway through the movie? When you truly and utterly hate what you’re watching, there is no greater pleasure than sticking your nose up, walking out the theatre doors and exclaiming “I paid $15 for that!?” It’s cathartic knowing that if the director could see you now, they would be deeply offended by your truly brave act of protest. Unless of course, that director is Ari Aster, for whom I imagine there is no greater compliment. The director of Hereditary and Midsommar seems deeply committed to his mission of making audiences as uncomfortable as possible, and judging by the couple that walked out of my screening of Beau Is Afraid, Aster has no intention of easing up any time soon.

It’s difficult to sum this movie up in a satisfying way. We follow Beau (Joaquin Phoenix), a paranoid schizophrenic haunted by an endless parade of ghosts and delusions. The street outside Beau’s apartment is a murderous wasteland, and inside isn’t much better. Venomous spiders crawl beneath his bed, men watch him through the windows, and voices echo in his head. Most terrifying of all, Beau’s overbearing mother expects him to board a plane and come visit her. What follows is a dizzying descent into madness that blurs the line between dark comedy and epic tragedy.

On the surface, Beau Is Afraid has the hallmarks of a typical Ari Aster film; fullfrontal elderly nudity, severe head trauma, and themes of familial dysfunction and tragedy. However, those expecting a relatively linear horror movie like Hereditary will be squirming in their seats by the two and a half hour mark. Rather than scaring you, Aster’s intent is to disorient you until you no longer know which way is up. Everything we are shown comes from Beau’s fractured perspective; his experience is our experience. A movie like Joker uses mental illness as a setup for a twist at the end, but we ultimately understand which parts of the narrative were real, and which were delusions. Beau Is Afraid doesn’t just use schizophrenia as a narrative tool, the narrative itself is schizophrenic, and by the end, we still understand shockingly little.

The reality we are introduced to in the first act begins to crumble in the second act, and completely dissolves by the third. We enter an abstract nightmare reminiscent of Charlie Kaufman’s I’m Thinking Of Ending Things or David Lynch’s Eraserhead (with a dash of Pink Floyd’s The Wall). This avant-garde approach will undoubtedly be appealing to some and off-putting to others. While the chaotic nature of the story makes for an unpredictable viewing experience, and many scenes are masterfully tense, the film’s bloated runtime spoils the fun. What begins as exhilarating becomes exhausting as we near the three-hour mark. That’s not to say this movie isn’t worth a watch, but after the first viewing, the prospect of rewatching feels daunting and unnecessary. So, did I enjoy Beau Is Afraid? Yes, absolutely. Do I understand why people might stand up and walk out on this one? Also yes. Aster has succeeded once again in creating a disturbing film that will get under your skin and live in your brain for weeks after. However, unlike his previous films which were relatively concise and genuinely terrifying, Beau Is Afraid revels in being absurd, overindulgent, and confusing. Some movie-goers are undoubtedly going to want to rewatch and analyze each scene for all the things they missed the first time. Others will probably shrug and move on with their lives. While I’m still unsure which camp I’m in, I will say this: If you’re open to the idea of watching a crazed director with a blank cheque make an even crazier film, you owe it to yourself to check out Beau Is Afraid

A one-time-only show at the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra featuring Said the Whale was definitely a night to remember…

GIANNA DINWOODIE

On April 19, 2023, I had the pleasure of attending a one-time-only show put on in conjunction with Vancouverbased indie-rock band Said the Whale at the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. Seeing as I’m new to the area, Said the Whale was a band I recently got into and when the opportunity arose to see them live, I knew I had to take it.

It was the first time I had been at the orchestra, and let me tell you I was IMPRESSED. The outer facade of the venue, The Orpheum, seemed nonthreatening, just like a normal movie theatre. Little did I know the sheer grandeur it contained. The venue was packed, with lines of people wrapped all along the velvet staircase clamouring to get merch before the show started. The atmosphere felt magical and truly electric; chock-full with diehard fans excited to see their favourite band in person. Although it would destroy my favourite fun fact about myself — that in all my 19 years the only band/ musician I had seen in person was Ed

Sheeran — I was still ecstatic to get a taste of the Vancouver music scene. The night didn’t have an opener; Said the Whale spoke for themselves. The orchestra played an instrumental version of one of their newer songs and my jaw was on the floor the entire time! It was the perfect introduction, the musicians were truly phenomenal and it set the stage for when Tyler Bancroft (guitarist), Jaycelyn Brown (pianist), and Ben Worcester (vocalist) came out introducing the evening. They were humorous and everything I imagined. When listening to recorded music it is hard to picture the artists behind the melodies, but I couldn't have asked for more. When they bantered with the audience, it felt like I was in on the joke; just one of the gang.

As they sang, the lighting behind them was colourful and timed to the music. The evening progressed, and as the lighting transformed into every colour of the rainbow, each song was better than the last. So much so, the audience raised into a standing ovation twice! When the members of Said the

Whale came back on to the stage for an encore, they each sang, or played on the piano, a love song for their respective partners and it was the most beautiful moment I had experienced since coming to Vancouver. While there, I couldn’t help but feel emotional about my decision to come to British Columbia, as there was such a large sense of love and community in the room; I would be remiss to not mention I may have shed a tear or two.

Overall, the night was amazing and I couldn’t recommend more seeing Said the Whale live. Although this show was a one-time event, the packed house makes me hopeful they will perhaps do another show like this again. The entire performance was expertly put together and not only does it help in uniting pre-existing fans, but brings a new audience to the orchestra. I will definitely be attending another Vancouver Symphony Orchestra show, even if it doesn't feature a band I like.

The mood and the feeling of the night was worth it — as well as the super cool merch.