Asian Canadian Experience

VOL. 168 ISSUE 5 JUNE 7, 2021

NEWS

OP INIONS

ART S & C U LT UR E

H UM O UR

Milkweed thought to aid the conservation of monarch butterflies

The NHL needs to take a stand against racism

Re-experience theatre with Arts Club audio plays

Student mistakes vampirism for online schooling burnout

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An Asian-Canadian Experience Navigating Canadian culture without losing my identity P.08

Volume 168, Issue 5

Maggie Benston Centre 2900 Simon Fraser University 8888 University Drive Burnaby, BC, Canada V5A 1S6 Phone: (778) 782-5110

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COVER Maple Sukontasukkul THIS WEEK’S CONTRIBUTORS Ana Arozarena, Emma Best, Maya Ramadhina, Ira Rishi, Alyssa Marie Umbal PEAK ASSOCIATES Charlene Aviles, Sara Brinkac, Harvin Bhathal, Kitty Cheung, Yelin Gemma Lee, Maple Sukontasukkul, Nathaniel Tok

NEWS

STAFF WRITERS Kelly Chia, Carter Hemion, Nancy La

Professor leads disease modelling network

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Meera Eragoda eic@the-peak.ca COPY EDITOR Paige Riding copy@the-peak.ca

OPINIONS

NEWS EDITOR Michelle Young news@the-peak.ca

Being an Instagram activist is not enough

NEWS WRITERS Karissa Ketter, Jaymee Salisi OPINIONS EDITOR Dev Petrovic opinions@the-peak.ca

FEATURES Everything you need to know about SFU’s return to campus plan

FEATURES EDITOR Marco Ovies features@the-peak.ca ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Sara Wong arts@the-peak.ca HUMOUR EDITOR Kyla Dowling humour@the-peak.ca

ARTS & CULTURE

PRODUCTION AND DESIGN EDITOR Siloam Yeung production@the-peak.ca

Food for Thought: arepas (recipe included)

ASSISTANT PRODUCTION EDITORS Brianna Quan, Josh Ralla PHOTO EDITOR Gudrun Wai-Gunnarsson photos@the-peak.ca

HUMOUR SFU announces updates, seeks designers with The Sims experience for the SUB

MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Karla Salazar multimedia@the-peak.ca ASSISTANT MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Rashi Sethi

Get involved!

How it works!

All SFU students can contribute to The Peak and get paid for their work! Contact an editor or come to our weekly pitch meetings over Zoom at 3 p.m. (the link can be found on our Facebook page).

The Peak is the official weekly student newspaper of SFU and is published every Monday. We're funded by a student levy and governed by a board of directors. Any SFU student can become an editor, and we hire an editorial team every semester.

We reserve the right to edit submissions for length, as well as style, grammar, and legality. We also reserve the right to reprint submissions at any time, both in print and on web. We will not publish content that is sexist, racist, or otherwise prejudiced.

BUSINESS / ADVERTISING MANAGER Yuri Zhou business@the-peak.ca 778.782.3598 PROMOTIONS MANAGER Julie Vu promotions@the-peak.ca WEBSITE MANAGER Reza Shariatzadeh web@the-peak.ca DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR Deby McIntosh

We acknowledge that The Peak's office is located and our paper is produced, distributed, and read on the Unceded Coast Salish Territories of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh), Kwikwitlem (Coquitlam), Kwantlen, Katzie, Semiahmoo, and Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish) Peoples. Unceded means that this land was never surrendered, relinquished, or handed over in any way. We recognize that the unceded land that we occupy includes not only the SFU Burnaby campus, but extends to the land occupied by the Vancouver and Surrey campuses as well.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Kelly Chia, Pablo Clairmont, Emma Dunbar, Jacob Mattie, Angela Wachowick, Yuri Zhou

NEWS

June 7, 2021

PROJECT: BUTTERFLY RESTORATION

Study launched to protect monarch butterfly population Rodrigo Solis-Sosa says loss of habitat and GMOs are threats to the species KA R ISSA KET TER // NE WS W RI TE R

PhD candidate Rodrigo Solis-Sosa and his team have launched conservation efforts to primarily protect the eastern monarch butterfly species on North America’s east coast. This is to prevent the eastern population from declining as much as its western counterpart.

Their research focuses on testing different types of milkweed plant restoration along key migration patterns. They’ve found that restoring milkweed growth along the midwest of the United States is the most effective for encouraging population growth, as monarchs breed in that area.

“The monarch only can lay eggs on [milkweed], so if we lose that plant, the monarch has no place to go,” said Solis-Sosa in an interview with The Peak.

Solis-Sosa explained the biggest threats to milkweed growth are GMOs (genetically modified organisms) used in crops and herbicides across the midwest.

Solis-Sosa noted that the western monarch population had previously been affected by the intense use of GMOs in California, droughts, and wildfires — all destructive to

Solis-Sosa’s team is working to restore the milkweed plant.

western milkweed growth. “The GMOs on the agricultural industry were destroying milkweed in farmland,” said Solis-Sosa. Because of that, came fire and droughts — which negatively impacted the western population.

Another threat is illegal logging in Mexico. Monarch butterflies “gather in some very specific patches of forest.

So, if there is logging on that forest, the protection that monarchs get from the forest — from winter storms — gets degraded, so their mortality increases,” said Solis-Sosa.

P HOTO : Institute of Applied Ecology

strategies. “Ideally we want to give this a platform for more research to grow from,” said Solis-Sosa.

Solis-Sosa recently participated in workshops with the Commission for Environmental Cooperation — the environmental branch of the North American Free Trade Agreement — to discuss his findings. This allowed him and his team to work with the leading body on monarch conservation strategies.

Solis-Sosa’s study reported that to conserve the population, they need an additional 1.2 to 1.6 billion milkweed stems planted. The butterflies contribute to the ecosystem by pollinating wildflowers.

He described his research as a part of “social ecological conservation.” A key aspect of what his team works on is calling on the general public to engage with monarch conservation. He explained that “we need to understand society to make our policies come true.”

This paper may lead to more research, studying its compatibility to blend with different kinds of conservation

Their team’s website offers a variety of informational resources regarding monarch conservation strategies.

EARLY ENDO

Crespi Labratory develops new endometriosis theory The condition begins during a fetus’ early development in their mother’s womb

JAYME E SALI S I // N E WS W RI TE R

Endometriosis is a disease that causes endometrial tissue to grow outside of the uterus rather than inside. As a result, the body treats the displaced tissue growth like an infection, causing individuals with the disease to experience high pain sensitivity and inflammation in their abdominal area. According to research, up to 10% of cisgender women of childbearing age have this disease.

Based on research and independent studies (primarily done on cisgender women) on early development, hormone production, and reproductive-system physiology, researchers in the Crespi Laboratory found a connection between testosterone development and endometriosis.

According to the new theory, endometriosis is an early developmental disorder stemming from prenatal low testosterone development. The condition begins when the fetus is in the womb, and the effects are felt when the individual begins their first menstrual cycle.

“When your 12- or 16-week-old fetus is in the womb, there’s a sensitive period when the development of the reproductive system is taking place and the whole system is getting programmed,” SFU professor and evolutionary biologist Bernard Crespi told The Peak in an interview.

SFU professor and evolutionary biologist Bernard Crespi.

“Graduate student Natalie Dinsdale took the findings and realized this could be the key to understanding the disease as a whole,” Crespi said.

Though mainly diagnosed among people 25–35 years of age, endometriosis has also been found in cisgender girls as young as 11 years old. The theory can contribute to the treatment of pregnant people early in their first trimester and can aid new forms of treatment for those with the disease.

The main set of supporting evidence for the theory is the opposite levels of testosterone shown in endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). According to Crespi, an excess in prenatal testosterone correlates with PCOS. In contrast, those with endometriosis may experience lower levels of testosterone development. These new findings may help identify endometriosis at an early stage.

“There is good evidence from the literature that women who are relatively [ . . . ] low in weight tend to have higher rates of endometriosis. The reverse is true of PCOS,” Crespi said.

He emphasized these are observed associations but not facts, as there are various factors that go into a

P HOTO : SFU Communications & Marketing / Flickr

person’s body size or shape. “It’s not something you can use in a predictive way.”

In terms of treatment for endometriosis, Crespi said there are “lots of little tweaks one can do to the endocrine system to bring it more in balance.”

For instance, an individual can receive treatments to make their testosterone receptors more sensitive.

This could support hormonal production by bringing it “closer to a typical range,” which can be 15–70 nanograms per deciliter of blood.

Crespi said pregnant people can try to avoid endocrine-disrupting chemicals which appear in bottled water and plastics to prevent hormone disruption for the fetus.

However, prevention is difficult because it is “hazardous to try to do anything pharmacologically with a first trimester fetus. They are very sensitive to disruption of any kind.”

More information on findings from Crespi’s research team can be found in their two research papers, The evolutionary biology of endometriosis and Endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome are diametric disorders.

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NEWS

News Editor Michelle Young

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News Writers Karissa Ketter and Jaymee Salisi

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news@the-peak.ca

DISEASE DATA

The project seeks to identify gaps in knowledge around Canada’s understanding of infectious diseases.

P HOTO : Fusion Medical Animation / Unsplash

SFU professor to lead national infectious disease modeling network The government of Canada invests $10 million to launch program KA R ISSA KET T ER // NE WS W RI TE R

Caroline Colijn has been selected to lead a multidisciplinary team of researchers in a new modelling network program of infectious diseases.

The Canadian Network for Modelling Infectious Disease (CANMOD) “is one of five multidisciplinary infectious disease modelling networks receiving a total of $10 million” and is a piece of Justin Trudeau’s $1 billion COVID-19 support plan.

The government of Canada reported this network aims to strengthen the relationships between the public, industry, and academic sectors in Canada.

This is to ensure Canada can better respond to public health threats or infectious disease outbreaks in the future.

According to the BC Medical Journal, syndemics as a concept recognizes that “pandemics occur in the context of preexisting social and health conditions.” It states “that some epidemics or pandemics would not occur [ . . . ] on a population if the public’s social and biological vulnerabilities to infections were reduced.”

Colijn’s team is made of epidemiologists, modellers, and statisticians who will work with the Canadian public health sector and public health institutions.

Infectious disease modelling has been a crucial part of the pandemic response.

Some of the team members were integral parts of modelling in British Columbia. That data was used to support decisions around “vaccine rollout including the dosing strategy and the prioritization of essential workers and high-risk neighbourhoods,” said Colijn.

CARO LI NE C O L I J N // SFU professor

According to Colijn, this team has committed to equitable and inclusive hiring. “EDI is important because diverse voices and viewpoints help us frame better questions and help bring a diversity of expertise and perspectives to the work we do.”

Colijn said, “We hope to have better data integration and sharing, a strong infectious disease modelling, and estimation community standing ready with close ties to public health labs and institutions across the country.”

The network within the public, industry, and health sectors will be coordinated through the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council.

In an email statement to The Peak, Colijn outlined the areas of research within the project.

“There are several themes: evolution and genomics for SARS-CoV-2, the role of testing in the current and future pandemics/emerging infectious diseases, vaccination, heterogeneity, and syndemics,” said Colijn.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, “Infectious disease modelling has been a crucial part of the pandemic response,” said Colijn. This data can be used to understand how the disease spreads and mutates across communities.

Senate Report Senate discusses campus return plans and implements new master’s degree in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Program proposal for a Master of Arts in Indigenous Languages and Linguistics

Jaymee Salisi // News Writer

Return to campus update Vice president academic and provost Catherine Dauvergne said SFU is aiming for a “70–80% return to in-person teaching, research, and engage -ment activities.

“There are some parts of our campus where that will be more like 100% and other parts where it will be struggling to get to 70%.” This plan is set to begin in September 2021.

She said the university’s plan follows the BC provincial government’s recently announced restart plan, which is based on projections for up to 70% of the population to be vaccinated with the first dose by September 7, 2021.

According to president Joy Johnson, vaccinations will not be required for any SFU members to return to campus.

She said the university understands there are concerns and they are planning for a safe return to campus.

She added, “I’m not going to entertain a lot of questions on this topic,” but allowed computing science professor Lyn Bartram to express concerns.

“With no guarantee that there is a safe level of vaccination among the university population, how are we expected to go back to what cannot be guaranteed a safe workplace?” Bartram asked. She added that professors and their families may be immunocompromised.

Johnson responded that for those who might have health reasons against returning to campus, “there is a legal requirement for us to make sure there is appropriate accommodation [ . . . ] We will make plans to accommodate people as required.

“The safest thing you can do is get yourself vaccinated.

That’s the best way you can protect yourself and those around you, your family, and your community.”

Chair of senate graduate studies committee Jeff Derksen proposed the implementation of a Master of Arts in Indigenous Languages and Linguistics program within the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences by Fall 2022.

Taking place at all three SFU campuses, the program will be delivered in collaboration with Indigenous communities.

The motion read, “These principles were developed in collaboration with Elders, language teachers, and community language coordinators in our various partner communities, and in consultation with the local universities, school districts, and First Nations organizations who employ our students.”

The program proposal comes from the concerns of Indigenous communities in BC and the Yukon who face a “rapid decline in the number of first language speakers.”

This motion was carried.

OPINIONS

June 7, 2021

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ONLINE INFLUENCE

Slacktivism is not an effective approach to online activism Social justice can be achieved online with effort and commitment NANCY L A // STAFF WRI TE R

As someone who has organized an online educational resource on the Downtown Eastside overdose crisis, I’m familiar with the pros and cons of using social media as an activism tool. Based on my experience, there are essentially two types of online activism: active content creation and passive transmission. The former, albeit difficult and time-consuming, is effective. The amount of effort put into content creation can be equivalent to (or even greater) than traditional forms of activism. It is passive transmission that gives online activism a bad reputation, earning it the term “slacktivism.”

Slacktivism is essentially activism through social media, characterized by its lack of commitment to the cause in question. Activities like reposting or reblogging are its most common forms. Remember the black squares that flooded the internet last year? That is a prime example of slacktivism — it does nothing for the cause and actually distracts from other available resources. Slacktivism is only surface-deep, for its main goal is to put on a desired appearance of action.

There are exceptions to this, as seen in the justice movement against the occupation of Palestine. When it is explicitly stated that reposting and sharing of knowledge is integral to the movement, then it is important for that to be respected. One must differentiate between reposting because it is what the creators of the movements wanted, and reposting because it’s easy, effortless, and helps with a person’s online presence.

That is not to say that all online activism is worthless.

Activism, in general, has changed. It is no longer mandatory for participants to march on streets to prove a point. Online protests work for those unable to physically participate in a protest due to social distancing or other reasons.

If a movement’s goal is to garner as many signatures or attention on a certain subject as possible, then the convenience of online activism makes it an effective and inclusive way to support the fight against global and local injustices. The problem is — out of the 100 reposts or likes for a particular post, how many people will continue to advocate for it?

Online activism can be effective. The Black Lives Matter movement, started by Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi, began with a Facebook post back in 2013.

The hashtag and the protests associated with it went on to be popular and frequently used on Twitter. The Black Lives Matter movement is an example of how active content creation and engagement with the cause can succeed online. An example of the movement’s success is the ban of chokeholds in certain states such as Colorado.

From the work that I’ve done on social media, I know that consistently creating content within the limits of the specific platforms is time-consuming and at times, exhausting.

The statistics for my project were abysmally low, despite working with support from SUCCESS, one of the biggest social service agencies in Canada. The issue was that despite reaching a wide audience, the content itself never received interactions beyond that of a “like” or “thumbs-up.”

The Bright-er Side Too much free time has led to new hobbies The pandemic still sucks but now I have new skills

Meaningful work cannot happen without effort, and those who believe otherwise are disillusioned by slacktivism's easy appearance.

Slacktivism alone is not enough to change the systemic issues we are facing today. It is also not representative of the power of online activism. In the end, it all boils down to how much work a person is willing to invest in a cause that they believe in.

SOCIALIZATION RE-EVALUATION

It’s okay to be worried about the postpandemic world

Meera Eragoda, Editor-in-Chief This pandemic has undeniably brought isolation, uncertainty, stress, and precarity for many — and still continues to. While none of this should be downplayed, for some of us privileged enough, the extra time we had to fill pushed us to try new hobbies.

A year of online interactions can make it difficult to socialize again Many of us may experience post-pandemic anxiety.

ILLUSTRATION: JING.FM

IRA R ISH I // SFU STUDE NT

It’s probably safe to say that, for many of us over the last year, our social skills have been collecting dust. So naturally, there will be a certain amount of reluctance, fear, and anxiety as things reopen. We’ve all been so accustomed to seeing each other through screens that our return to in-person activities might be overwhelming.

You may ask yourself, “Is it okay to shake hands now? Am I standing too close to this person? Is it okay if our hands accidentally touch?” While these thoughts may seem trivial,

Some studies emphasize that the traumatic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on adults, children, and especially frontline workers, will be reflected even once we’ve returned to normal. Whether we’ve experienced fear over losing a loved one or struggled with general COVID-19 anxiety, our subjective experiences throughout the pandemic have exhausted us all at some point.

It’s totally okay to feel anxious, overwhelmed, or confused as we combat the discomfort of having to socially readjust.

There’s no shame in feeling exhausted after one social interaction or feeling scared of not being able to maintain a safe distance.

Social and cooperative behaviour is something many of us thrive on. As exciting as the return to the real world may be, it can be just as overwhelming. But there is a good chance that everyone might be just as nervous as you. All your feelings, worries, and thoughts towards the post-pandemic world are valid. Remember: you are not losing your social skills; they’re just the same, but it might take you some time to get back to the same groove that you had before the pandemic.

I hadn’t really ridden a bike since I was a kid and didn’t own one, but like many, I bought one last summer. Riding it around the city helped me feel freer, like there were still new ways to break out of the mundane. Being able to bike down streets lined with chestnut trees on a sunny day or bike to Pacific Spirit, watch the sunset, and then bike back on a warm summer night made me fall in love with biking again. This summer, I have plans to go even further and do some multi-day trips. Without all this time to fill, I might never have discovered this side of myself.

I also got really into cocktails last summer and had a great time experimenting. Those fancy drinks that previously seemed too complicated for anyone but bartenders turned out to actually be pretty easy. Heck, I’ve now even made a cocktail with bell pepper (thank you, TikTok).

While this and the embroidery skills I picked up aren’t skills I plan on using every day, they have been new creative outlets that I would not have otherwise attempted and that has been affirming.

ILLUSTRATION: agoosh / Adobe Stock

Many of us are looking forward to the return to normal.

But, it is likely to induce anxiety about being back in public spaces and what that means for our safety and health.

It’s completely valid to feel hesitant or worried about engaging in activities that are supposed to be normal but were restricted because of the pandemic. We may exercise some caution in approaching any kind of physical interaction and we might still feel a little out of place as we venture back into the physical world again. We will encounter all kinds of people and social situations again — when people stand too close, those who hug tightly, people who are going to be partying hard, and those who will choose to stay home and binge-watch Schitt’s Creek (I don’t blame them).

they can be pretty overwhelming, and it’s important we try to be mindful of the circumstances we’ve been through.

People were making sourdough and dalgona coffee, gardening, and biking. I was no different. At first, trying new things was a way to help with the monotony and to take care of my mental health. Then, it helped me become more creative and adventurous.

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OPINIONS

Opinions Editor Dev Petrovic

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opinions@the-peak.ca

THIN ICE

WHAT GRINDS OUR GEARS?

People who make conversations about themselves If a friend is opening up to you, listen instead of rushing to one-up them

Being naturally introverted, the thought of opening up about myself to a friend or loved one bombards me with anxiety. If I do gather the mental energy to talk to someone about a matter I’ve been struggling with, I do so with the faith that they may help me work through, and maybe even feel better about, that problem.

That idea is great in theory, but it often falls apart faster than me during essay season because some people can’t seem to shut the fuck up about themselves for one measly conversation.

Nothing is more disheartening than finally getting over my inner voice screaming “no! ” every time I try to talk about myself — only to have the other person immediately turn the conversation onto themselves.

If I’m telling you about my stressful semester and your first response is to point out how you’re doing twice as many courses as me, maybe you should try to shake off that main character hat you’re rocking and come back down to Earth.

If someone trusts you enough to talk to you about their struggles, the least you can do as a decent human being is pause your inner monologue of self-centred responses before you say them. Instead of just waiting for your friend to finish talking so you can immediately respond, actively listen to their concern, and don’t respond with something about yourself. Not only will this save your conversation from awkward interruptions, but it will also make you less of a jerk.

For matters big or small, your friends notice how you respond, and that response may determine if they feel they can come to you with problems in the future.

Written by Paige Riding

Cree hockey player Ethan Bear’s encounter with racism should have been better addressed by the NHL.

P HOTO : Derek Leung / Getty Images

Words are not enough, the NHL needs to invest in Indigenous youth Racism in the hockey community is nothing new

H ARV I N BH ATH AL / / P EA K AS S O C IAT E

Edmonton Oilers defencemen and member of the Ochapowace Nation Ethan Bear was recently subjected to racism. This news is not surprising given the NHL is a league with racism embedded in its history. Still, it doesn’t make it any better. The NHL must learn from its mistakes in the past and make more of an effort to address the situation.

This news came to light on May 26, 2021. Bear’s girlfriend made a public statement on her Instagram story about what Bear had been experiencing in the comment sections and DMs of his social media.

Among the thoughts she conveyed, she wrote, “To hide behind a screen is cowardly. But to use stereotypes against him as an Indigenous person is dehumanizing and awful!!”

The racist remarks came after the Oilers’ first-round loss to the Winnipeg Jets. Writing about the loss, editor of Native Hockey News Philip Paul-Martin added, “Just as the way Bear turned over the puck, so too did [Connor] McDavid. But nobody questions his ancestry.

Or where he comes from. The core [of] his being. He just made a bad play.”

While Oilers fans and others in the hockey community were quick to show their support for Bear on social media, the responses by the Oilers and the NHL were not as meaningful. As hundred million- and billiondollar businesses respectively, words are not enough — they must be accompanied with meaningful and monetary action.

The league and its teams ran into a similar problem at the height of the Black Lives Matter movement after the tragic murder of George Floyd. The NHL launched a grassroots program for young skaters of colour that would be run with the Hockey Diversity Alliance (HDA).

However, according to multiple HDA sources, the alliance was told of the partnership the day before the NHL released a public statement and was denied permission to review the statement’s wording. The HDA’s request for program details, such as how much funding the league was planning to contribute, was also rejected.

In November of 2020, the HDA announced that going forward, they would operate independently from the NHL, citing that “it is clear that the NHL is not prepared

to make any measurable commitments to end systemic racism in hockey.” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has a chance here not to make the same mistake.

Hockey is an increasingly elitist sport to get involved with; between the costs of equipment and the different camps and academies to attend to get into the NHL pipeline, it is expensive. What this means for racialized children, who often come from lower-income backgrounds, is that they cannot afford to play.

Out of over 700 players in the NHL and AHL today, less than 5% are people of colour. The numbers are even worse for coaches of colour in the NHL’s 102year existence.

If the NHL and the Oilers believe that Bear and “all people from Indigenous backgrounds deserve to feel empowered and respected on and off the ice,” then they must invest in Indigenous youth and youth of colour.

In the past, the league has funded organizations and instituted programs to assist racialized youth. Through the Edmonton Oilers Community Fund, the team has annually supported Right to Play’s Indigenous programs.

But the NHL’s failed partnership with the HDA does not instill hope that the league’s initiatives will have a meaningful impact. The NHL must be forthcoming with details regarding their plans and increase their investment in racialized youth.

Considering the lack of diversity in the league among its players, coaches, and staff, there is no such thing as too much of an investment. Since 2005, the NHL’s revenue has increased every year (apart from the pandemic seasons). It is clear that money is not the reason for their failure to act.

Both the league and the team should also make serious investments into Bear’s hockey school for Indigenous youth, Ochapowace Nation Sports Academy.

Indigenous youth and youth of colour deserve an equitable chance to play Canada’s national sport. The NHL, Oilers, and other Canadian teams should go above and beyond to support them and be the pillars in the community they claim to be.

Note: As Ethan Bear’s girlfriend is a non-public figure, we have left her name out of the story out of respect for her privacy.

Features

Being an Asian immigrant in Canada The struggle to find myself in a crossroad of cultures and languages One of the few memories l have from first immigrating to Canada was my sister teaching me the English alphabet. We had just landed in YVR less than 12 hours before and we were both jet-lagged, yet we still had to work on our English.

I felt that being fluent in this language equaled approval and attention, so I continued to practice without complaining.

Flash forward a couple of months and it seemed that my efforts to learn were not enough when I was still unable to speak more than a few words of English at school. As if that wasn’t disheartening enough, my inability to speak English somehow became an invitation for other kids to pick on me.

For the longest time, I hated recess and lunch. Those were the loneliest times since nobody wanted to hang out with me.

So I commenced the mass effort of consuming all kinds of cultural productions to learn English. Whenever shows like Hannah Montana and iCarly were airing, I would whip out a notebook and studiously write down my observations on the actors’ accents and how they expressed themselves.

In hindsight, the picture of a younger me sitting in front of the TV taking notes on popular culture is hilarious. But it did make me more comfortable speaking English, so shout-out to Miley Cyrus for that.

As I was devoting all my time toward learning English, I started to neglect my daily Chinese lessons with my dad. It got to the point where I started detesting the parts of me that made me Asian, because somehow being Asian — speaking the languages, eating the food, watching the shows — meant that I wasn’t trying hard enough to assimilate to Canadian culture.

I had a hidden fear: I was worried that if I kept learning Chinese or Vietnamese, my English would have an accent. Of course, now that I am older (and a teensy bit wiser), I realize having an accent is not a bad thing, but back then I was 12 years old and still reeling from the immigration experience.

Losing your language and identity starts slowly at first.

Instances where I forgot a word or how to spell a character became more and more frequent until one day, I realized I could no longer communicate my feelings and thoughts coherently to my family. Ironically, though, all I could see was how my English was improving, not the Vietnamese or Cantonese I was losing. I celebrated this loss, because it meant acceptance from my peers.

I failed to see that it also meant isolation from my past, my culture, and my family.

The ever-so-complicated relationship between me and the English language became even more so as I declared my major in English a year ago. This meant more time spent buried in English texts and even less time keeping up with my Asian heritage, further cementing the idea that my Asian language and culture were separate from my academic life. I didn’t have negative feelings about English since I learned to separate the discrimination I went through from the language itself. The problems that I experienced, from social isolation to having to prove my fluency, stemmed from other people. English is just a language that’s supposed to help us connect with one another, yet to some, it is a tool to pick on others and discriminate against them.

That still didn’t solve my issue with the other side of my identity problem: the inability to comprehend and understand Vietnamese and Chinese culture. This changed when I found out about SFU’s humanities department.

In the Fall 2020 semester, I took a humanities course on great texts in Asian thought and literature, where we had to read the classic Story of the Stone by Cao Xueqin and research various aspects of Chinese culture. This course made me understand that the Asian part of me is connected to the part of me that is fluent in English, and the two can actually coexist productively.

For the first time in more than a decade, I got to use the little scraps of Chinese culture I have left in me!

Another course, HUM 332, opened the door of possibilities for me to incorporate the different parts of myself that I’d previously separated. Being involved in the humanities meant I could do research on great Vietnamese figures like Bà Triệu or discuss China’s only female emperor, Wu Zetian. My limited knowledge of the culture that gave rise to these figures no longer felt like irrelevant little facts, but something that I could write about and get graded on. Being able to read Vietnamese or Chinese primary sources without translation gave me a little head start on research, something I never thought would come in handy at an English-based university.

I didn’t realize how trapped I’d felt until I realized there was a place for me and my Asian heritage at work and school.

As I was relearning my languages, I became increasingly aware of how knowing more languages connected me with different cultural productions. I now know Asian television, books, and music make for a more interesting version of me.

Recently, my niece and I were going over some Mandarin characters when I noticed she had a worried expression on her face. After some persuading, she finally admitted she was

Written by Nancy La Illustrated by Maple Sukontasukkul

worried that learning Mandarin would mean she‘d have a Chinese accent, and wouldn’t have any friends if she spoke “bad” English. For a moment, I had a flashback to all the selfhatred and internal struggles that I went through when I was her age.

I looked down at my niece and began telling her a story about a young girl who once had the same fears she did. I told her about that little girl’s struggles and what she learned from those experiences.

For the first time in my life, I finally realized there was value in the struggles I went through.

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10 ARTS & CULTURE HIDDEN GEM

POPPING TUNES

Arts & Culture Editor Sara Wong

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arts@the-peak.ca

ARTS & CULTURE

June 7, 2021

“Holiday”

By So!YoON!

“AURA (feat. pH-1) (Prod. GXXD)”

By Junny, pH-1

“Insomnia (feat. YAYYOUNG)”

By Dvwn, YAYYOUNG

“Big Love”

By The Black Skirts

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12

ARTS & CULTURE

Arts & Culture Editor Sara Wong

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arts@the-peak.ca

HUMOUR

June 7, 2021

Student takes months to realize they’re a vampire because of online classes Please seek immediate medical attention if you or a loved one is bitten by a bat Written by Ana Arozarena

APRIL 15, 2021

MAY 2, 2021

MAY 5, 2021

Dear Diary,

Dear Diary,

Not to be a hypochondriac but . . . I might be losing control of my life. Or maybe it’s allergies from when I cleaned the attic the other day. Either way, stuff has been weird recently. I decided to write it down here since, well, I don’t want to sound silly. I’m getting pale. Not an “iron-deficient” or “sickly orphan” shade of pale, either. I’m becoming . . . translucent?

The purpleish tinge of my veins is popping through my skin — and not the kind of popping vibe I look for when I wake up to do my makeup for Zoom tutorials, honestly. Maybe I’m just seeing things, or maybe this is like that one episode of The Smurfs where Lazy Smurf gets bitten by a fly, turns purple, and goes on a rampage. I hope it’s the former, because I’m freaking out here.

I got a little sidetracked. Huh. It looks like I haven’t written about my social life here in about 12 years. To update you a bit— no, I did not marry my fifth-grade crush, Blake. In high school, he got a girl pregnant and then got mad when he realized he couldn’t customize the kid like it was a Sim, so . . .

I guess I dodged a bullet there. I also got older, so now here I am in my second year of university. Rad. Unless you remember we’re in a global pandemic and it’s all online. And, well, the whole turning purple thing. Honestly, I’ve sort of forgotten how to write in a diary. Nobody ever reads these things, right?

Got sidetracked. Again. Maybe it’s Zoom fog, LOL. And all that homework. Does anyone even use “LOL” anymore? God, I am getting old. Kind of like you, Diary. You were in a dusty box alongside my aptly named childhood stuffed animal, Teddy. He’s not in the best shape, and there was a dying bat crawling around in the box, so I left him up there. Sorry, Ted. You’re still looking good though, Diary, despite my cringe-worthy fifth-grade handwriting. I, on the other hand . . . not so good. Been getting these awful migraines recently. Had to install blackout curtains. Strangely, the dark feels comforting.

JUNE 7, 2021 Dear Diary, Here’s the deal: I think I might have turned into a vampire somehow. I know that sounds absurd. And no, I’m not just listening to “Blood Bank” by Bon Iver too much, okay?

Over the past few months, I’ve become paler than ever. I can’t stand the sunlight. Food and drinks are unappealing.

I justified it all for a time. After all, students get migraines. They get depressed. Who wouldn’t after staring at Zoom lectures on a screen all day? I haven’t been out much during the panorama either, which explains the whole translucent thing. But now, I just can’t deny it anymore.

It happened on Monday. There I was, chilling in my Zoom box. Suddenly, I was gone. I tried fiddling with the webcam.

Nothing. But by then, I had realized: the mean mug (really, the mug has the words “one mean mug” on it in faded blue letters) was still in the frame, floating precariously over my cluttered desk. So now, I’m faced with the reality that I no longer have a reflection. And maybe not even a soul. Despite my pleas for understanding, the school has been unwilling to accommodate. They say “go fix your webcam” and “we won’t reward you for avoiding class” and “you can’t be a vampire, you’re not even sparkling.” What would I be avoiding, the rush hour traffic from my bed to my desk? This vampire thing sucks.

Signed, A bloodthirsty student who just wants to graduate already.

Illustrated by Maya Ramadhina

COMICS BY SARA BRINKAC

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14 HUMOUR

Humour Editor Kyla Dowling

SFU Student Updates: June 7–13 An update for suffering students Written by: Nathan Tok

STUDENT

UPDATES KEY UPDATES SFU CAMPUS TO REMAIN A SOURCE OF REASSURING CONSISTENCY We understand that the upcoming fall semester will be a time of transition and uncertainty for all. As such, SFU is committed to ensuring returning students’ comfort when in-person classes and activities return. We have ensured that nothing has changed since March 2020. Yes, nothing.

The Vancouver campus still has insufficient study space, the Surrey campus still hasn't cleaned the games room, and the top of Burnaby Mountain is still freezing. Welcome back!

THE COMMUNITY SHUTTLE HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED Due to the pandemic, the SFU Burnaby campus community shuttle was discontinued from lack of demand. As fall rolls around, it will still not be in service.

We recommend members of the SFU community use TransLink’s bus services if going from end to end on campus. We especially recommend it for students who were brazen enough to put a Blusson Hall class and a WMC class next to each other on their schedules. You’ll still be late, though — legend says that Edmund Hillary used the Saywell stairs to train for his Everest expedition.

ANNOUNCEMENTS THE GLORIOUS WINTER OF 2021-2022 Looking beyond Fall 2021, SFU is pleased to announce that both new and returning students alike will be able to enjoy the full SFU experience this winter. The full SFU experience, of course, is when heavy snowfall ceases bus operations and forces the Burnaby campus to close when classes are still in progress. There’s nothing that says SFU more than huddling with strangers at a bus stop for six hours before you realize that you will never, ever get off this mountain.

APPOINTMENT OF NEW BOARD MEMBER As part of SFU’s commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, the university is taking steps to ensure

equitable representation among its leadership. To that end, we would like all students, faculty, and staff to give a warm welcome to our first raccoon director of the Board. We are continuing the search for a deer, crow, and bear director to ensure that all beings will have a voice in university affairs. If anyone has suggestions on how to get plants and fungi into meetings, please let us know. At SFU, we believe that all living creatures should have a say in university decisions and affairs since we are all part of the Burnaby Mountain ecosystem. All community members, including the legion of mice that live in residence, are encouraged to attend the hearings.

EMPLOYMENT AND VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES WAYFINDER VOLUNTEERS Returning students, this is your chance to demonstrate leadership and commitment to civic wellness. We are looking for wayfinders for new students on campus.

Volunteers should be able to find the best food on all campuses, have been to the Vancouver campus at least once (since no one actually goes there, passing by it counts!), and be able to navigate the depths of the RCB. If you can't find The Peak's office, it's okay — neither can we.

INTERIOR DESIGNERS! WE NEED YOU. The SUB (Student Union Building) is complete after 20 years of construction; however, the inside still requires a drastic makeover. The School of Interactive Arts and Technology is hiring up to five interior designers who demonstrate a thorough knowledge of Bauhaus style and Queer Eye, though applicants who do not believe that Bobby Berk is the best member of the Queer Eye team will be rejected. Since we don’t offer an interior design program here at SFU, actual experience is not required. These interior designers will be asked to examine the SUB to see if it truly sparks joy. Applicants with 3+ years of design experience on The Sims will be given preference!

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humour@the-peak.ca

HUMOUR

June 7, 2021

Your Weekly Horoscopes

June 7–13 Written by Carter Hemion

ARIES — Mar 21–Apr 19

LIBRA — Sept 23–Oct 22

Don’t let your goals get ahead of you! Invent a new hobby so you can always be the best at it. Underwater ping-pong? Zombie cosplay gymnastics? Vlogging your cheese puff reviews? Your pick.

Make up your mind. Literally. Try slathering your whole head with eyeshadow. Bonus points if you put it everywhere but your eyes. Extra double bonus points if you submit it to The Peak for a photography pitch.

TAURUS — Apr 20 –May 20

SCORPIO — Oct 23–Nov 21

Some people say your bark is worse than your bite.

Prove them wrong by sinking your teeth into the nearest tree trunk and tearing off a hunk of that sweet, sappy bark.

You aren’t “spicy.” You’re just impulsive and stubborn.

I’m begging you to calm down for two (2) minutes. I promise. Go drink a warm glass of milk and get off the Scoville scale.

GEMINI — May 21–Jun 20

SAGITTARIUS — Nov 22–Dec 21

You’re not too bubbly — other people just aren’t bubbly enough. Carry a bottle of soapy water so you can blow bubbles at the next person that says you’re too chatty.

That’ll catch them off guard long enough for you to escape the rest of the conversation.

I know you have a to-do list, but it’s time for a not-to-do list. At the top is “binge the Twilight saga again this week.”

This is your last warning. If you’re going to project onto any character, make it Shrek.

CANCER — Jun 21–Jul 22

CAPRICORN — Dec 22–Jan 19

Do you need to be needed or do you knead to be needed? Pull out the yeast — it’s time for a feast! For real, go bake some bread. Go bake so much bread you’ll never need to eat anything else again.

This is the sign you’ve been looking for: it’s time to try ventriloquism. Stop talking out of your ass and start talking out of an adorable, friendly puppet. I hear you don’t even need a degree to be a ventriloquist. Lucky bastards.

LEO — Jul 23–Aug 22

AQUARIUS — Jan 20 –Feb 18

I bet you caught it bad yesterday. They hit you with a call to their place. You ain’t been out in a while anyway.

Was hoping you could catch them throwing smiles in your face. Huh . . . I hope they call you by their name.

It’s time for a well-deserved break from trying to be unique from everyone else. Listen to something other than Hayley Williams. Try the latest TikTok trend. Hang up your fedora for a while. Have the most boring week you can.

VIRGO — Aug 23–Sept 22

PISCES — Feb 19–Mar 20

You always tell charming stories with great descriptions and fun details. Now take a break from posting them on Instagram and start telling your stories to actual people. And no, “actual people” does not include Twitter discourse threads.

Stop letting other people have the last laugh at your expense. You deserve better. You’re a treasure and a gift.

Oh, and by the way, your sock is untied.

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16 DIVERSIONS

Business Manager Yuri Zhou

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business@the-peak.ca

CROSSWORD Across 1. Imitate 6. Imitator 10. Shape 14. Sports venue 15. Hot, molten rock 16. Donkey's cry 17. Bath powders 18. Most beautiful 20. Involve 22. Feed the kitty 23. Hush!

24. Metal fasteners 26. Museum offering 28. Kitchen and parlor (abbr.)

31. Norwegian capital 32. Most modern 36. Charged particles 38. Mall event 40. Yule visitor 41. Formal speech 43. Shameful incident 45. Seized 46. Soothe 48. Richard ____ of "Chicago" 49. Snow vehicle 51. Steak, e.g.

SUDOKU

53. ____ Plaines, Illinois 54. Keanu Reeves role 55. Business gp.

57. Peculiar 60. Bad mood 62. Ran off to wed 66. Dampened 69. Poet ____ Dickinson 70. Biblical prophet 71. Small earring 72. Thick 73. Must have 74. Shredded 75. Aquatic animal Down 1. Spouse 2. Iraq's neighbor 3. Soften 4. Ancient Peruvians 5. Gambling hall 6. Mont Blanc, e.g.

7. Umbrella 8. Not odd 9. Wicker material 10. "X-Files" org.

11. Mine products 12. Reckless 13. Legendary story

19. India's Mother ____ 21. Cowboy's tool 25. 747, e.g.

27. Guitar sound 28. Melees 29. Ethical 30. Serpent 33. Terminated 34. Fixed gaze 35. Fables 37. Beer mug 39. Road bends 42. Eat 44. Desist 47. Nonprofessional 50. Not lying 52. Ohio city 56. Tailed celestial body 57. Warning sign 58. Sleep lightly 59. Urgent 61. Division term 63. Half quart 64. Besides 65. Tinter 67. Unhappy 68. Ike's monogram