Toilet Humour by Peak Production

Toil

SFU humo s top ur : bathro om stall graf fiti p. 25

RHA e lection uncert ainty p . 7 The te xtbook s of the fu ture p. 1 4

FIRST PEEK

September 15, 2014 · Volume 148, Issue 3

Arts

Early Bird Pass Sale

489

STUDENT PRICE

Save 33% on 2014/15 winter passes. Don’t miss out. Offer ends Oct. 15.

BUY NOW grousemountain.com/early-bird

September 15, 2014

PEAK SPEAK

Though my reign as The Peak’s humour editor has only spanned a couple of weeks, I’m inclined to say that I’ve been funny for a couple decades now. An official paycheque for my humour is as validating as it gets, but — at least in my mind — throughout life, I’ve always come back to humour as a device. Humour is a way to meet new people and engage; a way to diffuse awkward situations; a way to cheer someone up and let their happiness osmosis over to me. The point is, I love to joke around and I can rarely go long without making some kind of quip or cackle. My favourite type of humour? Puns. Puns are frickin’ amazing. They’re like the humour editor of the joke world: it’s hard to take ‘em seriously and sometimes they try a little too hard, but if you lower your expectations and inhale some nitrous

CANADIAN COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER AWARD 2013

oxide, you might just get a laugh out of them. Though, I’m not saying every pun is worth writing an editor’s voice over. Every time I hear someone make a “camping is in tents” joke, I feel a happiness molecule inside of me die from rolling its eyes too hard. Lazy, overdone puns give the genre a bad name and we should all agree to a 100-year moratorium on them — if everyone who’s heard that joke is dead and gone, only then will it ever again be considered original and funny. Moral of the story: quit making the same fucking joke. As a form of humour, puns rarely get the praise they deserve. Have we become desensitized to the wit that comes with clever wordplay? Is the pun market over-saturated with dad’s oneliners and internet commenters? Puns have made some powerful enemies over the years. In 2010, Jon Stewart ripped wordplay a new one, in a segment where he called out news sources for distracting from reporting the news by having some kind of pun attached to it. While clever headlines make the news all the more bearable for me, Stewart has a point when you think about how much time went into pun-construction instead of actual journalism. Even Samuel Johnson, the famous English writer behind such

triumphs as A Dictionary of the English Language and The Lives of the Poets, reportedly called puns “the lowest form of humour” — though keep in mind that “Your mom . . .” jokes likely hadn’t been discovered by this point. If humour was a totem pole, puns would probably be the part that’s underground. I’m saying that puns are my favourite form of humour, but I also think that it’s impossible to create a universal hierarchy to humour. Plenty of people scoff at internet memes because they generally take the same joke or idea and just apply it repeatedly to different scenarios but that doesn’t make them any less funny. Look at knock-knock jokes, for Christ’s sake. What do I hope to achieve by writing about puns in my oncein-a-semester opportunity to address The Peak’ s readers directly? To be perfectly honest, I’m not sure. Maybe I want you to see puns as more than just the early symptoms of a ‘dad sense of humour’ or a funny banner reading along the bottom of the evening news. Mock puns all you want, but in a world where the highestrated comedy on television — and by a substantive margin, I might add — is The Big Bang Theory, I’ll get my kicks from somewhere else. It’s all for puns and puns for all.

P. 08

NEWS

At an awards ceremony last Thursday, September 11, in Ottawa, SFU was named “Campus of the Year” by Fair Trade Canada. The university beat out Canada’s other fair trade campuses — UBC, McGill, Ottawa, Trent, Guelph, Brock, and Selkirk — to win the inaugural award. Mark McLaughlin, SFU director of ancillary services, spoke to how this award reflects the hard work SFU has put in over the past two years. “SFU has played a leadership

September 15, 2014

role in Canada within the Fair Trade Campus movement, because it believes that when we all work together, we can make a difference improving the lives of farmers, artisans, and their families in developing countries.” SFU showed its commitment to the movement in 2013 with the institution of Canada’s first fair trade Starbucks on Burnaby campus. SFU has also reached out to other campuses across Canada to support them in their own fair trade initiatives. “The more campuses you’ve got on board, it’s really going to have an impact with the farmers and their families in developing countries,” said McLaughlin. “You can change the world with a cup of coffee.” Consideration for the award is based on the three fundamental criteria of the Fair Trade Campus project: availability, visibility, and continued momentum. Fair trade products must be made available to

news editor email / phone

students, with sales targets on these products, and the school must work to increase awareness and provide education surrounding fair trade. The “Campus of the Year” distinction is given to a school that not only maintains Fair Trade Canada requirements, but goes above and beyond them. “We could have been a fair trade campus and kept it local, but we felt we had an opportunity to leverage our campus, and to play a leadership role. Our president asked us to go out and engage the world,” said McLaughlin. SFU’s students have also taken an active role in the movement. They began the initiative to make SFU fair trade 10 years ago and continue to play a role in the process today. SFSS president Chardaye Bueckert commented on SFU’s fair trade initiative and the efforts made through the SFSS-run coffee shop, Higher Grounds. “The SFSS is proud to serve fair trade coffees

Leah Bjornson associate news editor news@the-peak.ca / 778.782.4560

through Spirit Bear,” she continued, “We are proud of the prestigious award that SFU had won and are also proud of our contributions to encouraging fair trade practices on our campus.”

The next step for SFU in the fair trade fight concerns the Tim Hortons on campus, which, although exempt from the fair trade regulations because of its franchise status, has been pressured to provide fair trade options. The university disallowed Tim Hortons from selling their new dark roast coffee on campus

Celebrate SFU’s FAIR TRADE CAMPUS DAY Canada’s Fair Trade Campus of the Year 2014

Tuesday, September 16, 2014 Convocation Mall 11:00 am – 2:00 pm Refreshments provided Working to Overcome Poverty

Creating a Better Society

Inspiring Our Community

Engaging the World

Melissa Roach

because they want any new products offered to be fair trade. “Tim Hortons really sticks out like a sore thumb on our campus because they have no fair trade coffee,” McLaughlin said. “We’ve let Tim’s know that their days are numbered if they don’t switch to embrace fair trade.” McLaughlin spoke to the nature of fair trade in relation to all SFU students: “Fair trade resonates with our students because they come to our university with the hope to make a difference and change the world. By supporting fair trade, they are making this impact.” In honour of the success of the fair trade initiative, this Tuesday, September 16 will be declared Fair Trade Day at SFU. The day will be celebrated by an event in Convocation Mall open to the SFU community, where President Petter will accept the “Campus of the Year” award.

Special Guest CHIEF

ADAM TAMPURI Chairman of the Board Fairtrade Africa

NEWS

September 15, 2014

The Audain Gallery at SFU Woodward’s will continue to display the Lossless: SFU MFA Graduating Exhibition from September 4 to 27 during gallery hours :Tuesday to Saturday from 12:00 p.m to 6:00 p.m. The show features MFA candidates’ material from the 2014 graduating class of SFU’s School for the Contemporary Arts. Individual exhibits include sculpture, video performances, and installation projects. Over the next three years, SFU Vancouver will improve campus classrooms and study spaces at Harbour Centre and other downtown sites as part of a classroom renewal project. The campus has received $2 million from SFU’s University Priority Funds, which was created in 2011 “to align resources with strategic initiatives,” in order to update spaces at its different sites — Harbour Centre, the Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue, the Segal Graduate School of Business, and the Goldcorp Centre for the Arts at the restored Woodward’s Building. During the first part of the initiative, the project team will focus on Harbour Centre, which opened its doors to SFU students in 1989. “A lot of the classrooms haven’t been changed in 25 years,” said Laurie Anderson, executive director of SFU Vancouver. “It’s time for an infrastructural upgrade to improve what we do in classrooms.” During the last six months, the project has been seeking input from faculty and students to ascertain how they would change these spaces to become the “best, most optimal learning environment[s].” Anderson explained, “Generally speaking, what people want is more flexible spaces, more colourful furniture, more lightweight so it can move around — something more attractive than your institutional greyness that we tend to have. And as much technology [as possible].” Anderson is also looking towards the Burnaby Classroom Renewal Project for inspiration. The project, which began in 2011, has already completed significant upgrades in spaces such as the student lounge area located below the Images Theatre. “We’re trying to learn a lot from what Burnaby has done, because their classroom renewal

Friday night welcomed the public to a free roundtable discussion titled, “Perspectives on the Ukraine Crisis.” The evening, which included leading Canadian and international scholars on Russian and Ukrainian politics, asked questions such as, “What explains the outbreak of violence, and how and why is Russia involved?” and “What are the ramifications for Canadian foreign policy?”

took a lot of input from different people, lots of students, faculty, and that’s the same that we’ve done here,” Anderson said.

Through this consultation, and combined with research from experts in the learning environment industry, the team outlined three principles to follow when designing the new spaces.

The first involves explicitly acknowledging that learning happens outside as well as inside the classroom. “A lot of the space around here — upstairs, downstairs, all these little places we have — these are centres for learning as well because the [student experience] spills over into the hallways and the lobbies,” explained Anderson. The second concerns practicality — for example, the implementation of more electrical outlets. Finally, the third principle is the notion of how flexible a space can be. A current example can be found in SFU Harbour Centre’s student learning commons, which feature lightweight, rolling furniture and whiteboards that can either divide the space or be pushed back to open the area to large groups. Similar features will be implemented over the winter

break in four classrooms at Harbour Centre. Anderson expressed his own excitement for the upcoming changes. “We think [this campus’] scale is such that we can make this a really welcoming place for students to be,” he said. “It has a small university feel, it’s a mini-university setting, and so we want the classrooms to be bright, flexible, attractive; the kind of places people will want to be.” He feels the classroom renewal project will contribute to making Harbour Centre even more of a scholastic hub in the downtown district. “When this place opened in 1989, you couldn’t get people down here,” Anderson said. “Now, as you say, it’s the exact opposite. You can’t keep them away; everyone wants to have class downtown.”

International student?

Tired of paying increasing tuition fees?

Share your story.

the-peak.ca/survey

6 NEWS

This week, an SFU business student launched ArtsAlly, an online portal that allows art lovers and creators to buy and sell local art. Michelle Martin, Beedie School of Business student and the founder of ArtsAlly, hopes that the portal will help Vancouverites make connections, support local artists, and build the local community as well as the local economy. Through family and friends, Martin witnessed the struggle for artists to sell their art, as well as the competition artists face from department stores that sell cheap, generic, manufactured art. This struggle inspired her to find a more efficient way for artists to connect with a wider community.

September 15, 2014

“Vancouver has the highest per-capita number of artists in Canada. It is really rich with artistic talent. The challenge is that there are more artists than buyers,” explained Martin. The online portal puts local art at the fingertips of local art consumers. With ArtsAlly, Martin says Vancouverites will be able to discover local art from their electronic devices, and order that art to their home or office as either a rental or a purchase. The portal, which already features hundreds of art pieces, does not favour one particular type of art, rather, the pieces featured on the website are chosen based on the quality of the artist’s work. Nevertheless, Martin acknowledged a regional focus: “Being hyper-local is core to our identity and our group. Artists who capture places we know and are familiar with — such as Stanley Park, North Vancouver, East Vancouver, or the city at night — are things that resonate

a large art culture that has the ability to thrive. Martin hopes ArtsAlly will provide artists with an easy, accessible way to allow their art to do just that.

with me personally and with most buyers as well.” Even though the art featured on the portal is at the forefront of the initiative, Martin is also keen on building relationships with the artists. She told The Peak that she has a particular interest in working with artists

“who take their craft seriously and see their art as a career.” Martin explained that ArtsAlly is an important new service to the community because it bridges connections between artists, the business market, and art buyers and renters. Vancouver is a progressive city and has

In the end, Martin acknowledged the creative potential of Vancouverites, reflecting on Emily Carr University’s newest campaign slogan, “Creativity is our greatest natural resource.” She stated, “BC has always been looking at resources and the sustainability of the community. ArtsAlly has the ability to bridge worlds and challenge relationships. My hope is that ArtsAlly will be a part in moving that vision forward, of creativity being our greatest natural resource.”

“In general, I would guess you’re not going to find a particularly substantial impact on students,” said Laitsch. “These [senior] students have had 12 years of schooling; you are not going to lose all that because of a few weeks off.” He continued, “Yes, it will create a challenge. But at the same time, once the strike is resolved, students will be back in class focused on their work, and the system will accommodate their running needs.”

In response to the question of whether the strike will affect students’ university enrolment, Laitsch said, “I think it will have a bigger impact on the university than it will on the students applying. The universities might have to adjust their timeframes for admissions and such.” As for what students can do with their current spare time, Walker advised, “You have this time now to really research the universities that you might be

interested in going to. Take the time, get on the tours and call the advisors. Tell them you want to talk about your careers, and about programs.” Similarly, he advised parents to keep their children focused on next year. “Really, there is nothing [the parents] can do about this situation. They can go out and voice their support. But if they are really thinking about their children’s next year, they will start planning right now.”

for next year is October 1, and students can apply whether they are in school or out of school.”

As the BCTF strike keeps students out of the classroom for the third week this fall, the concern now shifts to whether current high school students will encounter difficulties when applying to postsecondary institutions for the 2015 academic year. A resolution to the dispute between BC teachers and the provincial government remains elusive. The worry is that post-secondary application timelines could be disrupted, potentially leaving BC grade 12 students at a disadvantage relative to their out-of-province peers. Despite this, Mark Walker, registrar and executive director of student enrolment at Simon Fraser University, has made it clear that BC students will be accommodated. “Where we are right now in the calendar, it is not really going to cause too much of a problem,” said Walker. “Our application date

When asked whether the strike might interrupt the submission of grades, Walker responded, “It will become tricky in mid-December when self-reporting of grades would occur. Right now, because we’re in September, it is sort of a wait-and-see [situation]. But if this continues into October, every university will begin thinking about solutions. Depending on what happens, we can deal with deadlines and move things to accommodate the students.” Dan Laitsch, associate professor of the Faculty of Education at SFU, echoed this sentiment. When asked whether the time spent away from school would negatively impact students’ grades, he told The Peak that the time off will most likely result in a negligible impact.

NEWS

Professor of criminology Ehor Boyanowsky approached the board on Wednesday to discuss the possibility of making renovations to the open space in Convocation Mall. Referencing Burnaby campus’ lack of light during the fall and spring semesters and its potential negative impacts on those with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), Boyanowsky explained how the space could better serve students in the winter months. Improvements could include glass doors which would section off parts of Convocation Mall, along with better lighting, heating, and seating for students.

The board issued an “Open Letter to the Students of Simon Fraser University” regarding a presentation made by Pearson Publishing Company on July 29 to the SFSS advocacy committee. During the presentation, Pearson explained that the four largest textbook publishers in the industry were willing to work together to standardize the e-book format to offer students full access to all course material at a lower cost, provided every student pay an automatic fee to the service. While the board was interested in the possibility of providing a more extensive selection of electronic courseware to SFU students, they ultimately found the proposal lacking due to four factors: it was based on an opt-out rather than an opt-in model; BC already provides free electronic courseware through the BC Open Textbook Program; the program may unduly favour certain publishers over others; and Canvas may make some of the program’s tools redundant.

September 15, 2014

Concerns have arisen regarding the current state of the Residence Hall Association (RHA) electoral process and the upcoming bielections this fall. Following the RHA elections last spring, only one candidate was ratified to the RHA board of directors: Brett Payne, Townhouses representative. The remaining nine seats, including that of the president, remain vacant. According to Payne, both presidential candidates were disqualified after violating RHA bylaws. The only other candidate, who ran unopposed, did not receive the percentage of ‘yes’ votes — 70 per cent — necessary to be elected.

The RHA is a body of students who represent residents living in campus housing. It is responsible for social programming in residences and serves as a link between students and university administration. The board of directors is elected every March by residents, with elected board members holding their positions from May 1 to April 30 of the following year. Nicholas Page, a student from McTaggart-Cowan Hall, expressed his concerns about the spring election results to The Peak. According to Page, Residence and Housing refused to disclose the results from the last elections; he alleges that they first claimed that these results were private, and later that they did not exist. When he contacted Zoe Woods, associate director, residence life at SFU, Page said, “She wouldn’t release any of the details on the infractions, saying that candidates had a right to privacy and it would

emotionally hurt them, which I think is completely ridiculous. When you run for public office, that’s what you trade off.” “I’m not asking for what’s in their fridge, I just want to know if they cheated,” Page continued. “The public has a right to know so that they can make the right decisions.” Woods declined to comment on the issue, but suggested that students with concerns email ResLife. Page brought his worries to the Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS) in hopes that the society would aid in conducting the RHA’s next election; in particular, he recommended that the chief electoral officer oversee RHA bielection proceedings. The board tasked education representative and RHA liaison Katie Bell to speak with the association about the potential for collaboration. Although the SFSS has no formal ties to the RHA, VP finance Adam Potvin expressed that this is still a student society issue: “I feel like it’s our duty as the SFSS to

make sure that no matter where on the school grounds, that elections are being done properly and fairly.” In his initial email to The Peak, Potvin said, “From what Mr. Page has told me, it seems as if SFU’s tentacles may be engulfing democracy.”

With the appointment of an elections coordinator, Payne expects to open the nomination period for the bi-elections sometime during the next few weeks.

CHOOSE

FAIR TRADE

Payne, the sole sitting RHA board member, explained that Bell put him in contact with a previous SFSS electoral officer, whom he hopes will work with the RHA’s new elections coordinator this fall to ensure that all candidates abide by the election bylaws. “We’re trying to make sure that the election is going be fair and that people won’t be skeptical about how it’s done or who has been helping in it,” said Payne.

5,000

MILES AWAY

A FARMER WANTS TO THANK YOU

S F Uo b e a

IR FAAD E TR

P ro

m ca

s pu

8 NEWS

September 15, 2014

New Indigenous Student Centre opens

Agosti admitted that the whole process has not been without challenges, including transit re-routing and cyclist accessibility during the construction period.

After many months of noisy construction, road closures, and altered transit routes, the end of SFU’s roadway improvement project is nearly at hand. The project is on schedule and is expected to conclude in early October, just in time for convocation. Parking Services director David Agosti assured The Peak that by that time, all roads will be “usable, marked, and painted for drivers and cyclists.”

Cyclists and pedestrians alike have had use of the multiuse pathway (MUP) alongside Gaglardi way since August. When the new routes are unveiled, there will be an additional MUP along University Drive East near residences.

U of Waterloo research links specific sex positions with spinal health

Current transit routes will be in place until the end of the project, after which all buses will return to their original routes. The opening of the new routes will have an effect on traffic on the west side of campus, where roads will be newly open to two-way traffic. “It takes one to three months for traffic to normalize,” said Agosti, explaining that this is the approximate amount of time it will take for drivers to adjust travel plans to the new route options. Once all new routes are in circulation, people can expect only minor transportation interruptions while tasks such as landscaping are being completed.

U of T students tackle textbook costs with online platform

Scientists at the University of Waterloo recently released a study determining which sexual positions cause the least stress on the spine. Using infrared and electromagnetic motion capture systems, researchers matched participant spinal curvature with pain points, mapping spinal strain to numerous variations of the five most common positions for heterosexual intercourse. Although sex-related back pain is a relatively common ailment, this is the first ever biomechanical study on the topic. According to study author Natalie Sidorkewicz, “Until now, doctors have never had any hard science to base their recommendations upon.” Further research is expected to stem from these findings.

For some University of Toronto students, the cost of textbooks can be burdensome, especially when the cost is not calculated into student loans. Textbooks for a semester at the university routinely exceed $500. Some U of T students are considering other sources, such as Facebook groups and online publications. One new option available to U of T students is Bookwiz, an online platform for inter-student textbook exchange founded and developed by U of T computer science student Leila Chan Currie. She explained, “Bookwiz is part of a larger movement towards a localized, decentralized sharing economy facilitated by the internet. “It reduces demand on traditional bookstores the same way apps like Lyft are replacing taxis and Airbnb is replacing hotels.”

With files from CBC News

With files from The Varsity

Last Tuesday, September 2 saw the opening of SFU’s new Indigenous Student Centre. SFU President Andrew Petter hopes it will be a “home away from home” for SFU’s over 600 indigenous students. He continued, “It not only provides support services, [. . .] but is also the place which will house our Elder Programs, our First Nations Student Association will be housed there, peer cousins’ mentorship, and peer education learning and writing programs as well. It’s a positive space that will not only encourage First Nations students to come to SFU, but enable them to succeed while they’re here.”

The open textbook question SFSS president Chardaye Bueckert put forward an inquiry on behalf of the student society — to be addressed during the question period — as to SFU’s involvement in the BC Open Textbook

Project and what the SFSS can do to support the implementation of that project. VP academic Jon Driver fielded the question, noting that the student society makes a compelling case and that the university is in support of the program, but must take faculty advisement into consideration before proceeding. “We’re talking about financial savings to students here that could potentially run into hundreds of thousands of dollars collectively. So, having seen that evidence, [. . .] the one caveat that I would have to introduce is that we have to respect the judgement of the faculty members in terms of choosing what is the most appropriate textbook for the course they’re teaching,” explained Driver. He recommended continued advocacy on the part of the SFSS, and continued circulation of information to faculty by the society or through his own office.

Frosh leaders sport “Fuck Safe Space” t-shirts Frosh leaders at Carleton University have been seen wearing t-shirts with the phrase “Fuck Safe Space” on the front in bright neon lettering. Photos of the shirts surfaced on the internet and complaints were made by community members who witnessed a group of students wearing them in public. Ottawa lawyer Leslie Robertson witnessed the spectacle at a local park last Sunday, September 7 and told The Charlatan, “You don’t really need context when you’re walking down the street and you see that shirt. It makes you feel unsafe.” Despite the display by a small handful of its students, Carleton’s frosh organizers maintain that that message has nothing to do with frosh, which aims to promote a safe space for the duration of the event in the spirit of a “university-wide initiative to reduce the impact of homophobia and heterosexism on campus.” With files from The Charlatan

OPINIONS

I hope I’m not the only person who finds it odd that Skytrain security officers rarely check for proof of transit fare at the gate. The lack of security presently displayed at Skytrain stations is so abysmal that it undoubtedly entices many transit-goers to attempt to hitch a ride for free. Yet, you never know when a security guard could spring through those sliding skytrain doors, catching you off-guard with a fare inspection. Such prospects shroud me with unease, and convince me to keep my UPass safely tucked inside my wallet at all times.

I then realize, in frustration, that the company has established these strict rules about transit fare, yet makes them far too easy to break. These regulatory ideologies work to entrap the public, rather than to promote upholding the law in a positive manner. The Skytrain’s harsh regulations are merely a fragment in a Canadian society that seems obsessed with strict rules and easy punishment. Am I wrong in claiming that Canada is a nation that favours public penalty? It seems like such an ironic statement given that our country boasts a progressive nature. However, the reality seems to be that Canada is a nation in love with rules — rules that permeate every crevice of Canadian life, yet ultimately try to set Canadians up for failure. If you still don’t understand what I mean, consider the fact

September 15, 2014

that police officers will arrest people for urinating on public streets, yet there are very few public restrooms available outside of shops and restaurants. How about the idea that it is legal to sell sex to people, but illegal to purchase it? And we mustn’t forget the helmet situation — if I’m riding my bike as fast as I walk, shouldn’t I also be wearing a helmet when I walk? What if I fall and hit my head while on foot? The unfortunate reality is that, while it’s oftentimes easy to break these laws, Canadians are subject to heavy penalties when caught doing so. Our harsh rules starkly contrast with many European countries, such as Germany and Sweden, where it is legal to drink alcohol wherever one chooses, and to take a leak in one of many public restrooms. Apart from being openminded and progressive with their laws, these countries provide a plethora of opportunities to avoid breaking them — an approach that I feel contributes immensely to a society’s well-being. Currently, crime is a big issue on our government’s political agenda. I’d be able to instantly pay off my student loans if I had a dollar for every time I heard that “Harper is cracking down on corruption.” Rules and punishment are hot topics in this country, however archaic and unfair these notions may be. It may be a stretch to proclaim that Canadian laws and cultural norms should be changed immediately, but we should start to think about the ways our culture seems to value punishment over prosperity. Is Canada progressive? In a multitude of respects, yes. But when it comes to law, especially municipal, our nation is still very much chained to tradition, and this is a notion that is seriously worth public consideration.

Barely three days after you read this, the map of Europe could once again change. On September 18, a referendum will take place in Scotland asking a single question, “Should Scotland be an independent country?” If a successful ‘yes’ vote is passed, the nation that currently forms an integral part of the United Kingdom will become its own country for the first time in over 300 years. Despite the fact that this vote appears to be unimportant to Canadians, an independent Scotland could become the catalyst for drastic changes in our own nation. Most of us are too young to remember the fervour of nationalism in Quebec and their demands for independence. In the past 40 years, there have been two referendums regarding the creation of an independent Quebec. The first, held in 1980, produced a lopsided result, with 59 per cent of voters opting to remain part of Canada. The

opinions editor email / phone

Adam Van der Zwan opinions@the-peak.ca / 778.782.4560

second vote, held almost 20 years ago, was much closer, with Quebec remaining a Canadian province by a mere 1.16 per cent of the vote. In recent years, support for sovereignty has faded in the province, as evidenced by recent elections on both the federal and provincial levels. A side effect of the NDP’s “Orange Wave” in the 2011 election was the Bloc Quebecois’ complete decimation as a federal party, when they lost 44 of their seats to the NDP, and gained only one. This left them eight seats shy of official party status, and they have been reduced to two since that election.

On the provincial level, the Parti Quebecois has not fared much better. Despite winning a minority government in 2012, their most recent campaign this past April resulted in their worst result for the popular vote since 1970. Despite these defeats, the sovereigntist movement in Quebec has not disappeared, even though many argue that the provincial government has achieved ‘de facto’ independence due to its control

over so many of its education, immigration, taxation, and cultural policies. They even call their provincial legislature the National Assembly of Quebec. Some Canadian political experts refer to this protracted struggle as the “neverendum referendum.” It seems no matter how much de facto independence Quebec achieves — even to the point of being recognized as a nation within Canada by Prime Minister Harper and the Canadian government in 2006 — they will not be happy until they achieve true independence. What worries me is that a successful bid for independence by Scotland could result in a new surge of Quebecois separatist feelings. If nothing else, it would set a legal precedent for a process by which portions of a country could legally vote to separate from the whole. Historically, this separation has only been accomplished by force of arms, and is often subject to military resistance on the part of the nation that would end up being divided. This was the case in the US Civil War and, more recently, the dissolution of Yugoslavia. I will be watching for the results of Thursday’s vote with great interest. Though many are hoping for the bid’s defeat, there is at least one group in our country who will watch and hope for an independent Scotland. The Quebecois sovereigntists are the heirs of the Auld Alliance.

10 OPINIONS

Many consider cycling to be dangerous. While riding quickly on the open road, sometimes difficult to see, cyclists are exposed to the world. One poor decision by a driver or cyclist could result in a serious accident. Good thing they wear helmets, right? Maybe not. Copenhagen, Amsterdam, New York City, London, Paris, and countless other major cities have one thing in common: cyclists are not required to wear helmets. The result? Increased cycling activity, successful bikeshare programs, and improved safety and infrastructure. Helmet laws remain a significant barrier for cycling adoption. Vancouver’s proposed bike-share program has been stalled for years over the somewhat laughable concept of a helmet vending machine. Such a program is logistically difficult due to the required space, helmet sanitation, stock and replacement. As a result, expected costs are far greater than they would be otherwise. The cities with successful programs found that mandatory use of helmets would severely

September 15, 2014

limit participation in their bikeshare programs. Both tourists and locals find it either too difficult to carry a helmet or balk at the idea of sharing one. Our helmet laws have caused Vancouver’s proposed bike-share program to be declared dead before arrival, not too different from Melbourne’s results, where its use rates for bike-share programs are half of the target projections. Some cities, such as Victoria, even offered free helmets in an effort to boost their bike-share use rates. Unsurprisingly, it didn’t work.

But what about that vulnerable cyclist who shares the road with large, heavy vehicles? Won’t a helmet keep them safe? Studies on helmet use and injury prevention have continually found one thing: helmets have no discernible effect on reducing cycling injuries or fatalities. One Canadian-focused study conducted by the University of Toronto’s School of Public Health found no link between helmet use and reduced hospital admissions for cycling injuries. In the event of

When the first Star Wars movie opened in theatres, few people were prepared for the space odyssey that would spawn the amazing science-fiction phenomenon. The joys of adventure, the lightsaber fights, the crazy alien species that could only come from a drug-addled mind, and did I mention the lightsaber fights? The sheer insanity and departure from everything that I understood was the perfect way to give me the ‘sci-fi fever.’ As a young child, I didn’t understand the trilogy for its deep themes on philosophy and religion. Did you know that the ‘light’ and ‘dark’ sides of the Force have similar ties

minor cycling accidents, the head is not often a point of contact; when major accidents occur that do involve the head, the force is usually great enough that a helmet is near useless. Removing helmet laws will start a positive feedback loop that will improve cycling safety to a far greater extent than mandatory helmet use. If we rescind our helmet laws, more cyclists will be on the road, and when it comes to cycling, there is safety in numbers. The increase in cyclists will raise demand for more bike lanes and driver education. In turn, this will

to the ‘yin’ and ‘yang’ of Taoism, a religious tradition from China? Or that it could also be compared with Zoroastrian beliefs from ancient Iran? The Force was a mysterious entity that could live on in harmony or conflict, and with so many details purposefully left hidden, there were endless possibilities within the Star Wars universe. My sense of wonderment at all the fantastic alien sights was further enhanced by the fact that I viewed the film from the protagonist’s perspective. Luke Skywalker understood as little of this universe as I did, so to follow him through his quest to become a Jedi was a one-of-a-kind experience!

lead to increased perceived safety and visibility of cycling, thereby attracting more cyclists. Our focus on helmets is backwards; not only does it prevent potential cyclists from riding their bikes, it also removes emphasis from injury prevention in the first place. Instead of working to stop accidents, we are working to reduce head injuries while allowing the rest of the body to be seriously injured in an accident. The focus on helmets also shifts blame to the victim, similar to the broken logic that victims of sexual

Unfortunately, all good things come to an end. Or in this case, they come to a beginning. When Star Wars: Episode I hit theatres, I was raring to go. Another Star Wars movie! What could go wrong? Sadly, the answer was a lot of things. When I sat in the theatre that day, I was a little confused. Many actors felt flat and unrealistic, and my sense of wonderment had vanished. This film didn’t leave me feeling as if I’d opened a new gift — I simply couldn’t see past the juvenile plot and wooden acting. The next two Star Wars films in the prequel trilogy didn’t thrill me so

abuse are at fault if they dress in suggestive clothing. If you look at the countless studies and real-world examples, I can’t help but hold a strong opinion that modernizing our bike laws is the best way to increase cyclist safety, public health, and the number of cyclists in our cities. This entails making helmets optional — not mandatory — and constructing more bike lanes while increasing efforts to educate drivers. If we do this, maybe we can finally launch that bike-share program we’ve been long awaiting.

much either; I was constantly annoyed by the mundane portrayal of Anakin Skywalker. He was not the Chosen One I’d pictured. Don’t get me wrong, the Star Wars prequels aren’t horrible movies. There were still crazy lightsaber fights, zany aliens, and many fantastical planets and settings to explore. But, sadly, the only thing made clear throughout the trilogy was that George Lucas was cashing some huge cheques. And most unfortunately, I’ll probably see you all at the screening for the new Star Wars movie when it’s released.

OPINIONS

September 15, 2014

Supplemental Â Application Â to Â Participate Â in National Â Energy Â Board Â Public Â Hearing Â for Trans Â Mountain Â Pipeline Â ULC The Â National Â Energy Â Board Â (NEB) Â began Â a Â public Â hearing Â into Â Trans Â Mountain Â Pipeline Â ULCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Â (Trans Â Mountainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s) Â proposed Â Trans Â Mountain Â ([SDQVLRQ 3URMHFW 3URMHFW RQ $SULO 2YHU LQGLYLGXDOV DQG JURXSV ÂżOHG $SSOLFDWLRQV WR 3DUWLFLSDWH LQ WKH KHDULQJ DQG WKH %RDUG admitted Â 1,650 Â participants. Â Description Â of Â the Â Project Â The Â Project Â would Â expand Â the Â existing Â Trans Â Mountain Â pipeline Â system Â located Â between Â Edmonton, Â Alberta Â (AB), Â and Â Burnaby, Â British Â Columbia Â (BC). Â It Â would Â include Â approximately Â 987 Â NP RI QHZ SLSHOLQH QHZ DQG PRGLÂżHG IDFLOLWLHV VXFK as Â pump Â stations Â and Â tanks, Â and Â the Â reactivation Â of Â 193 Â km Â of Â existing Â pipeline. Â There Â would Â also Â be Â an Â expansion Â of Â the Â Westridge Â Marine Â Terminal. Â New Â pipeline Â segments Â would Â be Â added Â between Â (GPRQWRQ DQG +LQWRQ $% +DUJUHDYHV DQG 'DUÂżHOG BC;Íž Â and Â Black Â Pines Â and Â Burnaby, Â BC. Â Reactivation Â of Â existing Â pipeline Â segments Â would Â occur Â between Â +LQWRQ $% DQG +DUJUHDYHV %& DQG 'DUÂżHOG DQG Black Â Pines, Â BC. Â Â 7KH 3URMHFW DSSOLFDWLRQ DQG DOO UHODWHG ÂżOLQJV FDQ EH found Â on Â the Â NEBâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Â website. Supplemental Â opportunity Â to Â participate Â in Â the Â NEB Â Hearing Â Recently, Â Trans Â Mountain Â submitted Â a Â new Â preferred Â corridor Â for Â its Â delivery Â lines Â from Â Burnaby Â Terminal Â to Â the Â Westridge Â Marine Â Terminal, Â through Â Burnaby Â Mountain. Â The Â original Â Application Â to Â 3DUWLFLSDWH 1RWLÂżFDWLRQ SRVWHG IRU WKH 3URMHFW GLG not Â contemplate Â this Â new Â preferred Â corridor Â through Â Burnaby Â Mountain. Should Â those Â who Â are Â directly Â affected Â by, Â or Â have Â relevant Â information Â and Â expertise Â related Â to, Â the Â new Â preferred Â corridor Â through Â Burnaby Â Mountain Â wish Â to Â participate Â in Â the Â hearing, Â they Â must Â apply Â to Â do Â so. Â The Â Project Â is Â being Â assessed Â under Â both Â the Â National Â Energy Â Board Â Act Â (NEB Â Act) Â and Â the Â Canadian Â Environmental Â Assessment Â Act, Â 2012 Â (CEAA Â 2012). Â Under Â the Â NEB Â Act, Â those Â who Â are Â directly Â affected Â will Â be Â allowed Â to Â participate Â and Â those Â with Â relevant Â information Â or Â expertise Â may Â be Â allowed Â to Â participate. Â In Â addition, Â if Â the Â Board Â is Â of Â the Â opinion Â that Â an Â applicant Â has Â relevant Â information Â or Â expertise Â about Â the Â environmental Â assessment Â under Â the Â CEAA Â 2012, Â then Â they Â will Â be Â allowed Â to Â participate. Â While Â the Â Application Â to Â Participate Â form Â allows Â applicants Â to Â indicate Â their Â preferred Â method Â of Â participation, Â the Â Board Â will Â decide Â how Â best Â to Â hear Â from Â each Â approved Â participant Â on Â a Â case-Âby-Âcase Â basis. Â Applicants Â must Â clearly Â describe Â their Â interest Â in Â relation Â to Â the Â List Â of Â Issues Â for Â the Â hearing Â (included Â in Â the Â Application Â to Â Participate Â form) Â and Â how Â they Â are Â directly Â affected Â by, Â or Â have Â relevant Â information Â related Â to, Â the Â new Â preferred Â corridor Â through Â Burnaby Â Mountain. Â ([LVWLQJ SDUWLFLSDQWV QHHG QRW DSSO\ DJDLQ &RPPHQWHUV PD\ FRPPHQW RQ DQG LQWHUYHQRUV PD\ DVN TXHVWLRQV ÂżOH HYLGHQFH SUHVHQW argument Â on, Â any Â component Â of Â the Â Project, Â including Â the Â Burnaby Â Mountain Â section. The Â Application Â to Â Participate Â is Â on Â the Â NEBâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Â website Â at: Â www.neb-Âone.gc.ca under Â Major Â Applications Â and Â Projects, Â select Â Trans Â Mountain Â Expansion This Â supplemental Â Application Â to Â Participate Â process Â will Â be Â open Â from Â 8 Â September Â 2014 Â to Â 24 Â September Â 2014. Â Individuals Â and Â groups Â applying Â to Â participate Â must Â provide Â enough Â information Â for Â the Â NEB Â to Â decide Â whether Â participant Â status Â should Â be Â granted. Â Applications Â will Â only Â be Â considered Â from Â individuals Â and Â groups Â who Â are Â directly Â affected Â by, Â or Â have Â relevant Â information Â and Â expertise Â related Â to, Â the Â new Â preferred Â corridor Â through Â Burnaby Â Mountain. Â Contacts Â Information Â on Â NEB Â hearing Â processes Â and Â participant Â funding Â is Â available Â at Â www.neb-Âone.gc.ca/TransMountainExpansion. Â If Â you Â require Â DGGLWLRQDO LQIRUPDWLRQ WKH 1(% KDV D GHGLFDWHG 3URMHFW VSHFLÂżF 3URFHVV $GYLVRU 7HDP WR SURYLGH DVVLVWDQFH Process Â Advisor Â Team, Â NEB Â E-Âmail: Â TransMountainPipeline.Hearing@neb-Âone.gc.ca Â Telephone Â (toll-Âfree): Â 1-Â800-Â899-Â1265

12 OPINIONS

hardball tactics, such as reducing workers’ pay for every day they stayed off the job. But sadly, that isn’t the end of the unfair labour practices.

As autumn rolls into Metro Vancouver, I am sure that many of you, like myself, will invest in new home furnishings for your dorm, apartment, bedroom, the list goes on. This semester however, I encourage you to shop Ikea-free. Don’t get me wrong, I too love the look and design of Ikea furniture — plus who can resist the hotdogs, meatballs and frozen yogurt? Simply put, I refuse to buy from a company that violates Canadian labour laws and tries to force its employees to work for less. According to Teamsters Local 213, the union representing the Richmond Ikea workers, an issue began when Ikea imposed wage cuts, axed benefits, and reduced the hours of its full time staff. When staff refused the proposed changes, the corporate giant locked out over 300 of its workers. Ikea then attempted some

The corporate giant then ignored labour laws by trying to negotiate with the employees directly on an online job website instead of going through the union. According to a Labour Relations Board (LRB) ruling, Ikea must now pay damages to the union for unfair negotiation tactics. Last year Ikea had record sales, reporting an annual increase of 3.1 per cent. However, in countries such as the United States, Turkey, Russia and France, Ikea is being accused of poor labour relations. Profit should not be made off workers’ backs, but rather through product sales. It’s easy to pretend that this problem isn’t real, or at the very least doesn’t affect

September 15, 2014

you. But that is the exact mentality big business hopes that you will maintain. These workers are our neighbours; they are members of our community and are being bullied by this corporation. Despite the LRB ruling, employees are still not back at work, as Ikea does not feel pressured by the 300 ‘little guys’ who are taking a stance. The company is asking its Richmond workers to accept less without due cause. We should not admire nor give our business to a corporation that shows blatant disrespect for labour law and workers’ rights. Therefore, I say it’s time to boycott this brand. If Ikea won’t listen to its employees, it will have to listen to us, the consumers. Take a stance against the corporate bullying by furnishing your home or dorm with the products of a company that is committed to protecting its workers. Ikea’s workers were asked to accept less than what their previous contract promised — they are not asking for anything more than what they once had. This semester, I hope you join me in the Ikea boycott, and put pressure on the corporation to resolve this labour dispute.

In response to the counterpoint on “Does Greek life belong at SFU,” from the semester’s first edition of The Peak, I found that both Mr. Arjan Mundy and Ms. Katrina Trask missed the point. Squabbling over the theoretical merits of Greek life is an endless and fruitless discussion. Firstly, SFU’s ‘ban’ on Greek life doesn’t really matter, at least not in a practical sense. This supposed ban is symbolic, as SFU’s complete lack of enforcement on the school’s current frats and sororities would imply. The reference point that people use for this prohibition was a statement made by the SFU council to state the outcome of a school-wide referendum in 1966: “Fraternities and sororities are not desirable on this university campus.” To effectively ban fraternities and sororities from physically or even virtually existing, SFU would need to take extraordinary measures, many of which would surely invade students’ privacy. While one may dislike the goings-on of Greek organizations, their existence at SFU is now matter-of-fact. The frats and sororities at SFU only want two things. The first is for SFU to lift whatever invisible ban has been placed on them. The second is to be able to book some rooms in the Maggie Benston Centre. This second request requires the Simon Fraser Student Society’s (SFSS) involvement, as Greek life requires SFSS recognition as either a club or a constituent group to be allowed to book rooms. However, the SFSS has a policy mandating that membership to all clubs be inclusive, and this acts as a regulatory hurdle for the official formation of Greek organizations. But fraternities and sororities would be exploiting the very same loophole that many SFU clubs are already exploiting; while membership into the

club would be inclusive, participating in the club’s primary activities would be exclusive. The spirit of this antiexclusionary policy is also being violated by the Women’s Centre, a constituent group, where I, as a self-identifying male, am not allowed entry (most of the time). So while the spirit of the ‘every club must be open to everyone all the time’ policy sounds good, it isn’t practical — we obviously shouldn’t crack down on the Women’s Centre. Finally, nobody’s forcing you to join a frat or sorority. People join genderexclusive organizations like Men’s and Women’s Centres for social support much the same way students join Greek life. The notion of gender-exclusivity actually contributes value to these institutions; isn’t brotherhood the whole point of joining a fraternity? Greek life is inherently gender-exclusive and that’s largely why people join in the first place. And let’s remind ourselves of something here: fraternities and sororities are not criminal or illegal, they do not impose their opinion or will on others, and they are not motivated by hate. As they don’t violate any of these three stipulations, it really isn’t necessary to forbid Greek life from existing. Sure, many people don’t like the type of person who would join a frat or sorority, and maybe I’m one of them. But this is beside the point. The SFSS does not make the world a better place by using red tape to block Greek organizations from booking rooms. And labelling these groups as illegitimate while awkwardly trying to prohibit their existence is neither an effective nor feasible plan.

Sincerely,

Johnny Reginald, SFU Student

OPINIONS

Four undergrad students from North Carolina State University recently came forward with a nail

Last month, the world was shocked by actor and comedian Robin Williams’ suicide. Soon after his death, a public discussion on ways to prevent suicide was opened, and it is certainly no coincidence that the World Health Organization (WHO) issued its first global report on suicide prevention last week. The WHO’s report suggests that suicide can be prevented by improving the social conditions of the poor and middle class, by removing exaggerated coverage of suicide from the media, and by identifying and managing those with mental illness and addiction. Unfortunately, the report focuses heavily on improving standards of living for lower income people, rather than on the importance of treating people with mental illness. In addition, it merely skims over the

September 15, 2014

polish that changes colours when exposed to date rape drugs such as Rohypnol, Xanax, and GHB, thus enabling the wearer to dip a finger into a drink and test it for safety. The feminist reaction, on the other hand, took a more critical approach. While acknowledging that the invention was born out of good intentions, many feminists took to social media to suggest that rather

importance of the media’s role in suicide prevention through creating awareness of aid resources. These two preventative measures most definitely take priority over global living conditions, as they offer direct solutions that work on both local and international scales. Firstly, the correlation between mental illness and suicide is an important factor which should be considered as more of a priority in preventing self-murder. A study in the Oxford Journal of Medicine concluded that 90 per cent of United States suicide victims were diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder, and that the best preventive method against suicide is to effectively treat those with mental illness. Furthermore, the media’s representations of suicide are important to consider, as studies show the issue can be directly linked with technology. We are bombarded by suicide sensationalized on social media, in news outlets, and in television shows. Some social media innovators, however, have begun to take advantage of media to combat this issue. The WHO should recognize these preventive attempts, and seriously take into consideration a

than challenging rape culture, this product actually contributes to it — a controversial claim, to say the least. But upon further research, I’ll have to agree that these critics are in the right. Essentially, critics claim that while the new product means well, it specifically puts the onus on women to protect themselves from rape. This normalizes rape, making it seem like an inevitable part of life that people have to accept and do their best to avoid. This attitude absolves rapists of responsibility because it makes rape seem unavoidable, and thus contributes to rape culture. In fact, the responsibility is often placed on women to prevent sexual assault. They are often told to avoid wearing clothing that reveals too much, to be careful with how much they drink, to travel with friends, to keep an eye on their beverages, the list goes on. But women should not have to test their drinks in every bar they walk into.

further expansion of these technological efforts. In 2011, Facebook partnered with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), to allow status updates that express thoughts of suicide. Facebook could then send these users a message, providing them with a Lifeline number and a direct link to an online crisis counsellor. Furthermore, the popular iPhone feature Siri can also be used to seek help for those with thoughts of suicide. Siri is programmed to call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline when a user says something that indicates thoughts of suicide. All in all, while improving the standards of living for low income families may help prevent suicide, it is not a priority because it is a large-scale measure; one that would take lots of time and resources to carry out. Instead, the WHO should look at more accessible solutiowwns that involve the improvement of mental health care, and the media’s projections of suicide to the public. This will ensure that people get the help they need right away.

Another powerful critique is that the nail polish completely removes men from the equation. Men are also victims of sex crimes, and this preventative method only targets women, as the discourse surrounding sexual assault often does. This point struck me, especially since feminists are often accused of neglecting men or working against them. If we want to successfully combat rape culture, we need men and women to work together and open the lines of communication.

Honestly, I feel rather ashamed for not having thought critically about it on my own. Do I feel the men who invented the product intend to contribute to rape culture?

Absolutely not — they were trying to do a good thing. However, their approach was misguided. Unfortunately, because of the established patriarchal society that we live in, it’s difficult to break out of our existing mental framework and consider alternative ways to combat these crimes. Feminist concepts may be difficult to wrap our heads around, as feminist perspectives on these matters are far from common knowledge, and are often misunderstood. This is why it’s important to turn the conversation on its head and question the way we’ve all been conditioned to see the issue of sexual assault. The fact of the matter is that these feminist critics have a point, and the longer we fail to educate ourselves and consider this point, the more we perpetuate an environment conducive to rape culture. I’d like a world where we all feel safe, but I don’t think nail polish is the answer. These young innovators should be congratulated for their efforts but we, as a society, must do better.

A NEW PIPELINE THROUGH BURNABY MOUNTAIN?

Burnaby Mountain Conservation Park

Proposed Corridor Simon Fraser University

Existing Right of Way Corridor

Existing Oil Storage

HAVE YOUR SAY. Deadline September 24

The National Energy Board has opened a supplemental Application to Participate process, for those who may be directly affected by, or who may have relevant information or expertise related to Kinder Morgan’s new, proposed route through Burnaby Mountain. Kennedy Stewart’s Community Office will be offering assistance to those who wish to apply 10:00am to 5:00pm weekdays. 4658 Hastings Street, Burnaby 602-291-8863 kennedy.stewart.c1@parl.gc.ca

ow much did you spend on textbooks this semester? You don’t have to answer that. We all know that feeling of disappointment that comes with shelling out more than $100 on a textbook you’ll probably never use again. For decades, academic publishers and university bookstores have charged students hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars for textbooks, adding to already high tuition costs and ballooning student debt in Canada. For the most part, post-secondary students are encouraged to accept this as a hard truth of university life: if you want to go to school, you’ll have to pay. It’s this dominant ideology of the university as a business — and knowledge as a commodity to be bought and sold — that the open education movement sets out to challenge. Releasing for free hundreds of textbooks, course materials, primary sources and other learning resources digitally under creative commons licenses, educators and experts across the country are fighting to make education a resource that’s open and available to everyone — teachers and students alike. There are dozens of organizations creating and promoting open textbooks across the world; most are concentrated in the United States, where pushback against rising textbook costs and the monopolization of markets has inspired instructors to go rogue. In Canada, the biggest promoter of open textbooks is right here in British Columbia. BC Campus, a publicly funded organization based out of Vancouver, is compiling a collection of free and readily available open textbooks designed for classrooms in BC and across Canada. But what would a campus using open textbooks look like? Here at SFU, students and faculty across disciplines are working with BC Campus and other organizations to create and promote these new teaching materials, tailor-made for our school — and if they succeed, it could mean big changes to the way you’re earning your degree.

Walk into the SFU Bookstore in the Maggie Benston Centre. Go on, I’ll wait. Now browse a few of the titles on sale on the store’s first floor. Have you ever wondered why those textbooks cost as much as they do? In Canada, textbook publishers — behemoths such as Pearson, Nelson, and Oxford University Press — have a monopoly on the production and distribution of peer-reviewed textbooks at Canadian universities. The reason they’re able to set their prices so high is because our Copyright Act protects them in doing so. When publishing nonCanadian course material, publishers are able to prohibit others from doing the same, and they’re allowed to tack on an extra 10 to 15 per cent on the import tax.

This leads to the sort of pricing we’re used to seeing for introductory course materials in fields such as physics, psychology, and biology. On average, students in Canada spend $500–1,000 every year on textbooks and courseware; in the United States, this number rises to $700–1,200. It hasn’t always been this bad — in the US, for instance, textbook costs have risen 812 per cent since 1978, and at a much higher rate than tuition costs — or inflation, for that matter. Where’s that money going, you might ask? Well, most is going directly into the pockets of publishers — 80 per cent of the average textbook’s cost goes to its publisher, to cover the costs of distribution, production, and creation. Only a fraction of the remaining cost goes towards SFU and its bookstore, which lost $418,000 in the last fiscal year, according to Leah Bjornson’s report for The Peak this past May.

Apart from overcharging students and faculty alike, publishers also do their best to ensure that students have a tough time avoiding the sticker price. New editions for old textbooks are released every few years, often with only minor changes to the fine print. And good luck trying to save by buying books internationally and transporting them back to Canada; under our current copyright law, this is illegal. As a result, professors are often forced to assign expensive textbooks for courses that only refer to a few chapters — and given that students are forced to buy whatever textbooks instructors assign, many teachers will opt for the more expensive choices in order to get the highest quality content. So what choice do students have? As it turns out, there are ways to get around the rising cost of textbooks, though we often have to work for them. One choice many students make is simply not to buy textbooks at all; in fact, a study from the US Public Interest Research Group Education Fund showed that 65 per cent of all post-secondary students had taken at least one course without buying the textbook, with full knowledge this might hurt their grade. About half of students went even further, deciding which courses to take depending on whether or not the textbooks and course materials were affordable. At SFU, many students bypass the SFU Bookstore by joining a Facebook group called the SFU Textbook Trade Centre. I’m a member, and if you’re reading this, there’s a pretty good chance you are, too. As of this article’s publication, the group counts 17,226 students as members, and by the time you’re reading this, that number will have grown. That’s over half of SFU’s entire student population trading and exchanging courseware, all in an attempt to avoid paying exorbitant fees for materials which, relatively, cost pennies to make. Other means of saving on textbooks have put our bookstore in a financial slump. In an article for The Peak in February of this year, Melissa Roach exposed

the decline in sales that has occurred over the past few years: only 67 per cent of SFU students are actually buying textbooks, and of those, only 68 are actually going to the bookstore — others are using resources such as Facebook, Craigslist, Amazon, Books2go, or even illegal downloading sites such as The Pirate Bay. Despite book publishers’ stranglehold on the textbook market, students are increasingly finding new ways to get learning material without breaking the bank. But it shouldn’t be this difficult. For students looking for a cheaper alternative and faculty looking for a more teachable format, open textbooks are a breath of fresh air.

Open content is still a fairly young concept. It was introduced in 1998 by David Wiley, a professor and essayist and longtime advocate for open education resources (OERs). Apart from educational materials, open content activists have also helped to distribute health care information, literary resources, and other creative content across the web and into the hands of those who may not have had access to these materials otherwise. For a resource to qualify as ‘open,’ it has to fit all five of Wiley’s criteria: it must be retainable, so that users can own, make, and control copies; reusable, so that content can be used in all manner of ways; revisable, so that educators and students can change and update material; remixable, so that different content can be combined to make something new; and redistributable, so that others can gain access to the content. These pillars — the five Rs, as they’re known to OER activists — are the backbone of the open education movement. For those who’ve made it their goal to democratize and make available learning

material for the public, open textbooks must fulfil all five of these requirements. Enter Clint Lalonde, one of the education technologists for BC Campus and manager of the organization’s Open Education division, whose goal it is to make OERs available at all of BC’s universities and colleges. Open Education’s latest and most ambitious undertaking is the Open Textbook Project — the first of its kind in Canada.

“[The project] started in October of 2012,” Lalonde says. “Since then, it’s expanded to Alberta and Saskatchewan, and we’ve been working closely with those provinces to make open textbooks happen in their jurisdictions as well.” To date, the project has compiled 57 different textbooks from 35 different subject areas. Of those, 20 have been peer reviewed, and several professors at SFU have already begun using the texts in their classrooms; editing and shaping the content as they see fit, and saving students hundreds of dollars in textbook fees. “With an open textbook, faculty can customize even further — to change some of the stats in the textbook, or some of the examples in the textbook — and really make them relevant to the course,” says Lalonde. “Because they can do that, it means better learning outcomes for the students.”

The project is split into three phases. The first is to review existing open textbooks, and ensure their quality and accuracy; the second is to adapt open textbooks and tweak them to fit into specific classrooms; and the third is to create new open textbooks from scratch. Though the latter seems ambitious, Lalonde is optimistic — he shares with me a story of working with several other educators (including two from SFU) to draft an introductory geography textbook in four days. “Four long days,” he says. For faculty building these textbooks from the ground up, there’s no barrier between course materials and the knowledge they’re trying to impart to students. No more skipped chapters or stale information — each text is tailormade for the course it accompanies. Lalonde also mentions that the open textbooks created and approved for the project will be available in different formats for students with physical and mental disabilities. “We’re working with an organization in the province [CAPER] that actually does work for students in the province who have disabilities. So, whenever a request comes in, we’re able to translate textbooks into different formats — for example, turning a textbook into an audiobook for students who have visual impairments.” Given the success of the project, which began less than two years ago, it’s easy to envision a future where paper textbooks and publishers become obsolete. However, it isn’t that simple — many students prefer the experience of using a physical textbook to a digital one, and others don’t have the financial means to buy devices capable of downloading electronic textbooks. For Lalonde, the answer is in partnering with the SFU Bookstore, which offers to print all of BC Campus’ open textbooks on demand for between $20–40 — still a steal compared to your average course material.

“University bookstores are going through some [difficult] times right now, and it’s not only coming from open textbook projects,” he says. “We’ve tried to partner with bookstores as much as we can.” For our own SFU Bookstore, whose earnings in 2014 are projected to be even lower than last year, this might be the best news they’ve had in a while.

Since BC Campus began their program, several institutions across the province have begun to promote the use of open textbooks on their campuses. Kwantlen Polytechnic University, for example, has embraced the project, and encouraged its instructors to adapt their courses for open materials. Brady Wallace, arts & social sciences representative for the Simon Fraser Student Society, has been an integral part of the SFSS’ push to promote the Open Textbook Project at SFU. “It works perfectly,” he says. “The BC Open Textbook program is something that’s been around since 2012, and we’ve seen success from other universities and institutions in BC — just none of which have been research-based. We’re hoping that SFU can fill that void, and become the first research institution to really take part in the project.”

FEATURE

Along with SFSS president Chardaye Bueckert and several other members of their board of directors, the student society has started a campaign to increase awareness of the program among teachers and faculty, and encourage the administration to spread the word. “The administration has said that they’re interested in the project, and that they’d love to see it happen,” Wallace says. In order to demonstrate student interest in the project, the SFSS has been petitioning students. You may have seen a signup sheet at The Ladle or the Highland Pub, or on the SFSS website — SFSS representatives even came shuffling into The Peak offices on our production day, urging us to sign on the dotted line.

September 15, 2014

features editor email / phone

Max Hill features@the-peak.ca / 778.782.4560

“We want to get profs thinking, ‘How can we make education more accessible to university students?’ We want to be moving in the direction of open source — whether that be, instead of a prof producing a custom textbook, just posting links on Canvas, or using open texts from the library.” It’s already begun. As noted on the SFSS website, 21 different members of SFU’s faculty in 23 different courses have already started using open textbooks in their classrooms, and others — like Britta Ricker and Cristina Temenos, the two SFU profs who helped Lalonde build a textbook in four days — are helping make more open textbooks available to the public.

When I interviewed Wallace last Tuesday, he’d already collected around 1,400 signatures; 4,000 by the end of the month is the goal. In the coming weeks, the SFSS will roll out a social media campaign and promote the project at frosh gatherings and other social events, in the hopes of collecting enough student names by October 1 to bring to the university. “This campaign is, ultimately, pushing for usage of the open textbooks which are already available online,” Wallace says. “We understand that academic freedom remains with the professor, and we can’t force these textbooks on them, especially if they’re not up to par for an individual instructor. But we’re really hoping that, through this campaign, professors are going to start thinking about how much money students are spending; not just on courseware, but also tuition, and everything like that.

As the SFSS spends the remainder of the month increasing awareness of the OERs available to the staff and students of SFU, BC Campus will continue to work towards providing more open, peer-reviewed content to students across the country. For Lalonde, the move towards open education is obvious, if slow-going — open textbooks are cheaper, more accessible, and customizable enough to never need a shiny new edition or a few extra chapters. “Ultimately, it goes beyond the economics of open textbooks being a good deal because they’re free; they actually have measurable implications for learning within courses,” Lalonde says. “Students who actually have these resources, strangely enough, do better.” So say goodbye to that pile of dusty textbooks in your closet; their swan song has finally begun.

ARTS

arts editor email / phone

September 15, 2014

Tessa Perkins arts@the-peak.ca / 778.782.4560

interfering with cell phone reception, and causing power outages. The guests of the party drink, take drugs, and discuss their mundane lives. None of it is particularly interesting until things go bonkers.

Schrodinger’s cat, dinner party antics, and experimental filmmaking collide in James Ward Byrkit’s directorial feature-length debut, Coherence. This is one head trip of a movie that begins slowly as a dull and pointless visitation to one of the most tiresome branches of indie filmmaking, mumblecore, but gains momentum as it begins to fully explore its trippy sci-fi story. Eventually it goes into territory you don’t see coming and ends with a cliffhanger even Hitchcock would have been proud of. The less you know the better. Byrkit made this film with no budget, no crew, and no script. His actors were as clueless as the audience, trying to piece together the mystery of how so many weird events could be taking place at once. A comet is passing close to earth, which is apparently

The director sacrifices technical polish in order to utilize his methodology. The visuals are often weak and not pleasing to the eye as their improvised nature becomes apparent through the editing, which cuts between characters without establishing the surrounding setting. We almost never get a wide shot to show where everyone is sitting at the table so that we can mentally place everyone in the space within the frame. The director filmed improvised material not knowing where his actors would move or what exactly they would say. Perhaps there was no time for perfection. Unfortunately, the same can be said for some of the audio.

“Everybody’s open to everybody’s ideas,” he says, “and we’re all just trying to do the same thing: write great music that means something to us and means something to others.” Their new album is driven by hard rock beats, distorted blues riffs and melodies, biting yells, and group vocals. Jay described the album as spanning from “acoustic, to campfire, to ballad, to straight-up rock.” Kingston Ontario’s The Glorious Sons will soon release a new album, The Union, just days after they play in Vancouver. Brett Emmons, the band’s singer and keyboardist, says the group’s growth is reflected in this, their first full-length album. “We’re maturing as musicians and as people,” he says. Brett was invited by his brother and Glorious Sons guitarist, Jay Emmons, to sing for the band after quitting post-secondary school in Halifax to pursue music. According to him, the group has been the same close-knit five guys since then.

The group’s sound could be said to stand somewhere near ’70s and modern rock, similar to The Black Keys or Kings of Leon. This straightup, classic sound is common among many Canadian bands, including The Sheepdogs, and locals Yukon Blonde and Bend Sinister.

Sometimes when multiple characters are bantering at once, some of the sound descends into incomprehensible sludge. However, I suppose this is the sacrifice he is willing to make in order to get naturalistic performances out of his actors, who all do remarkable work. Their dialogue is authentic and does not seem rushed like most films that sacrifice realism for efficiency. James Ward Byrkit lets his actors talk and talk and talk. At times this is a commendable

aspect of the film and at other times it is one of the most boring; it all depends on what the characters are chatting about. If it’s themselves it’s probably the latter, but if it’s the mystery, it’s the former. Don’t be confused by the quantum theory and that stupid cat; this is pure genre fare, not profound cinema. Any attempt to make a statement about the characters or explore any significant themes is neglected in favour of figuring out the mystery.

It’s in these scenes that the naturalistic performances from the actors pay their dividends. The screams are real screams; the inquisitive stares are real confusion. James Ward Byrkit’s talent is the real deal. In theory, anyone could have made Coherence, but in practice it takes someone creative and inventive. In practice this is an amateurish effort, but in theory its story is too different and far out to ignore. Coherence is a film all about theory.

Brett names both Kings of Leon and The Abbott Brothers as band influences, and says the classic Allman Brothers and Rolling Stones make for much of their touring music. He admits to being “a super fan of Bruce Springstein and Jackson Brown,” as well. These influences only emerge “in hints” in their music, Brett explains. While they love many different bands, they’re not the type to copy others’ sounds; they’re more interested in bringing ideas to a jam session and exploring them. “It’s all about writing what you want to write; it’s not about trying to sound like anybody or trying to recreate the magic of Springstein,” says Brett. This love is evident in the new album, with songs that stick together cohesively, yet don’t get stale on their own and don’t sound like carbon copies of each other. The album tells a story of a passionate, creative group who care about making music, first and foremost.

Brett is thankful for the rock and roll roots from which The Glorious Sons draw influence, as well as the appreciation he sees of this in Canada. “I think it’s really loved by the country, and it’s one of the best music scenes around,” he says. “I believe that basically everything we have today has at least been touched by rock and roll. Everybody’s been influenced by The Beatles.” While many older people love classic rock, it is still appreciated by Canadian youth, who have proven that they “would rather be listening to that than anything else,” he says. Jay echoes the sentiment, saying that Canadian rock is a staple that a lot of

Canadians listen to “to help get through the day.” When it comes to breaking into international scenes, Jay and Brett both allude to doing so, but right now they’re focused on what they have. “We’re young and we’re hungry,” says Brett, but right now he’s thankful for their “real audience” in Canada. He concludes, “We love playing rock and roll, we love a good audience, and we love when people hear our music.”

18 ARTS

I have yet to encounter anyone who doesn’t like a good old-fashioned road trip. That’s the truly amazing thing about them: there are so many different kinds of vacations and people tend to differ in opinion about all of them — whether it’s better to go to the beach or the forest or the mountains — but one thing we can always seem to agree on is that the best way to get anywhere is to load up a car with your favourite people, some good music and junk food, and just hit the road. It’s amazing that people still choose to drive places when they could just as easily fly, but there is something so much more interesting about driving through the Rocky Mountains for six hours than just flying over them in one. There is something alluring about forging your own path and enjoying the ride. Road trips make every vacation so much more worthwhile because the journey is just as important as the destination, if not more.

September 15, 2014

English poetry classes teach about the pastoral ideal, the idea of getting away from it all and returning to the outdoors, and I think that the artistic obsession with road trips is an extension of this. Books such as Kerouac’s On The Road romanticize the idea of just getting up and going, allowing the open road to take you away from everyday life. Kerouac’s characters are driven to escape from their mundane lives in search of something more exciting and fulfilling, and the journey to get to this imagined destination is an integral part of the story. Movies like Into the Wild and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty are able to capture our attention with characters who strive to find that serenity that comes with forging amazing paths for themselves. On top of it all, there is always such a huge focus on the scenery, the amazing breathtaking views that you can find if you just drive an hour or two out of town. We all want an escape from the everyday parts of our lives, and not everyone can afford to hop on a plane and go away for months at a time, or just move and start all over. Road trips are accessible: you can make a trip down the coast for only a weekend, and it can be something exciting if you make it about the

trip itself versus the arrival at your destination. Always make time for stops at the side of the road for goat farms and pie shops, lakes and deer herds, and for every eccentric thing that catches your interest. Road trips are a lot like art: we search out meaning from them

INTERNATIONAL MASTERS & PHD FAIR September 25th Vancouver - 3:30pm - 8:00 pm Convention Centre East, BC V6C 3C1 Why attend?

› Speak directly with admissions directors from top-ranked institutions › Attend seminars that can help strengthen your application › Apply for US $1.7 million worth of scholarships (For fair attendees only)

For Free Entry Register Online at:

TopUniversities.com/ThePeak and quote ‘The Peak Promo’ at the door

WIN!

Attending universities and b-schools: UCLA, King’s College London, Ivey Business School, Queen’s School of Business, University of San Francisco, HEC Paris, EDHEC, IE Business School and many more local and international grad schools!

1 month’s FREE online GRE Test Prep from Magoosh*

*prize draw taking place at the event

and we use them as an escape or as a way to find a story, be it our own or imagined. Of course, every great story needs a great soundtrack. One of the best parts about road trips is choosing your musical accompaniment. It’s key to pick the best music and to sing along as loudly as you like, and be sure to add in embarrassing dance moves that you know those passing cars will see. There is something so fitting about the acoustic sounds of easy-to-sing-along-to music that makes kilometres of highway between stops melt away. I have some of my own personal favourite go-to road trip sounds, and I’m sure you do to, but if you are looking to expand your playlist, give John Welsh’s new EP, On the Road, a listen. w He’s a BC local who wrote all his songs while travelling the world, from New Zealand to Newfoundland, and all the way back home again. His music is upbeat, catchy, and super easy to sing along to while cruising down the highway on your next adventure. If you’re ever looking for a break — maybe classes are getting a bit overwhelming or your job just kind of sucks — try taking a day or two to go somewhere different. You don’t need to have a specific destination; just get up and drive somewhere. If you don’t have a car, I’m sure a friend who does would be up for an adventure, and if worst comes to worst, you can rent a car. There’s nothing stopping you but yourself, so get out there, get on the road, and don’t forget your iPod.

ARTS

Leaving uneasy after seeing The Drop , I looked down and noticed red ink had stained my hands like the bloodguilt the hero (and I) had experienced. None of it would wash off! Where are the movies with protagonists we can emulate? Does everything have to be so dark and bleak? Where are the positive messages? Certainly there should be places for both condonable and condemnable protagonists, but we have neglected one for the other. Director Michael R. Roskam’s film conforms with the current trend of morally dark protagonists that has taken hold of mainstream and art-house films. Bob (Tom Hardy) is a bartender for a Chechen mob owned establishment that is used for laundering money. Our hero is isolated, lonely, and guilt ridden. He goes to church every day but never takes communion. He lives

The fifth album from these New Jersey rockers, Get Hurt marks a change in the band’s tone with a less celebratory mood and more of a personal, melancholy feel. The album is said to be inspired by vocalist

September 15, 2014

alone without any family and becomes wrapped up in a stray, abused dog that he finds in a trash can. I instantly felt for this man. Evidently, some gruesome burden weighed on his conscience. His enigmatic nature is cryptic and difficult to read. Once we discover his motivation, his past, and his thinking, however, we realize that we have been tricked into empathizing with evil. When the shift in perspective comes in the third act, Bob is no longer a hero but precisely the opposite. However, the film’s tone never seems to shift with the new found knowledge. The closing shot is a kind of happilyever-after visual that hints at something redemptive without the protagonist ever needing to change. I was repulsed.

Such a character would have been inconceivable during the reign of the Hayes code in the Hollywood studio system during the 1920s. This form of voluntary censorship (although surrounding pressures made

and guitarist Brian Fallon’s divorce from his wife of 10 years, and that makes a lot of sense with songs like “Break Your Heart,” “Dark Places,” and “Ain’t that a Shame.” There are no upbeat songs about the radio to be found here, but there is plenty of pouryour-heart-out, passionate

it coercive) was put into place for the movie industry to regain its moral standing after a few celebrity scandals. Movies coming under this code were positive and focused on good, moral members of society. Admittedly, the Hayes code had some morally questionable flaws: the inability to critique the clergy and the banishment of on-screen interracial relationships, for example. Censorship is never the answer. However, the ‘free speech’ state of filmmaking today has

rock ‘n’ roll that shows another side of their sound. The aggressive first single, “Rollin’ and Tumblin’” is a cathartic ode to the angry post-breakup state of uncertainty and depression. Fallon sings about wondering which pills to take, breaking his own heart again, and rolling and tumbling into a state of depression. “Get Hurt” was the first single that I came across on the radio, and it being such a shift from their previous album, Handwritten, I wasn’t sure what to think of it. After a few listens I began to understand and appreciate the meaning behind the song, and although it’s still not my

swung us the other way. We revel in this kind of darkness and have become desensitized to evil. Hollywood is just there to supply the demand. In the ’20s that meant primarily making safe and inoffensive films with messages strongly influenced by the Christian community; now, it means more movies like The Drop . None of this is to say that Roskam has made a bad film. It’s alright. The Drop is technically proficient and competent, but its storytelling utilizes a

favourite off the record, I think it’s an example of the strong, personal songwriting found throughout the album. My favourite track, “Break Your Heart,” is one of those delicate songs that could bring you to tears under the right circumstances. You can hear the emotion flowing from Fallon as he sings “I trusted somebody way and back when. And I loved her like fire until it drove me insane.” Unlike any of their previous work, this is a beautiful song that shows the depth of their range as a rock group. Their third single and opening track, “Stay Vicious,” is a rousing song about needing to be saved and looking for

labourious pace. It is painfully mediocre despite the best efforts of the A-list cast — James Gandolfini as the ex-owner of the bar who now works for the Chechens, and Noomi Rapace as the woman whom Bob befriends to help him take care of the stray dog. The blameless Hollywood hero is dead and I have killed him; we have killed him. The blood is on all of our hands and until there is a societal shift, like Bob, we will be unable to wash away the guilt.

something to ease the pain as Fallon sings “I have pills for this, and tabs for that. And something that used to resemble a soul.” This intimate collection of songs is a departure from their previous work, but it is instilled with their unique mixture of folk, rock, and Americana influences, including a great harmonica intro on “Mama’s Boys” and a nod to the traditional folk song “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” on “Red Violins” as they sing “Chariot swing low, if you come for me.” Along with their clever, emotive songwriting, this melange is what makes their work so compelling.

SPORTS

In volleyball, the libero is a unique position. She stays at the back line and is only responsible for defence, not being allowed to attack the ball if it is above net height. For a libero, the concentration is on digs, or how to keep the ball in play, not necessarily on winning the rally with the next kill. To add to these differences, the libero wears a different coloured jersey than the rest of the team, making her stand out. Players in this position rarely sub out, and often play nearly the whole game; they must have leadership abilities and good communication. For many, in light of the extra attention and added responsibilities, this would be a daunting position.

Alison McKay, however, revels in this position, including the fact that she does not have to sit on the bench all that much: “I was itching to get on the court anyways last year.” She describes her position and some of its necessary skills, saying, “You have to have a lot of ball control, you have to be able to pass the ball really well [. . .] I’m kind of the captain of the back row, setting all the plays and controlling where everyone moves.” McKay made the jump to libero from defensive specialist this year after previous libero Alanna Chan left the team, and despite the added responsibilities, McKay found the transition easy. “I think it flowed because [they’re] very similar positions, it’s just that it’s a bigger role, you’re on the court more and wearing different coloured jerseys, you stand out a lot.” The move was unexpected, as Chan left the team for a job, but it was welcomed by the Port Moody native: “It was like all of a sudden, boom, taking on that position but I’m really glad it all happened. I was ready to step up.”

September 15, 2014

Now entering her second year, she comments on finding herself in more of a leadership position after experiencing a full season in the NCAA: “I really like the role I’ve been taking on. It’s nice to be the one helping others instead of others helping me.” McKay is able to draw upon her experiences from last year, watching the leaders on the team. She explains, “I learned so much. It was a lot of leading by example and that’s what I find I can do for the players coming in. I can show them how things work around here by just playing, [for example] going for every volleyball, the basic stuff the coach expects from us [. . .] I’m just taking that on now.” As for her own game, McKay is a huge fan of tennis, both watching and playing, and draws upon tennis technique to help in volleyball. “[Tennis] kind of translates to volleyball, [because it shares] the quick side to side movements, back to back, handeye coordination. “I also play beach volleyball which helps with my indoor [volleyball] skills. [It only has] two people in the court, while indoor has six, so you definitely have to be a bigger presence so it helps me back to indoor because I can take up a lot more of the court and feel more comfortable with that,” added the sophomore. “Beach volleyball is also a lot of running so I find it’s a really great workout that keeps you in shape all summer.”

A love of sport and athletics is a persistent theme, as she explains that being the daughter of Canadian Olympic wrestler Dave McKay may have put her on the path to being a successful athlete, though she stresses that it was always her choice. “I was always around the gym. Actually from the ages of five to 10, I was always up [at SFU] doing his wrestling classes with him and so I have been exposed to the gym and being on the track. Gym was my favourite subject at school, it

was what I found most comforting and I probably get my competitive drive from him. “That helps with falling in love with a sport,” she concluded. With the season starting up again, McKay looks to play a vital part in helping the volleyball team take that next step, becoming a full blown contender, advancing on the considerable successes of last season. Having already won four of their first five games of nonconference competition, the Clan look well on their way.

sports editor email / phone

Austin Cozicar sports@the-peak.ca / 778.782.4560

SPORTS

SFU started their season with a loss against the Menlo College Oaks, a non-conference rival of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), on September 6. The game started promisingly for the Clan, as 2:27 into the first quarter, linebacker Eric Murphy intercepted a pass from Menlo College quarterback Wade Hawkins, who later left the game in the first half due to injury to be replaced by backup Nate Dodson. SFU pounced on this opportunity: Kyle Kawamoto caught a 29yard pass from quarterback Ryan Stanford, who eventually threw 260 yards, to open up the scoring with a touchdown. This fast-paced offence seemed as though it could be the story of the game for the Clan, as Mitchell Barnett intercepted the ball for them once again. During this drive, however, flaws started to appear in their game plan, as they were unable convert for a touchdown, and missed a 33-yard field goal attempt. In the entire first quarter, SFU had just one first down, and their opponents held onto the ball for 42 seconds longer than they did. The only other scoring in the first quarter was a Menlo College field goal, which, to be fair, was miraculous considering the yards given up by SFU’s defence, to bring the score to 7-3. It was during the second quarter that the Oaks started to take advantage of the Clan’s sloppy play. They scored two touchdowns building a sizable lead, including one scored off of a 72-yard pass received by running back DJ Jones, who lit up the Clan on more than a few plays, highlighting the holes in SFU’s defensive game. However, the Clan would enter halftime only down by three as they scored a touchdown with just 24 seconds left in the quarter. SFU appeared to turn a new page in the second half and seemed recharged, with a more confident looking team. Matt Isherwood intercepted the ball with 12:16 left in the quarter, which led to a touchdown pass to Lemar Durant, bringing the score to 21-17. The SFU defence also started strong, not allowing the Oaks to advance, and sacking the quarterback when they went for it on a desperate fourth down play. Sloppy play would return once again, however, with SFU

September 15, 2014

allowing Menlo College to make a 78-yard pass for a touchdown, reclaiming the lead 24-21. Following this, the Clan fumbled the ball at kickoff, only to have Isherwood recover it the very next play, making back-to-back interceptions for him. SFU would score a field goal 3:45 into the fourth quarter, tying up the game, although only after many missed opportunities. The rest of the quarter would remain silent until Jones scored another touchdown for Menlo College claiming the lead for the last time, making the score 31-24.

SFU did not go down without a fight, however, as they tried to take advantage of an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Jones’ touchdown celebration, giving them them 15 yards on the kickoff. On a fourth down attempt with 27.1 seconds left, it briefly looked as though the Clan had completed a pass for a first down at the goal line. However, they were just out of bounds, and thus lost the game. The running theme of the game was inconsistency, with players such as Isherwood putting up excellent performances with backto-back interceptions, while other players such as Chris Tolbert gave up back-to-back fumbles. “We need to learn to finish things. Our players need to understand that we need to protect the football a little bit better,” said head coach Jacques Chapdelaine. “Offensively we can’t turn the ball over. “If we shoot ourselves in the foot a little, we’re going to struggle uphill, whereas if we can eliminate those mistakes we’ll put ourselves in a better position.”

Keep Public Charities Public Donors Rights Society

Sign our Petition and say NO to Closed Shops donorsrights.com

22 SPORTS

In their opening matches of nonconference play, SFU’s women’s soccer team suffered doubleheader defeats against the University of Hawaii-Hilo. Early stages of both matches saw stout defending and resistance to the Vulcans’ pressure thanks to the defensive leadership of Clan senior Kelsey Atherley. Freshman goalkeeper Priya Sandhu showed great confidence between the woodwork in the opening stages and was quick off her line. While their first match was limited to just one goal from an unlucky

On Tuesday evening, the SFU men’s soccer team grabbed their second win of the season in exciting fashion over the University of HawaiiHilo Vulcans with a 4-2 result. The Clan have shown themselves to be deadly from their setpieces in recent matches, and just 10 minutes into play they were ahead thanks to Joel Malouf’s headed goal from Alex Rowley’s corner-kick. With momentum in their favour, the men struck again when Magnus Kristensen’s lobbed ball was brought down by Ryan Dhillon outside the opponent’s box, who then laid a simple ball for Jovan Blagojevic to slot home.

Goalkeeper Ivan Hutsulyak made the most of his Clan debut and confidently swept away the rare chances made by the Vulcans in the first half. The Clan kept immense pressure going from all angles and finished the half with 13 shots. The second half provided more intense resistance from HawaiiHilo, but not before the Clan would

September 15, 2014

rebound, the return leg provided far more struggle for SFU. Despite keeping their first match scoreless for the first 45-minutes, the Vulcans were able to break the deadlock early in the second game. A handful of fearless and aggressive slide tackles in the opening minutes led the Clan to concede a penalty kick in the 23rd minute. Kristine Pasek’s ensuing penalty kick was unstoppable for Sandhu. With 10 minutes left in the half, Clan sophomore Kate Pearsall showed great composure to chest down Devon Kollmyer’s corner and volley home the equalizer. The Vulcans were quick to snatch the lead again just minutes later, after an unmarked Taylor Wright side-volleyed a corner kick from Amanda Dominguez just two minutes later. Second half proceedings continued much like the first, with the Clan soaking in some

strong pressure from the Vulcans with more defensive prowess.

Pearsall continued to alter the game with her surging run to the opponents box in the 58th minute and thru ball to Sierra Leung, but the move was quickly cut out by Hawaii’s defence. Ten minutes later, the Clan were given their best chance to equalize after the Vulcan keeper spilled across into the box,

Niko Schroettle weaves the ball around the Vulcans. take their lead to three when Niko Schroettle won a penalty kick that Blagojevic converted from the spot. Immediately after, the Vulcans created clear goal scoring chances, but efforts from Mike Reckmeyer and Jamie Sporcic were shot wide of the Clan goal. Reckmeyer would come back to haunt the Clan with a stunning bicycle kick goal in the 71st minute. With the tide turning, the Vulcan offence were able to build more pressure into the Clan’s 18yard box and won a penalty kick, scored by Reckmeyer again. Only two minutes later, the Clan found their fourth goal from a counter attack of blistering pace when Dhillon picked out substitute Callum Powell, who calmly rolled the through ball past the UHH keeper. The Vulcans went out guns blazing until the last minute with their free kick smacking the crossbar to the delight of the home crowd. “It was more exciting than it should’ve been, we took our foot off the pedal,” said head coach Alan Koch. “They gave us a good

Hamed Yaghoubi Shahir / The Peak

run for our money, but thank goodness we weathered the storm and showed maturity.” The coach added his excitement for freshman Callum Powell: “He’s been chomping at the bit for more playing time and he came in tonight and proved himself. He’s explosive, dynamic, and I hope he can build on that.”

but Andrea Di Lorenzo was pressured out of scoring. Defending from set-pieces was, again, a weak point for the Clan after Caroline Stromick gave the Vulcans their two-goal lead with a stunning volley from another corner kick with just 10 minutes left. Unfortunately the Clan were unable to recover from the deficit and finished with a tough loss. “We’ve introduced a different style of soccer to the girls, it’s a process, so once that develops then we hope the results will go our way,” said assistant coach Anna Picarelli. Assistant coach Chris Sargeant added, “We could do better with defensive shape, and then introduce ways to play through opposing teams and hopefully we will get more chances that way.”

Anyone living around here who follows the NFL should remember last year’s glorious Super Bowl, when the Seattle Seahawks crushed the Denver Broncos 43-8. It was rather hilarious hearing viewers (or should I say reading their online comments) complain about how it was the most boring Super Bowl ever. Sports-wise, it was one of the best things I have ever seen, with the Seahawks not only winning, but clearly, and utterly, dominating the Broncos. However, now the question is whether the Seahawks can win two years in a row. I don’t think there is too much of a question about whether they will dominate the regular season. It’s pretty clear that they are currently the best team in the league, and if not the best, then at least one of the leaders of the pack. Their season opener against the Green Bay Packers, in which the Seahawks won 3616, showed that they are still a dominant force even when not playing the best football. However, defending the Vince Lombardi trophy two times in a row is a lot more difficult than it sounds, with a repeat win not

having happened since the New England Patriots won it back-toback in 2004 and 2005. The last team to pose a real threat for two consecutive Super Bowls was the Green Bay Packers, who went 15-1 in the regular season, only to fall in the divisional playoffs (after receiving a first round bye). That’s about as dominant a season as you can have, other than 16-0 which the Patriots had in 2008 when they blew it against the New York Giants, after making it to the Super Bowl. The point being, these elite teams are still fallible; no matter how unstoppable they look, it still only takes one game to lose and you’re out. One bad game and the lesser team can advance. Also, at any moment, untimely injuries can occur, slumps can happen at just the wrong time, and truthfully, the competition is still pretty darn good. The San Francisco 49ers are probably as dominant as the Seahawks, and really, the Super Bowl could have been theirs last year. With that being said, the Seahawks look awesome. They have not lost too many key guys (with the exception of Golden Tate) and perhaps with a bit of luck, they could have an almost ‘new’ elite player in Percy Harvin (as he missed most of last season). They look scary good, and if there’s a team that could win back to back Super Bowls, it is surely them.

SPORTS

Last year, the men’s golf team placed 17th in the national championship, and according to head coach John Buchanan, they achieved that “without playing that well” in the tournament. That’s quite an accomplishment for a team that had to be rebuilt from the ground up five years ago; after being cut in 2006 due to financial problems, the team was once again granted varsity status. The team’s climb was rocky, as they not only had to restart a golf program but also work to become NCAA calibre. However, as time went on, the team grew and so did their reputation, attracting higher class talent. “Eventually, the dust started to settle and some of the local kids who might have gone south, but for whatever reason didn’t, came to SFU,” explained Buchanan. He also noted that SFU’s academic reputation probably played a helping hand in that growth, drawing players such as Brayden Brown, an NCAA Division I transfer from Arkansas State University. “[SFU] is a really good school; that attracts people,” said the coach.

It’s become a broken record for all those who follow the Vancouver Whitecaps: they can’t score. Until Wednesday’s game, they were held off the score sheet since August 16 — just under a month. It was so bad, it was cringe inducing. The one silver lining in all of this is that they aren’t out of the playoff race just yet; as a matter of fact they’re actually two points up on the Portland Timbers (as of Wednesday, September 10). But they have to start making up ground, and fast. Scoreless draws like the one we were treated to against the DC United on Saturday,

September 15, 2014

This year, the men’s team looks to improve on last year’s placing, and Buchanan believes that they can. However, he says that it’s all mental, a game of confidence, rather than a question of skill. “We’ve got the capability of winning a national championship, it’s as simple as that. It’s the matter of whether they believe they can win a national championship,” Buchanan elaborated. “They’re as good as the Americans.” He went on to explain that without confidence, they are giving the other teams a “head start.”

There is, however, a hole left by the absence of Mike Belle, SFU’s premiere player and last year’s GNAC player of the year, who graduated from NCAA eligibility. Last season, he held the best average score in the GNAC with 74 strokes. Coach Buchanan states, though, that the team will make up for the loss with increased depth and more experienced returners: “Although we’ve lost our number one man, the three that are returning have matured.”

September 6 will not help them. It’s not as if the Whitecaps have no idea what to do once they get the ball. They’ve been creating quality chances, just not converting. A perfect example of what has been ailing the Whitecaps came in the 11th minute against the United. Mauro Rosales started a beautiful counter-attack after some DC United pressure, which led to Darren Mattocks having a wide open net from six yards out, but he ballooned the ball over the net. Kendall Watson had another glorious chance in the 31st from a set piece — a header from six yards out — but put it wide. Mattocks had yet another chance near the end of the first half, getting sent in nearly all alone after being kept onside by centerback Steve Birnbaum. That’s three glorious chances in the first half alone. If even one

The returners include sophomore Kevin Vigna, who was last season’s GNAC freshman of the year and first Clan winner of the GNAC Championship, and junior Brett Thomson, who in the offseason placed eighth in the Canadian Amateur Championship, held in his hometown of Winnipeg. Both were selected to the allconference team along with Belle and senior John Mlikotic. Despite the fact that the men’s team are becoming a model of success, the women’s team has not reached the same pedigree, yet. “[The women’s team is] probably a year to two years from that, [but] we’ve already started to trend towards it,” Buchanan commented. This season, he has already seen a portion of that upward trend, saying, “For the first time, we’ve actually got depth in our women’s team.” They currently have nine players listed on the roster including freshman additions Michelle Waters, Breanna Croxen, and Kyllie Jack. This year, the men hope to continue their ascension to one of the top teams in the GNAC, while the women’s team work to carve out their own future success.

of them goes in, the ‘Caps get the three points and are in solid playoff position.

One idea for the ‘Caps going forward would be to create more shots on goal, especially on target. They had a decent total in the United game, with 15 shots directed at the goal, but of those 15, only three were credited with hitting the target. More shots on target will mean more rebounds, which the ‘Caps could try to turn into goals. However, no new help is expected for the stretch run. President Bob Lenarduzzi stated that

he’s not willing to sacrifice the team’s future to bring in an established veteran, so scoring will have to come from within. Despite all of this, manager Carl Robinson is still preaching patience with his squad. “Just got to keep doing what we’re continuing to do,” he said at the post match press conference on Saturday. “Hopefully we’ll get a break or we’ll

take a number of chances we’ve missed tonight.” Luckily, the fate of the Whitecaps post season aspirations is still in his players’ feet. For all of us who support the ‘Caps, we surely hope that this goalless streak had more to do with luck rather than a worrying trend for the near future, and that Wednesday was a sign of things to come.

24 DIVERSIONS / ETC

September 15, 2014

CLASSIFIEDS@ THE-PEAK.CA

Across 1- ___ impasse 2- Rat-___ 9- Aha! 13- “Damn Yankees” role 14- Baseball manager Joe 15- Drum sound 16- Dishonest 18- Resistance units; 19Light brown 20- Abnormally enlarged or swollen 22- Lauder of cosmetics 23- Ruler of Hyderabad 24- Prefix with dextrous 26- Trader 31- Conscription org. 34- Shivering fit 37- The end of ___ 38- In spite of 42- Crazy as ___ 43- Cheerio! 44- Sun Devils’ sch. 45- Goober 47- River in central Switzerland 50- Fills to the gills 53- Choir members 57- Rigid airship 61- Go hungry LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

62- Rights org. 63- Contemplation 65- Christmas song 66- Complete reversal 67- Building wings 68- Airline since 1948 69- Female deer 70- Gin flavorer Down 1- Actress Woodard 2- Doughnut-shaped surface 3- As ___ resort 4- Sickness at the stomach 5- “You’ve got mail” co. 6- Rome’s Fontana di ___ 7- Ball partner

8- Foursome 9- Camaro model 10- London district 11- Shade trees 12- Ultimatum word 14- Boy king 17- Consider 21- That is to say... 23- The dark 25- Baseball club 27- Not to mention 28- “Star Wars” princess 29- Sea birds 30- Prego competitor 31- Ginger cookie 32- Flat-fish 33- Greek portico 35- Mex. neighbor 36- Kett and James 39- Took the gold

40- Busy 41- Small battery size 46- Jewish law 48- Pro ___ 49- Thrills 51- Connect with 52- Provide 54- Run of bird-song 55- Convex molding 56- Inward feeling 57- Writer Grey 58- Earth Day subj. 59- This can be guilty or not guilty 60- Haul 61- RR stop 64- Apr. addressee

Do you want to hear your voice on the radio?

To attend various music events? To have fun? Then CJSF radio is for you! Join CJSF 90.1 FM as a volunteer and take a 45-minute orientation tour WR OHDUQ PRUH DERXW LW 'URS LQ RQH RI WKHVH WLPHV WR ¿QG RXW ZKDW \RX can do and learn at your campus radio. (We’re in TC216 right over the Burnaby campus main entrance.) 1st Friday of the month at 3pm 2nd Tuesday at 4pm 3rd Thursday at 3 pm Hope to see you there! 4th Wednesday at 6:15 pm

HUMOUR

humour editor email / phone

September 15, 2014

Jacey Gibb humour@the-peak.ca / 778.782.4560

Good lord, how did people shit before they had cell phones?

Jacey Gibb Humour Editor Once a hub for scholars and poets alike, the SFU bathroom stall is a dying canvas for artists. As a result of increased gentrification efforts — mostly bathroom renovations — much of the decor that once splendored the toilet stalls has been either scrubbed away or replaced with entirely new walls. In honour of this fleeting art form, The Peak has compiled a list of some of the university’s finest bathroom stall graffiti still left standing — or rather, sitting. We encourage you to seek out and admire these works of art before the gentrification initiative claims them as well.

...

Jacey Gibb Humour Editor

Denial and Isolation: Hmmm, your phone’s usually in the left pocket. Maybe it’s in the right one? Nope, not there either. You might’ve accidentally put it in your back pocket before rushing to the bathroom. Not in that one either? Better check the front ones again, just to be safe.

Anger: Good lord, how did people shit before they had cell phones? What are you supposed to do without Candy Crush? The bathroom’s also where you get most of your texting done. Literally anything could be going on in the outside world and you would have no idea. What if a high-profile celebrity just died? Twitter’s probably exploding with tweets about Cher dying and you’ll get back from the bathroom and someone will ask, “Hey, did you hear Cher died?” And you’ll lie and say, “Of course I knew!” But you didn’t. All because you were stupid enough to not bring your goddamn phone with you to the bathroom.

Bargaining: Okay, this isn’t so bad. This must be what that Jezebel article was talking about, getting away from technology and just being left with your thoughts. Maybe this might be the best thing that ever happened to you. Just pass the time reading some bathroom graffiti and it’ll be over before you know it . . . Geez, people love drawing dicks on bathroom stalls. I’ll just count the floor tiles instead.

Depression: You’re going to die here. You’re going to die in this stall, with your pants around your ankles, insufferably bored out of your mind. What’s the point of even going to the bathroom if you don’t have something to do while you’re there? At least in heaven, every bathroom stall will prob-

Acceptance: It’s over. It is done. Your morning bowl of Raisin Bran or afternoon roasted butternut squash has been successfully purged from your body and you’re ready to take on the rest of the day. It was kind of nice being away from your phone for a little bit. Maybe you should start leaving it at home sometimes, just to take a break from it all. You’d probably save a bunch of data. Maybe you’ll even be a bit more social . . . Ah, fuck it. Better see what Snoop Dogg’s up to on Instagram right now.

26 HUMOUR

“By hiring individuals that photograph well,” fire chief Ignatius Blandus told reporters, “we’re able to improve our yearly calendar and make up the difference for recent cutbacks.

This is largely about finding a way to balance the books and avoid running a deficit.” Instead of submitting traditional cover letters and resumes, applicants are being asked to send photo portfolios and recent headshots for consideration. Standard fitness examinations have also been replaced by auditions that measure a person’s ability to stand beside a burning building and smoulder for the camera. However, some critics of the new hiring strategy are claiming it could ultimately put countless lives at risk. “These men and women are being hired based solely on their killer bods and perfect facial bone structure,” local MP Bob Turpis explained in an email to The Peak. “The only fire-related experience many of them have is from burning up the club dancefloor on a Friday or Saturday night, so I have to call into question their ability to pull someone from a burning building.” Blandus has been quick to defend his department’s decision though, saying the hiring process does take into account a person’s physique and toned, toned muscles. “We are basing our hires on a physical examination of a different type. Musculature can tell a lot about an individual; it both exemplifies attractiveness and strength. By using the portfolios to screen applicants, we are essentially getting the best of both worlds. “If someone was rescuing you from a burning building, wouldn’t you rather be carried out by someone with the arms

Fifteen people have been hospitalized with varying injuries after the debut performance of Cops: The Musical in Ferguson, Missouri resulted in violent rioting. Eyewitnesses from the event say protesters trampled people and

mobbed the stage immediately following the second half — which is reportedly the weaker of the two acts, lacking serious character development and dance numbers. Following the incident, performers told The Peak that they were unaware of any controversy surrounding police in the city. “We thought everybody would love Cops ,” said Aaron Shipmann, who plays the role of Officer McTaser. “The show has been on-air for 25 years now, so there’s clearly an audience for it.”

A fire department in the Lower Mainland has recently come under fire for reportedly hiring only attractive, strapping young individuals instead of older, more experienced firefighters. With recent financial cutbacks and the rising cost of inflation, the fire department has been forced to look for alternative sources of revenue. The annual firefighter calendar — a favourite amongst locals — has become increasingly popular over the years and is being cited as the main reason behind the shift in hiring methods.

September 15, 2014

of a greek god or goddess? I know I would.” Revenue from the department’s calendars is reportedly up 315 per cent from last year’s and the money is already being used to improve the firehouse’s facilities — which include a state-of-the-art photography studio space and a year’s supply of coverup and foundation. “With results like these, it wouldn’t be surprising if this hiring

strategy is taken up across the country,” explained SFU economics professor Dr. Diana Locke. “This could completely change the way in which essential services conduct fundraising. Police departments, paramedics, within the next few years, it’s possible they’ll all start publishing annual calendars and reevaluating their hiring processes.” Regardless of the long-term effects this might have, Blandus

is focussing on the immediate benefits his firehouse is seeing — all because of support from the community. “We hope that each time you check to see what day of the week it is and you look at your firefighter calendar, you’ll be reminded of the contribution you made to help better your community: better facilities, quality services, and more abs.”

While the injuries ranged from minor scrapes to broken bones, it is reported that all of the victims are in stable condition.

“Interrogation Station,” was reportedly unpopular with Ferguson residents. “This is some kind of joke, right?” Derrick Rivera, a resident of Ferguson, told reporters after the show’s debut. “I mean, this sounds like something published in The Onion. Un-fucking-believable.” According to Rivera, people “started goin’ apeshit” immediately following the musical number, “To Serve and Protect,” an upbeat, catchy tune about arresting tax evaders.

“We wanted to show a different side of police officers,” explained Shipmann. “In hindsight, what we went with may have been an insensitive choice.” While general response has been that Cops: The Musical is hopelessly offensive and something that “only a person completely devoid of any trace of a soul” would come up with, the play has some critics singing on a high note, with many praising the show’s direction, integration of actor movement, and the decision to use actual rubber bullets instead of prop guns.

The musical, which featured original songs like “White-Collar Crime Don’t Pay No Dime” and

HUMOUR

September 15, 2014

28 LAST WORD

don’t particularly like being told what to do, and I like having my intentions misinterpreted even less; it’s these predispositions that have made cultural appropriation a difficult issue for me to work through. Of course, it’s easy to look at me — white skin and all — and think of my reaction as typical. But, just like the issue I’m exploring, it isn’t that simple. Cultural appropriation is a term most of us have heard, but not one that all of us understand. Generally, it describes the incorporation of one culture’s tradition by someone outside of that culture, both as the result of privilege and ignorance. This can mock or belittle another group’s traditional practices or beliefs, and ignore the history of violence and prejudice endured by these cultures. However, cultural appropriation shouldn’t be used to describe a group’s or individual’s actions without thoughtful consideration on both the part of those doing the appropriating and those affected. As a rule, we should aim to define cultural appropriation not only by the

features editor email / phone

Max Hill features@the-peak.ca / 778.782.4560

use of another’s culture, but by the intention behind it. On the internet, one can find countless examples of cultural appropriation: from celebrities distastefully clad in traditional garments to music festivalgoers sporting sacred feather headdresses. These examples are insulting, and set our society back in terms of overcoming prejudice and discrimination. Whether or not we’re aware of it, appropriation can change and distort the way we perceive different cultures. While cultural appropriation should not be considered a synonym for racism, the two are inextricably linked. Whereas racism is generally more overt — joining the KKK, for instance, or using racial slurs — cultural appropriation is usually much more subtle, and often condoned by our society. Sometimes, those who appropriate cultures don’t even know they’re doing it. Which is why we need to talk about it more. Cultural appropriation is nothing new; it’s been happening since there have been cultures to appropriate. Because of this, some argue that appropriation is natural, that it’s a foregone conclusion when two different cultures interact.

However, this stance fails to take into account the fundamental difference between appropriation and appreciation. One is done with consent, respect, and understanding; the other isn’t. The difference between the two isn’t always obvious. For example, I once had a Chinese-themed birthday. We ate Chinese food, I wore my Cheongsam, and hanging from the ceiling were cheap paper lanterns straight out of a Chinatown restaurant. Out of context, this sounds like a prime example of fetishizing and belittling one culture for the amusement of another. But here’s the thing: when I was nine, I thought that it was the best party idea ever. So did my half-Chinese mother. I come from an ethnically mixed family, and am of Chinese, French Canadian and English descent. This means that I grew up having Dim Sum with one grandparent and Yorkshire pudding with the other, and that was my idea of ‘normal.’ Even though I may look white, Chinese culture has been an important part of my upbringing, and remains a key aspect of my identity. People often noticed my Anglo-Saxon features and

wrote me off as ignorant for identifying with Chinese culture. To me, it was unfair that I couldn’t participate in certain activities or wear certain clothes without negative connotations — all because of history that I wasn’t alive for, hateful acts done by those I will never meet, and the ideals of those with whom I don’t agree. But I’ve since realized that how I feel doesn’t make a difference on this issue. The groups that are most sensitive to cultural appropriation are those that have suffered judgment and prejudice in ways that I can never truly understand. Ultimately, appearances send a message, and, unlike my wardrobe, I can’t change the features I was born with. I can look into my grandfather’s almond eyes with love and familiarity, but that doesn’t mean I have those same eyes. There is no way I can expect people to know my cultural background at first glance, and that’s something I’ve struggled to accept my whole life. But it’s helped me to better understand where the line between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation

September 15, 2014

is drawn. A balanced exchange between both groups, done with appreciation and respect, is what we should aspire to, even if it’s a difficult concept for many to understand. This might be the toughest aspect of cultural appropriation for me to reconcile. After all, today’s global community is filled with fusion: there are marriages between people across racial and cultural boundaries; recipes, music, art and dance being shared, mixed, and recreated. But this doesn’t make cultural appropriation obsolete; in fact, it’s more important for us to understand now than ever before. With so much intermingling of culture, we all have a responsibility to understand what appropriation is, what it means, and how best to avoid it. It’s complicated, and likely to become even more so in the future. The best any of us can do is to encourage communication and understanding between cultures, and to make sure that we pay adequate respect to the cultures we’re borrowing from. Educate yourself, ask permission, and pay attention to the messages you may be sending, even without meaning to.