the griff - January 2023

@thegriffmag info@thegriff.ca thegriff.ca

Thank you for reading the griff, MacEwan University’s student media. The griff is funded by student fees and is considered a service under the Students’ Association of MacEwan University. For four years, the griff published a weekly newspaper, before transitioning into a monthly magazine in 2015. Currently, we publish seven issues between September and April, and our website is updated semi-daily throughout those months.

As the student media at MacEwan University, our foremost aim is to provide diverse, well-researched articles written from a student perspective. Our content is hyperlocal, with a focus on issues affecting our university and the greater downtown area. We aim to create in-depth articles that promote wellbeing in our community. We want to engage in a dialogue about the things that matter to you.

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Mya Colwell assistant editor mya@thegriff.ca

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Jason Husak digital content editor jason@thegriff.ca

Nawaal Basha graphics editor nawaal@thegriff.ca

eva@thegriff.ca

Brett Boyd photo editor brett@thegriff.ca Thai Sirikoone managing editor managing@thegriff.ca

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ON THE COVER: KIM HUYNH Kim Huynh is a fourth year student at MacEwan University studying visual communication design. She is a graphic artist with the Edmonton Short Film Festival and is interested in designing for the mental health space. When she’s not designing, she finds inspiration through reading niche manga, playing video games, and cuddling her cats. More of her work can be found at kimhuynh.design or on Instagram @kimh.design.

Garret Kryzanowski

Rebecca Reeves

Long Ly

Kim Hyunh

David Gaina

Catherine Lieu

Julietta Harvey

Jacqueline Ohm

Teagan Sywyk

Ash Schepens

CREATIVE SPOTLIGHT

Edmonton-based hip hop rap artist and poet, Ntwali WHAT’S HAPPENING

THIS IS AN ARTICLE ABOUT THE ECONOMY No really, it is.

YOUTH MOVEMENT IN MEN’S BASKETBALL

A GEOLOGIST WANTS

NEW YEAR, NEW EVENTS.

On Campus:

Pool Tournament | Bi-weekly on Wednesdays. Starts Jan. 4. 5:30pm at Towers.

The Undergrad Variety Show | Bi-weekly on Mondays. Starts Jan. 9. Doors at 5:30 p.m. at Towers.

Ukrainian Students Organization: Ukrainian Film Screening | Jan. 14 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in CN Theatre Room 5-142.

MacEwan Showcase Band Concert | Jan. 14, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at The Triffo Theatre Room 11-130, Allard Hall 11110 –104 Avenue.

The Inquiring Mind: Campus Mental Health Workshop | Jan. 23, 2 to 6 p.m. at Room 9-208, Robbins Health Learning Centre 10910 – 104.

Garneau String Quartet Inaugural Concert Series | Jan. 24, 7:30 to 9 p.m. at Muttart Hall College Campus 10050 MacDonald Drive.

MacEwan Composition Concert | Jan. 28, 2 to 4 p.m. at Betty Andrews Recital Hall Room 11-150, Allard Hall 11110 – 104.

Significant Academic Dates

Deadline to add or drop winter 2023 regular session classes | Jan. 13

Winter 2023 Tuition and Fee Payment Deadline | Jan. 31

Off-Campus:

• Harlem Globetrotters vs. Washington Generals basketball game | Jan. 8, 1 to 2:00 p.m. at Rogers Place.

• Just For Laughs: Jim Gaffigan | Jan. 13 to 14 | Showtimes: 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. at the Winspear Centre.

• Junior Boys at The Starlite Room | Jan. 17 | Doors open at 8 p.m.

• SAMU Dancing Queen Disco |Jan. 20, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. at The Starlite Room.

• Deep Freeze Festival | Jan. 21 to 22 Alberta Avenue District.

• Tony Yayo with Peter Jackson | Jan. 25, 7 p.m. at The Starlite Room.

• Winterruption Music Festival | Jan. 26 to 29 with varying times and locations.

• SAMU Splash and Bash | Jan. 27, 7:30 to 11:30 p.m. at WEM Waterpark.

Griffins Games in Edmonton Hockey: Downtown Community Arena Basketball, Volleyball: David Atkinson Gymnasium (bldg. 8) *Away games at the U of A: Saville Community Sports Centre.

Friday, Jan. 6

• Women’s Basketball | vs. Trinity Western — 6 p.m.

• Men’s Basketball | vs. Trinity Western — 8 p.m.

• Women’s Hockey | vs. Calgary — 7 p.m.

• Men’s Basketball | vs. Trinity Western — 8 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 7

• Men’s Basketball | vs. Trinity Western — 4 p.m.

• Men’s Hockey | vs. Calgary — 5 p.m.

• Women’s Basketball | vs. Trinity Western — 6 p.m.

• Friday, Jan 13

• Women’s Volleyball | vs. University of Fraser Valley — 6 p.m.

• Women’s Hockey | vs. Regina — 7 p.m.

• Men’s Volleyball | vs. University of Fraser Valley — 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 14

• Men’s Hockey | vs. Regina — 2 p.m.

• Men’s Volleyball | vs. University of Fraser Valley — 4 p.m.

• Women’s Volleyball | vs. University of Fraser Valley — 5:30 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 20

• Women’s Basketball | vs. University of Alberta — 6 p.m. in the David Atkinson Gymnasium

• *Women’s Basketball | Away @ University of Alberta — 6 p.m.

• *Men’s Hockey | Away @ University of Alberta — 7 p.m.

• *Men’s Volleyball | Away @ University of Alberta — 7:30 p.m.

• Men’s Basketball | vs. University of Alberta — 8 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 21

• Men’s Hockey | vs. Trinity Western — 4 p.m.

• Men’s Basketball | vs. University of Alberta — 4 p.m.

• *Men’s Volleyball | Away @ University of University of Alberta — 5 p.m.

• Women’s Basketball | vs. University of Alberta — 6 p.m.

• *Women’s Volleyball | Away @ University of Alberta — 6:30 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 27

• Men’s Hockey | vs. University of British Columbia — 7 p.m.

• Saturday, Jan. 28

• Men’s Hockey | vs. University of British Columbia — 5 p.m.

Oilers January Schedule

• vs. Seattle Kraken | Tuesday, Jan. 3 — 7 p.m.

• vs. New York Islanders | Thursday, Jan. 5 — 7 pm

• vs. Colorado Avalanche | Saturday, Jan. 7 — 8 p.m.

• *Away @ Los Angeles Kings | Monday, Jan. 9 — 8:30 p.m.

• *Away @ Anaheim Ducks | Wednesday, Jan. 11 — 8 p.m.

• *Away @ San Jose Sharks | Friday, Jan. 13 — 8:30 p.m.

• *Away @ Vegas Golden Knights, Saturday, Jan. 14 — 8 p.m.

• vs. Seattle Kraken | Tuesday, Jan. 17 — 7 p.m.

• vs. Tampa Bay Lightning | Thursday, Jan. 19 — 7 p.m.

• *Away @ Vancouver Canucks | Saturday, Jan. 21 — 8 p.m.

• vs. Columbus Blue Jackets | Wednesday, Jan. 25 — 7:30 p.m.

• vs. Chicago Blackhawks | Saturday, Jan. 28 — 8 p.m.

SAMU has six pairs of tickets for each Edmonton Oilers game at Rogers Place, available at discounted prices exclusively for MacEwan students. For more information, visit the SAMU website or offices in the SAMU building.

Twenty-six-year-old artist, Ntwali Kayijaho, didn’t always know music was his calling. It wasn’t until he faced adversity in his youth that he began to realize his full potential and make a name for himself.

Coming from two immigrant parents who survived the 1994 Rwandan genocide, Ntwali grew up with familial examples of ambition, strength, and diligence. He describes seeing the work ethic and living conditions for his family change for the better over the years as incredibly motivating.

Ntwali prioritizes paying homage to his Rwandan roots and doesn’t shy away from making that clear in his music. Featured on his second album, Late Bloomer 2, the young artist wrote a song called “Jungle” about his parents’ journey to Canada in the year 2000. “My dad was a doctor back home, and when he came to Canada, his education wasn’t viewed the same, so he had to redo medical school (in Canada) while raising five boys,” says Ntwali. “My mom was a business owner and a teacher back home. Coming here, she had to raise five boys too. That shows the type of strength they have, and that’s the blood I have. That’s my biggest inspiration.”

Nevertheless, Ntwali doesn’t let the nay-sayers dim his light. “It’s fuel to the fire. They inspire me,” he claims. “You would think having haters would be discouraging, but it’s like… ‘I’ll show you.’” Despite having some haters in the mix, he feels immense gratitude for the friends that supported him through his journey to becoming a hip-hop and rap artist.

having a spiritual background. “You gotta have something to rely on in tough times because otherwise, you’ll rely on your vices,” he says. Along with personal development, Ntwali is a firm believer in words of affirmation and being honest with yourself.

NTWALI

Ntwali went on to graduate from university and is a proud MacEwan UNiversity alum. He completed his Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology last year, and he describes his time at MacEwan as warm and welcoming. “I would go up to students and pass them my mixtapes and would freestyle to people in those little study rooms,” he recalls. “A lot of those people still follow me and are inspired by my growth; they come to my shows.”

Ntwali made his debut in 2017, releasing his first mixtape called Late Bloomer. “I think the outro, “P.S.,” is my favorite song. (In the song) I’m writing a letter to music and how it was there for me therapeutically,” he says.

Ntwali defines success as impact. Being able to inspire other artists or those who aspire to make it in music is vital to the young rapper. He says that being able to pull someone else out of a creative rut is one of the best feelings as an artist. “Through that process, you’ll get support, they’ll come to your shows, they’ll buy your merch, they’ll buy your vinyl, or whatever it may be because of that connection,” he exclaims. “Personally, I think that is so undervalued in the rap community.” The rapper advises anyone who is in a creative rut to work on their mind, spirit, and body. Everything else flows from that.

Ntwali feels love and support from the Edmonton community but notices he is mostly in demand during Black History Month. “I feel the love from sold-out shows, getting featured in magazines, and being sought after. You always feel it during Black History Month,” he notes. “It’s quiet in January, but in February, everybody and their mama is trying to get you for a show. It’s like, ‘Okay, what about March?” he adds with a laugh.

When asked about his proudest achievement as an artist so far, he had two milestones come to mind. The first was a moment that hit close to home. “I recited a poem at the Rwandan genocide memorial in front of a lot of survivors, including my parents,” he recalls. “To experience that was the most surreal (thing)… because that’s something my parents survived, and being able to share a poem for my dead relatives was the most powerful thing.”

The second? Performing in front of nearly 20,000 people at Edmonton’s Black Lives Matter protest back in 2020. “It was this poem that I wrote in 2019 from writing a verse a day — to see that come to life was just a powerful experience,” he says. In 2015, he set a goal that he would perform at Rogers Place Arena. “I gave myself five years. I didn’t perform at Rogers arena, but I did perform at the same size as Rogers Arena in my hometown, and it was for George Floyd’s death. I wasn’t even supposed to be a part of it,” he says.

Ntwali seeks to branch out eventually and is hopeful for future collaboration with producers and artists based out of Vancouver and Montreal. On Jan. 26, you can expect to see Ntwali perform at Winterruption; an Edmonton festival with music, comedy, and drag that takes place each January. He’ll be opening for an artist named Wax, who is based out of San Diego. In December, Ntwali dropped a single called “Give Thanks,” and he plans to drop another one this month called “81,” which is a tribute to the late Los Angeles Lakers basketball athlete Kobe Bryant. He plans on releasing two more singles in the months to come.

You can find Ntwali’s music on all streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube. Listen to “Message to the youth” here.

In high school, Ntwali wasn’t the athletic type. He watched his friends excel in sports while he waited for his growth spurt. It was at a party with his friends when someone told Ntwali that he might have the talent to rap. “I thought, ‘hmmm, I’ll try it.’ I was awful,” he says as he laughs. The artist didn’t let that discourage him from trying again. He dedicated a year to writing one verse a day as practice. “I loved it… the self-expression. I found an outlet to push my energy toward,” he says. “I saw that people liked it, so I never went back.” Ntwali celebrates 10 years of rapping this year.

High school was a time when many people, including his teachers, doubted Ntwali. He was kicked out of two different high schools for being a “bad student.” The young rapper admits he didn’t care much about school at the time but would’ve appreciated more care and encouragement rather than the dismissal he received from teachers and principals.

Comparison is something a lot of creatives battle with. Ntwali prefers to compete with himself rather than competing with others in the music industry. “It does weigh on you when you think of how some people have made it, and you haven’t quite made it yourself,” he says. “Don’t cheat yourself on your progress. If you compare yourself to others, it’s the quickest way to rob yourself of joy.”

When he’s not releasing the sweetest tracks your ears have ever heard, he’s inspiring youth by doing motivational speaking at high schools across Edmonton. Through his most streamed single as of December, “Message To the Youth,” Ntwali encourages youth who feel discouraged to explore the realm of personal development. “Work on yourself, read books, exercise, and cut out people in your life that don’t inspire you,” he advises. “Surround yourself with more positive people and write your goals down.” Regardless of your religion, Ntwali recommends

Money, money, money. Does it really grow on trees? In Canada, the root of all currency is the Bank of Canada (BoC), whose main role as defined by the Bank of Canada Act, is to “regulate credit and currency in the best interests of the economic life of the nation,” among other things a central bank is supposed to do. Long story short, the Bank of Canada prints our money and controls the flow of it.

the way the BoC does that is not through lawmaking, like how politicians enact changes, but through monetary policy, which aims to let our currency float and keep inflation low, and is implemented through changes in interest rates and currency printing. Currency float, or flexible exchange rate, refers to the Bank of Canada letting markets control how much the Canadian dollar is worth, which is based on the demand for Canadian goods and services, as well as our interest and inflation rates.

OK, SO THEY CAN CHANGE INTEREST RATES. WHO CARES?

Interest rates dictate a lot of everything in the economy. The Bank of Canada sets a key policy rate, also called an overnight rate, which is the interest rate at which financial institutions lend and borrow short-term loans between themselves. This rate is what the banks (not the BoC) pay,

Scarlet Bjornson, communications specialist at the Bissell Centre.

so think of this as their bottom line. When the key policy rate goes up, banks are incentivized to increase the interest rates in their loans. That includes mortgages, car loans, lines of credit, et cetera.

Higher interest rates mean less benefit for the borrower, hypothetically resulting in less spending, less investments, less growth. This is the Bank of Canada’s way of saying “stop spending, save your money. And if you own a business, stop charging so much while you’re at it.” A cooling of the economy.

HERE’S A QUESTION: ARE WE GOOD?

It’s no secret that Alberta’s economy, and economies around the world, have been fluctuating since the pandemic. Alberta’s consumer price index (CPI), which is a measure of inflation, sat at 6.8 per cent at the end of 2022, already a two per cent increase from the start of the year, and miles ahead of the 1.2 per cent rate in January 2019. Interest rates continue to be high, sitting at 3.75 per cent in November, after

the Bank of Canada hiked interest rates for the sixth time in 2022. And the war in Ukraine has impacted supply chains and contributed to rising inflation.

While ATB notes in Alberta Economic Output that Alberta’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) experienced growth in 2022 by about five per cent, this isn’t an indication of general well-being in the province.

“The economy is really becoming very unpredictable as the prices keep on increasing continuously and people are not able to afford what they were buying before,” says Dr. Sintayoh Geberegziabher, a sessional instructor of economics at MacEwan University. “This is affecting families, especially middle-income and low-income families because with the amount of income that they have, it’s becoming hard to meet even the basic necessities.”

“Our programs are up by about 20 per cent,” says Scarlet Bjornson, the communications specialist at the Bissell Centre, a non-profit organization that supports Edmonton’s low-income and houseless communities with the goal to end poverty.

Many of the people using the services at the Bissell Centre have never accessed their services before and never anticipated being in this situation. “A lot of people are embarrassed; we don’t want them to be embarrassed,” continues Bjornson. “This is not their fault.”

Bjornson explains that the gap between the middle class and poverty is getting smaller, making it

much easier to fall into poverty. These economic challenges can be particularly hard on students.

“It’s incredibly hard to be a student… in general. But then also on top of that, needing to work almost a full-time job so you can make ends meet — there’s a real challenge there,” says Bjornson.

But first of all…

WHAT EVEN IS INFLATION?

It’s not when you blow up a balloon. Well, technically it is, but not when it pertains to the economy. In the economy, inflation refers to a lower buying power of your money and currency. Inflation is measured with CPI by comparing price changes of a hypothetical “shopping basket” of goods and services that Canadians typically purchase. For example, Statistics Canada finds their CPI by looking at the cost changes of food, shelter, clothing, transportation, and more.

“Inflation basically refers to the cost of living — the rate at which your cost of living goes up,” explains Dr. Junaid Bin Juhangir, associate professor of economics at MacEwan University.

So is inflation a bad thing? The Bank of Canada suggests that low, predictable inflation can benefit the economy, and the bank actually aims for an annual average inflation rate of two per cent. The main idea behind the two per cent goal is the predictability of it; if companies and individuals can anticipate their

It’s incredibly hard to be a student… in general. But then also on top of that, needing to work almost a fulltime job so you can make ends meet — there’s a real challenge there.

Words | MYA COLWELL + THAI SIRIKOONE Graphics | BRETT BOYD

dollar being both stable and worth two per cent less year-over-year, then investing, spending, and saving behaviours can be planned for. Also, companies can grow and charge more each year, hypothetically creating new jobs. The key word here is stability.

The opposite of low inflation is high inflation, which means the opposite of stability.

SO, WHAT’S GOING ON HERE?

Currently, Geberegziabher says Alberta is experiencing cost-push inflation, which is when the supply chain is disrupted but the demand for goods and services stays the same or grows, despite rising costs. The result is higher prices for the same amount of products, or fewer.

The reasons for high inflation are even more complex than the concept itself. One of the primary causes of inflation right now, globally and locally, is the supply chain bottleneck that’s been happening since the start of the pandemic. Exports and imports across the world were interrupted due to the pandemic, resulting in less goods available to buyers. China’s zero COVID policy has been especially impactful on both shipping and manufacturing.

You may think that with less goods and everyone locking down in their homes that general spending would have gone down, but to everyone’s surprise, including big banks, demand for goods and services went way, way up.

“The idea behind it was that people should be tightening the purse strings,” says Jarrod Boyko, senior financial advisor for ATB. “And it was the opposite effect that happened. So spending actually accelerated during COVID up until the end of 2021. More houses being purchased, more large ticket items, trailers, all sorts of things, because the lending rates were so low, which then, with the supply chain issues, and other things (due to) COVID, the demand far outstrips the supply and then inflation runs away on you.”

“We’re in a state where we have to do something to bring inflation down,” he continues. “So you see a very aggressive acceleration of interest rates that will continue into probably next year. And probably stay high.”

2021-07-14 2021-09-08 2021-10-27 2021-12-08 2022-01-26 2022-03-02 2022-04-13 2022-06-01 2022-07-13 2022-09-07 2022-10-26 2022-12-07 0.0

Graph adapted from the Bank of Canada on policy interest rate

At the beginning of 2020, the key policy rate in Canada dropped from 1.75 per cent to 0.25 per cent, anticipating a drop in spending due to pandemic related closures. It stayed at that percentage for nearly two years, until Mar. 1, 2022, when it was increased to 0.50 per cent. Since then, until the time of writing, there have been six more increases — the rate currently sits at 4.25 per cent with eight dates set for a possible change in 2023.

One resource that has been impacted in a multitude of ways since 2020 is oil and gas. Most recently, the Russia-Ukraine war has largely impacted the fluctuations of oil and gas prices globally, indirectly trickling increased costs down to other products. For example, Geberegziabher explains that when farmers have to pay more for gas to fuel their farming vehicles and higher fuel costs when transporting food, the price of food subsequently increases.

In October 2022, food costs had risen 10.3 per cent since the same time in 2021.

The war in Ukraine has also meant that Ukraine hasn’t been able to export as much wheat, barley, and corn as they normally do, and this subsequent shortage in grains has also driven prices up.

But farming and food goods aren’t the only industries that have been affected. There isn’t one sector and industry in Alberta that hasn’t been affected by inflation, says Geberegziabher, from manufacturers to bakeries and restaurants.

Despite all these difficulties in the supply chain, many companies have been enjoying massive profit booms throughout 2020-2022 due to high demand and high prices. For example, Loblaws Companies Ltd., grocery and drugstore retailer, had a 30 per cent increase in profits in their third-quarter of 2022, according to reporting from The Canadian Press.

WHAT WEAPONS DO WE HAVE IN THE WAR AGAINST INFLATION?

Dr. Sintayoh Geberegziabher, sessional instructor of economics at MacEwan University.

As far as weapons go, the Bank of Canada wields a double-edged sword named contractionary monetary policy. For the Bank of Canada, that means raising the interest rates in the effort to reduce demand for products and drive prices down. Remember what we were saying about cooling the economy?

The logic is this: high interest rates will make loans less attractive to people and companies, leading them to spend less money (and incur

The economy is really becoming very unpredictable as the prices keep on increasing continuously and people are not able to afford what they were buying before…. It's becoming hard to meet even the basic necessities.

less debt), which means companies will have to lower their high prices to attract business. This is something we’ve seen in Edmonton in the new home industry: low mortgage rates equalled higher prices and high mortgage rates resulted in price drops.

While increasing interest rates is an effective way of controlling inflation, and the Bank of Canada can do it (many of our sources have faith in the institution to do so), there is a cost to their direct approach.

If the intention is to lower the amount of loans taken out, small businesses aren’t going to leverage that money to expand or create new jobs, Juhangir says. He adds that if grocers are paying more for their products due to supply chain issues in addition to paying higher interest rates, prices may remain high out of necessity. Juhangir suggests that governments should provide relief for those who are vulnerable to financial insecurity.

“They must always look at the hu -

man cost of these policies. And the human cost is terrible. If poor people are not going to be able to afford food, then what?”

HIGH INFLATION SOUNDS BAD.

High inflation is bad for everyone, since it means everything costs more. Those who don’t have the means to weather the economic storm often get left behind and people suffer. At the same time, dramatic interest rate hikes may also drive prices up as vendors and financial institutions adjust and adapt.

The inflation of food costs directly hurts those who are more financially vulnerable, physically. Juhangir worries that students who rely on cheap foods like mac and cheese or canned foods aren’t eating properly and may experience health issues. “Obesity goes up, not because the person is over eating, but because the person is too poor to afford chicken, or to afford the good stuff, the fresh vegetables and fresh fruit,” he says. “I’m worried about them.”

Bjornson adds that when inflation hits, people are unable to afford things like entertainment or eating out in the community. “You’re just focusing on survival,” she says.

Not being able to afford these extras negatively impacts quality of life, explains Bjornson.

Inflation is difficult for those living on a fixed income, a category many students fall into. Bjornson says that while there are some progressive employers who will raise their employees’ salaries as inflation rises, this is far from the norm. On Nov. 23, the Alberta Government announced that AISH (Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped) will be re-indexed, which means it will be adjusted based on Alberta CPI, to offer some relief. AISH was de-indexed in 2019 by the UCP government.

“When you have rising costs here and your money stays (the same), you run the risk of actually falling into houselessness,” says Bjornon, “because all of a sudden now you can’t (pay) your bills and now you can’t make your rent.”

“If inflation is up by seven per cent and I don’t get an increase (in salary), I’m poorer by seven per cent year on year,” adds Mark Kalinowski, financial educator at Credit Counselling Society. “Everyone from students to the elderly to everyone in between is really being squeezed because life is just costing them more money and there’s no more money coming to any of us.”

WILL I EVER BE ABLE TO BUY A HOUSE?

Right now? It might be a bit dicey. In October 2022, the most recent available information from Statistics Canada, the mortgage interest rate in Canada was 5.75 per cent, up from 3.29 per cent the same time in 2021. On top of that, prospective home buyers will need to pass the stress test, which requires buyers to qualify for 5.25 per cent of their offered rate plus two per cent — whichever is higher. Currently, it’s probably not going to be 5.25 per cent.

Higher mortgage rates mean that fewer people can afford to buy a home, explains Bjornson, and even an increase by 0.5 per cent can make a difference. So, an increase of over two per cent since 2021 is a big deal. This pushes prospective home buyers back into the rental market, which subsequently allows landlords to increase rental prices, since their properties are in such high demand.

And when affordable rental units are suddenly more expensive, this pushes people out of the rental market and into low-income or social housing.

But no matter how bad things look right now, Kalinowski is quick to reassure people that the economy could be much worse. “While people are all concerned about the interest rates being high, I remind them (that) my dad had a period of time where interest rates were 21 per cent, and when I had my first mortgage, it was at 5.85 per cent and I thought I was getting the world’s best deal ever,” he says.

There may be a bit of shock for prospective shoppers due to the rapid increase in rates over the past year. However, since 2020, there have been some price drops or added incentives for new homes.

ARE WE IN A RECESSION?

We just can’t say. Multiple of our sources noted that it’s hard to say if we’re in a recession by definition here in Canada, but they say it feels like we may be.

Recessions can be qualified by a bunch of factors, but for simplicity’s sake, it’s usually when a country experiences negative GDP growth for two consecutive quarters. But Canada’s GDP has still been going up, according to Statistics Canada. Industries aren’t crashing and companies are still making money, but regular people are feeling the burn in certain parts of their wallet. It’s confusing, so it’s okay to be confused.

Financial content creator and Substack blogger Kyla Scanlon described the current state of the economy (in the United States but it still applies) as a “Vibecession.” She writes, “when the vibes are off — when we think about how Recessions come about (beyond the technical aspects) it makes sense that we would somehow end up with the vibes of a Recession, but maybe not the economic reality of one (yet).”

MACRO-ECONOMICS, SCHMACRO-ECONOMICS. WHAT CAN I DO PERSONALLY?

Financial advice is very personal. If you want to plan your goals or discuss how to achieve your existing goals, a great first step would be to book an appointment with your bank to talk to a financial advisor — they’ll be able to walk you through all the financial tools and options available to you, because there are a lot. Other than that, keep the basics in mind: save your money, pay your bills, don’t rack up unnecessary debt, and don’t eat out too much.

They must always look at the human cost of these policies. And the human cost is terrible. If poor people are not going to be able to afford food, then what?

Dr. Junaid Bin Jahangir, associate professor of economics at MacEwan University

Youth Movement in Men’s Basketball Program

The MacEwan University sports teams should always be a sense of great pride for the students and faculty; however, the men’s basketball team hasn’t been in recent memory.

Since the 2018-19 season, the men’s basketball team has only had three wins, totaling a win-loss record of 3-53 over a four-year span — their last win as of writing was on Nov. 30, 2019. With the team struggling, it was time for them to go in a new direction, which meant hiring a new coach before the 2019-20 season. MacEwan decided to hire national champion Mike Connolly from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) right here in Edmonton.

The Griffins were in for a big change when coach Connolly arrived. In his first season, he led the Griffins to a 2-18 record, putting them in second-last place in the Canada West standings. Following a year off in 2020-21 due to the pandemic, the Griffins finished their 2021-22 season winless, 0-16, sparking Connolly to make some changes to the program.

“We had chemistry issues last year,” Connolly said when asked about the 2021-22 season. “Culture matters and the team is learning to be teammates.”

Following the disappointing 2021-22 season, Connolly went to work on establishing a new culture for the Griffins, hoping to fix the chemistry issues of the past. In order to do that, he overhauled the team roster by bringing in not only new faces, but younger faces as well. The Griffins 2022-23 team consists of nine first-year players and seven second-year players, making the team one of the youngest in the Canada West conference. Not one player is over the age of 21.

“It is both fun and frustrating having such a young team,” Connolly explains. “The team is constantly getting better, putting in the work and it’s great to see them listening. We have no egos on this team.”

Championship aspirations are closer than they appear for Griffins

The young Griffins aren’t only building this year’s team, but also laying the foundation for the future of the men’s basketball team at MacEwan. Without the player experience on their team, they’ll need to rely on the hard work and dedication of their training.

Second-year player, Taylor Cook (number 11), from Magrath, Alberta, enjoys the young team and thinks it’s more of a benefit than a hindrance.

“The biggest benefit I can see coming out of this experience is more time spent playing together, increasing our cohesiveness in the future,” Cook says. “I’m from a really small town with a graduating class of around 50 kids, yet our basketball team was very successful because we had been playing ball with each other for eight or nine years, so we knew how to work best together. I imagine a similar situation will occur here at MacEwan too.”

The Griffins feel like they are on the verge of having a very special program, due in no small part to their combined growth as a team. Changing the team’s focus from losses to improvements is a tough task for a coach.Thankfully that hasn’t been an issue with the team this season.

“The off-season effort they put in was great to see. They came into the season in shape,” Connolly says. “The team knows that nothing happens overnight and that has kept them patient and hungry to play. These guys can take a punch. There is no quit in this team and they are excited to prove that to everyone.”

The Griffins are constantly finding ways to grow as a team, including making fifty free throws at the end of every practice that will make this team great. Play time is one of the biggest factors helping the Griffins

grow. Very rarely do younger players get to experience the challenges of university basketball so early on in their careers. They are putting in the work against the best that western Canada has to offer, which is invaluable experience.“Playing minutes as a first year has helped me because it is getting me experience and giving me confidence,” Isaiah Merk, who wears number nine, says. “With each game, I’m learning so much and I’m able to come into the next one better than the last. Not many people get the opportunity to get thrown into the fire, and I embrace the challenge and am ready to go at everybody.”

Playing time for young players is vital in creating a winning culture and building a future for the Griffins program. Make no mistake, the Griffins are going out to every game and trying to win as many games as they can. However, to those who aren’t Griffins fans and faculty, it simply looks like a rebuild. Fans hoping for Griffins wins will need to put their faith in Coach Connolly, who believes a new team foundation has been established.

“We have a good future set up for this program,” Connolly says. “All we’re going to be bringing in to play here at MacEwan is impact players. We are getting into win-now mode soon.”

Words | GARRET KRYZANOWSKI Graphics | BRETT BOYD Photos | EDUARDO PEREZ

“We are getting into winnow mode soon.”

— Mike Connolly, head coach for the MacEwan men’s basketball team

The players are on the same page as coach Connolly. They understand they’re building something, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want to compete now.

“We expect to be competitive in the league right now,” Cook said. “We also understand that there are going to be some growing pains. We understand that all the work we put in now will pay off, whether this season or in the future.”

The veterans on the team have high hopes for the future of this team and program. Connolly has recruited players who want to win. This was evident then when freshman Isaiah Merk was asked about a championship being in Griffin’s future.

“We have such a talented team who is willing to work so a championship is not out of reach in the next three to four years,” Merk explain. “Our potential is through the roof, it’s on us to meet or even exceed that.”

For many who have watched the Griffins the past few years, the thoughts of making the playoffs, let alone winning a championship, seems out of reach. That doesn’t seem to

be the mindset for coach Connolly and the entire team — they want to win and believe they can.

The Griffins are focused on the here and now of the 2022-23 season, working everyday to climb the mountain of all the goals they’ve set for themselves. When asked on who they were looking forward to playing most this season, coach Connolly had a simple answer.

“We’re excited to play everybody.”

A simple yet powerful message to send not only to the campus but the entire conference — the Griffins aren’t going anywhere.

Coming out of the Christmas break, the Griffins have six home games left at the David Atkinson Gymnasium. They welcome the Trinity Western Spartans on Jan. 6 and Jan. 7 before hosting their cross-town rivals, the University of Alberta Golden Bears, on Jan. 20 to 21. The Griffins will finally close out the Canada West regular season when they face the Regina Cougars on Feb. 10 to 11 at home.

The Connection Between Social Media & Mental Health: Managing My Anxiety and Depression

I spoke with a CMHA mental health specialist to see how taking a “social media break” can help your well-being

Graphics RAWPIXEL

Words PAYTON PHILLIPS

In late 2022, my morning alarm would go off at 8 a.m. and I’d grab my phone off the nightstand and roll over to the other side of my bed to start scrolling on social media. When I’d finally turned my phone off to get up and use the bathroom, my clock read “11 AM” in a bold, red, block font that I always hated. Just like that, my morning had been wasted, and I’d go through the rest of the day feeling, for lack of a better word, shitty.

This feeling went on for a while. It still occurs every now and again. The difference is that I’ve learned to live with it in a balanced, healthy way. Depression and anxiety are some of the most commonly discussed mental illnesses, and I think we need to normalize and deshame the culture around them — and of experiencing them — more.

Social media can be one of the most useful, amazing, and invigorating tools to cope with mental health, but it can also be deadly. Using apps like Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, and TikTok literally gives you a high. This rush of dopamine while on the apps is addictive and exciting, but it can also fuel anxiety and depression. These symptoms were happening to me. I just had to go on TikTok and Instagram; I had to see who

Disclaimer: The following article contains sensitive content and subject matter such as depression, anxiety, suicide, and other mental health topics.

liked my photos, who decided to unfollow me, and who was posting all the way from New York City. Frankly, I didn’t really care.

The problem with frequently checking on what other people are doing or saying is that it can become obsessive quickly. I started spending all my time on social media platforms, comparing myself to others that I’d see on the “For You” page. It was really unhealthy and hard to overcome, but the answer to a lot of my problems was just to delete the apps once and for all.

The first few weeks were strange, like detoxing from a drug or any other addiction, and I was so worried that I would relapse. My mental health suffered; I was barely getting any sleep, I felt lonelier than ever, and I didn’t know what to do with my spare time — time that I’d usually spend on my phone. Even now, I still fight the impulse to check social media fifty or more times a day, and I know that others do too.

I’ll add that I’m not a mental health professional or a psychologist. Some may say I’m not even a trustworthy source on this topic. I’m just an individual who has experienced the tensions between media and mental health, and I want to help as many people as I can.

I spoke with marketing and communications coordinator Catie Whyte and peer support facilitator Elyse Cathrea from the Canadian

— Elyse Cathrea, peer support facilitator at CMHA

Mental Health Association (CMHA). The CMHA, founded over 100 years ago in 1918, is a mental health organization that advocates for individuals struggling with mental illnesses. It provides support and offers programs and services to help everyone.

Although the CMHA is a national organization, each province and territory within Canada has its own sector; both Whyte and Cathrea are specifically involved with the Edmonton region. This office differs from other resources around Canada, as every region may have different economic states, climates and transportation, demographics, and overall living standards — meaning they may also have different needs. Edmonton’s specific focus is to support the mental health of the people who live here through advocacy, grief support and crisis services, education, housing programs, and much more. Cathrea let me in on how social media and phone use can have a direct correlation with mental health.

Over the past three years, Cathrea admits that the global COVID pandemic has been one of the most extreme societal aggravators that we’ve seen on people’s mental health. It contributed to poor living situations, financial challenges, inaccessible resources, loss of coping mechanisms, and, in some cases, increased substance abuse. What did we have left to turn to? Social media. Because of these unprecedented changes and hardships, many people developed unhealthy behaviours or conditions. Between the confusion and general fears and anxieties of getting sick and being isolated, apps such as TikTok and Instagram really blew up. Social media platforms had billions of users relying on their services to keep them connected to the outside world, but also for a distraction from the chaos happening around them.

Some of the main things Cathrea suggests taking into consideration when dealing with mental health issues around social media are implementing forms of self-care to keep yourself grounded, maintaining a good sleep schedule, reaching out to resources, getting daily movement, and, if nothing else, saying goodbye to the media source (but don’t worry, it’s not forever).

Contact an online resource for help

If you have a bad day and want to talk to someone about it, many different online resources are there to help. With

that being said, everybody’s level of struggle is different. If you’re feeling depressed, experiencing anxiety or stress, having thoughts of self-harm, or feeling lonely, don’t be afraid or embarrassed to reach out. Odds are, the person on the other end of the phone has experienced what you’re feeling once in their life as well.

Edmonton’s 811 number is a general health advice line where you’re able to speak with a registered Nurse. For more specific mental health issues, the 24-hour CMHA distress line (780-482-4357) or online CMHA Crisis Chat are also great options. If you’re feeling big emotions and you want to talk to someone, don’t hesitate to call the CMHA distress line. You don’t have to be in distress for them to listen.

Visiting therapists and counsellors can also help a lot and can be accessed anywhere in the city for a cost or at MacEwan University for students for free. If you’re not ready to talk to anyone face-to-face yet, online resources such as self-help articles and books can also make a big difference. The CHMA website offers helpful articles for stress management, feeling overwhelmed, dealing with grief, helping with addictions, and offering non-media options for coping.

Engage in self-care

We’ve all seen those “treat yourself” posts online that advocate for doing things for your own personal development, health, and mental well-being. This practice is an essential part of managing mental health. Meeting your own needs, and doing things that work for your mind, your body, and your own capabilities should always come first.

Using your phone responsibly and carefully as a part of your self-care routine can actually be extremely empowering; you could reach out to friends, listen to podcasts, watch calming videos, join a livestream workout class, or utilize any other option that works for you. Or maybe taking a “social media break” is your version of self-care; it looks different for everyone.

For Cathrea, some activities that she enjoys doing to help with her own mental health are exercising and doing small acts of self-care. Mental illnesses are still stigmatized, but educating one another can help to reduce this. She explains that the conversation has come a long way as we learn that mental health issues are more common, and we’re able

— Elyse Cathrea, peer support facilitator at CMHA

to talk about these struggles more openly, with a broader understanding. “Whether COVID or not, mental health challenges are always there,” she says, “it’s something that we all have.” For many, getting rid of it forever is not always an option, but learning how to live with it is.

“One of the things that we hear a lot is, ‘self-care, self-care, self-care,’ and I think that word has been used so much that people tune it out,” Cathrea says. “Sometimes it’s a little misguided. I’m a big believer in sustainable self-care, and what that actually means.” Everyone’s ideas of dealing with mental health are different, but it’s important to meet your own needs and “find the things that work for you, work for your body, and work for your life and your experience,” she adds.

Take social media breaks

The double-edged sword that is social media can be helpful, engaging, and fun, but it can also have the complete opposite effect on people. Now, in the digital age, we’re inherently hardwired to rely on our devices to feel better and help us get through tough emotions. “Because everything we do is Zoom, Facetime, online portals and computers….It makes that path to picking up my phone to cope so much easier,” Cathrea admits.

Taking a short break from technology can be really beneficial for some people. It can create space and allow you to step back, reconnect with real life, and find healthier coping mechanisms.

“It all comes back to intentionality. I don’t think going on TikTok for stress management is inherently a bad thing,” Cathrea says. “If I’m consuming things that make me laugh, that make me feel good, (and) that bring me joy, (it’s) cool.”

But the line between using social media for pleasure and depending on it to survive is very fine. “The next step of that is (asking) ‘Am I spending eight hours in the TikTok blackhole?’ and then (realizing) I have to go back to life in the real, 3D world that we’re in.” The steps of taking a social media break give you the context of how it really makes you feel when there is a separation, and you don’t have free, unlimited access to it.

The shame and guilt that comes along with being online can

be overpowering. “It’s about sustainably creating boundaries and edging backwards a little bit so that you’re not shocking yourself, and maybe replacing it with something that feels more in line with where you want to move towards.” So, is it possible to learn to live with social media in a happy and healthy way? Absolutely. Cathrea explains that scaling back slowly from social media and learning to focus on yourself and your personal needs is the way to start.

Move your Body

Lastly, moving your body can really make a difference. Cathrea explains how even the little things like yoga, stretching, going for a walk, or dancing around to your favourite song can all help to release emotions in small, but helpful ways. “We’re very, as a society, disconnected from our bodies, and our bodies hold our emotions,” she adds. “The more you can do that (move your body) in little ways is really beneficial.”

We can’t change the future of social media — unless you personally know Elon Musk, in which case, tell him I’d like a Tesla for my birthday. Yet, we can change the future of mental health. The CMHA hopes to be able to shift the stigma around emotional health and mental wellness, while opening up the conversation to anybody and everybody who is interested. We all face challenges with stress and social media, constantly comparing ourselves to those around us, having depressive thoughts or anxiety, and adapting to new changes. I’m not saying that we can cure these issues with the snap of a finger, but recognizing the role of mental health and destigmatizing it is a good place to start.

Everyday people all around the world deal with grief, depression, anxiety, stress, self-confidence, harmful thoughts, and many, many more types and symptoms of mental illnesses. It doesn’t matter your race, age, gender, diet, beliefs, religion, or lifestyle. It’s universal. It’s one of the few things that everybody will deal with at some point, yet in the most mundane and miserable way possible, it brings us together. If you’re experiencing any of these issues, you’re not alone.

Most importantly, don’t forget to look after yourself, recognize if social media is an issue for you, and take action as soon as possible to stay healthy. To learn more about the CHMA and what they offer, visit their website (edmonton.cmha.ca/).

— Elyse Cathrea, peer support facilitator at CMHA

What a Geologist Wants

Jewelry is expensive, especially on a student’s budget. Whether you’re looking to accessorize yourself or get your special someone something special, there are more affordable and unique options than diamonds or cubic zirconias. Many trendsetters have begun to sway away from mainstream jewelry options. To help navigate the seemingly endless selection of stones and gems, partnering with a trustworthy expert is important. I spoke with three geologists and a gem dealer to find some alternative gemstones that’ll work for you.

“What a geologist finds unique or valuable is not necessarily aligned with…what people that look for jewelry would find,” says Scott Melnyk, a Physical Sciences Department sessional instructor at MacEwan University. From ammolite to moissanite, garnets to opals, these geologists and one gem dealer prove there is a gem for anyone. Sure, a gemstone is an investment, but with the right tips and tricks, finding a gem that speaks to you, at a price that speaks to your wallet, is possible.

Well, what is a gem?

“Shiny!” Physical Sciences Department sessional instructor Roy Coulthard jokes. “(A gem is a) really well developed mineral specimen.”

To Avi Rahmanim, a second-generation jeweler and gem dealer, a gem is “any sort of mineral that… holds a value and can be made into something or just admired for what it is, for its own beauty.”

Meanwhile, Cate Larsen, a geo-communicator otherwise known as @groovygeologist on TikTok, says, “A gem is something that people put value on. So not all gems are minerals and not all minerals are gems.”

Know your Mohs!

Before you start on your gemmological escapade, you’ll need to know about the Mohs Hardness Scale. Hardness is “one of the fundamental qualities to a gem. The harder it is, the less wear it will endure,” Melnyk explains. The Mohs Hardness Scale describes the “ability of a stone to withstand scratches…the higher the number, the harder the mineral.”

For instance, diamonds are a 10 on the scale. “Nothing can scratch it,” Rahmanim points out. “If I were to take a sapphire and rub it against it as hard as I can, then nothing would happen to the diamond,” he adds. “That doesn’t mean that the diamond is indestructible.”

What’s trending?

One fateful day, Larsen was scrolling through Pinterest looking for inspiration for her own engagement ring. Out of the alternative gemstones, one caught her eye but for the wrong reason. Although Fluorite is a beautiful gem with colour banding, it has a hardness of four. This means that the gem can chip easily, making it a less desirable option for rings.

This stirred her to begin her short TikTok series on alternative engagement rings. It quickly gained traction, with her first video racking up over 15 million views. “There was definitely a desire for this information and I can see that in my own comments,’’ she says.

Both in-store and online, Rahmanim confirms he has seen an uptick in popularity for alternative engagement rings.

Diamonds might not be your best friend

It’s no secret that diamonds are hard — hard enough to shatter your piggy bank. “I think the value of diamonds is heavily inflated by market dynamics,” Melnyk says. Coulthard admits that diamonds have a “truly remarkable luster that we call adamantine.” Despite this, excessive and exorbitant are two words to describe a geologist like Coulthard’s opinion on the gem.

“The diamond industry was almost a monopoly until the early 21st-century, through De Beers. De Beers was started by Cecil Rhodes and Cecil Rhodes was a bad man…he’s made some fabulously disgusting statements about using slave labor available in Southern Africa to, you know, enrich the British empire and his company,” Coulthard says. “Diamonds themselves became the go-to engagement ring because of the De Beers 1947 ‘A Diamond is Forever campaign’…now you can get a De Beers lab-made diamond made in Oregon for quite a bit less than the price of real ones, but you know, maybe they’re not as forever.”

Dr. Melnyk also suggests artisan-created diamonds, a “fascinating technology that is becoming increasingly popular, and provides a….less expensive, conflict-free alternative to diamonds.” Take moissanite for example, a gem made of carbon and silicon with a hardness of 9.5. “Even less expensive than that would be white topaz,’’ Melnyk adds.

Colour lovers are in luck. “Both moissanite and topaz are prone to having impurities in them which gives rise to all sorts of different colours… you could find them in blue, in pink, in all sorts of stuff,” he notes. “For topaz, very deep blue is rare but a lot of times, you can have a light blue topaz and it gets heat treated to give it more of a deeper blue colour.”

“Have you heard of Herkimer diamonds?” asks Larsen. Herkimer Diamonds are a less expensive diamond alternative found upstate in Herkimer, New York. Don’t let the name and similar luster fool you. “There’s a lot of tourism surrounding the misuse of the word diamond,” she regretfully points out. Unlike its carbon counterpart, Herkimer Diamonds are actually a double-terminated quartz crystal with a hardness of 7.5.

So, what does a geologist find valuable?

“To me, it’s a rock with a story,” says Melnyk. “And oftentimes, a rock with a story could look boring to the average person.” Where would a geologist put these rocks with tales? Coulthard has a suggestion: “Gems look much nicer in your display cabinet than they do decorating somebody, but that’s just me.” Larsen says she doesn’t usually wear her rocks and minerals. In her experience as a geologist, she finds it has been “hard to make jewelry with the things we

like that (don’t) look tacky.”

However, if these three geologists did choose to decorate themselves or their loved ones with a gem, a common favorite would be Garnets. Both Coulthard and Larsen say they find the garnet family underrated. As defined by the Gemological Institute of America, garnets are a group of closely related minerals. Coulthard is happy to highlight Uvarovite garnet as one of his favorites. It is a vibrant green, Jolly Rancher-esque gemstone. He chuckles, “I sort of love the notion, almost like those kids’ candy rings with the giant sugar gem on it. A garnet left to its own devices, under the right conditions, would grow into a twelve sided dodecahedron. So I love the notion, even though it’s so impractical, of somebody running around with a ring with this giant, twelve sided garnet.”

Similar to sapphires, garnets are versatile, making them suitable gems for any birthstone. “They come in virtually every single colour, and almost every single price point as well,” says Rahmanim. In his store, a red pyrope garnet might sell for $10 a carat, while a tsavorite garnet, a gem so green it rivals emeralds, might sell for $2500 to $3000 a carat.

One of the most popular alternative gems last year was blue sapphire. It is part of the mineral family of corundum, number nine on the hardness scale, Princess Diana’s engagement ring, and Avi Rahmanim’s favorite gem. “Blue sapphires… they’re probably our number one seller and have been for a while,” says the gem dealer. If you’d like to keep your purchase within the corundum family, try a ruby. Fun fact, the iconic, deep ruby red color is thanks to a trace element called chromium, meanwhile the trace elements of titani -

um and iron colour sapphires blue. For some corundum closer to home, look for Montana sapphires, characterized as having a silvery wash to their colouring. They’re mined in, you guessed it, Montana.

If you’re looking for a local stone, Coulthard highlights our friendly neighbourhood gemstone. “Alberta’s gemstone is something called ammolite, and ammolite is actually a piece of fossil shell of an ammonite.” These ancient mollusks, ammonite, died off around 66 million years ago, leaving behind their Alberta-exclusive gifts. Over time, their shells have become organic gemstones, dazzling with glittering flashes of colours like reds, greens, and yellows. The city of Lethbridge just couldn’t resist those shiny old shells; they actually designated ammolite as the city’s official gemstone in 2007.

Melnyk’s favourite gem is opal, a uniquely iridescent gemstone. “Because it is hydrated quartz, it is very prone to cracking so that makes it not as desirable for a piece of jewelry.” Hydrated opals are called hydrophane, they absorb water or oils. This makes the opal less stable, but also less expensive, should you ever need to replace it.

Many hydrophane opals are mined in Ethiopia. For non-hydrophane opals, take a short trip across the Indian Ocean to Australia. Here you’ll find the very rare lightning ridge

“Alberta’s gemstone is something called ammolite, and ammolite is actually a piece of fossil shell of an ammonite.”

— Roy Coulthard, Physical Sciences department sessional instructor at MacEwan University

black opals. They are more stable than hydrophane opals, and are distinguished through their dark body and vibrant splotches. “It’s honestly one of the most beautiful gems — it’s like you’re looking at a galaxy within a gemstone,” Rahmanim gushes.

The rise of alternative gems does come with risks for buyers. “It’s not a regulated industry,” warns Coulthard — buyers should be on the lookout for trade names. Larsen uses the lovely peach moonstone as an example. “Peach moonstone is one of the most common minerals in the world; it’s called orthoclase. That’s the pink in your granite countertop… but when you put a fancy name on it, suddenly it’s a different mineral in everybody’s minds and it’s so much cooler and so much more marketable.… If you search for orthoclase, you’ll have a better price than if you search for peach moonstone.”

“I would strongly advise doing your homework,” says Coulthard, staying true to his instructor roots. To research before you buy, he suggests the International Gemological Society (IGS) website. Offline, Larsen recommends partnering with a jeweler you trust. Rightly so, she values transparency on the gem’s origin and ethical mining history. Rahmanim vouches for local jewelry stores. “A lot of them, they’re very generational.” He can speak to the value of years of gem knowledge passed down through his family business.

All in all, a gem purchase is personal and it should be something that has significance to you specifically. Your choice doesn’t have to be complicated. Rahmanim lays it out plain and simple: “It’s just how it makes you feel, I would say… Just buy something that looks nice.”

“(A gem is) any sort of mineral that…holds a value and can be made into something or just admired for what it is, for its own beauty.”

— Avi Rahmanim, jeweler and gem dealer

artwork | ASH SCHEPENS

Taking Towers to new heights

A look at what’s next for Jill Brekke and Towers Pub “I’m a sucker. I love this place and can’t let it go.”

Words EVA DRIESSEN | Photos SUPPLIED

The Undergrad Variety Show

Bi-weekly: Mondays  Starts January 9 Doors at 5:30 p.m. Show at 6:00 p.m.

Pool Tournament  Bi-weekly: Wednesdays  Starts January 4 at 5:30 p.m.

Open Jam Bi-weekly: Thursdays Starts on Jan. 5 from 6 to 8 p.m.

Jill Brekke has poured many a pint for MacEwan students over the past 11 years. As manager of MacEwan’s Towers Pub, she is at the bar every day making sure that students have a safe place to unwind and hang out with friends at the end (or in the middle—no judgment!) of a long school day. “A home away from school,” Brekke calls the bar.

Towers first opened its doors in 1993 and is nestled in the southeast corner of the first floor of Building 6. The pub features two pool tables near the entrance, bright string lights along the bar, lots of cozy tables and chairs packed together, upbeat tunes, and a charming patio for the summer months.

Brekke started going to the pub 11 years ago when she was a student working on her accounting diploma. “I knew friends from high school, and we came here (to Towers) every day,” she says. Her presence did not go unnoticed, and partway through the semester, one of the bartenders asked if she would like to work there. Brekke decided to give it a shot and quickly went from working the crowded Friday nights as a student to now going on her fifth year as manager. “I used to be super shy,” says Brekke. “I’ve honestly just grown as a human and I’ve gained so much social confidence here.”

Brekke’s love for the bar and the students is definitely not one-sided. Pre-pandemic, many students would go every day after class and have to scramble for an empty table, save their seats, and then go see Brekke at the bar. She lovingly calls the bar “her baby” and the students “her kids.”

“You didn’t even have to text your friends to come,” says Brekke. “Students would just walk in and know so many people.”

Before COVID, Towers was the go-to place for students to unwind after class with its variety of food, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, and various events throughout the school year.

When the pandemic hit in early 2020, all Towers staff had to leave the bar due to restrictions on indoor dining. After being there for nine years at that point, Brekke took her job loss hard. “I was wondering why I was so depressed for the first six months (of COVID), and then I realized, ‘Oh my God, my whole identity is gone. I miss all of my kids… It was so sad,’” she explains.

During those pandemic years, the bar stayed closed, and Brekke went back and forth on whether she would even return if the bar reopened. But, as it turns out, even COVID couldn’t keep her away. As soon as it was announced that the bar would reopen in September 2022 (after two-and-a-half years of being closed), Brekke recruited another former Towers bartender, and the two made a comeback.

“I was wondering why I was so depressed for the first six months (of COVID), and then I realized, ‘Oh My God, my whole identity is gone. I miss all of my kids… It was so sad.’”

It hasn’t been an easy restart, with the bar seeing lower numbers since opening again, but Brekke is up for the challenge.

“Unfortunately, advertising rules changed over COVID,” Brekke explains, and Towers is no longer allowed to advertise alcohol on campus, which is arguably its main selling point. “It does come down to that because people just don’t even know (that Towers exists),” Brekke says.

Pre-pandemic, the third- and fourth-year students made sure that Towers was packed every day, and especially on Friday nights. All those

students have now graduated, and those who did school online for the first two years are also in the dark about the pub’s existence.

Brekke has had to get creative to advertise the pub around campus this school year, and she has partnered with the new food director from MacEwan’s food service provider, Aramark, to make sure students know that there is a spot for them to grab a beer on campus.

Brekke’s efforts are slowly coming to fruition, with more and more people coming to the bar.

In the fall 2022 semester, she tried some new advertising strategies, including revamping some events (including a gingerbread house decorating contest!) and placing ads for those events around the school.

Brekke says that some other events that Towers has put on so far this school year include an undergrad variety show where “students could come up and sing, dance, tell a story, poetry. . . whatever they wanted to do,” and an open mic night. A couple of students have also started a biweekly pool tournament on alternate Wednesdays which have been really well received, according to Brekke.

There is also always a big shindig on the first and last days of classes with live music, prizes, and lots of beer.

Recognizing the need to pivot, Brekke has big plans for the bar and hopes to mark the start of a new era at Towers. Part of the plans include upgrading the space and making it a bit more cozy. “We wanna bring some character back and get some student artists in to do murals,” says Brekke.

Outside of events, the food and drinks are also a big draw for the bar.

Drink-wise, there are always some fun collaborations happening with local breweries. “Lots of local breweries have approached me to get in here because they’re all just like, ‘We want to get ‘em young,’” Brekke says with a laugh.

One of the new beers this year is the Griffins Honey Beer, made with honey from the MacEwan bee hives on the roof of Building 5. Towers has also collaborated with Alley Kat and Sea Change Brewing Co., among

other local breweries for on-tap beers. Brekke has plans to start a happy hour soon and get students’ input on what beer she brings in next.

For many students, “this is their first time being in a bar-type environment, and I don’t ever wanna make them feel uncomfortable,” says Brekke. “I’m pretty good with giving (students) little tasters of stuff to try.”

Why else should students go to Towers? One of the biggest perks is all the comfort food. Towers has a delicious menu featuring burgers, mozzarella sticks, quesadillas, and of course, chicken tenders and fries—which are the best seller, according to Brekke.

The fully loaded Towers Burger is another favourite and from 3 p.m. to close, every day is “burger happy hour,” where students can get two Towers burgers and fries for $20. Towers also offers a sample platter with lots of different appetizers for $23, which is great to share with a table of friends.

Although it’s difficult to cater to all dietary restrictions, Brekke hopes to offer more gluten-free and other diet restriction-friendly options as time goes on to ensure that as many students as possible can enjoy all that Towers has to offer.

Towers is a hidden gem waiting to be rediscovered by students and the perfect place to escape the reality of midterms and 75-page-long research papers for a little while.

When students go to the bar, Brekke will be there, ready to make some small talk and help get their minds off everything that makes being a student stressful.

Although she is unsure if this is her forever job, Brekke is happy to be back on campus at the bar. When asked what keeps her at Towers, Brekke answers, “just seeing people, like all of the generations of kids,” she says. “It’s super endearing and adorable.”

“I’m a sucker. I love this place and can’t let it go,” she adds.

Towers is open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to around 9 p.m. Learn more about Towers at macewaneats.ca

“I used to be super shy…. and I’ve honestly just grown as a human and I’ve gained so much social confidence here.”

food for thought

LTowers, named after MacEwan University’s iconic concrete Towers’ menu is diverse, featuring items like burgers, que a breakfast bowl with scrambled eggs and veggies topped

The hot wings are a decent portion size, large enough to share between two people. The sauce has a good spice toexpectedly, they’re breaded, which isn’t entirely necessary

The Griffin’s beer tastes sweet and sticky, yet has a bitterward. The novelty of the name and source of honey makes it a bit fun to order though. We would recommend the Sea

The pub has been around for as long as anyone on campus We decided to try Towers’ food for ourselves. We ordered

The portion sizes are relatively decent for what you pay for, and the produce used in the handhelds tastes crisp and fresh. The food is what you would expect from a bar: safe, -

ation of dietary restrictions and allergy accommodations. There aren’t many gluten-free options but if your allergy or intolerance is less severe, you could get away with ordering french fries. Additionally, there aren’t many vegan or halal options available. Towers is a university pub on a campus that is home to many students with varying dietary needs — it’s only fair to expect that Towers would reflect this -

The classic burger lives up to its name — it is what you think a burger should be. It’s not anything to write home about,

Towers — they’re cooked to perfection, have a good crunch, and aren’t too oily. The chicken quesadilla made a good impression on us. It’s

tions, this is a great place to get some light studying done during the day when it’s a bit slower. At night, I recommend starting off your evening shenanigans here by grabbing a drink or two to get warmed up for a big night. Unfortunately, the pub is closed on Saturdays and Sundays, so Friday night

Overall, Towers is a reliable pub, serving a pretty decent food and beverage selection with a great environment. If you’re looking for a place to have a drink and unwind after a full day of academia, Towers will always be there for you.

A trio of cookies

Words | MYA COLWELL + EVA DRIESSEN Graphics | FREEPIK

The holidays are over, but that doesn’t mean January has to be cheerfree. Here are three cookie recipes guaranteed to put a smile on your face this winter.

GRANDMA COLWELL’S COOKIES

These tasty cookies are sweet, spongy delights that will have you craving seconds, and thirds… and fourths. They’re part cake, part cookie, and a whole lot of deliciousness.

I’ve successfully made these cookies with gluten-free flour by substituting with a one-toone gluten-free all purpose blend. The dairy products can also be substituted with vegan margarine and a dairy-free sour cream.

Cookie Ingredients

• ¼ cup butter

• ¼ cup shortening

• 1 ½ cups sugar

• 2 eggs

• 2 ¾ cups sifted flour

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• ½ teaspoon baking powder

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 cup sour cream

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Icing Ingredients

• ¼ cup butter (dairy free butter won’t work as well here)

• ½ teaspoon vanilla

• 1 cup sifted icing sugar

• 1 tablespoon hot water

OAT DELIGHTS

This no-bake cookie recipe is as delicious as it is easy. Oats, chocolate, coconut—what’s not to love? Eat these cookies chilled or devour them while they’re still in the pot!

Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar

• 6 tablespoons cocoa

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, shortening, and sugar until light and smooth. Beat in eggs. If you’re feeling ambitious, sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl. Then, stir in the sour cream and the vanilla. The dough will be very sticky—this is normal!

Chill the dough for about one hour. This step ensures that the dough will be easier to handle.

Preheat the oven to 425F and place a sheet of parchment paper on a cookie tray.

Drop rounded spoonfuls of dough onto the cookie sheet at least two to two-and-a-half inches apart. You will likely have several batches of cookies to bake.

Bake for about eight minutes, but keep in mind that the cook time will depend on the size of your cookies. Cookies are done when the top is tinged gold and the bottom is a deep golden brown.

While your cookies are baking, make the icing. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Brown the butter until it is a deep gold, about five minutes. The darker the butter, the more flavour your icing will have.

Once the butter is sufficiently browned, remove from the heat and stir in the icing sugar and vanilla. Then add the hot water. Cool the icing until it becomes spreadable. If it hardens too much before cookies are iced, place the saucepan on low heat for several minutes to soften.

Let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack before icing. Then, enjoy!

Yields 48 cookies (depending how large you make the cookies). Extra cookies can be frozen for up to six months (although who are we kidding; just eat them all!).

• ½ cup butter (or dairy-free alternative)

• ½ cup milk (almond or coconut milk work just as well)

• ½ teaspoon vanilla

• 1 cup shredded coconut

• 3 cups oats

PEANUT BUTTER CUP COOKIES

These cookies are a peanut butter lover’s dream. They feature mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups enveloped in sweet peanut buttery cookies. The best part is that they are easy to make and the recipe yields 40 cookies—but don’t be surprised if you still end up eating all these petite treats in one sitting.

Ingredients

• 1¾ cups all-purpose flour

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• ½ cup butter, softened (not melted)

• ½ cup white sugar

• ½ cup brown sugar

• ⅓ cup peanut butter

• 1 egg, beaten

• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

• 2 tablespoons milk (I use almond, but feel free to use what you prefer)

• 40 mini Reese Peanut Butter Cups

Directions

Preheat oven to 375F.

Combine flour, salt, and baking soda in a bowl. In a separate bowl combine the softened butter, brown and white sugar, and peanut butter until fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla, and milk. Mix the wet ingredients with the flour mixture. Form the dough into 40 evenly-sized balls and place them in lightly greased mini muffin tins. Put a mini Reese’s Cup in the centre of each ball of dough.

Bake for eight minutes and place on a cooling rack before serving.

Directions:

Combine sugar, cocoa, butter, and milk in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add vanilla. Remove from heat and stir in coconut and oats. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax or parchment paper. Enjoy gooey or chilled.

Yields about four-and-a-half dozen. Extra cookies can be frozen for up to six months.

Warning: this review contains mild spoilers for Andor based only on trailers and promotional materials.

Like 2018’s prequel film Solo, it’s confusing why Cassian Andor needs a series-length backstory considering the conclusion of 2016’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Now, after 12 forty-minute episodes (and with another 12 episodes already coming next year to conclude the series), this question remains dominant.

Andor sees the return of Diego Luna as Andor along with producer-writer Tony Gilroy, who famously fixed Rogue One from disaster. Accompanied by House of Cards creator Beau Willimon and Gilroy’s brother Dan Gilroy (Nightcrawler, Velvet Buzzsaw ) as co-writers, Andor boasts impressive talent.

However, even with the impressive company attached, Andor suffers from glaring issues such as inconsistent plot, illogical character arcs, and dry storytelling that moves at a snail’s pace throughout its incongruent two halves. Though the show is visually stunning and its surrounding characters and world-building make it worth a watch, Andor ’s lack of narrative consistency and bland title character leaves much to be desired.

The series, set five years before the events of Rogue One, follows Andor as he embarks on a prequel journey to solidify his place in the galaxy on the brink of civil war. With the Empire at its height of tyranny, it appears that nothing can stop its quest for domination.

Visually, Andor is absolutely gorgeous. Set pieces are crisp, lived in, and the show looks more grounded compared to Obi-Wan Kenobi, the easily more anticipated series that finished airing three months before Andor. According to an article from IGN, this result is due to the creators focusing more on traditional filmmaking rather than using LucasFilm’s CGI StageCraft technology (aptly seen in previous Star Wars television series).

This filmmaking decision ultimately pays off as it brings a darker and more realistic tone to the world of Andor. From the luscious beaches of Niamos to the towering mountains of Aldhani (shot on location in Scotland and England), Star Wars has never looked so visually impressive and diverse, especially when returning to fan-favourite planets like Courscant. The impressive visual style adds to the already strong world-building Star Wars is known for.

Easily the best elements of Andor are its supporting characters and subplot. Genevieve O’Reilly’s return as Chandrilan senator Mon Mothma is a welcomed one, as she provides the best performance in the series. Seeing the progenitor phases of the soon-to-be great rebel leader is captivating as

she struggles to maintain balance as a freedom fighter and senator under the Empire’s reign. Along with O’Reilly, Stellan Skarsgård is equally strong as Luthen Rael, a high-class art dealer that fronts more extreme insurrection movements in comparison to Mothma’s drawn-out political methods.

It is refreshing to see a Star Wars live-action show go into deep lore politics previously only seen in books like Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn series. Andor makes it clear that there is not yet a unified rebellion but rather a series of uncoordinated insurrection movements in need of unity, something the KGB-like Imperial Security Bureau (ISB) intends to extinguish. As such, ISB supervisor Dedra Meero (Denise Gough) provides a formidable and cunning villain. She embodies a united, dominating, and capable Empire that has not been shown often in mainstream Star Wars iterations.

As rewarding as Andor ’s side stories are, the main issue lies with the main plot and Andor himself. The show consistently feels like it is battling itself with two distinct halves at odds with one another. The first half involves a heist that harkens back to Rogue One, but it is more tedious and drawn out, while the second half provides a more entertaining prison-escape romp. However, the connecting narrative tissue that brings both halves together is more random than logical. As a result, Andor feels like two different genre shows that never properly cohere together, which is considerably noticeable with Andor ’s slow-burn delivery.

Though strong character development at certain plot points could be used to flesh out Andor as a character, the show overlooks these moments, making Andor just as uninteresting and basic as he was in Rogue One. Andor’s motivation and overall character arc feel incomplete and frankly annoying as he constantly makes illogical decisions that are used just to advance the plot. Though there are consequences to Andor’s actions, it never feels like it truly fazes him since the audience isn’t given enough time alone with Andor to understand his characterization. As a result, Andor feels more like a hollow transport for the audience than an actual character that feels tangible and deep.

After 12 episodes, Andor ’s value as a series still remains questionable. However, it has enough moments for Star Wars fans to enjoy despite its glaring flaws. Though Andor ’s strong supporting cast and subplot are a worthwhile addition to the greater Star Wars story, the show’s lacklustre main plot, bland main character, and inconsistent storytelling keep Andor from being something great.

All episodes of Andor season one are available on Disney+.

Words JASON HUSAK

HER LOSS

Words DAVID GAINA

Drake’s music has become the soundtrack of 2022. His album Honestly, Nevermind was released in June, and now his new surprise collaboration album with 21 Savage, Her Loss , was released in November. A week after being released, the song, “Rich Flex,” has already been made into a meme due to the interesting ways Drake calls to 21 Savage. The internet is tearing him apart in the most light-hearted way, especially on TikTok.

The first couple of songs didn’t do much. Although “Rich Flex” has the most streams on Spotify, it’s a weak intro to the album. The opera-sounding sample gets old pretty quickly, and the lines don’t showcase either Drake or 21 Savage’s full talent. Their interpolation of Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage” is also quite corny, and I don’t enjoy listening or singing along to that part especially. The second track on the album, “Major Distribution,” starts off with a sweet, auto-tuned piano ballad that is interrupted by one of the most rigid and annoying beats I’ve ever heard. The 808s barely sound mastered, and Drake and 21 Savage’s lines don’t stand

out. “BackOutsideBoyz” has the first intriguing beat on the album. It’s a nostalgic, smooth synth remix but is quickly ruined by a heavily auto-tuned Drake that sounds like he sampled a pubescent voice note from his Degrassi days. “Treacherous Twins” is another frankly bad song; from the dull beat to the chorus, it sounds like Drake just learned a big word and wanted to use it.

While many of the tracks on this album stand by being quite awful, a number of them are really good. For example, Drake’s chorus in “Spin Bout U” has constantly been stuck in my head. The sample is nice to listen to, and 21 Savage’s first verse gets me hyped from the jump. Drake’s verse is also super satisfying in contrast to 21’s raspier voice. Additionally, the deep synths in “Hours in Silence” caught my ear instantly. It gets me feeling super relaxed and warm, like a smooth-sailing journey through space. I find myself coming back to the song frequently, especially while driving late at night. In the coming cold months, this will be one that will make me feel surrounded by warm synths in my

car. In these tracks, Drake and 21 Savage exhibit a smooth back-andforth flow on top of some already polished samples.

Among the handful of good songs, “Circo Loco” samples a familiar “One More Time” by Daft Punk while also providing a fresh beat. Drake and 21’s verses have a quick, hyped flow, but I can only tolerate Drake’s auto-tune because it fits with the sample. However, Drake has already stirred up controversy in this song by supposedly referencing Megan Thee Stallion and calling her out for lying about being shot by Tory Lanez in 2020 (AV Club). As well he calls out other women lying about their botox, which he and his producers deny (Complex). Not so classy. Drake entered the summer with new chill house beats, but now it seems he’s ready to heat things up again. What fun is the music industry without a bit of drama?

“Middle of the Ocean” is also one of my favourites, sonically, with the soulful sample and warm, summer-like chirps. It seamlessly transitions into the beautiful violin of “Cry Together” by The O’Jays. It’s

THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING Words

Joan Didion, an American author who paved the way for many women in journalism and literature, passed away last year at the age of 87. Her collection of books is all intrinsically brilliant and different in their own way, but her writing style is what makes each of them so successful. Didion’s memoir, The Year of Magical Thinking , is a supremely humane and heartbreaking work.

This book was truly one of the best I’ve ever read. It focuses on Didion’s story as a writer, her role as a wife and mother, and above all else, the challenges she faced during 2003 to 2005. It was published shortly after the loss of her husband, John, and daughter, Quintana.

Didion’s husband and famous writer, John Dunne, suffered a heart attack on Dec. 30, 2003. Her memory about this night is revisited many times during the book; she writes with purpose and professionalism as she manages to keep her emotions in check. Her writing perfectly represents how grief is a tortuous, slow process, and how we may first experience denial before sadness. “Grief, when it comes, is nothing like we expect it to be,” she writes. “Grief comes in waves, paroxysms, sudden apprehensions that weaken the knees and blind the eyes and obliterate the dailiness of life.”

Her daughter, Quintana Roo Dunne, died just one year later. She was in her late thirties when she was first diagnosed with a bad flu that turned into pneumonia. After being in the hospital, she later suffered from septic shock, which resulted in a brain bleed and an induced coma that led to her death in late August.

The Year of Magical Thinking puts into words the reality of loss and the side of grief that no one talks about. It reveals how one minute you’re just living your life, and the next, your husband is slumped over the kitchen table, experiencing a heart attack while having his evening drink.

This memoir changed the way I considered my own life and thought about the people who were close to me — living, dead, and those who are alive but not really living, so to speak.

“This is my attempt to make sense of…. any fixed idea I had ever had about death, about illness, about probability and luck, about good fortune and bad, about marriage and children and memory, about grief, about the ways in which people do and do not deal with the fact that life ends, about the shallowness of sanity, about life itself,” Didion writes. Her book is not just a self-pitying memoir of unfortunate events and how we deal with them; it’s an ode

a complete, confident, feel-good song that I’ll be playing at full volume on the first day of spring. The only feature on the album is Travis Scott on “Pussy & Millions.” I can see it eventually becoming a classic track. The flows are great, the transitions are smooth, and the majestic, almost medieval sample mixes well with Travis’ classic bass-heavy verses. 21 Savage’s solo track, “3AM on Glenwood,” is easily the most underrated song on the whole album with it having the least amount of streams on Spotify. It reminds me much of a chill, 2000s Ne-Yo type of beat topped off by some exceptional bars by 21.

Overall, Her Loss was an okay album. It has many horrible tracks balanced out by just as many personally acclaimed ones. Those few are the ones I will probably be listening to for years. Her Loss is definitely worth listening to once all the way through, but you’ll likely pick the best ones to listen to exclusively as the rest of the album remains largely forgettable.

to acceptance — of dejection, of welcoming new opportunity, of the feelings we try to suppress and the tears we drown in, and of the joy that we, although may wait a lifetime, will eventually reap.

Her narration of memory and pain is so vivid and hard to imagine, yet it makes you feel like you were right there with her through it all. This book is a stunning piece of writing that makes us question the inexplicable reasons as to why we experience pain and reminds us just how quickly things can change. “Life changes fast. Life changes in the instant,” she writes. “You sit down to dinner and life as you know it ends.” That’s not to say that it won’t begin again, but it might not be for a long, long time.

Joan Didion helped me through a lot by changing my mindset about my life and the people within it. If you do one thing this year, read this book. I know 2023 just started, but I can already tell you that it might just be my very own year of magical thinking.

PAYTON PHILLIPS

Spotify Wrapped

When it comes to days the internet collectively anticipates, none quite measure up to Spotify Wrapped Day. (Yes, “day” does deserve a capital.)

Watching your slew of Instagram followers unveil their top songs and artists for the year and offer you a behind-the-scenes glimpse into their lives is exhilarating. No, it’s not super sophisticated, but there’s something surprisingly intimate about seeing someone’s music tastes summarized in a single square of Spotify’s PR campaign — I mean, Spotify Wrapped.

Unlike the standard Instagram post, Spotify Wrapped lacks the shiny veneer of perfectionism. Yes, they’re made up of eye-catching visuals, but there are no filters or witty captions to hide behind; your music tastes are entirely laid bare. You’re either in Taylor Swift’s top 0.01 per cent of listeners, or you’re not. (And somehow, it seems like most people are. Who’s crunching the numbers on this?)

Spotify is well aware of (and has capitalized on) our desire to know ourselves. We all want to know who our top artist is, the main genres we listen to, and the top five songs we play on repeat all year long. This hunger for self-exploration is especially evident in last year’s adaptation of the Myers-Briggs personality test that breaks down your “listening personality.”

For the record, I’m “The Adventurer,” a “seeker of sound” who “(ventures) into the unknown, searching for fresher artists, deeper cuts, (and) newer tracks.” Riveting.

And what do we do once we have this information? Shamelessly brag about it on social media, of course. But you know what? It’s fantastic.

Do I care how many minutes you spent listening to Doja Cat? No. But I want to see it, and I will judge you for it.

For once, it’s nice to be able to tap through Instagram stories and know that there isn’t any subtext: I know it’s self-indulgent, you know it’s self-indulgent, and there’s no pretending otherwise. You may as well be standing at the top of a really tall cliff and shouting, “My taste is impeccable, I am unique, I am the most important person online.”

But what happens next?

How do you look your cousin in the eye knowing he was in the top one per cent of Nickleback’s listeners? How do you have a conversation with the friend you make fun of, knowing that they actually do have better taste in music than you? And most importantly, how do you carry on with your life when Spotify Wrapped has classified your listening moods as “Pastel Goth/ Pumpkin Spice/Chipper”?

The answer? You keep feeding the algorithm. And when Spotify Wrapped rolls out again at the end of 2023, you’ll be ready to show your followers just how special you are.

Words MYA COLWELL

Aries (Ram) Mar. 21–Apr. 19

You’re in active pursuit this month, Aries, but instead of going forward impulsively, survey what’s in front of you. What tools and resources are at your disposal? Try them all out — they’re yours, after all. Whether it’s planning your outfits or aiming for that A in your class — plan before you act, and success will come.

Taurus (Bull) Apr. 20–May 20

Check in with yourself — are you trying to juggle too many responsibilities or are there too many voices trying to tell you what to do? The most important thing is your voice, Taurus, and your well-being. Set the expectations aside, and focus on what is best for you at this moment.

Gemini (Twins) May 21–Jun. 21

Put your weapons down and surrender to the urge to work too hard. Take some time to look back on the last year, collect your thoughts, and gather your strength. Take a deep breath. January is all about rest for you, Gemini. If you take the time to care for yourself, you’ll start the year off feeling grounded and ready to take on the rest of the year.

Cancer (Crab) Jun. 22–Jul. 22

We know you’ve been ambitious this past year, Cancer, and your work has not gone unseen! However, the holiday season may have caused some financial strain. Don’t worry, your ambition will help you spend money with one hand and make money with the other. The start of a new year will test you, but with diligence and selfreflection you will be able to make some magic.

Leo (Lion) Jul. 23–Aug. 22

Feeling a bit “bleh” lately? When was the last time you did something for fun? Or tapped into your inner child? If that’s you, Leo, may we suggest following your curiosities? We know there’s something that you’ve been poking at or always wanting to try. Do it!

Virgo (Virgin) Aug. 23–Sept. 22

Hey Virgo, no need to panic! We know that the overthinking can get to you sometimes, but everything you’ve ever wanted is already here. Have a seat with a friend, lover, pet, or even just by yourself, and take account of everything that has been going well for you. Then, treat yourself to something nice. Maybe a beverage? Up to you. Whatever it is, you deserve it.

Libra (Balance) Sept. 23–Oct. 23

You’ve been working at something for a while and there might have been moments where you’ve wondered how much progress you’ve really made. Well, we’re here to tell you to keep going. Be patient and set your worries down — everything you’ve been investing in will come to fruition.

Scorpio (Scorpion) Oct. 24–Nov. 21 So many things may have changed suddenly for you, Scorpio, unwanted or not. Think of this as a release from the usual, and take the time to become inspired or charitable. Take up every opportunity you can! Learn a new hobby or start a new career path. We appreciate who you are, and what you have done in the past, but look forward to the long-term. Remember, what goes down must also come up.

Sagittarius (Archer) Nov. 22–Dec. 21

We know that this has been a difficult time for you to admit exhaustion, so we recommend a healthy dosage of some Sagittarius re-evaluation. It’s time to gain some order and control, and explore a new creative path. Some new changes in your life will help you appreciate yourself, and how easily you can achieve your goals and objectives.

Capricorn (Goat) Dec. 22–Jan. 19

Capricorn, we know how you think. It’s January, it’s your season. You’re setting new goals for the new year; you’re going at it with that to-do list. But hey, there may be others around you that could benefit from your gogetter attitude. Reach out and check in with others. Get involved. You’ll see that when you give, you get.

Aquarius (Water Bearer) Jan. 20–Feb. 18

There may be a lot of conflict going on, Aquarius, whether it be between you and your group members for a project, with your loved ones, or even a conflict of your own thoughts in your head. Instead of getting caught up in the emotions that come with these situations, though, slow it down. Give every thought or every person a chance to speak and be heard it might just save you from any more squabbling.

Pisces (Fish) Feb. 19–Mar. 20

You’re missing your friends, Pisces! Go visit them, sit down, and enjoy their company. Embrace the good luck they give you and evaluate the advice they suggest. We sense that you have gone through some changes, so it’s time to go back to your roots and become electrified again.

Comic TEAGAN SYWYK

Words CATHERINE LIEU & JULIETTA HARVEY| Graphic THAI SIRIKOONE