The Confluence | December 12, 2022 | The December Edition

YOUR OFFICIAL COLLEGE MAGAZINE

December 12th, 2022

Last Edition Of The Year

04 Don't Forget to Smile

From Start to The End

11 13

Tuition Around B.C.

Emily Carr's insane increase on tuition

Annual General Meeting

A run down of everything that occurred

18 KNOW YOUR REPRESENTATIVE

Getting to Know Jasvir Singh

GARRY SINGH

EDITOR -IN-CHIEF HAPPY TO BE HERE

Exam week is almost over; it probably had been hectic for most students, but I found myself struggling with something entirely different. During this semester, I've met many amazing people and have had unforgettable experiences. However, in the midst of such joy, I have barely felt anything but loneliness and lack of love.

Every couple mornings, I walk down a trail of memories of my friends, of my cousin, of my parents, and of me dancing alone on my roof at night. As silly as the ending bit sounds, that has been what defined me for all these years. It is saddening to not have my dearest friends just a 15 minute drive away. Evening, September 9, 2022, I held back my tears at max capacity because I didn't want to set foot towards a new journey while crying, and also because I didn't want my parents to cry, which happened regardless. Even though this experience has been amazing and so many amazing people are by my side, this all fails to compare to the bike rides and silly arguments I had with my crew.

So, why am I writing this here? It's my way of maybe reaching out to people who are experiencing homesickness, especially international students. There are days where we just want someone to extend their hand, let's try to be there for each other as much as possible. It's important.

The Editorial Committee

Garry Singh

Madhavi Sharma

Vacant

Vacant

Editor-in-Chief

Journalist

Production Assistant

Photographer

Darian Meesto

Vacant

Vacant

Vacant

Columnist

Web & Graphics Supervisor

YouTube & Social Media Management Assistant

Columnist

THECONFLUENCE 02

Your Students' Union

Clarence Bo

Gulshan Singh

Anmol Gondara

Darian Meesto

Health and Science Representative

CCE Representative

University Studies Representative

Indigenous Students' Representative

Jasvir Singh

Anuroop Kaur

Chantel Tom

Leila Abubakar

Business Students' Representative

Women Students' Representative

Upgrading and Access Representative

Executive Director

Guntas Thapar

Damon Robinson

Carman Hill

Hana Hoang

Organizer

03 THECONFLUENCE

Membership Outreach Office and Services Coordinator - Quesnel Coordinator

Office and Services Coordinator - PG

Don't Forget to Smile Liz Van Bakel

From Start to The End

Caroline had such a beautiful smile. She was a bright young thing. Walking down the street in her little yellow dress that contrasted with her bright red hair. She was just gorgeous, so full of life, so full of yellow sunshine, with such a full smile with bight white teeth that filled her mouth.

I sat there at the bus stop. The complete opposite of Caroline. My white costume was stained with red splatter from the punch the kids threw at me. My make up had run down my face like a high school girl who just got dumped by her football boyfriend. I truly fit the part of the sad clown now. I was ruined, stained, I couldn’t even think about smiling, even that was too much work. I just wanted to see those kids smile. I wanted to make them laugh. I wanted to remind them to never forget to smile, but those kids were evil. They didn’t laugh with me, they laughed at me. They smiled, but they smiled at what they were doing to me. Costing me a new costume, costing me a tip from their bitch ass parents that raised the little fuckers. Costing me my dignity that was already non-existent. All I wanted to do was make these kids smile, make their days, give them memories that they would look back on and think, “damn, I had a good childhood.”. I hope these kids look back on this day and think, “I should have been nicer to that clown at my birthday party.” Or “I wish I didn’t throw punch at him and make him cry.” Or maybe, “I wish I didn’t push that clown to his tipping point, because he looked like he was already about to fall off the deep end”.

If only kids these days knew the shit I had to go through to get to that point. If only they knew that the shit they pulled on that fateful day of May 29th, 1969, caused me to become what I am now. A broken sad clown with no where to go, but Caroline, that little girl was so happy.

She smiled with ease, she walked with a little jazz in her step, because she didn’t know what this world could do to people like her, people like me.

I was like Caroline once. I always smiled. I was a happy kid. Until the real world set in and everything turned from golden yellow to shit stain brown. I left home to pursue my dreams in the city of angels. My Mom always said I had a smile that would fit in the pictures, and when Dad started drinking, yelling, hitting, I left for the world of red carpets, glitz and glam. Except I didn’t get to taste that world. No. I picked up a job as a party clown to pay for rent until I got my big break, but that never happened. I got stuck in this lifeless loop of screaming children and ungrateful parents who never appreciated me.

But Caroline, that sweet girl was untouched by this horror show that is the planet Earth. Just like I was, until everything went to hell, and it seems like I never left. Caroline waltzed over to me. I was covered in punch and make up that was smeared from my tears, yet she still came and sat beside me.

“Hey there!” she said to me.

“Hello sweetheart.” I responded.

“You don’t look to good.” She said as she looked over my stained costume and her

THECONFLUENCE 04

gentle green eyes rested on my face.

“I suppose I don’t do I?” “No. You have red stuff all over your pretty costume. And your face paint got all smudged” “That I do” “But don’t worry, you can wash your costume and clean up your face and everything will be as good as new.” She said, “I get stuff on my clothes all the time and sometimes my mom gets mad at me, but then she washes it, and everything is better.”

She said everything with such an ease and poise because all I had to do was wash up and everything would be fine. According to Caroline that was all I had to do. “I’ll make sure to wash it when I get home.” I said.

“I’m Caroline, what’s your name?” She said “Well, the name most kids call me is Mr. Smiles. Mr. Smiles the Clown.” I introduced my clown name to her. She didn’t need to know my real name.

“Mr. Smiles. That’s a nice name.”

“Well thank you, Caroline. I like your name too.” She giggled at my statement. She had a laugh that even made me crack a smile.

We exchanged a few more simple statements about one another until the streetlights flashed on, alerting us of the late hour. “Miss Caroline, I believe you should be heading home soon.” I told her.

“I don’t want to. Dad will probably be yelling again tonight, and I don’t like it when he yells.” She said in a small voice.

“Your Dad yells at you?” I asked her.

“Yeah, mostly at my mom. She makes me hide in my room when he gets like that, but I can still hear him. Sometimes it feels like the house shakes when he gets really loud.” She got even quieter the more she talked about her father. Caroline was just like me. So much so that it hurt. I had only known her for about a half an hour, but my heart ached for her. She

05 THECONFLUENCE

didn’t deserve that life, the life that was coming for her. So, I did the only thing I thought I could do.

“You know, my dad used to yell at me and my mom when I was your age.” I told her.

“Really?”

“Yep. He would yell so loud I thought the windows were about to break. So, I would avoid him the best I could.”

“That’s what I try to do too!” She said. She was so excited that someone finally had a story like hers.

“Well, if you need a place to avoid the yelling, you can come with me to my home.” I offered to her.

“Really! Thank you so much Mr. Smiles!”

“No problem, Caroline.” I said to her.

We got on the bus. The 5 p.m. one. She was excited to be on a bus, she had never been on a bus before that day. We rode the bus to my apartment. It was a quaint apartment. A clown’s salary won’t give you a penthouse.

Caroline never stopped smiling. This was an adventure for her. One where she made a mystical new friend named Mr. Smiles who would whisk her away to a new world away from the abuse of her father; but instead, he took her to a shitty apartment, with a shitty carpet, and shit walls.

I took care of her before I did it. I fed her what ramen I had left, and I gave her a Pepsi, and in that Pepsi, I gave her the rest of my sleeping pills. They took affect quickly enough.

Little Caroline fell asleep in my ratty old chair, and I took a ratty old pillow and held it over her face. She didn’t struggle, she didn’t suffer, she was only going to suffer more in this life anyway. I ended the suffering she would have eventually been succumbed too, just like I was.

When I removed the pillow from Caroline’s face; she didn’t look dead. The only thing that looked different was that her smile was now gone. I couldn’t have that, so I gave her, her smile back. I grabbed a kitchen knife

and carved a smile, ear to ear, into her cheeks.

Now she would never stop smiling, she would never forget to smile again.

I didn’t know what to do with her body after I realized what I had done. I couldn’t keep it here, I couldn’t throw it away with my trash, so I took it back to where we first met. I walked all the way back to the bus station carrying her body wrapped up in a garbage bag. We got a few odd stares, that’s probably why it was so easy for you to catch me. After I dropped the body off, I looked down at my costume that I never got the chance to change. Red covered my white gloves, except it wasn’t punch, it was a much darker crimson than that. Caroline’s blood covered my hands, but according to Caroline, all I had to do was those gloves and it would all be okay.

That’s how I did it, that’s why I did it, and now you have everything you need to know, and I can die with a clear conscience.

-Nick Allen, January 13, 1972 “Everything you’ve written in here is the truth?” I asked.

“Yes sir, it is.” Mr. Allen said. “Everything down to when we first met, to the blood that covered my gloves.”

“I appreciate you taking the time to write this.

It will let Caroline’s family finally have some peace.” I said.

“I gave that little girl peace that she never had from her family, I saved her from a life of drinking, yelling, abuse and eventually a life of failure.” He said.

“Well, we’ll never know what her life would’ve been like now, won’t we.” That shut him up real good. I was the one that found her little body. It looked like she had just fell asleep until I saw her face. That little face had been cut, scared, like the Joker. Cut from ear to ear.

I’d seen some shit in my time as a cop, but nothing made me stop in my tracks like seeing Caroline’s body.

I was the lead investigator. I was the one to place the cuffs on Nick Allen’s wrists, and now I get to see the monster die.

“I appreciate you allowing me to get everything out Officer Stevens. I truly feel like I can die now, knowing that I will have nothing weighing me down.” He said.

“I’m sorry I can’t say the same about you Mr. Allen, but if we’re letting go of the things weighing us down; God, am I going to rest easy when I know that you are gone.” I said to the monster in front of me.

“Well, I hope I am also able to rest easy.”

He said.

Nearly two weeks later, Nick Allen’s execution date had finally arrived. He was sentenced to the electric chair and the day had finally come. The man who killed a little girl and carved a smile into her face, the man who says, ‘I saved her from a horror show that would be her life’ after speaking to her for only thirty minutes. It made me feel like a horrible person, to want to see a man die so badly, but he was the one who was making me feel like that; he was the one who made the choice to kill her and made me hate him so much so that I wished death upon that man.

The warden walked toward Allen. He was strapped in by his arms and his legs. The last thing that was needed were the straps on his head and the black hood that would cover his face. “Any last words Mr. Allen?” the warden asked.

“Yes, I do.” He said. His eyes found mine immediately. “Don’t forget to smile.”

Submit your work for The Confluence at editor@cncsu.ca; if you get published, you'll get $20.

THECONFLUENCE 06

Your Own Student Newspaper

The Editorial Committee

CNC Multicultural Showcase

How was the International Week?

Memories and Magic Garry Singh

Editor-in-Chief, CNC Students' Union

Having the college acknowledge and be welcoming of the diversity that exists on campus is a beautiful thing to see, especially for international students. The event was organized by College of New Caledonia in collaboration with CNC Students' Union, and as expected, there were a lot of things happening all at the same time.

The highlight of the show was definitely the Multicultural Runway fashion walk at the end.

Many students came through to represent the cultural clothing of their lands. At the same time, the Turban-Up was also happening alongside the Henna event, in which the students and some of our faculty alike were eagerly waiting in line for turbans to be tied on their heads and also have their hands decorated by none other than professionals from The House of Henna.

The Gathering Place was filled with the sounds of excitement and amazement as people were

07 THECONFLUENCE

walking around looking at many tables organized by students attending them; each table showcased parts of the culture of those students, giving people an opportunity to not only experience the beauty of that culture but also get to learn some facts from the students.

What facts did you learn on that day?

I'm sure you're convinced by now that the event was a total festivity; even more, there was the ever amazing photobooth as well. I literally took pictures with a bunch of students whom I didn't even know, because why not?

Events like this are there for us to celebrate.

However, it doesn't mean we forget what it is all about.

Diversity is something that many people still aren't welcoming of, sadly, but it makes me happy each time the college recognizes the different demographics existing on the campus and welcomes them. In Elder Darlene's speech, she said, "We must appreciate the opportunities we have been presented with, and learn from each other". Simple and subtle, isn't that how it's supposed to be?

Spilling Some Secrets

Ghosts can have a silver lining

Apurva Sharma The day I was ghosted by a guy was the day I found self love. The story started during the autumn season. I am not sure if it was the cold breeze, the falling leaves or how he made me feel which lessened my self-esteem. Okay, that was certainly quite dramatic but that is how one tends to become when captivated by someone. Our “situationship” lasted for a couple of months and each month I learned something new from all the ups and downs we had.

The mean girls in high school can be really mean sometimes and for this exact reason, after completing my last high school exam in 2021, I finally felt comfortable in my own skin for the first time in a long while. Until the universe decided that it wasn’t enough and gave me another deep-rooted lesson in “ How to not unlove yourself when falling in love with another”. They say the beauty of a person hides their vices and that was what made me go down the rabbit hole. Lets refer to him as “ghost” because he kept coming in and out of my life like a ghost in one of those conjuring movies. Ghost was someone I went out with once, with a few friends, as sort of a farewell meeting; we didn’t start talking until I wished him a happy birthday. The conversations began casually and then obsessively for the rest of our situationship. In late August, the obsession started as he began feeding my low self-esteem with sugar-sweet compliments; my whole self-worth became centered around what he thought of me. If he laughed at my jokes, the day suddenly became brighter, if he got offended, everything and everyone annoyed me. Later though, identifying this pattern became a major factor in helping me

overcome my tendency to overthink; his toxicity taught me to happily forget to care about what others think of what I say or do; nowadays, my own opinions and happiness over my decisions matter more to me than anything else.

He was an excellent conversationalist. Talking with him was like taking a drug, once you started, you didn’t want to stop. It was sort of therapeutic for a while, to have someone you can vent to at the end of the day, until it was not. It went from venting to emotional dumping in the blink of an eye. And it hit hard when I recognized that I was the one doing it. I had issues with anxiety and body image insecurities and he made me acknowledge them. For instance, sometimes when I overthought how short I was and how bad it made me look, it would unintentionally come out in text messages; he would boost my confidence by saying short people are cuter. It might seem ridiculous to an outsider but these small things can heighten up the confidence of an insecure person. This taught me to always positively affirm myself and so I learned how not to rain on my own parade.

Let's dig more into the fact about why I named him ghost. When it happened for the first time, I thought he must have “forgotten” to text back, because I didn't want to believe that he did not want to text back. This soon became a pattern, he would ghost and I would text, one reply from him and I would come running back. I always turned a blind eye towards his toxicity. His unhealthy behavior ranged from blaming me for pressuring him, to going MIA in the blink of an eye, to never knowing when

THECONFLUENCE 08

he would get angry and shut me down. I finally broke this pattern though, sometime around November and he came back still, apologizing in December. When we reached the uglier part of our relationship, I became aware of the fact that when left alone with myself I was always unsatisfied, I always needed someone to talk with in order to feel valued and happy and that’s when I realized that I needed to start loving myself in order to feel content.

The day we talked for the last time was in January about a random Instagram story I posted and that was it. We just stopped talking: it was so out of the blue that it took some time to adjust to not always being on edge from how

someone was going to react to every single thing I did. Sometimes we get to say bittersweet goodbyes but other times you just have to let them go. And so, gradually I learned to affirm myself whenever I had confidence issues instead of looking for validation from others. I understood by that point that happiness over others’ approval of your decisions and how you are is never going to last, it is all temporary, like ghost. Eventually, I stopped hoping for him to text one day and started utilizing that time to practice my hobbies; I started journaling my thoughts and desires; I started meditation to calm my anxiety and slowly I started loving myself.

Protecting Against Violence Women Who Speak Up

Merlyn Prakash

Speaking up against violence and injustice is always problematic due to the repercussions and I am proud to say that I am not afraid to speak up. I have advocated for myself and other women who have suffered domestic violence and/or sexual violence for more than 20 years. I supported women and men who experienced domestic violence, and sexual violence at workplaces and in their personal life, including myself. As a survivor, I have a vantage point on the fears related to speaking up against violence and/or reporting it.

Before I talk about the fears associated with reporting any violence, I would like to point out the different types of domestic or intimate partner violence: physical abuse, emotional/verbal abuse, sexual violence, financial abuse and spiritual abuse. Workplace sexual violence and harassment and sexual violence consist of any unwanted sexual advances or behaviors including sexual

09 THECONFLUENCE

touching, offensive comments, jokes or innuendos, displaying or circulating offensive pictures, or offensive or intimidating phone calls, emails or texts. It can also involve explicit sexual demands, rape or forced penetration. It is important that we understand all the actions that categorize as violence so that we can understand why some women fear speaking up.

The most common fears associated with reporting domestic or intimate partner violence are fear of the abuser, fear of uncertainty, fear of belief from family friends and authority, custody concerns, financial issues and risks, self-esteem issues, fear of judgment from society, lack of information on how to deal with authority and report lawyer fees. Sexual violence reporting at the workplace brings about fears that are similar to the fears in reporting domestic violence and IPV minus custody issues as well as sexual

violence generally. These fears have been attributed to many cases that weren’t filed and the violence continued.

We need to provide protection for women and men who are afraid to speak up against the violence they are silently suffering. There needs to be privacy and discretion for individuals who require the matter to be withheld from their peers due to negative stereotypes or judgment.

Social workers need to be arriving at domestic violence/IPV calls with police officers so that they can use the proper tools to prevent further victimization of victims when investigating.

This will also help alleviate the fear of not being believed. There has to be more positive support at the time of disclosure. Abusers need to be held accountable and taught why their actions are criminal at the time of domestic

violence/IPV calls. Furthermore, there need to be more resources for women escaping violence. For example, individual housing must be immediately available instead of putting women and their children into transition houses or women’s shelters where they are provided a room instead of an apartment. This need to protect individuals who are reporting violence should be implemented at workplaces and schools. Victims and survivors should never have to fear repercussions or stigma when seeking justice. It is also important to note that perpetrators at campuses should not be allowed to continue coming to campus after committing sexual violence. It is not fair for victims /survivors to relive the violence every day after being victimized. There needs to be zero tolerance for sexual violence and automatic expulsions.

Campus News Column

Summary of events that influence the student life Your Own Student Newspaper

The Editorial Committee

The campus underwent another round of election amid the first half of this month to find the other two of the four members of the Education Council. The election results are out now: Julian Webb and Paz Baylon are the members joining Harkishan and Aman on the @Edco team. Make sure to send any questions you have for them regarding their duties.

Secondly, the International Education department has put another step forward in favor of international students on campus by organizing sit down sessions and welcoming students directly into their office. I'm sure this will create more comfort and communication

on campus and make international students feel welcomed.

On Tuesday, December 6, the Winter Stressbuster event took place in the Gathering Place. Many things ranging from free pizza to the "enormously challenging" fun games sparked the interest of students as they joined the tables around the gathering place.

Lastly, in the Gathering Place, the Invisible Tree is standing alongside many other Christmas trees from various departments existing on campus - a step to acknowledge the invisible disabilities which many go through.

THECONFLUENCE 10

Tuition Around British Columbia

Emily Carr's insane increase on tuition

As the seasonal cycle of gift shopping begins, international students might be in for a present that they want the least. Thursday, December 1, 2022, word of the tragedy taking place at Emily Carr University of Art + Design spread around British Columbia like wildfire; a 30% increase in tuition for incoming students seems to be the end of the very Canadian dream most international students walk into the country with. #Fairness For International Students is crucial now more than ever; however, how long would it take for the decision makers to understand?

A statement from an international student highlighted by CBC in their news report hit too close to heart for many others, “Treating international students, post-secondary students, as cash cows essentially is not the way,” according to Kashish Hukku Jani. The scene is shifting both inside and outside Emily Carr, as students come together to voice the frustration and financial exploitation experienced by them over the years.

While some are devastated about that much alone, others are questioning why this is happening after international students were allowed to work more than 20 hours per week.

11 THECONFLUENCE

Are international students the designated cash cows for educational institutions in British Columbia or Canada as a whole? Is there more to what is happening in Emily Carr?

“The biggest concern for us is how we aren’t able to focus much on our studies because we are worrying so much about other things, like how much money we need for groceries, how much we need for rent”

Issues have already been voiced regarding the absence of a cap on international students’ tuition fees; colleges, universities, and other educational institutions have the freedom to increase the tuition of international students by any margin, whether it be 5% or 50% at any given point in time. This is not the case for domestic students, as they have a cap of 2% on their tuition increases annually.

Recently, there have been rumors about potential amendments being discussed to correct this issue specific to international students. Based on educated assumptions, there might be a correlation between this possible development and what happened at Emily Carr, deciding to raise the tuition by a hefty margin before they are no longer able to do it legally. The question, now, is if this is the destiny of other educational institutions around British Columbia.

The Color of Your Eyes - Kaitlyn Chouinard When I first looked at you on my phone You hid one of the things that I yearn for Maybe that was your whole plan all along To enchant me with the beauty that leads to your soul.

Cover it up with the tint of royalty Are you royalty?

Is that why you hide Medusa's spell?

Because you know that my heart will chip away the stone armour Is that why you hide?

Beauty that has caught my attention Craving for more Wanting you to knock the armour off Finding the light To guide me back to a place of warmth Somewhere only a pure soul can pull the broken up to the heavens When you do unveil your armour It all becomes clear Why do you cover up your spell 12 THECONFLUENCE

I can get lost looking into the colour of your eyes for eternity If you let me Warming my soul Chipping away the stone that is encased in my heart You are releasing the Kraken That has been scared to show the world what power it can wield.

From Kaitlyn's Chapbook 'To the Lover that was Never Mine' "There was a sense of calmness that I felt while writing this, making me veer away from the chaos: chaos which I hope for no one to experience, the chaos which stems from failed stories with another. It lead me to clarity and a new perspective, which still would be hard for me to describe."

Have any poetry you want to submit? Send it to editor@cncsu.ca All published work gets you $20!

Annual General Meeting

A rundown of everything that occurred

Madhavi Sharma

Journalist, The Editorial Committee

November 29th, 2022, the Annual General Meeting (AGM) took place, and a number of details were provided to the students. There also were some key discussions that took place during and after the presentations were showcased.

The meeting's agenda was focused mainly around two things: the financial report of CNCSU, and yearly log presentations of students' representatives.

Summarizing the information from the audit, there was an increase in the total current assets for CNCSU, with also an increase in the liabilities, recorded estimate around $43,000 and $20,500 respectively (check the audit report available upon request for exact numbers).

At the same time, there is an increase in total expenses, valuing at $30,000 more than the previous year. There is an increase in campus

activity, meanwhile expenses have been consistent and most are in favor of the audit.

Following the conclusion of the audit report, the presentation of the executive committee

started. One by one, each member went through with the explanation of their own accord, however the main focus was at student advocacy, open education resources and upcoming orientation for spring semester.

As per the Upgrading and Access Representative, Chantel Tom, her main goal has been providing best assistance through classroom talks. At the same time, the Indigenous Students' Representative, Darian Meesto, talked about Quesnel advocacy and increased engagement for indigenous students.

The Business Students' Representative, Jasvir Singh, talked about organizing events and student success strategies. On the behalf of the Women Students' Representative, Anuroop Kaur, the CNC Students' Union's organizer, Guntas Thapar, briefed on student interactions and women to women group. Focus was drawn to the need for bus stop renovations outside

CNC campus, and the Women Committee was discussed, quoted "in favor of enhancing women engagement" and ensuring women from various demographics are being represented equally and their issues are being

THECONFLUENCE 13

discussed.

The University Transfers Representative, Anmol Gondara, and CCE Representative, Gulshan Singh, talked about plans focused at January orientation and student engagement, which concludes the summary of all presentations by the student representatives.

Further, the services offered by the students' union were discussed: dental services, student discounts, food bank, promotional material purchases, and the U-pass. Thereafter, students were informed about a series of campaigns like #Fund it Fix it and #Fairness For International Students, and why they are important, while discussing the role of BCFS's (British Columbia Federation of Students) role in it.

At the end, the discussion of student engagement was brought up one last time in the current AGM, and social media platforms like CNC Students' Union instagram and discord was discussed.

Before the Annual General Meeting 2022 for CNCSU was concluded, questions were raised about LGBTQIA+ community being underrepresented and the absence as well as need for a Pride Students' Representative.

14 THECONFLUENCE

That concluded the Annual General Meeting, Throughout the meeting, a number of victories primarily the most recent one with #Knock out interest on student loans campaign were discussed, but it raised the question - what changes can be expected in the forthcoming year? Or, What changes would be most in favor of the students?

If you have any suggestions,, or questions, visit the CNCSU office and start a conversation.

THECONFLUENCE 15

Trip To Purgatory - Garry Rajput Parts to the demon you wish I became, Parts to the angels I wish I enslaved, A melody ringing inside my soul, A broken doll inside a heavy metal cage.

Three parts courage and part a conflict left at the pedestal of life without motion.

Parts to the sins, parts to the wishes, None came true, it was my virtue.

Could it be the angels of punishments, or the guardians of hell, Is it my integrity that'll protect me well?

Two parts justice and part an indecisiveness left with the question of who defines kindness.

Parts to the kid I was, parts to the man I became.

A rage boiling inside my mind, for who must I stay awake.

16 THECONFLUENCE

Last part wisdom and a charm spell, blinded by the wonders of this world, am I promised a trip to purgatory?

Might regret or be avoided, if I conceal and ring the bells of temperance.

From Garry Rajput's second poetry album titled 'Memory Lane' "Still an unreleased piece of work, Memory Lane I mean; it was written to resonate with people who experienced a childhood similar to mine and, now, can understand the conflict of emotions as well as people who birthed those emotions. This is one of the seven poems on that album; while all of them are related to my own memories, each one of them focus on a different part of me. Sometimes I wonder if people are able to sense that."

Have any poetry you want to submit? Send it to editor@cncsu.ca All published work gets you $20!

Be a volunteer, we always appreciate extra hands

Sign-up right now by scanning this link!

Or you can go to: cncsu.ca/opportunities

Join the official CNCSU Discord!!

Hang out with the students and Students' Union members Scan the QR Code, or visit this website to join

cncsu.ca/discord

Join the Confluence discord to keep up with and even join the Editorial Committee

Know Your Representative To Understand Them Better

Leila Abubakar

Executive Director, CNC Students' Union

Being a part of the Students' Union for over a decade has afforded me the privilege of watching the growth and evolution of students from the the first day of school to their graduation date.

Jasvir came to CNC as not only a new student but also a new immigrant to Canada who had to navigate post secondary system in Canada and familiarize and immerse himself in a new culture.

Watching Jasvir's growth makes me proud, and gives me immense pride, he started off as a quiet observant representative who immediately stepped up to the plate and fulfilled the role of Federation representative; a role he has executed with commitment and ease. When as an organization we needed someone to step up and be the chairperson; he took on this role as well.

He is kind, caring and compassionate and always goes out of his way to ensure students have a wholesome experience at CNC. He has been a part of successful events on campus such as diwali, the talent hunt among others.

To Quote one of my all time most inspirational humans Nelson Mandela " A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination." and Jasvir has both in spades.

Looking forward to watching him soar.

Jasvir Singh Chairperson, Business Students' Representative, & Federation Representative

My name is Jasvir Singh. I moved to Canada in September 2021, from Punjab. It’s been more than a year and it had been great for me. A bit about me? I am pursing Business and Management diploma, and I also am the chairperson at CNC Students’ Union.

It all started when I got elected as the Business Students’ Representative in March 2022. So far, it’s been amazing being able to work with the Students’ Union, because our focus is always to make students life easygoing and fun; it seems to be working well as I have gotten some good responses about the last events I organized, which were Summer Bash and Talent Hunt .

As a student, I am aware of the problems faced by students, whether they are international students or domestic. I’ve been doing some advocacy with the British Columbia Federation of Students about making post-secondary education affordable and accessible for student across British Columbia.

This was mostly about my role in the Students’ Union, but now I’ll talk more about my story before all that. I have been raised in an environment where I was taught to be a helpful

THECONFLUENCE 18

person, which was a given considering how my family structure worked; they inspire me in a lot of ways I would even say that I ran in the SU elections because of them; my family has been in politics for the last 40 to 50 years. Thus, I was raised in a political environment, motivating me to be a student leader since the very beginning.

Most of the time, I am around the Students’ Union office. If any of you are facing any issue at

A Column For Ask Darian!!

Your Questions Darian Meesto

Editorial Committee, Indigenous Students' Representative CNC Students' Union

campus, you are more than welcome to come to me and talk about it. I could also be contacted through email: business@cncsu.ca The only message I want to give is that you should be yourself and believe in yourself. At times even if you have to expose yourself to new things and do something you normally will not, know that you can achieve anything you want in your life.

Most importantly, you should feel a real sense of purpose. And, If you need to build a resume, you can start building one by volunteering at places like Salvation Army Food Bank, or other humanitarian agencies.

Question: How do I tell my friends about boundaries without sounding mean?

Question: What can CNC do to improve student experience?

They can start by fixing up the bus stops outside to help protect students from the cold.

But other than that, remember when the cafeteria was having those weekly specials for food? Like Chinese food Friday, or free Red Bulls? That was mad cool. Lastly, there are some good things the college and the students union does, but the tricky part is having people access the clubs, events, and recreation activities.

PS free food and drinks is where it’s at.

I think it’s important to remember why boundaries are important so that we can focus on the positives and not the negatives. For example, boundaries are important because it will prevent stress and overload. it depends what type of boundaries they are crossing. If they are over-stepping your school life boundaries and they want to hang out constantly. Tell them this: “I would really love to come hang out, but I need to focus on homework tonight.” Don’t forget to tell them you love them or appreciate them.

Question: What is a good thing to do for social work in the community?

Loneliness is a reality for all of us students, especially the ones that live away from their home communities or countries. I moved away from my community so I know how it is.

First just know that your not alone, and that everybody deals with loneliness differently.

Take it one day at a time. What works for me is calling my loved ones to gain comfort and then I’ll go to the gym to take my mind off of it.

This question is good because I am currently a social work student and did my practicum at AWAC, which is an association that works with the homelessness population. It’s good to work with the homeless community and people in addictions I think because it really opens up your eyes into seeing the reality of their lives. It helps you to deal with conflict, and it teaches you really great people skills.

19 THECONFLUENCE

Question: What should I do if I feel lonely?

Ask Darian any questions, sarcastic or serious, by sending them to Indigenous@cncsu.ca