Last Call at the Mountain Shadow Pub by The Peak

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March 2, 2015

During a recent youth leadership retreat with my church, I had the opportunity to participate in a team-building exercise that each person take turns sitting on a stool as the rest of the group would say words of encouragement to that person. When my time came around, I sat on the stool and nervously jiggled my foot. It can be nervewracking to be in the spotlight and listen to what others’ impressions of you are. And while I knew this exercise was meant to be encouraging, I was still surprised and deeply moved to hear the warm, understanding responses by my friends and mentors. While I left that stool feeling loved, affirmed, and grateful, there was a part of me that thought perhaps it wasn’t all true. One thing that different people had mentioned was that they admired my ‘vulnerability.’ But despite the fact it had been described as a positive thing associated with strength and genuity, I couldn’t help but feel like a

hypocrite. Because although I truly believe vulnerability is essential for the relationships we have with others, I usually place myself in an invulnerable state. In a society where emotion can be simplified to an emoji, I often succumb to the temptation to escape one of life’s greatest experiences: to have deep and meaningful relationships. Whether it be at work or school, the fear of getting hurt or rejected has influenced my many excuses to not put my relationships first.

In different ways, I’ve tried to outsmart vulnerability. When I first began having suicidal thoughts, I was so overwhelmed by guilt that I began to open up to people I didn’t know very well. I took comfort in confiding in someone –– relieving a bit of the shame –– and because I knew the person didn’t know me well enough to keep me accountable, I could continue living with my secret thereafter. Putting yourself in a vulnerable position is hard, and even harder

with the people that are closest to you. It makes you susceptible to pain, rejection, loneliness; my mind races to all the times I’ve felt these feelings, and all the ways I tried to numb them. But on the other hand, vulnerability can lead to positive feelings like intimacy, joy, empathy, belonging, and many more. It can be daunting to reveal those parts of myself that I think are too gritty or too raw, and it takes courage to leave your heart so exposed. But in the end, I have more often than not been met with the kindness and support from my closest friends and family, as well as counselors and mentors within my church community. They keep me accountable, and likewise, their vulnerability with me inspires me to do the same for others; sharing my own burdens, so I can share the burdens of others. Now, as a youth leader, I get the chance to mentor and develop relationships with the teens at my church. I try my best to be vulnerable and open in who I am and what I do in my life, so they know it is safe for them to do so as well, and that they are not alone in their struggle. Fostering a culture of vulnerability and openness takes a lot of work, but the fruits of a strong community based on intentional relationship definitely outweigh the labour.

NEWS

March 2, 2015

June 23, 1984, the pub — fondly referred to as “the Shadow” — no longer fits into its neighbourhood.

On March 28, SFU students’ local haunt, the Mountain Shadow Pub, will close its heavy wooden double doors for the last time. A frequent favourite of SFU students and the North Burnaby community since its establishment on

Just a block away from the Hastings at Duthie bus stop, the Shadow was intended to be a part of the commercial corridor that would connect Hastings Street to SFU’s flagship campus.

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According to the Shadow’s current owner, Michael Anastasi, the fact that the pub’s location ended up being a highly residential area was “the demise of the Mountain Shadow.” Anastasi, who has owned the Shadow for over 10 years, said that this ‘demise’ has been a slow process. “The area grew residentially and the pub grew as well, but when the pub grew it caused many complaints by neighbours,” he explained. Anastasi went on to say that the City of Burnaby, local police, and even SFU Security were involved in incidents of complaints on many occasions. “If we would have a band [. . . or] a DJ, even though we bolted all the windows shut and pretty much made it soundproof, the neighbours would still call the police,” said Anastasi. These complaints often resulted in the pub being fined, which lead Anastasi to conclude that the pub was no longer viable in its current location. “We met with the City of Burnaby, all the councillors and the mayor, and tried to work out a deal,” said Anastasi. “Their only solution was moving the pub to a commercial location, meaning Hastings. Meaning somewhere else.”

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

Upon its closure, the pub will be demolished and the lot used to build condos. However, Anastasi will continue to hold the pub license, and predicted that the Shadow may be reincarnated at a different location in Burnaby in the next couple of years. When asked if he would like the new pub to maintain a connection with SFU, Anastasi responded, “Of course that would be ideal. I think pretty much everywhere in North Burnaby is accessible to SFU, so that’s the priority, for sure.”

Colin Sharp, an SFU alumnus and former Residence Orientation Leader (ROL), recalls that the Shadow was an integral part of an annual residence tradition. “As an [ROL], you are required to stay sober during the multiple days of training and multiple days of actual orientation,” recounted Sharp. “You were considered an ROL until Sunday at 5:00 p.m. Every year, by about 5:20 p.m., the Mountain Shadow was full of us.”

Melissa Roach

The closure of the pub doesn’t only mark the end of an era for SFU students, but for the wider community as well. In the ’80s, the Shadow was a favourite haunt of Canucks players. Anastasi explained, “This is where they would come every Saturday or a couple times a week to hang out after games.” He continued, “They didn’t go downtown. They came to the Mountain Shadow.” Anastasi said that the number of patrons and former patrons of the pub who have reached out since hearing of its imminent closure has been overwhelming. Those patrons are also eager to get their hands on a physical piece of the pub’s history, coveting everything from the iconic stained glass windows, to the original wooden furniture, to the signed, game-worn Canucks jerseys that line the walls. The Shadow will be holding an auction from April 1–4 to allow people to bid for their favourite pieces. “There are millions of alumni from SFU who are really sad, and they’re coming on a weekly, daily basis right now to say farewell,” said Anastasi. “It’s going to be sorely missed.”

NEWS

To raise awareness of First Nations culture and history, “Validating 500 Years of First Nation History” came to the Talking Stick Festival held at SFU’s Goldcorp Center for the Arts on February 22. The unique, experimental-learning theatre piece was created by Métis artist Suzanne Keeptwo. This unconventional production required each audience member, or “participant,” to bring a blanket to the show in order to take part in the story.

Designed to give SFU pharmacist-hopefuls more information about how they can build their career in Canada, the BC Pharmacy Association and Skills Connect for Immigrants Program held an info night at SFU’s Surrey Campus on February 24. In addition to presentations from distinguished speakers in the pharmacy industry, the event provided SFU students with an opportunity to network with representatives from local pharmacies and hospitals.

What is the true nature of the United Nation’s Security Council? Paul Heinbecker, former Canadian Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, shed light on the inner workings of Canada’s role in the Security Council in a lecture, entitled “Canada and the Security Council: Good Times and Bad.” SFU’s School for International Studies and the Canadian International Council presented the public lecture on February 19 at Harbour Centre.

March 2, 2015

For three years, a small, ventilated washroom located in the Downtown Eastside (DTES) was a safe haven for crack cocaine users to smoke in, until it was shut down by health authorities. However, a new paper by SFU and UBC researchers is advocating for the benefits of such a safe space. Ryan McNeil, an SFU postdoctoral researcher, and William Small, an SFU assistant professor of health sciences, conducted a study on safer smoking rooms (SSR) with the cooperation of the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU). Titled “We need somewhere to smoke crack,” the study explored how these rooms shape smoking practices, public crack smoking, and related harms. Their findings indicate that SSRs are sought after by crack cocaine users for many benefits. “Our findings underscore how the [SSR] emerged in response to

social violence experienced by people who smoke crack in the local drug scene, and minimized the potential for health and social harms by reshaping the environmental contexts of crack smoking,” said the authors of the study, who represented not only SFU but the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, UBC, and VANDU. The latter, a social justice group comprised of almost 1,000 drug users and former users, works to improve the health of people who use illicit drugs through user-based peer support. They operated a small, unsanctioned washroom on

the DTES, where crack cocaine users could smoke in private. The study stresses the need to scale up intervention practices and emphasizes how integrating SSR into public health systems, along with social support, has the potential to improve the health and safety of crack-cocaine users. In December 2013, Vancouver Coastal Health ordered VANDU to shut down the washroom because the organization was operating without an exemption from the Controlled Drug and Substances Act. This forced crack cocaine users to go without the benefits of the SSR.

The president of VANDU, Hugh Lampkin, said in a video for The Province that the SSR provided a safe haven for crack smokers. “It’s our creed, you know, saving lives. And we want to make sure people [. . .] feel safe,” he said. The SSR allowed users to get off the street while using, offered health care services such as clean smoking devices, and protected them from potential violence and police harassment. Lampkin explained that the alternative is that people will still use drugs, but in a public or unsafe place. He continued, “If that person [smoking crack] happens to be a small female or small guy, the chances of the violence occurring goes up exponentially.” Thomas Kerr, one of the study’s authors, echoed these thoughts in The Province’s video. “By providing an environment where people who use drugs can inhale crack, it’s good for drug users. It protects their health and it’s good for the broader community by bringing people out from public spaces into a healthy environment where we can address their health needs and simultaneously address community safety issues,” he stated.

In a move that could leave the fish of the high seas breathing easier through their gills, one SFU instructor is advocating for international waters to be closed to fishing. Isabelle Côté, a professor of marine ecology and conservation who was recently selected for the prestigious Leopold Leadership program at Stanford, has co-authored a new study in Journal of Scientific Reports. “Intense fishing in the high seas has resulted in habitat destruction and declining stocks of fish such as tunas and swordfishes,” said Côté in her study. The high seas are defined as those which do not belong to any country. Under international law, areas of the ocean that are within approximately 325 kilometres of

any coastline — also called exclusive economic zones (EEZs) — are considered within the domain of that country, and they have economic rights over that land. Outside of that area, however, the oceans fall under international jurisdiction. Thus, large swaths of the ocean are considered to belong to humanity as a whole. According to Côté’s study, fishery practice around the world would be minimally affected by closing the high seas. It states that less than one per cent of fish caught globally are caught in areas outside of domestic control. “Under realistic assumptions, closing the high seas would result in no loss in fish catches or landed value of them on a global scale,” she wrote. As part of the study, the authors also did an analysis of the economic impacts on individual countries. “People have been talking about this for a while,” she said in an interview with the Vancouver Sun. “What had been missing was an economic analysis. It’s fine to say, ‘Let’s close the high

seas to fishing, there are likely to be some great ecological benefits to doing this.’ But at the end of the day, what’s going to happen economically to the countries no longer allowed to fish there?” She notes that a few countries would be affected negatively, but most would actually gain, including Canada. “Once you allow the fish populations to recover, fish start spilling out of the no-take zones into the EEZs, and actually increase the catches there,” she explained.

“Given various assumptions, [Canada] would stand to gain in the ballpark of $100 million to $125 million.” Côté hopes that the study will help spur national and international laws to protect the seas. “I hope our research increases understanding of the need for this,” she said. “I am delighted that the high seas are starting to be recognized as a valuable resource that deserves protection and stewardship.”

6 NEWS

Noted academic and journalist Chris Hedges spoke to a sold-out audience and numerous webcast viewers on Feb. 19 as part of SFU’s spring 2015 “President’s Dream Colloquium on Obedience and Disobedience.” Hedges is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, known for covering wars and conflict in the Middle East as well as in the Balkans during his career as a foreign correspondent for The New York Times. He has written numerous books on war, imperialism, religion, and society. He sat down with The Peak before his lecture to touch on topics frequently discussed in his works.

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life in prison. And that is the dilemma, and you have it with the tar sands. [Seeing] the corporate coup d’état which has taken in place in Canada as it has in the United States, they could care less what citizens want. They do what the corporate exploiters want. And that creates a real problem for those of us who want to resist because appealing to the centres of power no longer works. Acts of mass civil disobedience [are] all we have left.

The Peak: With reference to the idea of the “Rules of Revolt,” how should citizens, especially students, go about revolting against institutions? Does tying yourself to trees or bulldozers work anymore, or do people need to go higher up and try new things? Hedges: Well, I mean this is the dilemma. [. . .] The bottom line is that those [problems] won’t stop unless you blow them up. But if you blow them up, you’ll spend the rest of your

P: Regarding radical groups like ISIS, what should religious communities in places like Canada and the US, especially Muslim communities, do to counteract radicalization within their communities and bigotry from the outside? H: Well it’s the bigotry that creates the radicalization. [When] you render a people voiceless and when you dehumanize them — which has happened I think towards Muslims, certainly in the United States — then they are going to be driven in the arms of groups like that.

I saw that in the former Yugoslavia. People were driven in the arms of ethnic nationalists because of abuse by the dominant Serb majority, [or] the dominant Croat majority. If you can’t get justice within a particular system of power then you are inevitably going to be drawn to those groups that are fighting back against the dominant power. I think that is the danger of ISIS. P: So to follow up on that, how should governments and institutions approach relations with Muslim communities, or do they even have an interest to stop radicalization? H: ISIS is kind of a gift to the American war machine. [. . .] Extremism always plays off of extremism. And as western societies become more extremist, they

need extremists who are really the mirror image of themselves. And what happens is that the same middle or majority [. . .] is silenced, marginalized, and finally shut out of the debate. And that’s where we’re headed. So I’m very worried because when we suffer another catastrophic terrorist attack, the ideological, cultural, and social ground has already been set — [that] Muslims are inhuman, basically — for violence against Muslims. I’m very worried about it. P: I think we’ve seen a lot of discussion around free speech lately. I’ve read that you’ve been disinvited to speak at the University of Pennsylvania. I’m wondering in your experience as a journalist how have you seen free speech

undermined in various ways, by the media and institutions? H: The parametres now of acceptable debate [are] so narrow. It is ridiculous. [. . .] I mean like, the debate over ISIS is should we just bomb ISIS, or should we bomb ISIS and send troops? That’s a debate. [The media] lock people who offer a radical critique out, or at best they put on for three or four minutes and that is to make you speak in clichés. [. . .] So it’s effectively made actual debate impossible. It’s a kind of ‘faux debate.’ And so that has become a very good mechanism for perpetuating corporate global imperial power, because it is never questioned by either side of the supposed two sides of a debate. [. . .] It’s kind of frightening what’s happened.

Concerned members of the SFU Teaching Support Staff Union (TSSU) presented their petition against the international student health and dental plan, Guard.me, to the SFU administration on the morning of Feb. 25. After collecting approximately 600 signatures from international students and community members, the group marched through campus to rally support before delivering their petition to SFU’s associate VP student services, Tim Rahilly.

“We’re just going to reiterate our demands, which we’ve been telling him for quite some time, and really just hope that they finally say yes,” explained Orion Kidder, TSSU organizer. “The ultimate goal is essentially to give students back the choice of whether or not they want that two months of health insurance when they first arrive in the country.” The Guard.me plan has come under considerable scrutiny over the past few years. All new international students are automatically enrolled in Guard.me, which offers health and dental care to international students, as they aren’t eligible for a Canadian health care plan for the first two months that they are in the country.

The TSSU is particularly concerned that Guard.me automatically re-enrols students in the plan, which costs over twice the amount of the previous insurance plan. The group is also upset with the fact that SFU receives a five per cent return out of every fee collected. “This is clearly an unreasonable plan,” said Kidder. “It’s more expensive than it needs to be, it doesn’t actually solve the problem it set out to, so [I ask students to] help us.” The TSSU did just that when they toured campus on Wednesday morning, knocking on doors to ask students to join them in presenting the petition to Rahilly. Reagan Belan, the TSSU chief steward, spoke with The Peak as

the group walked around campus. “[This is] an issue that’s close to our heart,” she said. “Even though we are a workers’ union, we are also students.” Upon entering the Maggie Benston Centre (MBC), the students encountered Rahilly, who happened to be in the building at the same time. Kidder seized the opportunity to present their petition to him in a public space. “The very simple nature of it is, we think our members deserve a choice,” Kidder told Rahilly. “If it’s that important to get them medical coverage, there are better ways to do it.” Rahilly replied that he has been following the matter closely and is familiar with the concerns of students. “I would like to find a way that, with the

GSS and the SFSS and other stakeholders, that we can make sure we’re taking care of our students. That’s our main concern.” Rahilly went on to say that the university has not yet renewed its contract with Guard.me, but that they cannot remove or switch providers immediately due to logistical issues. Kidder said after the meeting that he was mainly pleased with how the conversation went. “We feel like we made an impact,” he stated. “We’ve really made it clear to the university, and Tim Rahilly in particular, that [the situation] can’t stand the way it is.” However, he felt that there were still many steps to be taken towards a solution: “In the future, we really need to have full, meaningful consultation.”

March 2, 2015

COMMUNITY PHOTOS January 7, 2015

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OPINIONS

Academia is political. So is industry. But despite his focus on public-private partnerships, SFU President Andrew Petter strives to avoid acknowledging his — and SFU’s — place in Canada’s political landscape. Petter’s “Statement on Rights of Free Speech and Peaceful Protest,” published last November, proclaimed SFU’s neutrality in the face of “legal matters that are before the courts.” This statement, in response to Kinder Morgan’s SLAPP suit against Lynne Quarmby, Alan Dutton, Stephen Collis, Mia Nissen, and Adam Gold, has prompted a near-ubiquitously negative response from SFU’s student groups. As part of the Graduate Student Caucus at SFU’s School for the Contemporary Arts (SCA), I helped pen an open letter to Petter condemning his statement and calling for its revision. The letter from the SCA grad caucus supported open letters already sent by SFU’s undergraduate and graduate student societies. In our small way, we at the SCA helped affirm the SFU student body’s conviction that Petter’s statement was wrong, and more specifically, that it demonstrated a widening rift between SFU’s Office of the President and its student population. On January 8, the president issued us a reply, stating that “having explained my position in my November 7 statement and at two open sessions of Senate,” there was nothing further to add to the debate. At the December Senate meeting, by way of explanation, the President asserted that, “in the Chair’s view, it is not the role of the University to

take [political] positions except where public policy bears on the core functions of the University and its operations.” Petter is propagating an ideal of academic neutrality that has no basis in fact. SFU has no stated mandate to remain politically neutral. Petter can cite no documents, constitutions, laws, or even administrative convictions except those of his own formulation, emphatically repeated until their rhetorical force approaches verisimilitude. Furthermore, even stated neutrality is not actual neutrality. SFU invests in oil companies and calls its art school the Goldcorp Centre

March 2, 2015

for the Arts. When an official such as the university president claims impartiality, what they really mean is that they favour the political action of rejecting explicit political action. Petter’s is a politics of money, not words. But it is not the only form of politics. After all, Simon Fraser does have a core mandate: it’s called the Mission Statement, and it’s posted on the Office of the President’s website. Unfortunately for Petter, it declares an agenda different from his own: Engaging students, engaging research, and engaging community. During the past year, Andrew Petter appears to have prioritized his special

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Adam Van der Zwan opinions@the-peak.ca

interest over all of the above, in the service of a misguided belief that it would not “be appropriate for the university to comment on legal matters that are before the courts.”

I, and many of SFU’s student representatives, believe that it is utterly appropriate for SFU to comment on legal matters, especially when they are before the courts. These are the matters that will shape SFU’s community, research, and

ultimately, its students. These are the matters that SFU trains us to participate in. And, most importantly, these are the matters that SFU’s government already engages with by allocating its endowment money. If it is appropriate to invest, it is appropriate to comment. What we have in Andrew Petter, then, is not an apolitical administrator. There’s no such thing. Instead, we have an administrator with an agenda bifurcating from that of the school he claims to represent. Small wonder Mr. President doesn’t like talking politics. Bigger wonder why he still likes talking “engagement.”

OPINIONS

March 2, 2015

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10 OPINIONS

While BC residents deal with exorbitantly high living costs and public services that lag behind the rest of Canada, the new provincial budget recently tabled by the Liberal majority shows a clear lack of understanding of current needs for improvements to funding in British Columbia. Premier Christy Clark remains obsessed with balancing the province’s

March 2, 2015

books at the expense of ordinary British Columbians. Instead of putting its $879 million surplus to make desperatelyneeded increases to areas like education or poverty reduction, the province is paying off its ballooning debt — BC’s total debt is predicted increase from $64 billion to over $70 billion in the next two years. With natural resource industries in Canada suffering, returns from capital investments, made by taking out loans, may not yield sufficient returns. It would be a naive to label the budget as strong financial stewardship on the government’s part: they simply have not been responsible at managing their debt. In light of the upcoming transit referendum, this budget is even

more erroneous. Lower Mainland residents will be taxed even more to pay for a service the government has now shown itself capable of paying for. Instead of applying a budget surplus to meet the growing need for better transit, those who want improvements from TransLink will have to pay out of pocket.

Daycare costs have priced many families out of receiving affordable childcare and yet, unlike Quebec, the province has no plan to take

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action on this epidemic problem. This is despite the fact that this lack of childcare might be costing BC business over $600 million annually. The province has, since 2008, cut down its public services by 25 per cent, and this readily explains why the Liberals have been so ‘effective’ at producing what could best be described as a faux surplus. In fact, while our services have decreased, the cost to regular British Columbians continues to climb: with the new budget, MSP premiums will rise by four per cent, BC Hydro premiums will increase by six per cent, and there will be increases in fees for using transport infrastructure like ferries as well as ICBC premiums. Middle- and low-income earners in BC who rely on these services and must grapple with high living costs will no doubt be hit hard by this increase, but the budget ignores their needs. Instead, the government has chosen to end a temporary tax hike on high-income earners, without any such breaks for lower-income earners. British Columbia is currently the only province without any plan to reduce poverty.

What would Premier Clark say to the many impoverished children who live in BC, barely subsisting on the government’s measly social assistance payments (which have been frozen at the same rate for seven years now)? Chad, Afghanistan, and the Central African Republic are all countries with a life expectancy rate higher than the life expectancy of homeless people in BC, who, according to CBC, on average die between the ages of 40 and 49. How will Premier Clark defend her budget to these individuals, who ought to matter as much in the political process as anyone else? It is clear that to the BC Liberals, the homeless, the impoverished, and even the middle class are not individuals worthy of benefits, tax breaks, or special consideration in the political process. With even the economic benefits of their budget remaining dubious at best, it remains unclear why the Liberals continue on this path. If it is to persuade the wealthiest British Columbians to support them come election time, then it will be the obligation of ordinary citizens to show the government that we matter too.

Let’s face it, folks: Hollywood doesn’t have two original ideas to rub together. Reboots are about all you’re going to get until the next New York Times Bestseller gets adapted. That being said, what is wrong with a rebooted franchise? Why are we so quick to grab our pitchforks and torches when one gets announced? Reboots are a reinvigoration of stories for a new generation. They allow directors to take familiar

tales in bold and different directions. They allow new and upcoming actors a chance to prove themselves and gain exposure. All franchises become dated after a while, and really should be placed in a more modern context. Movies are reflective of the times we live in, and are a means for us to reflect on the world around us — especially as we become more intuitive towards things like sexual identity and ethnicity.

It’s been a long week for you and Friday could not have come sooner. This morning, you found coffee grounds in your medium roast, and you got your midterm back. It turns out that skipping the club last week had little effect on bumping up that percentile. The bus broke down on the way home and the members of your group keep ignoring your messages. This week has been a total write-off. But hey, you survived the week and that is a means for

celebration. So slide on the bunny slippers and that comfortable snuggy you bought off Amazon. Grab some wine and open that laptop up. It’s time for Netflix, baby! And you are behind on that Friends marathon. Nothing can stop you now — except for that untimely computer reboot you’ve postponed until this day. Better luck next time, kid. Pour yourself another glass of Bollinger, because this is going to take a while.

OPINIONS

Re: “Nobody pays attention to your workout clothes” Dear Editor,

A five-year wolf cull is currently taking place in British Columbia, with approximately 180 wolves being shot from helicopters this year alone. The BC government is arguing that this is a necessary evil needed to enable the recovery of the woodland caribou population. I see it as a temporary and gruesome solution that won’t solve their problems in the long run. There is certainly a problem with increased wolf populations in BC. As Chief Roland Wilson of the West Moberly First Nation told CBC News, “A typical pack would run between six to 10 wolves. We’ve had reports of 35 [wolves] up there. And they have to eat.” However, we must remember that the reason the populations grew to be so large in the first place is our fault. With increased rates of deforestation resulting in boreal forest habitat fragmentation there has been an increase in wide open spaces. These swathes of land left by clearcutting have subsequently enabled a boom in moose and deer populations. Their thriving has enabled an increase in wolf populations that, in turn, target the threatened caribou. Wolves are extremely intelligent animals, and have learned to use the roads

March 2, 2015

and pipelines to access caribou populations in the woods. The same deforestation and habitat degradation that enabled the increase in wolf populations has been devastating for the caribou. The woodland caribou, Rangifer tarandus, do not migrate long distances with the changing seasons, and instead remain in the forest all year round.

To thrive they require wide areas of undisturbed boreal forest; in particular, the forest needs to have had time to accumulate the amount of ground lichen to sustain the populations through winter months and diverse varieties of flora in the summer. Furthermore, there must be an appropriate number of predators that won’t threaten their overall population sizes. A 12-year study led by Dave Hervieux, a biologist at the Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development ministry, found that the wolf control program stabilized the caribou populations but didn’t lead to a significant increase. He concluded that without predator management the caribou populations would be finished, but that it needs to be done with

effective habitat management and long-term planning. The government does plan on decreasing the impact on caribou habitat. “All economic activity will be done with a mind to caribou,” assistant deputy minister Tom Ethier told CBC News. “We’re focused on having a light footprint in that area.” However, it has been argued by some that these efforts will do little to counter the habitat loss that has already taken place, for it would take decades of dedicated conservation efforts. Frankly, I am not very optimistic about that taking place. It is not as if the repercussions of habitat fragmentation and degradation were a complete surprise. It was understood that there would be negative consequences for the caribou, and yet the government went ahead with its invasive projects anyway. The ultimate priority of fiscal gains over conservation efforts is clear, and that trend hasn’t shown any promise of stopping. Dan MacNulty, a wolf biologist at Utah State University in Logan, accurately laid out this situation’s ethical quandary to Nature: “What is better, killing off these wolves or watching these caribou blink out because of our appetite for cheap oil and gas?” We shouldn’t lie to ourselves and argue that the wolves are the menace that is going to wipe out the caribou population; it has been us all along. Humans are not the caribou’s saviors. Humans are their foe.

The article “Nobody pays attention to your workout clothes,” written by Willie Kamawe, argues that we don’t need a bunch of fancy, highpriced fitness apparel in order to pursue fitness goals. But his argument is flawed for several reasons. First, Kamawe claims that certain fitness companies work to prove that your old pair of running shoes or T-shirt aren’t enough for your fitness routine. While products by Nike, Adidas, Lucas Hugh, and Trimark often enhance your physical activity, none of these fitness companies try to prove that you couldn’t work out without their product. They simply produce and advertise a reasonable product that potentially enhances your workout regime. Secondly, Kamawe argues that people don’t pay attention to what you wear at the gym. Though, if they don’t, why does one see high-end fashion in the gym? Fancy, high-priced apparel sells because most people care about what they look like, regardless of whether they’re sweating. Fitness companies merely capitalize on making a product that is not only functional, but also aesthetically pleasing. Another point brought up is that we shouldn’t have to look good while we exercise. He believes that wanting to look good while

exercising is a “tad shallow.” But what’s the difference between looking good while exercising and, say, looking good while at work? It seems absurd to say that because I am sweating while working out, I can’t look good. Football players sweat and become dirty as they play, but this doesn’t mean that both teams should take off their fancy jerseys with eyecatching logos and replace them with tattered sweats. People who want to excel in their sport want apparel that enhances their abilities, and if this apparel happens to be eye-catching as well, that’s a benefit, not a problem. Imagine choosing between two cars that performed equally well, but one was faded and scratched. Which would you prefer? Moreover, there’s nothing wrong with wanting and purchasing both a functional and aesthetic product. The article claims that we’re victims of western consumerism. And sure, a lot of us are. I believe an argument can be made for individuals who spend what little money they earn on expensive, aesthetic products. But, that’s an argument about being financially irresponsible, which has nothing to do with buying a product that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing.

Sincerely, Anthony Bianco Peak Associate

HFHQWO\ , YLVLWHG D friend Â of Â mine Â in Â Mon-Â WUHDO $IWHU D QLJKW RXW we Â decided Â to Â try Â to Â FDWFK D ULGH KRPH XVLQJ 8EHU DQ innovative Â new Â ride-Âsharing Â app. Â But Â it Â was Â a Â busy Â night Â and Â we Â ZHUH JHWWLQJ LPSDWLHQW VR ZH decided Â to Â just Â hail Â a Â cab Â instead. Â We Â only Â needed Â to Â travel Â around Â 10 Â blocks Â down Â a Â straight Â street Â to Â RXU GHVWLQDWLRQ DQG ZH HYHQ KDG the Â best Â route Â pulled Â up Â on Â Google Â 0DSV +RZHYHU XSRQ HQWHULQJ KLV FDU RXU FDEELH LPPHGLDWHO\ VWDUWHG insisting Â that Â he Â knew Â a Â shortcut Â DQG WRRN XV RII WKH PDLQ URXWH clearly Â winding Â through Â residential Â streets Â to Â make Â the Â meter Â run Â up. Â He Â even Â came Â to Â a Â complete Â stop Â outside Â of Â some Â restaurant Â that Â wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Â even Â open Â and Â went Â on Â to Â tell Â us Â all Â about Â how Â we Â should Â FRPH EDFN DQG YLVLW WKLV UHVWDXUDQW all Â while Â the Â meter Â ticked Â on. Â It Â cost Â us Â three Â dollars Â to Â hear Â about Â a Â res-Â taurant Â that Â wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Â our Â destination Â in Â what Â should Â have Â been Â a Â simple Â couple-Âminute Â zip Â down Â the Â street. Â If Â this Â man Â had Â been Â an Â Uber Â GULYHU ZH ZRXOG KDYH ZULWWHQ D WHU-Â rible Â review Â about Â him Â and Â might Â have Â never Â used Â his Â service Â in Â the Â ÂżUVW SODFH KDG ZH NQRZQ WKLV LV how Â he Â would Â behave. Â Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Â what Â separates Â Uber Â and Â similar Â apps Â to Â the Â typical Â cab Â experi-Â HQFH ,Q WKHRU\ ZLWK 8EHU WKH XVHU is Â given Â a Â voice Â and Â thus Â power Â over Â WKHLU SXUFKDVLQJ GHFLVLRQV ,Q WXUQ riders Â are Â more Â likely Â to Â get Â friendly Â DQG HIÂżFLHQW GULYHUV ZKR UHFHLYH their Â business Â based Â on Â the Â merit Â of Â WKHLU UHYLHZV DQG QRW E\ DJJUHVVLYH-Â ly Â picking Â up Â desperate Â pedestrians. Â If Â we Â had Â waited Â for Â an Â Uber Â in Â 0RQWUHDO ZH PLJKW KDYH DYRLGHG WKLV H[SHULHQFH %XW LQ 9DQFRXYHU anything Â other Â than Â a Â taxi Â isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Â even Â an Â option Â â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Â at Â least Â for Â now.

The Â classic Â tale Â of Â the Â bad Â taxi Â experience Â may Â soon Â become Â a Â thing Â of Â the Â past Â if Â apps Â like Â Uber Â have Â anything Â to Â say Â about Â it. Â Uber Â is Â an Â established Â interna-Â tional Â ride-Âfor-Âhire Â app Â that Â allows Â users Â to Â connect Â with Â â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;crowd-Â sourcedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Â drivers Â to Â hail Â rides Â rath-Â er Â than Â using Â a Â typical Â taxi. Â These Â Uber Â drivers Â are Â not Â FHUWLÂżHG WD[L GULYHUV EXW UDWKHU average Â people Â who Â own Â a Â driv-Â erâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Â license Â and Â are Â willing Â to Â drive Â app Â users Â around Â for Â extra Â cash. Â ,I WKH DSS PDNHV LWV UHWXUQ WR %& it Â could Â be Â a Â great Â way Â for Â SFU Â students Â who Â own Â cars Â to Â help Â pay Â for Â classes Â without Â having Â to Â commit Â to Â a Â 9â&#x20AC;&#x201C;5 Â desk Â job. Â Uberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Â popularity Â stems Â not Â only Â from Â its Â recruitment Â of Â driv-Â HUV EXW DOVR LQ LWV XVHU IULHQGO\ UHYLHZ IHDWXUH ZKLFK SXWV PRUH control Â into Â the Â riderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Â hands Â when Â choosing Â who Â is Â picking Â them Â up.

The Â app Â is Â only Â available Â in Â SDUWLFLSDWLQJ FLWLHV LV FRPSOHWHO\ FDVK IUHH ZLWK SUH VHW IDUHV DQG gives Â users Â the Â ability Â to Â view Â driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Â ratings Â and Â reviews Â be-Â fore Â deciding Â to Â ride Â with Â them. Â Vancouver Â is Â not Â currently Â among Â the Â participating Â cities. 8EHU LV QRW WKH ÂżUVW DSS WR WU\ WR challenge Â standard Â and Â somewhat Â

RXWGDWHG WD[L VHUYLFHV DQG LW ZLOO probably Â not Â be Â the Â last Â â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Â devel-Â opment Â of Â these Â apps Â has Â become Â a Â popular Â topic Â of Â debate Â all Â around Â WKH ZRUOG IRU SROLWLFLDQV DQG WD[L companies Â alike. Â ,Q 9DQFRXYHU WKH DSS KDV UH-Â cently Â gained Â media Â attention Â for Â trying Â to Â reenter Â the Â BC Â market Â after Â withdrawing Â in Â 2012. Â The Â Cal-Â ifornia-Âbased Â app Â was Â forced Â out Â RI %& DIWHU VL[ PRQWKV ZKHQ WKH provincial Â transportation Â regulator Â forced Â the Â service Â to Â classify Â itself Â DV D ÂłSULYDWH FDU VHUYLFH Â´ UHTXLULQJ a Â minimum Â 75 Â dollar Â fare. Â The Â reason Â Uber Â succeeds Â in Â so Â many Â other Â cities Â and Â avoids Â regu-Â lations Â imposed Â on Â car Â rentals Â and Â taxis Â is Â by Â classifying Â itself Â in Â courts Â DV ÂżUVW DQG IRUHPRVW DQ DSS IRU FRQ-Â QHFWLQJ GULYHUV DQG ULGHUV UDWKHU than Â a Â car-Âfor-Âhire Â service Â company. Â 7KLV SDVW 1RYHPEHU 8EHU DQ-Â nounced Â that Â it Â had Â plans Â to Â return Â to Â Vancouver Â and Â began Â running Â ads Â to Â hire Â Vancouver Â drivers. Â Al-Â most Â immediately Â following Â this Â QHZV WKH 9DQFRXYHU 7D[L $VVRFLD-Â WLRQ ÂżOHG DQ LQMXQFWLRQ DJDLQVW 8EHU stating Â that Â it Â does Â not Â properly Â ad-Â KHUH WR SURYLQFLDO OLFHQVLQJ UHTXLUH-Â ments Â for Â taxi Â drivers. Â According Â to Â WKH DVVRFLDWLRQ WKLV ZRXOG QRW RQO\ put Â Uber Â at Â an Â unfair Â advantage Â RYHU WD[L FRPSDQLHV EXW ZRXOG also Â put Â riders Â at Â risk.

Like Â any Â company Â that Â tries Â to Â VNLUW DURXQG ELJ SOD\HUV 8EHU is Â almost Â constantly Â un-Â der Â attack Â by Â vari-Â ous Â lawsuits Â try-Â ing Â to Â stunt Â

its Â growth. Â But Â given Â that Â consumers Â have Â so Â much Â power Â in Â todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Â mar-Â NHWV ZLWK DSSV JLYLQJ WKHP GLUHFW DFFHVV WR WKH VHUYLFHV WKH\ ZDQW itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Â hard Â to Â keep Â something Â so Â in-Â demand Â at Â bay. Â 8EHU ZDV HVWDEOLVKHG LQ and Â only Â really Â began Â expanding Â internationally Â in Â recent Â years. Â This Â opened Â the Â gates Â for Â a Â lot Â of Â backlash Â all Â over Â the Â world Â con-Â cerning Â how Â the Â company Â is Â run. Â Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Â easy Â to Â see Â why Â taxi Â com-Â panies Â would Â have Â a Â problem Â with Â Uber. Â They Â allow Â anyone Â to Â become Â D GULYHU IRU WKH VHUYLFH WKXV PDN-Â ing Â a Â taxi Â driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Â licenses Â and Â com-Â panyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Â permits Â virtually Â useless. Â This Â has Â caused Â ongoing Â criti-Â cism Â of Â the Â big Â player Â taxi Â com-Â panyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Â motives Â in Â cases Â where Â they Â claim Â to Â be Â protecting Â consumers Â â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Â The Â Province Â recently Â reported Â that Â â&#x20AC;&#x153;the Â latest Â research Â from Â New Â York Â City Â shows Â that Â since Â Uber Â DQG RWKHU ÂłULGH KDLOLQJÂ´ DSSV Ă&#x20AC;RRG-Â HG LQWR WKDW PDUNHW LQ WKH value Â of Â cab Â licenses Â plummeted Â IURP PLOOLRQ WR Â´ Reports Â such Â as Â this Â feed Â speculations Â that Â the Â main Â rea-Â son Â taxi Â companies Â want Â to Â keep Â smaller Â businesses Â and Â apps Â out Â is Â to Â keep Â the Â value Â of Â taxi Â SHUPLWV KLJK 7R EH IDLU WKHUH LV merit Â in Â some Â of Â the Â legal Â action Â DJDLQVW 8EHU DV FDU WUDQVSRUWD-Â tion Â service Â apps Â are Â only Â just Â be-Â ginning Â to Â set Â regulations Â to Â protect Â them-Â VHOYHV

GULYHUV DQG SDVVHQJHUV DOLNH This Â means Â that Â there Â are Â bound Â to Â be Â kinks Â in Â the Â system Â that Â must Â be Â worked Â out Â over Â time. Â A Â big Â topic Â of Â debate Â is Â whether Â it Â is Â safe Â to Â take Â a Â ride Â with Â an Â Uber Â driver Â based Â on Â the Â companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Â cur-Â rent Â hiring Â processes. Â There Â have Â been Â some Â recent Â allegations Â of Â sexual Â assault Â of Â riders Â by Â Uber Â GULYHUV -XVW WKLV SDVW -DQXDU\ The Â LA Â Times Â reported Â on Â two Â alleged Â assaults Â taking Â place Â in Â Uber Â cars Â within Â a Â three Â week Â period. Â

Uber Â has Â even Â had Â to Â shut Â down Â operations Â in Â Delhi Â fol-Â lowing Â allegations Â of Â the Â rape Â of Â a Â female Â passenger Â by Â a Â male Â driver Â just Â this Â past Â December. Â According Â from Â an Â article Â pub-Â lished Â on Â February Â 15 Â in Â Re-Â

uters , Â â&#x20AC;&#x153;[Uber] Â applied Â for Â a Â radio Â taxi Â licence Â and Â resumed Â opera-Â tions, Â but Â its Â application Â has Â yet Â to Â be Â officially Â approved.â&#x20AC;? Â There Â are Â cases Â like Â these Â pop-Â ping Â up Â all Â over Â the Â world Â which Â has Â caused Â concern Â in Â areas Â where Â Uber Â is Â trying Â to Â expand, Â such Â as Â Vancouver. Â This Â in Â turn Â brings Â into Â question Â the Â companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Â back-Â ground Â checks, Â which Â are Â no Â minor Â matter Â when Â riders Â are Â alone Â and Â getting Â into Â cars Â with Â these Â drivers.

When Â taxi Â companies Â seek Â legal Â action Â against Â Uber Â and Â similar Â services, Â they Â tend Â to Â ar-Â gue Â that Â the Â company Â does Â not Â require Â the Â same Â amount Â of Â li-Â censing Â and Â permits Â that Â taxi Â companies Â do, Â and Â this Â allows Â potentially Â dangerous Â drivers Â into Â their Â system. However, Â even Â though Â taxi Â companies Â claim Â to Â have Â a Â more Â rigorous Â background Â check Â system Â in Â place, Â there Â is Â still Â a Â staggering Â amount Â of Â reported Â rapes Â and Â as-Â saults Â by Â taxi Â drivers Â all Â over Â the Â world. Â A Â simple Â search Â of Â the Â term Â â&#x20AC;&#x153;taxi Â driver Â sexual Â assaultâ&#x20AC;? Â returns Â thousands Â of Â hits Â and Â stories Â from Â all Â over Â the Â world. Â Â CTV Â News Â reported Â that, Â in Â Montreal Â alone, Â 17 Â

cases Â of Â reported Â sexual Â assault Â by Â taxi Â drivers Â were Â reported Â in Â 2014;Íž Â in Â 2013, Â there Â were Â 29 Â such Â cases. Â The Â Montreal Â police Â department Â has Â even Â gone Â so Â far Â as Â to Â warn Â intoxicated Â women Â to Â avoid Â using Â taxis Â alone, Â as Â the Â cases Â of Â drivers Â taking Â advan-Â tage Â of Â vulnerable Â passengers Â has Â become Â increasingly Â preva-Â lent Â in Â recent Â years. By Â no Â means Â is Â one Â company Â any Â better Â than Â the Â next Â in Â this Â respect, Â but Â at Â the Â very Â least Â it Â doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Â make Â a Â strong Â argument Â against Â Uberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Â services Â when Â passengers Â could Â be Â just Â as Â un-Â safe Â in Â a Â regular Â taxi. Â Since Â I Â cannot Â currently Â test Â Uberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Â services Â in Â Vancouver, Â I Â polled Â my Â community Â of Â Face-Â book Â friends Â about Â their Â impres-Â sions Â of Â the Â appâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Â service. Â Out Â of Â the Â 30 Â or Â so Â separate Â replies Â that Â I Â received, Â I Â found Â that Â a Â lot Â of Â female Â Uber Â users Â all Â over Â the Â world Â (from Â Australia, Â the Â US Â and Â Toronto) Â felt Â that Â using Â the Â app Â is Â actually Â a Â safer Â option Â than Â taking Â a Â cab. Â These Â women Â expressed Â a Â unanimous Â feeling Â of Â comfort Â when Â they Â can Â review Â a Â driver Â ahead Â of Â time Â and Â know Â the Â name Â of Â whomever Â picks Â them Â up. Â One Â responder Â in Â Australia Â stated, Â â&#x20AC;&#x153;I Â feel Â way Â safer Â know-Â ing Â someone Â knows Â where Â I Â am Â at Â all Â times, Â especially Â when Â travelling Â alone. Â I Â love Â that Â

you Â have Â a Â record Â of Â the Â driv-Â er Â and Â they Â know Â where Â they Â are. Â I Â also Â like Â it Â going Â through Â google Â maps Â because Â you Â can Â see Â whether Â itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Â a Â direct Â route Â and Â youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re Â not Â getting Â ripped Â off. Â Also, Â itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Â way Â cheaper Â and Â I Â find Â Uber Â drivers Â have Â way Â bet-Â ter Â attitudes.â&#x20AC;? Â In Â comparison, Â when Â you Â hail Â a Â taxi, Â your Â driver Â is Â all Â but Â anonymous Â to Â you Â during Â the Â transaction, Â making Â some Â wom-Â en Â feel Â very Â uncomfortable Â with Â the Â whole Â process, Â and Â with Â good Â reason. Â Just Â last Â month, Â Global Â News Â reported Â that Â a Â Calgarian Â woman Â was Â sexually Â assaulted Â by Â her Â taxi Â driver, Â but Â there Â was Â no Â clear Â evidence Â as Â to Â who Â the Â driver Â was Â when Â she Â went Â to Â report Â him Â to Â the Â police, Â as Â she Â didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Â know Â his Â name. Â The Â man Â was Â even-Â tually Â caught Â and Â is Â now Â facing Â trial, Â but Â the Â fact Â that Â she Â could Â not Â go Â the Â authorities Â with Â any Â concrete Â information Â is Â a Â scary Â reality Â that Â can Â sometime Â leave Â cases Â like Â this Â unresolved. Â

Likely Â a Â big Â reason Â that Â user Â friendly Â companies Â like Â Uber Â and Â Airbnb Â (a Â similarly Â â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;crowdfundedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Â website Â for Â people Â to Â rent Â out Â their Â homes) Â are Â fast-Âgrowing Â despite Â political Â and Â legal Â action Â against Â them Â is Â because Â people Â are Â fed Â up Â with Â the Â typical Â ways Â in Â which Â they Â can Â get Â ripped Â off Â by Â standard Â companies. Â Why Â would Â you Â pay Â to Â stay Â in Â a Â sketchy Â ho-Â tel Â with Â unfriendly Â staff Â when Â you Â

can Â pay Â less Â to Â stay Â in Â some-Â oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Â home, Â and Â youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve Â read Â re-Â views Â about Â this Â someone Â ahead Â of Â time Â to Â make Â sure Â that Â they Â are Â nice, Â fair, Â and Â hospitable Â be-Â fore Â making Â any Â commitments Â to Â staying Â with Â them? Â

Vancouver taxis have been found to have some of the highest fares in the country.

The Â same Â concept Â applies Â to Â Uber. Â Overall, Â this Â seems Â to Â be Â the Â allure Â of Â these Â new Â app Â ser-Â vices Â over Â standard Â taxis Â â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Â and Â what Â the Â people Â want, Â they Â will Â inevitably Â get. Whether Â or Â not Â Uber Â will Â be Â able Â to Â make Â a Â return Â to Â BC Â still Â remains Â unclear, Â although Â the Â company Â seems Â optimistic Â as Â it Â is Â already Â pouring Â resources Â into Â currently Â recruiting Â drivers Â in Â Vancouver. Â Uber Â held Â a Â hiring Â fair Â just Â this Â past Â October, Â and Â CBC Â reported Â that Â it Â even Â offered Â a Â 40 Â dollar Â incentive Â to Â applicants. There Â is Â an Â Uber Â Vancouver Â Twitter Â account Â that Â was Â created Â WKH ÂżUVW WLPH 8EHU ZDV LQ 9DQ-Â couver, Â and Â as Â of Â last Â summer, Â they Â have Â started Â posting Â again. The Â company Â has Â made Â it Â clear Â they Â are Â intending Â to Â return Â to Â Vancouver Â and Â are Â looking Â Â to Â gain Â the Â attention Â and Â support Â of Â Vancouverites Â wanting Â the Â ser-Â vice Â back. Â Uberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Â marketing Â team Â kicked Â off Â the Â companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Â comeback Â a Â one-Âday Â Uber Â Vancouver Â ice Â

cream Â truck Â service, Â where Â users Â could Â request Â an Â ice Â cream Â truck Â to Â come Â to Â them Â via Â the Â app. Â On Â July Â 18, Â 2014, Â they Â tweeted Â â&#x20AC;&#x153;I Â scream, Â you Â scream, Â WEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;RE Â BACK Â VANCOUVER Â with Â #UberI-Â ceCream!â&#x20AC;? 7KH DFFRXQW DOVR Ă&#x20AC;DXQWV WKH success Â of Â the Â company Â in Â other Â Canadian Â cities, Â and Â urges Â fol-Â lowers Â to Â sign Â a Â petition Â to Â get Â Uber Â back Â into Â Vancouver. Regardless Â of Â Uberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Â future Â performance Â in Â BC, Â it Â is Â clear Â that Â this Â app Â has Â stirred Â up Â a Â need Â for Â change Â at Â the Â hands Â of Â consum-Â ers Â in Â regards Â to Â car Â transporta-Â tion Â in Â the Â city. Â Vancouver Â taxis Â have Â been Â found Â by Â SFU Â masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Â graduate Â Benn Â Proctor Â to Â have Â some Â of Â the Â highest Â fares Â in Â the Â country, Â as Â well Â as Â the Â lowest Â number Â of Â taxis Â in Â Canada Â and Â possibly Â in Â North Â America Â as Â well. Â Proctor Â told Â CTV Â that Â â&#x20AC;&#x153;to Â get Â the Â same Â number Â of Â cabs Â per Â capita Â as Â Calgary, Â Metro Â Vancouver Â would Â need Â some Â 1,900 Â new Â cabs,â&#x20AC;? Â ac-Â cording Â to Â his Â research Â for Â his Â thesis Â which Â studies Â the Â taxi Â in-Â dustry Â in Â Vancouver. Just Â last Â year, Â BC Â Business Â reported Â that Â the Â Conference Â Board Â of Â Canada Â found Â that Â there Â were Â only Â .24 Â taxis Â per Â 1,000 Â residents Â in Â Vancouver. Â Anyone Â who Â has Â tried Â to Â hail Â one Â on Â a Â busy Â night Â downtown Â will Â not Â be Â surprised Â by Â this. Â Clearly, Â the Â need Â for Â some Â sort Â of Â change Â is Â in Â the Â air, Â and Â Uber Â might Â just Â be Â the Â answer. Â If Â not Â Uber, Â something Â else Â will Â fol-Â ORZ DQG OLNHO\ ÂżQG D ZD\ WR ZRUN within Â BCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Â tight Â regulations. Â The Â demand Â for Â a Â better Â car Â trans-Â portation Â service Â is Â here Â and Â eventually Â something Â will Â step Â in Â and Â provide Â the Â supply.

ARTS

arts editor email

March 2, 2015

Tessa Perkins arts@the-peak.ca

In June 2014, Casey Wei, a graduate of SFU’s Masters in Fine Arts program, bravely engaged Kingsgate Mall to explore the intersection between art, music, community, and the public space of commerce. As an artist-in-residence at the Western Front, she programmed a month of “Happenings” that included live music, an audio talk show, dance and open mic, an art flea market, tarot card readings, book readings, and artist talks. It was all done with generosity and good intentions, and to express how she felt about the mall. “Going to the mall was a big deal for me when I was growing up, wei explained, “Kingsgate is meaningful to the neighborhood and a spot where a lot of gentrification is going on. A lot of people respond to Kingsgate Mall out of nostalgia.”

In the art world, the term “happenings” calls up artists such as John Cage and Allan Kaprow and the Fluxus movement of the 1960s and ’70s that explored chance operations, indeterminacy, and unconventional modes of presentation. The Western Front has a longtime connection to Fluxus and supports music practices that blur boundaries, from composed works to electronica and noise. Wei’s idea for her residency began with plans

for an installation, but they quickly evolved into a much larger project. On top of working in film, video, and other genres, Wei is a musician. Her latest project is Late Spring, a band she established with two other MFA graduates. Kingsgate’s management was behind the project and within the first few days the Happenings were integrating well. People enjoyed the leather couches and rugs in the lounge, brought magazines and

CDs for the public library rack, lined up for tarot card readings, and participated in the open mic. Someone even left an anonymous request for a chess table. “I like that the art was undefined, because art can be more than just what someone calls it,” Wei explained. “It’s possible to get cynical, but everything can be art if you just allow it to be.” Unfortunately, two weeks into the project, the mall’s management cancelled it. “Some of it was the combination of art and music in a non-normative context,” said Wei. “It’s like that; Fluxus artists don’t have a 9-to-5 existence, but the Mall does.” To a certain extent, the Happenings suffered from a few moments of tension around unclear expectations for appropriate mall behaviour versus what Wei described as, in one instance, a bit of “artistic irreverence.” Wei said the relationship was transformative and continues to be positive, despite the abrupt ending. “In some ways it was a discovery of what the Mall could handle and what it really wants. It may have reached a limit in the myth of Kingsgate as a local centre, but it was interesting to see how much it

When a person turns 100, they become a centenarian. But what is it called when they reach the halfway point? This question led me to discover the word ‘quinquagenarian.’ This year, Simon Fraser University and its art collection will become quinquagenarians. Through a variety of sources, the SFU Art Collection has accumulated an ad hoc and varied mix of artworks, including the Academic Quadrangle’s Blue Pyramid. The collection’s size and diversity — approximated at 5,500 works in total — has grown through acquisitions overseen by a variety of SFU faculty and directors, and through donations from collectors, artists, and corporations looking for tax writeoffs. A handful of these are on display in the SFU Galleries’ Geometry of Knowing exhibitions, and over 1,000 works of art are

shown on SFU campuses in public locations year-round. This series of articles about the Collection will provide background information and historical context on particular works on display, and a few hidden in the vault, to show how the collection represents and contextualizes a quinquagenarian SFU. The SFU Art Collection began in the Academic Quadrangle. Gordon Smith’s coloured tile mosaic, found on the west end of the AQ and overlooking Convocation Mall, was the very first piece to be included in the collection. Arthur Erickson, the chief architect of SFU’s Burnaby campus, was an intellectual colleague of Smith’s, and he also designed Smith’s house. Erickson had the idea that art should be integrated into the architecture of the campus, as opposed to being added after the fact. The AQ is an auspicious location to begin to look at the history of the SFU Art Collection, both in how Erickson’s brutalist design makes a literal frame of the landscape, and that it’s probably one of the most-travelled outdoor areas of SFU. The Terry Fox memorial and Carlos Basanta’s “Oval Reflections,” a.k.a. the egg-avocado,

feature most prominently due to their proximity to the AQ walking path. Despite this, neither have the contentious history of the blue metal pyramid obscured behind the grove of shrubs in the AQ. Donated to SFU in 1977 by collector Ian Davidson, the pyramid is titled Energy Alignment Sculpture, Pyramid in the Golden Section. It was designed by Bridge Beardslee, a sculptor from California. The Vancouver Art Gallery commissioned the blue, tubular steel pyramid in 1976 for the project Documenting a Power Line. Intended to be aligned to the North Star, it conforms to the proportions of the Cheops pyramid in Egypt and the golden ratio (1:1.618), and, prior to its donation to SFU, was installed at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre plaza. After its arrival to Burnaby, the pyramid, which the artist describes as “an attempt to make discoveries about light and energy patterns within the city,” became the subject of debate around its location in the AQ. Prior to being anchored to its concrete base in 1978, the pyramid rested freely on the gravel courtyard within the grove of shrubbery, and was victim to pranksters who took advantage of

its mobility. One of the pyramid’s significant sites of relocation was the other pyramid in the AQ: the terraced mound of earth meant to represent Burnaby Mountain. One of the most outspoken voices against locating Beardslee’s pyramid upon its permanent location in the gravel courtyard was Blair T. Longley. Longley, who later became associated with various political parties including the Green, Rhinoceros, and Marijuana parties, made an impassioned plea — documented by the SFU Art Collection through various news clippings and letters addressed both to the SFU Art Gallery director and to Beardslee himself — to locate the sculpture atop the AQ mound and

could take and remain fair to everyone involved.” As an indication of the excitement generated by the Kingsgate Mall Happenings, Wei screened her film about the Happenings to a full audience at the Western Front in February. Michael Turner, a Vancouver author best known for his book Hardcore Logo, responded with readings that included his poem, “Kingsway,” which describes the avenue as, “a place to get lost, to lose oneself — both a starting point and a destination.” Wei had invited him to deliver readings during the Happenings, but the opportunity was lost when the project was cut short. Wei will be putting her good experience to use again in April. She was awarded a 10-day residency at Toronto’s Chinatown Centre to develop a site-specific installation that includes film screenings, mah-jong tables, tai chi, and karaoke to encourage the Chinese community to participate. When asked if she planned on developing a reputation as a mall artist, she laughed and said, “I’m just grateful for the opportunity to make things and engage in live study.”

to align the sculpture with Magnetic North, as opposed to True North as per the artist’s wishes. Longley’s arguments, which invoke his seemingly genuine and earnest interest in “pyramid power,” as well as his belief that “for the pyramid to function it needs to be oriented with the earth’s magnetic field,” are inspiring — even a minimalist work of art can instigate an impassioned conversation around the artwork’s meaning.

ARTS

Summer. The temperature is hot. Nicole awakes from a one-night stand. She is about 20. The parents go away. The house is left to her and her brother. He practices with his band in the house. Nicole works at a thrift store. She gets a credit card. She talks to her friend. The band practices. Nicole works at the thrift store. She talks to her friend and the band. The drummer sets the repetitive beat. Boom. Boom. Boom. The girl walks aimlessly across a field. Pat. Pat. Pat. While eating an ice cream, she says to her friend, “Is this going to be our entire summer? We can do whatever we want. We can go wherever.” The girl is not a kid; the girl is not an adult; the girl is. . . After graduating from high school, many are still caught in the middle: they are at adult age and look the part, but internally they are closer to being kids. They continue to live at home while working for close to minimum wage. They have no idea what they want to do with their lives. So they daydream, dream, daydream. Tu Dors, Nicole (You’re Sleeping, Nicole), a Québécois film, is about an ensemble of young adults that spend their waking lives sleeping — doing nothing. Nothing at all. This is a bizarre and surreal film, so grounded in the perspective of its wandering twentysomething protagonist that its redundancies are emotive and its lack of narrative structure endearing. Must a film that tries to realistically capture the banality of someone’s life be banal itself? Tu Dors, Nicole would beg to differ.

March 2, 2015

The director, Stéphane Lafleur, has managed to make a film firmly cemented in the aimlessness of his characters, yet it remains quirky and light on its feet. Tu Dors, Nicole is heartbreakingly realistic because of a subtle performance by Julianne Côté and chillingly atmospheric black and white cinematography, which hints at the character’s subjective experience. It is equal parts real and surreal, but the reason it works is because it’s always reflecting something about the characters, whether internal or external. We don’t doze off, because Lafleur finds different ways to evoke the loneliness his characters feel, instead of only having one boring tone. One way he does so is through the symbols of childhood that surround Nicole: she plays cowboys and Indians, throws a giant stuffed bear into the trash, rides a bike everywhere she goes, and even plays on a playground. More intriguing is the presence of a young boy that Nicole babysits, who has the voice of a man. He is mature and immature: a paradox reflected in Nicole. Like her, the boy spends his life wanting to be an adult. Nicole is stuck in her childish ways yet bound to them, even if they no longer bring her any joy. Nicole holds onto a trip to Iceland (paid by her credit card) for hope. When asked by a friend what she will do there, she says the same thing she does here: nothing. But at least Nicole will be doing nothing somewhere else. She needs to break free from the monotony. Break the drums and stop the repetitive beat. Boom. Boom. B. . . When Nicole leaves behind her childish ways, the ellipses will be erased, the repetitiveness of her life will be broken, and the black and white world will fade to colour. The escape to Iceland will also happen within herself. Nicole will become an adult.

Dancers of Damelahamid has partnered with UBC’s Museum of Anthropology (MOA) to bring a spectacular show of First Nations culture to Vancouver. In the works are six days of signature acts, artist presentations, and school performances by indigenous artists from across North America. Headlining the festival are hoop dancer Jesse McMann Sparvier from Calgary and sisters Urseloria and Nikollane Kanuho from Arizona, USA. Both acts are inspired by traditional pow wow dance and promise to provide spectacular entertainment and cultural education. In their eighth year of the festival, Dancers of Damelahamid is a product of artistic director Margaret Grenier’s cultural history. A member of the Gitxsan Nation in northwest British Columbia, Grenier’s parents began the company out of the resurgence of First Nations song and dance with the lifting of the Potlatch Ban in the 1950s. The festival is a mixture of many different First Nations traditional dances from across BC, Yukon, Alaska, and Washington, along with special guests over the years coming from as far as Australia and Peru. “All of us who have been part of this festival are peoples who have gone through a lot of cultural loss,” reflected Grenier. This year’s festival is also introducing a new presentation called Artist Talk — “an opportunity to learn a little bit more depth [and] how the songs and dances that were not practiced for such a long period of time [were brought] back,” explained Grenier. This year, Terry-Lynn Williams-Davidson, a Haida artist and lawyer of Aboriginal environmental law, will be presenting at the MOA on March 3. Another significant aspect of the festival is its focus on bridging the gap between First Nations and non-First Nations communities. “I don’t see many opportunities, especially in larger urban centres, to really bring a number of communities together at this scale,” added Grenier. The school performances also help to close the gap by educating youth on First Nations culture. Additionally,

Grenier explained that there has been “so much experience with young aboriginal youth really finding cultural esteem and self-esteem in being part of the [school] performances.” Furthermore, the festival provides First Nations communities with an opportunity to grow. Grenier noted how “the sharing [of cultures] makes [First Nations communities] non-static, the sharing makes it something relevant to people today.” She added that the festival is unique in that it “is not a festival where the artists feel like they are the only one group representing First Nation’s dance, so it opens up

more opportunity to have certain songs and dances. “The purpose of the festival really comes down to the community,” Grenier explained, “I think that the most important thing is to see the diversity of what is being shared — that each nation has a very unique dance practice, unique songs, and a unique history — [so that] generalizations [are not made about First Nations peoples].”

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www.LynneQuarmby.ca

16 ARTS

March 2, 2015

The Foreigner

Arts Club Theatre and Pacific Theatre February 18–March 14

Stupeur et tremblements

Theatre la Seizieme, February 17–21 A powerful one-woman show about cultural behaviours and repression, Amélie Nothomb’s play is captivating and profound. A long monologue about the role of a Japanese woman opens the play, as Amélie (Layla Metssitane) sits at her dressing table and carefully paints her face white. She describes the way a Japanese woman must act, explaining that to sweat is worse than to die, and that she can never hope for any joy in life. She explains that not committing suicide is a brave act of protest for a Japanese woman. This monologue immediately grabbed my attention, and had me alternately cringing and chuckling at her descriptions of the Japanese woman’s life of submissive obedience. Amélie is a young Belgian woman who grew up in Japan. She returns to her adopted country hoping to integrate completely into Japanese culture, but when she is hired as a translator by the Yuminoto company, she realizes the extent of her manager’s inflexibility and gets a crash course in Japanese social codes. Gradually, Amélie descends the hierarchy of the office and ends up cleaning toilets. Just when she thinks she has hit the bottom, she realizes that things can always get worse. Layla Metssitane was a tour de force. She held the audience rapt with simple staging and a powerful story. Stupeur et tremblements (literally, fear and trembling) is adapted from the 1999 novel, winner of the Grand Prix at the Academie Française. It is a tragic yet comic play exploring powerful themes of modern chauvinism and cultural restraints. Amélie finished off the performance by once again sitting at her dressing table and washing off her Japanese identity as she removed the white face paint. Through razorsharp wit, vivid imagery, and a nuanced performance, Stupeur et tremblements held my attention and left me with a lot to think about.

What does it take to get some peace and quiet for the weekend? Charlie (John Voth) would prefer if nobody spoke to him for the entire weekend, and his friend Froggy devises a plan to make that happen. Froggy (Ryan Scramstad), who has brought Charlie to Betty’s fishing lodge, tells her that Charlie doesn’t speak any English, and nobody should speak to him because he’s ashamed of the fact that he doesn’t understand. Instead of peace and quiet, Charlie gets Betty (Erla Faye Forsyth) yelling slowly at him as if this will help him understand, Catherine (Kaitlin Williams) telling him all her secrets because he makes a great listener, and Owen (Byron Noble) insulting him because he finds it amusing. Betty’s lodge is run down and at risk of being condemned by Owen, the property inspector, and Catherine and her fiancé David (Mack Gordon) plan to buy the place from her using Catherine’s inheritance. Charlie quickly learns that some people are not what they seem, and finds it hard to keep up the farce. The funniest moments of the play are between Charlie and Ellard (Peter Carlone), Catherine’s younger, less intelligent brother. Ellard takes on the task of teaching Charlie English, and everyone is surprised how quickly he learns. There is one hilarious scene with Ellard and Charlie eating breakfast, when Charlie begins to mimic what Ellard is doing. Soon, they are dancing around the living room with cups on their heads, and Betty thinks this must be a custom from Charlie’s culture. Charlie’s storytelling in his native gibberish language solidified Voth’s performance as nothing less than extraordinary. Watching the way the other characters light up around the foreigner, it’s clear that Larry Shue’s awardwinning play is a delightful exploration of our fascination with those who are different, and the way they can affect us. When Charlie arrives at the lodge, he complains to Froggy that he is boring and wants to get himself a personality. Throughout his stay, he finds that pretending to be a foreigner gives him a unique personality and he becomes a lovable, exotic, quirky character, instead of just a boring proofreader.

Balanchine

Miami City Ballet,February 19–21 George Balanchine is known as one of the most influential ballet choreographers of the 20th century, and his contemporary works range from experimental to exquisitely romantic. As one of the leading presenters of Balanchine’s work, Miami City Ballet was invited by Ballet BC to present three of his works from different periods of his career. Ballo della Regina started off the program with a classical ballet set to Verdi’s vibrant Don Carlos score. Full of energy, the young dancers of Miami City Ballet filled the stage with Balanchine’s buoyant choreography. Made up of a few elaborate variations that involve a few pas de deux and plenty of stage time for the corps, this work is lively and fast-paced. Although the company should be commended for their execution of this work, there were some technical aspects, specifically with the corps, that I found distracting. Symphony in Three Movements, one of Balanchine’s contemporary works using experimental choreography and right angles, is set to the more discordant score of Stravinsky. The plain black and white leotards made a bold statement for the corps, and the soloists stood out in pastel colours. The simplicity of the costumes was mirrored by the stripped-down movements that show Balanchine’s ability to play with lines, angles, and the ballet form. This piece was very impressive, but I was also distracted by a couple of moments where an arm was not in line with the others, or the technique could have been more polished in the corps. The final work, Serenade, was a breathtakingly romantic ballet of emotional intensity set to Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings in C Major. It is easy to see why Balanchine refers to this work as his “favourite child.” As the dancers glide around the stage in baby blue long tutus, the heartwrenching score renders their movements all the more striking. The work begins with the corps holding up one hand and gazing into the distance, and ends with an even more melancholy promenade as two of the male dancers hold their partner straight up and walk slowly through the two lines of the corps. Miami City Ballet showed the range and brilliance of Balanchine’s choreography, and despite a few technical flaws, it was an impressive evening of dance.

Flight of the Dragon

FlyOver Canada, January 15–March 5 In celebration of Chinese New Year, FlyOver Canada is presenting Flight of the Dragon, a flight simulation ride that takes participants soaring over China in addition to the regular program of flying over Canada. The 4D ride simulates the flight experience by having viewers strapped into a seat with legs dangling below and rows of seats that move back and forth as the images fly by on the giant 19-metre spherical screen. For the first half of the show, a mischievous dragon leads viewers on a flight above the Great Wall, rice paddies, and spectacular cities and vistas of China. The show provides a stunning bird’s eye view of Shanghai, the Himalayas, and the majestic Great Wall. After a brief pause, the ride continues and viewers travel from the Newfoundland to British Columbia in the FlyOver Canada segment. The sensory experience was complete, as we felt the wind in our hair and a fine spray of mist on our faces while flying over Niagara Falls. We also smelled the farm-fresh scent of the prairies as we flew alongside a pack of horses. While the experience was exhilarating and the vistas were striking, I felt that the twenty-minute run time was not enough. What we did see was stunningly beautiful, but I think we should have seen more of these countries to make the experience feel worthwhile.

SPORTS

sports editor email

March 2, 2015

Austin Cozicar sports@the-peak.ca

Those of us with siblings know how close the family bond can be. From our senses of humour to the clothes we wear, it’s safe to say that our brothers or sisters have a huge impact on us. For midfielder Sam Clare, the fact that he plays lacrosse is something he attributes to his brother Nathan. “I started [lacrosse] at a young age, I think probably like four or five actually. My brother started playing, he gave tee-ball a chance, and never really took off with it [until he found lacrosse], and when it was time for me to pick a sport, I guess I was kind of born into lacrosse,” says Sam. Although they share the same sport, they play on opposite sides of the field. Nathan was a Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA) All-American honourable mention defenceman “locked in the defensive end his entire career,” while Sam “patrols the whole field” as a midfielder, and is known for his penchant for offence. Another thing they share is the school they attend and play for. Nathan graduated from SFU in 2013 with an environmental sciences degree. However, they

never had a chance to play with each other, as Nathan graduated from the team the year before Sam played his freshman year. Initially Sam followed his brother into an academic field as well — geography — but he instead decided that he was more interested in the health sciences. “I’m pretty interested in biology so I thought maybe this is right down my alley,” explains Sam. “It was a bit of a tough decision because obviously my mom wasn’t happy with me going, ‘Hey, I’m going to switch majors now,’ because I was already a year and a half into geography, but it just felt right.

“I think my health sciencerelated class was probably Bio 101, and everything went well. I had a really good semester,” he adds. “[It was] kind of like a sign, like, ‘you’re kind of meant to do something in this.’” Sam’s major wasn’t the only the thing he changed his mind on. Before coming to SFU, he almost commited to the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT),

where he would have played on their NCAA Division III lacrosse team, before a gut feeling told him to stay home. “I did have a few offers to play NCAA lacrosse in the States,” he notes. SFU’s lacrosse team is not a varsity team, and therefore not an NCAA team. “I was actually scheduled to go and sign a letter of intent with RIT [. . .] but I just pulled out last second, and I’m like, ‘I’m going to stay close to home, I’m going to play lacrosse for my hometown university, and carry on the tradition my brother started.’ “I had a really good offer, but I don’t know, there’s not too much to say about it, it was just kind of an impulse decision, I wasn’t really feeling it.” He notes that the decision was bittersweet, as he noticed the success RIT had while playing on the SFU roster — reaching at least the NCAA National Championship quarterfinals every year since 2011, and making the finals in 2013, Sam’s sophomore year. However, he doesn’t regret the decision. Far from it — he has embraced his role as a key playmaker and goal scorer, winning the Pacific Northwest Collegiate Lacrosse League (SFU’s division) freshman of the year award, with 34 goals and 39 points in his first year. This early success can be attributed to a goal he made in

his senior year of high school: to drive play instead of waiting for the play to come to him. “[Lacrosse] didn’t really spark until about Grade 12,” Sam explains. “I was kind of a backseat player most of my life, [I] didn’t really take any initiative to be the guy that goes out there and puts five or six goals in the net a game. It just happened in Grade 12, I said to myself, ‘I want to be an elite player now,’ and I had a pretty good [year].

“Whenever I have the ball, I want to score, I want to set someone up to score,” he adds. The smooth transition to his freshman year at SFU was aided by the fact that his coach from the

Burnaby Mountain Selects — an “elite lacrosse touring program” he joined in Grade 12 — was SFU Lacrosse head coach Brent Hoskins. “It made the transition really easy [because] our relationship had already been built,” Sam explains. “It really affected my game too, just because I already know the coach, I already know the staff and a lot of the players, I almost felt as a freshman coming in that I was a sophomore [. . .] you don’t have that much to prove because everybody knows who you are.” After the season is over, Sam is contemplating taking a break from lacrosse — even playing soccer, a sport he quit playing in Grade 11 to focus on lacrosse. However, for now his focus is on winning a championship with SFU’s lacrosse team. “It’s been such a good ride,” Sam muses. “You don’t want to have a bad game when you’re a senior because [. . .] that’s what people are going to remember. “[I’m] to come out firing on all cylinders.”

18 SPORTS

March 2, 2015

notch a national championship. Last year, the Clan made the NCAA Division II West Regionals before being knocked out by Montana State University-Billings.

It was a proper send-off for seniors Erin Chambers and Katie Lowen; an early lead against the Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks Saturday, February 21 paved the way for a victory in the pair’s last home game. The night also marked the final home game for one-year French exchange student Perrine Fuchs, who averaged 4.9 minutes per night, as well as trainer Rachel Halipchuk, who spent her first two years playing guard with the team before joining the coaching staff. The final home game is linked to another annual Clan tradition: pink game. Clan fans were encouraged to wear pink, and SFU players wore pink warmup shirts. The proceeds from the ticket sales went to the BC Children’s Hospital. “It’s pink game [and] Seniors Night, so there’s a lot of emotion running through, and I think the girls handled that well — it was a great game,” said Chambers. “It’s kind of sad that it’s over, but it happens and

we move on.” Lowen opened up scoring on a layup caused by a steal just under a minute into the game. She would also lead the team in three-pointers with three — two of them coming in the first 10 minutes. “I was nervous, I don’t usually get that nervous before games,” said Lowen. “We always say, ‘teach the butterflies offence,’ and we did that — controlling the nerves and taking advantage of the opportunities that were on the floor for us.” Much of the victory came down to SFU’s performance in the first

10 minutes, which gave them a 13point lead. Though the Clan would continue to dominate much of the rest of the game, the gap between the two teams’ score remained fairly consistent throughout. The first half ended 43–28 in the Clan’s favour. The second half saw a much tighter game — at least score-wise — as SFU only won the half by a margin of 38–34. When the two seniors exited their final shift — Lowen at 1:00 left and Chambers at 57.7 seconds left — the crowd gave them a standing

ovation. And with the game ending a minute later 81–62 for SFU, it wasn’t the only time the crowd felt the need to clap and cheer. “It’s surreal, I can’t actually believe it’s the last home game — I don’t know if it’s actually hit me yet,” said Chambers. “I’m just humbled to play in front of all these people and be able to play with such great friends.” With the win, SFU has clinched a spot in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) playoffs, which starts Wednesday, March 4, where they will have a chance to

The Clan went into the Saturday, February 21 game looking to beat the Trinity Western Spartans — the best team in the league — for a second straight time. SFU got off to a great start, scoring on their first shot on net. Forward Matthew Luongo quickly buried a wrister from the right wing to give SFU an early 1–0 lead. They weren’t done there, with forward Trent Murdoch

scoring on the powerplay, quickly turning with the puck in the slot and putting it past the opposing goalie. At this point, SFU had scored two goals on their first three shots. Trinity Western were able to get one back on the powerplay, as captain and defenceman Blair Murphy skated down from the left point and scored. “Well, it’s always good to get off to a quick start,” said head coach Mike Coletta after the game. “But then there was a lull there in that first period [. . .] I thought we could have been back to square one. But getting that jump, getting that energy, and having [Matthew] Luongo score that goal was really big for us.” The second period was marked by lots of physical play.

Around four minutes in, an SFU player crashed into the crease, sparking a large scrum spurred on by the Trinity Western goalie exaggerating the contact. The scrum resulted in two penalties for SFU and one for TWU, putting the Spartans on the powerplay. In total, the period featured eight total penalties, four for each team. These two teams have developed a dislike for each other, evidenced in the seven games they’ve played together. The third started off with equal chances on both sides. SFU had a couple of great opportunities to extend their lead, with forward Jono Ceci hitting the side of the net from in close. He later scored the 3–1 goal and essentially sealed the game for the Clan.

Forward Graham Smerek, who already had one assist, scored to make it 4–1, turning in the high slot and shooting it high glove side to expand their lead. With the victory, the Clan won the season series against the Spartans 4–3. The win, coupled with the University of Victoria loss, means the Clan move into third place in the standings, one point ahead of the Vikes. “I think the game plan right now is to keep momentum going on our side, make sure we’re ready for the playoffs,” said coach Coletta. “Anything could happen in the playoffs, but we want to make sure that were rolling in the right direction and doing all those little things, and having some momentum.”

SPORTS

March 2, 2015

On Thursday, SFU Athletics hired former BC Lions player and running backs coach Kelly Bates to be the head coach of the Clan football team. Bates replaces Jacques Chapdelaine, who left the team in December to become the offensive coordinator with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He beat out BC Lions receivers coach Khari Jones, with whom he worked last season.

Former SFU wide receivers Lemar Durant and Bobby Pospischil tried out at the NFL regional combines in Denver, CO on February 21. If successful, they will be invited to the NFL Super Regional Combines on March 21 in Tempe, AZ, where they will be watched by NFL scouts.

The Whitecaps announced last Tuesday that they have signed former Clan forward Jovan Blagojevic to play with the Whitecaps FC 2, where he will play for former SFU coach Alan Koch. Former Clan teammate defender Alexander Kleefeldt will also join the team’s preseason roster.

The Clan fought tooth and nail to win their first conference game against rival Boise State Broncos 16–15 in overtime Friday, February 20. It was a back-and-forth game, with both teams fighting until the very end. The Clan held the lead until the last few minutes of the game, when Boise went on a lategame run to steal the lead with 50 seconds left. With their lead cemented, the Broncos won the following faceoff and tried to run the clock out. Freshmen Colton Edwards made a heroic defensive play, which caused a Boise turnover and sent the Clan on a last-ditch attack. This led to a series of quick passes that found junior attacker Iain Vickers open on the crease, allowing him to bury the ball with

0.3 seconds left to send the game into overtime. Overtime became two and a half minutes of speed and intensity, with senior midfielder Sam Clare showing the crowd why he’s one of the best players in the league, scoring with his strong hand on a solo drive that Boise State goaltender Ian Jameson had no chance of stopping. According to Clare, the key to the Clan’s victory was their focus on getting ground balls and constantly

pushing at 100 per cent, despite the adversity they faced. “They made a bit of a run of the game and made it close,” he said. “It was really important that we kept pushing and that we stayed in the game.” Clare led the team with six goals and two assists, followed by the regulation time hero Vickers with three goals and two assists, freshman attacker Greg Lunde with four goals and one assist, and junior attacker Lyndon Knuttila with three goals.

Sophomore goaltender Jeremy Lashar stood between the pipes for the full 60 minutes, stopping 13 of 28 shots for a save percentage of .464 on the game, bringing his season save percentage to .546. The Clan are on the road for the with games against Arizona, Colorado State, and Chapman before returning to Terry Fox Field to take on long-time conference rival Washington Huskies on Saturday, March 14 at 6 p.m.

It was a busy couple of days for the men and women of SFU’s track and field team during the Indoor Championships, February 21–22 in Nampa, ID. The weekend produced a good share of firsts for the Clan organization, as the team achieved their collective goal of a third place finish amongst the rankings of other competing institutions, their best ever at an indoor event. In total, the women’s team finished with an outstanding 104 points and the men with 95 to lift the team to new heights.

At an individual level, many talents shone brightly for SFU. The outstanding weekend was highlighted by the massive accomplishments of senior Lindsey Butterworth, who picked up three Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) titles for the 800 metre, distance medley relay and mile events. The North Vancouver native was named the Female Performer of the Meet for her efforts. “This past weekend was amazing, the team really came together and everyone competed at their best to come out with the best team finish SFU has ever had,” said Butterworth. “Everyone was so supportive the entire meet which made the atmosphere and experience so much better. It feels great to be able to finish my last indoor conference meet with not only individual success, but team success as well.”

Senior Cameron Proceviat’s also earned his first-ever career GNAC title in the Men’s 800 metre event. Proceviat proved to be a key teammate in the men’s distance medley relay and 4x400 metre relays as well, where he won two additional titles. Day two of the meet also saw a stunning result come for graduate student Jennifer Johnson, who set a new record to earn an individual title in the women’s 3,000 metre event — this was her second of the championships after winning alongside Butterworth in the distance medley relay. Track and field head coach Brit Townsend was thrilled with the recent string of performances by her team, and says the athletes raised the bar for their future endeavors. “We’ve added some significant people to the team that are competitive at this level,

and as soon as you do that it brings the level of performance up of everybody,” Townsend told The Peak . “Now there’s a new expectation of what we need to do for things to qualify and for what is possible.” The weekend will be remembered for its strength of team spirit, fuelled both in athlete numbers and in enthusiasm. “It was a great team event,” added Townsend. “We had 50 athletes there and that’s the most we’ve ever brought. So that makes the team spirit a lot stronger with people cheering and supporting everybody that was competing.” Coach Townsend remains encouraged for what the season has in store and on the new possibilities with more athletes possibly competing at the Nationals. Only time will tell on how much more this organization can achieve.

Women’s basketball senior Katie Lowen was named to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) Academic All-conference Team for sporting a 3.29 GPA in Business Administration. This is her second straight year achieving the award, and she joins 20 other SFU student athletes who have received the honour this season.

On February 21 and 22, the SFU swim teams hosted the University of Tokei, Japan. Clan freshman Adrian VanderHelm broke an SFU record for the 400-metre individual medley. “Adrian is swimming well. The [individual medley] is not an event we have prepared him for, and he set the school record,” head coach Liam Donnelly told SFU Athletics.

20 DIVERSIONS / ETC

March 2, 2015

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EVENTS AT SFU, FEBRUARY 16 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 27

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HUMOUR

Goodbye to the year of the sheep; hello to the year of the cupcakeflavoured vodka.

March 2, 2015

humour editor email

Jacey Gibb humour@the-peak.ca

22 HUMOUR

March 2, 2015

Non-humans of SFU

HUMOUR

March 2, 2015

24 LAST WORD

s a small child, I loved spending days at the beach digging for shellfish, heaving rocks aside to reveal tiny scrambling crabs, and peering over docks to watch the shimmers of light darting below as little fish pecked at the last piece of hot dog I had dropped into the water. As a biology student, I have not only been able to continue to observe nature’s curiosities, but have been encouraged to retain my so-called childish wonder of the natural world. Studying biology in university has served to validate my love of nature and all its complexity. It is astonishing how dramatically the study of biology shifts depending on the scale at which one is making an observation. In biology, you can study ecology and learn about the interactions between groups of plants, animals, and the Earth ranging across the oceans. On the other hand, you can choose to focus on the internal workings of a single heart cell and watch it beat under a microscope. It is amazing when you

features editor email

Brad McLeod features@the-peak.ca

learn how to relate these different ranges of focus on the natural world, and start to understand how they are all interconnected. Often I find myself awestruck when I stop to consider the scope and scale of what we understand about biology. I can feel what I hold in my hands and I know what I can see; beyond that yields to the forces of the imagination. I find imagining that which I cannot directly experience in the field of biology to be rather delightful. If you pay attention, the details of the natural world are incredible. Next time you walk past the opening of an anthill, take a moment to consider that it is the opening to a complex network of tunnels and chambers with an organized community containing its own Queen, soldiers, and workers. At the beach, remind yourself of the fact that the waves at your feet are a part of a vast ocean, connected with others around the globe! As I have progressed through my degree, I’ve found my

perception of the world has changed. Walking through the forest, or even down the streets of Vancouver, I have come to notice my surroundings under ‘the biologist’s lens.’ I can’t help but take notice of the lichen growing on the trees along the boulevard, or the trail left by the slug across the pavement. While this may be because I come from an artistic house-

hold, I also notice how beautiful these scenes are — like little pieces of art that have appeared just for me. The lichen grows as delicate fractals of silver lace, and the slug’s slimetrail has an iridescent quality that sparkles in the sunlight.

March 2, 2015

Being surrounded by other biology enthusiasts has also been something of a revelation to me. I have found a close network of friends who won’t think I am peculiar for stopping to look at a big old cedar, a slimy black slug, or a tiny delicate mushroom. Instead, I am greeted with a similar enthusiasm and sometimes a fun fact or Latin name. It honestly feels like some biologists are walking encyclopedias, ready to spill over with facts and observations. Biology is also great because it is simply fun. Personally, I am appreciative of the opportunities I have had to get my hands dirty once in a while. I have had labs that involved planting seeds, drawing starfish, and even canoeing down a river for a field course I participated in last summer. In today’s world, we are all coming to terms with the reality of a degrading climate and the fact that delicate ecosystems are being pushed to their brink. It is therefore immensely important that we encourage children and adults alike to take notice of the natural world.

The consequences of our actions are melting glaciers, poisoned soils, and shrinking what little we have left of our once lush and diverse ecosystems. Species are going extinct every day at an accelerated rate, and that is just the tip of the (melting) iceberg. While this is evidently scary from an anthropocentric perspective — as we are progressively making our own habitat less hospitable — we should also mourn the loss of biodiversity and raw beauty of our planet. However, there is no need to be entirely negative. While learning about biology helps us all to understand what we have to lose, it also shows us the remarkable resilience of nature and its capacity to heal and adjust itself. And that gives me hope. I am astounded daily by the diversity and immensity of life on our tiny blue and green dot in this solar system, and have consequently come to be humbled in understanding my place upon it. No matter what I choose to pursue after I finish my degree, one thing is for certain: I will always be a naturalist, and studying biology is going to get me there.