rr lfFE ana Styte s REAUTY INSIDE AND ©Ou® School + Work + Studying = A Depressing Lifestyle Balancing entertainment with education is necessary to stay focused and alleviate stress By Stephanie Trembath, Life and Style Editor alance is difficult to maintain; B whether you’ re juggling a full time job or a full time school schedule, trying to fit in things you enjoy doing with friends usually ends up taking the backseat. In exchange for a degree, students have the ominous task of balancing school, work and a social life throughout the semester. Toss in transportation, recreational activities and family and you’ve got a recipe that will equal disaster if not managed appropriately. Funds are short, busses are full, and therefore drive past, and the only thing that seems to come in an unlimited supply are hours of studying and essay writing. The September semester, as it follows the warm sunny days of August, is accompanied by rain, with the very bleak silver lining of Christmas ahead. Not to be a pessimist, but thanks to the wet weather, devastating state of the economy and anticipation of a holiday that requires me to spend what little cash I will earn in the next three months between my schoolwork, this time of year is really depressing and long. With that said, there are many ways to boost your mood and enjoy the city in-between study sessions and daunting work schedules: 1) Check out the Vancouver International Fringe Festival. Featuring live theatre until September 26, the Fringe Festival hosts over 600 performances showcasing actors from all over Canada. With over twenty different venues to choose from and $22 seats, the Fringe is a cheap and different activity for Friday night. 2) Gotoa Lions Game. A little bit more expensive, but there are three home games left and even if you don’t like football, the atmosphere is always fun and if you buy a pack of tickets with a group of friends the ticket price goes down. 3) Take a walk through Stanly 10 Park, or any park for that matter. Despite the wet weather, Vancouver is always really: green and fresh in fall with the color of changing leaves and the smell of rain, and the clean air will clear your head. 4) Visit Café Crepe for cheap drinks and tasty food. With $10 pitchers of beer, a wide assortment of yummy crepes and delectable drinks (such as the nutella martini), cafe crepe is open till 2am and only a short walk away from the sky train station. 5) Grab a student ski-lift pass to Cypress Mountain. If you already have the gear, spending $129 for a pass is really cheap; especially if you can get ina carpool with friends. No matter what you’re interested in, there are plenty of ways to relax and enjoy some downtime with friends. Pubs, movies and restaurants are all fine, but trying something new and exciting will help to spice your week up and give you something to look forward to between midterms and exam periods. Remember; school and work come first, but unless you want to have a nervous breakdown by November, take a moment to breathe and enjoy those around you in the city we live in. Attraction to Affleck With the release of his newest Hollywood film, | bet we all wish we could be “fucking Ben Affleck” By Stephanie Trembath, Life and Style Editor The Town is a current thriller full of action and seduction, written by and starring Ben Affleck, the star who seemed to fall off the acting scene for awhile only to wow us once more. Overtly ambitious and handsome, Affleck’s attention to the film industry has become idealized by many other actors as he has produced, written, and directed many screenplays and motion pictures over the last ten years. Hands full with his new family, the LivePlanet Production Company he founded with his cousin Matt Damon and his whirlwind acting career, it comes as no surprise that Ben Affleck is once again one of Hollywood’s hottest actors. Born to school teachers, Affleck attended the University of Vermont before he embarked on his acting career. He began taking small roles in popular TV series and movies back in the 80’s, however; his mainstream acting career didn’t really take off until his debut in Mallrats and Chasing Amy in the 90’s. Soon after, Affleck starred in Armageddon and Pearl Harbour; which made him a major Hollywood heartthrob acting with stars Kate Beckinsdale and Josh Hartnett. Movies such as Changing Lanes, Daredevil and The Sum of All Fears made Affleck one of the biggest grossing earners of 2000, and a top choice in leading men for action thrillers. With his signature down-to- earth looks and humble demeanour, Affleck’s charisma onscreen doesn’t come off as overwhelmingly superficial or overdone as many “Hollywood blockbusters tend to do. Affleck’s decision to take roles in movies with his real life love interests however, put a decided halt on his increasing reputation as a notable American actor. The “Bennifer” phenomenon was a huge letdown, as was his involvement in Gigli and Jersey Girl. Despite his heartbreaking attempt to produce with his current love affairs, Affleck’s marriage to actress Jennifer Garner came as no surprise. A notorious partaker in world affairs and politics, Affleck spoke for homosexuality when the whole ordeal concerning gay marriage arose, proudly stating; “J don’t think the government should be involved in any way in people’s bedrooms or lives. With so much hatred and unpleasantness in the world, why would you want to get in the way of people who love each other marrying each other? Anybody who wants to be able to get married to anybody else should be able to. It’s not my business.” Affleck is also involved in many projects concerning humanitarianism, and in 2008 he was on ABC News discussing the crisis in Congo, where he travelled to interview millions of refugees, warlords, and members of the Congo Parliament. Affleck urges Americans to look at what is going on in the world around us instead of “distancing ourselves from that which we don't want to ” See. More than just a pretty face, his obvious passion and contribution to his work, family, and his own projects are most likely why Sarah Silverman, along with the rest of the world, wishes they were fucking Ben Affleck.